Hello, wonderful people of FanFiction! This is my first ever fic, so it's probably not going to be the best fic you've ever read, but I'm hoping I can improve over time and provide stories of a much higher quality.

Regarding context for this story, the main bulk of the story occurs within the 92nd Generation's second year, whilst flashbacks and the sort take place any time before that. However, the "true" beginning of this story takes place directly after the Central Arc, so that's the definitive start point for this story.

As I said, this is my first fic, so any review is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for choosing to read this story, hope you'll enjoy it.

He was dreaming. He knew he was. Every single night, the same damn dream.

He was always aware when his subconscious tortured him with the memories he had tried so hard to forget, when he was forced to relive these excruciating past lives that haunt him whenever he collapses from exhaustion or cries himself into slumber.

He could never control them. Never. Not once had he ever managed to purge his mind of these cruel reminders of reality. He was a prisoner to his own suffering, and he could only spectate as the once best moment of his life turned into the most painful, as he was tormented by another sleepless night and more agonising hours remembering her.

Her glimmering amethyst eyes that captivated him with her every glance…

Her long, luxurious, golden locks that felt so silky whenever he ran his hands through them…

…Her soft lips.

Every single detail of the girl who possessed his every thought was burned permanently into his brain, causing more violent unconscious spasms that disturbed his rest even more.

"What did I do wrong?" He would always question, never getting an answer in reply.

"Was I… not good enough?"

"Clearly." He would always retort, never questioning the fact that he was talking to himself, in his desperation to move on from the immense pain he would always feel when she crossed his mind.

He could recall it, word for word, frame by frame. The frequency of these night terrors had become so great that he could recite the entire scene without the need for his subconscious to do it for him.

Every single time, without fail. This was how it went.

It was the day after the Regiment de Cuisine had concluded, the rebels winning in an extraordinary feat of heroism and determination. Of course, Soma knew he was at the centre of it all, but he never really wanted to accept the praise he received as a result of his marvellous achievements. Except her. He would gladly accept any kind of praise from her, especially if that praise consisted of words such as "It's" and "Delicious." Preferably in that order.

She was still residing within the Polar Star Dorm, despite her not needing to hide from her tyrannical father anymore, his permanent ban from Totsuki after his defeat to the rebels assuring this. However, she had taken a surprise liking to living with its zany residents and even backed up her point with bemoaning how long it would take to take all her stuff back to her original room. Everyone at the Polar Star could tell how obvious her lie was, but gladly welcomed her to the dorm with open arms, allowing her to stay in the same room as she had done before. Right next to Soma.

He must admit, it was strange for her to suddenly request him to visit her room that night, especially since she could easily just visit him if she so desperately wanted to be alone with him. Soma smirked. Even though it was quite out of the blue, here he was. Positioned in front of Room 301, bracing himself to knock on her door.

He had no idea what to expect. She was always unpredictable. One minute she'd be treating you like a close friend, the next, she'd act like you were her sworn enemy. The latter definitely applied to Soma the most, but he had to concede. In the aftermath of the Regiment de Cuisine, she had acted a lot friendlier to him. But today, today was an entirely different story.

She had barely made eye contact with him all day, always keeping her head firmly down whenever he tried to meet her gaze. And whenever he talked to her, she would stammer and shake as if she

were freezing cold. Even someone as dense as Soma could decipher that something was up, but what exactly it entailed, he had no clue. After flubbing her words all day, she had calmly whispered in his ear as she walked by him, so as not to draw the attention of the others, to meet her in her room at ten o'clock sharp.

He glanced at his watch. 10:01. He sighed, knowing she'd probably get mad at him.

He took a deep breath and steeled himself for whatever happened, and rapped his knuckles three times of the wood.

Silence.

Soma waited for a few seconds. He sighed in frustration as he realised she was probably pranking him and was about to walk away when a small voice broke the silence and spoke to him.

"Come in."

Soma took a final inhale of air and opened the door before he would anger her by making her wait.

There she was. Nakiri Erina. Still clad in school uniform, she was sitting up on her bed, shoujo manga placed on her lap. Her long, golden hair was untied and flowed freely along her back and she had a vacant look on her face, seemingly staring at nothing, even as Soma walked in. The silence was very much awkward indeed, and Soma coughed to gain Erina's attention. She jolted out of her reverie, and, despite inviting him into her room, still looked shocked to see him standing there.

She looked up at Soma and, for the first time that day, made direct eye contact with him. Golden orbs met purple ones and the two found themselves paralysed in each other's gazes, Soma only just realising how cute that shade of lavender looked on her. In his mind, he chuckled. She's too busy pouting and screwing her eyes shut that I never really got a good look at them. Weirdly enough, Soma felt a tightening around his chest as he stared deep into Erina's eyes, and he wondered if he needed to see a doctor.

Time seemed to slow as the two continued to gaze into each other's eyes, with neither of them willing to break the contact. Eventually, Soma's curiosity got the better of him and he broke the silence again by speaking.

"So, er, Nakiri…Why did you want to see me?" He managed to get out.

Erina blushed fiercely and snapped her head away, finally ending their intense staring contest, and began stuttering her words again.

"W-Well, er, y-you see, um, Y-Yukihira-kun…" She began trailing off and ended her sentence without really explaining anything.

"Yeah? What's up, Nakiri? You can tell me, you know." Soma was confused at Erina's flustered state and took a seat opposite the bed to fully hold the conversation.

Erina looked back at Soma, her face tinted red and her lips trembling.

"I, er, just…wanted to say thank you. For everything. For helping me in thwarting my father. For helping me to rediscover my passion for cooking. A-And for…" She trailed off again, and Soma assumed that was all she wanted to say.

"Oh, is that it? Nah, it was nothing. You don't need to thank me for any of that." Soma grinned, sensing a positive change to the atmosphere between him and the girl before him.

"B-But, I don't t-think I would've been able to d-do it without you, Yukihira-kun…" Soma tilted his head at her response, clearly confused at what she was saying.

"Ah, come on! I didn't do that much, did I? Besides, weren't you the one always going on about how I was unworthy of going to this school and that you'd love to see me get expelled?" Soma laughed, unaware of the impact his words were having on the flustered teen.

Soma saw her deepen an even darker red as she grew more embarrassed and he couldn't help laughing some more. For a girl who acts so high and mighty and prides herself on appearance, she blushed very often in his presence and always dropped her regal act when speaking to him. But this was an entirely different Erina. She was a lot timider, and her words sounded gentle, rather than their typical rough sting that she usually projected towards him.

"Is that all you wanted to say to me, then?"

Erina didn't respond.

"Well, if that's it, I'll be on my way now."

Soma got up and began walking for the door, when Erina suddenly shot up from the bed and gripped his wrist firmly.

"Yukihira-kun! Wait!"

Soma was left paralysed from the feeling of Erina's hand closed around his wrist. He admired the warmth that permeated his skin from hers, and found himself rooted in place as Erina restarted their staring contest. This time felt different, but Soma still felt that ache in his chest again, stronger than ever. He could hear his own heartbeat pounding even more rapidly in his ears as Erina shifted closer to him, never breaking the contact between her hand and his wrist and their eyes.

"Soooooo…" Soma began, not really knowing how to continue the conversation past the awkward sentence beginners.

Erina's eyes widened in disbelief as she finally became aware of the bold action she had taken.

"I-I, er, Y-Yukihira-kun, I…" Erina's vocabulary seemed to have been limited to stuttering his name and tripping over whatever it was she was trying to say. She looked down in embarrassment, seemingly afraid to look Soma in the eyes.

Soma tilted his head in confusion and waited for her to continue.

"I-I don't really know how to put it…" She began, sensing his perplexity and mulling over her words carefully.

"You could…just say it, you know?" Soma grinned, clearly enjoying Erina's flustered state.

"I…" Erina gulped down her trepidation and looked up at Soma, seemingly bracing herself for her own words.

"I…like you, Yukihira-kun." She managed to get out through her trembling lips.

"Oh, is that so?" Soma replied, oblivious to the true meaning of her words. "Well, I mean, thanks and all, but you didn't really need to say it, Nakiri, I pretty much gathered that already."

She froze at his words and looked at him incredulously.

"R-Really?" She said, her hand around his wrist visibly shaking now.

"Well, yeah. I mean, you'd have to be pretty cold to say we weren't friends at this point!" Soma chuckled, at first unaware of the glare Erina was directing towards him.

"Of course he doesn't understand," Erina groaned inwardly, cursing herself for forgetting how dense Soma was.

"You idiot! I don't mean like that!" Erina blurted, her emotions overriding her common sense.

"Well, how else do you mean…" Soma began, before the realisation hit him like a truck and he was left dumbfounded at Erina's confession.

Even someone as oblivious as Soma was able to decipher what she really meant, and Soma could feel his face warming up as he searched his empty brain for anything to say.

The initial awkward silence before was nothing compared to this one. Erina, suddenly realising what she said and that Soma had completely understood it, found herself unable to say anything, her throat seemingly closing up from anxiety.

Soma just stared.

Into those beautiful purple eyes.

Those constrictions in his chest became even tighter and Soma felt his heart beat crazily inside his chest. The Nakiri Erina…had fallen for him? He would have scoffed had the girl in question not be directly in front of him. But he felt strangely…happy. Why? Maybe it was because no one had ever confessed to him before, and he was just glad that someone found him attractive. But he knew his ego wasn't that big. No, he knew the reason he was so happy was because it was Nakiri Erina. He had somehow managed to hide the fact that he reciprocated her feelings from even himself. But now that Erina's outburst had cleared his mind, he knew exactly what he wanted.

Soma grinned wickedly. "If that's the case," he thought to himself, "I should have some fun…"

Erina caught onto Soma's devilish smile and felt a chill run down her spine. What was he planning?

Suddenly, without warning, Soma snaked his arm around Erina's waist and pulled her even closer to wards him, so much so that their noses were practically touching.

Erina froze up at the sudden movement and could swear she felt her heart stop beating.

"Y-Yukihira-kun?" Erina whimpered. "What are you-"

Erina didn't have time to finish her question as Soma leant forward and locked his lips with hers. She flinched immediately at his foreign touch, but just as immediately returned the kiss, running her hands through his messy red hair.

Soma pulled her in even tighter as the kiss deepened and his heart rate quickened. He thought eventually his heart would burst out of his chest. But he didn't care about that. Even if that did occur, he would die a happy man.

Neither of them had an idea of how much time had passed since their first kiss, but again, neither of them cared. All that was on their minds was each other, and appreciating each other's embrace. Soma squeezed Erina's waist, eliciting a squeal from the girl, and Soma grinned through the kiss, completely enamoured with how warm she was.

Eventually, Soma pulled away, finding himself almost on the verge of passing out due to the lack of oxygen. Erina was disappointed at first, but gratefully took in lungfuls of air as well. Both panted heavily, still staring deep into each other's eyes, a string of saliva still connecting them, even when their lips weren't smashed together.

"Well," Soma puffed, his grin stretching from ear to ear, "that was something." He laughed warmly as Erina buried her head in his chest, clearly too embarrassed to look at him directly.

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her gently and she returned the affection, her breathing now back to normal.

"I've gotta admit, that was quite a shock to the system, you confessing and all!" Soma teased, enjoying how Erina blushed wildly at his comment. She didn't reply, probably because she was too sheepish to. Soma chuckled again. "So how long has…this been a thing?" He queried, taking full advantage of his control of the situation.

"I guess…ever since I moved into the Polar Star dorm…" She replied, her voice slightly muffled through his chest.

"You guess?"

"I mean, I-I didn't think it was anything like this! I just, had that feeling, you know? And I only realised it after we won the Regiment de Cuisine…" She trailed off, mortified at how vulnerable she was whenever this man was around her.

Soma beamed happily. "So does this mean we're…dating?" Soma smirked, trying to provoke her in to growing even more flustered. As expected, it worked.

"I-I, I g-guess…" She whimpered, her face deepening even redder than before.

"Why are you just guessing? I thought you were more assertive than this, Erina." Soma teased, loving every flustered reaction she made.

"A-And who gave you permission to call me by my first name?" Erina exclaimed, her quivering voice betraying her desired confidence.

Soma chuckled but didn't reply, and instead bent down and nuzzled Erina's neck lovingly.

Erina tensed at the sudden feeling. "S-Soma-kun?"

"Oh, you can call me by my first name, but I can't?" Soma ribbed brazenly, and Erina turned back into the shy and timid girl he saw all day, stammering and struggling to respond.

"B-But, I-I, I mean…"

Before she could say anything else, Soma kissed her again and rubbed her head affectionately. Erina immediately silenced herself and looked straight at Soma, a genuine smile painted on her lips.

"Thank you…Soma-kun."

"No problem, Erina."

They shared a laugh and Soma found himself amazed at how crazy the situation had turned. One minute he was bracing himself for another rant about how mediocre of a chef he was, the next he was making out with the Nakiri Erina! He grinned to himself. "Looks like the next few years'll be pretty entertaining," he thought. He looked down at Erina again and smiled.

Then he woke up.

He growled in anger as he sat up. Why did he have to constantly be reminded of her? It hurt too much remembering her when he was awake, but to be constantly harassed by her presence whenever he was asleep as well? It was unbearable. He knew he missed her. He didn't need to be forced to remember this fact over and over again.

He glanced at the time. 6:32. He groaned and got up, despite his agonising fatigue. He got dressed and stared at himself in the mirror and sighed. His eyes were raw red again, undoubtedly from the tears he had shed during his dreams. He hated waking up this early. When he didn't have Elite Ten duties, he could sleep in if he wanted, but now he didn't even have the luxury of choice. It was especially difficult being the First Seat. Soma chuckled dryly. Ever since he came to the school, he was dead set on getting the top seat at Totsuki, but now he was here…he couldn't deny it. He hated it. Too much work. Too many sour memories. "Another damn thing she did to me." He found himself instinctively grinding his teeth in anger as he yet again reminded himself of her.

He stopped and regained his composure. All the second years knew why Soma always balled up his fists or clenched his teeth whenever the former Princess of Totsuki was mentioned. They take care not to talk about her as much as they can, but it was unavoidable, given her previous presence within the school. Their relationship had been no secret. The two were basically the perfect couple, and everyone knew it. They always were an odd pair, but anyone could tell how great they were for each other. That's why when they suddenly split, they could see how deeply it wounded him.

Soma felt no need to bottle up his emotions, but his pride always got the better of him, and he made an effort to put on a brave face and pretend that everything was alright. Soma always felt irritated when faced with his emotional trauma, it'd been three months already! Why couldn't he just get over her?

Pushing all thoughts of her out of his mind (temporarily, of course), Soma walked out of his room and proceeded towards the Elite Ten Council room. However, he always had to endure the same torment even as he left, as he once again passed Erina's room, the room where all of his pain originated.

Soma felt another tear fall down his cheek.

He didn't look at the door as he walked by.

And that's the first chapter! Hope you enjoyed!

As I said, this is my first fic, so I need all the constructive criticism I can get. Feel free to review with any recommendations or critiques you may have.

Thanks for reading this story, talk to you guys later!