You And I (SomaXErina)

Chapter 3: The Path We Have

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this weird plot.

Warning: Some sexual content, but then again, isn't that what brought you guys here in the first place? Also, lots of emotional-heaviness ahead.

Like most things, it started out innocent.

It was New Year's Eve and the Polar Star dorm was throwing a party. Black and gold streamers draped the walls and ceiling, an abundance of food lined the tables, and not one person lacked a drink in their hands.

That being said, Nakiri Erina wasn't used to ingesting the amount of alcohol that had been thrown her way. She would never admit it aloud, but she was indeed a lightweight, and the annoyingly pulsing headache she had indicated she wasn't drinking enough water.

She made a quick escape out the front door to get a breath of fresh air. Outside, the night was quiet, the scenery calm, and there was a light flurry of snow that paved the ground. She almost regretted coming out, with her boots contaminating the immaculate blanket of white, but the chill cleared her mind, and being away from the crowd lessened the pounding in her head. While she enjoyed being around friends for the New Year for once, she was still unaccustomed to the affection that came with it. When people got comfortable, they asked questions, and she was never good at expressing her feelings.

Erina pinched her temple between two fingers and rubbed gentle circles, hoping to further subside the pain. In hindsight, she should've grabbed a water on her way out.

As if answering a prayer, a water bottle jutted into her vision. She snapped her head up and whirled around to see none other than Yukihira Soma grinning at her.

"Looked like you needed it," he explained nonchalantly, gently pushing the bottle into her hands. She accepted it gratefully and nodded a thanks to him, expecting him to turn around and head back to the party. Yet he remained standing there next to her, hands in his pockets.

She took a moment to sneak a peek at him. He had gotten just a bit taller, just a bit leaner, and just a bit (and she means, just a very little bit) more mature. Her hatred for him was no longer there, not when they'd been through so much together. She would never forget how he helped her fight against her father, how he listened to the story of her childhood, how he supported her despite all the cruel things she used to throw at him. She should really thank him one day, but her stubbornness always prevented her from doing so. He never seemed to expect one from her though. If anything, he seemed to almost enjoy that part of her.

Their relationship was a bit strange. They were always arguing about one thing or another, but their arguments never held any underlying hostilities. It was simply how they interacted with each other, and it was the closest thing she had to fun aside from cooking. Alice had a tendency to drop comments such as "You two should date already," but Erina always brushed the idea away. It wasn't like that. She didn't know how to let someone get that close to her.

She wasn't in denial, despite how she might portray herself to her cousin or to Hisako for that matter. She also wasn't dense. She saw how Yukihira would linger behind the rest of the group after Elite Ten meetings just to tease her a bit. She was aware of how she'd slow her pace when leaving classes, giving him just enough time to catch up to her so that they could walk to their next class together. The actions weren't intentional or planned, but a seemingly unspoken agreement to be near each other.