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No relationship is all sparkles and rainbows. Well, maybe Aoyama could have one like that, but that isn't the point here. The point is that Kaminari and Sero have their rough patches. Today happens to be a small one that urges Sero to take Kaminari’s hand and guide him over the newly raised mental speed bump.
Another day, another minor insecurity that manages to trample whatever good day could’ve been had. A steamroller that barrells through everything, flattening it to numbness.
The warm shower water helped for a while, drew trails down Denki’s back that washed away the initial bother. A nonchalant kiss to the side of his head while nobody was looking acted as a temporary band-aid. His slowly climbing grade in Japanese Literature made Kaminari smile. Little things, bursts of delight. Like biting into a skittle. A taste of the rainbow, but nothing like eating the real thing. The flavor fades and leaves a sourly sweet taste on your tongue that you just want to scrape off.
Sero notices at lunch. Kaminari is put off and it beckons the ravenette scoot a tiny bit closer. No, they aren’t an item yet. Not to the public. Truthfully, the two got together to experiment with their sexuality a few times and then it turned into casual dating. They’re boyfriends, yes, Sero is gay and Kaminari is bisexual, but the blonde especially isn’t ready to come out. Sero tells him that’s okay, that he’s not exactly out either, and that there’s no rush for his boyfriend to tell anybody. He’s so grateful that Kaminari was brave enough to even confide in him. Denki is grateful for Hanta, too.
So when Sero inches closer when Sato isn’t looking, Kaminari’s eyes trail down from his food to the curiously comforting hand on the bench. An offering of solace until later. Denki doesn’t take it. He does, however, knock Hanta with his knee as apology for not taking the pinky offered under the table.
After classes, the blonde is slow to pack up. Lagging behind the rest of the quintet. Even Sero leaves the classroom with his rectangle of a backpack. They don’t have internships today to worry about, so there’s not exactly a rush anyway. Thus, Kaminari takes his time, organizes his pencil pouch and even uses a bit of the lotion Sero gave him. It smells like a forest of citrus, hefty in pine but sweet in orange. Exactly what Sero himself smells like. That’s because he uses the stuff a lot; he has a huge bottle in his room for when his elbows get sore.
When Kaminari does finally get up to leave, he notices Sero mindlessly admiring a bulletin board. The closing of the classroom door makes the ravenette turn to his boyfriend and walk over. Somber and concerned, but he doesn’t reach out. Minimal public contact. They agreed on that day one.
“Hey, you wanna come up to my room? Smash has been callin’ my name all day, man.”
It’s an obvious cover up to anybody who truly knows Sero’s voice. It’s a signal to Kaminari that there is a talk about to be had. Mending of the wounds, wiping of the tears, whatever needs to be done.
“Yeah. Only if you main Game n Watch, though,” he snickers at the face Hanta makes. Scrunched nose that Denki is tempted to kiss right there in the hallway. He knows how much Sero hates Mr. Game n Watch. Denki will play him solely to piss the former off.
That’s why Sero just starts walking instead of responding to the command. It’s not meant to be rude, but the act does rub the blonde a little oddly. Quickly repaired, though, as a short “In your dreams, Ice Climbers main,” gets tossed over his shoulder. Kaminari smiles a little brighter and rushes to catch up.
Chatter back to the dorms is all pleasant, all fun and games. They stop for a snack in the commons (that means, they steal the box of Cheez-Itz) and then make the suddenly agonizing journey to the fifth story.
Kaminari doesn’t have anxiety like Sero does, but if he’s nervous, he’s almost afraid of how Sero feels.
“C’mere.”
A command given as soon as the door shuts. His arms are open, Sero’s body offered out to Kaminari. Shelter.
He falls in, fingers clenching the extra fabric on Sero’s blazer. Urgency. Don’t leave.
“What’s wrong, Denki?”
Just like that, he’s leaving. Arms are traced and hands are taken. Sero steps back but never truly let’s Kaminari go. Together he takes them to his bed, sits down, beckons the shorter down with him. Again, they join as one, Sero’s shoulder becoming a pillow.
“I just… I feel like part of the mob, you know?”
“Not exactly, actually,” is the response he gets.
“I’m not the singer, I’m just in the audience. Just some guy waving around an ugly kpop lightstick and chanting to the beat. Part of the mob.”
That’s when Sero snorts. He’s begun picking up the “ridiculous metaphors” part of Hanta’s own personality. It’s amusing to the taller boy and the little laugh makes Denki smile, too.
“You know you’re one of the most stand-out kids in our class, right?”
“We’re all stand-out.”
“Do you see how much attention you get compared to me, Ojiro, Mezo, Sato, Koda, and Hagakure combined? Babe, you’re unique enough.”
Kaminari groans. That just made him feel bad for thinking he was plain. Sero says he’s plain looking, and Kaminari always has to reassure him that he is unique. Now it’s the other way around and he just feels weird about it. Weird, wrong, apologetic. “Sorry.” At that, an arm wraps around his torso, gives a squeeze, and the second kiss of the day is pressed to the top of his head.
“It’s fine. We all feel like that sometimes. But Denki, you’re incredible.”
It doesn’t really phase Kaminari if he’s honest. Petty praise. What makes him so incredible in Sero’s eyes?
Turns out, he thought out loud again and Hanta’s soft sigh confirms it. “Sorry,” he whispers, a soft “Woah” following as he falls down onto Hanta’s chest. Toned but not like Bakugo. That boy has tits. Sero just has muscle. Not nearly as soft as (he thinks) Bakugo’s boobs are, but warm and pulsing with life. A beating heart to remind him he’s safe in these arms.
“Denki, you’re amazing. You have naturally bright blonde hair, so you stand out in any crowd by that alone. Your lightning bolt is stupidly cool and cute. You’re short enough that I can use you as a chin rest,” he stops when said shorty nudges him in the side. A brief, low laugh before continuing, “We can’t all be Todoroki fuckin’ Shoto. The guy is one in a million.”
“Probably one in a billion.”
“Exactly. Stop comparing yourself to people like him and YaoMomo and Bakugo. They’re out of our league and that’s just a fact of life, baby.”
Kami squirms. Sero knows how he reacts to that pet name. He loves it to a point where he turns into some flustered… Well, a baby, whenever he hears it. “So what am I?”
The question is weakly asked, nervous but needing some sort of validation. Of course, that causes Hanta to comply without even hesitating. It’s sweet as the orange scent of the lotion. Denki’s heart clenches up at the softness of the words. For whatever incredible reason, Hanta always knows what to say to Denki. He knows the buttons to press and in what sequence. The ways to make the blonde get giddy and curl further into the ravenette.
This time, he doesn’t retract from nerves and insecurities. No, he curls in with glee. Thankful for Hanta: his words, his comfort, his presence, his being in Denki’s life. His words, laced with love and adoration, sound really poetic in the heat of the moment. They aren’t. Only to Kaminari, but that’s okay. He’s the only one who’s going to hear them anyway.
“Realistically? One in a thousand. With your quirk, I mean. But in my eyes? One in a trillion.”