roller rink - kamisero

chapter four

sero watched as the last person left the rink, leaving with a couple friends they had brought with them. he smiled, skating over and locking the door behind them. he skated back over to the counter where a group of his friends stood, putting their skates on and talking. it was a friday night at the midnight closing, and his boss allowed him to keep the place open for a couple hours so him and his friends would have an open rink.

"hey, sero!" kirishima said, standing up and skating over. "i gotta talk to you for a second. nothing serious." he said with an almost too-innocent smile on his face.

sero raised an eyebrow. "yeah, okay." he followed kirishima to the concession stand and leaned against the padded wall. "what's up?"

kirishima avoided eye contact as he brushed crumbs off his sleeve. "so, i went to katsuki's house last night..." he said ominously.

"oh, cool!" sero exclaimed, oblivious. "how was i-"

"he knows the blonde boy!" kirishima yelled, hands on sero's shoulders. "i'm sorry, i couldn't wait! he's friends with your boy!"

sero stood, expressionless. "hanta?" kirishima asked, his head tilted but with a wide smile. "you okay."

he hesitated. "did he... say anything? what's his name? is he-"

"his name is kaminari denki, and all he did while he was with bakugo yesterday was talk about you!" kirishima said, dancing on his skates. "he's so into you!"

sero hesitated again. "oh... my god." he whispered. "oh, my god!" he yelled, much louder. he skated away and onto the rink, skating donuts under the disco ball. "yes! oh my god! haha!" he exclaimed, punching the air as he spun on his skates.

sero's friends soon joined him on the floor, celebrating with him and trying to catch up as the news put sero on specifically high energy.

sero skated circles around the rink, specific and graceful circles as he closed his eyes and thought about his higher chances. he smiled to himself, and opened his eyes as his smile got even wider.

things were finally, finally shaping up for him.

"haantaa!" his friend ashido yelled from the other side of the rink. "get over here!" she said with a laugh.

he skated over to where his group of friends stood in a circle, conspiring. "what's up?"

she smiled. "invite denki to wednesday."

sero blushed. "i-i don't know, i'm not sure it'd be appropriat-"

"come on!" she interrupted. "i barely know how to skate either! it'll be fun!"

hanta paused, thinking for a moment. he looked up and smiled.

"yeah, okay!"

————

kaminari glided up to the ticket booth where he noticed sero was already waiting. with 800 tickets in hand, he could get two packs of smarties and split them with his younger sister who was waiting at home.

"hey!" sero exclaimed as denki got closer to the booth. "glad to see you!"

kaminari was already a flushed mess. "you too!" he said without stuttering (a huge feat). "sorry to skip out on you thursday, i had a uh... a thing."

"no worries!" sero said as he grabbed the tickets and put two packs of smarties on the counter. "um, by the way," he started with a thin blush on his face. "if you don't have a thing on wednesday, my friends and i are staying after close for a free skate." he said, smiling. "i'd love for you to come!"

kaminari's stomach dropped to his feet. "y-yeah, yes!" he said, but backpedaled with a mental facepalm. "i forgot, i have to babysit my sister on wednesday." he said, visibly disappointed.

"t-that's okay! you can bring her!" sero said, desperately trying to get him to come.

kaminari thought for a moment, thinking through the logistics of lying to his parents and saying the place would still be open. "yeah, okay! i'll be there!"

sero's heart swelled. "great!"