Sudden Christmas "Date" [Sean & Rowan]

Sean really did not like the cold. He was a fan of cool, warm was great too, and hot was fine. But cold? No way! Even if he no longer had to worry about his quirk freezing up his body with overuse, Sean just did not like the cold all too much. He could not stand the shivering. And not being able to go outside shirtless like he preferred to do was a massive bummer as well. Why was the cold so bad?

But still, as much as the boy disliked the cold, he would have to bear it. After all, Christmas was quickly approaching, and Sean had a few last-minute gifts to buy. He had already bought presents for his mom and most of his friends. But still, he wanted to get them all as much as he could. And then there was Rowan, who Sean still had no idea just what it was he should get her. Sean smiled. Just thinking about her was enough to put him in a cheerful mood. Hmm, what could be the reason for that? Fortunately, Sean was no longer the completely oblivious dummy that he once was. He knew that he thought about her far more than anyone else nowadays, and just thinking of that day in the hospital (which Sean would find himself doing very often) made him blush. Rowan was definitely more than just a friend.

But speaking of Rowan, Sean's eyes widened as he noticed her walking. His eyes immediately widened, his heart beating faster, and his smile widening even more. On the one hand, it did suck to run into her before getting to buy her a gift. Now that surprise could not happen. But on the other hand, who cares, Rowan is here! With a cheerful smile and wave, Sean went over to her and greeted her. "Yo! It's good to see you! How's it going?"

Christmas shopping could wait. Right now, Sean was far more interested in seeing Rowan.

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Sean smiled cheerfully. It was good to hear that Rowan was doing good. "Same here. Cold is annoying, but it'll take more than that to keep me away." He listened as Rowan explained that she was not having much luck finding a gift for her father. "Aw, that's a shame. I could try to help you out with that if you want?" Sean was not exactly the best at ideas for gifts. Still, he would be more than happy to help if Rowan wanted his assistance.

I wonder what dads like for gifts? A shame Sean could not ask his own father, because... well he was not a very good man for one thing. Plus, he wasn't here in Japan, and Sean hoped that it stayed that way. Sean was glad that Rowan didn't have a father who was a complete... okay, now was not the time for such negative thoughts. No sad vibes!

Getting back to the conversation, Sean nodded upon hearing Rowan's question. "Yep, I'm all good!" Sean was slow to pick up on what exactly Rowan was referring to, but he thankfully did pick up on it. He was not a lost cause just yet! "Nothing weird going on after I left the hospital. Unless you count random dreams I've been having for the past couple of nights, but I'm not sure they have anything to do with what happened. But the dreams themselves are nothing to worry about. No nightmares or anything." They were just the usual dreams. Dreams of Sean surfing. Dreams of the boy being back at UA. Dreams of Rowan. Actually, there were lots of dreams of the latter. But was it a good idea to bring that up right now? Unless Rowan was curious enough to ask about the dreams, Sean would not feel the need to press on.

"So yeah, I was just gonna finish up my Christmas shopping. I still have some people to buy gifts for." He did not want to tell Rowan she was one of those people. It would be nice to surprise her. But he was not exactly the best at being subtle. "But enough about me, how are you, Rowan? Anything new with you?" Sean was always interested in listening to what she had to say. Was she doing fine? Was anything bothering her? He would be happy to listen to her chat.

Sean then had an idea, one that made him glad that his scarf hid his face so that Rowan wouldn't notice the blushing too easily. "So hey... if you want, maybe we could go shopping together while we're both here? Hang out and go wherever you want?" Again, the boy was many things. But subtle? Not really one of them.

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"Nah, I don't mind. Plus, I'm here buying gifts anyway, so we could go together for twice the efficiency!" Well in truth, Sean cared little for efficiency. He just wanted to spend time with Rowan. But of course, he was willing to help her out with getting gifts. Not that he was any good at it, but Sean just could not refuse to offer someone help if they needed it.

"Uhh..." Sean did his best to hide his reaction to hearing Rowan ask about his dreams. But even with the scarf covering his blush, the boy's reaction said it all. "Ehehe." Perhaps now was not the time to bring up the fact that out of all the mermaid dreams he had recently, all of the mermaids were Rowan. Gee, just why was that the case? Thankfully, Sean would not have to tread on that subject for long. "Yeah, you're right. It's way too cold! I'm up for drinks. And I can pay for you if you want. My treat." Because even Sean was not that stupid to forget to offer to pay. He may not necessarily be the best gentleman, but at least he tried his best.

"Oh nice!" Sean listened as Rowan talked about taking classes, her dad wanting her to take duties at their hotels, and her studying for exams and getting ready for the next sports festival. "I wish I could say I was making preparations like those, but I'm still trying to figure things out. I realized in hindsight that my old mentality of just living life at the moment and not worrying about the future until it comes might not have been the best approach."

Sean smiled when Rowan said she liked his idea. He was so looking forward to having a fun time. But she was right. It was probably best to get out of the cold first and warm up somewhere. "Sounds good!" Sean began to look around as well. There was a cafe nearby, that he knew. But he wasn't sure on where exactly. Oh well, he would just follow Rowan and get there in no time. So no worries!

As the two walked, Sean would not notice due to his obliviousness and him focusing too much on getting out of the cold and on what he would buy once he and Rowan got to the cafe. But as he walked besides Rowan, his hand would instinctively move closer to Rowan's. Not enough to actually touch it, but it was very close. But before anything could happen with that, Sean finally noticed the cafe. "Ah, there it is!" He wanted to just run inside, but there was no way he could leave Rowan behind. That would just be rude!

But now that the two were here, Sean could not decide what he wanted. Coffee, hot chocolate, tea, he was up for anything hot. Anything that could make the shivering go away. Anything that could make him feel all warm inside the way he did whenever Rowan came into his thoughts. Speaking of Rowan, Sean just decided to order whatever she planned to get for herself.

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Sean could not help but chuckle at Rowan's joke. Despite the coma happening and everything that came with that, Sean was not offended by jokes made from that. Well in truth, it was very difficult to offend someone like Sean. He was too carefree and easygoing. "Yeah, no worries there. I'll definitely wake up, no matter what kind of dream tries to keep me under." Because while mermaids were neat and mermaid Rowan was amazing, neither held a candle to the real Rowan. Sean almost said this aloud, but stopped himself before doing so. He did not need to blush any more than he already had.

He listened as Rowan spoke. He could see her point. Living life in the moment, and just having fun while not worrying about what the future had to bring. In hindsight, this mentality had its flaws. But at the same time, worrying about the future and being too stressed out from that just didn't sound very pleasant. There had to be a way to somehow pull off doing both at once. Keeping the future in mind, but also having fun with life and not stressing out. "I wish I knew how to do both, but without any of the downsides of either. But I have no idea how to pull it off. At least not by myself. But hey, no one said anything about needing to do things alone, right?"

Yes, that was what family, friends, loved ones, people important in one's life were for. Sean did not have to think about the future alone. And Rowan would not have to worry about the worries that the future brings by herself. Sean was more than happy to lend a hand to help her out with that. He wanted to help make sure that she would not have to deal with too many stressful moments alone. And speaking of moments, Sean smiled. He wanted to have more moments like these with Rowan. Happy, fun, and memorable moments that would help her forget about any of the troubles she faced. Or at least make those troubles easier to handle.

The two were now in the cafe, where it was thankfully so much warmer compared to outside. And speaking of, Sean smiled when Rowan decided to get hot chocolate. A wonderful pick! He would of course get the same. She also got a blueberry muffin, which sounded really good too. Just as Sean was about to wish that he had got one for himself, Rowan offered to share. "Sweet! That'd be awesome, Rowan. Thanks!" After the two got their food and drinks, and resisting the urge to imagine the thought of Rowan feeding him (stop thinking things like that, Sean, come on!), Sean walked with Rowan to the nearest table, one close to the cozy fireplace.

"Ah, this is wonderful!" Sean cheerfully smiled as he sipped his hot chocolate, being careful not to sip too much to avoid burning himself again. The boy very much enjoyed the heat. Far better than the freezing cold that made him shiver so uncomfortably. But now that the two were here, what could they talk about? Well Sean was up for anything. Plans for Christmas shopping, what to do once winter was finally over, anything Rowan wanted to talk about. Heck, the two could just sit there eating their food in peace, and Sean would be okay with that. He was up for pretty much anything.

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While Sean was typically not the most observant person around (usually very far from it), his recent tendency of taking glimpses of Rowan meant that he was able to catch her little blush. That in turn made Sean blush a bit as well. Why was she so pretty? Not that she wasn't before, but it was like once he had noticed, there was no way to unnotice it. So he would keep on staring. At least for as long as he thought he could get away with doing so unnoticed.

Sean smiled. He had to resist the urge to say something about opposites attracting. Thankfully, the boy was not that dense. "Yeah! I'd be more than happy to help you out." Perhaps before the coma, Sean would have said 'After all, that's what friends are for!' or something stupid like that. It was good to see that his brain injury was only limited to that part that had once controlled the function of his quirk. He was salvageable after all! "And I'd be more than grateful for any help you could give me." It was the least he could do. Even with losing his quirk, the boy at the very least did not lose his passion and drive to help out others. Plus, this was Rowan! How could he say no to her?

Hearing Rowan's question, Sean began to think hard on it. "Hmm, nothing concrete yet, but I have an idea. It's probably crazy, but eh, what do I got to lose?" He shrugged before continuing. "I thought a lot about what I wanted to do before the coma. My dream was pretty simple. To become a hero. A great one that mom could be proud of. One that could protect her should... a certain somebody ever come back. Ah, but don't worry about that last part. It's a story I don't mind sharing, but maybe another time."

For a moment, Sean's smile dropped. That always happened whenever he thought about him. But forget that for now! Focus on the cheerful vibes! So with a smile, Sean continued. "Anyway, even with the coma, my dream hasn't changed. I still want to be a hero, even if it's not a pro hero. I just want to do some kind of good in the world, even if that no longer involves saving people or stopping bad guys."

But how to actually do that? Sean did think about that. "At first, my idea was to join the police. After all, cops are heroes too in a sense. But after suggesting that to mom, she started to tear up. It then hit me that being an officer isn't exactly the safest route, especially considering the villains with quirks running around nowadays. I get it though. She's just worried about me. She doesn't want me ending up in the hospital again. I can't blame her for instantly snuffing out that idea."

Sean sighed. "Also considered being a firefighter, but that has similar problems. Too dangerous. I just wanted to find a way of helping people, but also not making people worry about me. So I got to thinking, what's something I could do that's both safe and still beneficial to others?"

The boy then smiled, excitement being written all over his face. "And that's when it hit me. Money! If I had money, I'd be able to do good things with it! I could donate it to charities and orphanages, helping people out that way! The homeless, the starving, the orphans, I could pretty much help out everyone if I were rich! That way, I could be a hero, but also not do anything to endanger my life. It's brilliant!"

And then Sean chuckled nervously. "Only problem is, money doesn't grow on trees. At least, I haven't seen a quirk that could do that. So I'll just need to find the fastest way to get money. I'll probably get a well-paying job or several, and then use every single yen I earn to help benefit others! And by spending literally everything on others, I don't get corrupted by greed!"

Sean then looked at Rowan. "It's definitely still a work in progress, but it's something. I just need to think on how to get started, and how to actually become rich. Anyway, what do you think, Rowan?" It was certainly a crazy plan. But who knew, maybe with a bit of refinement and planning, that crazy idea might just work! Maybe! Hopefully!

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For a moment, Sean's eyes were looking at Rowan's hand, though the oblivious boy failed to understand what her movements had meant. For a moment, he wanted to just reach out and hold her hand, but now was not the time to think about that! As Sean talked about his plan, he was unsure of whether or not it seemed feasible to pull off. Certainly he would do his best and try. But he wanted to hear Rowan's input. Did she like it? Fortunately, she said she did! Sean cheerfully smiled. If Rowan was fine with the plan, then it had to be a good one!

Sean's eyes widened upon hearing Rowan's words. Could she really do that? That would be super awesome! Speaking of awesome, she was apparently being prepped to someday take over the hotel from her dad. How cool was that? Having your own hotel to run. Sean then began thinking. Wait. What kind of business do I want to run? Hmm... But before getting too in depth with that, he spoke. Wouldn't want for Rowan to think she was being ignored. Definitely not the case. Who would even want to ever do that?! "That would be amazing! Thanks, Rowan!" Any classes that could help the boy with his dream were definitely classes worth taking. "Sign me up!"

But back to his earlier thought. Perhaps he could ask Rowan for advice. After all, she was not dense like the boy was. Far from it, in fact! "Hey, I actually got a question though." As he began to think, he found himself staring at Rowan's face. Her eyes. Her hair. Her lips. Okay, maybe it was best to not do that, being all obvious and looking more like a dumbass. Blushing, Sean looked away a bit, hoping Rowan did not notice. That plan was hardly likely to actually work. "So I was thinking. Just what kind of business should I someday make? But I have no ideas. I'm honestly stumped." Or maybe he just was not using his brain enough.

Still, if Rowan had any ideas, Sean was definitely all ears. As he took another sip of his hot chocolate, he eagerly awaited a response. Not just because Rowan would undoubtedly offer some great suggestions that would really help out, but he could listen to more of that lovely voice of hers. It was pretty soothing. Okay, time to stop acting stupid before she notices if she didn't already! "Got any ideas, Rowan?"

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Thinking about this was hard. Well, thinking about anything was usually hard for Sean. Perhaps that was why he was so dense and hardly ever thought much about anything. But times are changing. Sean was no longer as dense and naive as he once was. It was time to think for more than just the moment. He needed to think about the future as well. Still, if there was one thing to praise the boy for, it was that no matter how hard something was, Sean would be too stubborn to ever give up. So even if he did not yet know how to reach his dream, he at least had a dream to chase after. And no matter what, Sean would never stop running towards that dream.

Of course, Rowan was giving advice as well, and Sean greatly appreciated all the help he could get. So naturally he would give her all the attention he could. "Yeah, that's definitely true." Sitting behind a desk felt so boring. It didn't really have that human interaction the boy liked. It was always fun and engaging to talk to others. Plus, he wanted to help people, and it would be nice to see the smiles on their faces for himself. How could he do so if he just sat behind a desk all day? That did not sound very fun to him. "Ooh, awesome idea!" Reception sounded way better, as Sean could actually greet and chat with people that way. How was Rowan so brilliant! So wise! So beauti- Okay, stop that!

And then as Rowan spoke more, Sean was stunned into silence. "Oh. Oh dang! Rowan..." The boy's eyes widened with shock. "Rowan, that's GENIUS!" Sean could not help but raise his voice unintentionally. That and suddenly hug Rowan from the excitement. Whoops! There were probably people looking over in his direction right now. But honestly? Sean couldn't care less. He was way too excited right now. Plus, his focus and attention was on Rowan. Right now, nobody else really mattered. Still, he would try to control himself. And that started by letting go of Rowan before things got any more awkward. "Eh, sorry. But holy crud, that's an awesome idea! A restaurant! How did I not think of that! I know I always love a good meal. Who doesn't? So I could learn how to make amazing food, and not only cook for the people I love and care about, but for everyone else too!"

Sean could imagine it now. His own restaurant. People from all over would come in and enjoy a delicious meal. The place would make tons of money, and after the place closed for the day, Sean would take most of that money to the nearest orphanage or charity, and smile happily as he made quite the generous donation. It was wonderful! It was brilliant! It was perfect!

The boy kept grinning, being unable to hide his eagerness and excitement. "Thank you so much, Rowan! You're awesome!" With how happy he was, he could have just kissed her right then and there. Awfully tempting, too. Still, the boy could and had to show restrain. Focus! "I can see it now. A nice place for the community and people from all over to have a nice relaxing time. Ooh, and heroes and UA students can get meals at half the price, as thanks for their hard work. And same thing for doctors, police, firefighters..." Oh, how exciting it was to think about! He couldn't wait to call his mom and tell her of this genius idea Rowan came up with. She would undoubtedly be thrilled! And speaking of which... "And it's great, because I already know how to cook, thanks to mom. So all I gotta do is just get better, and..."

Okay, maybe it was time to slow down a bit. "Er, sorry about that. Got way too excited there." Not that Sean really cared about making a fool of himself in front of other people, but he would feel very bad if he just went on and on without giving Rowan the chance to even get any words in. So for now, it was time to shut up and listen to anything Rowan had to say. Because Sean could do that all day. Her voice was just so soothing and... Okay, stop that and focus!

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