Archive of Our Own ^beta

Katsuki vividly remembers the day he fell into his classmate’s trap.

It had been an unsatisfactorily long day of training. Due to the cold and improper warm-up, Katsuki had failed twice when charging up his special move, leading to two unfortunate losses back to back. What was even more humiliating was that both defeats came at the hands of none other than Hanta Sero.

That night, Katsuki lay angrily in bed, reliving the awkward moment during their spar when Sero’s tape latched around Katsuki’s arm, pulling him in for capture. Smoke and stunted flames erupted from his captured gauntlet as he aimed to fire at Sero’s face, yet the strength of his tape sent Katsuki aggressively flying into the latter’s chest as they plummeted to the ground. Katsuki groaned atop Sero once they made contact with the ground, the tape hero gasping as he softened their landing.

“Help me up, please,” Sero wheezed, weakly extending an arm as Katsuki quickly rose to his feet.

“Get up yourself, dumbass,” Katsuki grumbled, walking off to reposition himself at the starting line for future spars.

“Jerk,” Sero cried, huffing as a worried Kaminari loomed over and brought him up to his feet.

Sero took a few sips of his water before Aizawa allowed them to spar again at Katsuki’s insipid request. Katsuki leaped into the air the second the buzzer sounded, firing vigorously as Sero dodged his attacks with ease. At one point, Sero wrapped his tape around one of the taller rocks in the air and swung around, disappearing momentarily from Katsuki’s line of sight. He began charging up an explosion again, waiting to blast his friend into oblivion once he came around the corner, yet his hands told a different story.

After repeated collection and storage of sweat, his large explosion died out as soon as he tried to fire it off, which would have been tolerable had he not left his back wide open. With his big move out of commission and no visuals on Sero, it shouldn't have taken him by surprise when he felt Sero’s two feet swing directly into his back. Katsuki felt the wind being ripped from his lungs as he set off a sequence of small blasts to help him down to the ground while he tried to catch his breath.

Sero landed gently on his feet beside him, grinning mischievously over the heaving blond, “Need some help, dumbass ?”

Katsuki felt his body heat rise into his cheeks, irritation settling in his head as he tried to yell. He opted for more angry breaths before he had the chance to thoroughly chew Sero out. It was Sero’s turn to proudly walk away while Katsuki stumbled to his feet, yelling weak profanities in his direction as he attempted to jog after him.

Their training ended shortly after that, with Kirishima trying to comfort Katsuki on a job well done. Katsuki scrambled to yell out obscenities, to which the redhead quickly sulked off to talk with Ashido and Kaminari over their training results. Katsuki’s frown deepened as he saw Sero walking away unscathed, releasing his hair from his ponytail and smiling, becoming engrossed in whatever dumb conversation he was having with Todoroki. 

Katsuki would go on to relive the training exercise several times in his head, periodically placing his pillow over his head to yell into it. It was beyond embarrassing to remember the stupidity of his moves and his overall carelessness in detecting the enemy. He was even more annoyed with Sero and how his laid-back demeanor even allowed him to succeed against Katsuki. 

Over time, Sero had become the object of Katsuki’s attention. The tape hero was a smiley guy who always seemed to have a carefree nature to him. Katsuki especially hated how Sero could move fluidly through the air, while he could only fly in choppy segments with his blasts. 

He recalled the softness of Sero’s features and how quick he was to take the fall for them during training; the way his brows creased, how he cushioned Katsuki from sustaining any real damage, and how he managed to still smile through the pain even with the wind knocked out of him. Katsuki definitely did not have that same type of reaction complex, probably looking and sounding as disgruntled as he felt.

Katsuki brought the pillow over his head again, cringing at how extremely close his face had been to Sero's, with mere inches separating the two. He turned on his side in bed, massaging his aching shoulders as he cursed under his breath. Katsuki would get back at him tomorrow. Whether it be a full-on brawl during training or worms in his breakfast, he would do everything in his power to make the tape user miserable.

Before he could slip into a deep sleep or plot any further revenge, frantic knocks on his bedroom door broke him out of his thoughts. His heart thumped heavily in his chest as his eyes shot wide open.

“Go away,” Katsuki yelled, covering his ears with his pillow.

“Bakugo, please let me in, it’s an emergency.” Came the nervous voice of none other than his newly established arch-nemesis.

“Not my problem, elbows,” Katsuki hollered, ignoring the slight concern in Sero’s voice.

“I’m going to freak out. Open the door,” Sero said, adding a knock combo to his already incessant whining.

He continued to knock, whispering the word please into the aperture of the door and yanking on the doorknob until a grumpy, annoyed Katsuki pulled himself out of bed and swung his door wide open.

“What is your problem?” Katsuki began as Sero immediately pushed past him into his room, pacing back and forth, gripping the phone in his hand and mumbling profusely.

“Bakugo, this is so bad. How can it be ending? It seems like just yesterday I started– and now I don’t even know what to think…” Sero stammered, supporting his head in his hands as he walked.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, closing his door behind him. He watched as the boy in front of him spoke with such urgency, lips pulled into a deep frown. Sero wore a baggy t-shirt and pajama pants, his hair tied up in some loose bun that threatened to come undone due to his aggressive pacing.

“Enough with the muttering. What is going on?” Bakugo said, confusion mixing with the annoyance in his voice.

“Shoto’s gone, and I was gonna call him to tell him, but obviously he’s out visiting his mom right now, so I didn’t want to give him even worse news. Denki’s off on a date with Jirou, I think, and Eijirou’s watching a movie with Mina, so it just feels like everyone wants me dead in a ditch right now,” Sero rambled. Katsuki crossed his arms against his chest, watching the tape boy with curious eyes, noticing how Sero mysteriously grew more emotional as the interaction went on.

Katsuki was still angry from that day's events, feeling the strong need to kick Sero where it hurts and push him out of his room to gain some form of payback for the embarrassment he suffered. But if there was anything Katsuki cared about more than his training, it was his room, and the faster he could get Sero out, the better for both of them.

“Sero, calm down. Use your words.” Katsuki sighed, watching as Sero had seemingly forgotten about his presence while he scrolled aggressively through his phone.

“Sero,” Katsuki called again, this time louder to gain the tape user's attention. He continued to tune Katsuki out as he stared into his lit-up phone screen.

“Hanta!” Katsuki shouted, grabbing Sero by his shoulders and forcing him to make eye contact. Katsuki felt something in his stomach tighten as he watched Sero’s eyes begin to gloss over, his mouth fidgeting as if he were fighting back tears. Katsuki cleared his throat, “I can’t help you if you’re like this. Sit down. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Sero nodded softly, completely skipping over the chair Katsuki had just pulled out for him, and made a beeline to Katsuki’s bed, bringing a pillow tightly to his chest as he lay down. It reminded him of a scene out of those old movies where a client lays down in a long chair, rambling off their problems as the uninterested therapist sits in a chair beside them listening. All Katsuki had to say next was, “How does that make you feel?” and no one would be able to tell the difference.

Katsuki took a deep breath, using every ounce of self-restraint to not suffocate him with his own pillow. Sero had absolutely violated every sort of rule Bakugo had about his domain. For one, people don't just barge in demanding to be heard, and two, no one– and he meant no one– was allowed on his bed except for him. So while Bakugo was actively grinding his molars in fury, he sat down in his desk chair while Sero occupied his precious bed.

Sero exhaled heavily, “Okay, so remember that manga Shoto and I started reading last year? The one with the heroes?”

“How can I forget? You nerds literally geek out about it any chance you get,” Katsuki grumbled. “Let me guess, your favorite character died.”

“No Bakugo, it’s even worse. The manga is ending!” Sero now took the pillow and placed it over his head, “It’s terrible, literally everything is going downhill.”

Katsuki stood up and yanked his beautiful silk pillow away from Sero’s face, holding it posessively in his arms as he sat down. Much to his dismay, Sero grabbed his other one and sat up, clutching it to his chest yet again.

“So this is what happened. Two months ago, the author mentioned that the manga was ending soon, right? But we didn’t have a set day so we were like, okay we still have time! No worries, right? Wrong! He announced not even thirty minutes ago that there were only five chapters left. Are you kidding me? How does he plan to wrap everything up in five chapters, we still have so many storylines and the kids still need to become heroes, just– UGH! Everything is going to shit,” Sero whined, smacking Katsuki’s pillow against his bed.

“Wow, didn’t know you cared this much about it,” Bakugo let out a chuckle, “And why is that a big deal? I thought it’s been going on for a while. You should’ve known it would end at some point.”

Sero glared at him, chucking one of Katsuki’s plushies at him, to which he instantly dodged. “No shit, Bakugo, I knew it was gonna end. I just…didn’t think it would be this soon. Chapters come out every three weeks and I thought for sure I would have at least this to look forward to until we graduate and, y’know, become our own heroes.”

Katsuki noticed how upset Sero had become, the way his shoulders sloped more than usual and his frown tightened on his face. He wasn't used to this version of Sero. With disheveled hair and saddened eyes, it was unnatural to see him in such a state. Katsuki shifted uncomfortably in his seat and wondered what would be the quickest way to get Sero smiling again and out of his room.

Katsuki ran a hand through his own hair, knowing that if he wanted to go to sleep tonight, he would need to solve this issue first. “Tell me about your dumb manga.”

Sero looked up at him, a slight grin appearing on his face for the first time that evening. And Katsuki knew from the sight of Sero getting himself more comfortable on his bed that he was in for a long night.

It was supposed to be a one-time occurrence. That night just so happened to be the rare occasion that Sero had no one else to talk to, so Katsuki took him in as a charity case for the evening, and that one alone. What he didn't expect were the weekly debriefs that were soon to follow.

It happened like clockwork. On Thursdays after dinner, Sero would knock on his door in a specific manner that Katsuki found to be incredibly corny. Katsuki would begrudgingly let him in, and they would sit in his room to watch a few episodes of the animated show, followed by a debrief of what happened. It mainly consisted of Sero talking about what he thought, making comments about the characters he loved, and yelling at the ones he didn't. Katsuki chimed in whenever he disagreed with one of Sero's many opinions, which led to several ridiculous arguments that left Sero clutching his stomach in tears, and Katsuki trying his very hardest not to laugh in Sero’s face.

It started off as Sero rewatching the show to get his mind off the manga ending, yet over time it had become much more than that. Katsuki accepted it as part of his daily life now, and by the time it was the final two weeks before the last chapter released, Sero was even more adamant about their Thursday meetings than before.

After a long day of classes, endurance training, and classroom cleanup, Katsuki wanted nothing more than to collapse onto his bed, ready to do it all again tomorrow. He watched from the U.A. windows as his classmates chased each other back to the dorms, most likely wanting to beat the others to Sato’s leftover cookies. Katsuki envied them, mourning the idea that they would reach the solace of their rooms before he did. He waited around in the hall for another twenty minutes or so, rocking on his heels as he gazed down at his phone.

“Bakubro!” Sero greeted excitedly, steadily placing his hands on Katsuki’s shoulders as he came up from behind him. “Thanks for waiting for me! You will not believe what I just discovered today.”

Katsuki tensed up under Sero’s grasp, temporarily feeling jolted out of his sleepiness. He looked up to see Sero smiling wide. Bakugo snorted, “Let me guess, some fan made a new theory about your show.”

“You know me so well, Bakugo,” Sero sighed, linking his arm around Katsuki’s as he pulled him through the hallways.

Katsuki allowed his arm to be held as they walked. It had become sort of a habit of Sero's and it surprisingly didn't bother him enough to actually say something about it. As they exited the building, Katsuki successfully freed himself from Sero’s grasp, smoothing out his crumpled uniform. Sero kept his hands to himself the rest of the journey back to the dorms, animatedly talking to Katsuki about the newest updates from the show he watched.

“Wait, those characters aren’t dating?” Katsuki mused, finally chiming in. “I thought the girl liked him.”

“Listen, that’s what the author wants you to think,” Sero answered matter-of-factly, wagging a finger in his face. “Shoto thinks the childhood frenemies are gonna end up together at the end, but I’m not too sure about that either.”

Katsuki scrunched his nose. From the limited exposure he had to the show, he didn’t like that prediction either. “Okay, then what do you think, wise guy?”

Sero grinned cheesily, and Katsuki rolled his eyes, anticipating the unserious answer that was about to leave Sero’s mouth, “So I’m a fan of the rare pairs. I think the angry main character is going to end up with one of the side characters. You might not get it now, but their build-up has been so steady, it has to happen!”

“No,” Katsuki responded flatly, and Sero gasped in disbelief. “I don’t think he’d end with an extra like that.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Forgive me, author-nim , how would you write it?” Sero snickered, acting as though Katsuki had delivered a lethal blow to his fantasies.

Katsuki didn’t even know why he was entertaining this conversation. For the most part, he really didn’t care much about relationships or who ended up with who, especially in this fictional show. However, he couldn’t stand for incorrect interpretation of characters.

“I dunno. I think the guy’s just trying to figure himself out. Probably doesn’t wanna put that onto others. Maybe he’s trying to get his shit together before he ties himself to someone and ruins everything.” Katsuki mumbled, rambling out probably the most he said all day. Sero stared down at him with a tiny grin peeking out from above his scarf, leaving Katsuki feeling overly conscious of how much he’d spoken.

“Bakugo, you are so wise.” Sero gushed, digging deep into his coat pocket for his phone. “I’m tweeting that right now. You are going to be so popular.”

They finally reached the inside of their dorm hall, shivering as they stripped down to their base uniform layers, removing any extra scarves and long-sleeved windbreakers. Katsuki touched his face, feeling the heat that emanated up his neck and fanned out across his cheeks. It had been like that since this afternoon when Sero and him began their long, chat-filled journey back to the dorms. He wondered if he pushed himself too hard in training today or if he was getting sick from the cold. Either way, a hot forehead paired with an increased heart rate told Katsuki that something was going on with his body, and he didn’t know what.

The wonderful smells of dinner wafted into the foyer, and Katsuki began to feel slightly better when they were welcomed by the sight of beautifully made katsudon waiting to be eaten. They grabbed their plates and went to join the rest of the class, where Kaminari and Deku were currently bickering over some kind of fanfiction they found on Deku’s phone. Katsuki sat quietly, listening in on their conversation as he nibbled on his food.

“Do you want the rest of my food? I’m so full, and I know katsudon is your favorite,” said Sero, who was seated directly next to him. He tilted his bowl in the direction of the Katsuki and then must’ve taken a look at his still incredibly filled plate for him to put it back down.

“Hey Bakubro, you feeling okay?” Sero frowned, leaving his bowl alone to reach up and feel Katsuki’s forehead, but not before Katsuki quickly knocked his hand away from him.

“I’m fine. Just adjusting from the hot and cold is all,” Katsuki lied. Thankfully, Sero dropped the subject as Kaminari began pulling the tape user into his very heated argument with Deku.

“It’s just a tag! Everyone knows it doesn’t actually come out in the story.” Exclaimed a very upset green-haired boy.

“Midoriya, you sweet angel. That’s the whole point of a tag. To let you know that it will, in fact, be in the story.” Sero interjected.

“How was I supposed to know that's what dead dove meant?!”

As much fun as it was to witness Deku get verbally jumped by these two, Katsuki felt his head spinning and his heart racing, a whirlwind of emotions settling in his chest. He needed to lie down already, to be somewhere quiet and alone. He rose to his feet, passing off his remaining food to Kirishima before beginning his walk back to his room.

Katsuki’s room was frigid and quiet when he arrived. He did not hesitate to change into his casual wear that doubled as pajamas, nor did he wait any longer to find solace in his silk bed sheets.

He closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths to slow his heart. Today had been a long day, filled with overwhelming training and maximal interaction with his classmates that left him feeling exhausted beyond belief. He was thankful for U.A.’s spotty heating in the dorms as his chilly bed enveloped his aching body and sore muscles. He wondered if he should just fall asleep now and wake up early tomorrow, feeling extra refreshed and ready to take on the day.

Yet, he was reminded that today was Thursday, and Thursdays meant a visit from none other than Hanta Sero sometime after dinner. It had been about three months now since he got stuck in Tape Face’s weekly routine, and he genuinely didn't know how he had kept it up this long.

As if on cue, a loud rapping came from Katsuki's door. He groaned into his pillow, already comfortably snuggled into his sheets. Had it been any other person, he would ignore their knocks and pretend to be asleep, but he recognized the specific pattern of knocks to be something characteristic of Sero.

Another short pathetic knock came from the door, Sero’s usual last attempt at making contact with him.

“Hurry up and come in,” Bakugo lamented.

He then heard his friend unlock the door and make his way in. After a month of Sero invading his space, Katsuki ended up making a spare key for him, which he used in times like these when Katsuki simply refused to get up. Katsuki sat up in bed, using his pillow to prop himself up. Sero came clad in his usual baggy attire, hair pinned back in his signature evening ponytail, with his laptop in one hand and water bottle in the other.

“Hello, sleepyhead,” Sero teased, setting his water bottle down on the bedside table. “Are you feeling up to watching episodes today?”

Bakugo rubbed his eyes, “Two episodes, and then I have to go to bed.”

“I’ll take it,” Sero responded, smiling widely, “Scooch over.”

Bakugo shifted closer to the wall, the comforter still resting over his lap. “Aren’t you tired at all? I literally kicked your ass today in training.”

“Of course I am. My shoulder still really hurts from when you shot it. At close range, might I add. But I couldn’t just leave you hanging.” Sero confessed, sitting down over the covers on Bakugo’s bed, adjusting the other pillow behind his own back as he opened his laptop to begin streaming the episode. “We can’t stop the weekly watches now, not with the manga ending in two weeks. We have to get you caught up.”

“You act like I’ll die if I skip a week of watching this show with you.” Bakugo countered, yawning into his hand.

Sero hummed, attempting to find the episode they left off on. “Maybe you won’t, but I will. I like our weekly hangs.”

Katsuki was grateful for his tiredness. Otherwise, Sero’s comment would have him doing mental gymnastics to figure out what exactly he meant by that. Still, he held back a smile at the thought of Sero enjoying his company. He would never verbally admit it, but their weekly watches had really grown on him too. It gave him the chance to get to know Sero in a way he initially refused to during classes or training sessions.

Out there, Katsuki was loud, aggressive, and over-the-top, all an act to remind everyone that he was the best. But during their weekly hangouts in the safety of Katsuki’s dorm room, he could finally let his guard down. It also meant that while Sero was annoying at times, he had really begun to admire him and how he never let anything bring him down, other than the stupid anime they watched every week. It was nice to see a side of him that was never out for others to see. They could just be Hanta and Katsuki in here, and he really enjoyed that.

However, he couldn’t help but feel like he was starting to overheat again when Sero finally placed the laptop in between them and snuggled downwards onto the bed to watch.

“Let me know if you get tired, okay?” Sero asked in a tone that was too sweet, looking sideways to meet Katsuki’s eyes.

“Tch, whatever.” Katsuki sputtered, bringing the blanket up to his chin. "Same goes for you.”

Sero smiled widely at him and then looked back down to press play on his laptop.

It wasn’t even five minutes into the episode that Katsuki started fighting metaphorical demons to stay awake. Katsuki blamed it on the warmth that had invaded his room without permission and Sero’s peaceful gaze at his laptop that he began to feel the heaviness of his eyelids. He doesn’t remember when, but he felt his head bobbing up and down in hopes of staying awake. At some point, he remembers leaning too much into Sero’s side of the bed, feeling his head make contact with what he could presume was Sero’s shoulder. It wasn't shortly after that Katsuki slipped into a deep sleep.

When Katsuki finally stirred from his slumber, he drifted in and out of his dream realm, struggling to open his eyes to focus on anything in the dim lighting. He could feel the cold emanating from the poorly heated dorm walls against his back and plunged himself deeper into the covers. It felt weird; he didn’t usually lie down this close to his bedroom wall. He always slept in the middle of his bed for this exact reason, and he wasn’t someone who thrashed around a lot in his sleep.

Katsuki stretched out his arm in front of him, reaching to see if he could grab his phone to check the time; however, he was met by the feeling of plush cotton as he lowered his arm.

That didn’t feel right. All of his sheets were silk.

Finally, he was awake enough to open his eyes, and it took every fiber of his being not to yell his head off.

The cotton he was feeling was that of a U.A. pullover worn by none other than Sero.

Sero was still in his room.

Hanta Sero had spent the night in Katsuki’s room.

Katsuki had never retracted his hand so fast, covering his mouth so as not to scream at the sore sight in front of him.

With the laptop closed neatly in between them, Sero slept on his back with his head turned away from Katsuki. If Katsuki weren’t in so much shock, he would’ve laughed at how Sero slept, hands resting over his stomach with fingers entwined like some Victorian child.

His mind was reeling, and suddenly the warmth was back, a mixture of emotions swirling in his stomach. Was he angry that Sero invaded his personal space? No, he did that all the time. It was just on this specific occasion Katsuki felt Sero was pushing his buttons a little too hard. Surprisingly, anger wasn’t the right word.

Katsuki was mortified.

Sweat began to collect on his palms. Had Sero seen him fall asleep? Better yet, had Katsuki done anything so incredibly embarrassing that he couldn’t remember? Nope. A thought that vicious would plant itself in his brain and refuse to leave for the rest of the day, so he chose to forget he ever questioned it.

Katsuki heard an increase in commotion outside of his door, feet shuffling across the carpeted halls as his classmates began getting ready for class.

Shit. Katsuki didn’t know whether he should stay to wake Sero or leave before things got awkward. Ultimately, he decided he was not going to be there when Sero woke up, even if it was Sero who should leave. He’ll make up some excuse about how he went on an early jog and needed to shower before class. Yeah, that seemed about right, he thought as he slowly uncovered himself and crawled out of bed, using his stealth to grab a change of clothes and sneak out of his own room. He decided he would get mad at Sero later for overstaying his welcome, if he could only control his pounding heart that convinced him otherwise. Besides the initial shock and annoyance, Katsuki could not stop replaying the idea of Sero in his bed, watching the rise and fall of his chest as he peacefully slept.

He could not deny it any longer: he found Sero to be incredibly pleasing to look at, even if he did sleep like he was just placed to rest in a coffin. The way his hair neatly splayed out on his pillow made him look almost ethereal, paired with the way his lips were brought into a slight smile even while he slept.

What a weirdo. In a strange and most definitely not romantic way, a part of Katsuki wishes he would've stayed. He wondered about how it would feel to curl up into Sero and fall back asleep with his head on his chest. 

That thought was immediately followed by Katsuki smacking the shit out of his forehead, mentally cursing Sero for being such trouble in his mind. Since when was he imagining things like that, especially with Tape Face of all people? If this kept up, he would need to be euthanized.

Having completed his morning run and shower, he took his time walking back to his dorm with an incredulous amount of caution. He leaned into the door, hoping to hear any sound of human life behind it, before he bit the bullet and twisted the doorknob to head in.

The tape user was nowhere to be found, much to Katsuki’s slight dismay. His heart felt heavier having left him so early, and all throughout his run, he ruminated on the idea that maybe he should have stayed. That quickly subsided, and he felt himself begin to smile. Sero had not only made up his bed neatly but had also tucked all of his plushies into the comforter, having their small animal heads lay to rest on his pillows.

As he got closer to the bed, he spotted a small sticky note folded up on the plush Sero had given him for Christmas last year.

Fuck, fuck fuck.

He began pacing back and forth, subconsciously hoping that the next time he turned to face his bed, the note would be gone, or at least, he prayed to whatever merciful gods existed that he wouldn’t have to face the reality of what happened that previous night. On his last turn of the room, he eventually took a deep breath and reached for the note, his unsteady hands straightening the paper to read.

Hey Bakubro!! So sorry I spent the night. You kinda fell asleep on my bad shoulder so I couldn't move for a bit and I guess I also fell asleep without realizing it. Sorry again & I’ll see you in class!

p.s. we all have the same dorm beds, yet yours is waaay comfier than mine! we need to have more sleepovers soon (if possible) <3

Katsuki stared at it for a few seconds before promptly chucking it at the wall, dressing up for class, and heading out of his room for the day.

The icy January wind was biting at Katsuki's skin extra hard this morning, which usually meant he was going to have a hell of a time in training, but today was different. Today, he practically worshiped Mother Nature for gracing him with air cold enough to soothe his head which was currently erupting into flames. He couldn’t stay a minute longer in that room of his, not when the note Sero left for him lay not even a meter away from him.

Was that a heart Sero drew at the end? Actually, it doesn’t matter. For all he knew, they were scribbles, a mere accident. He’s actually glad his vision blurred at the sight of Sero’s friendly punctuation because how can he see what Tape Face wrote when he can’t even read? Jokes on Sero, Katsuki was illiterate.

He didn’t even know why he was so nervous. They were just two friends who just so happened to be hanging out like they usually do. In fact, they were such good friends they accidentally fell asleep in his bed together. There was nothing inherently romantic about it. The girls in their class do it all the time at their monthly sleepovers, and no one bats an eye, yet if anyone found out Sero and Katsuki were sharing a bed, all hell would break loose.

Katsuki finally reached the main doors of UA, taking a few final breaths before he submerged himself in the flow of students walking to their classes. He was never late to class, and made sure to show up ten minutes early to chill in the classroom and eavesdrop on his classmates' conversations. This morning, he decided to switch it up and take his time walking up to their classroom on the third floor, hearing the final bell ring as he sat down in his seat. He refused to look around the room on his way in for fear of making eye contact with a certain tape user.

He was beyond glad to find out today was an academic-only day, which meant they wouldn’t need to do any sort of physical training. Therefore, the chances of him talking with Sero throughout the day were nearly nonexistent. He was able to succeed in this endeavor by eating alone during lunch and dipping out of the classroom during their breaks. Now all he had to deal with was the afterschool issue.

Since they began watching that dumb show of Sero’s, Katsuki and him would walk together back to the dorms. Again, another routine that started from it happening once and eventually became a daily way for them to catch up. When the final bell rang, regardless of who had after-school duties or not, the other would wait for him.

Katsuki lingered around the classroom, packing up his bag slowly as he watched his classmates slowly trickle out of their homeroom until he could sense it was simply him and Sero.

“What’s up, Bakubro? You feeling okay?” Sero greeted him as he usually did, with a playful slap to the shoulder and a wide smile he could see from the corner of his eye.

“Just peachy,” Katsuki grumbled in response, finally zipping up his bag to rest it on his shoulder.

Sero raised a brow, “That doesn’t sound very convincing. You seemed really tired last night, so I just–”

“Can we just forget about that? I don’t wanna talk about it.” Katsuki looked Sero in the eyes, and he hoped his anxious pleading could be translated through his eyes.

“Done. Gone and forgotten.” Sero teased with a faltered smile and an overall expression Katsuki couldn’t decipher. “Let’s go home. I’m exhausted.”

And they were back to being Sero and Katsuki. Cracking jokes and friendly shoulder pats, Sero had returned to constantly invading his personal space. The only issue that had not gone away was how incredibly warm Katsuki was continuing to feel around the tape user. In fact, it was getting worse and increasingly difficult to hide.

When Sero approached him during a break or after class, Katsuki couldn’t help but feel a sense of giddiness mixed with anxiety wash over him. It had been a few days since their forbidden sleepover–remind him never to call it that again–and Sero was just as touchy as ever. With a shoulder pat here and an arm link there, he didn’t realize how overly friendly Sero was until he counted up to sixteen different times that Sero had made some form of physical contact with him. There was a part of him that surprisingly didn’t hate it, at least not the touch itself. What he hated was the way he just knew his ears were visibly red from how hot they felt or the random urges to initiate his own attempts at being close to Sero.

Right now was the perfect example of that. Katsuki and Sero began their trek back to the dorms after a long day of schooling and training. Sero had let Katsuki’s arm go as soon as they exited the school doors, needing both hands to communicate his passionate side of the debate they were currently having over who would survive in a zombie apocalypse.

“Bakugo, I swear to you on my life when I say that I think you would be one of the first to die. You would probably start yelling and give your location away immediately.” Sero argued, flailing his arms around to demonstrate his seriousness on the issue.

Katsuki snorted, shoving his hands in his pant pockets, “You’re just mad I can blast zombies away in one go. All you can do is wrap them up in tape and hope that they don’t escape.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Sero mumbled, kicking the gravel under his feet as he walked. Then, he perked up, seemingly having another bright idea of how he could survive. “But hey, wait! If I can immobilize them in one area, you can incinerate them. It’d be foolproof! We would be the dream team for sure.”

“Right, because that would only happen in your dreams.” Katsuki snickered, using his elbow to playfully push Sero on his arm and away from him.

There it was again, that funny feeling.

Sero looked at him with an expression of disbelief, his smile widening as he gave Katsuki a friendly push back. “Okay, Kats’ got edge today. I like it.”

“Whatever,” Katsuki rolled his eyes, an explosion of feelings erupting in his chest at the sound of his name. It was weird the way he felt like smiling and throwing up at the same time.

As they turned the corner, past the large grass hedges that separated the gravel path to the paved dorm walkway, Sero slowed to a stop.

“Hey, wait. I did have a quick question.” Sero cleared his throat. He waited until Katuki stopped and turned to look at him to continue. “Are we still on for this Thursday?”

Katuki shrugged, and he hoped he was able to show just enough indifference to avoid raising suspicion that he was in fact, slightly freaking out. “I don’t see why not.”

“Oh, okay, great! I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.” Sero grinned, pushing his hair behind his ears.

Katsuki was ready to continue walking when he was stopped in his tracks yet again.

“Also, can I be honest for a sec?” Sero asked.

Katsuki turned back around, watching a nervous Sero begin fiddling with his hands. Katsuki wanted to jump into the bushes and avoid whatever this conversation was about to be.

“Something tells me you’re gonna say it anyway, so spit it out,” Katsuki instructed, watching Sero intently.

Sero wasted no time getting into what was concerning him, “That night that I accidentally fell asleep in your room? That didn’t actually happen,” Sero started, swallowing deeply.

“What do you mean?” Katsuki stared, feeling his heart begin to jolt.

It hadn't even been a week since Sero slept over, yet here came the conversation that had turned into his biggest fear. He didn’t realize it would be happening so soon, not when Katsuki was finally feeling like things had gone back to normal between them.

“Well, when I saw you fell asleep on my shoulder, I had to stay there for a bit because I was in so much pain. That part is true. But I also did try to leave.” Sero laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his. Katsuki hoped his eyes didn’t look how they felt, like they were popping out of his sockets as Sero spoke.

“I tucked you back into bed, and I tried really hard not to wake you up, but you started mumbling some things I couldn’t understand. I ended up telling you I was leaving, but when I tried to leave, you grabbed my arm and told me to stay.” Sero finally confessed, then quickly continued, speaking faster at this point. “Obviously, I’m not gonna disagree when a sleep-talking person has a death grip on my arm because what if you accidentally set your quirk off on me? Would've made the top ten scariest moments for sure, so I stayed.”

Katsuki mulled over his comment, suddenly feeling incredibly uncomfortable under his gaze. Had he really gone out of his way to get Sero to stay? He supposed so if Sero made a big deal out of telling him. Katsuki felt his palms begin to sweat again, except this time, it wasn’t out of fear or whatever he had been feeling before when it came to Sero. He was downright embarrassed, like a kill me now type of embarrassment that shook him to his core and made him contemplate jumping off their dorm building. How dare sleep-Katsuki do something as stupid as reaching out to Sero to convince him to stay? He couldn’t even blame it on the melatonin he occasionally took that definitely made him say and do some wild stuff without remembering a thing.

Katsuki didn’t know what to say. He definitely didn’t know how he was supposed to recover from something like this. He quickly racked his brain for a quick response, something that showed he didn't care while also setting a boundary between the two.

“Remind me to ask for my keys back. You’re never allowed in my room again.” is what Katsuki settled on, taking his favorite approach to dealing with issues by ignoring them and began walking back towards the dorm.

“What? But Katsuki, our show,” Sero frowned, linking his arm again with his friend’s as he caught up to him.

“Finish it yourself,” Katsuki sassed, no longer wanting for this conversation to continue. Humiliated was probably the understatement of the century for what he was feeling.

“I already have, twice! The third time has to be with you.” Sero whined, trying to get Katsuki’s attention

“Don’t care, find someone else to watch your stupid show.” Katsuki retorted.

“Bakugo, don’t be pissy. I promise not to invade your personal dorm ever again, trust.” Sero joked, rolling his eyes. “I will miss seeing you sleep, though. It’s probably the most peaceful I’ve ever seen you. Very cute if you ask me.” Sero fiddled with Katsuki’s hand, inspecting it like it was the first time he ever saw a human hand besides his.

Not only did Katsuki feel seriously wounded, but he was also becoming incredibly overstimulated. Between Sero’s weird compliments and his adamant need to always be touching some part of Katsuki’s arms, he felt irritation pour through his veins.

“Sero, would you stop it?” Katsuki hissed, ripping his arm away from the tape user's grasp. “You’re so clingy all the time. Always jumping on me or grabbing my arms or invading my personal space, and it pisses me off. I know we’re friends, but it's really annoying.”

Katsuki could tell that Sero was visibly taken aback by his comments. Everything before that had been playful and sarcastic for the most part, but now Katsuki was seriously unnerved. Sero instantly retracted his hands from Katsuki’s space with wide eyes and a faltered grin. Katsuki felt the knot in his stomach grow and tighten.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, dude. I didn’t realize I did it so much.” Sero gave what appeared to be a forced smile, holding up his hands in defense. “Won’t happen again, I promise. Thanks for telling me.”

Katsuki could hear the remorse in his voice, and how it slightly wavered as he spoke, and Katsuki felt even worse for yelling at him so suddenly. 

With Sero, he had gotten better at speaking his mind and communicating emotions. Sero made it clear that he never judged nor questioned Katsuki for his thoughts. This character trait easily became one of the things he appreciated most about Sero, so the fact that he snapped at him so harshly made Katsuki want to disappear into thin air. Especially because he actually didn't mean anything he had just said.

“Yeah, whatever,” Katsuki mumbled, feeling the adrenaline leave his body, grateful that they had finally reached the main doors to the dorm. They walked inside, an awkward silence settling in the air between them.

“Well, I gotta go study now. I’ll catch up with you later.” Sero mumbled, giving another half-hearted grin and wave as he walked off to his room before Katsuki could ask if he was going to eat dinner.

Katsuki was an observer by nature, but for once he wished that he didn’t pick up on every one of Sero’s facial features. Sero’s lips quivered as he spoke, eyes wavering to anything but him. Katsuki wanted to bang his head against the dinner table as he replayed the conversation in his mind over and over again. Everything was going fine, they were back to being good friends, and Katsuki had to go and screw it up like he always did when he didn’t know how to feel about something. He nibbled at his food, before eventually passing it off to Shoji as the waves of nausea inhibited his need to eat.

He didn’t dare look, but he could feel Pinky's eyes on him from across the table. Ashido looked down at her phone, texting someone as she stood up to grab the extra bowl of food and head in the direction of what he could only assume to be Sero’s room. When she returned empty-handed several minutes later, she gave Katsuki a knowing look. He never was close with Pinky, so he could only deduce from her glare that she knew something was wrong and that he needed to fix it soon. Katsuki washed his empty dish and trudged back to his own dorm, hoping to figure out how he would make it up to the tape user.

The next few days following their argument–he wouldn’t call it that, maybe a mild bout of miscommunication–Katsuki and Sero spoke only a few times. It was never anything other than mundane, trivial talk about assignments or training, and the conversation usually ended as quickly as it began. Katsuki had even subtly gone out of his way to invite Sero to train with him in the upcoming weekend to which he responded that he had something come up and wouldn’t be available.

Katsuki noticed how tense things had become between the two. While they still talked and surprisingly continued their routine of walking back to the dorms together, Sero never went out of his way to start some random conversation about whatever he was fixating on at the moment. Katsuki noticed all the little things that had changed since he snapped at Sero, like how he didn’t laugh as much when Katsuki made some witty comment or how his signature smile wasn’t as bright as it usually was. He definitely noticed how whenever they walked anywhere together, there was always at least one polite inch between them.

What was even more corrupt was that Katsuki found himself aching for the moments when their shoulders accidentally touched.

Katsuki didn’t know what to do. He knew apologizing was an option, but he didn’t know how he would overcome the embarrassment of admitting to vulnerability so soon. Plus, what was he even supposed to say? Hey Sero, sorry I yelled at you! You actually make me feel sick whenever you look at me and I feel like I’m going to die every time you come close to me. Oh, and I think you look pretty handsome, and I actually liked it when you held my hand and slept in my room. Now I can’t sleep in my bed without imagining you there, so if anything, this is all your fault, and I’m the one who deserves an apology.

Nope. Definitely not any of that.

Eventually, Katsuki came to what he considered the most brilliant conclusion. He would come clean and apologize to Sero when he came over tomorrow for their weekly hang. Obviously, he wouldn’t tell him everything, just the necessary bits to get them back to being best buddies. Maybe then would Sero consider holding his hand again.

Katsuki realizes that his plan can only work if Sero actually showed up to their Thursday hang. Yet it was already nearing nine in the evening, and Sero had yet to deliver his sequence of annoying knocks to signify his arrival. Katsuki paced anxiously, wondering if Sero was dumb enough to forget or if Sero had opted to cancel on him without telling him so. Either way, he was beyond pissed, livid even.

Why did Sero have to make everything so complicated? Ever since they started spending more time together, Katsuki had fallen into a vicious cycle of overthinking and feeling uneasy every time he spoke to him. He began caring too much about what Sero thought, constantly thinking of ways to spend extended time with him.  

In training, he never had to think this hard. Battle strategies just came to him and he executed them with extreme precision. Meanwhile, predictability and Sero were two words that have never belonged in the same sentence. Katsuki forever struggled to predict Sero's next moves or what words would come out of his mouth next. Sero was a problem, a nuisance in his life that distracted him in class or in training, someone who invaded his thoughts and never left.

And yet Katsuki found himself pulled in his direction always, unable to be without him.

Katsuki may be dumb when it comes to feelings and social cues, but he wasn’t stupid. He just didn’t like what all these symptoms were adding up to be.

‘9:04 p.m.’ read the clock on his bedside.

That’s it. He’d spent enough time waiting around for Sero to show that he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Pulling his door open with such force he almost ripped it clean off its hinges, he set off to find Sero, but not before noticing his extra set of keys that dangled from the door handle.

The keys he had originally lent to Sero.

So, this was the game he wanted to play! The fucker had even come by his room that evening and left him his keys without telling him. What kind of friend does that, sneaking around to avoid confrontation?

Nevermind, maybe Bakugo did that too, but at least he was proactive. Katsuki grabbed his keys and stormed off to the elevators, spamming buttons until it finally took him up to the fifth floor.

“I know you’re in there, Tape Face!” Katsuki yelled, aggressively knocking on Sero’s door. He’s reached a new low, he admits, when he contemplates blasting the door open.

“Bakugo, can you stop yelling?” comes the smooth, rational voice of Sero’s next-door neighbor.

Katsuki looked over to Todoroki who had peaked his head out of his room, watching Katsuki with curious eyes.

“I’m not yelling.”

“Yeah, you are.” Shoto responded nonchalantly, “Also, Sero’s not in his room.”

“Huh? So where is he then?” Katsuki grunted.

“I dunno, he said something about heading out to clear his head.” Shoto shrugged, unamused by the conversation. “I’m going back to bed. You, stop yelling.”

Katsuki was about to ask him a follow-up question as to what “heading out” meant, but Todoroki had already closed his door before he could say anything.

This made him promptly head down to the first floor where, sure enough, Sero’s shoes and coat were missing from the genkan. He donned his coat and shoes quickly and headed out the door to look for him. As soon as he stepped out into the cold, chilly night, he realized he wouldn’t need to go far to find him.

There, lying on the bench that overlooked the yard, was Sero himself. Katsuki slowly walked over, keeping his footsteps light so as to not startle the preoccupied guy.

Sero was bundled up in his coat, eyes closed as he hummed along to a song that played through his earphones. Under the light of the streetlamp, Katsuki found Sero to be as beautiful as ever. It was actually upsetting for someone to look this serene and handsome.

A part of him appreciated that Sero had found a place to clear his head and calm down. However, today was not the day for sappyness. It was their Thursday hang, after all, and Sero was playing hooky.

Katsuki lightly smacked Sero’s knees that were propped up on the bench. Sero’s eyes shot open, instinctively sitting up and removing one of his earphones.

“Jesus, Bakugo, you scared the shit out of me.” Sero let out a soft laugh, clutching at his heart.

Katsuki chose to ignore his comment, angry words dancing on the tip of his tongue. “So you were just gonna chill out here and not tell me you weren’t coming over?”

“Well, hello to you too.” Sero muttered, then stared at him, mouth slightly agape in confusion. “Bakugo, you’re the one who told me to stay out of your room, remember? You made that perfectly clear a few days ago.”

“I told you not to sleep in my room. There's a difference,” Katsuki corrected, arms folded angrily over his chest. 

“Okay, well.” Sero shrugged, a smile of incredulity resting across his lips. “I don’t get why you’re upset. The whole point of me going over is for us to watch a show, and you’ve made it very clear that you don’t like it.”

“It’s not a terrible show, I’m just not a fan of cringe one-liners and wannabe heroes. Is that a crime?” Katsuki griped, watching as Sero fidgeted with his bracelets.

“Exactly my point. I thought you’d be happy not to deal with it for a week,” Sero interrupted sternly, eyeing Katsuki in a way that made him feel as though Sero were searching deep into his soul for an answer.

Katsuki wasn’t used to Sero's serious side. It was a rarity to see Sero without a smile on his stupidly-pretty face, so he did feel slightly threatened to continue his confrontation when he didn't know what his opponent was capable of.

“It’s just weird! We had a routine, and you broke it.” Katsuki accused, feeling his anger begin to grow the longer Sero refused to understand his side.

“I broke it? Bakugo, you don’t even like the show,” Sero scoffed, pulling his other earphone out of his ear and wrapping his phone with the cord.

“But you do! And I like yo– hanging out with you!” Katsuki exclaimed, suppressing the initial shock of almost slipping on his words.

Sero looked away, seemingly contemplating what Katsuki had just said. He could tell Sero was fighting to smile, but the situation itself dictated otherwise.

“So, let me get this straight,” Sero began slowly, resting his elbows on his legs as he thought. “You like hanging out with me, and you’re mad I didn’t show, but you also think I’m really annoying and clingy and always invading your personal space. I’m sure you can understand how I’m just a little confused on what's actually true here.”

Katsuki didn’t realize the weight of his words until Sero hurled them back with full force. To think that Sero had been mulling over those words for the past few days, and Katsuki didn’t mean any of it made him feel like a complete asshole. Katsuki clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to find the words he meant to say rather than more blatant lies.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you.” Katsuki gulped, looking down at his hands. He felt Sero’s gaze burning holes into his head as he spoke. “It wasn’t cool. You didn’t deserve that.”

“No worries, I’m glad you spoke up.” Sero sighed, turning away from him to watch the stars above. “I would be annoyed too if someone was constantly doing something to me that I didn’t want.”

All Katsuki wanted, needed, was for Sero to know how he truly felt. He wanted him to know how much he enjoyed spending time with him, how he felt at ease when he was nearby. Hell, he thought he despised people laying next to him in his bed, but in reality, he just hated everyone that wasn't Sero. Katsuki wanted to tell him this and so much more: how he’s the person on his mind at all hours of the day or how his smile alone can make Katsuki feel worthy enough to witness it.

The truth of it all was that Katsuki himself didn’t know what was real. Whatever he wanted with Sero, and whatever he felt about him, Katsuki could never even remotely be the kind of person Sero wanted in return. He wasn’t funny or kind or caring of others feelings, in fact, it almost pained him to admit how selfish and petty he truly was. Sero was one of a kind, he decided, and Katsuki would suffer through any shitty anime if it meant he got to spend even an hour of his time with his smiley boy. He spent all his time feigning ignorance and pushing his feelings aside, when he really just loved feeling wanted by Sero.

“You’re not annoying,” Bakugo mumbled, his heart racing as he spoke. “I like your company.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t quite catch that. A little louder?” Sero teased, raising his hand up to this ear.

“I like you, Hanta!” Katsuki finally blurted out, taking himself and Sero by surprise from the way his eyes widened in response. “I mean, not like that– I like being around you, and I think it’s fine for us to go back to the way things were. Happy?”

Sero blinked, staring at Katsuki for what seemed like an eternity. Slowly, Sero’s lips curved into his signature smile, wide and mischievous. It’s how Katsuki liked seeing him. Sero put his phone aside on the bench and stood up, now facing Katsuki.

“So what you’re saying is, you miss me hugging you.” Sero eventually spoke, a hand under his own chin in contemplation.

“Idiot, I did not say that. Stop putting words in my mouth.” Katsuki gulped. This had been so much easier when Katsuki was the taller one in the conversation. Now, Sero stood in front of him, and he was forced to look up to meet Sero’s criminally attractive face.  

“Hmm, no I think that’s exactly what you mean,” Sero teased, stepping closer to Katsuki, reaching down to gently grab his hands.

“Fine, whatever! I just miss us being close. I don’t know.” Katsuki stammered, looking down as he watched Sero hold his hands. His ugly, rough, scar-ridden hands. Yet Sero held them with his own, his fingers rubbing over his skin as if they were some fragile object on the verge of breaking.

Sero grinned and then let out a sigh of relief before softly pulling Katsuki in for a hug, “Katsuki, do you know how hard it was walking with you and not being able to hold you in any way? I didn’t realize how much I did it until you told me to stop, so every time I saw you, I had to physically restrain myself. Especially because the last thing I ever want to do is piss you off.” Sero confessed, holding Katsuki tightly.

“Yeah, sorry for that. Wasn’t my best phrasing.” Katsuki mumbled into Sero’s chest. For once, he didn’t want to pull away. This felt right, being wrapped in Sero’s arms. Sero’s warmth began to melt away any confusion he had previously felt. This was the ‘normal’ he wanted with Sero, and only him.

“That’s okay, no hard feelings, Kats,” Sero assured him as he pulled away from their hug, very much to Bakugo’s dismay.

“It’s getting colder, we should probably go back inside.” Sero shivered, rubbing Bakugo’s shoulders to generate warmth.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Bakugo joked as he smiled at Sero.

They headed back into the dorms, arm in arm. The inside house lights had dimmed substantially as quiet hours had commenced. They took off their coats and switched into their slippers, beginning to head back through the kitchen to their rooms.

“Wait, hold on,” Sero called out from behind Katsuki.

“Hmm?”

Before he knew it, Sero had taken hold of his hand again, and Katsuki stared wide-eyed as he felt himself being pulled into Sero for yet another hug.

“I really missed you.”

There was that warm feeling again. The feeling that erupted in his chest and made his face heat up. When they finally pulled away, Sero cupped Katsuki’s cheeks in his hands, and Katsuki realized his past urges to pull away were never because of discomfort. When in combat and flying through the air, he had become all too familiar with the racing of his heart and the breathlessness that accompanied it, so it came as an incredible shock to Katsuki that he could reach those states of adrenaline anytime Sero simply reached out to hold him. It had become thrilling and exhilarating to merely exist in the same space as Sero.

“Always tell me what you’re feeling, okay? Even the hard feelings, I want to know them all,” Sero added genuinely, looking between both of Katsuki’s eyes to make sure his words were heard.

And then Sero gently moved Katsuki’s hair to plant a kiss on his forehead.

Sero held back a laugh that threatened to escape his mouth, and Katsuki assumed it was because of the horrifying look of shock that currently overtook his face.

“You’re so sappy.” Bakugo groaned, wishing he could deafen the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.

“What can I say? I’m just a romantic,” Sero winked. This time, Katsuki grabbed Sero’s hands from his cheeks and held them with as much genuine tenacity as he could show.

“Katsuki, did you know that I really like you?” Sero grinned and watched as his eyes began blinking away the tears in his eyes. “Probably more than what is acceptable for a friendship.”

“From your stupid forehead kiss? I think I got the hint.” Bakugo snickered, watching as Sero gasped, pretending to be hurt by his comment.

“How dare you, it was not stupid,” Sero reprimanded, giggling at how Bakugo scrunched his nose in upset. “Now, Katsuki, question. What are the chances of you liking me back?”

Katsuki stayed quiet, his mind reeling over the idea of “liking someone”. Every emotion was still so new and foreign to him. His feelings for Sero were uncharted territory, fearing that one wrong move would break what they already had. 

He didn't know what it meant to like someone in the way Sero insinuated, but Katsuki thought it was safe to assume the horrible need to be around Sero all the time was code for: you probably really like this guy too , and yet he couldn't bring himself to verbalize this.

Sero, probably sensing Katsuki's hesitation from his furrowed brows, squeezed his hands in reassurance, leaning down to meet his eyes. “Okay, easier question and you can totally say no. What would you say if I asked to kiss you again?”

And Sero would know his answer soon enough by how quickly Katsuki put his lips on his.