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The world was bustling with festive cheer– strangers shopped for gifts, neighbors hung up lights, and families decorated their trees. But Shouto walked around with a storm cloud over his head. He couldn’t even enjoy the last day of winter classes, because he knew this time tomorrow he’d be in hell: his father’s home. The Todoroki family had a mandatory Christmas get-together every year. He and his siblings were expected to report home by Christmas Eve and spend the following day socializing with the family.
Shouto preferred to have as distant a relationship as possible with his father. As a kid, he’d been literally whipped into a child prodigy, and now that he was old enough to have a say about his future, he wanted nothing to do with his abusive dad. Luckily, college was a refuge from that environment. He got to live how he wanted, study what he liked, and best of all, be miles and miles away from his childhood home. The only downside was Christmas.
Because his siblings and his mother would be there, he felt obligated to show up. But he wasn’t happy about it. The next few days would be torture for him– there was no real way around it.
On his way back to the dorm after his last class, Shouto’s phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and picked up the call as he walked.
“Midoriya?”
“Shouto, thank goodness you picked up! I just came across something that I think will make your holidays more bearable.”
Shouto drew his scarf tighter against the wind and prepared to listen to one of his friend’s long-winded rambles.
“So I was scrolling through Craigslist, looking for All Might merch– Iida tipped me off that the old comic book store near his place is closing down and clearing out all their old stuff and he said there might be some All Might stuff for cheap on there. Anyway, I was scrolling through the pages when I came across an ad for some guy offering to play a “nightmare boyfriend.” I sent you the link– I really think you should give it a shot. It would be the perfect way to torment your dad without making the holidays unbearable for yourself, too.”
“A nightmare boyfriend?” Shouto asked. He fumbled with his keys at his front door.
“Yeah! He claims to be a lost cause or something, and he’s free on Christmas to cause chaos. I know it’s kinda weird, but I thought of you when I saw it so I sent it anyway. Let me know if you decide to take him up on the offer, I want to hear how it goes.”
“Huh. I’ll check it out, thanks,” Shouto said. Once inside, he took off his scarf and his coat and turned on the lights.
“No problem! I gotta go now, just wanted to make sure you saw my message before someone else jumps on it before you,” Midoriya said. “I hope you have a bearable Christmas!”
Shouto laughed softly. “Yeah, thanks, you too,” he said, and ended the call.
Sure enough, he had a new message from Midoriya with a Craigslist link attached. He opened it and read the page.
Want to ruin your family’s Christmas gathering? I can help.
I’m a 23 year old stoner with a part time job at a fast food restaurant. I never went to college and barely graduated high school. I’ve been told I smell vaguely of weed at all times, and have been called a lost cause on more than one occasion. I’m willing to play your boyfriend if you’re in need of a nightmare date to your family’s Christmas party. Guaranteed to have grandmas clutching their pearls. Offer open to any gender, first come, first served.
posted: about 1 hour ago
Suspicious, but not unwelcome. And Shouto did want to mess with his dad during the holidays. A new stoner boyfriend might be enough to do the trick. He navigated to the phone number listed, and shot a quick text.
He set his phone on the desk and got started packing a bag for his trip home. A few minutes later, his phone buzzed with a reply.
Shouto chewed his lip. Was he really going to meet up with a total stranger and pretend to date him for Christmas?
Shouto added Sero to his contacts and they texted back and forth to arrange when and where to meet up. They eventually agreed to meet at a Starbucks in town at 2:00 the following day.
He then sent a quick update to Midoriya to let him know he’d taken Sero up on the offer and was meeting him tomorrow, just in case this Sero ended up being a creep. Midoriya seemed enthusiastic and wished him luck.
The next morning, Shouto packed his bag in the trunk of his car and headed for Numazu. It would take about an hour to get there from his school, and he wanted to have time to unpack and settle in before meeting Sero, so he left pretty early.
He drove carefully over the ice-covered roads, playing his favorite music in the car. His father hated grunge music, to the point where he’d thrown out Shouto’s Nirvana and Pearl Jam CDs as a kid, so Shouto soaked up the chance to indulge in the music while he could.
Oddly enough, the car was a gift from his dad. That was the cycle in which he did things: destroyed Shouto’s belongings and lashed out to hurt him, then apologized with expensive gifts. Shouto hated it, but the car was too useful to return out of spite, so he drove it anyway.
Gradually, the houses Shouto drove past became more and more expensive as he entered the rich side of town. Out of habit, he turned off the music and the car was shrouded in anxious silence.
He pulled up to the large driveway in front of his childhood home and parked. Nervously, he smoothed his hair and his navy blue sweater— though he knew his father would find some part of his appearance to pick at anyway. He got out of the car and headed to the front door.
The door swung open before he reached it and his sister, Fuyumi, popped her head out and waved.
“Shouto!” she called out, half-jogging towards him. “Need a hand with your bag?” When she reached him, she pulled him into a side hug and whispered, “Careful, Dad’s in a bad mood,” and dragged him to the trunk to grab his bag.
Great, just what Shouto needed. Then again, he’d be stupid to expect anything else.
Fuyumi walked Shouto to the front door and chatted loudly about how Natsuo had arrived that morning and how great it was that Mom’s hospital was letting her spend Christmas at home.
They’d barely made it inside the door when there was a loud bang from the kitchen. Fuyumi rushed off to put out another metaphorical fire (presumably, their dad was slamming dishes around in a rage), and Shouto took the opportunity to toe off his shoes and slip off to his room.
It was the same as how he’d left it, only now with a thicker layer of dust. He closed the bedroom door behind him and set his bag down on the floor. Being back in this room was reminding him of unpleasant nights spent crying under the sheets and cowering in fear from his dad’s angry outbursts, so he sat on the bed and took out his phone to distract himself.
There was a new message from Sero.
Shouto found himself smiling in relief.
He grabbed a scarf and headed back to the entryway to put on his shoes.
“Leaving already, little man?”
Shouto startled, then relaxed when he saw his brother in the hall, arms outstretched.
“Natsuo!” he said, letting himself be pulled into a bear hug. “Sorry, I’m just heading out to meet up with… someone. I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Ooh, got a hot date?” Natsuo asked, winking. “Don’t let me stop you. I’d get out if I could, too.”
Shouto blushed and chose not to correct him. He whispered a quick thank you and snuck out the door before his father could notice.
The drive to Starbucks wasn’t too long, but Shouto found himself buzzing with nerves. Even listening to music didn’t distract him. He couldn’t believe he was doing something as crazy as meeting up with a stranger to fake-date.
His phone pinged and he checked it at a red light.
When he pulled into the parking lot, he spotted someone with a yellow beanie sitting at a table by the window and breathed a sigh of relief. He parked and headed inside.
Someone behind the front counter greeted him when he walked in, and he decided to order a coffee before approaching the guy at the table. As he stood in line, he inconspicuously glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
The man was tall and lanky. He wore a black sweater that looked like it covered many tattoos, which crept out from under the neckline and sleeves. He had shaggy, shoulder-length black hair and a few facial piercings. He was, in a word, hot.
Shouto paid for his coffee and anxiously made his way to the table. He gave a small wave as he approached.
“Hi, I’m Shouto,” he said, reaching out a hand.
Sero grinned and shook it. “Sero. Nice to meet you in person!”
Up close, Sero was even more attractive. Shouto could see he had an eyebrow piercing above his dark brown eyes and a bridge piercing, too. He had lots of jewelry on— chains around his neck, and rings on nearly every finger.
With butterflies in his stomach, Shouto sat down across from him and loosened his scarf.
“I love your hair,” Sero said, smiling.
“Ah- thank you,” Shouto stammered, nervously brushing it away from his face. He scrambled for a compliment to respond with, but, “You’re the most attractive man I’ve ever laid eyes on,” felt a little too strong. Ultimately, he missed his window and Sero continued.
“So I was thinking we could get to know each other a bit, so I can play my role better,” he said. “Shouto’s your first name, right?”
Shouto nodded. “My last is Todoroki.”
“Sero is my last name. My first is Hanta— remember that, cause you’ll need it,” he said with a playful wink.
Shouto’s stomach did a little flip, not helped by the tongue piercing he saw glinting in the light as Sero spoke. “Should I start calling you that now?”
“Sure, why not?”
The waitress brought Shouto’s coffee over and he thanked her.
“So… Hanta,” Shouto said carefully, trying the name out on his tongue. “Tell me a little about yourself.”
”There’s not much to say,” Hanta said with a laugh. “I like to smoke, hang out with my friends, and read manga. I work part time at McDonald’s. Pretty much your average boy failure,” he joked. ”You?”
“I’m at U.A. studying to be a brain surgeon.”
Hanta raised his eyebrows. “No shit?”
Shouto shrugged self-consciously. “It’s what interests me. I live at school and only see my family on Christmas. My dad’s the one who sucks, my mom and siblings are fine.”
“Tell me about them,” Hanta said.
Shouto launched into an explanation of each of his family members, and Hanta listened with interest. They took turns sharing about themselves, and for a while, Shouto forgot it was a fake date.
“We need a cover story on how we met,” Hanta said.
“We could say we met at a coffee shop?” Shouto suggested. “It’s not far from the truth.”
“Sounds good to me. And how long have we been dating?”
“I’m thinking 8 months or so? Long enough that I’d want to bring you to Christmas, but not so long that they should have already heard about you,” Shouto said.
“Damn, you’re good at this,” Hanta said.
Shouto laughed softly. “Thanks, I’m just making it up as I go. Do you need a ride to my place on Christmas?”
Hanta scrunched up his face. “Yeahhh, probably. Unless having me take public transport would add to the effect— up to you.”
“No, I can drive you. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I made you take the bus?” Shouto asked playfully.
Hanta laughed. “True. One last thing— what are your boundaries on physical touch? Am I okay to hold hands with you, kiss you, what are your limits?”
Shouto felt his cheeks heat up at the thought of kissing Hanta. As much as he wanted to, he felt like he’d probably spontaneously combust if it actually happened. “Hand holding is fine, but no kissing.”
“You got it! I’ll text you my location on Christmas Day, but I’ll try to stay close to town so you don’t have to drive too much to get me.”
“Okay, sounds good.” Shouto shyly tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear. “Thanks for doing this, by the way. My father’s going to have a heart attack when he meets you.”
“A Christmas miracle,” Hanta said with a grin.
On Christmas Eve, Shouto went to bed excited for probably the first time ever. The past few days had been as unbearable as he’d expected, but his mood was greatly improved by dropping hints about bringing a date to the family party on Christmas Day. The look on his father’s face when he’d casually asked, “Should he smoke outside, or is inside okay?” was enough to have him giggling and kicking his feet in bed.
Not to mention, his fake boyfriend was hot. More than once, Shouto had lamented the fact that he couldn’t keep him after the holidays ended, but that was a problem for later. For now, he just pushed down those bubbly, happy feelings every time he got a new text from Hanta and tried to keep his mind on track.
Hanta wasn’t lying, he did smell vaguely like weed when they met. But Shouto didn’t mind– in fact, he found himself growing partial to the scent. Maybe after all this ended, the two of them could stay friends and he could smoke with Hanta for the first time. He was surprisingly not that opposed to the idea now. Some people online said weed made them horny, so maybe if he was lucky, smoking with Hanta could lead to other things…
But he was getting ahead of himself. This was his fake boyfriend who might not even want to hang around him longer than necessary. As nice and attractive Hanta was, Shouto could not go catching feelings for his fake date. The last thing he needed was to make this any more complicated.
He turned out his light and went to bed, dreaming of cute, slice-of-life dates with Hanta.
Shouto woke up to someone lightly shaking his shoulder. He blearily opened his eyes and saw Fuyumi standing over him, wearing a Santa hat.
“Merry Christmas, Shouto!” she said. “Natsuo and I are headed out to get Mom from the hospital. Do you want to come with, or are you leaving to pick up your boyfriend soon?”
Shouto noticed she didn’t suggest he stay home alone with his dad, which was probably smart. He loved her for giving him multiple routes of escape.
“Thanks, but I’m picking Hanta up in…” Shouto glanced at the clock, “shit, half an hour.” He threw the covers off of him and started gathering clothes to wear.
“Want us to wait for you so we can leave at the same time?” Fuyumi asked, watching him scramble with a small smile on her face.
“No, I should be okay. Thanks for offering, though.”
“Alright, then. I can’t wait to meet him!” she said, and headed down the hall to tell Natsuo to hurry up.
Shouto showered quickly and got dressed in an ugly Christmas sweater that said “All I Want for Christmas is Cold Soba” and a pair of jeans. He ran down the stairs and stopped by the kitchen to grab a pop tart for breakfast. He’d just shoved it in his mouth when his father walked in, looking grumpy.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at Shouto’s shirt.
“I’m picking up my boyfriend,” Shouto replied, biting back the urge to tack on a sassy, “remember?”
“He doesn’t have a car?” his dad asked disdainfully.
Shouto pushed down the surprising instinct to defend Hanta and instead said, “Actually, he doesn’t have his license.” He didn’t know if it was true or not, but it shocked his dad enough to shut him up. He slipped past and grabbed his shoes and a jacket by the door.
“Be back before dinner,” his dad warned. “You don’t want to disappoint your mother.”
Classic. Using his mother for his emotional manipulation tactics. “I will,” Shouto replied, rushing out the damn door quicker than his legs could carry him.
He drove out of the neighborhood before daring to pull into an empty parking lot and check his messages for the address. Better than getting yelled at in the driveway.
There was a cute “good morning” text from Hanta, followed by an address. Shouto took a minute to say good morning back before plugging the address into Google Maps. It would take a little over half an hour to get there, but there were some backroads Shouto knew of to make the return trip take longer if needed. He pulled out of the parking space and started on his way.
He played his usual grunge music on the trip to Hanta’s place, deciding he’d switch it to more classic Christmas tunes once he picked him up. Grunge calmed his nerves at least.
He wondered what kind of music Hanta liked listening to. There was still so much he didn’t know about his fake boyfriend, but their improv chemistry was good, so he wasn’t too worried about blowing their cover. He was more disappointed on a personal level that he didn’t know Hanta very well. Hanta seemed like an amazing guy, truly! He would kill to get to know him better, or at least in different circumstances.
Finally, Shouto pulled up to the apartment complex indicated in the address. He navigated through the maze of buildings until he found Hanta’s house number. Just as he was wondering if he should knock on the door, Hanta opened it and waved enthusiastically. Inside the doorway, Shouto could see a brightly lit Christmas tree and at least a couple other people. Hanta yelled something to them and laughed, closing the door behind him. He jogged up to Shouto’s car and got in on the passenger side.
“Hey!” he said, cheeks flushed from the cold.
“Hey,” Shouto replied. He turned down the music. “I didn’t realize you had people over– I feel bad for dragging you away from them and to my boring family party instead.”
“Don’t worry about that! My roommate was the one who invited them,” Hanta said. “Or, well, they kind of invited themselves over. They’re like that.”
Shouto drove out of the apartment complex and back onto the main roads. “So… what made you decide to do this fake-boyfriend thing?” he asked, glancing at him as they turned.
“My friends made this joke that they can’t imagine anyone introducing me to their family on Christmas like this– wait, that sounds meaner than it was,” Hanta backtracked. “We were high at the time, so I’m pretty sure they meant someone introducing me to their family while high, but it gave me the idea to put up that Craigslist ad. Besides, I’m single this year so I figured it’s as good a time as any.”
“Huh,” Shouto said. “Personality-wise, I think you’re a great pick to bring home to the family. It’s just your appearance that scares off more uptight parents.”
“You think so?” Without waiting for an answer, Hanta grinned and asked, “So how about you, what made you want to hire a fake boyfriend?”
“My friend Midoriya was the one who saw the ad,” Shouto explained. “He knows how much I hate my dad and since I can’t get out of family Christmas, he thought it would be a fun way to make it more bearable.”
Hanta laughed. “I like this guy. I think we’d get along.”
Shouto smiled. “Maybe. He’s big into American comic books– the kind with superheroes. I know you like manga, so maybe you’d have something in common to talk about.”
“I’ve read my fair share of comics,” Hanta said. “But what about you, what do you like to read?”
Shouto pushed aside his usual response of, “I don’t read manga,” and went for the more daring, yet honest, answer. “I actually like… romance manga.” He braced himself for the reaction.
“That’s cool. Are you more into mainstream shoujo or do you like BL?” Hanta asked. “I have to say I’m more partial to BL, but that’s probably because, you know–” He gestured between them and laughed.
Shouto tried to hide his surprise at the unexpectedly positive response. “Y-yeah, me too! I just finished reading Sasaki to Miyano the other day and I think it’s one of my favorites.”
The two continued on chatting about their favorite manga during the drive. Hanta continually surprised Shouto with just how easy he was to talk to. Even though he took the long way back home, he found himself wishing they could drive for longer.
But all good things must come to an end, and the mood became somber as they entered Shouto’s neighborhood. It was eerily quiet in the car, especially after Shouto turned the radio off.
“Wow, fancy,” Hanta said, trying to lighten the mood. When that failed, he reached over and put a hand on Shouto’s thigh reassuringly. “Hey, it’ll be okay.”
The angsting going on in Shouto’s brain was quickly replaced by panic about Hanta’s hand on his goddamn thigh and how he could feel the warmth of it through his jeans. And apparently his brain couldn’t handle gay panic and familial dread at the same time, so he was kind of glad for the distraction.
By the grace of God, he pulled into the driveway and parked without issue. His sister’s car was parked there as well, so she and Natsuo and their mom must be home from the hospital.
“It’s time,” he said grimly.
Hanta smiled at him reassuringly and (unfortunately) took his hand off his thigh to reach for the car door. The two of them got out, and Hanta met him at the hood. He offered his hand, and Shouto took it, blushing. Somehow this was worse than when it was on his thigh.
They made their way to the front door and Shouto took a deep breath, then opened it for them.
Natsuo and their mom were sitting on the couch in the living room, chatting and smiling. They could hear Fuyumi and their dad in the kitchen, working on dinner. When Shouto’s mother saw the two come in, she turned to them with a bright smile and stood up.
“You must be Shouto’s boyfriend,” she said, extending her hand to Hanta.
Rather than shaking it, Hanta took her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “Hanta Sero– it’s wonderful to meet you.”
Shouto’s mother put a hand over her heart, evidently charmed. “You can call me Rei.” She winked at Shouto. “Looks like my boy’s found a real gentleman!”
Shouto smiled awkwardly and nudged Hanta with his elbow to silently remind him he was supposed to be making a bad impression, not a good one.
“I’ll say,” Natsuo chimed in, giving Hanta a once-over. “I’m Natsuo, Shouto’s older brother.”
“Hey, no hitting on my boyfriend,” Shouto said, narrowing his eyes. “Both of you.”
Natsuo held up his hands in mock defense, while his mom laughed.
Fuyumi poked her head in to greet Hanta at that point, dusting off her apron. “Hi, I’m Fuyumi!” she said. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Likewise!” Hanta said, shaking her hand.
“Shouto.” All the joy seemed to evaporate from the air as Enji Todoroki entered the room. “I see you’ve finally come home. It’s about time.”
“Sorry, there was a lot of traffic on the way home,” Shouto lied. He squeezed Hanta’s hand. “This is Sero, my boyfriend.”
Enji looked at Sero disdainfully. His gaze lingered on the piercings and the obvious tattoos.
“Enji, right?” Hanta asked.
“Mr. Todoroki,” Enji corrected. “And I’d like a hand in the kitchen. You can take over for Fuyumi.”
Shouto moved to go with them, but his father stopped him.
“Just Sero.”
Shouto hesitated, but Hanta leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
His breath was warm, and it sent tingles down his spine. Shouto relented, letting go of Hanta’s hand. Hopefully he’d be able to listen in from the living room. He sat down on the couch next to his mother and tried to calm down and join the conversation.
Hanta followed Enji to the kitchen. He had a few ideas on how to get under his skin, and he was just itching to try them out.
“Enj- Mr. Todoroki, would you mind if I took off my coat first?” he asked.
Enji grunted and gestured towards the front door. Sounded like a yes.
“Great, I’ll just be a moment,” Hanta said. He dashed off and unzipped his coat. Rather than wearing a sweater underneath, he’d opted for a short sleeved shirt to show off his tattoos, which ran all the way down his right arm. He was proud of his sleeve, which he’d finally been able to complete a few months earlier. It was the most expensive thing he owned, and he’d designed the whole thing himself. Wearing short sleeves gave him both the opportunity to horrify Enji and impress Shouto, so it was a win-win, really.
He hung up his coat, and rejoined Enji in the kitchen.
Enji didn’t say anything about the tattoos, but he did narrow his eyes at them, letting his gaze linger long enough to express his disapproval.
“Scrub these potatoes for me and cut them up,” Enji ordered. “Wash your hands and I’ll show you how.”
Hanta quickly washed his hands, then scrubbed one of the potatoes in the basket by the sink. He brought it over to the cutting board.
“Cut it in half lengthwise, then in slices about a quarter inch thick,” Enji said, demonstrating as he spoke. He held up one of the finished slices, which was in a half-moon shape. “They should all look like this. When you’re done, lay them out on this baking sheet.”
“Yes sir,” Hanta said, miming a salute. Enji was predictably unimpressed.
He got back to work scrubbing the potatoes while Enji measured out ingredients for some sort of sauce on the stove burner.
“Sero,” Enji said after a minute, “what do you do for work?”
For this part, all Hanta would unfortunately have to do is be himself. “I work part time at a fast food restaurant,” he said, setting aside the potatoes as he washed them.
“Fast food?” Enji echoed. “Remind me again how old you are?”
It was a dig at him and he knew it, but he rolled with the punches. “23.”
“My boy Shouto is studying to be a doctor, which I’m sure you know.” Enji stirred the sauce as he spoke. “His sister is a nurse in the geriatric ward, and his brother is a successful personal trainer for professional athletes.” He paused. “What are your ambitions?”
“Hmm.” Hanta pretended to think. His true goal in life was to be a tattoo artist, but he wanted to mess with Enji more than that. “Maybe someday I’ll be a shift lead at the restaurant I work at,” he said, grinning. He got to work cutting the potatoes, making sure to keep the slices as uneven in thickness as possible.
Enji said nothing. He eyed Hanta’s knifework, grinding his teeth.
“What about Shouto’s other brother?” Hanta asked, wanting to stir the pot a little more. “What does he do for a living?”
Hanta was well aware that Shouto’s other brother, Touya, had been disowned and now was in prison for attempted arson, among other crimes. It was all part of the briefing Shouto had given him in preparation. He’d told Hanta that bringing up Touya would be a surefire way to make Enji hate him, but to be careful with how much he claimed to know.
Enji stopped in his tracks. “Excuse me?”
“Shouto mentioned he had two older brothers, so I was wondering what the other one does,” Hanta said, playing innocent. He laid out the misshapen potato wedges on the baking sheet.
“He misspoke. He only has one brother: Natsuo,” Enji said firmly. “Don’t bring this up again.”
“Sorry, my bad,” Hanta said quickly. “I finished cutting the potatoes by the way– do you need any more help or should I go to the living room?”
“You may go,” Enji said through gritted teeth.
“Okay, cool, sorry again,” Hanta said over his shoulder as he left the room. He shuddered as he made his way to the living room. Enji Todoroki was way more intense than he expected.
He brightened up as he saw Shouto. He looked so cozy on the couch, wearing his cheesy Christmas sweater. Shouto smiled at something his brother said, and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. Hanta felt his heart flutter, but he silently willed it to calm down as he approached them.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
Shouto smiled up at him, cheeks turning slightly pink. He nodded and scooted over to make room. Hanta sat next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders comfortably. Shouto felt just right in his arms. He could get used to this.
“Woah, sick tats, man!” Natsuo said, nodding in approval.
“Thanks! Designed them myself,” Hanta replied, grinning.
Shouto’s eyes widened. He was clearly impressed, but didn’t say anything– a real boyfriend would already know this, after all. Hanta basked in his awe, once again trying to calm his racing heart.
“I’d better go help Dad again,” Fuyumi said, getting up. “I’d love to sit and chat but I want to make sure he’s not burning anything!”
“Oh, uh–” Hanta caught her by the sleeve. “Just to warn you, I might have accidentally upset him with something I brought up earlier,” he said quietly.
Fuyumi smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t take much to upset him. I’m sure it’s not your fault.”
“Shouto, why don’t you show Sero around the house?” Rei suggested. They easily read between the lines: they’d better get a breather from Enji while they still could.
“Sure,” Shouto said. He stood up and reached out his hand. Hanta took it easily and got up too. It was almost alarming how right it felt to have Shouto’s hand in his. Their fingers threaded together like they’d done it a million times. They played this part a bit too well.
“Want to see my childhood bedroom?” Shouto suggested, leading him to the stairs.
“Do I ever!” Hanta joked, bumping their shoulders together affectionately. He was rewarded with a soft laugh from Shouto as they made their way up the stairs.
When they were out of sight from the people downstairs, Shouto dropped Hanta’s hand and breathed a sigh of relief.
“This way,” he said, leading them down the hall.
Hanta followed, already missing the warmth of Shouto’s hand. They entered a bedroom with dark blue walls and a twin size bed opposite the door. There was a bookshelf and a dresser, but otherwise the room was devoid of furniture and personality. Hanta supposed Shouto took down any decorations he’d had up when he moved out.
“How am I doing?” Hanta whispered.
“Really good,” Shouto whispered back. “I think we’re really selling the relationship.”
He walked across the room to the window and opened the curtains. Behind it was a sliding glass door that led to a small balcony. Shouto opened the door and waved Hanta over. The two of them squeezed onto the balcony together, and Shouto closed the door most of the way behind them, leaving it open just a crack.
“Sorry,” Shouto said. “I know it’s cold out here, but we can at least talk freely. You can borrow a jacket if you’d like?”
The cold actually didn’t bother Hanta that much, but he wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to wear a boyfriend jacket from Shouto. Even if it was only a fake-boyfriend jacket. He nodded. “Thanks, that would be nice.”
Shouto snuck back in, and returned a second later with an oversized grey sweatshirt with the name of his college on it.
Hanta pulled it on. It was warm and smelled like Shouto– a mix of green tea and mint. It felt like a hug. Already, he was plotting ways to convince Shouto to let him borrow it longer. Maybe he could “forget” it was on and use that as an excuse to see him again?
He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a partial joint and a lighter. “Is it okay if I smoke?” he asked.
“Sure– it’s probably better if you do, actually,” Shouto said. “I think my dad would go ballistic if you came to dinner high.”
“Well, in that case.” Hanta grinned and lit the end of the joint. He took a drag and exhaled smoke into the cold night air. He held out the joint to Shouto, offering it to him.
“Oh, I don’t- I mean, I haven’t-” Shouto stumbled over his words.
Hanta laughed softly. “It’s fine, man,” he said, taking another drag. “I was just offering.”
“I’ve always wanted to try, though,” Shouto admitted. “But before Christmas dinner probably isn’t the best time.”
“Wanna shotgun?” Hanta offered. Shouto looked confused, so he quickly clarified. “It’s where I breathe the smoke into your mouth. It won’t be enough to get you high, not just once at least, but it’ll give you a feel for it.”
Shouto blushed. “Uh… sure,” he said. This might be the only chance he could get to almost-kiss his pretend boyfriend (who he really, really wished was his real boyfriend). He was nervous, but it was worth a shot.
“Okay, just remember to breathe in when I exhale, alright?” Hanta said. “Hold still.”
He took a long drag from the joint, then held Shouto’s jaw in his hand and leaned in. Their lips were almost touching as he slowly exhaled the smoke against Shouto’s parted lips. Hanta watched him from lidded eyes, heart thrumming in his chest.
Shouto gasped softly, breathing in the smoke. His pulse was racing against Hanta’s fingertips. Just a little further and they’d be kissing. He felt his mind go blank from the second Hanta grabbed his jaw; so gentle, yet firm. Just a little further…
“Shouto!” Fuyumi called from the stairs.
The two broke apart, awkwardly stumbling to opposite sides of the small balcony. Shouto scrambled inside.
“Yeah?” he called back.
“Dinner’s ready,” Fuyumi said.
“Okay, thanks,” he replied.
Hanta put out his joint and put it back in his pocket with his lighter. He came back into the bedroom and closed the balcony door behind him. “Ready?” he asked, pleased to see that Shouto was still blushing.
Shouto nodded, and took his hand.
They met Fuyumi on the stairs, and she instantly narrowed her eyes. “Were you smoking?” she hissed.
“Maybe?” Shouto said sheepishly.
Fuyumi scoffed. “Idiot. Don’t expect me to cover for you when Dad notices.”
They made their way down the stairs and headed to the dining room. Natsuo and Rei were sitting down already, while Enji brought in the food. Fuyumi, Shouto, and Hanta all sat down. Hanta ended up seated between Shouto and Rei, who leaned in to whisper knowingly, “Nice jacket.” He just laughed, flustered.
Finally, Enji finished bringing in the food and sat down at the head of the table. He gave Hanta a sharp look, most likely because of the stronger weed smell. “Dinner is served,” he said.
“Thank god, I’m starved,” Natsuo said, reaching for the bowl of pasta in the middle of the table. Fuyumi gave him a warning look, but helped herself to the potatoes.
“Can you pass the salad?” Shouto asked.
Hanta’s eyes lit up with mischief. “I got it.” He reached across the table, over several dishes, and grabbed the salad bowl. Enji’s nostrils flared at the display of poor manners.
Shouto snickered as he served himself.
“So, how long have the two of you been together?” Rei asked.
“Eight months,” Shouto replied, taking a sip of water.
Hanta smiled and leaned his head against Shouto’s shoulder. “We met at a coffee shop and hit it off instantly. Isn’t that right, babe?”
Shouto choked on his drink and broke into a coughing fit. Hanta patted his back sympathetically, while Natsuo and Fuyumi shared a knowing smile.
“Well you two certainly seem happy together,” Rei said, giving Shouto a moment to catch his breath. “You’re the first date he’s brought home, you know. Although I’m sure he’s already told you that.”
Shouto gave her a sharp glance over Hanta’s shoulder.
“No, I didn’t!” Hanta said. He rested his chin in his hand and grinned. “Tell me more.”
Rei laughed. “Shouto’s always been a bit of an odd duck. He’s had a hard time making friends since he was a kid. And when he was at the age Natsuo and Fuyumi started dating, he still hadn’t shown any interest in anyone. Of course, I don’t mind– I think he’s a strong-willed, independent boy who doesn’t need a partner to be complete, but I will say it’s nice to see him be himself around you. I can tell you two really love each other.”
This time, it was Hanta who was caught by surprise. Love? He knew he was playing the part of a boyfriend remarkably well, but for Shouto’s own mother to read their interactions as love… maybe he was flying too close to the sun on this one.
“We do,” Shouto said softly, looking at Hanta. Their eyes met briefly, and for a split second Hanta almost believed it, too.
They all continued to eat, hearing from Natsuo next on how he was faring at his job, then from Fuyumi about some of her favorite patients. Hanta got to hear what life was like for Rei in the hospital– it sounded like it was lonely, and a bit boring, but safe. He never found out from Shouto why she was hospitalized, but he didn’t want to pry. She seemed physically healthy, so he supposed it was a mental health issue. But it wasn’t his place to ask. If Shouto wanted to share, he would have.
Enji stayed silent the whole time. He never asked any of his family members anything about their lives, and he didn’t share anything about his own. He just sat there, eating silently and judging them.
For his part, Hanta thought he did a pretty good job of irritating Enji but impressing Shouto’s true loved ones. The people in Shouto’s life who wanted him to be happy were pleased with Hanta, even with his tattoos and his smoking habits. It was only Shouto’s father who disapproved of him, just as the two of them had hoped.
By the time dinner was wrapping up, Hanta felt proud of himself. Shouto’s family– other than Enji, of course– had turned out to be lovely people, and he certainly wouldn’t mind spending more time around them. Not to mention Shouto himself. He was cute, funny, interesting– the whole package. Hanta was kicking himself for not giving in and kissing him on the balcony earlier. If he’d just taken the chance, maybe Shouto would have reciprocated. Maybe he felt the same. Or maybe this was all an act for the holidays, like it was initially supposed to be.
“I’d better drive Hanta back home,” Shouto said, pushing his plate away. “The food was wonderful.”
Hanta quickly agreed. “Thank you for having me over. I had a great time,” he said, making sure to address each of them but Enji. To him, he said, “Your son is easy to love.”
Shouto blushed and stood up, gently pulling Hanta by the hand. Hanta got up and followed him, calling out a, “Merry Christmas,” over his shoulder. They put on their coats and shoes by the door, then headed out into the frosty night air.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Shouto said as the door closed behind them. “That was the best Christmas I’ve had in years– maybe ever.”
“Aww, well I’m glad I was able to help. I mean it, I had a great time.”
They got in the car and Shouto started it up, turning on the heat right away. They sat in silence, each awkwardly trying to figure out what to say next.
“Is it okay if I put on some music?” Shouto asked. He was hoping it would ease his nerves a bit to listen to his favorite songs, not to mention filling the uncomfortable silence.
“Oh, of course!”
“The CDs are in the glove box, go ahead and pick one,” Shouto said as they backed out of the driveway.
Hanta flipped through the CDs, delighted to see some of his favorites in there. “Yo, we have, like, the exact same taste in music!” he said. “Nirvana got me through the end of high school, no joke.”
Shouto smiled. “Really? That’s awesome, I didn’t realize!”
Hanta slipped the disc for Bleach in the CD player and skipped to track 3. About a Girl started playing through the car’s speakers, relaxing Shouto instantly.
“That’s a great pick,” he said. “I love this whole album but this song is definitely one of my favorites.”
“Same here! I literally tried to learn guitar just to play this song,” Hanta admitted.
Shouto laughed. “Wait, for real? I didn’t know you played guitar.”
“I don’t,” Hanta said sheepishly. “I gave up when I tried to learn barre chords and never picked it up again.”
“Fair. You should try playing again sometime, I’d love to hear.”
They continued chatting about music during the drive, and came to realize that their tastes in music truly were almost identical. Shouto was able to give him some recommendations of Japanese rock bands, though, and Hanta in turn named some R&B songs he thought Shouto might enjoy. At Shouto’s request, he texted him the link to his Spotify playlist and a list of the songs he’d recommended.
All too soon, they pulled into Hanta’s apartment complex.
“Um-”
“Before-”
They spoke at the same time, cutting each other off.
“You first,” Shouto said, laughing awkwardly.
Hanta laughed too, mostly from nerves. “I was just gonna say, before you drop me off-” He took a deep breath. “I wouldn’t mind hanging out again sometime. On a real date, maybe?”
Shouto broke into a grin. “I was going to say the same thing.”
He stalled the car in front of Hanta’s front door.
Hanta breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god, I was worried I was reading the signs wrong or that you were just a really good actor or something. I like you a lot, Shouto.”
Shouto smiled shyly. “I like you a lot, too, Hanta.”
Before he could lose his nerve, Shouto leaned across the divider between the seats and kissed Hanta. It was just a peck, but as he pulled away, Hanta caught him by the back of the neck and pulled him back in for another. Their lips slotted together perfectly, like they were made for each other. Shouto’s hand came up to thumb along Hanta’s jaw, and he smiled into the kiss.
When they pulled apart, Hanta was smiling, too.
“I’m in town for another couple of days before I go back to school,” Shouto said. “We should grab coffee or something.”
“Recreate our first date?” Hanta teased.
“Are we counting that time as our first date?”
“I think we should. It’s when I first realized I had feelings for you,” Hanta admitted. “So it felt like a real date to me.”
“Same here.”
They gazed at each other for a moment, both blushing and grinning like idiots.
“I should go now,” Hanta said finally. “I’ll text you.”
“Please do,” Shouto said. “It makes me smile every time I see your name on my phone.”
Hanta leaned in and kissed Shouto’s cheek. “Last one for the road,” he said in explanation. Then he hopped out of the car and jogged to his front door, waving goodbye.
Shouto waited to make sure he got in safely, then drove on. His phone buzzed as he left the apartment complex, but he didn’t get a chance to check it until he got to a red light.
It was a selfie from Hanta, of him in front of his own Christmas tree. His tongue was sticking out and he was pointing at the sweatshirt he had on– the one Shouto had lent him earlier. Underneath was a single line that made Shouto’s heart do a loop-de-loop.