Work Text:
Strawberry Mentos - Leanna Firestone
“can you come to my dorm”
-Sho 12:43am
“please”
-Sho 12:44am
Sero woke up to the bright light and vibrations of his phone. He rereads the text messages Sho has sent him multiple times before deciding to respond.
“yea ofc !”
-12:46am
Yea, him and Sho were close but he’s still not used to getting messages from him. Every time he sees a text from Sho his heart skips a beat. He used to think it was nothing until he talked to Kaminari about it. Which, sure, he isn’t the best person to go to advice for but you know he’s someone you can trust. Coming to the realization he liked Todoroki, a guy, took a toll on him. He was sure he was straight or even aromantic. He’s not used to having romantic feelings towards people. The last girl he had a crush on was back in kindergarten.
He gets out of bed and slips into his slippers. They had little white bunnies and were gifts from his little sister last Christmas. The thought of going over to Sho’s so late makes his heart pound heavy. He grabs a brush to quickly fix his bed head and pops a strawberry mento into his mouth before he’s off.
Shoto’s only a floor above him but it still feels like it takes too long to get to him. In the elevator he checks his phone about 10 times while swirling the mento in his mouth. He remembers Shoto getting him a pack a while back talking about how they were his favorites. He got Sero attached to them so now he gets a pack every time he’s out. He knows they’re not the best for him to be sucking on all the time but every time he sees them he thinks of Shoto and had to get one.
Once the elevator door dings he walks down a couple doors trying to make as little sound as possible in fear of being caught. He finds Sho’s door and knocks lightly. When there’s no response he knocks again his fist banging down a little harder than intended. Sero stands there waiting impatiently ready to knock again until he hears the clicks of the door unlocking. Shoto looks up at him slightly with red-shot eyes and a pink face. He’s obviously been crying, the tears still slightly dampening his neck and the crew of his sweater. “Sho, are you okay?” Sero asks in concern. “Can you just come in.” Todoroki responds.
Sho’s room has always fascinated Sero, though he could never live in it. Sure, the remodel was cool but it just wasn’t homey enough for Sero to spend all his time in. “I’ll ask again, are you okay?” Sero says in hopes to get an explanation. “Um, it-it’s stupid I don’t know why I texted you I’m sorry-“ Todoroki rambles until he’s cut off by Sero, “No, no it’s not stupid I promise.” Shoto lets out a sigh and lets his body fall down into his desk chair. “I had a nightmare.” He states looking down picking at his nails. “Okay, what happened in the nightmare? Do you wanna talk about it?” Sero questions. He knows Roki isn’t the type to open up to people but he can’t help but get his hopes up he’ll trust him enough to talk about it. “It was about my dad.” He says quietly but rapidly, like he’s forcing the words out. Sero doesn’t like to pry where he doesn’t belong but he has heard things about the Todoroki family, sometimes Roki would even tell him things. Well, only if he was sleepy enough. “Was it a fictional nightmare or more like a memory?” He questions, trying not to get too personal. He doesn’t want to barge but he wants to help. “A memory.” Sho mumbles lifting his head up slightly but still refusing to make eye contact. “What was happening in that memory?” Sero urges Todoroki to keep talking. He’s had therapists in the past talk to him like this but he doesn’t know how many questions he can ask without Sho getting annoyed. “I don’t remember but I was- I saw him towering over me screaming something incoherent. It made me feel so small, like I meant nothing to him. I felt like an object, a doll, to be tossed around and yelled at constantly. I know he’s trying to change and all and I’m trying my best to be there for him while he’s on this journey or whatever but I can’t- I can’t just forget the past and forget everything he did to me, what he did to my siblings, what he did to my mom. I should’ve been playing with my siblings or watching tv with my mom but instead I was being tortured insid-“ Shoto stops halfway through a sentence realizing he’s been venting, he’s been talking for too long and he’s worried Sero is going to be upset at him for it. Well that’s what he thought, but instead, “Why’d you stop talking?” Sero questions. Roki lifts his head up again slightly only to drag it back down like it was weighing him down and picked at his nails till it almost felt painful. “I was talking to much I don’t wanna bother you, it’s late.” He finally musters up. “You’re not bothering me Roki, I promise. I care about you, probably a lot more than you think and I’m sorry this has happened to you.” Sero states grabbing onto Shoto’s shoulders. His words jumble a bit due to the fruity sweet in his mouth. “Thank you Sero.” Shoto’s says finally lifting his head up to look at Sero. They sit in comfortable silence for a second, Shoto staring at him while Sero’s eyes glance from his lips back up to lock eyes with the boy in-front of him.
After another second Sero’s body moves on his own leaning forward, grabbing Sho’s face till he’s pressing his lips against the cold ones he was just staring at. He pulls back almost immediately in fear of rejection. He lets go of Shoto’s shoulders and looks down and looks back up waiting for Shoto to say something. “You taste like strawberry mentos, those are my favorite.” He finally says. Sero just stares at him for a moment in shock he wasn’t just kicked out of the room. “Oh yeah I pick them up everytime I see them at the store because, well, they remind me of you.” Sero says rubbing the back of his neck. Shoto smiles, kissing him again.
Before they know it they’re on the bed kissing each other like it’s the last time they’ll ever see each other. Sero’s neck is starting to ache due to how it’s leaned against the head board but he doesn’t say anything instead just rubs circles into Shoto’s hip. They finally unlock their lips to catch their breath. “You know you kind of taste like black licorice,” Sero states. Shoto’s eyebrows raise slightly. “Oh yeah I’ve been picking up some packs whenever I go out because you said you liked them,” he says leaning over to the desk next to them pulling out an open bag of black licorice, “I’m not the biggest fan but I’m trying to get used to them for you.” Sero looks at him with utter love in his eyes. “Oh you don’t have to do that, if you don’t like them you don’t like them you shouldn’t for yourself to eat them.” Shoto twists his neck to the side staring at Sero like a deer in headlights “I know, but I want to like them so whenever we kiss I taste like something you like.” Shoto says quietly. “Thank you baby, but I like you so no matter what you’ll taste perfect.” Sero explained giving Shoto another soft kiss. “Oh, okay.” Shoto says.
“We should probably get some sleep Roki it’s getting late.” Sero states. Shoto looks at him in disappointment before saying “Can you stay with me?” Sero can’t help but feel his heart beat faster at that. “Of course I will.” He says grabbing Shoto to lay next to him. Shoto puts his arm up around Sero and lays his head on his chest. He can feel the pounding of Sero’s heart sink down through his ears and wrap around his skull. Before long they both fall deep into sleep ready to take on any other endeavors, together.