Sero was avoiding me again. It wasn't as blatant as the first time but still. Whenever we were in the same room together there were at least half a dozen of our classmates present as well. We also didn't seem to find ourselves next to each other anymore. No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't seem to recall what I might've done to scare him away this time. Had he finally made his mind up about me? Was this his way of rejecting me?
Sero wasn't this callous so if he did want to reject me, he'd tell me outright. Even knowing that, a heavy weight settled in the pit of my stomach. I'd enjoyed our fleeting interactions these last couple of days and I wasn't ready to let them go. Then again, there was a limit to how persistent I could be before I became a nuisance.
So that night, at quarter to eleven, I was once again on the fifth floor, standing in front of Sero's room. I knocked and waited. Instead of opening the door, I heard his voice filter out.
"Who is it?"
"It's me."
There was a pause before I heard him say "It's late, can we talk tomorrow?"
Well, if I needed any more confirmation about his avoidance, I got it.
"Sure," I said then teleported inside his room.
My Quirk worked best if I actually had a visual of my destination but lately, I've been working on getting to places by memory. I kind of miscalculated and teleported further than intended, banging my shin into the sturdy coffee table. Grunting in pain, I dropped on the carpet and rubbed the sore spot.
"Are you alright?" Sero asked from the other end of the room.
He wore a conflicted expression, like he couldn't decide between kicking me out or checking on me. In the end, the latter sentiment won out and he strolled over to my side and crouched.
"Show me," he said, reaching for me.
Cool hands gingerly grasped my bare leg and I stifled a gasp as he left a trail of goosebumps in the wake of his touch.
"Seems fine," he finally said. "You'll probably bruise though."
I could've told him as much from the very beginning but his careful ministrations had stolen my ability to talk. Our eyes met and he seemed to realize the position we were in for he released my leg like he'd been burned. Considering how warm I was feeling, that might've been a distinct possibility.
Like that time in the common area, I grabbed the front of his shirt to halt his retreat. "You're avoiding me again."
His eyes flickered away from mine and I used my hold on him to pull him closer. Sero managed to brace himself at the last second, surprised black eyes flying to my face. He was hovering above my extended legs, hands buried into the carpet to keep himself from falling on me. I had half a mind to tug at him again and make it so he did.
"Why, Sero?" I asked in an uncertain whisper.
I watched as his gaze danced down to my lips and then away again.
"What did I do wrong?"
"Nothing," he breathed suddenly, like the idea was preposterous.
It couldn't have been, otherwise he wouldn't be trying to stay away.
"What is it, then?" He mumbled something too quietly for me to hear. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."
Sero's face scrunched up. He looked trapped but I wanted an answer, especially now that I knew that I wasn't at fault.
"You… kissed Bakugou," he repeated, barely louder than the first time.
I stared at him in surprise. "It was for our CPR exercise."
Sero's lips dropped into a frown. "You said it was sweet."
"I said his sweat tasted sweet because it does. It burns a little too."
That was evidently not the right thing to say because Sero's shoulders drooped as he stared at the carpet in defeat. I tried to tug him closer but when he didn't budge, I leaned in.
"Are you," I began, licking my lips in trepidation. "Are you jealous?"
His eyes widened and his mouth parted at my question as if he hadn't considered that possibility.
"You know it didn't mean anything, right?" I stated. "Because you're the one I like."
Sero kept his gaze firmly trained on the ground, his lean frame stiff above me. Figures a dumb, teasing comment about another classmate would come back to bite me in the rear. I leaned in close enough that my bangs were brushing against his.
"Hanta, I like you."
Sero's eyes snapped up to mine when I whispered his name, wide and a touch vulnerable. He licked his lips as his gaze roamed over my face. He exhaled slowly, his warm breath fanning my face and this time, I couldn't stop myself from leaning in. The brush of our lips was so faint, it could barely be called a kiss.
Sero pushed forward, catching me in a kiss that made my entire body sing. I pulled him closer and he complied, kneeling between my legs as one hand rested on my thigh and the other found my cheek. They were cool against my feverish skin and made my skin tingle. He pulled back only long enough to change the angle of his head then his lips found mine again. I could feel his heart beat erratically beneath my knuckles, matching mine in both rhythm and intensity.
I wanted to run my fingers through his hair but I was afraid that if I released his shirt, he would come to his senses and stop kissing me. My other hand was braced behind me, the only thing keeping us upright. Sero nipped gently at my lower lip and I hummed in content. The sound brought him back to reality for he broke the kiss and pulled away.
My eyelids fluttered open and I watched him, still so close to me, flushed and breathing hard. I wanted to pull him back in but somewhere deep down, I knew the spell was broken. I tried not to let my disappointment show as I rubbed my lips together, enjoying the way they still tingled from his kiss. The action drew Sero's eyes to my mouth and my breath caught in my throat as he leaned in again. Then, he turned his face away and covered his eyes with the hand that had been cupping my cheek.
"You should go," he said, his voice rougher than usual. "Please."
I didn't want to. Every fiber in my body protested against my decision but I forced my limbs to move. I slid out from beneath his lean figure, bemoaning the loss of his hand against my leg. I stopped once I reached the door, hand wrapped around the handle, and glanced back at him. He was in the exact same position that I left him in, the hand that had been resting against my thigh now tense and clutching at the carpet. I exited the room without another sound.
I don't know how I made it back to my room nor whether I ran across anyone on my way there. All I could remember was the deafening beat of my heart and the blood pumping through my veins like a raging forest fire.
I barely slept that night, my dreams filled with frantic kisses, cold hands, and burning bodies.
Things are starting to fall into place! :D
Only two chapters left.
