Work Text:
Yeah, it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Getting hit by some random ass weird quirk by accident. It seems almost inevitable when living in a superhuman society where almost everyone possesses some kind of unique quirk. Just a normal class trip, that’s all the students of 1A wanted. Just a little visit to the zoo. A simple treat given to the hero course as a gift from the Principal for all their hard work.
And it was great! Kaminari, Ashido, and Sero taking tons of pictures in front of every single animal display. Paying more attention to how the photos are coming out than to the actual animals they went to see. Kirishima dragging Bakugo to the aquarium section of the zoo to gaze in awe at the sharks. Shouting cheerfully about how manly they are. And Bakugo buying a shark plushie for his red-haired boyfriend, but stubbornly acting like it’s no big deal. Midoriya and Uraraka following Iida’s strictly mapped out route around the zoo. Asui and Hagakure hanging out in the reptile section and looking at all the different frogs. Jirou and Yaoyorozu enjoying the very beautiful and graceful bird show filled with lots of colorful exotic creatures.
Overall, it’s been an enjoyable experience, and everyone has been so excited for such a treat. But then things went wrong when one person noticed something a little strange. The class gathered for a lunch break and someone was missing.
“Hey, uh, where’s Todoroki?” Sero asks, turning to Midoriya and Iida.
“Oh,” Midoriya’s head perked up like he just realized Todoroki wasn’t there. “He said he wanted to look at the snow leopards, but that was a while ago. Let me try texting him.”
The green haired boy pulled out his phone and begun tapping on the screen, but before he could finish, one of the girls let out a small scream. The high-pitched tone came from the all-pink girl and then was followed by a less high-pitched shout from Uraraka. A flash of white and red bounced between them. It jumped off Uraraka and landed on Tokoyami, then Shoji, then Iida, and finally, it landed on Sero.
“It’s… a cat?” Ashido squeaked with a raised eyebrow, rubbing the spot on her shoulder where the little creature bounced off her.
Sero scanned his dark eyes over the cat. It almost seemed to be like a short-haired calico, but the right side of its face and body was completely white and the other side had several large splotches of red with hardly any white fur showing through. The left front and back paws were completely red, and its tail was split right down the middle with white fur on the right side and red fur on the left side. It also had one stormy grey eye on the completely white side, and one deep ocean blue eye on the red side. The more Sero stared at this little creature calmly sitting in his arms, the more he begun to realize how familiar it looked…
“T… Todoroki?” Sero blinked at the cat and it purred a little in response.
~~~~~~~~~~
Aizawa sighs heavily, approaching the group of students who have been waiting his return with the little white and red cat. As soon as the two-toned creature spots Sero on the couch, it jumps out of the teacher’s arms and hops into the black-haired male’s lap. Usual toothy grin greets the cat and Sero gently pets its furry little head.
“So?” Midoriya speaks up. “What did the doctors say?”
“They ran a little test and yes, that cat is Todoroki,” Aizawa responds. “Seems there was a little girl at the zoo who got lost and Todoroki was trying to help her, but then the girl’s quirk developed while he was holding her hand and searching for the girl’s mother. Luckily the mother was found and reunited with her child, but no one knew about Todoroki being turned into a cat until after they checked the security cameras. We contacted the mother and explained things, she apologized, and we assured her everything would be okay. The doctors said the quirk won’t last forever.”
“How long is Todoroki-kun going to be a cat?” Uraraka asks with a concerned head tilt.
“It could be anywhere between a week and a month,” the teacher continues. “The doctors said he’s going to act differently from how he normally would. He may feel uncomfortable around large crowds and choose to cling to one person he feels safe around.”
As he says that, everyone turns their attention to the male with wide abnormal elbows sitting on the couch with a white and red cat purring at his side. Sero feels their gazes and looks up with a hard blink. “W-what?”
“I didn’t know you and Todoroki were so close,” Ashido says with a little pout to her lip, arms crossed over her chest.
Sero shyly rubs at the back of his neck. “We’re not really… We just share manga sometimes.”
Midoriya cocks his head to the side curiously. “Todoroki-kun reads manga?”
The black-haired male blinks again. “Uh, yeah. You didn’t know?”
The green boy shakes his head in response. It’s quite strange for Todoroki to hide something from Midoriya. They were best friends, right? And why is KittyRoki insistent on clinging to Sero rather than Midoriya? Their conversations never really went past casual chatting about manga. Sero isn’t even sure if he could really consider the two of them friends because they don’t talk or hangout that much.
Though, he’d be lying if he said having little KittyRoki clinging to him didn’t make his heart skip a beat. He’s had a crush on the class pretty boy since laying eyes on his beautiful features. Hair white as snow and red as deep autumn leaves. One eye like a storm cloud and another eye like a pool of tropical ocean water. And although he doesn’t know the story behind Todoroki’s scar, Sero still found something enchanting about it. Little fantasies of tracing along the outline of it filling his head every time he sees it.
His dark gaze returns to the little creature purring in his lap. He gently rubs his thumb over the fur under KittyRoki’s blue eye, watching it close on instinct. It’s hard to notice with all the fur, but Sero can feel how much rougher the skin is compared to the rest of his body, telling him that the scar is still there, and this little cat really is the Todoroki he knows.
The presence of someone approaching him catches Sero’s attention and he looks up to see Aizawa setting a large bag next to him on the couch. “I’m sorry to spring this on you, but it seems Todoroki much rather stay with you than anyone else. So, I gathered all the supplies you’ll need to take care of him. That is, if you can?”
“Oh, yeah, totally!” Sero says, almost a little too excitedly. He clears his throat with a slight blush and averts his gaze. “I mean uh, yes. I can take care of him.”
“Have you even had a cat before?” Kaminari asks, raising an eyebrow.
Sero nods. “I grew up with a cat. It passed away a few months ago, but I remember how to take care of them still.”
“I’m trusting you then,” Aizawa says. “If you need anything, let me know.”
~~~~~~~~~
With heavy tired eyes, Sero glances at the clock on the stand at the head of his bed. It’s late, almost two in the morning. He has spent the whole night setting up everything KittyRoki needs and getting him settled in. Putting together a small scratching tower, rearranging his furniture so it doesn’t feel so cramped, even opting to temporarily move his table into Todoroki’s room since he won’t be using it for a bit.
KittyRoki pokes his head up from where he’s laying in Sero’s hammock and meows at him. Sero smiles at him and scratches his little head. “Good thing we don’t have classes tomorrow, huh? Are you feeling more comfortable?”
The two-toned cat yawns in reply.
The black-haired male chuckles lightly. “Yeah, I’m tired too. It’s been a long day. Let’s get to bed.”
Sero stands up and stretches out his arms in a Y shape, letting out a yawn of his own. He’s already dressed in sweatpants and a baggy shirt, since he changed while waiting for Aizawa to return with Todoroki from the doctors. He opens one of his drawers and takes out a small bottle of lotion. He plops down on his bed and squirts some lotion into his hand, lathering it onto his fingers before massaging it into his elbows and forearms.
KittyRoki hops onto the bed and curiously watches Sero apply the lotion, really working his fingers into the meat of his arms. His red ear twitches a little as he gives a tiny mew.
“My quirk dries out my skin,” the tall male says, unsure if his classmate will actually remember any of this when he turns back to normal, but he supposes it doesn’t really matter. “I’m not really sure why. I think maybe the tape is made from the moisture in my skin or something. But I have to take care of my skin and make sure it’s plenty moisturized.”
KittyRoki mews again and leans his head towards Sero’s elbow, giving a sniff. He purrs and headbutts the wide elbow.
“You like it?” Sero asks with a slight laugh. “It’s bamboo and vanilla. I have a whole drawer with different scents. My favorite is pomegranate and green tea.”
He stands back up and puts the bottle of lotion away before turning out the lights. As he makes his way back to the bed, the red and white cat moves to the side close to the wall. Sero sinks down into the mattress and lays flat on his back, throwing an arm over his eyes and taking a deep breath from the far-too-long day. A weight meets his chest, not heavy but noticeable, and he moves his arm to meet a curled up furry ball of red and white. With a small, warm smile, Sero tenderly runs his fingertips along the top of the cat’s head. KittyRoki purrs and stretches his neck out to press his little pink nose against the skin just under the black-haired male’s bottom lip. Cheeks burning slightly, he leans his head down and pecks a tiny kiss to Todoroki’s forehead.
Purring comfortably, KittyRoki nuzzles into Sero’s chest and they both drift off into a heavy sleep. Exhausted from their eventful day. He wasn’t sure if it was just the comfort of having a cat there to keep him company or if it was the knowing that the said cat is actually the boy he’s had a crush on and that crush is now curled up on his chest, but that night was the best sleep Sero has gotten in a long time.
~~~~~~~~~
KittyRoki meows loudly in a whiny way as he circles around the desk chair. Sero looks down at him, turning his attention away from his homework and sighs heavily. “Todoroki, I can’t focus if you make so much noise. What’s wrong?”
The two-toned cat whimpers a bit and stares up at Sero with pleading eyes.
“Do you just want attention?”
KittyRoki purrs and twitches his white ear.
“I really have to get this work done,” the tall male frowns, but then his head perks up with glimmering eyes as an idea hits him. He grabs his cellphone and taps on the screen. “Let me see if Midoriya can keep you company.”
SpiderTape: Hey Midoriya, are you busy??
DekuintheFace: Hey Sero! No, I’m not busy. What’s up?
SpiderTape: I’m trying to finish the homework due tomorrow but KittyRoki is begging for attention. You think you can come over and keep him company?
DekuintheFace: Lol KittyRoki. That’s clever
DekuintheFace: Yeah, I can keep him company! I’ll be right there
SpiderTape: Thanks so much. I owe ya. Door’s unlocked
With Midoriya keeping Todoroki busy with a feather toy, Sero could finally keep his focus on his homework. KittyRoki still mewed and whined a little at first, but the green haired boy managed to win him over with treats and captivate his attention with all the different toys Aizawa gifted to Sero. It’s still a little noisy with tiny cat paws running around on the floor and his classmate’s faint giggles, but it’s quiet enough.
Luckily it didn’t take Sero too long to finish since he already finished his more difficult subjects earlier in the week and left the ones he’s decent at for last. He leans back in his chair and turns around to see Midoriya scratching under KittyRoki’s chin while he sits in his lap. Content and purring softly.
“Has he really never mentioned reading manga to you?” Sero asks, the question pending in his mind since yesterday.
“Never,” Midoriya replies. “I don’t ever see him reading it either. Todoroki-kun has been getting better at coming out of his shell but he still lacks a lot of social skill. I honestly don’t know much about his hobbies or things he likes besides cold soba.”
The tall male gazes up at the ceiling, thinking back to when he discovered that THE Shoto Todoroki reads manga. “I don’t know much either; I kind of found out by chance that he reads manga. Shortly before we moved into the dorms, I went out to the bookstore and bumped into him there. He was browsing through the manga section. I was so shocked seeing him there, I wasn’t sure how to react. So, I asked him what kind of manga he likes, and he said he wasn’t totally sure cause he’s only read one that kids in his middle school talked about. I recommended some to him; comedy and slice of life type stuff. And I guess he liked them cause we continued sharing manga.”
Just then, the green haired boy breaks out into a fit of giggles. Sero stares at him with a raised eyebrow and a tilted head. “S-sorry,” he says between laughs. “It’s just, I didn’t take Todoroki for the type to like comedy. I’ve never seen him laugh. So, the image of it seemed really funny in my head.”
KittyRoki folds his ears back with a somewhat pouty expression and huffs at Midoriya. Sero chuckles at that cute reaction. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ve never seen or heard him laugh either,” he says and props his elbow up on his desk, resting his chin in his palm in thought. “I wonder why he reads the manga we share.”
Midoriya hums and gently pats Todoroki’s head. “It’s not my place to talk about it, but he hasn’t had the easiest life… So, I think maybe more lighthearted manga like that is a sort of stress reliever, you know?”
Hasn’t had the easiest life…
It’s strange to think about. That one of his classmates is possibly suffering from a difficult home life. Sero doesn’t know the whole story, or even part of it. But it didn’t take a genius to see that the dual haired boy doesn’t have the best relationship with his father, the pro hero and new number one; Endeavor. Sero has lost count of how many times he has seen his father’s name flash on Todoroki’s phone screen with a call and his classmate would just glare at it and refuse to answer. Not to mention the very clear hostility and heavy tension between the two of them at the sports festival. He may not have had a front row seat to it, but it was still quite obvious even from afar.
The shape and wine-red color of Todoroki’s scar flashes through Sero’s mind, and he begins to wonder. What would his classmate say if asked where the scar came from? If it came from his father’s burning flames? But Sero knows the answer would probably break his already aching heart. Being the oldest child in his huge family, he gave a lot of love and received a lot of love. The idea that Shoto Todoroki, someone he deeply cares for, doesn’t get that same kind of tender affection… it cuts deeply into his chest.
Sero decides right then and there, as Midoriya places the white and red creature into the black-haired male’s arms and excuses himself to go back to his own room, that he’ll give KittyRoki all the attention and love he has to offer. Cradling the little cat into his arms and placing a soft kiss to the rough skin and fur around his blue eye. And Todoroki purrs loudly in response.
“Sorry I couldn’t give you any attention before,” Sero whispers.
The two-toned cat taps the tall male’s cheek with his paw a few times, curling his paw in each time, like he’s trying to pull Sero’s face forward.
“What?” he asks and then after a few more taps, he leans in and gives the same area around KittyRoki’s eye another kiss. “You wanted more?”
Todoroki purrs loudly again and taps Sero’s face again.
He chuckles, in awe of such cuteness. “You’re surprisingly needy, ya know?” He kisses the area again and again, receiving a happy purr in response each time. “I don’t know if you can really understand me… but is it okay if I call you Shoto?”
KittyRoki mews and headbutts Sero’s lips.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he says with a laugh.
~~~~~~~~~
6:45AM, that’s when KittyRoki decided was an appropriate time to wake Sero up with scratchy licks all over his face. The black-haired male groans and cracks an eye open to glare at the little creature. “Seriously? It’s so early.”
The red and white cat meows loudly, as if yelling at Sero to get up.
“Alright, alright,” he yawns and moves Todoroki off his chest to sit up. Stretching out his limbs and moaning softly. He climbs out of his bed and moves to his dresser to open up another drawer and take out a plastic box that contains his toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and another small bottle of lotion. At least being up this early meant he could get ready for the day without too much commotion from Iida lecturing everyone about good health. He’s learned over time to block out such noise, but it’s still nice to enjoy some peace and quiet in the morning.
He grabs a towel and bathrobe from the same drawer and throws them over his shoulder. He may as well take a quick shower since he has the time. Closing the drawer, Sero starts to drag his feet towards the door, but then stops in his track when he hears a small meow. KittyRoki staring up at him with big, pleading eyes. The same eyes he uses when he doesn’t want to be left alone.
“I have to get ready for school, Shoto.”
Another meow, this time a bit louder.
Sero can’t help but laugh at his cat-turned classmate. Shoto Todoroki was known for being more calm and collected, socially awkward, powerful, level-headed. Anything but needy. And yet, Sero has gotten to see such a side of the dual haired boy more than once. It was shocking, but also extremely cute.
“Alright, you can come with me, but behave yourself,” he says and picks the red and white creature up. KittyRoki hops up on Sero’s shoulder, the one without the towel and bathrobe, and sits himself perfectly on it. The black-haired male’s extensive training has made his shoulders broader than they were in the beginning of his first year. Swinging around on tape took a lot of upper body strength so it made sense. And Todoroki’s cat body was actually only a little bigger than one of Sero’s large hands, so he fits quite nicely on the boy’s shoulder.
The bathroom is empty and silent when the tall male enters, making his way over to one of the sinks and setting his box down. Working the toothbrush inside his mouth, tasting the almost burning mint of his toothpaste, he looks in the mirror at the red and white cat gazing at his own reflection. KittyRoki tilts his head sideways to the left, watching the reflection move with him, and twitches his red ear. Sero has noticed a pattern with Todoroki’s ear twitches. He moves the white ear when he wants attention. And he moves the red ear when he feels confused.
The black-haired male spits in the sink and then looks up to give KittyRoki’s reflection a smile. “That’s you, silly.”
Todoroki meows at him, as if to disagree.
Sero tries to stifle a laugh but fails. He finishes cleaning out his teeth and replaces his toothbrush and toothpaste with his bottle of shampoo. He grabs the two-toned cat and sets him down on the sink countertop.
“Can I trust you to stay here and behave while I shower?”
KittyRoki mews with a short purr. Sero gives his head a little pet before heading over to the shower stalls. Listening to the sound of running water and feeling the room begin to fill with steam, Todoroki licks his white paw and then rubs it over the top of his head. Footsteps bring his attention to the doorway and a certain electric blonde enters the room with his own plastic box of necessities. His amber eyes are still heavy with sleep deprivation, no doubt he stayed up late playing games or something again. Golden yellow locks disarrayed in a messy crown around his head.
Kaminari blinks at KittyRoki as he makes his way over to the sink next to the one Sero was using. He glances at the in-use shower stall and then back at Todoroki, giving his tiny cat head a gentle pat. He purrs briefly in response and folds his ears back in delight. Kaminari turns to the sink and begins brushing his teeth while the red and white cat sits patiently on the counter and waits.
After a few minutes, Sero emerges from the steam in his robe wrapped around his body and meshing the towel around his head to dry his hair. As approaches the sink, he drapes the towel around his neck and packs his shampoo back into his plastic box.
“Mornin’” Kaminari lazily says as he splashes some water on his face.
“You’re up early,” Sero replies, rolling up his robe sleeves and grabbing the small bottle of lotion. He opens the top and lets KittyRoki sniff at it. “Orange and jasmine. Nice, huh?”
Todoroki meows loudly with a happy gleam in his multi-colored eyes.
“Eh, it’s close enough to the time I usually get up,” the blonde eyes, drying his hands and face off with his shirt. He rummages through his box. “How’s life with Catoroki?”
Sero snorts, rubbing the lotion into the skin of his elbows and arms. “It’s nice actually. He’s much more needy than the cat I used to have, but I don’t mind. He’s really cuddly too.”
“Oh yeah? I didn’t peg Todoroki for the clingy type.”
“Neither did I,” Sero puts away his lotion as KittyRoki gives the two boys a glare, ears folded back, and meows at them; as if to tell them to stop teasing him. The black-haired boy grins and meshes his hand between white and red ears. “Oh shush, it’s cute.”
Sero gathers his box and dips his shoulder down towards Todoroki and taps it. The red and white cat jumps onto the shoulder and sits down. The tall male waves at Kaminari as he leaves, almost bumping into Iida and Midoriya on his way out and greeting them with a brief good morning.
~~~~~~~~~
“Aren’t you worried you’ll get cat hair on your school jacket?” Ashido asks, watching Sero feed tiny pieces of his breakfast salmon to KittyRoki, still perfectly perched on his shoulder.
“Nah, he doesn’t shed much,” he replies and shovels some rice into his mouth with his chopsticks.
Uraraka chimes in, bubbly as ever. “Are you going to take him to class?”
“I don’t think Aizawa would like that,” Sero says grimacing at the image of the glare he would get if Todoroki caused too much distraction, which he was sure to do since he’s a cat and very attention hungry.
“He may be our classmate,” Iida starts. “But a classroom is still no place for a cat.”
KittyRoki droops his head and folds his ears back sadly. Sero scratches behind his ear. “Hey, don’t look so upset. You’ll be back to your old self soon.”
Todoroki purrs and rubs his head against the black-haired male’s cheek.
“He really likes you, Sero, ribbit,” Asui says.
“Sero’s got a real chill and easy-going personality,” Kaminari says with a mouth full of egg. “And animals have good instincts for stuff like that so I bet Catoroki feels calmer around him.”
Midoriya holds his chin and taps his finger on it in thought. “Oh, that is a good point. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for Todoroki-kun to suddenly turn into a cat. I mean, he’s essentially being shrunk down into such a tiny body, and he is quite tiny for a cat. That could be a condition of the quirk. Not to mention, he has to learn how to walk properly on all hour legs and his senses have probably improved as well. But he may also have the issue of feeling like a few hours is actually like a whole day or two. So, if he can sense that Sero has an easy-going aura, then it would make sense he’d want to be around someone that he thinks would cause the least amount of stress to an already stressful situation—"
“SHUT UP ALREADY, SHIT NERD!” Bakugo shouts from the other side of the table, already sick of the green haired boy’s usual muttering.
Sero, now finished with his breakfast, cleans up his empty dishes and then heads back to his room. He sets KittyRoki down on the bed and grabs his bag, slipping it onto his back and then kneels to somewhat eye level with the red and white creature. “I have to go to classes now. So, you’re going to be alone. Behave, okay?”
Todoroki mews at him and twitches his white ear, looking up with gleaming grey and blue eyes.
Sero smiles and leans down, taking his tiny face into his fingers and placing a bunch of kisses all over the rough skin around the blue eye. Todoroki purrs loudly, enjoying every little peck, and then whimpers when they stop and the tall male pulls away.
“I’ll give you more when I get back,” he says and stands up straight. “I’ll see you later, Shoto. Be good.”
When he opens his door to head out, he’s met with a familiar all-pink girl giving him a somewhat uneasy smile with her hands on her hips. “Hey, walk with me?”
“Oh, uh, sure,” Sero replies and closes the door behind him. They begin heading towards the elevator. “Is something wrong?”
“Well…” Ashido trails off. They step into the elevator with heavy tension increasing between them. She presses the button and waits for the doors to close before speaking again. “You know he isn’t staying like this, right?”
Sero raises a confused eyebrow. “Uh, yeah?”
“It’s just… I don’t want you to get your hopes up,” she says, twirling a bit of pink curl in her fingers.
“What do you mean?”
Her dark and golden eyes focus on his face, an unreadable emotion making them quiver. It almost feels like pity, but not quite. “Hanta, I know about your crush on him. I see this stuff. I don’t know if he feels the same, maybe he does, but are you going to be okay once he turns back to how he was?”
Sero presses his lips together in a thin line and averts his gaze down to the floor. His heart sinking down into his stomach like an anchor. Heavy and uncomfortable. He didn’t think much about what will happen once Todoroki turns back. He wouldn’t let himself think about it. He was far too scared and nervous to hang out with Todoroki one on one before he turned into a cat. Even when Sero would just stop by his room to borrow manga, his mind would become overwhelmed with thoughts of touching him, holding him, kissing him, and his heart would go crazy over it. But somehow Todoroki being a cat made being alone with him so much easier. He knows It’s still his crush in that little body and he’ll eventually turn back to normal, but he wouldn’t let himself think about that.
Sero perks his head back up and smiles at his friend. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry about it. Besides, what he’s going through right now is much more important than my stupid crush. He chose me to comfort and take care of him, so that’s what I’ll do.”
Ashido reaches out her pink hand and touches Sero’s shoulder. “Your crush isn’t stupid, Hanta. He might feel the same, you never know. I just want to make sure you aren’t pushing yourself too hard for his sake.”
He shakes his head. “I’m alright. I know it’s temporary, but it’s nice having him around.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure, Mina. Everything is okay.”
~~~~~~~~~
Nearly three in the morning, and Sero can’t sleep. It’s been about a week since Todoroki was turned into a cat and he hasn’t shown any signs of turning back yet. The doctors said he’ll probably be in a lot of discomfort once the quirk begins to wear off, but he has seemed perfectly fine all week. So, it still might be a while until the quirk wears off. He looks over at KittyRoki, laying at his side, to see him curled up in a ball, but his eyes are slightly open.
“You awake too?”
Todoroki perks his head up and meows. He stretches his cat body out and moves closer to Sero to sit right by his face. The black-haired male smiles softly.
“I wish you could actually talk right now,” he whispers. “I have so many things I’ve always wanted to ask you.”
KittyRoki mews, twitching his red ear and tilting his head.
“I never asked before because I didn’t want to pry; I didn’t think we were close enough for that, you know?” Sero says with a huff of a laugh.
Todoroki lets out an almost chirp-like mewl, twitches his red ear and then winks his blue eye at his classmate.
“If that’s your way of asking if I’m talking about your scar, you’re right,” he says and turns onto his side. “Let’s do this; move your white ear for yes and your red ear for no, okay?”
Todoroki purrs shortly and folds his white ear quickly before perking it back up.
“Did your father give you that scar?”
Red ear.
“Your mother?”
White ear.
“Is she still living in your home?”
Red ear.
“Do you see her at all?”
White ear.
“Is it hard seeing her after what happened?”
White and red ears.
“Sounds complicated.”
White ear.
Sero’s heart aches in his chest, like a long needle is being pushed through it. “I’m guessing you don’t get along with your dad.”
White ear.
“Yeah, I could sort of tell… Did he hurt you?”
White ear.
“Does he still hurt you?”
Red ear.
Sero sits up and leans his back against the stand behind him, picking up KittyRoki and setting him down into his lap. He pets the little white and red head with his fingers and takes a few deep and slow breaths. The tiny cat purring with delight and comfort.
“I have a huge family; I’m the oldest child too,” he mutters. “Do you have siblings?”
White ear.
“Are you the oldest as well?”
Red ear.
“Youngest?”
White ear.
Sero laughts a bit but tires to stifle it. “Somehow that feels fitting for you. My house is always pretty loud and full of people, so it would probably be kind of overwhelming for someone like you. My family is nice though. Abuela is quite the hugger.”
KittyRoki tilts his head to the left and twitches his red ear.
“Ah, Abuela is Spanish for grandmother,” Sero replies. “I rarely talk about it, but half my family speaks it. You should have seen the look on Kaminari’s face when my mom called once, and I was having a whole conversation with her completely in Spanish.” He bursts into a small fit of giggles.
The two-toned cat meows at him with an amused look in his eyes.
The black-haired boy calms down his laughing before speaking again. “I actually brought Kaminari to my house once to play some games and hang out. Abuela and my mother smothered him in hugs. He stayed for dinner too and I kept warning him not to eat the super spicy stuff. Of course, he didn’t listen to me. You can’t leave my house empty-handed either; Abuela and mom will force you to take food with you. And I’m talking like enough food to feed an army.”
Todoroki purrs loudly, eyes glimmering in awe as Sero talks more and more about his family.
“What was super funny is that my mom and everyone started bombing me with questions as soon as Kaminari left,” he continues. “Asking me if he was my boyfriend and stuff. I told them we were just friends, but it was nice to know they would support me in whatever partner I chose for myself. Then Abuela kept telling me to ask him out, it was so embarrassing. I had to explain to her that I didn’t like him like that. Besides, he’s dating Shinso, so I couldn’t ask him out even if I wanted to.”
KittyRoki mews, rubbing his head against Sero’s knuckles.
The black-haired boy looks up at the dark ceiling, giving his thumping heart a minute to calm down. “My dad passed away shortly after my youngest brother was born,” he whispers to the empty space. “He was really sick. I don’t have many memories of him. I was like… maybe eight years old when he died?”
Todoroki folds his ears back and continues gazing up at his classmate.
“But one memory that always stuck with me,” Sero says, looking back down at the two-toned cat in his lap. “When I was like, six years old, I got myself all stuck and wrapped up in my tape. And I cried and whined about how much I hated my quirk. My dad helped me get unstuck and he told me ‘Hanta, someday you’re going to meet someone who will love everything about you. So, if you say you hate your quirk, then you’re saying you hate something that someone special to you loves.’ I didn’t really get it at the time, and I still kind of don’t. But… I certainly whined about disliking my quirk less.”
Grey and blue eyes fix their attention onto one of the wide elbows at Sero’s side.
“Creepy looking, huh?” he mutters. “I always try to take my dad’s advice, but… it’s hard when people always make comments about how freaky my elbows are. I never had much luck with dating because of them.”
Todoroki perks his head up and gives Sero a glaring pout before stumbling his tiny body over towards the wide elbow. He balances himself between the crook of his classmate’s arm and the side of his torso. Then he leans down, eyes closed, and presses his pink nose against the large dispenser-like organ; almost as if trying to give it a kiss. After pulling away, he climbs onto Sero’s arm, and the tall male adjusts his arm so KittyRoki can sit himself onto the side of his elbow.
Sero smiles, lifting his arm up to look at Todoroki perched onto his arm and purring. “I guess you’re trying to tell me you don’t think it’s creepy looking?”
He folds his white ear in response and then perks it back up.
The black-haired boy takes the small red and white creature into his large hand and holds him up to his face. “Thank you, Shoto,” he whispers and presses his lips to the area Todoroki likes to have kissed. “Let’s get some sleep.”
Sero sinks back down into the bed, eyelids growing increasingly heavy. KittyRoki nuzzles himself between the boy’s neck and shoulder, nice and snug. And they slip into slumber with soft breathing and purring filling the air.
~~~~~~~~~
Sero didn’t know what to expect when he was asked to come downstairs with KittyRoki, but he certainly didn’t expect it to be because Endeavor has shown up to the dorms. A group of classmates stay in the corner of the common room, awkwardly watching the scene. Sero gulps down a hard lump as he gets closer to the huge towering man. The little red and white cat in his arms beginning to growl and glare.
“He still isn’t fixed?” the man’s voice is harsh and bitter. His sharp blue eyes darting to Aizawa. “Are you sure he’s being properly taken care of? I don’t even know who this boy is.”
“His name’s Hanta Sero,” the teacher replies, tone tired and annoyed. “And your son is the one who chose him to take care of him. I assure you he’s living quite comfortably. The doctors said it could take a while for the quirk to wear off.”
Endeavor then directs his glare at Sero, daggers piercing right through him. “Aren’t you the boy Shoto defeated in the sports festival? I’m surprised you’re even still applied here. You didn’t put up much of a fight.”
The black-haired male glances down at the floor, heart sinking into his stomach. He had put his failure at the sports festival behind him, but it still stung to have it brought up again. He didn’t blame or resent Todoroki for what happened. He was simply outmatched, there was no changing that. And it showed Sero how much more training he still had to do. He shakes his head, trying to push the gloomy thoughts away. There’s no time and no use in looking at the past. It’s not like he can change it. He can only work hard and look towards the future.
KittyRoki seems even more angry at the comment than Sero is. Growling even louder at his father and narrowing his eyes.
“I don’t understand why my son would choose you to be his caretaker during a time like this, but I think he would be much more comfortable at home,” Endeavor continues. “So, I’ve come to collect him.”
Todoroki folds his ears back and hisses loudly at the man, bearing his fangs.
“It seems he doesn’t want to go with you,” Aizawa says, crossing his arms over his chest.
“He’s just being rebellious and stubborn as usual,” Endeavor says and starts to reach out towards the red and white cat. “Come on now, Shoto.”
Todoroki hisses even louder and swats at his father’s hand, scratching his huge fingers with his claws. He meows and then growls again.
Endeavor hitches his breath at the stinging pain, looking at his now bleeding fingers. His sharp eyes fixate on the cat form of his son. “You have some nerve boy.”
At this point, Sero has had enough. He places a hand onto Todoroki’s head and holds him closer to his chest. Petting him slowly and trying to comfort him. His dark eyes look up at the towering man in front of him, narrowing and eyebrows furrowed. His mouth pulls down into a tight frown.
“I’m sorry sir, but you’re only stressing him out,” Sero says firmly, using every fiber of his being to keep his voice from shaking. “He’s been very comfortable in my care and he’s already in a very overwhelming situation. The last thing he needs is you making things worse. So, as his current caretaker, I am asking you to leave.”
Endeavor grits his teeth and glares even harder at the black-haired boy. “You can’t just tell me to leave, boy.”
“Well, I can,” Aizawa states quickly, getting between his student and the flaming man. He turns his attention to Sero. “Go on back to your room with Todoroki, I’ll take care of this.”
Sero nods and turns on his heels, heading over to the elevator and leaving the scene behind him. KittyRoki purrs softly and headbutts his classmate’s chin gently. The tall boy tenderly pets Todoroki’s head and steps into the elevator, hitting the button and letting the doors close. He leans his face down and gives the split between a white ear and a red ear a quick peck.
“I won’t let him hurt you, not anymore,” Sero whispers. “I’ll protect you with my life, Shoto.”
~~~~~~~~~
It was only three days to the one-month mark when Sero came back from classes to KittyRoki whimpering in pain, curled into a ball on the bed. His half-lidded eyes telling that he tried to sleep through the discomfort but failed. The black-haired boy can’t imagine what it must feel like for his body to feel like it’s going through the world’s worst growing pains. Getting stretched out from such a tiny body that’s built differently from a human.
“Hey, I’m gonna move you just a little, okay?” Sero says, keeping his voice soft and low to make sure Todoroki is as comfortable as possible. He scoops up the red and white creature into his arms; he whinces and whimpers but doesn’t try to fight it. Sero sits on the bed and leans against the wall. He bends his knees and rests his arms into his lap, holding Todoroki close. “Let’s try to distract you from the pain, okay? White ear for yes, red ear for no.”
KittyRoki twitches his white ear.
Sero smiles softly and slowly runs his thumb along red fur. “Are you happy to be going back to school and able to talk to your friends?”
White ear.
“Are you dreading having to make up a ton of schoolwork?” Sero snorts.
White ear.
“I don’t blame you,” he chuckles faintly. “Do you wish you got to see more at the zoo?”
White ear.
“Maybe we can go back someday. Would you like that? Ya know, without turning into a cat this time.”
White ear.
Sero’s smile softens more and more, until it eventually falls. “Do you regret choosing me to take care of you?”
Red ear.
He tries to force the corner of his lips back up. Heart beating unevenly in his chest, and he’s sure Todoroki can hear it from the look in his grey and blue eyes.
“Have you ever been in love..?”
White ear.
Sero closes his eyes, letting out a deep and slow breath. “Lucky for them. You’re a great guy, Shoto,” he opens his eyes again and gazes down at the two-toned cat in his arms. Big eyes looking up at him with a pleading look. “You look like you want to ask me something.”
White ear.
“Well, you can ask once you turn back,” he replies. He lifts his arms up, bringing Todoroki up to his face and places a soft kiss under his blue eye one last time. “Everything will be okay. Just breathe.”
KittyRoki purrs, it’s weak but Sero can feel the vibration of it through his school blazer. He’ll miss this. He knew this day was coming, but he just couldn’t think about it. Any moment now, Todoroki will turn back to human and things will be the way they used to be. Sero will continue pining over the ethereally beautiful dual haired boy that’s miles out of his league. He’ll watch him become an amazing top pro and marry someone equally as gorgeous and create a family. And soon, these memories of Sero taking care of him will fade away from Todoroki’s mind. He’ll become nothing more than an afterthought; someone he just went to school with. So, no matter what, Sero has to cherish these moments. Treasure every last second of them before it all disappears and his heart shatters.
He could feel the threatening sting in the brim of his eyes, but he blinks it away. He refuses to cry now. There will be plenty of time for tears later.
He adjusts slightly, careful not to move KittyRoki too much, and pulls his phone out. He taps on the screen and picks a random playlist to shuffle and play through the speakers. He sets his phone down on the sheets and continues to hold the two-toned cat in his arms. Singing softly along with the music.
Am I allowed to look at her like that
Could it be wrong when she's just so nice to look at
And she smells like lemongrass and sleep
She tastes like apple juice and peach
Oh, you would find her in a polaroid picture
And she means everything to me
~~~~~~~~~
8:21PM, that’s what time it was when Sero opened his eyes to empty darkness. Finding himself in a position he wasn’t in before. He’s been laid onto his side with a blanket thrown over him. The hoodie he keeps thrown over his computer chair suddenly gone, the small table he had moved into Todoroki’s room to make room suddenly back to in its original place, and his phone screen illuminating the room with a text message. He grabs it and reads the words slowly.
Shoto: Thank you for taking care of me. My clothes were gone when I turned back so I borrowed your hoodie to cover myself, sorry. I’ll wash it and give it back. See you soon.
Sero turns his phone off and sets it down. He curls himself into a ball, trying to make himself as small as possible. The tears threatening him before finally spilling over. His stomach growls but he ignores it, not wanting to leave his room. He closes his eyes, hoping to drift off to sleep again. Because at least when he’s asleep, he can’t feel his entire body ache with loneliness. Ache with yearning. Ache for Shoto Todoroki.
He buries his wet face into the pillow and whispers into it. “Te amo…”
~~~~~~~~~
The next day, Aizawa tells the class that Sero is sick and resting in his room for the rest of the day. He doesn’t know if anyone bothered to care that he wasn’t there, or even notice. He was just some plain face that only stands out cause of his creepy elbows. He wouldn’t blame anyone for forgetting about him. He has always been forgettable.
He’s a social creature, trying hard to get along with everyone and anyone. Or at least tolerate them enough to be civil and chat. It’s his desperate attempt to be remembered. His overwhelming need to be noticed for anything but his stupid elbows. God, he hates them. He wishes he could just rip the damn things off. He’s so tired of looking at them, taking care of them, adjusting his clothing to accommodate for them. He hates them. Hates them. Hates them. Hates them.
‘Hanta, someday you’re going to meet someone who will love everything about you. So, if you say you hate your quirk, then you’re saying you hate something that someone special to you loves.’
“Sorry, dad…” He says out loud to no one. “But I just can’t follow your advice, after all.”
Maybe someday someone out there will love him, but it’ll only be enough to overlook his abnormal elbows. And that person will never be Shoto Todoroki. He could never love someone clearly not worthy of standing beside him. He’s far too enchanting and powerful for someone as plain and mediocre as Sero. What could he possibly offer him besides his entire heart and soul? Nothing.
A soft knock pulls him out of his dark and cloudy thoughts. He hadn’t even noticed that the day passed by so quickly until he saw his room bathing in orange glow. He drags himself out of the bed and over to the door, turning the handle and slowly swinging it open.
His breath catches in his throat when he’s met with one stormy grey eye and one deep ocean blue eye. Todoroki stands there, holding a hoodie that Sero’s Abuela sewed herself to match his hero costume. The corners of the two-toned boy’s mouth tug into a small smile.
“Hey,” he says in his usual quiet tone. “Are you feeling any better?”
Sero swallows the lump forming in his throat, averting his gaze. “Yeah, somewhat.”
“Can I come in?”
“S-sure,” the tall male moves aside to let his classmate in and then closes the door behind them. His heart thumps in unsteady beats as he tries to glance up at Todoroki; only to look away again.
The dual-haired boy sets the hoodie down on Sero’s desk and turns towards him. “I know I sent you a text, but… I wanted to thank you in person, for taking care of me.”
The dark-haired boy rubs the back of his neck anxiously. “It was no big deal. You needed help and I was there to provide it.”
“I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit,” Todoroki says and begins walking towards Sero. Moving closer and closer until there was hardly any space between them. He places his hands on his classmate’s wide elbows gently. One hand felt cold, like it had been sitting in snow, and the other felt very warm, like it had been basking in the sun. Their eyes meet, and Sero recognizes a familiar pleading glint.
It was enough of an excuse for the taller boy. His large hands find their way onto Todoroki’s waist and he closes his eyes, leaning in. The two-toned boy closes his eyes just before his classmate’s lips could press against his wine-red scar.
“I had something I wanted to ask you; right before I turned back,” he says as Sero pulls away slowly. He opens his eyes and looks up at the dark orbs gazing back at him. “Could I meet your Abuela? And the rest of your family?”
Sero blinks at him. “I mean, sure, but… why?”
Todoroki glances down at the broad chest in front of him. “They sounded so nice when you were talking about them. I’d like to know what a happy family looks like… And…” he trails off nervously.
“And..?” Sero’s voice shakes a bit.
Todoroki buries his face into the dark-haired boy’s shoulder. “I want to know more about your life.”
Sero could hardly keep his body from trembling with how fast his heart was racing. His throat feels like it’s closing. “Why…?” the words pour out of him before he can stop them. “I’m nobody. Just some guy in the background with freakish elbows.”
The dual-haired boy’s head shot back up and he looks at Sero with a sorrow filled eyes and a frown on his face. “Don’t say that.”
“Why not? It’s true!” the taller boy shouts, bitter sadness in his tone. “I hate them!”
“Hanta!” Todoroki’s shout makes Sero go silent. “You’re saying you hate something that I love!”
He didn’t even notice the tears streaming down his face. Not until they fell and dripped into his shirt, creating soaked dots in the fabric. “What…?”
Todoroki lifts Sero’s arm up and tenderly presses his lips to the dispenser-like organ. He then rests his cheek against it, looking at the boy’s dark eyes. “You asked me yesterday if I’ve ever been in love and I said yes… it’s you, Hanta… it has always been you.”
‘Someday you’re going to meet someone who will love everything about you.’
Warmth fills Sero’s chest; blooming like a flower and spreading like a flame. The cold hand and warm hand of the boy in front of him cups his cheeks, wiping away the tiny rivers of tears. His fingers find their way into red and white hair, pressing their foreheads together.
“Mi corazón late por ti,” Sero whispers, mouth curling into a smile.
“What does that mean?” Todoroki asks, blushing at the sudden accented voice he’s never heard before.
Dark eyes gaze straight into grey and blue ones, practically swimming in their beautiful gleam. “My heart beats for you.”
Sero leans in, tilting his head just a bit, and presses his lips to Todoroki’s. He always imagined these lips he stared at would be soft, but they were even softer than in his fantasies, and they tasted faintly of soba noodles. The kiss deepens as they melt into it, arms wrapping around each other’s bodies. Every single unspoken feeling pouring itself into this one connection.
“Abuela and mom are going to stuff you full of their cooking.”
“I look forward to it.”