Archive of Our Own

Sero could always tell when people were talking about them. Call it a gut feeling, if you wish, but it's just how it has always been. They could tell when their so-called middle school 'friends' made fun of them behind their back, always saying things like 'he wants to be a hero? with a quirk that stupid?' or 'god, someone just shut him up already'. The fact that they didn't even respect their pronouns was just a bonus for them.

But, anyway, they are missing the point. Hanta is no longer bitter about all that. They aren't .

The actual point is that they can instantly tell Kaminari is talking about them as soon as the boy walks in the classroom. That’s not what surprises them, though. Kaminari Denki is a natural gossiper, which means he talks about everyone and everything, no matter how meaningless.

What does surprise them is the fact that Kaminari is talking about them to no one other than Todoroki Shouto.  

“Just go to them, dude.” They hear Kaminari tell Todoroki, as if Sero was at the other side of the class instead of just two seats away from the both of them.

“But what if…”

“Just go. I can guarantee you that they do not hate you.”

That makes Sero frown as they pretend not to notice Todoroki taking a deep breath and turning his attention to them. They keep their eyes at the manga on the table, even when the words no longer make any sense to them. 

Hate him? What did Kaminari mean by that?

“Sero?” The stoic voice of Todoroki Shouto calls as he stops right in front of their desk. Sero looks up at him and can’t really contain the smile that appears on their face. 

They had heard their classmates talking about how Todoroki never seemed to feel anything. At some point, maybe Sero would have even agreed with them, but not anymore. Todoroki does have feelings, they have seen them. True, he didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve like Midoriya, but the feelings were there, just as intense.

And at that moment, Todoroki was nervous. Because he was talking to them.  

Talk about ironic .

“Hey, Todoroki! What 's up?”

“I wanted to apologise to you.” He said, and then waited for Sero’s reaction. As they had no idea what Todoroki was actually talking about, he didn’t get one. They just blinked, staring at him in confusion. “About the sports festival last weak.”

Ah… that.

When they didn’t show any reaction - again -, Todoroki continued to talk.

“I understand I might have overreacted and it was probably a hard situation for you. There was no need for me to use my quirk the way I did and I…”

Sero was actually very satisfied when Iida interrupted them to announce that Aizawa was coming and they were supposed to sit down. Todoroki seemed very confused for a second, like he didn’t know if he should finish his sentence or wait for their teacher on his own chair. The last option must have been more appealing, because after a moment of hesitation, the boy turned around from them without another word.

They thought about what Todoroki had said during the whole class, and if they were being honest, Hanta didn’t really absorb Aizawa’s words. 

It was only when the bell rang, signing the end of class and time for lunch, that Sero understood their feelings about Todoroki’s apology. They knew what to do, and walked to the cafeteria with a purpose in mind.

Hanta was glad to find Todoroki sitting alone that day. They noticed that the boy had started to join Midoriya and his friends some days, but more often than not, he was alone. Sero could sympathize with that.

Todoroki Shouto was someone that had always appealed to them in a way. There was a certain loneliness in his eyes that Sero often found while looking in the mirror. Maybe the reason they were mostly alone was different, but it didn’t change the fact that it was the truth. Sero just never knew how to befriend Todoroki, even when they wanted to.

“Is this seat taken?”

Todoroki looked at Hanta with a blink of surprise on his eyes that only lasted a second before he shook his head. Sero smiled softly and sat down next to the two coloured hair boy.

“I thought about your apology during class.” They said. Todoroki looked at them, and Sero noticed a bit of anxiety in his eyes. “And I came to the conclusion that there is absolutely no need for you to apologise.”

“But…” Todoroki mumbled, confused. Sero decided to continue anyway.

“Listen, I want to be a hero. My quirk might not be as flashy and powerful as yours, or Bakugou’s, some people might even say it’s pathetic and that I’m weak…” Sero banned the unpleasant memories from their mind. “But I am still training to be a hero. I was put in class 1-a for a reason. So how could I be upset at you for doing your best to beat me? I would be angry if you fought me in any other way.”

Todoroki seemed at a loss for words for a second, and Hanta actually let themselves enjoy the feeling of leaving one of the most powerful students in their class speechless. It was a nice feeling.

“I guess… I understand.” He said after a few more moments. “I promise I will do my best when we fight again, then.”

Hanta let themselves smile. “Great.”

They focus on their food and Sero is surprised when they don’t feel uncomfortable about the silence that fills the air between them. Even if they did feel anxious about it though - like they usually did -, they didn’t have to worry, because soon Todoroki talks again.

“I don’t think your quirk is pathetic. Or that you are weak.” Hanta can’t stop the surprised look on their face, and Todoroki’s eyes meet theirs. “I mean… You will never have to spend money buying scotch tape, right?”

Sero is so surprised their eyes widen. They look at the boy in front of them for a second before a laugh escapes from their lips.

“Did you make a joke? It was a good one.”

Todoroki shrugs, and Sero feels satisfied when a tiny - so tiny they would have missed it if they weren’t paying attention - smile appears at the boy’s face.

“Yes, I guess it was.”

* * *

That was the beginning of a very slow friendship. Sero and Todoroki talked at school, actual sentences other than ‘good morning’ or ‘how was your day’, like they used to do. They sometimes sat together at lunch, only the two of them, and Hanta quickly found that their friend is a fun person to be around, in a very subtle but no less intense way.

However, it was only two weeks after their new-found almost-friendship that they started talking outside of school. Sero already had Todoroki’s phone number because of the class’s grup chat, but they had never spoken before.

Until the day Sero was walking home and saw a little cat on their street. They slowly came close to the animal, and that is when they stopped.

The cat had two different eye-colours and a black spot surrounding their left eye. They instantly thought of Todoroki and couldn’t keep the giggle that escaped them. Sero slowly grabbed their phone and took a picture of the cat.

Me: It looks like you :))

They attached the message to the photo. Putting their phone away, Sero petted the cat and gave them some water before continuing their way down the street to their house.

“Mama, I’m home!”

“Here, honey.” They listened to their mother’s voice and walked to the kitchen to hug the woman tightly.

Sero was insanely lucky with their mom. Their dad died when they weren’t yet born, so Hanta was raised by a single mom, who - luckily -, was also a bisexual woman. That last factor made it so much easier for them to feel safe when they came out as a pansexual ace non binary. She was happy for them, and supported them more than Hanta ever thought possible.

They were in their room when Todoroki’s answer to their message popped on their phone. Sero threw themselves down at the bed and looked at the screen.

Soba boy: The colours are different, but I do understand where you are coming from.

Sero laughed softly and read the next message.

Soba boy: It’s cute. Is it yours?

Me: Nah. I had a dog a while back, and after he died my mom didn’t want pets anymore.

Soba boy: Oh… sorry.

Hanta couldn’t take the little smile of their face.

Me: It’s ok now. What about you? Any pets?

Soba boy: My dad doesn’t allow animals in the house. Which is ironic, cause sometimes I think he is one.

Sero laughs at that one. Sometimes, Todoroki has this sort of sarcastic humor to him that never fails at making them laugh. 

Me: LOL

Me: Brutal.

Soba boy: He deserves it.

Hanta doesn’t ask why, and Todoroki doesn’t tell them, but they do talk about everything and nothing, and they only stop when their mom calls them for dinner - they were surprised about how long they spent talking to their friend.

They learned a lot of things about Todoroki when the both of them started texting each other everyday. Sero always made sure to send their friend a random fact about themselves every morning, and was pleasantly surprised when, on the fifth day, Todoroki was the one to text first, saying his favourite colour was blue.

* * *

The next shift to their relationship happens two months or so after they first became friends. Surprisingly, they text each other every morning, spend almost every lunch together and seem to get closer everyday. Sero was astonished by how easy it was being around Todoroki, considering they were never a person to make many friends, especially like Todoroki - insanely cool, but also emotionally closed.

Sero was bored out of their mind in their dorm room - it was their first week living in UA -, so they decided to bother the person that was probably their closest friend.

Me: Whatcha doin?

Todoroki replied almost instantly, which made them smile.

Pokemon ball: Nothing really interesting. What about you?

As always, the nickname for the boy made them snicker. They changed it every week, and Hanta loved messing with him. Each one makes Todoroki more and more confused, and Sero spent hours explaining to him what a pokemon ball actually was. It was hilarious.

Me: Putting on a face mask.

Pokemon ball: A face mask?

Me: Yes. My mom always made me take extra care of my skin, so it’s a habit now. I kinda like it. 

Pokemon ball: My sister used to do it sometimes, I remember. She said it was boring, though.

Me: It is, when u r alone.

Sero hesitated for only a second before typing: Do you want to come do it with me?

They had to wait a few seconds, but soon enough, Todoroki was knocking at their door.

Hanta has to admit… Seeing Todoroki Shouto with the top part of his hair up and facemask all over his skin is one of the cutest things they had ever seen, and they convince their friend to take a picture on the mirror with them. It immediately turns into one of their favorites, and they send it to Todoroki, enjoying the tiny smile that brings a happy glow to his face.

They want to say it’s not one of the most amazing nights of their life, but that would be a big fat lie. Sero never had so much fun as they watched movies together, and Todoroki’s jokes and comments were so genuinely funny that it had Hanta’s belly hurting and tears at the corners of their eyes.

After that night, the face mask and movie meetings became a weekly event, and after the second time they did it - when Todoroki accidentally fell asleep in Hanta’s bed -, they decided it would also be sleepover nights.

The two were closer than ever, and that did not go unnoticed by the rest of the class. Everybody was a little intrigued by their friendship, but Sero and Todoroki didn’t really care. It was the first time - for both of them - where they found themselves with friends that they trusted completely, that actually understood them. Not their past or history, but them.

It wasn’t that they didn’t have other friends, exactly. Sero had Kaminari, and they sometimes hung out with Kirishima and - by consequence - Bakugou. Mina too, once or twice. Todoroki had Midoriya, of course, who was very important to him, and he also talked to Uraraka, Asui and Iida. Momo as well.

Yet, it was still not the same. Sero might not know Todoroki’s history, like Midoryia did, and the boy also didn’t know much about Hanta’s past, but they knew each other. Who they were as people, above all those other things. The rest would come later.

* * *

The first time Todoroki visited Sero’s house was five months into their friendship. They had noticed that the boy liked to stay in UA for the weekends whenever he could, only leaving once or twice since sero could remember. They would text, as always, but Sero would worry a bit about their friend alone in the dorms.

So, one day, they invited Todoroki to come to their house with him. The boy had hesitated for a longe time, leaving Hanta’s message on read for some long minutes before he finally replied.

Santa’s elf: Are you sure I won’t be a bother?

Me: Of course not. My mom will love it. Besides, it will be fun. What do u say????

Santa’s elf: Ok. If you are sure.

The train ride to Sero’s hometown wasn’t a long one, but it wasn’t exactly a short one either. They spent the time playing games on their phone or checking out new Snapchat filters. They found it incredibly cute when Todoroki tried the cat filter and took a photo of it, Todoroki smiling slightly and softly at the camera.

They knew Todoroki was nervous, but Sero was still surprised by how stiff he was when they started to walk down their street.

“Hey… You don’t need to be nervous. I told you, she was excited that you were coming.” Hanta guaranteed.

“I… I never met a friend’s parents before.” Todoroki confessed in a low tone. Sero felt their heart race when their eyes met. Their friend was very intense at that moment. “And I don’t want to screw it up. I don’t want you to be upset at me if she doesn’t like me…”

Sero offered him a soft smile, and gently put their hand on top of Todoroki’s head. The boy looked at them with surprised eyes. “She’ll like you, I know it. Damn, she already does just by what I told her. I promise, it’s going to be ok. You are a very likable person.”

Hanta found themselves slightly fascinated by the pink that coloured Todoroki’s cheeks when they let go of his hair.

“Ah, you are both here, great!” Aika Sero opened a giant smile when she saw her child and their friend at her door, and immediately ushered them in.

Sero was not wrong when they said their mom would like Todoroki. Aika loved him almost instantly. She didn’t let herself be discouraged by the boy’s social awkwardness and made him feel like part of the family as soon as he stepped inside the house. Todoroki’s astonished expression was slightly amusing to Hanta, and a little endearing.

The initial hesitancy soon faded when they both entered Sero’s room. Todoroki let himself snoop a little, and they let him have his fun. 

Todoroki was very fascinated by Hanta’s videogames, and they played it for hours non stop. It was entertaining to see the usually calm and stoic boy tight his hold on the controller every time he felt like he might lose, and frown when that actually happened. They played and talked for hours, and Sero was not ashamed to admit they had a blast.

Seeing their friend’s bed hair was one of the highlights of the weekend. Hanta always loved to watch the tangled mess of white and red hair all over the place, the usual perfect division between them all confusing and unorganized. Todoroki had to spend some time in the bathroom making sure each colour stayed in its place, and that was just adorable.

It was the night before they had to go back to UA when things shifted once more in their friendship. Todoroki was checking out the pictures in Sero’s room, a younger version of his friend staring back at him on most of them.

“You seem very close to her.” Todoroki declared as he stared at the photo where a ten year old Hanta was hugging their mom, a happy smile on their face.

“My dad died before I was born, so she was the one who raised me, alone. Being close was sort of inevitable.” Said Sero, laying down on their bed while looking up at the boy. “Besides, I never had lots of friends to hang out with, so I stayed at the house with her a lot.”

“Why didn't you? Have many friends, I mean.”

Hanta hesitated, but Todoroki’s expression was so genuinely curious, without any hint of hidden intencious, and they couldn’t help but trust him.

“Like I said before, my quirk is not the strongest out there and people thought I was weak.” They shrugged. “I also came out as queer when I was twelve, so that kinda made me more of a freakshow.”

“You are not weak, or a freakshow. Don’t say that about yourself.” Sero smiled at their friend when the boy sat down next to them on the bed. “I also didn’t have many friends as a kid.”

“Why?” Hanta questioned. Todoroki seemed to take a second to question himself if he should continue, before deciding to do so.

“My dad didn’t let me get out of the house much, and I was homeschooled.” He mumbled. Sero watched their friend’s fingers softly touch the part of his face where the healthy skin met the scar above his left eye. “Have you… have you ever heard of quirk marriages?”

Hanta quietly listened as Todoroki shared his story with them. Inside, their heart was slowly breaking for the boy as they heard every word, but they didn’t let any of that show on their face. 

Todoroki tells them about his parents’ relationship and his siblings. He quickly mentions the oldest, Touya - who he says nothing besides mentioning they lost him when the boy was a teen - but talks more about Fuyumi and Natsuo. Hanta listens as Todoroki remembers his father’s training - which they thought looked more like abuse than anything - and his mother’s breakdown, which resulted in him getting his scar.

The boy finishes his story by saying he reconnected with his mother after Midoriya helped him deal with his left side at the Sports Festival.

“So that’s why you were angry that day.” Hanta contemplates, and Todoroki nodded. They stay silent for a few seconds before talking again. “Endeavor’s an ass.”

The laughter that left Todoroki made Sero smile softly.

“He really is.”

Hanta rested their hand at the top of the boy’s head, and different-colored eyes looked at them, cheeks redding slightly.

“You are really strong for going through all that, you know. And for being able to talk to your mother again, even after everything. I admire that a lot.”

They stared at each other for a few moments, something different than the usual easygoing friendship they had going on passing between them. Sero was slowly getting lost in the blue and grey of the boy’s eyes, the red and white hair falling down his forehead… the steam leaving his left side.

Sero frowned. Wait… what?

“Todoroki, there is steam coming out of your face.”

The boy’s eyes widen and he looks away, cheeks red and breathing deeply. Hanta suddenly understands and is filled with amusement.

“Is that because you are embarrassed?” They question, and Todoroki hides his face in his own hands. They can’t stop the laughter that escapes. “You almost caught fire because I complimented you? That ’s adorable.”

“Shut up.” His voice is muffled by his hands, but Sero hears him all the same.

It makes them laugh even harder.

* * *

It didn’t take much longer for Sero to understand what was going on. Honestly, they should have seen it coming. It was so obvious, now that they thought about it. For weeks, maybe months now, the signs have been there and they just ignored them until it was inevitable.

It happened a month after Todoroki told Sero all about his family and past. They were back at UA and their normal lives, but things had changed slightly between them one more time, a sort of intimacy and understanding that wasn’t there before, making their connection to each other even deeper.

There wasn’t a big event or anything. No big revelation or surprise.

They were doing face masks together at Sero’s room when they showed Todoroki a tik tok video where an All Might fan burned all kinds of Endeavor merchandise. The boy stared at it in awe, and when a messed up Endeavor plushie appeared on the screen, he laughed. A real, heartwarming, easy-as-breathing laughter.

Hanta felt their heart race, and as they looked at their friend’s face, they realised it. I’m in love with him, aren’t I?

They were. They should have known, really. It was pretty obvious, the way Sero’s heart raced around the boy, their face heated and the butterflies in their stomach went crazy.  They probably had been in love with Todoroki for a while now.

However, as easy as those feelings were to realise, they were definitely a problem, for more than one reason. First, Todoroki didn’t like them like that, which was really all that mattered. Second,even if he did, did Sero even want a romantic relationship between them? They knew they didn’t feel any sexual attraction to anyone, and that was a big no to some people. 

Besides, they could totally destroy their friendship because of those feelings.

Without any idea what to do, Sero went to the only other person they felt remotely comfortable talking to.

Kaminari had a big smile on his face as soon as he opened his door for Sero.

“Hey!” He said as soon as he let Hanta in, closing the door behind them. “It’s been a while since we last hung out. Are you abandoning me?”

“We hung out yesterday, Kaminari.” Sero reminds him. “Listen, I need your help.”

The blond arched his eyebrows. “Ok, this sounds serious. What is it?”

Sero took a deep breath and sat down at their friend’s bed. “I might have feelings for someone.”

Kaminari smiled. “Finally! Have you told Todoroki yet?” Hanta looked at him with surprised in their eyes and the boy laughed, throwing himself at his bed next to them. “The whole class knows for months now. You two have been dancing around each other, it’s pretty obvious.”

They covered their face with their hands. “Shit.”

“I’ll take that as a sign you haven’t told him.”

“Of course I didn’t tell him!” Sero mumbled. “He’s my best friend, I don’t want to ruin that with feelings that are probably not mutual.”

“Are you sure, though?” Kaminari questioned. “I always had the feeling he likes you back. That boy treats you differently from everyone in our class, even Midoriya. He actually laughs around you, and Todoroki never laughs.”

Hanta knew Kaminari did have a point, Todoroki was different around them, they weren’t blind. But they also knew that it was most likely because their friendship was different, deeper. But they couldn’t explain that without telling Kaminari about what they shared with each other, and that was just too private.

“What do you think I should do, though?”

“Honestly, you know Todoroki better than I do, so I don’t really know. I would tell you to confess, because I honestly believe he has feelings for you as well, but like I said, you know him better. If you think it’s best to just wait and see, then do it.”

Sero thinks about it. Maybe waiting really is the best option. Just because they know they have feelings for Todoroki now, it doesn’t mean anything has to change at all. Maybe if they just wait and try to find out if their friend has feelings for them on their own, all the drama could be avoided. And their friendship would be intact.

Hanta smiles. “Thank you, Kaminari. That was helpful.”

The blond boy shrugs, but seems satisfied. “Glad I could be useful. Want to play some Among Us? Kiri just texted and said he’s trying to convince Bakugo to play, and Mina is joining too.”

“Sure, let’s do it.”

* * *

Things didn’t really change, and Sero was happy about it. They were now aware of what their feelings meant, but it wasn’t like anything was new or different. There was a small feeling of wanting something within them, but it was easily ignored. Their friendship with Todoroki was in the best place possible, and they wouldn’t risk that.

Sero had other things to worry about, though. When Todoroki asked them if they wanted to come with him to the hospital where his mother was, they said yes instantly. They knew Todoroki wouldn’t really offer if it wasn’t important for him. At the same time, they were really nervous. 

If this is how Todoroki felt meeting their mom, they could understand why he was so anxious.

“You seem more nervous than I was the first time I came here.” Todoroki pointed out to them when they were at the hospital elevator. His face was stoic and calm, but Sero could see the boy mocking them.

“Now you are making me feel bad.” They mumbled. Todoroki smiles sheepishly. “Does she know I’m coming? I don’t want to bother you and she must want to spend time with you alone…”

“I told her I wanted to bring you here, she was happy. She knows I didn’t really have friends, so she is excited.”

That made Sero calm down a little, but they were even more determined now. From what Todoroki was saying, they were the first friend he was bringing to the hospital, possibly the first one to meet Rei.

“Mom?” Todoroki calles as soon as he opens the door to her room, and Sero finds themselves looking at a beautiful woman sitting down in a chair, smiling softly when her eyes find them.

Todoroki Rei had white hair and grey eyes, and Hanta was surprised about how similar she and Todoroki looked. Their features, the small nose and sharp eyes, the soft smile. The only thing the boy had that resembled Endeavor at all was the color of the left side of his hair and eye.

“Hello, Shouto.” Her voice was just a little louder than a whisper, and Sero could feel themselves relaxing around the calm woman. “This must be Sero? It’s nice to meet one of my son’s friends. Shouto talks a lot about you.”

Hanta smiles at that, and notices how Todoroki blushes a little. “I also heard a lot about you. It’s a pleasure, Ms Todoroki.”

“Ah, none of that. You can call me Rei. Come in, sit down, you two. Tell me about you, Sero.”

As Hanta talked to the woman, they could understand the love they always heard in their friend’s voice every time he talked  about Rei. She was calm in a way that relaxed everyone around her, and her smile was contagious. She really seemed very satisfied with their presence, and they felt welcomed the entire time.

She listened with a happy glint in her gaze as Sero told her about their friendship with her son. They talked about the Sprost Festival, and how things evolved from there. Their face mask ritual seemed to both amuse and fascinate her.

“We should go, Sero.” Todoroki declares, and Hanta is surprised to find that they had stayed there more than three hours. “Mom, where is Tanaka-san?” He asks, referring to Rei’s nurse.

“Must be just outside, darling. Why don’t you go, I will talk to Sero for a second.”

Todoroki looked at Sero and they smiled softly at him, making sure the boy knew it was ok for him to leave them alone with his mother. As soon as the door shuts behind him, Sero is surprised when the woman takes one of their hands between hers.

“I wanted to thank you, Sero.” Their eyes went wide with her words, but Rei continued talking. “I know that the Midoriya boy helped Shouto at the Sports Festival, but I don’t think you realize how much you also helped. He seems so happy talking about you, and he actually smiles! I am really happy that he has a friend like you.”

Hanta doesn’t know what to tell her, so they stay silent for a few seconds. Then they smile. “I am just as happy to have a friend like him. He is… very important to me.”

Her smile grows and she looks at them with knowing eyes. “I’m glad.”

There is a soft knock at the door then, and they both turn around to look as Todoroki slowly enters the room. 

“Ready to go?” He asks Sero, and they nodd. Todoroki looks at his mom and smiles softly. “I will be back next week.”

Rei has so much love in her eyes as she looks at her son that Sero remembers their own mom. They take a second to admire how strong these women are to have been through what they did.

“See you then, dear.”

They say their goodbyes and leave the hospital together.

“She is amazing.” Hanta says as they wait for the train. Todoroki’s smile is small, but honest.

“She likes you a lot.”

Sero let themselves beam at the words.

* * *

Shouto has nightmares sometimes. They don’t happen as often as they used to, but sometimes they come. He dreams about his father - mostly -, flames, training and - sometimes - Touya. He hates those nights, and can never sleep again after them, staying awake in bed until he has to get up for breakfast.

That night, though, he couldn’t stay in his room. He had dreamed about Sero this time, about the Sports Festival. In the dream, instead of fire, he set the arena in flames and burned his friend to the ground. He could barely breathe after he woke up.

So that’s why he found himself in the common area at one in the morning. As it was a school night, he wasn’t expecting anyone to be awake, so the voices coming from the kitchen surprised him. Shouto slowly walks towards the sound, and finds Kirishima and Midoriya talking.

“I am so excited, dude! Couldn’t even sleep.” Kirishima whispers.

“Excited for what?” They both startle at Shouto’s words, who just looks at them, mildly confused.

“Ah, hey Todoroki-kun.” Midoriya smiles at him. “We were just talking about the double date we have tomorrow. Kirishima managed to convince Kacchan to come with me and Uraraka to a festival in our hometown tomorrow.”

“That seems nice.” He said, nodding. Kirishima’s smile was blinding. “I am surprised Bakugou agreed. But he had always had a soft spot for you.”

Kirishima’s smile grows even wider, even as he blushes slightly. “He does, doesn’t he? I can see it now. I’m embarrassed it took me so long to notice.”

“Is that why you took so long to get together?” Midoriya asks. If Todoroki remembered correctly, Kirishima and Bakugou were close for more than a year, as long as Sero and himself, maybe even longer.

“I guess. I took a while to notice my feelings, even as they were obvious. The butterflies in my stomach, blushing, heart racing and thinking he was the most beautiful person I have ever seen should have been a better clue.” 

Shouto frowns. Those butterflies Kirishima was talking about… Was that the strange feeling he sometimes has around Sero? His heart races and he almost caught fire the first time Sero said he was pretty. Was that…

Midoriya laughs, unaware of Todoroki’s momentary breakdown. “I felt the same for Uraraka. I kinda knew it wasn’t a friendship sort of feeling, though.”

Shouto’s eyes widen. Those… weren’t friendship feelings? He was well aware that those things happened to him around Sero, but he thought that it was just what having a best friend felt like. 

“If those things happen, does that mean you have a crush?”

Both of the boys looked at Todoroki with a confused glint in their eyes. Until Kirishima smiled.

“Usually, yeah, man.”

“Did you finally realise your feelings for Sero?” Midoriya questions and Todoroki can immediately feel the blush on his cheeks. The green-haired boy laughs. “We’ve been waiting for a while. I had to stop Ochako from just locking you both in a closet until you get together.”

“I…” Todoroki stumbles on his words. The realisation of what his own feelings meen hit him, and he has no idea what to do or say right now.

Luckly, Kirishima doesn’t seem too keen on making him feel uncomfortable, so he shifts the focus of their conversation.

“Ochako, hm? You two are on a first name basis?”

Todoroki uses the distraction of Midoriya blushing and babbling to leave the kitchen, slowly going back to his dorms.

He never had a crush before. In fact, Todoroki always thought he wasn’t really interested in any type of romantic relationships. But now that he thought about it, it wasn’t bad when it was Sero. Considering it makes his skin burn, Shouto is pretty sure there is steam coming out of his face again.

The sunrise came, and Shouto didn’t sleep at all. He can’t even put the blame of it on his nightmares this time, though.

In class the next day, Shouto can barely look at Sero without blushing and his heart racing like crazy. His friend seems very confused if the look they send his way is anything to go by, but Todoroki simply doesn’t know how to act or what to do.

He might have freaked out, and he might be avoiding Hanta. Sero notices too, but they just think Shouto needs time to think about whatever is happening before talking to them.

It’s only when a week comes and goes without more than five words from Todoroki that Sero loses their patience. They were supposed to do face masks that day, and their friend didn’t say anything about it. Hanta is determined to not let their tradition be broken because of whatever Todoroki is going through.

They firmly knock at Todoroki’s door, and the boy’s eyes widen comically when he sees Sero.

“Can I come in?”

“Sure.” Todoroki mumbled, and gets out of the way for his friend to be able to come inside his room.

“So?” Sero asks as they sits down on top of Todoroki’s futon. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you?”

Todoroki looked away from them with his face slightly red, but Sero knew better than to assume Shouto would lie to them. Their friend was possibly the most honest person Hanta has ever come across.

“I realised something about myself.” He said. His eyes meet Sero’s again as he confesses: “I realised last week that I have romantic feelings for you. I didn’t exactly understand them until Kirishima and Midoryia explained them to me.”

Hanta’s eyes widen as they stare at Todoroki. The tense silence between them grows impossibly. Shouto takes a deep breath and sits down next to his friend.

“I think I have this feelings for some time, maybe a few months. I understand that this might be uncomfortable for you, so if you want some…”

Sero can’t stop themselves. They laugh. Hard.

Todoroki stares at them with confused eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” Hanta says between small giggles. “It’s just… I have feelings for you for months now, and the idea that you simply didn’t know you liked me back this whole time is…”

Shouto hesitates for a second before smiling. “You have?”

Hanta scoffs. “Duh. It was so obvious.”

They both stare at each other for a few seconds before they start laughing. It wasn’t just amusement, but they both were just so happy to be where they were at the moment that they couldn’t stop themselves.

Only when they can control themselves again that Sero feels the weight of the small tension between them. Their eyes meet, and they find themselves admiring how beautiful Shouto Todoroki really is.

“Can I kiss you?” Hanta whispers, and watches as Todoroki’s cheeks are painted red. After a few seconds, Shouto nods.

Sero holds Shouto’s face gently between their hands as they approach him. They see the different-colour eyes shut and closes their own before pressing their lips on his.

Hanta can’t say there were fireworks, or that they suddenly wanted to jump on Todoroki. None of those things happened, it was more special than that. 

Kissing Shouto was like coming home, something so exciting and yet, somehow familiar in a weird way. His lips were soft and colder on one side while warmer on the other. The butterflies in Sero’s stomach were going crazy, but they were not nervous. They were just… Happy.

It was like they belonged here.

As they slowly moved away from each other, Hanta smiles when their eyes meet once more.

“That was nice, I liked that.” Shouto whispers.

“Me too.” They let their hand fall from the boy’s neck. “Did you know your lips are half cold and half warm, Shouto?”

They were not ready for the way the boy blushed and half of his face caught fire. Todoroki quickly stops his own quirk from going crazy, though, and Sero can’t stop themselves from laughing. 

“Can I call you Hanta too?” Shouto mumbles. Sero smiles softly as him as they finally stop the giggles.

“Sure, if you want to.”

“Does this mean you are my boyfriend?”

Sero’s smile grows. “Can I be?”

Shouto nods as he returns the smile.