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Kaminari couldn't help but stare at the two boys. He was really in the perfect position to do so. He never thought that a desperate last-ditch bid to earn some money would get him placed in a room with the two of them for two hours a day, four days a week. God, the things you will do to make it through undergraduate degrees.
Kaminari was an electrical engineering student and, after hearing about his monetary issues, his friend Mina had brought him to see a professor of hers. Dr. Lori was a sweet woman who had dedicated her life to sharing the importance of art with Yuuei University students. She had addressed her classes one afternoon and asked them to see if they could find people willing to model for her second-year figure drawing class.
"It's a perfect opportunity, man! All you gotta do is sit and look pretty for eight hours a week!" Mina had said to him.
He had accepted the position without really thinking about what it might entail. On paper, it seemed like easy money. On the first day of the class, he arrived twenty minutes early. He was worried about getting lost. The only other time he had been in the Arts building was on the day of freshmen orientation, so he was reasonably sure the maze-like hallways would send him to a few dead ends before he made it to the studio.
Dr. Lori greeted him at the door and guided him into the office.
"Good afternoon, Professor," Kaminari said with a slight bow.
"Oh, no need for formalities! Just call me Kiko."
"O-okay, Kiko."
Her eyes smiled at him over the bridge of her glasses, "So, before we get into the class, I wanted to talk to you about what you would need to do."
Kaminari nodded at her and waited expectantly.
"For this class, we will be working in various mediums and different dynamic poses. I want to know if there is anything that you are uncomfortable with?"
Kaminari thought for a minute, "I don't have to be naked, do I?"
Kiko laughed softly. She looked at him for a minute.
"While you would undoubtedly make a wonderful nude model, as would anyone, if you are uncomfortable with that, we can leave you in your clothes. Or you could go for the draping technique. I have plenty of cloth that you can drape around yourself while still keeping on your undergarments."
"I think that I could do the draping. I'm just a little insecure."
"Well, this is the perfect opportunity to come out of that shell a little. I guarantee that my students will depict you beautifully."
So that is how he ended up draped over this low couch like a lion sleeping in a tree. A heavy muslin draped over his lower body and held on with a brooch on his left shoulder. Almost toga-like. And of course, because fate hated him, the two students sitting in front of his chaise were so incredibly attractive. He couldn't help but feel like he was far too ugly to be modeling for people like this.
The boy on the right had brilliant red hair that stood straight up off his head. He had red eyes that Kaminari was certain were contacts. Red wore high waisted jeans with a chain-link belt and a fishnet top. He had on a pair of what looked to have once been white converse but were too covered in paint splatters for Kaminari to be sure. The boy had a large sketch pad spread over his knees and a broad range of brightly colored pencils. Kaminari was reasonably sure not a single human-looking tone had touched his page for the entire session.
The other boy had shoulder-length black hair. It was choppy and hung in his eyes. He always seemed to have a smile on his face. As soon as he walked into the room, Kaminari could feel his thousand-watt grin. His shirt was mostly black with a yellow and white stripe on each sleeve. He had on a pair of utterly destroyed yellow skinny jeans that looked like they were barely holding onto his legs. A green, red, and yellow Baja hoodie tied around his waist and a simple pair of white Nikes on his feet. His choice of materials was far from the loud colors of his neighbor. He had a bunch of charcoal sticks and was scribbling away on a smaller sheet of paper.
Kaminari spent most of the class observing the two of them. He never really thought that there would be a person that attracted his scattered brain like the pair of them had. He drifted off into a daydream and almost missed when the professor came up, signifying the end of class.
"I want to thank our model, Kaminari, for taking this opportunity at such short notice! I hope that you all will be willing to share some of your work with him, as this is his first time modeling for a class like this. With that, you are free to go. Please be sure to leave your stations clean. Thank you, and see you all on Wednesday!"
Kaminari sat up from his position. That had gone so much faster than he thought it would. He had been so lost in thought.
"Hey! My name is Hagakure! I wanted to show you my drawing of you. I know it can be nerve-wracking when you first start. I modeled one year, and I was sooo nervous."
"It's nice to meet you! I'm Kaminari Denki."
The girl sat down on the chaise next to him and held out her sketchpad. She had been facing him from the side, and her image had him looking off to the right of the page. She had captured a faraway look in his eye that he was one hundred percent sure was from all his staring. Graphite had been her choice of medium, and thin spidery lines crisscrossed the page bringing out the shadows in his face and the highlights in his hair.
"Wow! This is amazing, Hagakure!"
"Thanks," she said with a light blush, "I wish I had more time, though."
"Well, it is awesome! Thank you for showing me."
"No problem! See you soon!"
She waved at him as she jogged out of the room with her pad under her arm.
The two boys were still there. They were still on their benches, talking to each other. They seemed like they were friends because Red said something, and Yellow shoved him off his seat with a massive grin on his face. Kaminari was trying to work up the courage to talk to them when they got up, gathered their stuff, and walked out. Hand in hand. Shit.
Well, there goes that idea.
He doesn't know what he expected. The pretty ones are always taken.
Kaminari sullenly changed back into his clothes and, after saying goodbye to Kiko, left the studio. The walk to his dorm was quiet. The quad had pretty much emptied by this point. It was late in the day, and the only classes left were Arts classes. He wrenched open the door to his building and marched his way up the stairs to his room. His roommate was out, as usual, Bakugou never stayed for more than a few hours a day. His boyfriend, Todoroki, lived just down the hall and so he was usually there. However, Mina was sitting on his bed with a pile of books around her.
"Kami!! How was modeling?"
"I hate my life."
He collapsed onto his bean bag chair after throwing his backpack in a space behind his desk. A pout rested on his face, and he crossed his arms in a petulant child-like gesture.
"What's wrong now?"
"Modeling. For attractive people. In the Arts department. Where half the population is some shade of gay."
Mina let out a long-suffering sigh. Of course, it was something like this.
"What girl turned you down now, Kami?" exasperation seeped into the room through her words.
"Oh my god, Mina. It's not always about girls!"
At that, she perked up a little, "Oh?! Our Kami has a little homo in him?!"
A Cheshire grin plastered across her face.
"Who is he! Do I know him! Tell me. Tell me. Tell me."
"Um...I don't know their names..."
"NAMES! AS IN PLURAL!???"
"Y-yes...?"
Mina let out an inhuman squeal and shoved her books away as she flopped over his bed. She looked at him expectantly, and he glared at her. The descriptions of Red and Yellow flew from his mouth as he gave in to her demanding expression. She looked absolutely enthralled with his plight.
"Yeah. And so, they walked out of the room together, holding hands..."
"Aww, Kami! I'm so sorry!"
Kaminari sighed and shrugged. He was ridiculously used to being turned down and falling in love with people he couldn't have.
"What are you gonna do, love?"
"I'm just gonna do my job, Mina. Pretty people are a bonus, after all."
~~~
Kaminari walked into the classroom a few weeks later with a determination that he had never experienced before. He was not going to let this ridiculously hot couple ruin this job for him! He came later than he had on the first day, and some of the students were already sitting at their stations. Including Red and Yellow. Shit. Just his luck, right?
"Ah, Kaminari!" Kiko exclaimed from across the room, "I love your outfit! Would you be willing to model it today?"
After telling her that he wasn't going to cry over these two boys, Kaminari had let Mina pick out his outfit. She had decided on a pair of whitewash overalls. They were a pet project of his, and he was super proud of the rips he had handmade. She also tossed him a black crop top with 'PIKA PIKA' written on it in bold, blocky letters. Black fishnets were thrown in along with his yellow converse. Kaminari decided the chill in the air that day warranted the addition of his favorite black bomber jacket.
Mina had shown up early that morning with a giant bag in her arms. She insisted that she was going to do his makeup.
"Dude, I'm going to get you your men!" She had told him.
So that is how he ended up in the art studio with a full face of makeup and an overly thought out outfit that his boss loved. Kaminari readily agreed to pose in his clothes, and Kiko brought out a stool for him to sit on.
Kaminari walked over to the platform and sat down on his stool. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but it was better than standing still for that whole time. Red and Yellow looked up at him as he sat down, and he ignored them in favor of waving over an enthusiastic Hagakure.
"Hey, Kami!"
He smiled at her, "Hi!"
"Your makeup looks amazing! Also, I love your overalls!"
"Thank you! I stylized them myself."
She gasped, "WOW! Really?! They're amazing!"
"Thank you so much!"
She smiled with a rushed 'you're welcome' as Kiko stood up to address the class.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! I am going to ask you to do two drawings today. I would like you to do one in your style and then the other on observation only. If you can't get it finished, let me know. Kaminari, would you be willing to stay over a little if people don't finish on time?"
"Sure! I don't mind."
"Wonderful! Please get started, everyone!"
Again, time passed quickly for Kaminari as he daydreamed about the two boys in front of him. It wasn't until he saw them stand up and walk over to Kiko's desk that he snapped out of his reverie. They both asked her for more time. Everyone else got their pieces completed. Kiko stopped the two boys for a minute and asked them to lock up when they were finished and then left them alone with Kaminari.
He was alone with almost their complete undivided attention, and he couldn't even talk to them.
They took a while to finish, and it was dark when they finally put down their paper.
"Kaminari, right?" Red asked as he walked over to the platform.
"That's me!" He replied, far more cheerfully than he expected.
Red smiled, "Nice to meet you! I'm Kirishima Eijrou, and this is my boyfriend, Sero Hanta. What's your major?"
Kirishima and Sero...they suit them.
"I'm in for the long haul with electrical engineering. I'm hoping to get a minor in English. What about you, guys?"
"Well, I'm here for Sports medicine, and Sero is going for a filming degree. We both like art, though, so we decided to minor in it together in freshman year."
That's adorable.
"Cool! Can I see some of your art?"
Kirishima picked up his pad and brought it over to Kaminari. The first page had the drawing from the first class on it, and Kaminari had been right about there not being one natural human skin tone on the page. It was a very detailed drawing, but the natural shades of Kaminari's skin had been replaced with brilliant purples and pinks. His hair was still yellow in the picture, and the black birthmark in his hair was present.
Kirishima had turned him into a psychedelic masterpiece.
Sero, on the other hand, had made his lounging position look brooding and melancholic.
"You guys have such different styles! They're both amazing! Wow, you managed to make me look good."
The two boys frowned slightly at his comment, but neither said anything, and Kaminari didn't either.
"Could we walk you to your dorm? It's kind of late, and it's our fault you were stuck here so long."
Kaminari smiled up at the pair and nodded, "I appreciate it. The quad gets kinda dark and spooky at night!"
Kirishima laughed softly, if that wasn't just music to Kaminari's ears, and gestured for the blond to walk with them. The trio walked out of the studio after flipping the light switch. Sero locked the door and pocketed the key that Kiko had given them. The hallways were even more maze-like in the dim light of the occasional storm light. It was also eerily silent. Kaminari was very thankful at this point for the two boys that were flanking his sides.
The walk across the quad was quiet; the only noise was cicadas in the trees. The moon was nowhere to be seen, and heavy storm clouds blotted out the stars. Kaminari couldn't help but curse himself for not checking the weather as he felt the first drop hit his face.
"Shit! It's starting to rain! I didn't bring an umbrella!"
The three boys ran through the empty quad in hopes of not getting completely soaked.
"Our suite is the closest. Come with us, Kami?"
The blond nodded without hesitation. They ran under the cover of the dorm building. Each footstep left a wet trail as they walked into the quiet building.
The stairwell was dim as Kirishima led the party up to their floor. Kaminari took in the hallway as Sero unlocked the door to their rooms. They piled inside the little entryway. Kirishima and Sero stripped off their shoes and coats and tossed their bags on the floor. Kaminari looked at them as they moved casually into their living room.
"Kami, bro, you can just drop your stuff there on the floor if you want. I'm gonna get us some coffee," Kirishima called over his shoulder as he walked into the kitchen.
Kaminari set his book bag down on the floor next to the other two bags. He tossed his shoes onto the rack and hung up his jacket.
"Kami, you wanna play some video games?"
"Uh..y-yeah sure."
Heat flooded his face as he sat down next to Sero on their couch. Sero handed him a controller and moved over to their Xbox.
"What kind of games do you like? We've got plenty, so just pick whatever."
"Mario Kart?"
"Sure!"
Kirishima came out of the kitchen with three mugs barely contained in his grip. He hastily set them down on the coffee table and threw himself into the seat on the other side of Kaminari. Sero tossed a controller at his head, and Kirishima caught it without even opening his eyes.
"God. You and your stupid baseball reflexes. Show off..." Sero muttered under his breath as he put the disk into the console.
Kirishima laughed softly, picked up his mug, and proceeded to toss his arm over the back of the sofa. Kaminari could feel the heat flare in his cheeks at the casual gesture that led to the sculpted limb resting just behind his head. If either of the other boys noticed, they didn't say anything as Sero loaded up the game.
The light from the TV lit up the dim room, and lightning flashes ripped through the windows. Kaminari resolutely ignored the warm arm behind him as he attempted to blue shell Sero. They were on their seventh game. Sero had won all of them so far, and Kaminari was really only playing because it required all of his focus.
"Guys, it's kind of late. I should probably head to my dorm now..."
Sero looked over at him with a confused expression, and Kaminari felt as Kirishima's arm fell off the cushion and onto his shoulders.
"Dude, it's raining cats and dogs. There's no way I'm gonna let you go out there!"Kirishima looked down at him.
"Uh...I don't want to intrude, though."
Sero laughed and rested his chin on Kaminari's shoulder.
"You aren't intruding..." He whispered.
Kirishima nodded and shifted closer, "We really want to get to know you, and I'd rather you didn't get struck by lightning before we can do that."
Kaminari let out a nervous giggle as he shifted his vision between the couple hanging off of him. Sero's grin widened, and Kirishima looked like the definition of the sun in the dim light. Kaminari felt his heart race, and his stomach fill with butterflies. What was with them?! Were they flirting, or was that wishful thinking?
Kirishima and Sero looked at each other over the blond's head. Their silent conversation went unnoticed by the flustered boy between them. Sero gestured to Kaminari, and Kirishima nodded.
"Hey, Kami. We were wondering if you would just stay here for the night. It can be like a sleepover!" Kirishima looked like a puppy that had just learned to roll over.
Sero smiled at the redhead and looked at Kaminari expectantly. Kaminari sputtered and stumbled over his words for a second before finally letting out a quiet "okay."
"Yes!!! Let's make a blanket fort!!!"
Kirishima ran out of the room, and Sero pulled Kaminari off the couch, "He gets really excited about blanket forts. It's like a weekly ritual now..."
The redhead came back from the other room with an armful of blankets that he proceeded to throw onto the couch where Kaminari had just been.
"Hanta! Get the pillows! Kami, there is popcorn on the counter. Can you make some while we set this up?!"
Kaminari nodded slowly at the energetic boy. He walked into their kitchen and found the box next to their microwave.
"Uh...how many bags do we need?"
"Like five!"
"Babe, that's a bit excessive, don't you think?" Kaminari could hear the laughter in Sero's question.
"NO! It's the perfect amount!"
Kaminari looked around the kitchen for a bowl to put the bags of popcorn into after putting one in the microwave, "How about I make one for each of us, Kirishima?"
"Okay..."
Sero really did laugh then, and Kaminari looked into the living room to see Kirishima in his arms.
"I love you, Ei. Sometimes you make me wonder what in the world I did to deserve the embodiment of the sun."
Kaminari turned away as Kirishima pulled the taller boy towards him. Why did he agree to stay here again? This really wasn't making him feel better. The two of them were so perfect together. He tried to ignore their whispers as he poured out the bags of popcorn.
Kirishima looked into the kitchen and noticed the frown on Kaminari's face.
"Hanta, he looks so sad...God, I just want to hug him," Kirishima whispered.
Sero looked at Kaminari out of the corner of his eyes, "Yeah, honestly, same."
"Did we do something?"
"He looked like that since Dr. Lori left us alone with him this evening. I can tell he was trying to hide it from us when we offered to walk him to his dorm. I thought at first, it might be because he was disgusted with us, but he accepted the company, so I don't think that's why."
"Well, it must be something else! Let's try to cheer him up tonight!"
Kirishima pulled away from Sero and went into the kitchen. Sero started to put the fort together as the two in the kitchen brought out the snacks. The blankets were stretched from the back of the couch and attached precariously over the TV opposite. The pillows that Sero had brought were strewn under the blankets. Sero had shoved the coffee table to one side of the blanket fort, and Kirishima put the things he was carrying on it. Kaminari followed his lead and sat down awkwardly.
Kirishima flopped down next to Kaminari. He grinned up at the blond as he fell back onto the floor. Sero laid down as well after retrieving a stack of movie cases.
"What do you guys want to watch?"
"OHHH, A HORROR MOVIE! They're so manly!"
"Babe...chill out..."
Kirishima grinned sheepishly and looked over at Kaminari, "What you wanna watch Kami?"
"Uhhh...I guess a horror movie is f-fine..."
"Okay. We've got The Shining. That work?"
Kirishima grinned and nodded. Kaminari just shrugged, so Sero moved to put the movie in.
Kaminari couldn't decide how to feel about this whole situation. On the one hand, he was really excited to spend time with his crushes, but, on the other, they were together already. There was no room for him in the dynamic. He felt like an outsider, and really he was. Never in his life had he ever been mad at a storm like he was now.
He sat silently as the movie started. Kirishima was wriggling with excitement beside him, and the fond smile on Sero's face really hurt. Kaminari honestly didn't pay much attention to the movie, so when Kirishima screeched next to him, he yelped. Kirishima grabbed onto his leg and moved so that his head was in Kaminari's lap. Kaminari was too shocked to notice the brilliant smile on Sero's face and his slow shifting movements.
Kirishima didn't move his head, and whenever the movie scared him, he pressed his face into Kaminari's stomach. The blond boy hesitantly moved his hand to Kirishima's hair and ran it down the back of his head. Kirishima sighed softly and nudged into Kaminari.
His movements got braver when Kirishima didn't shift away, and he started to card his fingers through the thick red strands. The growing smirk on Sero's face went unnoticed by the distracted blond, and the black-haired man moved so that his leg ran beside Kaminari's.
"Hanta, you aren't even watching the movie."
Sero smirked and stared up at Kaminari, "Why would I?"
"That's fair. I see what you mean," Kirishima's red eyes turned and zeroed in on Kaminari's face as well.
The couple stared up at the blond boy with smiles on their faces.
"Uhh...guys?"
"Kami...you're really cute. Did you know?" Kirishima looked very much like a puppy saying that. Kaminari could almost see the tail wagging behind him.
"Uh...What?!"
"Yeah! Eiji is right; you are super cute!"
Kaminari felt the heat rising in his cheeks. There was no denying it anymore. They were definitely flirting...or...they were making fun of him...yeah, that was probably it.
"Yeah, right. I'm not cute at all."
Sero recoiled a little, and the grin slipped from his face at Kaminari's words. Kirishima looked over at Sero and his metaphorical ears drooped.
"Babe, can I, like, do something?!"
Sero smiled at the red-head, and Kirishima jumped into a sitting position. Kaminari felt as Kirishima's warm hand rested at the base of his neck. In the time of a flash of lightning, a warm pair of lips rested hesitantly against Kaminari's. The blond's eyes widened in shock, and he pushed Kirishima away.
"What are you doing?!!!!" Kaminari squeaked, "You have a boyfriend!!!"
Kirishima laughed softly, "Honey, we are poly. Why do you think I asked Hanta if I could do something?"
Kaminari's face twisted in confusion, "Why would you kiss me then?"
Kirishima looked at Sero helplessly. Sero laughed loudly and shifted closer to the two. He grabbed Kaminari's hand and brought it to his lips.
"We like you. We've been talking about it since you started modeling. That first day we practically ran out of the room cause we were too scared to talk to you. We just wish you would give us a chance..."
Kaminari wondered if they could hear his heart. It felt like it was about to tear open his chest and fall, still beating, onto the floor. He stared at the two in front of him and tried to form a logical sentence.
"I...I don't know why you were scared to talk to me. I'm not special. I'm nobody."
"No! You are perfect."
Kaminari could tell that the blush was past his hairline at this point.
"Would you give us a chance?"
"Of-of course."
Yellow smirked, and Red let out a loud whoop before the two of them piled on top of Kaminari and smothered his face in kisses.
"You are perfect, Honey. Thank you for taking a chance on this."
"You both don't realize how hard it has been for me not to say anything to you. Mina will be ecstatic not to have to hear me whining anymore."
The other two laughed and smiled softly down at Kaminari.
"Let's go to bed, loves."