Smoking cats - shinsero

Cracks in the Armor

The next few days felt like a blur for the black haired boy. Between classes, training, and the weight of his thoughts constantly circling Shinsou, he felt himself drifting. It didn't help that Shinsou had been pulling away more often, disappearing after school without much of an explanation. His mind couldn't stop wandering back to that look in Shinsou's eyes after training - the distance, the unease.

The afternoon sunlight poured through the tall windows of the UA hallways casting long shadows as students made their way to their next classes. Sero leaned against one of the lockers, his black orbs scanning the crowd for any sign of his purple haired friend. He had said he'd meet up after class, but it had been nearly twenty minutes, and there was still no sign of him.

"Waiting for someone?" Came a voice beside him.

Sero glanced up to see Kaminari leaning against the wall his usual carefree grin in place. Behind him, Kirishima and Mina were chatting, occasionally shooting glances toward him.

"Yeah, Shinsou," he replied with a shrug.
"He's been... hard to pin down lately."

Kaminari's expression shifted slightly, concern flickering across his face.
"You guys okay?"

Sero hesitated, the question lingering in the air between them. Were they okay? It felt like things had been off for a while now, but he didn't know how to fix it without pushing Shinsou further away.

"Yeah, we're fine," he lied, his voice more convincing than he felt.
"Just... you know, life stuff."

The yellow haired boy nodded, though the concern in his eyes didn't fade.
"If you ever need to talk, you know we're here, right? It doesn't have to be just you dealing with all this."

Sero appreciated the offer, but the idea of unloading everything onto his friends didn't sit right. Besides, he wasn't even sure what "everything" was. The problem felt to tangled up in emotions and misunderstandings that he couldn't see a clear way through.

"Thanks, man," he said, forcing a smile.
"I'll be fine."

As Kaminari gave him a final pat on the shoulder and headed off with the others, Sero's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, seeing a message from Shinsou.

Shinsou - Sorry, something came up. Can't meet today. Maybe later?

His heart sank, and he quickly typed a reply:

Sero - Yeah, no prob. Catch you later.

He shoved the phone back into his pocket, frustration gnawing at him. Shinsou was keeping something from him, and it was starting to feel like no matter how close they got, there was always a wall between them. Sero couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the boy's past - his scars, both physical and emotional - that he still wasn't ready to share.

But whatever it was, it was starting to wear on him, too.

———

Later that evening, Sero found himself at his usual spot on the roof of the UA dorms. The cool night air brushed against his skin as he sat with his legs dangling over the edge, a joint between his fingers. The distant sounds of the city buzzed around him, but all he could focus on was the dull ache in his chest.

He took a slow drag, the smoke swirling through his lungs, easing some of the tension that had been building all day. But as the high settled in, it wasn't enough to drown out the thoughts that had been gnawing at him - thoughts about Shinsou, about the distance between them, about the fact that no matter how hard he tried, it felt like he couldn't reach him.

He exhaled, watching the smoke drift up into the night sky, his mind wandering. He had started using cannabis a few years back - just something to take the edge off, to help him relax. But lately, it had felt more like an escape than anything else, a way to numb the things he didn't want to think about.