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Tsu swung a leg over the edge of the dorm building, the other bent in to her chest, as she gazed out at the dimly lit UA campus.
The world was changing too quickly, her friends and classmates caught in a constant buzz of energetic fear and manic numbness. The Frog Girl was no different; agonizing through a span of sleepless numbness, perched atop the dorm building just above her own room.
“Oh. Sorry.” A familiar voice startled the girl out of her reverie; she looked over her shoulder to find a sweatshirt and sleep-pants clad Sero climbing up the fire escape from his fifth-floor room opposite her own.
“Oh – hey.” She managed. “I’ve never run in to anyone else up here.”
“Same.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped on to the roof and straightened to stretch his back. “We must just not have a lot of the same rough nights.” He hesitated further, before offering: “I can go?”
“N-no.” Tsu hazarded. “That’s ok.”
“Um – oh. Ok.” Sero sat awkwardly on his own side of the roof.
The long moment of dense silence that followed was ended with Tsu tossing a “Why don’t you join me?” over her shoulder.
Sero hesitated a moment before scrambling up and across the roof to the girl gazing at the distant orange line of a too-early morning horizon.
He settled in next to her. Neither of them had anything to say, but Sero needed to fill the silence. “Early, eh?”
“Oh.” Tsu grimaced at the intrusion in to her spiraling thoughts. “Yeah. ‘suppose it is.”
“I can leave?” Sero offered again after a beat.
“It’s fine, Hanta.” She sniped back, uncharacteristically harsh.
Sero was taken aback, physically leaning away from the girl. “Tsu.” He croaked. “I’ve never seen you like this. Are – are you ok?”
“I don’t think I am.” She answered, honestly and without hesitation.
He slumped with a concession. “This IS insanity.”
Their world was falling apart, they’d lost so much in just the last few days, but they were just expected to put on their uniforms and go to math class while refugees were flooding on to campus, and go on patrols like the full-fledged-heroes that they were not yet ready to be. It was all so much – too much.
“Are you scared?” Sero asked matter-of-factly.
“Yeah.” Tsu groused.
“Me too.” He agreed. “But it’s weird – like – this doesn’t even feel like my story. I feel so detached from it all. I feel like an extra in my own life.” Sero did his best to make the sour statement sound like a joke with a dry chuckle on the end. “Maybe it’s just Bakugou calling us extras all the time finally getting to me!”
Tsu looked at him, brows knit and unspoken question in her eyes, just proffering an alternative explination. “Or maybe it’s trauma?”
“Oh. Yeah.” He grinned with a snorted giggle. “It’s probably the trauma.” Sero’s giggle pattered out. “But ya know; I don’t really know how to explain this – I guess – like –” He thought about his word choice with a hand on his chin. “You ever just feel like a side character in someone else’s story?”
Tsu scoffed, darkly amused. “I’m the queer best friend of a literal Shonen Protagonist’s love interest. Yeah.” She was uncharacteristically harsh with the response. “You could say I feel like a side character.”
“Oh.” Sero said with a slightly surprised lilt before slipping in to his usual tone; casual as ever. “You’re queer?”
“Yeah.” Tsu shrugged. It wasn’t a topic she brought up often, all of the girls in 1-A knew along with her brother, but other than that it just wasn’t discussed. She wasn’t ashamed or anything, and she wasn’t alone with her bisexual label among her class mates, but talking about it – constantly having to justify her own sexuality – it just wasn’t something she wanted to deal with.
“Are you?” She absentmindedly asked the raven-haired boy before her.
“Oh!” He jumped a fraction, clearly caught off guard by the question. “Naw.” He shrugged off the momentary discomfort with a grin and squinted out over the campus, colored by rising sun rays. “I mean Denki and I HAVE made out, but, it’s not for me.”
Tsu gaped at the boy; shock coming first, followed by the unavoidable feeling that it did make sense, all of it tinged with a sour note of jealousy. She’d never kissed a girl. She liked boys, even dated one her last semester of middle school, and had her first kiss just before starting at UA. It wasn’t long after the start of the school year that she broke up with the boy though; around the same time that Tsu realized she was staring at Momo’s tits as much as Kaminari did – not as much as Minetta, but fuck! Did Tsu ever feel disrespectful with how often she took note of the other girl’s hero costume.
“Fuck.” Sero stretched with a groan, leaning back on braced arms, palms pressing in to the rough shingles of the dormitory roof. “Do you ever feel like we’re doing something wrong?” He looked to a confused Tsu and scoffed with a smirk before clarifying. “Like – I feel like we’re supposed to be more like –” He gestured between them and threw his hands up before replacing them on the roof and leaning against them again. “Like this! Like worried about boys and girls and just being dumb and hormonal and shit. But instead we’re – I don’t know – we’re –”
“Fighting a war we don’t even really understand?” She offered.
“Yeah.” He looked pained as he breathed out the agreement.
“I mean, not to belittle your point,” Tsu retorted. “but I feel like this conversation just proves that we’re doing both.”
“Ok, but no –” He ground his teeth and cocked his head in thought, selecting his words thoughtfully. “Like yes. We’re worried about this shit, and we’re hormonal. Fuck – are we ever. You think they woulda thought about that a little more before cramming us in to these dorms together.” He got off on a tangent before rolling his eyes and settling back in to the point. “But, like, everything’s so – not like it should be. Dating feels impossible because who wants to tell their crush they like them and then watch ‘em die. Or, the emotions are like fire – so intense and they burn so hot and bright, because everything around us feels so temporary. Tomorrow feels so – so – just so un-promised.”
Tsu was at a loss. She knew that feeling too well. She knew what he was talking about. She wanted to be going to parties, explore her sexuality, struggle through English class; but she also wanted to be a hero. She just didn’t want to already be worried about her image in the media, and waking up in the middle of the night because of squirrels on the balcony sounding a little too much like the crackle of Dabi’s fire.
“I don’t know.” He slumped away from her. “Too heavy. Maybe – I mean – maybe it’s just me.” He chuckled macabrely.
“It’s not.” She reassured with a distant look in her eyes.
“Oh.” He said back.
The long stretch of silence was heavy. The first stir of activity beginning on the campus below them. A few students passed in various directions on morning jogs. Birds flew from the trees, and the low hum of morning filled the air.
Sero finally broke the silence. “I don’t want to die.”
Tsu couldn’t even bring herself to feign surprise at the unroused words.
There was more silence.
Tsu breaking the stalemate this time. “What do you want to do before you die?”
He hummed a mildly surprised question, brows shooting up.
“I mean. You don’t want to die. I guess that means you still have things you want to accomplish.” She finally looked over to him. “So – what do you want to do before you die?”
He loosened with a chuckle. He stretched his arms up and folded them behind his head as he laid back against the rough-textured roof. “Oh man – honestly, I feel like that list is painfully ‘16 year old boy’ sounding.”
Tsu turned to look over at him as he examined the fading night sky above. “Tell me anyway.” She insisted, knowing it couldn’t sound any worse than her own at this point in her life. “Please.” She amended with the pleasantry.
“Alright!” He sang. “But don’t say I didn’t warn ya!”
“Wait.” she stopped him mid-sigh, as he geared up to share his 16-year-old-boy-bucket-list. “You don’t want me to swear to secrecy, or anything like that?”
“Nah.” He shrugged against the shingles. “Pretty sure I’m gonna die before I get the chance to be embarrassed about any of this.” He was almost upsettingly flippant; wearing his signature grin.
“Now –” He went on. “Where was I?” He thought theatrically, closing his eyes against the embarrassed blush coloring his cheeks. “Well – I don’t want to die a virgin. Kissed a few girls, and even a guy, a couple of Enbys, but shit – I want to get my dick sucked before I kick the bucket.”
Tsu didn’t have anything to say, she understood the feeling – if she were being totally honest with herself.
He went on. “I want to drive a sports car. Maybe a tattoo. Definitely a few piercings – actually had my helix done in middle school – had to take it out when I met with the PR Councilor after getting in to UA. I miss it – always thought it made me look cooler.” He chuckled in fond self-dismissiveness. “I want to see the Amazon Rainforest – not sure why, just always wanted to. And the Norther nights. Oh! And California. I’ve always wanted to see the Giant Red Woods, and Santa Monica Pier and the golden gate bridge.”
His list seemed to be winding down so Tsu interjected. “You do know all of those things are in different parts of California, right?”
“Yeah.” He rolled his eyes behind closed lids. “I know. I know.”
There was another pause, this one much liter, as Sero smirked up at the orange-hued half-morning sky.
“Oh.” He smirked proudly. “And I want to touch Momo’s boobs – like so fucking bad!” He shot up to sit at Tsu’s side.
“Same.” Tsu grumbled without thought.
She blushed deeply when she realized what she said, Sero gaping at her for a moment. As the stun wore off, he clapped a hand on her shoulder and tossed his head back with a full belly laugh. “Shit they’re so –” He hollered, cutting himself off as his thoughts evaporated in to mental images of her boobs, and grabby hand gestures taking over where his words failed.
Sero hated Minetta for the way he treated the girls; but acknowledging he wanted to burry his own face in Momo’s tits too made Sero feel a dirty brand of guilt which made his attacks on Minetta carry a lot more weight: Sero hated Mintetta even more because of the disrespectful thoughts rattling around Sero’s own brain. The little purple perv served as a constant reminded of Sero’s more unmentionable urges.
But somehow, knowing that someone as sweet and respectful as Tsuyu Asui was having the same feelings; it made him feel fractionally better.
“You wanna know what makes it even worse?” Tsu asked numbly. “I mean, why it feels so dirty – like exceptionally dirty – when you think about Momo’s boobs in particular?”
“Because if you asked her to touch them, with a half decent excuse, she’d probably say yes.” Sero supplied without hesitation.
“Exactly!” Tsu choked out. “Tell her it’s ‘for science’ or some shit and she’d totally let you grab a hand full!”
Sero snorted at Tsu’s flusterment. “Wonder if she ever thinks about this shit?” Sero mused. “Like, you think she gets horny? Or, like, is she just too proper for that shit?”
“Oh no.” Tsu side eyed him.
He mime-zipped his lips, silently promising not to share the revelation he was about to receive.
“She totally does.” Tsu shifted her head from side to side, thoughtfully. “She thinks Todoroki is so hot –”
Sero snorted an annoyed laugh, cutting Tsu off and falling back in to the roof, folding his hands behind his head again. “Of course she does.”
“But –” Tsu sounded disgruntled at the snide interruption.
“There’s a ‘but’?” He cut her off again.
Tsu scowled at him.
He held a hand out in surrender, allowing her to go on.
“She thinks he’s too short.” Tsu finally finished.
“Really?” He shot up, but slumped almost immediately. “That sucks –” His voice lowering as he added “Were like the same height. Had hope there for like a second.”
“Yeah – you shouldn’t.” Tsu scoffed.
He shot her a wounded look.
“You’re not her type.” Tsu shrugged. “Not like I am either though.”
“So –” Sero cut himself off before asking the question: ‘who is?’
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
He just looked back at her expectantly.
Tsu relented with next to no pushing. “She’s got the biggest crush on Vlad King Sensei.”
“No fucking way!” Sero shouted. “Crazy!”
“I mean – is it?” She asked frankly. “Half the guys at the school had a crush on Midnight.”
“No no –” Sero waved his hands, purposely brushing past the past-tense Tsu used when referring to Midnight. “I’m not shocked about it being a teacher, I mean the teachers here are fucking hot – all well built, successful pros. No – it’s not shock at her simping for a teacher. Its shock at her simping over THAT teacher.”
“I mean –” Tsu shrugged. “He likes the rules, was in the top 50 back before he took that bullet to the stomach. He’s a good looking guy.”
“He’s kinda weird though.”
Tsu looked at him – everyone who decides to jump around in spandex is weird. She desperately hoped her look conveyed that.
His gesture of surrender made it look like he understood her look. “Alright. Alright.” He conceded. “I get it. I get it.”
The lag in conversation was enough for Sero to think of his next point of curiosity. “So, what about you? Just interested in Momo’s titties, or got your eye on anyone for real?”
Tsu shrugged.
“Oh, so you do?” He nodded. “I mean –” He started to offer, sharing his own feeling in the hope she’d share if he did. “I like Momo. Like – not just because she’s gorgeous. She’s smart, and sweet, and strong, and I know guys aren’t supposed to like strong women or what ever; but she is. She’s so strong. And I love that. She’s going to make such an amazing hero. She already is an amazing hero.” He sounded positively dreamy by the end of the sentence.
“That’s sweet.” Tsu sighed. “I – I think you should tell her that.”
“Nah.” He adjusted again, leaning back on his hands – Tsu finally realized all the moving was because he was antsy and anxious. “I’m not her type. It’s cool.”
“To be totally honest, I don’t think she’s like that. It was half a joke when I said that. I think she’d give you a chance if you said all those wonderful things to her.”
Sero perked up a bit. “You think so?”
“Only one way to find out.” Tsu tossed out, gazing back out at the campus; under the risen morning sun. “I mean, if we’re gonna die anyway; what does it matter?”
Sero thought a moment, taking in the now-lit campus along with his roof-top companion. “Maybe I’ll say something then.” He turned to her. “You ‘oughtta let whoever you like know too.”
“No.” Tsu looked to her hands in her lap. “I know she wouldn’t be interested.” She shifted uncomfortably, a tear falling from her eyes before she even realized. “I mean she’s my best friend, and she’s head-over-heals for someone else.”
“Oh Tsu.” Sero cooed empathetically; he knew as well as anyone that Tsu’s Best friend – Uraraka – was totally infatuated with Izuku. Even Sero had to admit that next to Deku, Tsu stood no chance. Midoriya had a gravity about him that was inescapable.
Sero slung an arm around her and pulled her in to his side, letting her cry there.
“Sero?” Tsu asked from her place buried in Sero’s shoulder. “I don’t want to die either.”
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“Hey. Yaoyorozu.” Sero’s voice was still trembling from tucking Tsu back in to bed after she’d cried herself to sleep in his arms. His nerves were shot, and exhaustion weighted his every movement, but anxiety was still knotting relentlessly in his stomach.
“Hi Sero.” She looked exhausted, but as gorgeous as ever, and was clearly desperately working to keep up her usual soft smile. “What’s up?”
“Can – um – can we talk?” He swallowed heavily, and knew he was as white as a ghost.
“Of course.” Concern colored her voice. “Is everything ok?”
“Yeah.” He managed, throat getting tighter. “No. Yeah! It’s – I’m – it’s fine. I just – I – can we go somewhere private?”
“Of course.” Momo grabbed his elbow gently and lead him out of the common room under Denki, Jirou, Uraraka, Kirishima, and a visiting Shinsou’s scrupulous gaze.
“What is it?” Momo’s soft voice asked, guiding him by the elbow to face her as they came to a stop down a dead-end hall behind the kitchen flanked by the laundry room and supply closets.
“Yaoyarozu – uh – um – Momo.” He corrected himself. “I – I have something I’d like you to know.” Every word stuck in his throat.
“Sero.” She pressed a hand to his upper arm reassuringly, bowing her head to encourage him to look her in the eye. “You can, of course, tell me anything.”
He was sweating. His palms were sticky as he balled and un-balled his fists anxiously. “I – Momo – I’m sure you hear this all the time – and I’m sure it’s usually from guys more amazing than I could ever hope to be, but – but Momo Yaoyarozu. I like you. I really like you. I –”
He stopped himself; examining her shock, but when she didn’t speak he went on to explain himself more fully. “I think you are an amazing hero, you’re strong and intelligent.” Her shock only seemed to deepen, but he pressed on. “You’re the nicest person I’ve ever met. You’re sweet and gentle and easy to be around, and I adore you. I’m so grateful that you’re smart and gracious enough to tutor dumb-asses like me: because – fuck – Momo, I spend half of class just thinking about you. I really should pay attention; then I wouldn’t be such dead weight in your presence, but – I – Momo – I – I’m so sorry – I just –” He sighed, feeling himself getting frantic, but re-finding his composure. “Momo, I’m scared about what’s going to happen to us, and I don’t want to die with too many regrets.”
A long moment passed, the pair looking in to each other’s eyes. “Hanta.” Momo finally breathed.
Sero realizing she was still holding his arm when her fingers flexed reflexively with the name. He’d never liked the sound of his own name so much.
“I had no idea.” She stammered.
“Yeah.” He brought the arm she wasn’t grabbing up, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, finding a space on the floor to study. “I’m really sorry.”
“Why?” She asked earnestly.
He looked up to her desperately. “Because I’m sure I’m putting you in a bit of an awkward spot. I really don’t expect you to reciprocate though. I just – I think I just really needed you to know. Just in case.”
“Hanta.” She cooed. “You’re so cute, but I’ve honestly never seen you like that. I’ve just never thought about it.”
He blushed at being called ‘cute’, but waved his hand not still held still by her grasp dismissively. “That’s ok. That’s ok.” He did his best to laugh. “Like I said; I don’t expect you to. I just –”
“But Hanta,” She picked up where he cut her off. “I’ve never had a guy tell me they like me without calling me pretty, or talking about my family, or my hero costume.”
“Oh shit –” He choked. “fuck – I’m so sorry. Momo, you really are so pretty. I – jeez!” He covered his face with a full palm. “Please don’t think I don’t see you as the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. I just – I –”
“Hanta.” She cut him off softly. “I’m not saying that. I’m saying that the fact you think I’m going to make a good hero –”
“You ARE an amazing hero.” He interjected.
“Hanta.” She breathed. “You’re – you may be the sweetest person I know.”
“That can’t be.” He chuckled, desperately needed to make a joke. “You know yourself, don’t ya?”
Her soft smile faded, but before he could panic Momo’s soft lips were pressing in to his cheek.
He froze.
She pulled away slightly, he turned to her. Her lips were millimeters from his, the look in her eyes soft and adoring. And He knew he looked hungry, but couldn’t control it.
Their lips pressed together, neither of them making more of a move than the other. The kiss was soft and sweet, and the angle was horrible for Sero’s neck, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. He was too afraid of breaking the spell that was making his head spin wildly.
Momo’s fingers clutched his arm more tightly as she stepped in to his space, improving the angle of the kiss for both of them, her free hand pressing in to his chest. He wrapped his own free arm around her, pressing a hand to the small of her back; holding her to him.
Momo broke the kiss first, breathing heavily against Sero’s lips, bowing her head to press her forehead to his. “Hanta.” She panted.
He hummed a curious affirmative.
“I’m not sure what to do next.” She sounded apprehensive.
“Well.” He thought; after all, he hadn’t been expecting this. “Would you like to kiss some more for now? And maybe I can take you on a picnic tomorrow?”
“That sounds good.” She smiled, pressing in for another kiss.
Sero stopped her. “Momo. Let’s go somewhere without the audience, ok?” He tossed a thumb over his shoulder; the crew from the common room scrambling from the corner they were watching behind.
Momo blushed, burring her face in Sero’s chest. “I’m so embarrassed.” She whimpered.
Sero cupped her face and pulled her chin up to face him. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and her tension melted fractionally. “You really are too sweet.” He crooned.
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“Midoriya?” Tsu rubbed her eyes as she found the green haired boy at her door, taping a letter there.
“Tsu.” He leapt, nearly dropping the stack of envelopes in his hand.
The dorms should be empty at this time, and the faint noise at her door had woken Tsu, but she hadn’t expected to find a dour looing Deku there.
“Wait.” Tsu’s eyes flicked fully open after a beat. “You called me ‘Tsu’.”
“Well, yeah.” He responded. “That’s your name.”
“It is, but – but you never just call me Tsu if I don’t remind you.”
He clutched the letters to his chest. “Tsu.” He sighed the name as though it pained him. “Please Take care of Uraraka, ok?”
“What?” She shot back.
“Everyone really.” He amended. “You’re the smart one, smarter than Iida in a lot of ways. So Take care of him too. And Todoroki, he’ll need a friend. And bake with Sato. And make sure Bakugou doesn’t kill Kaminari. Oh, and if Bakugou doesn’t tell Kirishima – ok no, I shouldn’t tell people that. Just if those two aren’t, just maybe lock them in a closet if things don’t change between them in the next year or so. And –”
“Midoriya.” Tsu cut him off, confused. “What’s going on?”
“Just –” He shoved the letter he was trying to tape to her door in to her hands and began to bolt. “Please take care of her. Take care of everyone. Please.”
And like that he was gone; through the door to the stairwell, and that would be the last time she’d see him for a very long time.