Archive of Our Own

Hanta is a simple boy. After the war and finishing his second year at UA, he's eager to live. His third year is important, of course, because it's the final line before he enters the professional world and becomes a real hero, but he wants to discover new things. He wants to live life to the full: go out with his friends, meet girls, drink alcohol behind closed doors, get into trouble. For all this, he can count on his two best friends from UA, Denki and Eijirou. They're always willing to go with him, even though Denki has been in a relationship with Kyouka for two months and Eijirou has been pining after Midoriya, which makes the boy blush constantly, embarrassed and flustered by this unexpected but apparently welcome attention. Hanta is happy for his friends.

He doesn't really want to settle down, but he'd like to meet some girls. His status as an aspiring hero who fought in the war has opened many doors for him, but to be honest, he finds it hard to cross the line. It's just too easy. They're not interested in Hanta Sero, they're interested in Cellophane.

It's Friday evening. They're leaving school late, because they're preparing for the second term of their third year, their final project, exams and internships. They're exhausted, but they're happy when they cross the gate, because it's their ritual evening, the one they set up last year, when there were still dormitories and war. Every Friday evening, it's a time they spend together, usually at Momo, Eijirou or Katsuki's house, because their parents agree to host so many young people and because they have the space for it at home. Not everyone participates; it's not mandatory. But Hanta has never missed a party. He loves spending time with his friends.

Katsuki is walking ahead of him, scowling as ever, probably because they're being greeted by an icy wind that's surprisingly cold for a September evening. Eijirou is next to him, all smiles because Midoriya has agreed to go out with him tomorrow. Behind him, Kyouka and Denki are talking about music, hand in hand. They've been together for two months and everyone's been waiting for this, because they've been circling each other since first year. Shinsou chats quietly with Shoto and Midoriya, and Midoriya smiles as much as Eijirou. Mina, Uraraka and Iida complete the group. It's a small group tonight, but it promises to be a delightful evening. Life is good.

And then you step in. You're sitting on a bench and stand up when you see them coming, a big smile on your lips. Hanta doesn't recognize you, but he thinks you're really cute. You're wearing a woollen beanie, a little black cotton cardigan and a beige woollen dress that hugs your curves, black tights to keep you warm and little ankle boots. Your nose is red from the cold. You're really cute.

"Denki!" you finally exclaim as you approach them. Hanta wonders quietly why Denki never introduced you to the others. Why keep such a pretty girl all to himself? He turns to him and notes with astonishment that his smile is a little frozen, that his gaze hardly conceals some form of anger.

"Ah, a fan?" He laughs a little and Hanta thinks he sounds fake. "I'd rather my fans call me Chargebolt! We're in a bit of a hurry, but glad to meet a fan! See you soon, have a good evening!" He quickens his pace, dragging Kyouka with him, and they giggle together. Everyone follows; Midoriya greets you with an embarrassed smile, but everyone else seems a little mocking. Hanta, embarrassed for you, greets you too and pauses for a moment.

"Sorry, it's true we're in a hurry, we have to catch our train." He smiles at you but you stare, a little confused. "Why don't you come to the official meetings organized by UA? You can meet him that way, and it's a lot nicer than waiting outside school in the evening, isn't it? And it's true that we prefer to meet our fans like that, to make a distinction between our professional and private lives."

Denki could have explained that to you rather than leaving so quickly so Hanta felt like taking the time to explain, so you'd understand why he hadn't seemed very happy to see you here.

"Hanta, will you hurry up?!" It's Eijirou calling him. Some of his friends are waiting for him at the corner of the alley.

"Yeah, I'll be right there. You gonna be okay?" He asks you gently, a little concerned at your lack of reaction.

You finally look up at him. Your eyes glisten with barely contained tears. "Yes, thanks. I understand. Good evening to you." You smile at him, but your smile is watery, a bit off. You leave him there to go and sit on the bench, a little elsewhere.

"Hum. Have a nice evening," he replies, and leaves to join his friends, but he can't get your face and your small, troubled voice out of his head.

"Why did you push her away like that?" He finally asks Denki as they all wait for the train to head back to Eijirou's house.

"It wasn't the right time," Denki murmurs, rubbing the back of his neck, apparently a little embarrassed by his reaction. "I reacted badly, I know, but frankly I didn't feel like stopping."

"That's understandable," growls Katsuki. "If we accept that, then they'll think they can do whatever they want and come up to us whenever they want. We have to set limits."

"That's clear," intervenes Mina. "It's so nice to have fans, but we're still high school students, they have to remember that. How old was this girl? She looked older than us, didn't she?"

"I don't know," Denki replies, his eyes a tad blank. Hanta can't help thinking back to your watery look, your little reddened nose, your dazed demeanor at Denki's rejection. He can't help thinking that you were really cute and needed a hero. You may be a fan of Denki, Chargebolt, but maybe Cellophane could do the trick?

"Shit, I forgot my phone in high school," he finally said, feeling around in his jean pockets. "Can't live without it this weekend, I'm going back."

"Man, you're going to miss the train!" complains Eijirou.

"I'll take the next one, don't worry, I'll join you later."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Uraraka asks him with a small smile, perhaps a little shy, but he must be imagining things.

"Nah, that's okay, I'll use my quirk afterwards to hurry up. See you guys later." He was lying, of course. He hadn't forgotten his phone, tucked away in the inside pocket of his jacket. He wants to see if you've left or if you're still there, sitting on the bench. As he approaches the path leading to the gate, he sees that you're still there, just as he predicted. Tears run silently down your cheeks and you lift your face, looking hopeful, when you hear him approach, before lowering your head, seemingly disappointed.

"Ah I know I'm not worth Chargebolt, but a Cellophane autograph might do the trick, right?" He asks, a little teasingly, before sitting down beside you. He doesn't really understand why you're so upset, but who is he to judge? Denki may occupy an important place in your life; maybe he saved a family member, stopped a villain from destroying your home, or just smiled hard enough to keep your hopes up during the war. The heroes all had an impact.

"It's not about getting an autograph," you finally whisper, hands clutching your dress.

"Then what is it? You'll be able to get a ticket to meet him at UA, won't you? The meeting's in two weeks."

The tickets are selling very well. It's a new thing at UA. Share a little of the young heroes before the start of their professional heroic careers. After all, they played an important role in the war and are already very popular. The best-selling tickets are those of Dynamight, Deku and Shoto, but Hanta has already met with fans too, even if his sessions end more quickly than those of some of his fellows. At least he gets home earlier and isn't exhausted the day after!

"I'm not a fan of Denki," you almost growl, finally looking up at him. Your eyes burn with sadness and anger. "I'm his friend. Well, I was his friend, I guess that's how he tells me he doesn't need me anymore."

You grimace and Hanta stares at you, astonished. "Do you know him?"

"Yes!" You exclaim, outraged. "For four years now! I knew he wasn't too keen on introducing me to his friends, but I didn't think he'd go so far as to reject me like that if I came all the way here. It's humiliating." You gasp, on the verge of tears again. "He'll probably call me later to explain, because he's a good person. He knows he did wrong."

Hanta thinks back to Denki's reaction on the station platform. "Yeah, he knows." He still doesn't understand why Denki ignored you. He tells you.

"He's ashamed of me. And besides... He was holding Earphone Jack's hand, wasn't he?"

"Um, yeah. They're... together?" He answers, a little uncertainly, and you have a sad little laugh that turns into a sob barely concealed behind your hand.

"He ran away because he's ashamed of me, and he's ashamed of cheating on me, too, maybe." You wipe away your tears and take another breath. "That's how it is." You stand up, energetic all of a sudden, almost startling him. "I'm off, thanks for coming to check on me!"

He grabs your wrist and rises to his feet, towering over you. "Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean, cheating on you? You're dating Denki?"

You look away. "Yes... It's been six months. He declared his feelings to me at the end of the school year..."

He stares at you. "Why would he cheat on you? I mean, why did he get involved with you when he's been in love with Kyouka for two years?" He knows he should be more tactful, gentler with his questions, but he wants to understand why a girl would accuse his best mate of cheating on him. He knows Denki flirts a lot, but he'd never have imagined this. You must be lying.

"I don't know," you reply with a deprecating laugh. "After the war he was troubled and I was there, and he knew I was going to say yes? Because it was obvious?" You looked down at your wrist still trapped in his grip. "Can you let go of me? I want to go home."

"I need to have a word with Denki," he replies instead, and you look at him again, your eyes still shining with tears. "I want to believe you, but it's hard to swallow. He's cheating on you, but he's also cheating on Kyouka, isn't he?"

"I guess so," you reply in a barely audible whisper.

"Can I have your number?"

"Excuse me?" you choke a little and he smiles gently at you.

"I'd like to talk to you, after I talk to Denki. Just to make sure you're okay."

It's your turn to stare at him. You search for something in his gaze and then finally shrug. "Okay."

He finally lets you go, satisfied to have gotten your number. He is going to get to the bottom of this!

He arrives at Eijirou's an hour later, out of breath. Eijirou welcomes him with a cold beer.

"So the girl was all right?"

Hanta stares, surprised, before laughing a little. "Ah, it was that obvious?" A hand in his hair, he sighs. "It's a really weird story man. I need to talk with Denki."

Eijirou nods and leads him into the living room, where Denki and Kyouka are making out on the couch. "Yo everyone," he calls out to let everyone know he's there, and the two lovebirds stop snogging to greet him. "Denki, come and help me make some sandwiches, I'm starving." Always eager to eat, Denki gets up to accompany him to the kitchen. Katsuki is there, apparently preparing a pizza.

"No need to make sandwiches man, let's have some chips while we wait."

"Yeah, get the hell out of here," Katsuki growls, so Hanta drags Denki out into the garden.

"Man, we're freezing our asses off! Let's get back to the living room."

"I need to talk to you Denki," Hanta says seriously and Denki looks at him, a little curious, a little worried. "The girl was still there when I went to get my phone."

"Ah," Denki exhales, collapsing into a chair. "And you talked to her?"

"Yeah," he replies, settling down too, before taking a sip of beer. "You know each other."

Denki sighs. "Shit. Yeah. It's a long story. I'm a little ashamed of myself, but it's for the best, in the end."

"You're cheating on her," Hanta accuses firmly.

"I'm cheating on her?" Denki repeats, and then shakes his head. "Can't say that I am. I hardly ever see her with school and work. I... She's offered me comfort when I needed it, but that's about it."

"So you weren't dating her?"

"No!" Denki exclaims angrily. "No. She imagined things. She's a friend and, I don't know, I was lost after the war and she was there, that's all. I never asked her to be my girlfriend. She misunderstood. It's been over two months since we've seen each other, and frankly I've done nothing wrong, I can't help it if she's imagined things."

"Okay," Hanta replies, nodding. "It all makes sense." He sighs. "She was really sad, man. You should explain everything to her if she misunderstood. She told me she was expecting your call."

"Yeah, I'll call her after the party. I don't want to think about her right now, it was too embarrassing. You're releasing me?"

"Yeah, go join Kyouka," Hanta laughs and Denki doesn't hesitate. Hanta is still confused. Of course he believes his best friend, but this story still bothers him. Your suffering wasn't played out, and you weren't lying earlier. You really believed you'd been cheated. Hanta sincerely hopes that Denki will be able to explain and make amends; and above all, he hopes that you'll get better and be able to smile again the way you did when you saw them coming, before everything fell apart.

~~

A few days later, Hanta asks Denki how his phone call went. "We broke off our friendship," he says with a sigh. "It's my fault, I should never have looked for anything else with her. She fell in love and I didn't, and it's impossible to be friends, at least not now."

"Man, that's tough," Hanta squeezes his shoulder, comforting. Denki smiles weakly at him.

At night, Hanta can't stop looking at your phone number. He said he'd call you, but he doesn't dare anymore. You've been the victim of a misunderstanding, and you're probably unhappy, but Denki is his friend, and he doesn't want to do things behind his back. But he wants to hear from you, to see you smile, to know that you're okay even though you've lost a friend. He starts a video call. You answer, against all odds, and your face appears behind the screen. Your hair is tied back and you look like you're wearing pajamas. Behind, he sees posters of J-Pop groups and pillows. You're in bed. You look confused.

"Ah, did I wake you?" He asks, a little embarrassed to have called and to see you.

"No," you murmur, "I was watching a series, in my bed to keep myself warm." You smile softly at him. "I didn't think you'd call."

"Told you, didn't I?" He smiles as your face lights up a little. Damn, you're cute! "Denki told me he'd called you so I'm checking in as agreed. Are you holding up okay?"

"Yes," you sigh. "I'm okay. I thought our friendship was more important than this, but I guess it's for the best."

"Do you wish you'd stayed friends with him?"

"I don't know. Mostly I wish he'd been more honest, told me the truth right away. We hadn't been a couple for long, so I would have totally understood if he'd wanted to stay friends after all." You run a hand over your face, suddenly tired. "That's just the way it is!"

"But it was a misunderstanding, wasn't it?" Hanta asks you, eyebrows furrowed. "You weren't really a couple."

Your phone moves a little, like you've started shaking. " Excuse me? A misunderstanding? What are you talking about? You still don't believe me?"

"It was Denki who explained everything to me!" defends Hanta, sorry to see you lose face like this. "He told me you'd gotten close and that you'd been imagining things."

"Right," you say flatly. You finally smile, but it's totally devoid of joy. "I didn't imagine anything, Cellophane. He's lying to you just like he lied to me. He told me he loved me. That he wanted to try dating me. When I started asking for more, asking to meet you all, wanting to go on a date with him, because we always stayed at my place, he suddenly remembered that he was too busy to see me. And then he was too busy to answer me. So yeah, it's true we hadn't seen each other in a while, but he never officially broke up with me. Because we were dating. I didn't imagine anything."

Hanta swallows. He wants to believe you, but he wants to believe Denki too, he doesn't want to imagine that his best mate behaved like shit with a pretty girl like you. "He told me you helped him and that's all it was, are you sure -"

"Never mind," you interrupt, your face now totally closed. "Thanks for checking up on me. There's no point in calling me again. Good-bye."

"Wa -" but you hang up, and he sees his reflection in his phone, totally lost.

He finally receives a message.

(Y/N): Denki didn't call me, by the way. He wrote me.

(Y/N): He's always preferred messages so he doesn't need to hear me.

(Y/N): Here.

(Y/N): Princess... I'm sorry but you shouldn't have come tonight, I wasn't ready, you knew that, didn't you? I know I've been ignoring you lately and that's why you came, I should have explained that it was over between us, but I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I'm going out with Kyouka now and I think it's best if we stop talking. I did wrong and I'm sorry, but it's over.

Hanta looks at the messages, dumbfounded. He wants to believe that you wrote those words yourself to cover your tracks, but he can't deny reality any longer. Denki lied to him to protect himself, because he screwed up, he played with your feelings and he didn't dare tell his best mate.

Hanta: I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I believe you now. Can I call you back?

(Y/N): Not right now. Some other time, perhaps?

Hanta: Next time. Soon.

~~

A few days passed. Hanta confronted Denki, confronted him with his lies. He confessed he'd screwed up, begged him not to tell Kyouka. Hanta thinks he's stupid, but he won't betray him. Even if you're cute and in pain, his best mate is more important. He's not going to ruin the relationship he has with the girl he loves because he made a mistake and didn't know how to cut ties with you.

He wants to see you again, to talk to you. He doesn't know why he needs to, but he wants to make sure you're okay, that you trust him when he tells you that he believes you now. So he calls you back a few days later, on a rainy evening. Once again, you're in bed. Your hair is tousled all around your face and you look sleepy. "

This time I'm waking you up, right?"

You giggle. "Yes, I fell asleep while watching my show. But I'm glad to see you! You're keeping your promises, that's nice."

He feels proud, it's so silly. "Yeah, and I wanted to see your pretty face." You blush and he smiles at you. "Are you feeling better then?"

"Yes, and it'll get better, don't worry. Like I told you, what disappoints me most is that I thought our friendship was more important to him than that, but I guess I was wrong. He was important to me and I was just another acquaintance to him."

Hanta grimaces, a little sad for you. "How did you meet him?"

"He defended me against my bullies. I was getting picked on and he scared them off with his electric powers. I thought he was so cool right away, and I clung to this new friend. He let me, so..." You laugh a little, but Hanta notices you're being self-deprecating again.

"I'm sure he wanted to be your friend too. How can you refuse the friendship of such a cute girl?"

You blush again. "I'm not cute," you finally contradict him. "I'm chubby and my face isn't pretty."

"You have lovely curves and your face is pretty," he contradicts you back, and you lower your phone to hide your face. You're wearing black pajamas that hide nothing of your beautiful cleavage. He swallows and feels himself blushing too. "Would you like to meet up?"

Your face appears on the screen again, still a little red. "Would you like to see me?"

"Yeah. Yeah... It's not to check up on you or to see if you're okay after that thing with Denki, it's just that I want to get to know you." He doesn't explain it to himself either. He thought you were cute right away. He was worried about you. He hasn't stopped thinking about you lately. And while he doesn't want to betray Denki, he's angry with him for having hurt you when you seem so nice and he says it himself, you've been there for him when he needed it and he's let you down.

You lick your lips, embarrassed, and he catches himself looking at your mouth. "Okay yes," you finally tell him. "But you need to know two things first."

"Okay," he replies, alert, ready to accept anything for a date with you. It makes you smile.

"I'm nineteen." He nods, eyebrows raised.

"Okay, that's fine with me." You're not that much older than him; two years doesn't faze him.

"I'm quirkless."

"And?" he says without really thinking and you look at him, astonished.

"And?" you repeat, the volume of your voice a little louder, a little higher. "It bothers a lot of people."

"It's stupid," he grumbles and you look surprised. "I tell you, it's stupid. I don't care about that, really. And neither should the world."

You give him a smile, a real one, the kind that lights up the eyes. "Then okay. Let's meet."

You chat for most of the evening until he hangs up, sensing you're very tired. He doesn't know what he's doing. He doesn't want to settle down, but he does want to see you and get to know you. He'll see where it takes him. So he plans a day out for the next Saturday, and you happily agree to let him surprise you.

On a ritual Friday evening, the whole Hanta gang (well, Katsuki's gang, the bakusquad) meets up at a nightclub for young heroes. Many structures are now dedicated to heroes, to prevent them from unwittingly being approached, so that they can enjoy a normal evening out. Midoriya joins them, and his fingers are intertwined with those of Eijirou. Their date had gone well. They're both beaming. Denki isn't there, and neither is Kyouka. Maybe they're spending the evening together, but they left quickly and Hanta doesn't know more. Mina is overexcited. Dressed in a leopard-print dress, she looks very sexy. Uraraka has made an effort too and her little pink dress hugs her curves perfectly. Hanta can't help it; he just stares.

They don't drink alcohol at the party, of course. It's a party for young heroes, and the establishment's owners are responsible. Still, they have fun. They dance on the dance floor, with other younger or slightly older heroes, and the place isn't just for UA. There are girls he doesn't know, but Uraraka is very present at his side, with her cleavage and tight dress. He can't say he doesn't appreciate her enticing presence, but in spite of himself he's thinking of you, of your date tomorrow, of the fact that he wants to talk to you, and that he would have loved to dance with you tonight, if only Denki hadn't been such a jerk. He was keen to meet girls, and Uraraka seems keen to meet guys; yet when he feels he could go further, grab her by the waist, press himself against her, kiss her maybe, he goes back to sitting with Katsuki, who looks broody, alone at their table.

"Aren't you interested in her?" He asks him outright as he watches Uraraka dance with Mina, her eyebrows still furrowed from his hasty departure.

"I guess not, oddly enough," Hanta replies with a sigh. He swallows a large gulp of soda. "I've got someone else on my mind at the moment. I'm seeing her tomorrow."

"Oh yeah?" Katsuki seems interested, and it's strange. "Who's that?"

"It's a bit weird. She's a girl Denki used to hang out with, and, I don't know, I want to get to know her."

"You shouldn't go rummaging through your mates' trash," Katsuki scoffs.

"Shut up," says Hanta with no real malice. "She's great, she's not trash. Denki threw her away, too bad for him, but he shouldn't have done that. She's really cute, she's nice. I like her."

"Good for you, man."

"How about you? Anyone in sight?"

"Are you kidding?" snorts Katsuki. "I don't have time for this. I don't even know why I'm here tonight. Probably because Shitty Hair forced my hand." Hanta looks in the direction of Katsuki's gaze. Eijirou and Midoriya are dancing, smiling stupidly. They must sense they're being watched because they both look up in their direction. Midoriya's smile widens when he spots Katsuki and beckons him over. The latter frowned.

"Go on man, they want to dance with you."

"Don't feel like being the third wheel." Katsuki doesn't move and Midoriya looks extremely disappointed. The three of them have a strange relationship. Hanta prefers not to get involved. He goes back to enjoying himself on the dance floor, putting a little distance between himself and Uraraka, preferring to have fun with Mina, and the evening passes quietly, and he can't wait for the next day.

That's why he can't really sleep, why he's ready far too early and why he gets on the bus when it's only 8:30. He's never been like this for a girl, and he is for you. He feels overexcited, and a little stressed too. It's not the same to hang out together than to chat for a few hours on the phone. Will the two of you have anything to talk about? Will he make you laugh? Will you find him interesting? Won't you be too disappointed to see him instead of Denki? After all, you probably prefer blonds, don't you?

All too soon, he's outside your building. It looks a bit shabby, it's a long way from the center of town. It doesn't cost much here, which is why you're probably living there. It's 9 a.m. and you have a date at 10 a.m. It's October. It's cold. He's really too early, but he rings the doorbell. Too bad!

"Yes?" you answer through the intercom. He hears music.

"Um, it's Hanta," he announces, a little embarrassed.

"Huh? Oh! Um... I'm not ready yet, but... Um. Well, come on up, I'll open the door for you."

The door opens and he enters, a little excited. You live on the second floor and he climbs the stairs as slowly as possible, just to catch his breath, because his heart is missing a beat. You're waiting for him outside your door. You're dressed in a pretty black dress with a floral motif, but you're not ready yet: your hair isn't combed and you're wearing half-make-up. He laughs when he sees you like this. "Sorry, I miscalculated the transport time!" He says, lamenting the nullity of his excuse.

"It's nothing, um, Hanta," you reply, granting his wish to call him by his first name. He enters your den. Upbeat music blares from the speakers of your computer, propped on a desk by the window. It's a very small apartment, the room fulfilling the functions of living room, kitchen, bedroom and study. An open door leads to the small, lit bathroom. You enter the room to continue getting ready, bouncing around a little, apparently in a good mood. He notices that the band you're listening to is called Ra*bits and smiles. Your walls are filled with posters of idol groups, as he had seen through the camera. Your bed is filled with plush toys, some of them featuring the idols you're a fan of.

It's fun, but a little weird.

He listens distractedly to the band's Love it Love it music while observing the photos hanging on the wall above your desk. There are photos of you posing with Denki. You look happy. You still don't understand Denki and his stupid choices.

"I love this band," you announce as you finally emerge from the bathroom. "Makes me want to jump around like a bunny, which I think is the point," you giggle a little foolishly, cheeks flushed, and Hanta stands up. A little gloss on your lips, pretty earrings, autumnal make-up, your hair falling over your shoulders. You've dressed up for him and he likes seeing you like this. You're different from Uraraka; you're not sexy, not like that, but you're strangely much more attractive to him. He moves a little closer. "You're so pretty," he murmurs admiringly, and you blush even more.

"You're not bad yourself," you finally say, accepting his compliment at last. You turn off your computer, ending the music. "Shall we go?"

You leave the apartment and he can't help teasing you. "I really should have believed you right away when you said you weren't a fan of Denki, because that would have been seen a mile away."

"Stop it," you complain, laughing, and he laughs too.

"You don't fake it when you're a fan of someone anyway."

"It's true," you concede. "But I love them so much! They've helped me a lot, you know. Everyone has their heroes, and mine are these bands. Knights, Ra*bits, Ryuseitai... All these boys have touched me with their words, their smiles, their actions. So I support them any way I can!" You show him your bag, an ita bag dedicated to the Ra*bits group, and Hanta smiles, a little mocking but a little affectionate too.

"You little bunny."

"Excuse me?" you choke out.

"You hop as you walk, you're a fan of that band, so you're a rabbit. It's decided, I'm going to call you bunny." You don't struggle any further. He can see by the flush of your cheeks and your shy smile that you're happy for him to give you a nickname. You seem to be thinking about coming up with a little name for him in return, but you arrive at the place planned for your date.

"The ice rink?" You exclaim, delighted, and he's proud to have found this place not far from your place. "I haven't been there in a long time!" You spend the next hour laughing on the ice. You fall, he catches you, you drag him down with you. You twirl around him, playful, and he seems to enjoy seeing you so comfortable with him. Afterwards, he takes you to a small ramen restaurant and you chat about everything and anything. You learn that he loves old comics from the days when quirks didn't exist, and that he's proud to be compared to Spiderman, for those who know. You understand that he's simple, that he's content with the bare minimum, and you want to give him something, everything. You tell him you quit school at the age of fourteen, because you couldn't take the bullying and the suicide baiting anymore. You tell him that you work in a small coffee shop near your home and that you sometimes feel useless, but that you're not capable of doing anything else. You explain to him why Denki had to save you, and he promises you that, from now on, he'll be able to do it himself, without feeling ashamed, without running away afterwards.

"He made a mistake, it happens," you defend him even though he's hurt you. "Maybe you're making a mistake too. We don't know each other yet, Hanta."

"But I want to get to know you. I'm glad I learned some things about you today. I want to know more. I still don't understand Denki."

"He was tactless, that's all. He was my first boyfriend, but I was also his first girlfriend. He didn't know how to stop. It's not that easy, even though it should have been, after all the moments we've spent together."

"Do you still love him?" Hanta asks you, even though he's not sure he wants to know the answer. He knows now that he'd like a chance with you, but he doesn't want to be a mere replacement, a band-aid so you can heal. He wants to be more than that. Damn, since when does he want to settle down?

"I don't think so. I loved him, yes, but it wasn't a love as powerful as our friendship. I let myself be tempted because it was nice to think I was loved, because I thought no one else would be interested in me."

Hanta is not reassured. "Am I that, too, a guy who's interested in you when you think you don't deserve it, so you take it, because you're afraid it won't happen again?"

You look shocked and stare at him, confused, angry, eyebrows furrowed. "No. No, Hanta. I'm taking because I want to, because you're nice to me, because I'm smitten by your smile, because I want to know more about you too. I promise I'm not here because I'm afraid no one will be interested in me. I've learned from my mistake."

"Then okay."

He walks you home. You link your arm with his and you walk side by side, enjoying each other's presence. He's feeling good. He's not totally reassured, but he wants to try, to plan another date to see you again. You stop in front of your building.

"Bunny," he begins affectionately and you smile sweetly at him. "I've had a lovely day. I want to see you again."

You grab his hands to squeeze them tight. "Me too, Hanta." Moved by an unknown feeling, he brings your hands to his lips and kisses them tenderly. You blush deliciously and he smiles at you.

"I'll call you then. See you soon."

You feel him watching you go home and finally turn to wave, a little shy despite everything. Once home, you throw yourself into bed and squeal, happy. What a day! You can't believe that a boy like Hanta is interested in you. At first, you were afraid he was just doing it because he felt guilty about his best friend's actions, but now you realize he likes you. He teased you about your passions but didn't make fun of you. He skated with you. He bought you a meal. He listened to your life story, attentive and interested. He kissed your hands, a romantic gesture you never imagined you'd receive. You can't forget Denki; it's not possible, not so soon. He was your first hug, your first kiss, your first feelings, but he betrayed you because he was afraid, and now it's Hanta who's taking over, and that makes you happy. You want to try. He often tells you he thinks you're pretty. Your self-confidence grows. Sure, you're not as pretty as Earphone Jack and the other UA heroines, but Hanta likes you.

He likes you.

You exchange messages. Hanta is busy with courses and internships, but he takes the time to write and call you in the evenings, camera still on. Slowly, you forget Denki's voice, his soft words, his lips against yours, his wandering hands that you often pushed away because you weren't ready. Instead, you have in your head Hanta's big smile, his stupid remarks, his dubious puns, the red in his cheeks when he sees your body on the other side of the screen, his compliments that make you feel hundreds of butterflies. When he can come and see you, usually on weekends, he does. Some of his friends know he's going out to see a girl. You're not a couple, but you're getting closer. It's easy to get close to Hanta. He takes you to the movies, for coffee, walks in the woods. He takes pictures of you. He's not afraid or ashamed of you. He doesn't hesitate to show himself at your side.

You're working today, it's Thursday. Hanta walks into your coffee shop with... Deku???! Red Riot??? Dynamight!!!!

"Hey bunny," he greets you tenderly and holds you close. You take advantage of his embrace to regain your senses. "I'd like you to meet some friends. Eijirou, Katsuki and Izuku."

"Hello, nice to meet you," you murmur a little shakily, cheeks flushed. Deku's here! "What can I get you?" You take their order and go to sit beside them, enjoying a moment of calm.

"Izuku, you're (Y/N)'s favorite hero," Hanta announces with a sly grin and you glare at him.

Deku looks surprised. "It's not even Hanta?"

You bite your lip. "No, it's you. Ahah." You're mortified but it makes them laugh, and Hanta takes a photo of you with Deku, so he's quickly forgiven. You get to know them. They're nice people. They're interested in you, because Hanta likes you. They tell you all about their internship, the heroes they work with, their training. You have a good time. Eventually, they leave just as you're about to go back to work, but Hanta remains at the counter, a big smile on his lips.

"Would you like to come to the UA Christmas party? With me?"

"Yes! Yes, I would love to."

You know you'll see Denki again, but you surprise yourself by not feeling a thing.

~~~

"You love her, don't you? You look at her the same way Kats looks at Izuku."

Hanta looks at Eijirou with a smile. "And the same way they both look at you, right?"

"I hope so!" Eijirou exclaims, making him laugh.

"So yeah, I love her. She's great. I'm counting on the magic of Christmas to declare my feelings for her."

"So manly... Maybe you should talk to Denki first."

That's what he does, that very evening, a few days before Christmas. After class, he takes Denki aside to tell him everything. Denki doesn't seem angry. "She's all yours, man. It's just... I hope she doesn't say anything to Kyouka at the party."

"She won't say anything at all," Hanta assures him with a sigh. "She comes to your defense all the time when I tell her you've been a jerk to her. You know I still don't understand why you acted that way. Why put yourself in a relationship with her when you knew for a fact you were in love with Kyouka?"

"Because she was there after the war, when I didn't want to see anyone, because she was sweet to me, and I was afraid of destroying my friendship with Kyouka. I have no excuse."

"So you preferred to destroy your friendship with her."

"Yeah..."

Christmas Eve arrives. There you are, in front of the school gate, dressed in a beautiful black sparkly dress. You look stunning. He tells you, and you smile fondly. The evening couldn't be more perfect. You're both having fun. You get on well with his friends. You hold his hand, caress his arm. Your little attentions send shivers down his spine. Finally he can't hold back any longer, and as you laugh at the umpteenth joke he tells because he's feeling light-headed, he kisses you. You don't seem surprised. You melt against him, kissing him back. He tastes your lips, your tongue, he grips your waist, his big hands placed firmly against your body, and you cling to him, feeling his muscles against your chest, making you shudder.

"Ahem." You stop kissing, suddenly shy, and it's Kyouka who laughs in your face, apparently very amused. "So you're Hanta's famous sweetheart."

You look at him, because it's the first time you've been called that, but you're both fine with it. It's what you want. "Yes. Nice to meet you!"

"Likewise."

And here Momo Yaoyorozu also approaches and grabs Kyouka by the waist. They kiss quickly on the lips and run out of the room giggling. You and Hanta look at each other. "What just happened?"

You find Denki on the school floors, locked in a classroom. "She left me a few days ago," he replies when you ask. "She screwed up. She made a mistake. She thought she was in love with me, but deep down she knew it was because she couldn't come to terms with her homosexuality. What a load of crap."

"I'm sorry Denki," you tell him, sincerely meaning it. Despite his mistakes, he doesn't deserve this backlash.

"Really?" He asks, sarcastically. "I deserved it though. I had you by my side and I ruined it all for a girl who used me as an illusion. Hanta, take care of her. Don't be like me."

"You can count on me, man."

The rest of the evening and months that follow go well. You're in love. You know it. Hanta transforms you with his words and smiles. His wandering hands are welcome. On Valentine's Day, you offer him chocolate and give yourself to him, the conclusion of a few months in which he has shown you that you deserve all the love you can get. With him, you find the strength to look for a goal, because you see him growing and you want to grow with him. With him, you find the strength to leave your den more easily to join him and his friends. If Denki sometimes gives you an envious look, you ignore him. He's lost his chance. You belong to Hanta now. Who knew?