Hitoshi S For Sass

HIII I FREAKJNG LOVED THE TAMAKI X PREGNANT READER SMM CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE MORE IT WAS SO CUTEEE MAYBE LIKE AFTER THE PREGNANCY AND TAMAKI JUST BEING OVERPROTECTIVE AND A GREAT HUSBAND

hello anonn! i'm so glad you enjoyed the tamaki x readerrr :DDD i apologize for the LOONG WAITT, i hope this satisfies what you were seeking! :D

❀˖° — suneater's sunshine, track 02

pairings : tamaki amajiki x fem!reader

warnings : none! :)

➤ masterlist!

“Tama, just hold her!” You chuckled softly, watching as your husband trembled while his eyes were fixated to your little daughter now snuggled in your arms. 

Himari was what he muttered out when you held her, his hand shakily touched her cheek, pulling it back rapidly as if she was going to disintegrate. You kept on nudging him to hold her himself, but he just kept refusing, scared that his hands were too sweaty to hold the small baby. Eventually though, he did cave in, nervously opening his palms as you gently handed the small bundle to him. 

A soft sigh of relief escaped his lips as he held her, softly rocking her as he shushed her. A small smile crept up his lips as he giggled softly while his eyes gazed oh so lovingly at her.

“...She’s beautiful,” He mumbled softly, a hand coming up to move the cloth out of the way of her face. All that while his finger brushed upon her soft little cheek, earning a small whine from her. He smiled, the same smile you've seen him with at your wedding day. 

You could only chuckle at the sight, Tamaki kept on softly mumbling praises to the small baby, something along the lines of, ‘I’m so happy you’re here, hm?’ or ‘You did such a great job, I’m so proud of you.’

⋆˚꩜｡

Time never did know rest. It felt like yesterday you were still swaddling Himari, shushing her cries and waking up in the middle of the night because she was hungry. Now, here she was, hair still damp, tied into a small ponytail with small clips adorned her hairline, her elementary uniform still a little bit too big on her. She smiled widely while Tamaki carefully adjusted her collars, on his knees.

“Don’t be afraid to talk, a-and make new friends, okay?” He smiled, tidying up Himari’s bangs.

She nodded, “Yes, dad!” 

“And if anyone is being mean to you, tell the teacher, okay?” 

“Yes, dad!” She nodded again, jumping on her feet. 

Tamaki smiled, kissing her forehead gently as he stood back up.

“Can we go noww?” She pleaded, clutching her bag strap while her other hand tugged at Tamaki's arm.

You chuckled softly, walking over to press a long kiss to both her cheeks, earning a whine from her as well as a small giggle. As you stood up, a gentle tug was calling by your waist, pulling you to your husband’s embrace. He smiled, brushing his knuckle over your cheek before softly doing the same as he did to Himari, then muttering a soft goodbye. “I’ll be off, angel.”

dworkism | do not repost!

ehehehehehehehe

⋆˚࿔ in the near future

when window shopping at the mall with your boyfriend hanta sero takes a unexpected turn

contains: f!reader, minor drug use, established relationship, fluff

authors note: this is shorter than i wanted it to be </3

word count: 1010

hanta doesn’t know how he ended up here.

it was supposed to be a casual saturday with this favorite girl in the world.

when you suggested that the two of you take a trip to the mall, mostly so you could window shop, —while he secretly kept a mental note of everything that caught your eye for later reference —he had no right to say no.

and when you also suggested taking the edibles that had been sitting at the bottom of the junk drawer for two days and eating them right before the mall trip his heart melted. he’s definitely with the right girl.

okay, so maybe hanta does know how he got here.

but this.. this is new, uncharted territory for him. for the both of you.

hanta adjusted his half slouched position, careful not to possibly mess up the intricate stitching on the cushions or accidently stain the elegant rug beneath his beat up adidas sambas.

the room was fairly spacious. beside him a wide full length mirror, was two thinner mirrors protruding from its side— which he (correctly) assumed was used to check yourself out from multiple angles. two lights hung from the top of the mirrors, shining down onto the pedestal in front the mirror like a dedicated spotlight.

before him was a white curtain. and behind it—

“hanta..” you called from behind the mysteriously alluring sheet, sounding unlawfully similar to a sorcerer casting a lovebound spell.

he blinked out of his over observant trance, skin glowing warm as a reaction to your voice.

fifteen minutes ago, he was sharing a beautifully buttery soft pretzel with you. ten minutes ago you pointed out a particular shop, one he had never even noticed before.

“come on hanta! it’ll be fun!” you pleaded.

and call hanta a sucker (because he is one) but he didn’t even give it a second— or first, really —thought.

he’ll blame the weed for that later.

you spend a while with the consultant at the front desk where hanta learned that you’re a concerningly good liar.

and now here he was. long fingers pulling back the curtain in which you stood behind.

“help me with the back?” you glanced back at him, hair tossed to one side of your neck as you held the dress up in front to prevent it from slipping down.

hanta nodded cautiously, taking a careful step toward you.

“7 years?” hanta teased, recalling your conversation with the worker as he took a stance behind you. the familiar warmth from his hands instantly radiated your skin as he kept a firm, but delicate, grip on your back. his fingertips pressed into the blades of your shoulders and you heard a soft zurrrt admitting from the zipper.

you grinned, “call me a prophecy.”

a small laugh escaped hanta lips and your smile grew wider. you now realized how the edible made everything feel softer— like the edges of the world had blurred just enough to allow the good moments to sink in deeper.

hanta took a step back, hand slowly departing from you. his eyes scanned down your body slowly like he didn’t wanna forget anything about the way you looked right in this instant. “you—“ he paused to cough away the slight raspy in his voice, “you should look.” he gestured back out toward the spotlight of the dressing room.

you nodded, picking up the dress from its sides and waddling out from behind the curtain onto the lit up pedestal. when your gaze finally met your own in the mirrors reflection, you stilted.

the dress was simple, strapless, and effortlessly elegant— soft fabric flowing down in gentle waves that brushed the floor like a sea's daily meetings with its shore. lace details traced the bodice and edged the hem. the white fabric sparkled, like it was made to bask in the sunlight and flow to the rhythm of slow dances.

like it was made for you.

“woah.” your voice was submerged in awe. you were careful, ghosting the tips of your fingers over the material of the dress, not wanting to risk messing it up.

you’ve never seen yourself like this before, never really imagine it either. there’s a feeling of wonder fluttering beneath the surface of your skin, flickers of questions tickling your consciousness along with it. it felt so good in a way you couldn’t quite describe with just words.

“yeah.” hanta spoke up from close behind you. his eyes followed the trail of the wedding dress as he took a step closer, rubbing a hand over his mouth to hide the stupid grin spreading across his face. “am i supposed to be seeing this?” he joked lightly. his hands found themselves comfortably on the small dip at your hip, his head leaning beside your temple as he looked at you through the mirror.

“you’re not supposed to see the bride before the ceremony..” you played along, hoping it would help you calm down from the fact that you felt like an literal angel.

“hm, i see why.” hanta’s grip on you tightened, just barely. his voice dropped, coated in a soft layer of truth. “you look beautiful. so unbelievably beautiful.” he pressed a kiss to your temple, then the tip of your ear, and then took a step back. “now you gotta spin for me.” he said, grinning ear to ear. “come on babe.”

you rolled your eyes but complied, picking up the sides of the gown and granting your lovestruck boyfriend the full 360 view.

within a second, hanta’s hands were on you again, head buried in the crook of your neck as he held you close. you could feel the way his lips quirked up on your skin as he muttered a quiet, “insane.”

maybe this moment, this dress, belonged to some future version of you— to both of you.

maybe hanta didn’t know exactly how he managed to get with the girl of his dreams. and he definitely didn’t how he’d get to a more official version of this moment in the future.

and maybe this moment wasn’t destined or now, but it was for later, and hanta knew that for sure.

I CONFESS

I actually edit my works a bit after every time I post guys m sorry :P

♬⋆.˚ — happy birthday, hanta.

pairings : hanta s. x gn!reader

warnings : angst (i'm bad at making people cry tho), death, injuries, blood, swearing, usage of y/n

➤ masterlist!

The air was thick with dust, your blood’s metallic and salty smell panged through your throat as you coughed, spluttering blood forward. Your eyes drift slowly from side to side, ruins surrounding you. Slowly, the pain in your stomach made you glance there, examining the ugly stab wound with a piece of metal sticking out from it. You winced, whimpered as you shifted slowly to sit comfortably on the concrete surface, as your ears slowly picked up noise, grunts, shouts, and distant booms, there was a voice calling out your name.

“y/n!!” The voice, you knew all too well. That light, slightly shrill voice. The birthday boy, Hanta Sero.

Your head turns to his voice, spotting him running to you, his visor already broken, revealing half of his worried face. “Hanta..” You managed, weakly calling out to him as he crouched down to you.

“Oh God… crap, crap, crap... y/n…” He muttered, his hand hovering over the metal sticking out of your stomach, blood dripping from it ever so slowly. “T-tell me you’re fine, please.” His eyes darted to your face, your pale, dusty face before picking you up slowly in his arms, letting your legs hang low as he stood up slowly. His arms trembled, looking at you like your limbs were made of glass. Hanta cursed under his breath, repeating profanities as he saw just how badly injured you were. Despite his worried face, his pinched eyebrows, his eyes looking like he hasn’t slept in years, you smiled, looking at him with half-lidded eyes.

“It’s your..birth…day..today”

His worry quickly turned to confusion before a small sheepish smile creeped up his lips. “Guess it is..” Yet the tone of panic never left his voice. You could feel him moving, walking as he looked around, scanning the area for help. Your weight would slightly bounce up and down as he picked up his pace, his breath still ragged and slightly labored. “Happy.. birthday… Hanta” You chuckled, instantly grimacing from the pain and gurgling from the blood lingering by your throat.

“Stop talking, idiot…” His voice strained, a slight tremble came as he felt the tears threatening to charge down his face.

Deep down, the fear was getting to you. That feeling of slowly slipping away from reality. The feeling that you might be dying. It had always been present, but right now, it just feels so much stronger. But you set that aside, let’s just hope a little bit for now. Perhaps… Miracles happen?

“What do you… want for your… birthday, Han…?” You asked pathetically, between gasps and coughs. He looks down to you, his steps not slowing down, still desperately trying to get a view of some sort, some form of help.

“I-... I don’t– I don’t know, damn it!” He panted, frantic. “Can you not, right now–?!” His voice cracked as he complained. “Where are the medics?!”

Silence filled the air, only his heavy steps and the gravel cracking under his boots. For a good few seconds, you could hear his heavy breaths, his winces of slight pain, and your own before he finally spoke up, “I..”

“I wanted to… take you on a date.” He confessed, looking down to you, smiling wearily. “...for this birthday.”

You could only smile back, sighing at his simple request as your hand went next to your head, squeezing his shoulder, giving an empty assurance. “...I’ll… try to… make that happen.”

Hanta could only nod, forcing a grin as he picked up his pace, shouting to the distance for someone, anyone to help. His arms tightened its grip around your knees, and drew close your head to his shoulder. He would sometimes stumble over his own feet, cursing slightly, and you would jolt from the sharp pain in your stomach.

But as his steps slowly faltered, so did your eyelids, as they grew heavier, and heavier. “Hanta…” You slurred, managing to only say some vowels clearly.

You looked up, your vision slowly growing into a blur, but his figure was still there. 

“Happy… birthday…”

He looked down upon you, panic filling his eyes, but of course you can’t see that. “I-I can’t… I can’t find anyone… shit, shit!!” His voice was slowly filled with panic, shaking you harshly as a desperate attempt to keep you awake. “Don’t you dare die on me! Don’t you fucking dare!”

What…? What did he say…? His voice only felt like an echo, ringing through your ears as you felt your body shake. You couldn’t even make out what you were looking at, is it the sky? The lights? The pain in your stomach had grown dull, and the world slowly fell dark. At least, for this moment, you had wished him his birthday… right?

｡𖦹°‧

“No, no, NO!” He shouted, running as he kept switching from looking at you to the road, shouting for anyone to come help, anyone to just please save you. “Plea–” His words were cut off by the lump in his throat as the road in front of him just came to a blur, and his cheeks felt warm as a tear rolled down through it, hanging by his jaw.

“Please, please, please… don’t do this, please…” 

Hanta’s quick steps halted, he gazed upon your limp body, shaking it. “Wake up, please… j-just… say… something, anything…” He bit down on his trembling lower lip, his brows frowned as he tried to figure out what to do. Slowly, he crouched down, eyeing your head that already hung back, your hands no longer gripping trying to hold back the pain, and your face no longer frowning, now resting as if you were sleeping… but your lips, your lips were so pale, and those tear tracks were still at the corners of your eyes. He gently placed down your body, desperately giving an attempt to call you out of death’s grip.

“Hey..” He sobbed, his voice strained, hoarse. “Wake up… please…”

His hand went to your face, patting your cheek repeatedly, almost slapping it. “Please, please… please…y/n don’t do this…” But even your face felt cold already, the vibrant color dancing around your smile no longer present, instead now replaced with a muted version of it, silenced by death.

His tears fell to your face, warm drops landing on a cold, soft surface as he sobbed. 

"...We're supposed to go on that date..."

Enveloping your body, he held your head close as he wailed, screaming his sobs to the ground. 

Happy birthday, Hanta.

dworkism | do not repost!

a/n : yaayy first post hehehe I hope this is good enough :P

got the inspo from this btw

➤ masterlist!

thank you to anyone who genuinely enjoys my writing if i saw u irl i would cry

HII LOVE YOUR TAMAKI WORK SM ALSO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU CAN DO TAMAKI X PREGNANT READER LIKE CUTE LITTLE THINGS LIKE THE BABY KICKING AND TAMAKI JUST HELPING READER WHEN EVER SHE IS HUNGRY OR PAIN AND WHEN THEY FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT THE BABY?? 💞💞

HELLO ANONN! first of all, thank you so muchh! I'm so glad you enjoy my work!! <33 thank you for this ADORABLLEE request! I had much fun writing this short one, I hope this satisfies you!

❀˖° — suneater's sunshine

pairings : tamaki amajiki x fem!reader

warnings : a bit suggestive at the start, but tis all!

➤ masterlist!

Tamaki had always been the pretty nervous one in your relationship. Hell, it was such a sight to see him all flustered on your first night after your wedding. He couldn’t stop apologizing and turning his head away, although his eyes did betray glances to you as you lay atop of him. 

And now here you were, sitting on the toilet, your hand trembled slightly as you clasped the other over your mouth.

Two lines.

So plain to the sight, obvious, plain. You are expecting.

Your lips slipped out a single chuckle of disbelief, and your hand found its way to your stomach, as if saying your silent hello to the one growing inside of you. 

The bathroom door burst open as you rushed out to Tamaki, who was busy fastening his cloak. He jolted upon your sudden loudness, “W-what’s wrong, angel?” He cautiously asked, walking over to you to study your expression that contrasted his concerned one. Your smile grew wider as you slowly lifted the small strip of pregnancy test to him, your finger pointing to the two lines displayed on it as you squealed. “I-I’m..” You giggled in giddiness, “Tama, I’m pregnant! I-I’m pregnant!!” 

Tamaki’s hand felt stiff so suddenly, dropping his cloak to the floor as he rushed closer to you, his hand hovering over the test as his eyes flickered upon it, as if studying it, figuring out if it was real or not. “H-how…? What…?” His voice was small, disbelief and a hint of smile laced upon it. He scoffed a laugh, before looking at you, as his smile grew wide. Gently, he grabbed you by the waist, and you could definitely feel his hands slightly tremble as he did. 

With a smile, he placed a small kiss on your forehead, “Thank you, angel.” He softly spoke. 

His hand moved to your chin to tilt it up just slightly, enough for him to look into your eyes, smiling so lovesick-ly. Then he kissed you again, this time on your nose as he pressed his forehead on yours. 

Ahem..! 

He pulled back slowly, now grasping you by the shoulders as his eyes turned somewhat serious, although a hint of pleading was in it as well. 

“This means… you should.. uh… stop drinking so much coffee, k-kay..?” Cracked and nervous was the voice that came out of him, and you could feel the slight tightening on his grasp. 

You chuckled, nodding as you rolled your eyes. “Yeeess, Tama. I promise,” 

⋆˚꩜｡

A few months had passed, and Tamaki couldn’t help but squeak softly in fuzziness for every time he saw you on the couch, all round and soft from the pregnancy, and as much he felt kind of guilty for it, he just couldn’t help but take a picture, and would even adore it for moments, smiling softly to himself. But as he heard the soft groan from you as you got up from the couch, he immediately rushed to your side, softly pushing you back down.

“Where are you going?” He asked, brows furrowing as a warning. 

“The dishes–” 

“I’ll do them, r-right now.” Were the words he would say before rushing to the chore. It happens all the time.

Whatever chore it was, he would say those exact words. Dishes? On it. Cooking dinner? Already did it. Hell, as much as hates it, he even took out the trash for you, forcing a strained smile as he walked out the door to convince you he was more than happy to help you around (which he was). Because if it meant you would rest and not buzz around the house, he’d do it.  

At nights where your mood swings were the worst, he’d always be there, and maybe even cry along with you just because he was too sentimental seeing you cry. He’d be kneeled down in front of you, caressing your belly softly, kissing it while he hushed things to you like; “You’re so strong, stronger than me, angel.” or “Oh, y/n, you’re so beautiful, hm? So beautiful..”

I can't stress it enough that he's such a fuss before and after doctor appointments. The first time your baby kicked, he was whispering sweet things to your belly, saying how excited he is to meet the baby and how beautiful it must be, and- nudge!

“What– what was that!!” He cried out, pointing to your belly as he shot up from his kneel.

You simply chuckled, reaching to his hand to calm him down as you replied, “It’s just the baby kicking, Tama.”

“But– but–! It was so harsh! A-and…” 

“I-I think we should go to the doctor, Y/n, I’m kind of worried…” 

And he did end up taking you to the doctor after about ten minutes of back and forth of him begging you and you reassuring him it was normal that a baby kicks, and his replies were always; “I know it’s normal for babies to kick! B-but that one wasn’t!!” (his argument was that the baby had always been calm before this)

So after the doctor did say it was normal, then he’d calm down. Rubbing his hand over his chest like an old grandma. But after the doctor says that you might have to rest more seeing the baby’s growth, he immediately took that and ran with it. By ‘ran with it’ I mean he forbids you to even go shopping, and he ended up being the one doing all the grocery shopping. And if that wasn’t enough, the moment you two came back from the doctor that day, he called his agency to say that he had to take a break from his hero work.

His reasoning?

“M-my wife needs me,”

Goodness, he was acting like the pregnant one the whole time, and panicked the most at the smallest events. Don’t even get me started when you said you had cramps that time when you woke up in the morning. (He thought he had killed the baby accidentally by kicking it when he was sleeping)

dworkism | do not repost!

➤ masterlist!

𐙚⋆° — reparation

pairings : hanta s. x gn!reader

warnings : i made this story from a dream i had guys pls pls sorry if its bad, reader is in support course :0, slowww buuurrnn, kind of IMPLIED but not explicitly said to be fem!reader (they just hang out a lot with the girls cause yea), LOTS of dialogue, and SWEARING , suicide joke SORRY

a/n : IM SORRY I MAKE SO MANY HANTA STUFF ZZZZZ i think i'll make eijiro next cAUSE this was kinda based off of this

➤ masterlist!

4,1k word count!

The Sports Festival was the first time you saw him. That lopsided grin present as his name flashed on the screen. Your first thought was how funny he looked. Sure, he’s cute, but those elbows are such a characteristic. You couldn’t help but snicker a bit. Seeing him get absolutely devoured by a certain two-tone haired, yet that smile persisted, as if it’s a stubborn stain, refusing to be washed away. 

You remember that time, texting Kyoka about it.

[ 12:30 ] you : was that guy from your class lol [ 12:30 ] you : he’s kinda cute :P 

And maybe that was the trigger point. 

When Higari asked your class to create a gear design based off of a quirk, you didn’t sketch out a gear for yourself, or a pro-hero, no. Maybe it was just inspiration, or maybe just admiration; but you made a gear based off of him. The page is still stuck in your notebook until now, complete with little notes of each parts’ functions and whatnot. Even Higari himself nodded in approval. Yet the gear never came to life.

Or so you thought.

It was the middle of the semester when students in the heroics course started flooding the workshop. Around that time Mei seemed to work tirelessly day and night from how many requests she’s gotten from them. You were not much different, although the requests sent to you were quite a bit easier. Then one morning, that same lanky figure, lazing grin and laid back voice was present. In flesh, Hanta Sero. 

His first awkward greeting to you was when you were carefully screwing shut a small contraption. 

“Hey uh…” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck while his other hand was holding something, like scraps of metal or something.

“C-can you help me uh… fix this?” His grin grew, a look of guilt present in his face, mixed with sheepishness. 

Your face contorted to confusion, brows stitched together while you attempted to figure out what was supposed to be fixed when all he held out was scraps of metals and screws. 

With a sigh, you lifted up your goggles, and said; “I can’t fix scraps,”

“I’ll just make you a new one. Just describe to me what your gear’s supposed to do.” You chuckled, hands already snaking to the table to grab your notebook and pen.

And now here you are. Second year, second semester. You had grown close with the girls in the heroics course, especially Mina and Kendo, since they visit the workshop a little bit too often.

It was lunch time, you sat with the girls from 2-A, chattering and laughing about.

“How about you, y/n?” Tooru’s voice chimed through your daze. “You never tell us anything!”

You raised your eyebrows in interest, a hum to respond. 

Tooru giggled, “You never tell us who you’ve got your eyes on! Come onn, there’s gotta be someone, right?”

You blinked. 

Someone..?

You huffed a chuckle, “Nah, probably someone soldering iron right now.” 

But then your mind flickered to that one page in your notebook. That lazy grin and those cheesy jokes he’d throw around while you measured his elbows, and how you’ve somehow memorized his blazer’s smell that always reeked of tangerines. Or maybe how he sometimes would bring your favorite snack with him, giving it to you as a token of gratitude.

Your eyes fell to your tray, your lunch still half eaten while your chopsticks hovered over your rice. “I dunno,” You shrugged. “M’ not really thinking of that stuff right now,” 

Mina whined, “See? I told you! It’s hard to get y/n’s mouth to open about these kinds of stuff!” 

A smirk tugged at your lips as you took a portion of rice into your mouth, chuckling at her acts. 

༉‧₊˚.

You hummed to the song playing in the workshop as you carefully placed a small chip into the gear laid in front of you. A small tweezer pinched in your hand as you slowly descended the small piece, only for the door to open with an ear-cracking holler.

“yyyyy/nnnnn” Hanta’s voice whined, his feet dragging him to your desk.

“My gear broke, again! Such horror…” He dramatically collapsed himself, placing a hand on his forehead as he handed out his wrecked gear.

You stifled back a laugh, rolling your eyes as you focused your attention on the gear on your desk again, carefully placing the chip.

“You do this every week like it’s a routine,” You chuckled.

He gasped, placing his hand on his chest. “Foul creature!” 

He stood up, pointing his finger to the sky while his lips twitched to a smile. “I must tell you, this gear is simply not able to contain my true power!” 

“Falling down the stairs is not true power, Han.” You grinned, screwing shut the gear as you examined it one last time.

“...Okay, fine I dropped it.” He huffed, “But it just means your work needs to be evaluated!” He argued, pacing back and forth as if lecturing you.

“You’re one to talk,” You snorted, setting aside the small gear to a box before turning your chair to face him, to face his stupidly grinning face.

He laughed, getting on his knees as he handed the gear on his palms to you like it’s an offering. “Pleaseeee, pleaseee, fix this, pleaasee?” 

With a roll of your eyes, you snatched the gear, placing it on your desk for the umpteenth time, your hands already readying the same screws, bolts, and everything the gear needed, already embedded into your memory like it’s your mother’s recipe. “I don’t even have to ask what’s broken anymore, Han, it’s that often.”

“Hey, it makes your job easier, riigghtt?” He nudged your shoulder. “Besides, it gives me an excuse to see you, don’t you miss me sometimes?” He asked, pulling a chair to sit.

You smiled, hands pausing on the gears casing as you were unscrewing it. 

“I guess,” You mumbled.

He chuckled, the sound coming out more like a shriek more than anything. 

“I gueeess” He imitated, you can even hear him sticking out his tongue at you. “Lying is bad y/n. Admit it. Your workshop feels dead without me,” 

“I like the quietness better, actually.”

He giggled, “Ouch, man, here I thought we were long lost siblings.” With a creak of the chair, he leaned to your desk, eyeing you from the side. “I’ll pay you back, ‘kay?”

“With what?” You chuckled, eyes fixed on the gear. 

“Banana milk,” He snickered, “And maybe if I’m feeling generous I’ll also buy you those steamed cakes you always eat since our first year.” 

“The fuck?” You snorted. “You remember that?”

He pssh’ed, “Duh?”

“You eat that shit like it’s a reward every time you’re done with like… five gears or something,”

Glancing sideways, you couldn’t stop the grin tugging at your lips. “You’re weird.”

“You love me,” He teased, pushing himself to stand up from the chair. “Those steam cakes are ass, you’re weird.” 

You mumbled a mock to him, sticking out your tongue as you reached out to grab a mold from the drawer. 

His steps receded as he laughed, hands buried in his pocket while he walked backwards towards the door.

“I’ll get the original flavour,” He yelled. “Byeeee,” 

Clack.

An hour and thirty minutes.

It took an hour and thirty minutes for you to finish that damned gear. To be exact, an hour and thirty minutes after you’ve finished the other gears before that. With a small groan, you stretched your arms above your head, your body’s slouch finally stretched out to fix your posture. 

07:30 P.M. — The clock blinked, red bold digital numbers as if reminding you to stop and close the workshop for the day. So you did. 

With a soft click, you locked the workshop’s doors, sighing softly to yourself while your other hand clutched your bag, keeping it on your shoulder. The floors of the building squeaked with the rubber soles of your shoes as you dragged your feet, echoing against the empty building.

Tucked away carefully in your bag was the reason. His gear, you even painted it in his signature colors; white, black, and yellow. Maybe that was the reason your clothes smelled like fresh paint all over, but you didn’t mind. You’d stuck a small note on it, written in your handwriting;

‘Don’t break this one >:(‘

The conversation from earlier rang in your mind again. Tooru’s sweet voice chiming that casual question, but somehow it bugs you a bit. “Come onn, there’s gotta be someone, right?”

Someone.

You chuckled softly to yourself as you mindlessly made your way to his class, no need to remind you again; his desk was third from the back, second from the right. 

With a small noise, you placed down the gears, securing it into his drawer before you silently made your way out of the dark, empty classroom, then making your way to your dorm. 

༉‧₊˚.

“Jeez,” Hanta muttered in awe, carefully examining the gears now resting on top of his desk. His grin grew as he saw the note, an expression—that of amazed and amused. His thumb grazed carefully over it, as if afraid to smudge it. 

Even the colors were spot on, too, his colors. Small details you had implanted to the gear—maybe it was to ensure that he doesn’t break it again, or maybe it was just your way of evaluating your work. Either way, he finds himself grinning from ear to ear as he chuckles, looking at his newly fixed gear. You’d put an additional hole on the strap so he can adjust it more accordingly, the edges were smoothed out so that it sits comfortably on his arms.

“Shut up,” He laughed, the sound coming out more gentle—awestruck, adoring.

༉‧₊˚.

Knock knock knock! — The workshop door opened slightly, creaking as a shuffling sound made its way into the room. He’s right behind me, isn’t he.

“Moooorning,” He sang out, shaking the plastic bag in front of you. 

“Banana milk, and steamed cake. Just how my favorite mechanic likes it.” He placed the bag beside your arm, “Yooouu’re welcome,” Pride laced his voice.

God, all you can do is smile, as you slowly peeked your hand into the plastic bag, peeking inside with the exact things he said. “You know you don’t have to do this aaall the time, right?”

“I know,” He shrugged, rocking back and forth on his heels. “But I wanna,” 

“...You’re just bribing me,”

“I’m for reeaaaalll”

“...Thanks, Han.” You hummed, smiling softly as you reached into the bag, unwrapping the small steamed cake. The plastic rustled against your fingers as you tried to open it.

“You suck at opening shit,” He snickered, snatching the cake from you, ripping it open before handing it back to you. “Hm, eat,”

You blinked at him, feigning offense. “I was getting there.” You said, chuckling. 

“Sure you were,” he teased, plopping down onto the nearest stool like he owned the place. “At the speed of a dying turtle.” The noise he made next was ugly. Imitating a grandma talking. 

“Screw off,” You giggled, sticking your tongue out at him but took a bite anyway.

He watched you, arms crossed and chin propped on the edge of the worktable, eyes all full of mischief and… something else. Quieter. Warmer.

“You should smile like that more often,” he said out of the blue, his smirk faded into a small smile.

Your chewing paused. “…Like what?”

He leaned back with a stretch. “Like you actually like me.”

You shot him a look. “Han—”

“Kiddingg!” he grinned, holding his hands up in surrender. “Juusst kidding.”

After a small pause, he spoke up, “I gotta go now, my first class is heroics,” Hanta smiled, slapping his palms to his knees as he stood up. 

With his hands in his pockets he walked to the door. “Byyyee, don’t miss me,”

“Oh, and finish the cake, it was super expensive.”

It had been like that for a little over a year now. He’d come to you, whining about his broken gear, begging on his knees for you to fix it—and every time you did so, you threatened him to never break it again or you’re not fixing it ever again. But that never happened. Every time he whined back to you, you’d fix it, no matter how much you groaned about it, you still fixed it for him. And he’d come to you the next morning to bring your favorites; always the same banana milk and steamed cake. 

And honestly? It stuck to you. It became a small little routine for you, something you’d grown used to. But today—after yesterday’s little chat at lunch—it felt special, somehow. It felt like he saw you, like he…

…cares about you. 

But that was just a silly thought. 

You snorted. 

Hanta’s nice. That’s what he is, nice, friendly. Welcoming to everyone, and you were no exception. 

༉‧₊˚.

God, these projects show no mercy. And if you weren’t that much of a procrastinator, maybe these wouldn’t be stacked up into a bundle that you had to finish by tomorrow. A small grumble left your lips as you tweaked the final blueprint, scratching down the stiff paper before huffing a small celebration, rolling it up to tuck it behind your desk. 

The clock showed the time—06:30 P.M.

Ugh. You missed your show again. With a small sigh, you stepped towards the door, rummaging through your pocket to ready the keys and lock the door. 

Clack. The door closed, the lock clicking softly as you turned it to the right, jingling before you stuffed it back into your pocket. 

“Like you actually like me.” His joke echoed. 

His joke.

You brushed it off, even though a small smile tugged on your lips as you adjusted your bag over your shoulder, steps light towards the exit. 

Wait. Is that…?

Standing by the gates was that same lanky figure, tall and lilt, hair slicked from the rain while his laugh echoed through it. You almost smiled, almost laughed at his face. Almost. Before you saw her. A small girl standing next to him, smiling so sweetly at him while his blazer was draped over her, fitting and perfect. The same blazer he usually draped over your shoulder when the workshop felt too cold, and he felt too warm. The one that had a small twinge of oil stuck to its cuff. The one that smelled like tangerines.

He said something. Something that made her laugh. And he smiled at that. He smiled at her laugh.

Like he was proud of it. 

You felt your chest twist. Scrunched up and stretched. The rain wasn’t making anything better. The fact that you’re tired and pent up from today made everything worse. 

So you ran. 

You ran past them, bag over your head as you picked up your pace, your face was wet, and cold, not just from the rain. You hoped he didn’t see you, didn’t see that grimace you had on your face, didn’t see the way you bit your lip. But you hoped he did. Hoped he saw you. 

The streets were blurry by the rain, thunder clapping above your head as you ran to the dorms. And you slipped. Slipped just enough to make you drop to your knees and scraped your palms. You groaned in frustration, in hurt.

So all this time you were just his fixer upper? Cool.

༉‧₊˚.

Two weeks.

It took him two weeks to notice something was wrong. Sure, you still fixed his gear, although he didn’t break them this time. Said they were ‘too pretty’ to be broken, but even that didn’t earn your usual witty remark, you just smiled faintly to him. 

But he brushed it off. 

Maybe you were just tired, maybe his trick of ‘breaking’ his gear was starting to piss you off. Maybe he needed a new excuse to see you other than fixing his gear. 

Maybe you were growing tired of him. Naaaahhh. No way, jose. 

You like his company, you enjoy being around him. He sees that, he sees you. 

…But why were you pulling away? Did he say something? Okay maybe he did throw a small offensive joke. But you always laughed at that! So what was wrong? What was so wrong that you’re not even laughing at his jokes? His actions? Him?

Okay, fine. Whatever. Maybe you just needed some space. 

So he gave you that. 

But the moment he came into the workshop shaking your usual banana milk and steamed cake combo, and you rejected that? 

“I’m good, Han. Thanks.” You replied. Blunt, short, precise, to-the-motherfucking-point.

Oh he screwed up. He screwed something up. 

“Oh, uh..”

“Okay, I’ll uh… give this to Denks then, dude eats everything.” He chuckled awkwardly, the plastic rustling by his side.

“Mhm, okay.” 

Shiiiittt he’s so screwed. 

You didn’t even chuckle, and that’s how he knew.

༉‧₊˚.

“They hate me. They hate me so bad. I’m killing myself.” Hanta whined to his pillow, Kaminari perched by the edge of his bed.

“They didn’t even CHUCKLE at me, Den.” He groaned, his muffled voice cracking as he threw his arms up.

Kaminari sighed, arms folded as he glanced at the ravenette. “You’re being dramatic, Han.”

“No I’m not!” He protested, shooting up from his bed to sit up. “I’m not, okay? I just—I don’t know what I did, I just—...” He sighed, flopping back into his bed, groaning as he ran his hands over his face. “I don’t wanna lose them, Den..” He mumbled in a trembling voice.

“Then tell them that.” Kaminari shrugged, a chuckle on his lips as he scooted closer, patting Hanta’s thigh.

“...How?” He croaked back. “I don’t even know what I did wrong, dude I just…”

“Two weeks ago we were fine, I even made risky ass jokes to them and they laughed! And when I was lending that girl my blazer—”

Kaminari whistled. “Bingo.”

The bed shuffled as he sat up, head darting to Kaminari’s way while his mouth hung open. “Shit.”

“Go, Han.” 

༉‧₊˚.

The halls of UA had never felt so… suffocating. He’s been here before, like hours like these too. Just now he feels like he’s risking his life as he stares at the slightly cracked open door of the support course workshop. His steps felt heavy, like lead weights dragged through the ground, and his mouth felt dry, like water had never touched his tongue, and suddenly the plastic bag in his right hand felt too plastic-y. The faint tune of your favorite song was humming through the air, as well as the consistent whir of the sanding machine. 

As he slowly pushed the door open, the creak felt loud—too loud. Loud enough for you to dart your eyes to the door and paused your hand. His throat fell dry, drier than before.

“H-hey,” He grinned. It felt too wide, too stiff. But he didn’t care.

You held your gaze on him for a moment, brows furrowed, and he swore even when he couldn’t see your eyes through your goggles, he felt your stare pierce through him. 

The sanding machine came to life again, louder this time as you ducked your head back to the gear in your hand. “Hey,” you mumbled back, not bothering to look at him.

“I uh…”

“I wanted to talk to you,” He chuckled, stepping just a bit closer, his hand gripping the plastic bag tighter.

Perhaps his portion of response from you had run out. You stayed silent as you continued sanding the casing of the gear, stopping briefly to examine it. 

“...Y-you’re mad, at me, …I think,”

“And I uh…I just… I wanted to fix that, y/n.” He shifted his weight between his feet, chewing his bottom lip as you slowly paused the machine, setting it aside on your desk.

“Why?” You bluntly asked. Perching your elbow on your armrest as you lifted up your goggles. 

God, you’re such a sight to him. Even angry and frowning at him like this, you took his breath away, if not more.

“B-because—...”

“I care?” 

“I mean–! I care, I care, …I care… a lot,” He grinned again, nodding as if convincing himself before he cleared his throat, louder than necessary. “I care… I care about you, y/n.”

His gaze fell to the ground, pressing his lips into a thin line, he shut his eyes. “I…I made a mistake, okay? A-and… I hurt you, and I’m… real sorry, y/n.”

“...I don’t…wanna lose you,” He breathed that out, coming out barely above a whisper while his hand gripped the plastic bag tighter.

“Look–.. that one time, y-you saw me with that girl at the gate? S-she meant nothing, okay?”

“I just…wanted to be nice,” He muttered quietly, almost as if in shame. 

“You’re always nice, Han.” You blurted, finally opening up your voice. It felt cold, different from what he was so used to hearing. “You’re always nice to everyone, aren’t you?” Your voice shook.

“...You probably think this is stupid, I don’t care.” You spat, your voice held a small tinge of anger in it.

“You made me think that you… you liked me, and—” 

“Because I do.” 

The words hung there, waiting for your response as the air conditioner hummed through the air.

“I…I do like you, y/n.”

“A lot.” He whispered quietly, his arms swinging in nervousness as he chewed on his lip, suffocated by the silence you answered with. 

You stared at him. 

Not just because he was standing there, but his words rang to your ears. It was what you wanted to hear. That confession, that maybe he cared for you for a reason. And he did. He did care for you for a reason. 

“For a long time now, okay?”

“I—... I don’t even know when– I just–...”

He sighed. “I just… really like talking to you, I like how you understand my dumb jokes, and you even—...it’s dumb, but you flirt back when I do, okay? And that shit was hot… for me.”

He groaned, wiping his eyes with frustration in his movements, throwing his head back as he stammered; “I’m screwing this shit up– I’m..” 

“y/n I’m just… sorry,” He said, finally looking at you. Hints of tears threatening to fall down his cheeks while he stared at you with desperation written all over his face.

“Please don’t… don’t leave,” 

And you wanted to cry, and laugh, at the same time. Cry because you’ve never seen him like this, because did he really just lay his heart bare to you? Laugh because God he looks ridiculous right now. So desperate, so sad, if this was a less serious moment, maybe you’d pull out your phone and record him. 

So you smiled, “I like you too,”

“H–..What..?” He croaked back, his voice unsteady as he looked up at you again.

“I like you, Hanta, I like you, back.”

He breathed out a laugh, finally smiling after what felt like his face was stretched down to the earth for the past few minutes, he grinned, running his hand through his hair. “You– what?” 

Ahem. “Okay wait, pause—” 

“C-can I–..?” A hand reached out to you hesitantly, sheepish and nervous, twitching slightly as if scared you’ll break if he touches you. 

Slowly, you reached back, enveloping your hands into his, letting him slowly pull you into his embrace. Warm, quiet, and… smells like tangerines. A small giggle escaped his lips as he brought his hand up to your hair, carefully caressing it. “Shit, I’m so— happy right now,”

His heartbeat was fast, shinkansen speed-kinda-fast, you heard it as you slowly buried your face to his shoulder, your arms awkwardly wrapping around his waist, and you couldn’t help but smile widely, nuzzling yourself into him. 

“I thought I messed this up, I swear— like, real bad, y’know?” He murmured into your hair, a hand gently resting over the line between your hip and waist. “I thought I lost you,” 

With a swift motion, he took off his blazer, carefully resting it on your shoulders, as he wrapped his arms around you again.

“S’ yours now,”

“...What?”

“My blazer—...your blazer.”

You giggled, lightly pinching his shoulder. “Shut up,”

“Hey come on!” He chuckled, “I’ll even trademark it for ya,”

You grinned against his shoulder, arms wrapping just a bit tighter around him.

“C’mon, I know you looovee me that much, but I know you’re also hungry,” His hand nudged your arm with the plastic bag, “I brought my favorite mechanic’s favorites,” He hummed out.

“Steamed cake and banana milk.”

He grinned. “Just how you like it,” 

And in the warm, quiet thrum of the workshop, under buzzing lights and the soft scent of sawdust and tangerines, it finally felt right.

Like home.

dworkism | do not repost!

➤ masterlist!

i gotta write other things other than this man i swear

can you pretty please write something based on the song Would You Fall in Love With Me Again from Epic? I was thinking like, barbarian bakugo but he went to war or somethin’ and finally gets home to his wife?

the village gates loomed in the distance, barely visible through the morning mist. the scent of rain and blood clung to the air, but for the first time in years, katsuki bakugo paid it no mind. his fingers twitched at his side, the leather of his armor worn from war. his sword, heavy as the burdens he carried, hung loosely at his hip.

he had returned. but would she still want him?

his steps slowed as he neared the familiar path leading to their home. it was still there—unchanged, untouched as if time had waited for him. the wooden beams, the carved symbols of protection along the frame, the worn stone path leading to the door. a home he had built with his own hands.

a home he feared he no longer belonged in.

the door creaked open before he could knock.

“katsuki?”

there she stood. his wife. his love. the woman he had fought for across a thousand battlefields.

you.

you looked just as he had remembered and yet… not. there was something in your eyes, something weary, something knowing.

"is it really you?" your voice trembled, your hands gripping the doorframe as if to steady yourself. "or am i dreaming again?"

his throat went dry. he wanted to say something—anything—but all he could do was stare.

he had imagined this moment a hundred times, had whispered your name into the cold night air of distant lands, had prayed to gods he no longer believed in just to see you again.

but now that you were here, he didn’t know if he had the right to reach for you.

"you look... different," you whispered. "your eyes… they look tired."

his lip curled, not in anger, but in some bitter, broken thing that resembled a smile. "that ain't the only thing that's different."

you took a step closer, hesitant, searching. your gaze trailed the hollows of his cheeks, the sharpness of his jaw. your fingers twitched as if aching to touch him, but you held back. 

a sharp breath left him. he knew what you saw. he wasn't the man you had once known. he was something else now. something ruined.

"i'm not the man you fell in love with," he admitted, voice rough like gravel. "not the man you married."

you flinched, but you didn’t look away.

"i'm not your husband anymore," he continued, his voice quiet, pained. "my love... would you fall in love with me again, if you knew all i've done?"

your breath hitched. "what... have you done?"

katsuki shut his eyes. when he opened them, they were dark with memories he wished he could forget.

"left blood on every fuckin' battlefield," he sighed. "traded soldiers like weapons. hurt more lives than i can count." his jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists. "but every goddamn thing i did… was to come back to you."

he exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "so tell me. would you still love me?"

your eyes shimmered with unshed tears. you studied him again, truly seeing him, the man he was now—the weight he carried, the sins etched into his skin.

then you turned, walking deeper into their home. katsuki's chest ached as you disappeared from view. maybe this was it. maybe you couldn’t—

"could you do me a favor?" your voice drifted from within.

"what is it, my love?" his brow furrowed as he followed, stepping inside for the first time in years. the air smelled of you. of home. 

you were quiet for a long time, the wind whispering between you. then, at last, you stepped forward, eyes steady. 

you turned your gaze to the large wedding bed in their home, carved from the sturdy olive tree that had stood as a silent witness to your love since the beginning.

“that bed,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “could you lift it? carry it far away from here?”

his blood ran cold.

“how could you say that?” his voice cracked, the anger, the exhaustion, the heartbreak all colliding into one. “i built that bed with my own fuckin' hands. carved it from the tree where we first met. the only way to move it is to—”

his breath caught. he looked at you, realization striking him like lightning. his chest ached. his arms, worn from war, longed for your warmth.

“…you knew."

you stepped closer, cradling his face in your hands. his hands came, gripping your waist as if you were the only thing keeping him tethered to this world.

a small, trembling smile touched your lips. "only my husband would know that. so i guess that makes you... him."

his knees nearly buckled. he surged forward, hands cupping your face, his forehead pressing against yours.

tears slipped down your cheeks, but you smiled, truly smiled, as your hands finally touched him—fingers ghosting over scars and bruises and the remnants of war.

"i will fall in love with you over and over again, katsuki," you whispered. "i don't care how, where, or when. no matter how long it's been. you are mine.”

he crushed you to him, burying his face into your hair, his body shaking. katsuki swallowed hard, his vision blurring. “i told you… i’m not the same.”

"you're always my husband, katsuki," you murmured. "i've been waiting for you. i would have waited forever."

katsuki's arms tightened around you, grounding himself in your warmth, your love, your unwavering belief in him.

"you don't have to anymore," he whispered. "i'm home." 

katsuki held you tightly, his arms wrapped around you like he never wanted to let go. the weight of years, of battles, of bloodshed, all crumbled beneath the warmth of your touch.

you swallowed hard. “how long has it been?”

katsuki exhaled, his forehead resting against yours. his voice was barely above a whisper.

“twenty years.”

a breath hitched in your throat. twenty years. twenty years of waiting, of uncertainty, of praying that the man you loved would return to you. “god, katsuki…”

“i thought i’d never make it back to you,” he admitted, his voice breaking. “i thought—” he stopped himself, closing his eyes as he pressed his forehead against yours. “i don’t deserve this.”

"don’t say that," tears spilled down your cheeks as you cupped his face, your fingers trembling. “i love you.”

his breath shuddered. he had been through war. he had seen death, had taken lives, and had lived in the darkness for what felt like an eternity. and yet, nothing had ever struck him down the way those three words did.

a harsh, broken laugh escaped him, and he pressed his lips against your forehead.

“i love you more. always have. always will.”

you sobbed, burying yourself in his chest as he held you tighter, his body shaking from exhaustion, from relief, from love.

and for the first time in years, katsuki bakugo finally let himself fall. back into the home he had fought so hard to return to. back into you, his wife.

‎‧₊˚✧[ it's me, kia ! ]✧˚₊‧ ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ ‎‧₊˚✧[ more of katsuki ! ]✧˚₊‧

oh my fuck!!! i love the way you write hanta saur much. dying. stalked your masterlist for him. realised that i alr read two of it before and immediately questioned why i was following you. have a good day and night <33

HI ROWAAANN!!

1. thank you so much ☹️🫶 your words means a MUCH LOT to me, im so glad you enjoy the way i write!! and i hope you shall continue to find me so as we continue with this journey 💕💕

2. you!! have a greaaatt day, and a pleasant night!! 💕

you wrote this so beautifully like actually. it's gorgeous, like WOW mind blown

tell my mom we're in love | h. sero

fake dating wasn't on your holiday to-do list—until sero invited you home for tamales and chaos (3525 words)

you regretted this the moment you stepped out of the dormitory and into the sharp chill of mid-december air, a duffel bag hanging off one shoulder and your dignity already teetering on the edge. trailing beside you was hanta sero, practically vibrating with the smug energy of a man who had just talked his best friend into making the worst decision of her academic career.

and technically, he had.

somewhere between his mother's increasingly invasive matchmaking attempts and his inability to say the word "no" like a normal person, he'd decided the solution was to invent a girlfriend. and of course, of course, he'd chosen you.

"come on," he said now, as a cab idled at the curb, white exhaust curling into the crisp air like smoke from a slow-burning disaster. "tell me this won't be fun. just a little bit."

"i think i'm too emotionally aware to find this fun," you muttered, hoisting your bag into the trunk as he leaned beside you with his usual careless grace.

sero grinned—that unbothered, insufferably pretty grin that always made it harder to stay annoyed with him for long. "emotionally aware, huh? sounds like you're already getting into character."

you leveled him with a look. "if i'm your girlfriend, you're going to need to stop flirting like a golden retriever with a god complex."

"babe," he said, slipping into the backseat beside you with the kind of unearned confidence that should have come with a warning label, "flirting is literally how i survive in social settings. don't take this from me."

you stared out the window, hoping the freezing glass would cool the creeping warmth crawling up your neck. "we're not actually dating, hanta."

"right," he said, and he sounded amused, not wounded. "but we could be really good at it."

you didn't answer. he didn't press.

the cab pulled away from the dorms, and for a moment the silence between you was companionable, like it always had been. you'd known sero for years now—long enough to understand that his laid-back demeanor was as real as it was performative. he was the kind of person who made a room feel lighter just by being in it, but who also knew the weight of silence better than most people ever would.

he didn't make you feel like you had to be anyone but yourself. and that, unfortunately, was the root of the problem.

somewhere along the road from "we're just friends" to "please pretend to be my girlfriend so my mom stops trying to marry me off," things had started to shift.

not all at once. not obviously.

but they shifted.

now he was dozing beside you, his head tilted toward your shoulder, and every bump in the road made him inch closer. you should have nudged him off. you should have drawn the line.

but you didn't.

instead, you studied the soft lines of his face—the relaxed set of his mouth, the faint crease between his brows like his dreams were just a little too fast for his thoughts to catch—and you wondered what the hell you'd gotten yourself into.

by the time the cab slowed, the sun had dipped low, casting golden light over a neighborhood that looked far too idyllic to be real. sero's house was two stories of warmth and welcome: string lights curled along the porch railing, a wreath hung slightly crooked on the front door, and smoke drifted lazily from a chimney that promised something warm inside.

standing at the threshold was a woman with sharp eyes, a kind smile, and the unmistakable aura of someone who could both bake you cookies and emotionally destroy you in the same breath.

sero's mother.

you froze.

he didn't.

without hesitation, sero leaned in, brushing your hair behind your ear like it was the most natural thing in the world. his voice dipped just low enough for only you to hear. "smile like you love me."

then he reached for your hand.

his fingers, long and warm, laced effortlessly through yours.

you didn't pull away.

and that was the moment—standing at the edge of his childhood, your fingers locked in his, heart skipping in the kind of rhythm you weren't prepared for—that you realized you were in far more danger than you thought.

because part of you didn't want to let go.

the cab hadn't even rolled to a full stop before sero's mom was standing in front of it, arms crossed, eyes already locked onto her target like a seasoned general. you had seen pictures, sure—sero had shown you a few over lunch one day, swiping through images of his mom with an almost reverent fondness—but none of them did her justice.

she was radiant. that was the first word that came to mind. not in some soft, dreamy way, but in the sharp, unmistakable warmth of someone who had mastered the art of existing unapologetically. she had a scarf looped carelessly around her neck, dark hair pinned up with wisps escaping, and that immediate, unnerving energy unique to mothers who know everything before you say a word.

"hanta," she said brightly as you approached. "you took forever, mijo. i was about to call."

and then her eyes slid to you.

her whole face changed.

"qué linda," she said, stepping down toward you without hesitation. "you're even prettier than the pictures."

you opened your mouth to answer—say something polite, maybe even charming—but instead you were pulled into a hug so warm and familiar you forgot how to speak altogether.

she smelled like cinnamon and butter, like café and home. her arms wrapped around you without hesitation, solid and reassuring, and you blinked twice before realizing she wasn't letting go just yet.

she pulled back, hands on your shoulders, eyes scanning your face with curiosity. "how old are you, mija?"

"seventeen," you managed. "ua student. same class as hanta."

"top twenty," sero chimed from behind you, proud and useless.

his mom smiled wider. "good. you'll need that to keep up with him. he talks too much."

"i'm right here," sero said, offended.

"and what's your quirk, sweetheart?" she asked, guiding you inside like she owned every molecule of the house—which she probably did.

"just a luck quirk," you replied. "it's not anything big or flashy."

"flashy's overrated," she said. "flashy gets you on magazine covers, but smart keeps you alive. hanta could use some of that balance."

sero made a wounded noise. "i'm right here."

you stepped into the house and tried not to gape. it was warm and lived-in, with mismatched furniture and soft lights, and framed photos in every direction. you passed at least three different versions of baby sero—one with cake on his face, one dressed as a shark, and one in a tiny suit looking like he'd lost a bet.

you were immediately ushered to the couch, where sero flopped down beside you like he'd done this a thousand times. his arm stretched along the back of the cushions behind you, easy and casual, but you felt the heat of it like a brand against your neck.

his mom sat in the armchair across from you, one leg crossed, hands folded, expression deceptively pleasant.

"so," she said. "how long have you two been together?"

"six months," you and sero answered in unison.

your eyes met. you both smiled.

it was practiced, but god—it didn't feel like a lie.

"how'd you meet?" she asked next.

sero leaned forward like he was telling a secret. "training. she beat up kaminari. i've never recovered."

you tried not to laugh. "he followed me around for a week."

"i was courting you."

"you were loitering near vending machines."

"i was being persistent," he corrected. "it worked, didn't it?"

his mom watched you both, eyes narrowed just enough to make you sweat.

"and what do you like about my son?" she asked you, suddenly.

your mouth went dry.

sero glanced sideways, surprised.

but the answer came easy.

"he's reliable. and funny. and he listens—really listens. like you're the only person in the room."

you could feel sero's eyes on you, and the room felt warmer than it had a second ago.

"he's easy to be around," you said, a little softer now. "i feel like i can breathe near him."

a long silence stretched across the room.

then sero bumped your shoulder with his own, voice low. "you're not supposed to make me blush in front of my mom."

his mom smiled, pleased. "i like you."

you smiled back, because how could you not. "thank you."

"i made tamales," she said, rising to her feet. "sit tight. i'll get you a plate."

"do you need help—?" you started, half-standing.

"no, no. you're a guest. you sit and let yourself be adored."

she vanished into the kitchen with surprising speed.

the moment she was out of earshot, you collapsed sideways onto the couch.

"i blacked out," you whispered. "what did i even say?"

"that i'm amazing and you love being around me," sero said smugly.

you shot him a look.

he leaned a little closer, voice dropping. "also, you were adorable. you didn't have to go that hard. i almost forgot it was fake."

you didn't answer.

⊹ ࣪ ˖

dinner came after a comfortable lull in the afternoon—just enough time for you to grow used to the house's warmth, the quiet hum of kitchen sounds, and the sound of sero humming to himself as he helped his mom plate tamales. there was something undeniably domestic about it—watching him lean over the counter, sleeves pushed up, swiping a bit of masa from the corner of a dish with a grin when he thought no one was watching.

you caught yourself watching.

a little too long.

and when he turned around and caught your eye, offering you a wink that made your stomach stutter—you looked away, pretending to study the wall like it had secrets.

the house filled slowly with more noise, more feet, more voices. by the time dinner was ready, the table was surrounded by people—his siblings, all younger, all chaos incarnate. there were five in total, ranging from what looked like barely ten to maybe sixteen. all of them clearly adored sero, and all of them clearly had a thousand questions about you.

"are you really his girlfriend?" one of the younger girls asked, blinking up at you from her seat at the far end of the table.

sero, already sitting beside you, reached for your hand under the table without hesitation. "of course she is," he said easily. "she puts up with me. that's gotta mean something."

you glanced sideways, surprised by the way his thumb started tracing circles into your palm. his fingers were warm, his grip relaxed, like this was a habit and not a performance. your first instinct was to pull away—but you didn't. you let him hold on.

"do you like him?" one of the boys asked bluntly, somewhere between a dare and a test.

you looked over at sero, who was already looking at you.

and the smile that spread across his face wasn't teasing. it wasn't even smug.

it was soft.

"i do," you said honestly. "he's easy to like."

one of his sisters actually swooned.

their mother returned from the kitchen, a stack of warm plates balanced in her arms. "aye, look at you two," she said fondly, setting down the food. "you look like you've been married five years already."

sero snorted. "that's because she already tells me what to do."

"someone has to," you said, nudging his leg under the table.

his knee pressed into yours and didn't move.

the meal began in full, voices rising over each other, stories flying back and forth like birds across the table. tamales were unwrapped, passed down, devoured. rice and beans steamed in bowls at the center. someone spilled horchata and got teased for it for fifteen minutes straight.

sero kept his hand under the table the entire time.

sometimes on your knee. sometimes brushing your fingers. once, briefly, resting on your thigh with a touch so casual and confident you forgot how to breathe for a second.

"so how did you know?" his mom asked halfway through the meal, raising an eyebrow. "that you liked each other, i mean."

you blinked. "um."

sero didn't miss a beat.

"she made this face at me once," he said, totally serious. "during training. right after i got my ass handed to me. and i thought—yeah. i'd let her ruin my life."

you choked on a sip of water. "that's not what happened."

"you raised your eyebrow," he insisted, "like i was both impressive and pathetic. it was very motivating."

"you were bleeding."

"romance is about timing."

the table erupted in laughter.

"you're ridiculous," you muttered, but there was no bite to it. you felt lightheaded from smiling too much.

his younger sister leaned over the table toward you. "you make him less annoying," she said seriously. "he's, like, way less weird with you here."

"he's still weird," someone else muttered.

"hey," sero said, deeply offended. "i'm the glue of this household."

"you're the glitter glue," one of the boys shot back. "unnecessary and all over everything."

the conversation swirled, but it was warm. easy. you felt like you'd slipped into a rhythm you hadn't known you were missing. sero's family didn't make you feel like an outsider. if anything, they treated you like a permanent fixture—like they already liked you, just because he did.

and sero—he kept looking at you.

in the quiet moments between bites. when you laughed at something his brother said. when you wiped your fingers on your napkin and he passed you your drink like he'd already anticipated you'd reach for it.

"you're really good at this," you whispered during a lull, leaning in.

"at what?" he asked, voice low, chin tilted toward you.

"this," you said. "pretending."

his eyes flicked down to your mouth, just for a second.

"what can i say," he said quietly. "i'm something of an actor."

you snickered.

and then his mom called your name from across the table.

"you like dessert, mija?" she asked, already bringing out the plates.

you blinked twice before answering, forcing a smile. "of course. thank you."

sero didn't look away from you for a long time.

dinner had long ended. the noise had faded. sero's house, once pulsing with overlapping voices and clattering plates, now thrummed with a different kind of energy—low, contented, quiet.

his siblings had scattered, full-bellied and sugar-sticky, off to bedrooms and couches and wherever else they disappeared to in the evening. someone had turned on a dusty old playlist in the den, and the soft hum of vintage boleros curled through the walls like warmth that refused to die.

you stood in the hallway between the dining room and the back door, hovering in the in-between of things: of conversations and thoughts, of what was real and what had only started out that way.

you weren't sure what to do with your hands.

or your heart.

sero appeared beside you like he always did—quiet-footed and comfortably close, smelling faintly of soap and masa and something sweet from dessert you hadn't caught the name of. his sleeves were still pushed up, revealing his forearms, and you hated that you were looking at them. not because they weren't worth looking at—they were—but because it meant your guard was down. again.

"come on," he said softly. "balcony?"

you didn't answer. you just nodded and followed.

the air outside was sharp and clean. the kind of cold that wakes you up without being cruel. you wrapped your arms around yourself more out of instinct than discomfort. the balcony was small, with a windchime shaped like a lizard hanging from the overhang, and a view of soft suburban rooftops and yellow windows scattered like lanterns across the horizon.

you leaned against the wooden railing. he did the same.

neither of you spoke.

you were too full of the evening. of tamales and laughter. of too much touch under the table. of words you'd said with a smile that weren't lies—but weren't supposed to be true either.

the problem wasn't pretending.

the problem was that pretending didn't feel like pretending anymore.

you didn't know when it had changed. maybe it was gradual—each time he laced his fingers through yours without asking, or rested his hand on your thigh mid-story, or offered you a grin across the table that was so familiar, so soft, you forgot why you were here in the first place.

but it hit you now, standing beside him in the chill—this unshakable, irreversible knowledge:

you were in love with him.

god, you were in love with hanta sero.

not just in a surface-level, crush-colored way. not just in the i-like-how-he-makes-me-laugh way. it was deeper than that. older. something that had snuck in when you weren't looking and taken root so quietly you hadn't noticed until it was everywhere.

you were in love with the way he held space. with the way he listened without trying to fix you. with the way he let the world land on him lightly, and still carried it in both hands when it mattered.

you were in love with someone who didn't even know you weren't faking anymore.

you exhaled.

"you're quiet," he said, not looking at you. "regretting it already?"

you shook your head. "no. it's just... weird how easy it was. with your family."

he hummed. "they like you."

"they liked that i made you less annoying."

"that is the highest compliment in my house."

you smiled, faint. "they're sweet. loud, but sweet."

"you kept up fine."

"i think i blacked out for half of it."

"you were golden," he said, softer now. "you always are."

you turned toward him slowly.

the lights from the kitchen spilled faintly through the curtains behind you, catching just enough of his face for you to see how relaxed he looked. how present. how close.

you swallowed.

"hanta?"

he looked over at you, brows raised. "yeah?"

there was a beat of silence.

"i don't know how to lie to you," you said.

he blinked once.

then again, slower.

"what?"

"i mean," you continued, hands curling around the edge of the railing. "i've been trying. all day. and i thought i could. i thought i could pull it off—play the part, pretend—but then we got here, and your mom hugged me, and you touched my hand under the table, and i just... i don't know when it stopped being a bit."

his eyes searched your face like he was looking for something he'd already lost.

"hanta," you said again. "i'm in love with you."

his face froze.

the air between you seemed to still. the windchime didn't move. the whole world narrowed into this one pinpoint moment, bright and fragile and terrifying.

he stepped back—just barely.

"you don't have to keep pretending," he said. carefully. cautiously. "no one's watching anymore. you can drop it."

you stared at him.

"i'm not pretending," you said.

another beat. a sharp exhale.

his lips parted slightly. his brows furrowed, not in confusion, but in disbelief. in the kind of fear that came from wanting something too much and being afraid to reach for it.

"you're serious."

"i've never been more serious about anything in my life."

sero let out a long, shaky laugh. it cracked halfway through.

"say it again," he whispered.

"i'm in love with you."

and this time, you reached for him.

your fingers curled into the fabric of his hoodie, and you felt the moment he melted—slow and overwhelmed, the way something melts that's been cold for too long.

"you've got to be kidding me," he muttered, leaning into your touch. "i thought—god, i thought i was the only one losing my mind over this."

you smiled, eyes stinging.

"you weren't."

"i've been in love with you since second year," he admitted, voice breaking a little. "you kissed my cheek that one time after i carried your books back from the nurse's office, and i nearly died. like, actual cardiac arrest."

"that was a year ago."

"welcome to my long, slow descent into insanity."

you laughed, quiet and ridiculous.

and then he kissed you.

it wasn't rushed. wasn't showy. it wasn't a fireworks-and-credits-roll kiss.

it was the kind that happened in doorways, in hallways, in quiet rooms where hearts beat too loud. the kind that changed nothing and everything all at once.

he kissed you like he meant it.

you kissed him like you'd been waiting your whole life to.

when you finally pulled apart, his forehead rested against yours.

"you're real?" you whispered, breath catching.

"i better be," he said. "otherwise you've just confessed to a figment of your imagination."

you swallowed a grin.

his thumb traced your cheek.

"i thought this would end in disaster," he said quietly. "that pretending would ruin everything."

"and?"

"and now i don't want it to end at all."

you leaned in, bumping your nose against his.

"then it doesn't have to."

he smiled, and kissed you again.

not like he was pretending.

like he was home.