The Story Of Forever (Todobaku)

Kittens and Kisses

UA had too many students. All it took was one, one jerk to put the pieces together and ruin everything.

Coming to terms with one's sexuality wasn't a linear trajectory. Shouto was gay, he accepted that. According to his growing collection of boy's love manga, this was the hardest step. The rest of his story would consist of meeting a cute boy, falling in love, and living happily ever after without a care in the world.

Sadly, reality had other plans.

There were two people who knew of Shouto's secret: himself and Katsuki. While he didn't regret revealing that information to his best friend, he wasn't ready for what came after. Contrary to the belief that getting things off one's chest was healthy for the brain, Shouto felt more on edge than ever. Because even though he only confessed to one person (and Katsuki swore to secrecy), Shouto succumbed to panic every time he left his house. His fear was irrational, but he couldn't help but worry that somehow, everyone knew.

Was it him they were laughing at when he walked by? It was hard to tell. High schoolers were easily amused. For all Shouto knew, they were joking about memes. But when he carried a secret this huge, he wondered if anyone suspected it.

Shouto wasn't an athlete. None of his hobbies screamed masculine. And for most of last year, he earned a reputation as the moron that broke up with Momo Yaoyorozu. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities for someone to assume he was gay. Shouto's only saving grace was that he wasn't popular. Perhaps kids didn't care enough to speculate.

That sentiment prevented him from throwing up as he moved through the halls to his locker. Well, that and the fact that he didn't have to walk alone.

Katsuki nudged him and dropped his voice. "Stop making that face."

"What face?" Shouto muttered.

"Like you're about to piss your pants."

Not the most nurturing of statements, but Shouto appreciated it. At a time he felt more of an outcast than ever, it was reassuring that his relationship with Katsuki was back to normal. Shouto's current dilemma made him fragile, but he didn't want Katsuki treating him with kid gloves.

As usual, his morning crisis was interrupted when he reached his locker, the subject of his affection coming into view. Hitoshi's signature style was still in effect for the summer season, donning a red flannel and black jeans. A simple aesthetic, yet paired with Hitoshi's low-key attitude, the guy looked like he was pulled straight out of a fashion magazine. It didn't hurt that Hitoshi's bone structure rivaled that of a Greek God's.

"Morning," he said in that seductive tone.

Shouto's stomach fluttered as his gaze dropped to Hitoshi's lips. That smile was criminal. It was as if the universe created Shouto's dream guy from his thoughts, then multiplied his beauty by ten million.

He suppressed a grin. If he offered even an inch, infatuation would overpower him and he'd beam at Hitoshi like an obsessed fan. "Hi."

Admiration lingered in Hitoshi's expression as he shut his locker, his morning textbooks secured in hand. As he peered over Shouto's shoulder, his demeanor switched to neutral. "Hey."

"Hi," Katsuki replied, not a hint of enthusiasm.

Shouto winced. It'd been three weeks since he came out to Katsuki, which meant it'd been three weeks since Katsuki learned about his crush on Hitoshi. That should've been enough time for Katsuki to warm up to the guy, but Katsuki's dedication to pettiness had no limits.

To Shouto's chagrin, Hitoshi picked up on Katsuki's disdain for him quickly. He didn't expect his best friend and his crush to get along just because he was close with them, but it'd be nice if the three of them could engage in conversation once in a while without harsh tension brewing at the surface.