Work Text:
I.
Serizawa wasn’t in the company of anyone.
Then suddenly, he was.
“Hey, homebody,” Shimazaki greeted, appearing next to Serizawa on the bench, close enough to reside under the opaque white plastic of Serizawa’s open umbrella. Serizawa jumped at the sudden closeness and threw out a barrier, effectively blowing Shimazaki away before realizing who it was.
“O-oh, Shimazaki-san, I’m so sorry, I-”
“No worries, big guy,” Shimazaki laughed it off, disappearing and reappearing next to Serizawa again, just as close as before. “Jeez, you really do pack a punch, huh? No wonder Suzuki likes you so.”
Serizawa didn’t reply.
“Not the talkative type?” Shimazaki rolled his shoulders, leaning back. “That’s not surprising, considering everything.” His arms sprawled against the back of the bench, almost touching Serizawa but not quite. His head stayed facing forward, not turning to face the other man. Serizawa supposed that made sense since Shimazaki was blind. He didn’t make a move to face him, either. Eye contact made him nervous.
They sat in silence for a few moments, listening to people passing by. It was evening, and the park was mostly empty, save for a group of joggers. Serizawa came out here to get some practice being back in public and around others. He enjoyed the sunshine on his shoulders; it was one of the things he missed the most while he was a shut-in.
However, he could do without the company of another. Especially if they were going to be rude. Shimazaki’s voice came off bullyish and cruel, and he always seemed so invested in himself that Serizawa tended to shy away from interaction with him. Not that he’d say anything in fear of upsetting the president, though he probably wouldn’t mind infighting between his subordinates as long as it didn’t affect their work.
“So,” Shimazaki broke the silence, again. “What’s your deal?”
“My deal?” Serizawa repeated politely, focusing on a trail of ants near his feet.
“You’ve only been a part of the team for a few weeks now. You rarely talk to anyone besides Suzuki and his son. I mean,” He gave a bark of laughter, “I’m sure you’re not used to interacting with others, so that maybe explains it, but you should be a team player.”
“Like you?” Serizawa retorted, before paling. He made to apologize, but couldn’t over the sound of Shimazaki’s laughter.
“So you do have a bite!” He cackled. “I was wondering if you were just a doormat, but I could tell otherwise!” He turned and leaned into Serizawa, crossing an ankle over his knee. Serizawa found himself uncomfortable at the close proximity; he had gotten into the habit of showering every day, but tended to wear the same clothes. He found himself hoping he wasn’t smelly. A part of him felt that Shimazaki knew he wasn’t comfortable with the physical closeness between them and just didn’t care. “You’re a pretty interesting guy, Serizawa.”
That made Serizawa perk up. “How do you mean?”
“I mean what I mean,” Shimazaki replied vaguely. “Can I ask you some questions?”
If Serizawa could get more tense, this would be the time for it. “Why?”
“Is it wrong of me to want to get to know a fellow employee? A coworker? Perhaps even a friend?” Shimazaki feigned hurt, voice a combination of teasing and sore. Serizawa mulled it over.
“No, I suppose not,” he heard himself say.
“Well, great!” A hand on Serizawa’s shoulder made him jump. “So, first things first; are you really this anxious, or do you just lack confidence?”
Serizawa felt himself frown, just slightly. “How do you know?”
“You just know!”
“That’s no help,” Serizawa sighed.
“Do you feel like if you were comfortable - truly comfortable - with someone, you’d still be so jittery around them?”
“I…” Serizawa thought about his mother. He thought about who he used to be before he shut his bedroom door. “I suppose it’s both. I do lack confidence, but I’m changing that. Soon I’ll just be anxious.”
“... I don’t think that’s true,” Shimazaki said. “I think you’re just new to everything.” A lady with a pair of dogs walked by. Shimazaki waited for her to pass before continuing. “I don’t really understand it. I don’t see how others can be anxious. To me, nothing matters enough to be worried.”
“I wish I could be that uncaring about things,” Serizawa mumbled, before furrowing his brows. “You’re not a therapist, are you?”
That garnered a laugh. “Do I look like a therapist?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t like therapists?”
“Not really… They never understood esper things, so they were never able to get to the root of the issue, I guess.”
“Well, no shit,” Shimazaki laughed, “the only thing you need is training.”
“Training?” Occasionally, the five of them would battle with each other, just to stay on their toes. The president never joined them, for obvious reasons.
“Power training. How to use it to your advantage and control it.” Shimazaki put a hand to his chin like he was thinking. “It probably wouldn’t hurt to also bring you out of your shell.”
“My shell?”
“I could help. I’m a very good conversationalist. I have more balls than the rest of you combined. What’s the harm in sharing?”
“I don’t think I want your balls, Shimazaki-san.”
“You are too funny, Serizawa!” Shimazaki chuckled yet again, patting Serizawa’s shoulder. “I’m just saying that I would be a great teacher to help you get back into the swing of things.”
The sun finally dipped behind the skyscrapers around them, putting the pair into shade. Serizawa found himself getting used to the weight of Shimazaki’s hand on his shoulder.
“I’ll think about it,” Serizawa answered, making a move to stand up. When he did, he turned around to say something more to Shimazaki, but the man was gone.
II.
“He told you what?” Minegishi scowled, crossing their arms. Serizawa’s grasp tightened on his umbrella handle.
“He said he wanted to teach me how to use my powers and how to… talk, and stuff, I think.” Serizawa scratched at his stubble, thinking back two weeks prior to his conversation with Shimazaki. Since then they’ve been inseparable, it seemed. Serizawa had definitely gotten better about conversation, body language, and... physical affection. Shimazaki was always patting his shoulders and arms, elbowing him, poking him… There was one point where he even leaned against Serizawa, and Serizawa had compensated by putting an arm around his shoulders, which earned him a word of praise. His voice was a little stronger than previously, and now here he was, holding a full conversation with someone who wasn’t Shimazaki- or the president, for that matter.
Serizawa heard Minegishi mutter something about someone being unbearably transparent, before they sighed, turning on their heel. “Walk with me.” It was an order that felt like a question, and Serizawa nodded, keeping up with his shorter coworker easily.
“How do you feel about him? Shimazaki?” This was the opposite; this question felt like an order. Serizawa pushed down the urge to open his umbrella.
“He’s nice. He can be forward.”
“Forward how?”
“Blunt,” Serizawa emphasized. “Very blunt.”
Another string of words underneath Minegishi’s breath. Serizawa didn’t ask.
They stepped outside, and Serizawa watched Minegishi wrinkle their nose and squint in the bright sunlight. They weren’t usually blessed with such sunny days, but today was an exception. Wordlessly, Serizawa opened his umbrella, covering both of them in shade.
“Oh,” Minegishi hesitated. Thinking. “Thank you, Serizawa.”
Serizawa only nodded in reply. They continued to walk.
Serizawa first only noticed the other person in his vicinity. Minegishi had a hand to their chin, glaring at the concrete sidewalk they were walking on. If Serizawa listened, he could hear them mumbling under their breath. Something about Shimazaki, something about their other two coworkers, something about Serizawa. Though they walked with a purpose, Minegishi’s footsteps were quiet, barely there.
Even if he was involved in whatever Minegishi was thinking about, Serizawa wasn’t one to ask questions. Questions meant answers. He wasn’t sure he was ready for those. He looked at the scenery around them, as much as he could see from beneath the umbrella. Grass was growing. It was spring. The wind picked up a little, but nothing Serizawa couldn’t handle. People walking by paid the duo no mind. The sun was really bright. Serizawa started looking at the sidewalk, too.
“This way,” Minegishi said, and Serizawa followed. They rounded on a park, the same one Serizawa had first had a conversation with Shimazaki in. It was greener than previously, water reflecting off the lawn and meticulously organized shrubbery like tiny spotlights.
“I like this park,” Serizawa commented.
“I know.”
That threw Serizawa for a loop. “You do?”
“Yeah, you come here nearly every day.” Minegishi looked a little pink, but their expression didn’t change. Neither did their voice, still a little irritated sounding and monotone.
“Oh,” Serizawa replied. “I didn’t know that you guys noticed.”
Minegishi’s expression twitched, just a little. “You’re pretty clueless, aren’t you?”
“A-am I?” Serizawa balked. “I didn’t know. What am I supposed to know?”
“Nothing.” Minegishi blurted, turning away. Serizawa could see tiny white flowers beginning to grow in Minegishi’s footprints. They stopped in front of a bench. The flowers overtook Minegishi’s shoes.
“Ah, plants are growing over your shoes,” Serizawa mentioned politely. Minegishi looked down and sighed. The plants stopped, then withered. Serizawa frowned a little. He found them pretty; he knew Minegishi’s powers could be deadly, but they seemed so harmless. Serizawa was a little jealous. He adjusted his grip on his umbrella, continuing to hold it above their heads.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I wanted to bring you out here to talk to you,” Minegishi started, sounding like they had memorized that phrase. Serizawa nodded. Minegishi took a deep breath and let it out. “I’ve been talking to Shimazaki, and I’ve been talking to the others. We just want to let you know that Shimazaki can be… Blunt, as you said. Has he said anything to you about any of us?”
Serizawa thought. “I don’t think so? He sometimes talks about you, but nothing memorable.” Serizawa stopped, then gasped at his wording. “N-not that you’re not memorable, Minegishi! That’s not what I meant!”
Minegishi looked up at Serizawa, giving a small, barely there smirk. “I know, Serizawa.”
“Okay,” Serizawa wondered if he looked as lost as he felt.
They were silent for a moment.
“Why did you feel the need to put your umbrella over me too? When we first stepped outside?” Minegishi asked.
“Oh…” Serizawa hesitated, hoping it didn’t make Minegishi mad. “I saw that it was bright to you, and wanted to help.”
“But why?”
“I… I don’t know. I just wanted to.”
“I see.”
Silence again.
“Did it make you mad?” Serizawa started to pull away from Minegishi. “I’m sorry if so-”
“No,” Minegishi cut him off, looking at him again. Serizawa stared at their hair to avoid their gaze. They took a step forward, staying underneath the umbrella. “It just surprised me, is all.” Minegishi paused. “You’re too nice for this kind of stuff. This… Line of work.”
Serizawa didn’t reply. The two were silent for a moment.
“That’s all I wanted to ask. We can head back to headquarters, if you’d like.”
“I think I’ll stay out here, if that’s alright.” Serizawa turned away from Minegishi, admiring the way the flowers were blooming. Were they that far grown when they first got here?
“I’ll stay with you, then,” Minegishi decided, sitting on the bench. Serizawa followed suit.
“You don’t have to, if you don’t want to, Minegishi.”
“I want to.”
They sat until their shadows stretched and the sprinklers came on.
III.
Serizawa was not usually one who had to look up at others. He easily stood taller than most people he had met, or at the very least was the same height.
Shibata was an exception.
“Serizawa, are you doing alright?” Shibata was walking next to him. His voice was gentle- nothing like how he looked. Serizawa’s head only went to his shoulders, which was quite a strange experience.
“Yeah, just a little tired,” Serizawa said politely. They were headed towards the cafeteria; Shibata had asked him if he’d like to join him for a late night snack, and Serizawa had accepted. He was a little hungry, and Shibata was pleasant company.
“Tired? Have you been drinking enough water?” That was a question Shibata seemed to ask everyone all the time. Though, honestly, Serizawa can’t remember the last time he drank anything besides canned tea.
“Probably not,” Serizawa answered sheepishly, moving his closed umbrella from one hand to the other.
“That’s not good. You should stay hydrated,” Shibata chided with no real malice in his voice. “Especially since we’re all a team.”
“I-I won’t let you guys down, if that’s what you’re thinking-”
“No, not like that. I mean, we all care about you. We want to make sure you’re staying in the best shape you can.” Serizawa didn’t have time to feel surprised; Shibata opened the door to the cafeteria, and they walked in. The air smelled like something sweet.
“Oh, look at that,” Shibata commented. “Someone made cake.”
On the counter between the seating area and the kitchen, two cakes sat. They looked expertly made, covered in white frosting.
“Wow, I didn’t know that any of you guys knew how to bake,” Serizawa said, surprised. This cafeteria was used only by the five of them, and on occasion Suzuki and Shou. He couldn’t see either of them baking, especially not as professionally as this.
“Me neither,” Shibata replied. They both looked at the cakes. One was labeled vanilla and the other chocolate. There was also a sign that said ‘free to eat!’ in hasty black pen. Shibata grabbed a plate and gave himself a decent-sized slice of chocolate. Serizawa followed his lead, cutting a slice of vanilla and following Shibata to where he decided to sit. They sat across from each other, Serizawa staring at his plate. His umbrella rested in the chair next to him.
“Serizawa?”
“Hm?” Serizawa blinked, still finding himself staring at the cake. “Sorry, were you saying something?”
“No, but…” Shibata trailed off. “This might sound silly, but… are you intimidated by me?”
“What?” Serizawa glanced up, making eye contact with his companion. From this near-equal height, Serizawa could see a nervousness in Shibata’s eyes. Serizawa averted his gaze, instead focusing on Shibata’s hair; dark and puffy, just like his.
“Do I make you nervous?” Shibata rephrased.
“Uh…” Serizawa fumbled with words. He didn’t want to lie. “... A little. I’m just not used to others being taller than me, if that makes sense.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I don’t know what I’d do if I met someone taller than me.”
“Were you always this tall?” Serizawa looked back down at his cake, hoping he didn’t overstep any boundaries. Shimazaki said he could ask any of the others questions anytime; there would never be negative repercussions, even if the question was stupid.
Shibata chuckled, voice rumbling in his throat. “No, only when my powers got strong enough. It was an unexpected growth spurt.”
“It must be nice, though, being so tall. I’m sure it’s hard to lose you in a crowd.”
“That is true,” Shibata agreed. Serizawa found himself relaxing a little, with both of them at a similar height, and took a second to take a bite of his cake. He blinked, chewing slowly before swallowing.
“Wow, this cake is really good,” Serizawa complimented.
“You think so?” Shibata stiffened, then coughed. “I mean, yeah, same here.”
They were quiet for a moment.
“Do you want to try some of mine?” Shibata asked hesitantly. Serizawa paused, then nodded. He got his fork ready for the travel to a different plate only to find that Shibata held his fork out, a cut of his cake resting on it. He was avoiding looking at Serizawa, and had a faint pinkness to his cheeks.
Serizawa took the hint and quickly ate the bite, feeling his cheeks heat up as well. “Thank you, Shibata, it’s very tasty!” Shibata nodded. Serizawa’s throat felt a little congested. “Do you, uh, do you want to try some of mine as well?”
Shibata nodded again, and Serizawa repeated the motions of giving a forkful of cake to Shibata, who ate it just as quickly as Serizawa had.
“Wow, that is really good.”
“You did a great job making these, Shibata!”
Shibata froze, turning redder. “How’d you know?” He asked, dumbfounded.
“They weren’t here during dinner,” Serizawa explained, rubbing his neck. “And I could smell frosting on you. Sorry if it was meant to be some sort of surprise.”
“Oh, no! No worries,” Shibata smiled sheepishly. “Please don’t tell the others I bake, though.”
“They don’t know?” ‘You don’t make cakes for everyone?’
“Hatori does, but Minegishi and Shimazaki don’t. I think they might have an idea, but I haven’t made them anything before. I usually will bake and then eat it all myself or throw it out. Hatori saw me once completely on accident, and made me share with him. He… was actually the one who told me you might like cake.”
“He was right, at least,” Serizawa hummed, wondering how Hatori knew. “And don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”
Shibata gave him a relieved grin, which Serizawa easily returned.
IV.
Conversation practice was going good with Shimazaki. Minegishi and Shibata ended up getting roped into it as well, the four of them holding conversations with ease. For the most part, Serizawa talked to Shimazaki and Minegishi together, seeing as they were sort of inseparable, and he had early morning conversations with Shibata since they were both early risers.
There was one person he had yet to really talk to out of his close-quarter coworkers. It seemed like Hatori tended to keep to himself. Serizawa occasionally overheard Shimazaki teasing him for being the shortest and the youngest (though he was only younger than Shimazaki by a few months), and Shibata seemed to be the closest to him, since they went on missions together for the most part, brawn and brain ever the unbeatable duo.
Serizawa was curious how Hatori knew he liked the cake, which led him to the entertainment room one day.
“Can I join you?” Serizawa asked, peeking into the room to see Hatori in front of the large projector screen, playing a video game. Hatori turned his head a little to look at Serizawa and shrugged.
“Sure, but I won’t be the best conversationalist.” He returned his gaze to the game, fingers rapidly moving over the controller with practiced ease. Serizawa moved closer and took a seat next to Hatori on the firm sofa. Hatori was sprawled on one side, easily taking up half the seat, while Serizawa sat formally. He watched quietly, and though Hatori said he wouldn’t be the best conversationalist, he started talking.
“It’s an old platformer. I’ve been trying to get the world record on it for a while.”
“World record?”
“Yeah, like speedrunning. You know what speedrunning is, right?” Serizawa nodded.
“I’ve heard of it, but haven’t tried doing anything like that in a while.”
“ You used to do speedruns?” Hatori’s eyes didn’t move from the screen, but he turned his head towards Serizawa, showing he was interested.
“Only of older Mobtendo games… I held the speedrun for Choco Mountain of Mobrio Kart 64 for a bit.”
“What? Really? How long?”
“A few days, I think… What about you?”
“I started with Mobrio games, but eventually went to Super Mobtroid and Tmob Raider.”
“How exactly do you speedrun Tmob Raider?”
“Well…” Hatori gave a fairly in-depth explanation that Serizawa listened intently to. Soon their conversation turned to strategies they used in video games. Serizawa tended to stick to classics and platformers, while Hatori played shooters for the most part. Hatori finished his level, checking his time and giving a whoop. “Hey, that was a new record for me! Maybe having someone here to talk to helped me focus better than I thought it would… So thanks, Serizawa!”
Serizawa smiled, happy to help. The two sat in silence for a second.
“Hey, I’ve been wanting to try playing a co-op game, and maybe do a speedrun of it…” Hatori started, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. “Do you wanna try it with me?”
Serizawa found himself nodding eagerly. “Yeah, of course! What game?”
“Portal 2. Have you played it before?”
“I played the first one. I didn’t know a sequel was made.”
“ Dude, oh my god.” Hatori ran a hand through his mop of hair, turning his attention entirely to Serizawa, a huge grin on his face. “It’s incredible. We have to play it right now.” Hatori jumped up to put the game into his Mobstation and grabbed another controller. Their hands brushed quickly; Hatori’s hands were very warm and soft. His nails were painted a light blue.
“You paint your nails?” Serizawa asked. Hatori stiffened a little before forcefully relaxing again. He flopped down next to Serizawa.
“Yeah, on occasion. It keeps me busy. I have an issue with picking at my nails, so having polish helps.”
“It looks nice.”
“Oh. Well, thanks, Serizawa. I could always paint yours if you want.” Serizawa nodded. “Well, anyways, do you remember the controls for the game?”
“I think so?”
“Then let’s get on it!”
Hatori had obviously played this game before - multiple times, even - but Serizawa didn’t mind following along and being ordered around a little. Serizawa decided to ask the question that was on his mind.
“Shibata made me cake,” He started, watching Hatori accidentally slide into a vat of murk and respawn. “He said you said that I liked cake. How did you know?”
“You look like the type,” Hatori said smoothly, then paused. “No, that’s a lie. I mean, you do look like the type, but I also follow your Mobtter. You retweet a lot of pictures of cake.”
“Oh,” Serizawa felt his face heat up. “I didn’t know you followed me. I should follow you back.” Hatori shrugged at that and returned his attention to the game. Serizawa did the same.
At one point, there was a near impossible jump that Serizawa was unable to land. Hatori was trying to explain what to do, but Serizawa just kept jumping and falling into the murk over and over. Hatori started giggling, one hand on his head while the other struggled to keep a hand on his controller. Serizawa found himself laughing too, harder than he has in a while. It felt good; he missed laughing like this.
After a moment, he realized Hatori wasn’t laughing anymore, staring at him with his mouth slightly open, cheeks bright red.
“W-what? Did I do something wrong?” Serizawa asked, voice a little wheezy from laughing so hard.
“N-no, you just laugh like a dad,” Hatori said jokingly, cracking a grin and laughing again. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh before. It’s, uh-” Hatori turned away, pushing his glasses up again. “It’s nice.”
Serizawa gave another, smaller laugh. “Oh, thank you. You have a nice laugh too, Hatori.” He didn’t think Hatori could blush harder.
“Oh, well. Thanks.” He stopped. “A lot of people think my laugh is annoying. You’re not the type to say something just to be nice. So thanks.” He gave a cheesy smile, and something in Serizawa’s chest opened up and fluttered. “Now, let’s take this jump from the top.”
V.
Time passed. Serizawa grew more comfortable with his coworkers. His friends.
Hatori and Shimazaki helped him trim his hair one day, shaving off some of his beard but not all of it. Shimazaki’s hands rubbed along Serizawa’s jawline, scratching over the prickly hairs, enthusing over the feel of it.
“This needs to stay,” Shimazaki insisted. “It makes him look handsome, right?” Hatori had turned as red as Serizawa had at the compliment, and nodded, saying he liked the way it looked too. So the stubble remained. His hair was lighter, resting along his forehead in wavy dark curls; He liked how it felt, too.
Another day, he and Minegishi went shopping, dipping into a store that supplied binders, much to Serizawa’s surprise.
“I’ve been needing a new one,” Minegishi explained plainly, thumbing through a few different colors.
“M-me too!” Serizawa replied quickly. Minegishi looked at him, eyes wide.
“You too, huh?” Minegishi cracked a grin, something Serizawa didn’t see often and wished to see more. “Well, glad I’m not alone.”
“Thank you for sharing this with me, Minegishi,” Serizawa said warmly, meeting their gaze for a moment. “I’m glad I’m not alone, either.”
They both picked out matching binders in black and went to grab some food from the food court. Minegishi insisted on paying, saying it was their treat.
Serizawa also started working out with Shibata, though Shibata didn’t need to; his muscles came from his powers.
It was the first time Serizawa really did anything without his umbrella close by, and the first time he wore something short sleeved. He had grown more comfortable around Shibata and trusted him to be able to protect himself if something happened with Serizawa’s powers. Shibata’s eyes stayed on him the entire time, saying it was to make sure Serizawa didn’t hurt himself.
“I don’t know how muscular I’d really like to get,” Serizawa commented, wiping sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand.
“That’s alright. It’s more about trying to stay healthy, at least for you.” Shibata said with a laugh, “Besides, I think you look fine the way you are right now.”
Serizawa felt himself turn red and mumbled his thanks before getting back to it.
It was nice to have people to talk to, to trust and rely on. Sure, they were all coworkers, but there was a neighbor-esque friendship he had grown with all of them. There were still a few questions on Serizawa’s mind though, specifically about their relationships with each other.
He didn’t notice at first, but he could now tell how touchy Shimazaki was with the others, even more than he was with Serizawa. Minegishi, who seemed like the type to not enjoy being touched, seemed to lean into Shimazaki’s affections with practiced ease. Hatori always burned red and snickered, trying halfheartedly to shove Shimazaki away. Shibata would play along, returning the touches happily, which ended with Shimazaki putting his hands up in surrender and turning a shade of pink Serizawa had never seen on him.
He could also see the way they all interacted so calmly with each other, even when Shimazaki wasn’t around. Serizawa kind of thought Shimazaki was the glue holding them all together, but then he saw Hatori and Minegishi lean against each other, Hatori curiously following along with whatever book Minegishi was reading; He saw Hatori reach for something he couldn’t grab, and Shibata easily picked him up, even though both of them could have used their powers for it; He saw Shibata open up and sheepishly offer Minegishi a delicately wrapped package of cookies, and he saw how warmly Minegishi smiled at him in thanks.
It made Serizawa feel a little funny, seeing all of them interact with each other. He… wondered what made them all so close with each other. He wanted to be a part of it, but the way they all interacted with each other seemed so easy, so casual- there was a reason cars had four wheels and not five.
Then it was Valentine’s Day.
Serizawa awoke to a knock at his door. He grumbled, rubbing his face and sliding his robe on before going to the door to his room, opening it and peeking out.
His friends stood outside the door. Minegishi held a bouquet of flowers. Shibata was holding a plate of homemade chocolates. Hatori was holding a large card; he offered it to Serizawa.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, big guy,” Shimazaki greeted, giving a coy grin. “We got some stuff for you.”
Serizawa took the card, and the flowers and chocolates, when they were offered.
“Oh, thank you,” Serizawa said, a little lost. “I-I didn’t get you guys anything.”
“It’s alright,” Shibata said.
“We weren’t expecting anything. You can be kind of clueless.” Minegishi added.
“T-take your time with your reply,” Hatori nodded.
“My reply? ” Serizawa looked down at the card. His eyes widened. “Oh.”
“Well, we’ll leave you to it!” Shimazaki said hastily, as if he was nervous. He put a hand onto Minegishi, who wrapped a hand around Hatori’s, who used his other hand to grab onto Shibata, and they all vanished elsewhere.
Serizawa closed the door to his room. He sat on his bed. He looked at the flowers; freshly grown and huge, beautiful. He looked at the chocolates; homemade, little hearts carved into their square design. He tried one; it was filled with caramel. He smiled softly, before it turned into a grin.
He opened the card. It seemed like there were different parts of it written by everyone.
The first paragraph was in dark blue ink, letters blocky and to the point.
‘Serizawa,
I’m writing this for both Shimazaki and myself, considering he can’t see, let alone write. He says hey, hot stuff. Anyways, we just wanted to tell you that the four of us are dating, and we all like you. Romantically. Shimazaki says that it’s obvious why, considering you’re a beefcake.’
Serizawa had to stop, covering his eyes and giving a small incredulous laugh before continuing.
‘I personally enjoy your morality; you’re way too nice to be doing all of this. Don’t tell the President, but I’d rather be doing something else with my time. I think you might feel the same way, or will, eventually. I’m keeping this short, because the others probably have other things to say. Shimazaki says not to worry if you don’t feel the same way. We can all still be friends, or even just coworkers if you’d like. Whatever works for you.’
It was signed by Minegishi, followed by a squiggle and a wonky smiley face, which Serizawa assumed was some form of a signature from Shimazaki. He thought about both of them; about how much Shimazaki has helped him and how forward and genuine Minegishi could be. He moved to the next paragraph, this one written in black pen. He couldn’t help but recognize the handwriting as Shibata’s.
‘Serizawa,
I don’t have a lot to say, and I’m not too great at words, I don’t think. I just want to say that I like you, the same as the others. I like spending time with you, and I hope I don’t make you nervous anymore. If anything, you make me nervous most of the time these days. Even if you don’t return my feelings, I’d like to stay friends with you. I hope to hear from you soon!’
Serizawa looked at Shibata’s signature and sighed warmly. He thought of how much work Shibata put into baking, especially for Serizawa. It made his heart twist.
The last paragraph started differently.
‘Hey, you already know it’s me, considering the losers above decided to sign their names. I also express the same sort of affections as said above. I thought about writing you a sonnet, or something, but I thought that’d be really cheesy. But I do like you. It’s nice to hang out with someone who doesn’t make fun of me for being short, and I like playing video games with you, which is saying a lot, since I usually play things alone. Maybe it’s because you were the same way, too. You’re also, like. Like I guess I must be a twink because you’re the bear of my dreams? That was stupid. I shouldn’t have written that. Don’t ask me to say any of this aloud. I’m barely able to write this without wanting to crumple this up and throw it away. I’m not great at talking about my feelings with others, especially when they’re about the people themselves. I’d… kind of like to change that. If you want to help. Anyways, we’ll be in the cafeteria if you want to talk. Whenever you’re ready.’
Serizawa thought about Hatori, dimples and high-pitched laughter. He thought about laughing with Hatori. He thought about Hatori turning bright red and trying to say anything to Serizawa, mouth running a mile a minute.
Serizawa thought about all of them. He thought about the happiness, the comfort that settled in him when he thought of them. He’d never been in love before. Was that what this was?
He thought, and thought, and thought. Even if it wasn’t love, he wanted to find out.
Serizawa was about to just walk out the door when he realized he was still barely awake, not even showered. He wanted to look nice for them. A shower later, hair rubbed dry and something a little nicer than his usual sweatpants and robe on, he was out the door, grip tight on his umbrella, walking towards the cafeteria. As he got closer, he heard voices.
“Do you think it was too much?”
“Shibata, you’ve asked that four times,” Minegishi sighed. “I think it was enough. He knows now.”
“This is my worst nightmare,” Hatori groaned. “This is so nerve-wracking-”
“Shut up, he’s almost here.” They clammed up as Serizawa stood at the door. He took a small breath, then opened it.
The four of them were sitting around a table. Shibata had a hand on Hatori’s back; Shimazaki and Hatori were holding each other’s hands tight. They all perked up when Serizawa entered. Serizawa held his umbrella with both hands in front of him nervously.
“Uh, hey guys,” He said with a shaky smile. He didn’t know where to go with this. They all looked at him, save for Shimazaki. Serizawa decided to start at the beginning. “I-I feel the same way.”
Instantly, it was like the plug on the sink was pulled. They all sagged in relief.
“Oh, thank god,” Hatori exhaled loudly. “That shit sucked.”
Shimazaki whooped and hollered, teleporting over to Serizawa to give him a huge hug. “Welcome to the party, big guy.” He dragged Serizawa over to the table, where Shibata and Hatori were grinning. Minegishi looked happy, too.
Serizawa was suddenly bombarded with physical affection; with pats on the back, hands in his own, someone leaning against him. It was a lot more than he was used to, and a little overwhelming.
Then, suddenly, he remembered who all was touching him, and he wasn’t overwhelmed at all.