The wooden planks of Dagoba Beach dock creak beneath my feet as I stare out at the churning waters. It's been three days since I ran away from him—from Izuku—and the memory still burns hot in my chest. One moment we were floating in the water, sharing the deepest parts of ourselves, and the next I was fleeing like a coward after he kissed me.

The setting sun paints the sky in brilliant oranges and pinks, mirroring on the water's surface. Somewhere beneath those waves is the merboy who saw something in me worth saving. The boy who didn't flinch at my scar or my coldness. The boy who somehow gave me the courage to step into the water despite a lifetime of fear.

A soft splash echoes from beneath the dock. My heart leaps into my throat. Could it be him? After I ran away like that?

I lean over the edge, peering into the darkening water. The fading light makes it difficult to see, but movement catches my eye—something green, darting just below the surface. My breath catches as those emerald eyes appear, looking up at me from the water.

Izuku. He's here.

He doesn't speak, just watches me with those impossibly bright eyes, neither approaching nor retreating. The ball is in my court now. Will I apologize? Explain? Pretend nothing happened?

The water ripples gently around him, and I'm acutely aware of the distance between us—both physical and emotional. The moment hangs suspended between us, as delicate as the fading light.