Smoking cats - shinsero

Past Wounds

The soft hum of the night surrounded them as they sat on Shinsou's couch, Tipi nestled comfortably between them. Sero had been quieter than usual ever since the LSD incident, and though the other didn't push him, the tension in the air was palpable. Something still weighed heavily on his mind.

They had spent the evening watching TV, the flickering light casting gentle shadows across the room. But Shinsou knew Sero wasn't really paying attention. His eyes kept drifting, his hands fidgeting slightly as if he was lost in thought.

"Are you okay?" The purple haired boy asked, breaking the silence gently.

Sero blinked, startled out of his reverie. He glanced at the boy, then down at Tipi, who was lazily batting at his hand.
"Yeah... I'm fine," he muttered, but the tightness in his voice betrayed him.

The boy didn't push. Instead, he shifted closer, letting their legs brush against each other.
"You don't have to tell me what's on your mind," he said softly.
"But I can tell something's bothering you."

Sero sighed, running a hand through his messy, black hair.
"It's... it's stupid," he mumbled.

Shinsou shook his head.
"It's not stupid if it's weighing you down."

For a moment, he didn't say anything, the silence stretching between them. Then, as if something inside him broke loose, he spoke, his voice low and raw.
"I got kicked out of my house."

Shinsou's gaze sharpened, but he didn't interrupt. He just listened, giving the other the space he needed to finally say what had been locked inside him.

"I started using cannabis when I was still living at home," he continued, his voice tight with emotion.
"It was just to chill out at first, y'know? But then... things with my parents started getting worse. They didn't get it. They were always so strict, so focused on my grades, my future, and all the expectations they had for me."

He paused, swallowing hard.
"I didn't fit into their picture of 'perfect son.' And when they found out I was smoking... they freaked. We had these massive fights, screaming matches almost every night. They threatened to kick me out so many times, and eventually, they did. Just... threw me out like I didn't matter."

Shinsou's heart clenched as he listened. He had known Sero was living in the dorms, but hearing the pain behind why he had ended up there was something else entirely.

"I tried to explain to them that I wasn't doing it to screw up my life," the boy continued, his voice thick with emotion.
"But they didn't care. They didn't want to hear it. They didn't want me." His hands clenched into fists, the anger and hurt from years of rejection bubbling to the surface.
"They said I was a failure. A disappointment."

Shinsou shifted closer, his hand resting gently on the other's knee.
"That's not true," he said softly.
"You're not a failure."

The boy laughed bitterly.
"Yeah, well... try telling them that."

The room fell into a heavy silence again, and for a moment, Sero just stared down at his hands, his jaw clenched.
"I've been on my own since then. The dorms are all I've got now. No family, no backup plan if this all goes to shit."

The purple haired boy's chest tightened at the thought. He knew what it felt like to be alone in the world, to have no one to rely on but yourself.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Sero shook his head.
"You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault." He glanced up, meeting the other's violet eyes.
"I just... I didn't want you to think I was hiding things from you. I've been through my own mess, just like you."

Shinsou's hand tightened slightly on the boy's knee, his touch steady and grounding.
"You don't have to hide anything from me," he said softly.
"Not now. Not ever."

The black haired boy's breath hitched, and for a moment, he looked like he was struggling to keep it together. The vulnerability in his eyes made Shinsou's heart ache, and without thinking, he pulled the boy into a tight embrace.

Sero stiffened at first, but then he melted into the hug, his arms wrapping around the other's back as if holding on for dear life. For the first time in what felt like forever, he let himself lean on someone else.

Shinsou didn't say anything, just held him, his fingers gently brushing through the boy's hair. It was a quiet, wordless comfort - an understanding that went deeper than anything they could express aloud.

After a long moment, Sero pulled back slightly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"I don't know how to deal with it sometimes," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
"The anger, the guilt, the feeling like I'm not enough."

Shinsou's hand cupped the boy's cheek, his thumb brushing gently over his skin.
"You are enough, Sero. More than enough."

He closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. It wasn't the first time someone had tried to tell him that, but for some reason, hearing it from him made it feel real - like maybe, just maybe, he could start believing it too.

For the first time in a long time, Sero didn't feel alone.

———

Later that night, after Sero had finally fallen asleep on Shinsou's couch, Shinsou sat quietly beside him, watching the rise and fall of his chest. His heart ached for the boy, for the pain he had been carrying alone for so long.

He had seen Sero laugh and joke with the others, always playing the laid-back, carefree guy. But now, he knew the truth - how much the boy had been hiding beneath the surface.

Shinsou's gaze drifted to the scars on his own arms, the ones he had kept hidden for so long. He knew what it was like to be hurt by the people who were supposed to love you, to feel like you didn't belong anywhere.

But here, in this moment, with Sero beside him, there was a quiet understanding. They were both broken in their own ways, but together, maybe they could start to heal.

As Shinsou reached down to gently pull the blanket over Sero's sleeping form, he whispered softly,
"You're not alone anymore."

The words weren't just for Sero. They were for himself, too.

———

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