Chapter Text
“Aaand, there we go!”
Hakamada looked incredibly pleased as he held the lace-decorated purse up on display. He fixed it, despite all difficulties he encountered. The fabric was delicate and old, hence fairly worn. All the more because it was a favorite of their fellow student.
She was a first-year with a nymph quirk that made her look extremely elegant and dignified… with her long, flowy hair and with the gleam on her skin, she looked like she had just emerged from the water. Even Shinya wanted to wrap something warm around her and keep her company. But that kind of attraction, she had admitted, was part of her quirk.
“Like a brand new roll of denim fabric!”
His eyes bent into crescents, betraying the smile hidden behind the collar of his school uniform. He handed her the purse back, and Shinya frowned when he noticed their fingers touch, however briefly. When he saw both of them blush, he averted his gaze, hiding his own scowl behind his favorite red scarf.
It didn’t help that senpai had made this scarf for him from scratch, but it wasn’t like he had much choice here.
“Thank you so much, Best Jeanist! I don’t know how to repay you!”
“Just spread the word about our handicraft club! We’re short on members and can use all the help we can get.”
What an understatement… Their club consisted of only the two of them. If anyone bothered to ask him, Shinya would tell them he was more than happy with how things were. He wasn’t good at tutoring juniors. Generally, he wasn’t good with other people. They made him uncomfortable, which was apparently a mutual sentiment.
Except for Tsu– Hakamada. Best Jeanist. Senpai .
Who exchanged some more formalities and small talk with their guest. Fed up with just standing by, he excused himself and started cleaning up. Thankfully the girl was gone soon enough, and without much ado, Hakamada joined him in tidying their club room.
Shinya couldn’t help but peek from the corner of his eyes, watching his senpai diligently sweep up the floor where he had scattered shreds of fabric and threads. The warm light of the setting afternoon sun caught in the blonde of his hair, making it glow ethereally.
Maybe senpai had no fabric quirk after all, but also some sort of nymph quirk. That would explain a lot, Shinya thought as he looked away again, stretching to store some hefty rolls of garments on the top of their shelf.
“Wait, let me help you with that.”
Out of nowhere, Hakamada’s silky voice suddenly brushes over his ear just as heat wraps around him. Shinya could feel his senpai’s abdomen pressing against his back as he took control of the rolls and safely stores them away, using Shinya’s shoulders for support.
Shinya didn’t dare to breathe – the weird, whimpering noise that was about to escape him luckily got caught in his throat, too. With Hakamada so close, all he could do was freeze and maybe nod eagerly when his upperclassman apologized.
For a moment, they just stood there, with Shinya staring down at the ground while his senpai… loomed over him… looking at him.
Just… Why? He wished he knew.
“Is everything alright?” Hakamada asked, awfully polite. As much as he admired his politeness, sometimes Shinya hated it for the distance it put between them. Mostly because he didn’t know how to cross it.
He simply nodded again, swallowing his powerlessness and pride and the palpitations of his heart. They stopped anyway, just a second later, when long, nimble fingers brushed along his jaw, stopping at his chin to tilt his face up.
Staring with enrapture and horror alike, Shinya let it happen.
Their eyes crossed for a split second. The cool green of his senpai’s eyes looked incredibly soft in the afternoon light, sparkling with it as they took in his face.
“Just, let me…” he murmured, the warmth of his breath permeating even the fabric of his collar. They were close enough for Shinya to feel it. If there weren’t for all these obstructive cotton….
Shinya never hated his own shyness more than at this very moment.
Then, very slowly and gently, Hakamada raised the other hand, brushing over Shinya’s bangs to comb and tame them. His hands were so incredibly hot that their temperature radiated so much, they might as well have touched.
Just when he was about to let his eyes fall shut and pray for this moment never to end, Hakamada nodded, eyes curling again in a soft smile.
“There.” With that, he pulled his hand away and straightened his back, nodding affirmatively. The room between them was apparently enough for Shinya’s lungs to kick back in, sucking in a deep, sharp breath. “We’re good to go now.”
“G-Go?” Shinya stuttered, confused.
“Well, as much as I enjoy working with you on our projects, we have to wrap up and go home. We have homework to finish for tomorrow.”
“R-Right…”
“And we can’t let ourselves be seen as anything less than perfect, or else the reputation of our club might suffer.”
The burst of heat flushing Shinya’s face made him look down. What else had he been thinking?
“S-Sorry,” he mumbled under his breath, embarrassed that he had almost brought shame to their club.
“What for?” Senpai sounded genuinely confused, so Shinya peeked up. Hakamada blinked once, and if it weren’t him but anyone else, Shinya would have thought he was gauging his next words. “You look nothing short of perfect, Kamihara-kun.”