Hidden Potential

XIV: Pâro

"Do you think I could use your tape to wax my legs?" You asked, trying your best to keep your giggles from tumbling out of your mouth.

"Well, my tape is pretty strong, but that'd just hurt for no reason." Sero chuckled, leaning his head on your shoulder as he sighed. He felt like it had been an eternity since he got some alone time with you. And with the sudden attack they had gotten from random villains a while back, U.A. had wanted the students to stay on school grounds as much as possible, which meant dates were a big no for the two of you right now.

"I guess that's true." You answered, lifting your hand to play with his hair. It had become a habit since that one time you slept in his hammock.

Hanta slid off your shoulder and instead laid in your lap as your hand kept raking through his hair. Before you started dating him, you never would have expected him to enjoy having his hair played with this much. But you couldn't say you hated it. In fact, you found it really endearing to have your boyfriend laying his head on your lap and practically purring while you gave his scalp a massage.

"You know," You started, a smile pulling on your lips. "I'm starting to think you're only dating me so I can pass my hands through your hair. You're more cat-like than I thought."

Sero blushed bright red and made the mistake to open up his eyes to answer you. He has no idea why, but the view of you towering over him was great. "I- I swear I'm not dating you just for that! I promise!" He stuttered. He knew you were just kidding but still, he didn't want to risk the chance of you actually being serious.

"I know, I know." You laughed. He looked adorable laying on your lap and looking up at you with an embarrassed expression on his face. "I love you though." You added. Before he could answer, you swooped down and gently placed your lips on his, initiating a chaste kiss.

You pulled away too soon for Sero's liking, but he wouldn't want to be the type of person to roughly pull you back in. Especially with the way he's been acting lately, he started getting more and more scared of doing something and triggering that kind of odd, uncontrollable behaviour out of him.

Right now, everything felt normal to him. Even if it was eerily so, he didn't want to trade it for anything else in the world.

"I love you too." He whispered back, his hand reaching out to brush your cheeks with his knuckles before tracing your perfect lips with his finger tips. He loved the feeling of your lips on his. "I'd die for yo- no, I'd live for you, (Y/N)."

Those words laid heavy on your heart. Dying for someone is one thing, and while it is a great act of loyalty, living for someone hurts even more sometimes. As much as you felt your throat closing up, you didn't want to start crying in front of him because of something like that. Instead, you hid your moment of weakness with a smile.

"I'd never ask for you to do the same, though." He continued. "I want you to be happy by any means necessary, (Y/N)."

Oh my god this boy was going to be the death of you.

"Stop it, you're gonna make me cry!" You accused, looking away laughing while you could feel the familiar blur and burn of tears in your eyes.

"Aw, no don't cry!" Hanta sat up, reaching out to you as you kept facing towards the elevators leading up to the dorms. Thank goodness no one else was in the living space because this would've been highly embarrassing for the two of you. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to be honest! I never wanted to make you cry, (Y/N)!" This guy was too sweet for you, you're going to die via sweetheart overdose.

You turned to him, fully ready to forgive him, until Mina's voice interrupted the sweet moment. "(Y/N)! There you are, I've been looking for you!"

"Oh, hey Mina!" You greeted back, frantically blinking to make the oncoming tears go away. "What's up?"

"Can I- oh, Sero's there too. Uh, hi Sero. Anyways, (Y/N), can I talk to you?" She asked, becoming slightly more nervous when she realized Sero was practically sitting on your lap.

"Yeah, I'm always open for a good chit chat!" You agreed, smiling at her. "What's the tea?"

"Could I... Talk to you in private though?" She muttered, averting your gaze as she could feel Hanta's piercing stare. His aura had changed from lovesick to intimidating in mere seconds.

"Oh, yeah!" You lightly shoved your boyfriend, trying to signal him to get off you. He however didn't move. Instead, he wrapped his arms around your neck and seated himself in your lap, looking back at Ashido with a painfully fake smile.

"I'm sure that whatever you have to say to her, you can say in front of me, Ashido."

"Er, not really... It's personal. You know, girl stuff." The pink skinned girl nervously laughed as she looked down at the floor.

You really didn't mean to, but you couldn't help but feel annoyed by Hanta's rude behaviour. How come was it that when the two of you were alone, he was acting normal but whenever someone else came into the picture, he'd turn into this rude bully? It wasn't like him!

"Sero, get off." You warned, pushing him in a slightly harsher manner.

The ravenette couldn't help but feel surprised. You hadn't called him by his last name this way in a while... Were you mad? You couldn't be! He just wanted more time with you, how could you be mad at him for wanting to spend time with you? "Babe," He whined. "Don't ditch me!"

"I'm not ditching you, I just need to talk with Mina." You coldly stated. "Now get off, please." Usually, you could have dealt with his clingy attitude but there was a line and he obliterated it.

With one final push from you, Hanta stumbled off your lap and watched with a sour expression as you headed back to the elevator, most certainly going to your room to talk.

"There's something wrong with Sero." Mina declared as soon as your dorm door was closed.

"You think I don't know that? He's been acting weird ever since we started going out!" You finally confessed, a great weight finally manifesting on your shoulders. "I've been worrying about him. Is it my fault? He acts completely normal when it's just us two, but whenever someone else comes along, he goes batshit!"

Mina sighed at your reaction. "(Y/N), it's not your fault. And it hasn't started when you started going out."

"Mina, you have to be shitting me." You sighed. "I don't see anything else, he's been acting jealous and clingy because of me and I don't-"

"He was fine until the attack." Your friend cut off. You shut your mouth, thinking it through for a while. ...It made sense. It made total sense.

"Are you saying it could be someone's quirk?" You asked, slightly hopeful to have Hanta back to normal.

"It could. We should get him to the infirmary for Recovery Girl to check him tomorrow afternoon." You nodded, 100% in with Mina's plan. It was time to get your boyfriend back to normal. "But... I hate to say it (Y/N), but I don't want you to get your hopes up. What he needs might be quirk treatment, or it could be psychological help. There's still a chance that no quirk is affecting him. Please keep that in mind."

Your shoulders fell at the saddening twist in Mina's words, but you couldn't deny the fact that she was right. You were certain of nothing here. "I worry for you, (Y/N). Please be safe. Put your safety before others' for now, okay?"

"Yeah, I will." You assured as the teenage girl excused herself from your room to give you some privacy and alone time with your thoughts.