Sp1ralings!

Shoto was quite curious. Whenever there was something he didn’t understand or know, he’d ask about it without hesitation. Especially Hanta, who seemed to know so much more than he did. Hanta always explained everything to him kindly, never making Shoto feel stupid for not knowing things that were obvious to the rest of the world.

“Sero, have you ever kissed anyone?”

They were lying on the floor of Shoto’s room, during one of their manga nights. A few volumes were scattered around, along with soda cans, bags of chips, and other snacks. They had the day off tomorrow, so they could stay up late. They were in their third year, which meant they wouldn’t be able to do this as often much longer.

Hanta turns his face to look at his friend, since they’re lying with their heads very close together. Shoto looks back at him with that calm expression of his.

“Yes,” he answers, sounding more confident than he feels, as he loses himself in Shoto’s two-colored eyes.

“Not me.” Sometimes Shoto takes his time to speak—Hanta knows him well—but when he sees Shoto isn’t continuing, he speaks up instead, as curiosity now fills Hanta.

“Well, you’ll find someone eventually, man.” He gives him a gentle nudge with his elbow and smiles. “Most of the girls at UA would be up for it.”

“I think I don’t like girls.”

Hanta nods slowly, trying not to give too much away, even though inside he feels like he’s about to explode. Yes, he had wondered more than once what Shoto liked—if he liked anything at all. In fact, Hanta even thought Shoto wasn’t interested in that sort of thing. So hearing that confession from him suddenly makes him feel incredibly nervous.

“Oh, well, that’s great,” he says, trying to sound calm. He sits up because lying down makes it hard for him to breathe. “I’m sure there are plenty of guys who’d volunteer for that, too.” Hanta chuckles to try to ease the tension. Until he feels Shoto next to him, sitting up as well.

“Have you ever kissed a guy?” Shoto is sitting slightly forward, very close to Hanta.

Now there’s no way Shoto can’t notice the blush on Hanta’s cheeks, because his face literally feels like it’s on fire. Yet his gaze doesn’t stray from his black eyes, as if the answer might be there. Hanta nods slowly, and his damn subconscious betrays him, his eyes drifting to Shoto’s full lips for a split second.

“Is it different from kissing a girl?” Shoto’s breathing is labored too; his chest rises and falls too forcefully for the softness of his whisper.

“I guess so,” Hanta replies slowly. “It depends on who you like more.”

“And do you like girls or boys more?”

Hanta has never cared about Shoto’s questions, but right now he just wants to run out of the room because he doesn’t know what to do or say.

That’s a lie.

He wants to shout at him that he’s the one he likes. He has for a long time, ever since he froze up so excessively at the sports festival. But he takes a deep breath and exhales, blinking slowly, trying to keep his gaze fixed on Shoto’s eyes as he gets closer and closer.

“I don’t know,” he murmurs softly.

“Would you kiss me?”

Hanta’s throat goes dry instantly, and his gaze drifts back to Shoto’s lips, which are moving another millimeter closer.

“Your first kiss should be with someone special.”

“You’re special.” Shoto’s gentle smile makes Hanta’s breath catch instantly.

“I mean someone you really like.”

“I like you,” he says so quickly that he barely lets Hanta finish his sentence. “You always teach me what I don’t know, Sero. I’d like you to teach me how to kiss. Don’t you like me?”

He doesn’t dare answer that question, but at the same time, he can’t—and doesn’t want to—say no. He feels himself sweating and pressed up against Shoto, whose gaze quickly falls on Hanta’s lips for a moment.

“Okay,” Shoto’s eyes sparkle, and he sits up straight, holding his breath. Hanta sighs, letting all the air out of his lungs.

They both readjust, sitting across from each other, their knees touching, Shoto with his hands resting on his thighs and Hanta wiping them on his own pants.

“You have to relax. If you’re going to kiss someone, it’s because you trust that person, so just relax.”

“You’re the one who’s nervous.” Shoto laughs softly, and Hanta clicks his tongue with a half-smile, feeling his cheeks flush again.

But Shoto is right—he does feel nervous. He doesn’t want to feel this way, so he sighs again and focuses on kissing Shoto, just as he’s wanted to do so many times before. He reaches out and pulls some red strands of hair away from Shoto’s face, revealing his mark more clearly. When Hanta brushes that patch of skin with his knuckles, Shoto gasps slightly and opens his eyes wider. Hanta’s hand continues to caress his cheek until his thumb brushes against Shoto’s slightly parted lips, making him swallow hard.

“Now you’re the one who’s nervous,” he murmurs, moving a little closer as he slides his hand to the nape of Shoto’s neck, using his thumb to trace the base of his hair.

“No, I’m never nervous around you.”

And with that, Hanta leans in slowly; Shoto closes his eyes, but Hanta keeps them open, watching his friend’s reactions closely. Gently covering Shoto's lips with his own—perhaps he should have gone slower, perhaps it should have been just a single brush to start with—but Hanta was intoxicated by Shoto, so he gently brushes his tongue against Shoto's lips, teasing him a little.

Shoto flinches, gasping and pulling away abruptly.

“Sorry,” Hanta murmurs, panting as well.

But Shoto says nothing; he simply shakes his head and throws himself at Hanta, wrapping his arms around his neck, causing them both to fall to the floor. The kisses grow intense; Hanta, trapped between the floor and Shoto’s body, clings tightly to his T-shirt as Shoto’s tongue invades his mouth, letting him devour him without putting up a fight.

When they need to catch their breath, they simply pull apart slightly, their foreheads resting against each other.

“This isn’t your first kiss, huh?”

Shoto pulls back slightly, leaning on his arms to get up. The look and smile Hanta receives are ones he’s never seen before, but they set everything inside him on fire.

“I didn’t know what else to do to get you to kiss me.” Hanta couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.