Chapter Text
“Oi! You better hurry your slow ass up or we’re leaving without you!”
“I get it, I get it! Just give me a second, will ya?!”
Your obnoxious exchange with Katsuki was heard throughout the entire house as you frantically prepared your luggage, stuffing clothes and hygiene essentials into your suitcase, and snacks and sources of entertainment into your backpack. After months of planning and chaotic schedules, you and your friends finally landed a week off for a much-needed escape, which so happened to be a road trip across the country to visit your family on the countryside; you had no choice but to agree since you were well overdue for a visit, not to mention how much your nieces and nephews adored Eijirou and — despite his explosive personality — Katsuki, and Denki and Mina wouldn’t shut up about wanting to go horseback-riding.
You heard a tapping at your door frame while you zipped your suitcase closed, turning your head to find Hanta resting against the frame.
“You all set?” He asked, and you nodded in response as you slung the backpack over your shoulder. You went to heave the luggage off your bed before Hanta’s deft hands plucked it from your grasp, his other hand resting on your back as he led you out the door. “Come on, we shouldn’t keep the impatient Katsuki waiting. He is one of the drivers after all.”
“Yeah but you’re the other driver, so as long as I don’t piss you off, I’m fine.”
He clicked his tongue in amusement as the two of you reached the vehicle, which was a vintage camper van that originally belonged to Hanta’s uncle before it was restored and passed on to him.
As you were locking the front door, you already heard one of the songs from your group’s collective playlist blasting through the speakers, accompanied by a butchered rendition of Panic! At The Disco’s “Vegas Lights” from Denki and Mina from the open windows and Katsuki yelling for them to shut up.
It was only eight-thirty in the morning. At this rate, the whole neighbourhood was going to hear them.
Thank god you were away for the week so you wouldn’t have to deal with complaints until you got back.
“Pack your asses! We’re heading out!” Katsuki called above the music, already sitting in the driver’s seat. With an excited squeak, you quickly hopped into the van, followed by Hanta who situated himself beside you.
You heard the starting of the engine, and you were off. You watched your neighbourhood disappear as Katsuki turned the corner, the morning glow reflecting against the window and casting a warmth against your face.
The moment the van turned to the main street, the blasting of music continued, Eijirou at the passenger seat, Mina chattering to you and Hanta, and Denki manning the aux cord as he shuffled through the playlist.
It didn’t take long for the rest of the group to lose themselves to MCR’s “Teenagers” as Katsuki drove past the familiar streets. Through your headbanging, you saw a glimpse of your old elementary school whiz by, followed by a convenience store you knew all too well.
You wondered if the owner was still pissed at you and Hanta for “accidentally” snagging honey butter chips and Dr. Pepper back in 5th grade. Or that time in middle school when Denki ran out of the men’s bathroom, claiming that he managed to clog all of the toilets by accident and it was flooding. Or when a thirteen-year-old Eijirou snapped the owner’s mounted bass in half and took it home in an attempt to fix it (which he never did).
Ahh, what fond times.
“Yo, remember that time in 10th grade? When Ume claimed Hanta was cheating on her with (name)?” Mina suddenly blurts out. It seems like you weren’t the only one lost in old memories.
“Dude, don’t remind me,” Hanta groaned, obviously aware of the memory of your old schoolmate. “She was crazy. She was in most of my classes and we were always partnered up. She always needed my help with something and– I don’t know how she mistook my help as dating . I never even talked to her about anything other than classwork!”
You couldn’t help but be amused at Hanta’s rambling, though you knew just how he felt. You remembered the girl who tried to sneak herself into your friend group to very little success, just for a chance to be closer to Hanta. You even remembered the utter confusion, pity and agitation you felt when she confronted you in the middle of your choir class, causing a huge scene while claiming that you “stole” Hanta from her. Thank every mythical being that Kyoka and Momo were there to diffuse the situation.
“Man, high school was an experience, wasn’t it?” You said with a laugh.
“But that scene in (name)’s choir class wouldn’t have happened if Hanta didn’t say that he was already with (name), right?” Denki pondered, pausing his scrolling to look between you and Hanta.
The blond was oblivious to the warmth running up Hanta’s neck at what he said all those years ago, and to your look of surprise at having not heard this side of the story.
You turned towards Hanta with a bewildered expression, which caused him to turn away to face the window.
“Hanta–”
“I panicked,” he hastily replied, cutting you off as he scratched at his neck. “She kept badgering me and I blurted that out without thinking.”
“Is that why you latched on to me for the majority of 10th grade?”
“Maybe,” he mumbled. If you were still in high school, you might have found that offensive to some degree. But being out of that immature mindset for so long, you couldn’t help but laugh instead. And you had to admit, that stunt allowed you and Hanta to grow closer through the semester, and you grew to see each other as your best friend amongst the group.
The tension due to past experiences didn’t stay for very long as the guitar of Cody Simpson’s “Livin’ Easy” and “La Da Dee” came into play, erasing the silence and filling it with a decent sing-along from the whole group.
It continued on until your first rest stop for breakfast, grumbling stomachs tumbling out the van in search of food. Katsuki stopped at a gas station just outside the city, and right next to it was a quaint diner that housed only a few people having breakfast.
The smell of pancakes and maple bacon was near heavenly when the group walked in, the four cramming into one booth while you shared another with Hanta in front of you.
Chaos slowly ensued when Hanta tried to fling a whole pancake into Denki’s mouth from across the booth like a frisbee, and Denki shooting milk out of his nose that had you and Mina doubled over in muffled laughter. The only sane minds were Katsuki and Eijirou, who were like parents desperately trying to quiet their children so as to not get kicked out of the diner, especially this early in the morning.
With clean plates and full stomachs, the group paid for the meals. You sipped on the last of your drink, waiting in the booth as Hanta excused himself for the bathroom and Katsuki left to fill up the gas, leaving you with the other three.
“So,” Mina drawled, resting her chin on her laced fingers, “When are you and Hanta getting together?”
Your breath hitched, your remaining drink getting caught in your throat.
“Mina, what the fuck?” You choked out.
“You two have been tight-knit since that incident with Ume, you’re the closest with him out of all of us.”
“Yeah, but–” you exhaled, putting your drink down– “Even if — let’s say — I did want to date him, I’m not even sure if he feels the same way.”
“You sure? Who was the one that constantly bought you candy grams and roses on Valentine’s Day?” She asked.
“That was elementary, Mina. We were kids. Even Eijirou bought Katsuki a rose that time.”
At the other end of the table, you saw Eijirou burst into a fiery red at the mention of the memory.
“Okay, fair point..” She scratched at her chin before continuing, “Remember when your date to the senior banquet backed out at the last minute because the girl he asked finally agreed to go with him? And when he told you, you locked yourself in your room and refused to go? Who pulled you out and asked you to go with him?”
“But I denied since I didn’t want him to feel like a rebound,” you countered.
“But you two still went together, didn’t you?”
You paused for a moment, reminiscing about your final event of high school. Hanta was a stubborn man in a suit, leaning against your door as you sat at the other side, knees to your chest and sulking at the loss of your former date.
You couldn’t believe the amount of patience Hanta had for you that night; he even stated that he wouldn’t mind missing the banquet just to spend the rest of the evening by your side.
“If you’re not comfortable with going, I’d be more than happy to just sit around in pj’s and binge-watch Disney movies with you. If you’ll have me,” you remembered him saying.
After half an hour of reassuring you through the door, you finally opened up and agreed to attend the banquet with him as a friendly date, along with the promise of pizza and a sleepover with the Bakusquad right after.
He had shown you an amazing time that night, it was one of the moments you enjoyed the most during your high school life. Even now, with memories of over-the-top decorations, 12th-graders with their mediocre dancing and the malfunctioning chocolate fountain, you didn’t regret a single second of that banquet.
“And remember our freshman year of college? Who was there during your mid-life crisis that helped you get through it?” Denki butted in before you shoved a waffle fry into his mouth.
“Okay okay, I get it. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to date him.”
Right as you force-fed your blond-headed friend, you saw Katsuki calling the group over, indicating that the van was filled up and ready to hit the road. Hanta returned from the bathroom, completely oblivious to the conversation you and Mina had as you packed everything and left the diner.
It was way past noon, and after hitting another rest stop with a Dairy Queen for some lunch and Blizzards, you were cruising on the highway, passing a large expanse of evergreen trees and rocky terrain. “Candy Store” from Heathers played on the radio, the contagious essence of sass latching on to you, Denki and Mina as you sang into your Blizzard spoon like a microphone. Hanta was equipped with his camera, recording the absolute discord occurring at the back of the van as Katsuki shouted not to rock the vehicle.
The backseat of the van blazed through several Broadway songs before Hanta suggested stopping at an upcoming parking lot overlooking a lake.
After Katsuki steered towards the lot and parked the van, the group exited and made their way towards the lake, running across the parking lot like excited toddlers. The stop was populated by several cars and passing tourists, and consisted of nothing but a wooden board that wrote about the wildlife found in the lake.
You were skimming through the list of fauna before you heard the squeal that could only belong to Denki. You looked over, finding the blond in question running across the shallows of the lake with the other blond in tow, somehow already soaked to the bone as he hollered at the top of his lungs. Not too far away was Eijirou giving Mina a piggyback ride in the water with Hanta taking a photo of the both of them.
“(name)!” Hanta waved you over. The man was perched on one of the bigger rocks by the edge of the lake with his camera wrapped around his neck.
You ambled over, slipping off your own shoes and grabbing on to Hanta’s outstretched hand.
“Watch out, it’s slippery.”
You carefully stepped through each rock until you were standing beside him. Even with the loud screaming of Denki and Katsuki, you admired the view before you. The cold chill tickled your skin as you stepped into the water, lightly splashing your feet as you walked a little deeper.
When was the last time you were out in nature like this? You revelled in the feeling of freshwater against your feet, the scent of pine tickling your nose as you gazed at the towering mountains and trees that surrounded the rippling blue mirror.
Snap.
You turned over to the man beside you to find his camera hiding his face.
“Hanta, did you just..?”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help it.” There was a smile on his face as he lowered his camera. “You looked so peaceful, I just had to. But..! That’s no excuse for me to take it without asking.”
He handed you the camera, an embarrassed flush on his cheeks. “Uh– if you don’t like the picture I took of you, you’re free to delete it.”
You did nothing but smile as you looked through his photos, briefly shuffling through the pictures he took of the group before stopping at the most recent one.
Calling Hanta a good photographer was an understatement; his photography was some of the best you had ever seen. He had a knack for capturing the memorable moments in each frame, deliberate angles, exposures and depths of field used to tell a story with each picture.
He was right when he called you peaceful; you had the softest smile as you gazed towards the lake, which was blurred just the slightest and allowed you to be the main focus of the photo. Even the blurred image of Denki and Katsuki in the background added some character.
“Hanta–” you giggled– “We’ve known each other for how long? You don’t have to ask, you know I enjoy your photography.”
“I know, but I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable or anyth-ING..!”
That was when he was forcefully tackled by Denki, sending the two tumbling into the lake. You held back a yelp as you were hit with the repercussions of the splash, shielding Hanta’s camera from any potential water damage.
Denki thought it would be a fun, practical joke, but the blond immediately showed regret and bolted back to the van when Hanta heaved himself up, slicking his fringe away from his face to reveal a fire in his eyes and a deadly smirk on his lips.
You only smiled in sympathy, latching on to Eijirou and Mina as the poor blond dweeb ran around the parking lot with a soaking wet Hanta and Katsuki hot on his tail, eventually being dragged back and thrown into the lake.
It was already nightfall when the group reached the motel, heaving your groggy selves to the room you booked.
You had another day and a half of driving before you reached the town your family resided in, and it wasn’t helping that your parents were already anticipating the arrival of their children; the Bakusquad were more or less part of the family at this point, having grown up with you since elementary school.
Each of you took turns in the shower, washing away the cold after having spent the majority of the afternoon swimming in the lake.
Rubbing your hair dry with a towel, you were about to settle into your sleeping bag — after having lost a game of rock-paper-scissors on who would get the beds — before you found the lacking presence of a certain raven-haired man.
“Anyone know where Hanta went?” You asked.
Mina peeked from her phone with raised — obviously suggestive — brows. “He said he was grabbing some air before bed. Why not go find him, hmm?”
You didn’t hesitate to slip into a sweater and crack open the door, but not before sticking your tongue out at your friend.
The instant you shut the door, you heard music being played from not too far away. You peered from the balcony — your room being on the second floor — and right below you was none other than Hanta sitting cross-legged on the roof of the van.
Even through the music playing from his phone, he seemed to pick up on the barely audible click of the door. The moment he looked up and realized it was you, he gave a relaxed smile.
“Hey,” he greets, “What brings you out here?”
“Looking for you actually,” you answered. “Shouldn’t you be getting some sleep? You are driving tomorrow, after all.”
He shrugged in response, instead patting the spot beside him in an invitation. Shaking your head with a smile, you quickly hopped down the stairs and moved towards the van, climbing the ladder at the back of the vehicle and settling beside him.
The evening breeze didn’t help the cold touch of metal against your bare legs, that you regretted wearing shorts at that very moment. But as if he knew, he draped a blanket across your lap, gingerly pulling you closer to nestle against his warmth.
“Thanks,” you said simply, and he only hummed in response, going back to the act of scrolling through his camera. Out of sheer curiosity, you leaned against him to get a better sight of the small screen. “What’re you looking at?”
“Old photos from high school.”
He turned the camera towards you, and you were greeted by the younger faces of you and the Bakusquad dressed in navy blue robes, the photo taken in front of the familiar venue that hosted your graduation.
“Aww, look at how young we were!” You squealed, a wave of nostalgia rushing through you as you scanned each of your friends’ faces. You completely forgot about Denki’s coloured-eyeliner phase, and you absolutely adored Eijirou’s man-bun when he refused to cut his hair.
Hanta continued scrolling through the photos, but one particular photo caused you to let out another squeal and Hanta to verbally cringe.
“Oh my god, look at your undercut!”
The photo was of the group standing in front of a large fountain located somewhere downtown, and to the far right was the tall stature of Hanta dressed in a crisp button-up. His dark fringe still hung over his eyes, but the shortness of the rest of his hair allowed you a clearer sight of his face.
He let out a quiet groan, a free hand attempting to hide his embarrassment. “Do I still regret getting a haircut right before graduation? A little.”
You gave him a light shove. “Aw, what do you mean? I thought it looked good on you!”
“..You’re kidding.”
“I’m really not. If you asked Mina, she would say that during the summer after our grad, I wouldn’t shut up about how much I loved your hair.”
That was very much a surprise for the man, and his heart was not prepared for it. He quietly thanked the night, the dark veiling the massive flush creeping up his face as he looked off into the empty highway.
“I only did it to impress someone,” he muttered absentmindedly, not at all intending for you to hear.
But you did, and you let out an over-dramatic gasp. “Oh? Is this tea I hear? Whose attention were you seeking, Ser-Bear?”
He pressed his palm to your face, pushing it away. “One; don’t ever call me that again or I’m going to smother you. Two; it was someone from a different class. I haven’t seen them since we graduated so I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Aww, no fun,” you said with a pout, cupping his hand with your own and pulling it from your face. You studied the rings looped around his forefinger and pinky, playing with one before letting it go. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you show interest in anyone.”
“Oh trust me, I have,” he replied, tucking his camera into his backpack. “I just didn’t tell any of you.”
“But why ?”
“Why? Do you know our group’s history with secrets and crushes?” He smirked, shaking his head. “Katsuki doesn’t give a single fuck, Eijirou can be denser than a rock, Denki can’t keep his mouth shut, Mina’s gonna try and set me up with them, and you…”
The moment he turned to you, he trailed off.
“And I.. What? You didn’t tell me because..?”
“Because..” Because you were the crush he had been harbouring feelings for all these years. Ever since elementary when he first met you on the playground, to middle school when he was in denial about his feelings, to high school and college when he finally accepted the fact that he was stupidly in love. But the group was so tight-knit that a single slip of the tongue could make things awkward for everyone, and Hanta wasn’t willing to sacrifice almost two decades of friendship for his selfish desire.
“Because.. You’d be upset that someone’s gonna steal your best friend from you.”
You only jerked forward in laughter, his response not at all what you were expecting. He later joined you when he eased his embarrassment, lighting up the night with mellow sounds of pure joy as you lost yourselves under the star-speckled sky.
With your laughter dying down and your pinky now hugging his in an intimate gesture, you gently swayed your head as you listened to him sing along with Cuco’s “Lo Que Siento”, silently wondering why your best friend wouldn’t sing more often when his voice had the ability to calm you instantly.
“ Mira ,” he said suddenly, gaze directed above you. He lifted a hand to point at a star, slowly moving to connect it with another until it formed a familiar pattern that you remembered from when you were a child.
“Cygnus?” You blurted out, and Hanta nodded with a smile.
With the discovery of the avian constellation, the both of you ended up connecting different arrays of light and inventing your own constellations and their history, from bells that rang at the end of the world, to lonely whales that swam across space with the world on its back.
You knew the both of you were losing more and more time to sleep with each passing minute, but it had been so long since the both of you just.. Spent time together, alone, without the responsibilities and life choices — and frankly, the obnoxious friend group that you love to bits — holding you back. It was easy to lose track of time when you were with Hanta, as if the world was allowing the both of you to stay in this haven you have created; to pretend like the two of you were still children, experiencing every moment like it was your first and savouring it like it was your last.
“God, I haven’t seen the stars this bright since we were kids,” you commented, gaze still fixated on the floating lights above you. But unbeknownst to you, Hanta had long since looked away from the view above him, and a part of him was thankful that you didn’t see the absolute adoration in his eyes when he watched the light of the motel’s neon sign dance against your skin. Nor did you catch his faint murmur against the evening breeze.
“No star can ever come close to shining as bright as you, Mi Estrella .”