Smoking cats - shinsero

New Beginnings

The next few days felt different - lighter, even though neither Sero nor Shinsou said anything explicitly about the change between them. It was in the small things, like the way Sero's hand would brush against Shinsou's when they walked together, or the soft, knowing smiles they'd share across a room when they caught each other's gaze.

The air between them was charged with something new, something unspoken but understood. They weren't just Sero and Shinsou anymore. They were more than that now - boyfriends. And while that word felt strange at first, like something they had to grown into, it also felt right.

They were lying on Shinsou's bed after a long day of classes. Tipi, ever the mediator of calm, was curled up between them, purring softly as Shinsou scratched her behind the ears. The other was stretched out beside him, one arm draped lazily over his chest, his eyes half-closed as he basked in the quiet.

"You're lucky, you know," Shinsou said after a while, his voice cutting through the silence.

The boy opened one eye and tilted his head to look at him.
"How so?"

He smirked, gesturing toward Tipi, who was now curled up, content and half-asleep.
"She doesn't let just anyone get this close. You must've bribed her with some serious snacks."

Sero chuckled softly, his thumb brushing against the other's rids through his shirt.
"I've got a way with cats, what can I say?"

Shinsou hummed in amusement, his fingers continuing to absently stroke Tipi's black fur. It felt good, this sense of normalcy between them. Like maybe this was what it was supposed to feel like when things weren't falling apart.

But despite the calm, Shinsou couldn't shake the thoughts lingering at the back of his mind. The scars on his body, the weight of his past - everything that still clung to him like shadows. He knew the boy accepted him for who he was, but that didn't stop the doubts from creeping in, especially now that their relationship had taken a more serious turn.

As if sensing his shift in mood, Sero lifted his head slightly, his hand moving to rest on Shinsou's side, his fingers tracing gentle circles over the fabric of his shirt.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" He asked softly, his voice low but filled with concern.

The boy hesitated, biting his lip as he turned his gaze to the ceiling.
"It's nothing. Just... overthinking."

Sero propped himself up on his elbow, looking at him more closely now.
"Shin, you don't have to do that with me. You know that, right?"

He exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of those words settle over him. He knew the boy meant well, but opening up had never been easy for him. It felt like walking a tightrope - one wrong move, and everything could come crashing down.

"I know," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"It's just... sometimes, it feels like I'm carrying too much. Like I'm not... enough."

The other frowned slightly, his hand still resting gently on Shinsou's side.
"You are enough, Hitoshi. You don't have to be anything else."

His chest tightened at the words, the sincerity in Sero's voice making it hard to breathe for a moment. He didn't know what he had done to deserve someone like Sero - someone who saw past all the mess and still wanted to be there, to stay.

Before he could think too much about it, Sero leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to the other's forehead, his lips lingering for a moment longer than usual.

"I know you've been through a low," the boy murmured against his skin, his voice quiet but firm.
"And I'm not asking you to spill everything, but I want you to know that I'm here. For real. Whenever you're ready.

The purple haired boy closed his eyes, letting the warmth of Sero's presence wash over him. The touch was gentle, grounding, and it made him feel something he hadn't felt in a long time - safe.

They stayed like that for a while, neither of them saying anything, just existing in the quiet comfort of each other's company. Shinsou's hand found its way to Sero's, their fingers intertwining slowly, naturally.

Sero gave his hand a soft squeeze, his thumb brushing over Shinsou's knuckles.
"So, what's next for us?" He asked, a teasing lilt to his voice.

The other boy cracked a smile, rolling his eyes as he glanced over at him.
"What do you mean?"

The black haired boy grinned, his expression softening as he leaned in, brushing his lips lightly against the other's cheek.
"I mean, now that you're officially my boyfriend, I feel like we should to something... boyfriend-y."

Shinsou chuckled, shaking his head.
"Like what? Go on a date or something?"

"Exactly," Sero said, pulling back slightly to look him in the eyes.
"We've done the heavy emotional stuff. Let's have some fun for once."

The boy smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"And what did you have in mind, Mr. Boyfriend?"

Sero leaned closer, his breath warm against Shinsou's ear as he whispered,
"Well, I was thinking we could ditch class tomorrow and go somewhere. Just us."

The boy gave him a look, half-amused, half-serious.
"You want us to skip school?"

Sero shrugged, grinning mischievously.
"Come on, we deserve a break. Besides, it's not like we're gonna fail out of UA for one day off."

Shinsou hesitated, but the idea of spending the day with the other - just the two of them - was more tempting than he wanted to admit.

"Fine," he said, shaking his head with a smile.
"But only if you promise not to get us caught."

The black haired boy laughed, pulling Shinsou into a soft kiss, his lips warm and familiar.
"Deal."

As they settled back into the quiet, Tipi gave a soft meow from between them, her wide, green eyes flicking between the two boys with something almost like disapproval. Shinsou chuckled, scratching behind her ears again.

"I guess she's not a fan of PDA," he joked.

Sero laughed softly, his arms wrapping more securely around the other.
"She'll get used to it. Besides, she's stuck with me now."

The boy's smile softened at that, his chest tightening in the best way. Maybe, just maybe, this was what it felt like to have something good. Something worth holding onto.

———

I was gonna write fine but accidentally wrote fein. Anyways, have a good day<3

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