Chapter Text
Denki is on edge as he walks up to the apartment. His skin is buzzing, and his energy is drained from coming within seconds of short-circuiting on patrol. It was a bad patrol today, he’d ended up on patrol alone without a partner, and when he needed help, he didn’t receive it. Denki doesn’t know what happened, or why he was singled out today, but he does know that seeing Hanta and Mina standing in front of the security guard to the left of the door is not what he wanted to experience so soon. If he’d been home an hour earlier, he’d probably be safe, but with the trio of villains he dealt with, he’s getting home an hour before Katsuki and Eijirou are supposed to be off.
“This is all your stupid fault! You should’ve just stopped coming to squad nights! Honestly, burdening Bakugou and Tetsu with your presence isn’t going to make them like you more. You could’ve found somewhere else to stay, but instead you’re trying to break up the squad!” snarls Mina as Denki shows his ID before going towards the pin pad to type in the code to let himself in.
“I didn’t do anything.” mutters Denki as his hands start to shake, a pounding starting up harshly behind his eyes.
“We were a squad without you before, you were just entertainment, but no one actually likes you! Even Eijirou and Katsuki are tired of you! Just stay away from us!” snaps Hanta as Kyoka’s laugh echoes from the phone in his hand.
“He’s just an idiot, of course Bakugou keeps him around to laugh at.” says Kyoka loudly, her laughter shattering whatever barely built wall that Denki had up.
“I don’t even know why you’re here, they’re not home.” mutters Denki as he finally gets the code typed in and the door opened.
“Because we’re unbanned now, and we’re going to save the friendships you’re trying to steal, asshole!” sneers Mina as she glares at him.
“Yeah, Katsuki got us unbanned already and gave us a key to get into his apartment. We’re going to talk about kicking you out of the squad, and you’re going to have to find somewhere else to stay. So, you may want to start making calls, although nobody in our class will let you stay with them, anyways! Heh, no more deadweight after today.” cheers Hanta cruelly as he gloats while Kyoka and Mina agree with him loudly, the guard even sending him a pitying look as he shakes in front of the door.
“Yeah, Katsuki texted us and told us how he and Eijirou were starting to see what we saw, how annoying and ridiculous you are, and how you’re such an attention whore that it’s all that matters over your friendships.” crows Mina while waving her phone towards him, glee written all over her face.
Denki feels his heart break despite being the one to tell Katsuki what to say with his own spin and telling him to send it when he asked if it looked good enough. So, he knows all of this, including the message because this is what they talked about this morning.
But after the day he’s had, it feels more real than fake.
Denki rushes inside and gets into the elevator before deciding that he’s not going back to the apartment if they actually have a key like Mina said. He hits the button for the two floors below Katsuki’s, then two above, and hopes they won’t realize which one he’s getting off on.
Then he messages Katsuki as the elevator whirs.
Denki: I’m gonna go hide at Hitoshi’s, hopefully. I don’t know if he’ll let me. I know that we talked about the plan, and what you were going to say. But my mind is being a bitch, so when you let me know they’re gone, I will come straight to the apartment to pack my stuff up and get out of your hair. I’m gonna grab a room at a hotel close to the agency, so you don’t have to worry about me being late or anything after my day off tomorrow.
Denki walks off the elevator, and that’s when he realizes he’s crying. His hands tremble as he wipes the tears away only to realize they’re still coming.
He goes to the apartment, raises his hand, and he hesitates. Denki turns away, ready to walk away when the sound of a door opening reaches his ears. He freezes in the hall at the voice that follows the opening of that door.
“Alright, I’ll make sure he’s hidden away, but if you don’t fuckin’ make it up to him, Imma cuss you out asshole. He had a bad fuckin’ day, don’t you pay attention to hero news? He was so close to short-circuiting today, and just so ya know, Dynamight, my pops is pissed about him being alone for that entire fight.”
It’s Hitoshi, and Denki immediately goes to walk away only for his wrist to be lightly grabbed. It’s a loose hold, loose enough that he could break it, but he knows it’s Hitoshi… so he really doesn’t want to. But then he’s turning and gaping at him as a far too familiar voice rings out loudly, his conversation continuing.
“-I was in meetings with Deku, and nobody fucking told us shit until we were on a break. I’ve reamed fuckin’ everybody, and Deku is coming over to check on him tonight!” Katsuki sounds pissed, and the threat of Izuku coming to check on him has Denki wincing harshly because he’s gonna have Midoriya tears drenching his clothes along with unnecessary apologies.
“I got it, I got it, you were dealing with meetings as one half of your agency’s owners. He’s here. But his face is tear-streaked, so you deal with those assholes or I fuckin’ will. Yeah, yeah, dad and pops are here, we’ll get him in better spirits, fuckin deal with the bullshit already.”
Click.
“Now, for you, what did I tell you about visiting?” asks Hitoshi with an almost stern tone as he meets Denki’s gaze, a singular purple brow is arched at Denki as he slips his phone into his pocket.
Denki glances at his feet as he mumbles, “You said to come visit, gave me permission to come right in, and told me how to find my way into your apartment without needing your help.”
“Exactly. I told you where my key was at, told you that you could come in whether I’m here or not, and told you to search me out for an escape. So, the only question left is, why did you walk away instead of knocking?” asks Hitoshi, gentle and seemingly bothered by Denki’s choice of fleeing instead of coming inside, but when Denki looks up, he watches how Hitoshi narrows his eyes at Denki, the way they trace over him like he’s looking for something.
“I was cleared by the docs, you know. Took some convincing because I have a nasty bruise across my abdomen, but I am clear. I just had to take tomorrow off because they want to have me come in for an x-ray to make sure I didn’t crack a rib. Since I was too exerted, they said they’d do healing tomorrow after double-checking my ribs.” replies Denki self-consciously as he wraps his arms loosely around his waist and looks away again. His voice goes quiet as he stares at the hall’s beige wall a bit blankly. “I was going to knock, but then I didn’t want to bother you with my emotional bullshit because today has been really rough. And normally I’d laugh it off and try anyways just for the sake of a safe space, but I can’t this time because I am too exhausted and buzzy to pretend to be okay. So, I was just going to go hide out somewhere else for a little while until I could get my shit and find a hotel to stay in. I’m sorry for- I’m just sorry. I’m normally more outgoing, I’m a people person, but today is not a good day. So, I’m sorry that he put this on you, that I dragged you into it last night, I’m just sorry.”
“I guess I won’t let Pops make you let Dad check on it then, but don’t be self-conscious about it. I was just worried, but clearly, it’s been taken care of. So, I’ll drop that and move onto something else. I offered for you to come over and hang out with me, offered my home to give you a safe space because I wanted to. I’ve seen what’s been going on, I live here, and I’ve heard it from Izuku, so I’m fully aware of what’s going on without fully knowing how you’re feeling while going through it. I wanted you to come to me because I want to get to know you and be someone you can lean on too while dealing with all of this.” explains Hitoshi softly as he tilts his head back towards the open doorway to his apartment. His voice is soft and calm as he takes a small step back towards the door until their arms are completely straight without the tugging sensation just yet. “Why don’t you come in here and hang out? My Dad and Pops would love to see you in person again.”
“I really shouldn’t. It’s- I want to get to know you too, but I really shouldn’t put this on you. And I- nobody really wants to deal with a walking electric waterfall who’s only crying because of the people he thought were his friends.” whispers Denki sadly because he wants to go into the apartment, visit with his old teacher and mentor and get to know the man who wants to be someone he can lean on… the man he wants to lean on.
“I’m under strict orders not to let you out of my sight until we get the all-clear message from Katsuki, and he’s going to come down to get you from the apartment to make sure you don’t try to avoid going there. He’s really worried about you.” says Hitoshi with a half-smile as he explains his orders from Katsuki, voice soft and understanding for him. “If I didn’t want to deal with you being down and feeling betrayed, then I wouldn’t have offered my apartment, or my attention, after seeing you crying in the lobby for the past several months. I want you to come here, and you know Midoriya, so don’t you dare call yourself a waterfall. That man never stops crying, say one nice thing to him, and he cries for twenty-fuckin’-minutes.”
“My blonde twin, get yourself in here little listener!” calls Hizashi’s voice, and Denki actually perks up at his voice.
“Mic’s really in there then?” asks Denki softly, feeling a bit brighter as he clears his face of his tears with his free hand, stepping forward without thinking about it as his hand lifts until he’s able to grab Hitoshi’s hand when Hitoshi releases his wrist. “You got me on the Midoriya thing, but if you’ve met Inko, you’d know it’s genetics. And you were only like officially introduced to me last night, and I dragged you into the drama because I’m a loudmouth. There’s a reason I’m called Mic’s twin. Zawa called me a loud blonde after seeing me and Mic talking about a story we were reading in English class. And my class agreed because I’m too friendly for my own good.”
“Yeah, dad’s in here too. But he’s trying to coax Mittens out from under my bed. Seriously though, next time I want you to just come in if I don’t answer at the sound of your knock because I want you to have a safe space to go to. I can offer it, and I could also use it to actually get to know you now.” replies Hitoshi with a half shrug, lazy as he steps over the threshold with a foot, leaning back slightly to tug on their hands. “But just to clarify, I have known about you for a while, just cause I hadn’t been introduced to you doesn’t mean I didn’t know you because dad and pops talked about your class constantly. I also watched the sports festival, and I’ve followed everyone’s career because I had to as an underground hero who typically handles the interrogations of the villains you lot pick up. So, don’t hesitate next time.”
“Getting to know you would be pretty awesome too, and that makes me feel less like I’m burdening you because you wanna get to know me and knew of me for a while now… I just didn’t want to weigh you down with my mess that’s only happening because my friends aren’t real friends, but I- I could use a safe space right now… and I don’t think I could be safer anywhere else. But you can turn me away or tell me to leave at any time, and I swear I will, no questions asked.” murmurs Denki softly to himself, like he’s not expecting Hitoshi to hear him as he looks at the open door and back to Hitoshi. After a breath, Denki slips his shoes off, and wishes that he didn’t wear his outfit home to avoid going back to the agency after he finished his paperwork at the station. “Also, if Mittens isn’t a cat, I’m gonna be super disappointed because that is a perfect cat name.”
“I think you’re cool, and I’ll gladly get to know you and provide a safe space for while you’re dealing with backstabbing friends that I’d like to brainwash into kicking their own asses. So, trust me, I’m never going to turn you away.” explains Hitoshi genuinely, smiling at him openly as he closes the door before he points over at Hizashi who is sprawled on the couch with a cat on his chest, clearly asleep and happy. “Now, Mittens is actually a kitten's name. I got her a week ago when I found her while I was patrolling. However, Patches is a cat’s name, and he’s the one on Pops’ chest. I’ve had him for six years now.”
“That’s so cute! You found a kitten while you were patrolling?! Was she okay? Hi, Hizashi! So, what does Mittens look like? Do you have pictures?” asks Denki softly as he nods to Hizashi, turning to look at Hitoshi expectantly with a big hopeful grin.
“Of course, I have pictures. I got pictures of both of my babies.” replies Hitoshi, hand pressed to his chest as he fakes being offended before he’s pulling his phone back out and his thumb’s moving rapidly across the screen until he can turn his phone to show a picture of a tiny black kitten with big yellow eyes. He’s grinning as he slips the phone into Denki’s hands. “This is Mittens, she was fine, just soaked in the rain and homeless in her little box. You can swipe through the cat album it’s in, if you want to, I’ve got plenty of pictures of both the babies and some from my dad and pops’ place too. When you’re ready to sit down, you can go settle on the chair by Pops. I’m gonna go help dad get her out from under the bed, and then we’ll join you three.”
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to steal your phone just to look at cat photos, though I am definitely down to go scrolling through the cat album and see all the cat photos you’ve got.” murmurs Denki as he looks from the phone to Hitoshi with barely concealed hope as he looks back at the phone to find a picture of little Mittens laying on her back on the black fuzzy rug that’s underneath Denki’s feet right now, blending in. “She’s so cute, blending into the carpet like that. Ooh, I love furbabies!”
“She does that with most of my furniture and rugs because my colors are black, purple, and splashes of yellow thanks to my dad and pops. As for your question before, it’s gonna take me a good few minutes to get Mittens, so I’m trusting you with my phone. Be careful though, it holds all my pictures of the babies and the family, and if you spend too much time swiping through the pictures, you’ll have to spend a lot of time with the furbabies here and get stuck with me too.” teases Hitoshi softly, winking when Denki looks up at him in surprise, before he’s twisting around and raising his voice, moving without letting Denki respond to him. “I’ll come get her dad, and Denki’s here now!”
Denki’s cheeks are burning as he watches Hitoshi disappear down the hall.
“My twin, you have a crush already.” says Hizashi in a soft, sing-song voice as he grabs Denki’s attention. He smirks when Denki jumps before sputtering at the words. “Don’t bother denying it, kid, I’ve known you too long. Besides, it’s clear my son has a crush too. Now, I’m going to ask a question, and you don’t have to explain anything, I just need a yes or a no. Are those cheeks tear stained because of your own friends?”
“I- I’m not even going to try to argue that because Hitoshi is very, umm, very attractive and kind.” sighs Denki defeatedly as he walks over to the chair and plops down in it, staring down at the phone, tapping the screen to keep it unlocked before he looks back at Hizashi again. “Yes, I’ve been crying because of my own friends. But Ei and Kats aren’t the cause, it’s Hanta, Mina, and Kyoka. I’ll explain it to you and Zawa, but first I want to look through these pictures, get some kitty cuddles, and hear about your interview with Dabi and Hawks about their wedding and Dabi’s reformation.”
“Oh, the interview went lovely, and everyone has been calling in asking me to have them on again too! It was an absolute blast, plus there’s some news! Dabi is going to come back in and speak more on his reformation and the program, and Hawks is finally going to bare it all on the Hero Commission because his NDA is no longer valid!” replies Hizashi excitedly as he runs a hand down Patches’ back, the purrs starting to rumble loud enough that Denki can sort of hear it.
“That’s awesome! Dabi coming to bare it all will be such a beautiful episode, and it’s going to give everyone a look into the program in general that will help bring more people onto the side of reformation. I’ll have to make sure I get it downloaded on Spotify since you’ve finally got your show going through there too! It’s about time Hawks gets to tell the world how fucked the Hero Commission is, especially since I know he’s been working with Nezu, Izuku, Katsuki, Tenya, and Ochako to gather evidence for a case that we all want to bring against them. That sounds like you’ve got two brilliant shows lined up, Zashi, and I can’t wait to hear ‘em!” exclaims Denki excitedly as Patches stands up from his spot on Hizashi, turning and sitting down to look at him, his thumb taps the phone again to keep it from locking up. “Hi Patches, you’re a handsome kitty.”
“Yeah, Nezu called Sho and Yagi into it as well. I’m not allowed to know anything, but I am fully supporting them even though I’m in the dark. Oh, Patches, why’re you leaving me buddy?” Hizashi’s voice goes from soft and supportive to whining as Patches walks down his legs to the armrest and jumps to Denki’s lap from there.
“Hi there, handsome boy, I didn’t think you’d come to me.” coos Denki as he lets Patches smell his fingers and palm before lightly brushing his hand down Patches’ spine at the insistent headbutt Patches gave his hand. “See, you’re such a little sweetheart, but the way you just left your nap spot for me makes me wonder if you’re a sassy, opinionated lil one who decides when they want pets and when they don’t. Zashi, why are you gaping at me?”
“Because Patches-”
“Patches doesn’t really like people, especially not on the first day being around them. Patches still doesn’t like Izuku, and he hates his vet despite going to him since the day we got him.” explains Hitoshi, voice filled with awe as he comes in with little Mittens sitting over his shoulder, paws clenched into his chest as she hangs.
“Patches is a little asshole, and yet, I feel like we should’ve expected him to like Denki because his dad does.” snorts Shota Aizawa as he comes into the room behind Hitoshi, smirking as he lifts Mittens off Hitoshi’s shoulder and comes to sit next to Hizashi after he sits up. “Kid, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, bruised and twitchy, but fine.” replies Denki tiredly as Patches circles in his lap before settling himself into a ball on his knees, holding Hitoshi’s phone up as he starts petting Patches again, just lightly brushing his fingers back and forth down his side. “Here’s your phone by the way, didn’t manage to look through the pictures cause I was talking with Zashi.”
“You can set it on the table if you want, and I’m sure you’ll get a chance to see the pictures again at some point. Do you want a drink or anything?” asks Hitoshi softly as he leans on the chair, elbows pressing into the plush purple chair as he looks at Denki with soft eyes.
“Not really, but I appreciate the offer.” replies Denki quietly as he leans forward slightly to lay Hitoshi’s phone on the table, Patches still firmly curled up in his lap. “Also, I know I’m gonna be told to shush for this, but I am sorry for interrupting your family time.”
“Denki, you’re not interrupting anything.” replies Hitoshi with a soft smile as he walks around his chair to settle in it, crisscrossing his long legs with ease. Denki quickly narrows his eyes at him in disbelief, and Hitoshi snorts before continuing.“They only came here to bug me because of the interrogation from last night. Apparently one of the people I interrogated has put feelers out on me, and these two are trying to get me to take a few days off until they know what the threat is or can neutralize them.”
“So, what I’m hearing is that you should stay your butt in this lovely apartment because there is a dickwad out there who wants revenge. Who exactly is it that’s doing this?” asks Denki curiously as he turns to look between Shota and Hizashi, tilting his head when Hizashi looks away from him. “Zashi, who is it?”
“It’s Serenade.” says Shota quietly, hesitant as he meets Denki’s eyes.
“She- How is she back? I- I put her- She- I- What?! How?” Denki stutters, hand freezing on Patches’ back as he looks at his old teacher, confusion and panic swirling through him because he knows that name, that villain.
“She resurfaced three weeks ago, and I’ve been tracking her. But Tamaki and Momo managed to catch her two nights ago, and Hitoshi was the one who interrogated her. He got a lot of information out of her, and today we initiated several takedowns throughout her operations in Japan, and more are supposed to happen tonight.” explains Shota softly as Hizashi takes Mittens from him, and Denki spares his blonde mentor a glance only to find him slightly shaking as he holds the kitten in his hands.
“Zashi, it’s going to be okay. I know she was- that whole situation was fucked, but she’s in Japan now, and we have Zu and Kats here. No way she gets away with it again, and no way she gets away again. What I want to know is how she survived, why she came here, and why I wasn’t informed of her appearance considering she was my mission two years ago.” says Denki softly before he turns to Shota with a harshness in his voice, eyes going cold as he lets Patches go so as to not hurt the cat in his anger.
“We were supposed to notify you after her transfer, that was my decision because I knew how it affected you, and I knew you’d want to talk to her. I didn’t want there to be a chance of her getting to you again, especially after how the mission ended. I can email you the file when I go in later to tell you everything that Hitoshi got because those questions are mostly answered in that file. But we were planning to get to you as well, and Katsuki and Izuku may come to you later themselves because Hitoshi isn’t the only one she’s targeting now that she’s in Japan and escaped.” explains Shota seriously as he looks at Denki, looking so tired that Denki feels kind of guilty that he was stuck with all of this because he knows how bad it was for Hizashi before. “Kid, when she managed to escape from the jail, she left two Hero names stapled into the backs of the two officers that went to transport her. Hitoshi’s hero name and your hero name were stapled into their backs. She’s back and she’s not just gunning for Toshi.”
“Twin, you have to stay off patrols too. I know, I know, you don’t want to, and I get that. But she- we almost lost you last time, and I am not letting that happen again. Everyone is getting briefed in the morning on the situation, and we’ve got six different groups on look-out tonight alongside the ten mini missions that are going through at nightfall. You are not going to be able to patrol until she’s off the street. We can’t risk either of you getting trapped in her claws.” Hizashi is worried and rambling as Mittens climbs onto the back of the couch, and he is looking Denki in the eye, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation, but there’s also resignation in his eyes.
“You two have already made a plan that you’re going to tell our Agency heads. You’ve already made the decision for us, this is just a way to save face.” says Denki blankly as he looks between them, watching the way Hizashi and Shota share a look. “Of course, just save face by trying to convince us to just go underground until she’s handled because procedure says we have to. Zashi, Zawa, you know I’m not hiding. Not from her.”
“And I won’t agree either, neither will my Agency head, so if you two manage to get me blocked from patrols, I’m going to be pissed.” adds Hitoshi seriously as he looks at his dad’s, sounding almost irritated at the idea, but he’s not glaring or glowering, just serious. “If she wants to come after me, then let her. I’ll be able to handle her just fine considering we proved my quirk cancels hers out during the interrogation.”
“She sings though, she’s just- wait, Serenade sings, it’s a lull, sure, she can also make it work through touch, but she still has to sing. While she’s figured out how to make it work through phones and videos, she’s still got a manipulative song-focused quirk. Talk-Singing works as well, but it’s weaker, so how did your quirk cancel hers out?” asks Denki in confusion as he turns his attention to the pretty man in the purple chair who has taken to spreading his legs, leaning forward and pressing his elbows into his thighs.
“She’s figured out how to pitch her voice to make the brainwashing come just from her talking normally. She learned it from another vocal manipulator in Italy. Apparently, it was an Opera Singer that was picked up about an hour after midnight according to the timestamp on the email report that was sent my way.” explains Hitoshi genuinely as his purple eyes meet Denki’s yellows, answering some of Denki’s questions without the need for a file. Denki throws his head back against his chair, feeling exhausted. “From my understanding, she got back a few months ago, and the reason I know my quirk cancels hers out is because I tested it. Her quirk doesn’t work on me, and cancels out when I activate mine on hers.”
“A few months as in three months or as in four?” asks Denki seriously as something tickles in his brain, making him narrow his eyes at Hitoshi in question.
“Four, why?” Hitoshi’s tilting his head now, but Denki is having a revelation, an epiphany if you will.
“Because Kyoka wasn’t acting funny until about four months ago. She was being weird, but if those feelings weren’t a lie, that would explain that. Six months ago, Mina came back from her Italy mission, and it was like she was a completely different person. Hanta is doing whatever the hell he’s doing, but they all got together four months ago, like four months ago today.” explains Denki as his thoughts whir while he pulls out his phone only to freeze as he looks at the Bakusquad Originals group chat.
Denki stares at the group chat, at the last message from Kats and Ei just ten minutes ago saying they were about to handle business and would see him shortly, but he locks it and shoves his phone under his thigh before he could message them.
“You should message them, or at the very least, you should jot it down so you don’t forget. But I’m sure it would make things easier on them if you messaged them seeing as they’re trying to figure things out with those three idiots.” Hitoshi’s giving advice, but it’s the worry in his voice that has Denki pulling his phone out and doing exactly as he’s advising because he doesn’t want Hitoshi to sound like that.
SparkyTwink: So, Serenade is in Japan, and apparently came from Italy. She would’ve been there when Mina was there, but Serenade has been here for exactly four months. Literally from the jump of Kyoka getting rejected and everything going to hell. She was weird before, but if those feelings were real, then that would explain her being weird, but Mina- she was in Italy while Serenade was.
SparkyTwink: I dunno if that will help, but considering Serenade has apparently decided to target Hitoshi and myself, I wanted to mention it in case that’s part of it.
Denki slips his phone back into his pocket after turning it on silent, glad that it’s set to vibrate as well because at least he’ll still know when something happens.
“So, you wanna explain why you think Mina has been affected by Serenade? Or maybe explain that entire situation with your friends because you were very upset, they were the cause, and Eijirou and Katsuki are clearly handling something without you for a reason.” says Shota as he looks at Denki, arching a brow as his face twists into that teacher's expression of “don’t even try to lie to me” that has Denki wincing.
“Dadzawa, it’s not-” Denki attempts to play it off, but then Shota narrows his eyes at him, and he sighs in defeat. “Alright, Mina, Hanta, and Kyoka have been treating me like shit for several months, hinting at wanting to kick me from the squad, calling me annoying, saying I’m in it for the fame, that I’m using them, that I’m only there for entertainment, and other variations of that. Mina started it, Kyoka jumped on the bandwagon, and Hanta seemed to just be along for the ride. But they’re all saying shit. Kyoka- I rejected Kyoka because I realized that I’m gay, not bi, and the next time I saw her, she was giving me the cold shoulder, then the three of them got together. I don’t- I don’t really have an answer for Hanta because even Kats and Eiji think he’s just doing it because he’s dating them.”
“So, you’re thinking that Mina has been trapped in Serenade’s web and is being awful because of her?” asks Hizashi softly, his voice sounding weird enough for Denki to know he’s straining to hide his anger.
“I don’t know for sure, but it’s not so farfetched considering how public our friendships have been. And after how that mission went down… I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s targeting the people I trust to weaken my focus and me in general. Mina was odd before she left, but it wasn’t like this. We assumed it was because she had confessed to liking Hanta and was struggling with the idea of confessing because she cried on my shoulder when she realized she had feelings for her friend because she was scared it would ruin our squad’s closeness if she ever confessed.” explains Denki softly, settling further back in his seat, brows furrowing as he attempts to figure out what would cause Serenade to come after Mina as well as why Mina would fall into the trap that is Serenade’s web. “It just- it makes sense, but I don’t want to pin the awful actions of my friends on the villain if that’s not the case. Unfortunately, this fits in the timeline of things way too well.”
“So, you think that Mina fell into this trap after being on edge because of feelings she had for Hanta? And Kyoka was targeted probably the same night you rejected her? Well, considering their very vocal anger towards Serenade after the mission, while you were still under after the mission ended, it would make sense for her to target them. Use them to get to you, especially if she found them in such a weakened emotional state. Plus, they wouldn’t know what she looks like since she’s got that friend who does glamors.” Shota’s clearly thinking out loud, eyes dropping to his hands as he leans forward, eyebrows scrunched together while muttering.
“I don’t know, not really anyways, but the timeline is too perfect.” says Denki softly, defeat and anger clashing in his voice as a purr starts vibrating through his legs as Patches stretches and stands, turning to stand and press his paws against Denki’s chest. Denki chuckles when Patches headbutts him in the chin. “Hey now, sweet boy, you’ll hurt yourself hitting me so hard. What’s goin’ on?”
Denki tilts his head down, hands coming up to glide down Patches’ sides, just as Patches headbutts him in the mouth this time.
“He knows you’re upset.” says Hizashi softly, fond as he smiles at them.
“Patches is good with emotions, enough so that we adopted him after he came up to Hitoshi during a rough night.” shares Shota softly as he lightly nudges Hitoshi while meeting Denki’s eyes when he automatically looks up at his old teacher. Hitoshi groans while Shota grins, and Denki knows he’s getting a story. “There were six cats that we knew in our neighborhood, and Patches was the only one that found Hitoshi and forced his way into Hitoshi’s lap when things were really bad. We found Hitoshi sitting on our front porch after rushing home from work, and Patches was sitting much like he is now, headbutting Hitoshi hard. A therapist even told Hitoshi that he could make a good ESA if he wasn’t so difficult with other people.”
“Awe, he’s such a good boy. I’ve been upset a lot, so I definitely appreciate the headbutts and loves. It’s been a rough few months.” Denki’s chuckles are weak as he rubs his nose on Patches’ head as his purrs vibrate through his chest.
“He’s my best boy, that’s for sure. I’m going to be right back, need a drink, can I get anything for anyone else?” asks Hitoshi as he stands, his voice straining.
“No, kid, we still have some of our drinks left.” replies Shota knowingly, and Hitoshi moves to the kitchen without sparing any of them another glance.
“He’s worried and upset, but it’s not you, twin.” says Hizashi reassuringly as he calls out Denki’s staring.
“I- I think I’m going to go check on him.” murmurs Denki before he carefully stands, carefully settling Patches in his seat before following after Hitoshi.
When he reaches the doorway, Denki sees Hitoshi’s hands clenching the handle of the fridge door harshly as he stares down at it. Hitoshi isn’t moving either, eyes locked on the inside of the fridge, but as Denki gets closer, he sees that set jaw, a vein peeking out in his neck from the strain.
“Hitoshi, is- is everything okay?” asks Denki softly as he steps closer, putting his hand on the hand clenching around the fridge door.
Hitoshi startles, at the voice or the touch, Denki isn’t sure, but he turns to him with wide purple eyes before they soften while he clears his throat.
“I’m fine, Denki.” says Hitoshi quietly as he finally reaches into the fridge and pulls out a cool bottle of water before shutting the door. “Are you okay? There’s been a lot of things said here, and some of it clearly set you on edge.”
“You’re not fine, but I’ll answer your question anyway. I’m okay, not great, but okay. Things are getting heavy and overwhelming, but nothing that I can’t eventually handle. I just need to focus on the immediate problems rather than the ones that aren’t causing immediate trouble. Unfortunately, that’s still a lot.” replies Denki softly, grimacing as he looks down at the white tiles of the kitchen floor. He breathes harshly through his nose as determination fills him, and he looks back up to meet Hitoshi’s eyes. “Now, is everything okay and is touch okay?
Hitoshi chuckles softly, moving backwards to lean against the counter as Denki arches a brow at him daringly, and he says, “No, everything’s not okay. I’m not going to be allowed to patrol, which means I’m probably going to end up at UA helping them so they can keep an eye on me. You’re going through it, and I really fucking want to help. But I can’t do much other than offer a safe haven that you probably won’t entirely trust because we’ve barely introduced ourselves to each other, and that sucks because I just really want to be here for you. I also really want to kick your friends’ asses for all the pain they’ve put you through, or at least see if they’re under Serenade's hold because my quirk would make it easy to check. So, technically everything’s fine, but honestly, it’s really not fine at all. Touch is okay.”
“You have no idea how fluttery that just made me feel. As far as patrols go, there are amazing heroes that will be patrolling and let in on the situation, so if we have to miss patrols, then we have to miss patrols. It won’t be forever, Serenade is going to get annoyed and eventually pop out to complain about us, trust me. Also, don’t nag on UA, those students are pretty damn awesome.” Denki smiles softly, touched by the words coming from the other man, and he moves to stand in front of him, slowly wrapping his arms around Hitoshi’s neck in a hug as he speaks. “But as far as me and this whole situation, you are helping. This, you, it’s helping, I promise. I feel safe here, with you, and it’s comforting to know you care so much to open your home to me even though we don’t know each other outside of our quick introductions and what we’ve heard about each other from others. The friends thing with Serenade, that’ll have to be dealt with by ear.”
After a few moments of the hug, Denki slowly pulls back to look at him, and when Hitoshi’s eyes meet Denki’s, it’s like time just stops. Their faces are so close that Denki can feel Hitoshi’s breaths puffing against his lips, and his heart is beating rapidly in his chest at the realization. He doesn’t know what to do, but he knows that staring into these purple eyes is making him almost as nervous as when he was going to knock on the door. Having his arms around the man’s neck is almost as comforting as holding his hand momentarily was, but
“I’m glad I can be a safe space for you… and that it made you feel all fluttery…” whispers Hitoshi almost hesitantly, like he didn’t want to ruin this carefully crafted moment of theirs. “But I am sorry that you’re going through all of this, especially with Serenade being added on top. I know some of the story from them and what little was shared online about it.”
Denki opens his mouth, wanting to comment on the soft blush across those pale cheeks and respond to his softness, but the ringing of his phone completely shatters this moment of theirs. Hitoshi drops his head back with a sigh as Denki huffs in annoyance and tugs his phone out of his pocket to see a message from Katsuki.
“Looks like they’re done, and Kats is coming to get me to tell me what happened. Tetsu and Izuku just got here too, so I guess I’m being subjected to the full force. This is going to fucking suck.” sighs Denki quietly after he sends a thumbs-up emoji to Katsuki before looking at Hitoshi with a sad smile because everything was going good before the vocal interruption.
“Hopefully they got what they wanted then, huh? Do you want me to come up with you to offer some comfort? Or, well, do you want Pops and Dad and I all to come up to offer some comfort?” asks Hitoshi softly as he tilts his head to the side just as another ring bleats out of Denki’s phone.
Denki’s eyes flick down to his phone as he replies, “It’s okay. Your dads are here, and I wouldn’t want to drag you away from them. Apparently they got what they wanted, even getting them banned from the building again, and Izuku already has the start of a plan worked up for this too. But I can have Katsuki let you know what the plan is after they tell me, if you want me to?”
A knock sounds from the door with Hizashi calling, “I’ll get it!” while Hitoshi says, “You’re more than welcome to let me know what’s said, I’d much rather hear from you than him. I can give you my number, unless you’re going to ride the elevator down here again, which I don’t recommend because you’ll probably be exhausted by the time it’s over.”
“Here, put your number in for me? Zashi can handle Katsuki for a little while longer.” offers Denki as he hands over his phone, smiling hopefully when Hitoshi takes it from him and starts typing.
“Stop being fuckin’ annoying ya blonde cockatoo! Where the fuck is Denki? And why are you sitting there letting him talk so goddamn much fuckin’ hobo?” yells Katsuki explosively, annoyance and fondness melting into his words from the door.
“I better go get him before he tries to make your dads spar with him.” sighs Denki as Hitoshi hands his phone back to him. Denki changes the contact name to “Toshi Doll” before slipping his phone back into his pocket, smirking when he sees Hitoshi’s cheeks burning as he straightens up. “I’ll message you when I know the plan, okay?”
“I’ll be waiting to know how you’re doing after it all.” says Hitoshi softly before following Denki out of the kitchen to find Katsuki letting off mini explosions in his doorway while Shota cuddles Patches and Mittens as Hizashi laughs. “Please don’t explode my apartment. I can only deal with the stupid owner so many times in the same week.”
“What’d you even have to deal with that prick already for?” huffs Katsuki as he scowls at him over Hizashi’s shoulder.
“I was called in to handle a situation, apparently some dumbass was stealing from different apartments here, so I got to patrol the halls. That was a fun time. By the way, it was your neighbor’s nephew.” groans Hitoshi in annoyance as he falls into his chair, Denki stepping up behind him.
“Oh, Hitoshi, you’re allowed to patrol tonight, but then you’re off patrols until Serenade is caught.” says Shota as he tosses his phone into Hitoshi’s lap with an email from Hitoshi’s boss.
“Both of you are going to be ready to scream by the time I’m done getting revenge for this shit.” huffs Hitoshi as he reads the email and notes that he’ll be stuck at UA during the day and that there will be some underground heroes from their agency patrolling around the building every night until she’s caught. “Don’t freak out if you see a hero outside your window, a few will be patrolling around the building until Serenade is caught.”
“Good because we have some heroes set up to patrol until that bitch is caught too, including me, Tetsu, Kiri, and Deku, together or not. Denks, you’re off patrol until it’s handled as well, and babysitting duty will begin tomorrow. We’ll be on shifts to make sure you’re not alone, so get ready to be sick of us.” says Katsuki firmly, supportive as he eyes both Hitoshi and Denki like he knows something when he definitely doesn’t know anything… not yet at least.
“Annoying as hell.” pouts Denki before he lays a hand on Hitoshi’s shoulder, smiling down at the man when he looks up at him. “I’ll keep you updated on what’s going on, okay? Talk to you in a bit.”
“Talk to you in a bit.” replies Hitoshi sweetly as he pats Denki’s hand with his own, soft smile curving his own lips.
Denki doesn’t wanna stop looking at this man, but Katsuki pointedly clears his throat and breaks the moment. Denki murmurs his goodbyes to everyone before following Katsuki out of the apartment and down the hall to the elevator.
“You're going to have to update us on everything that happened while you were there, ya know.” says Katsuki gleefully because he’s as much of a gossip monster as Shouto and Izuku are.
“Yeah, I figured as much, but depending on how bad the recording is, that might have to wait.” replies Denki amusedly as they step onto the elevator after a woman with her baby steps off, too busy talking on the phone to even acknowledge that they were standing there.
“I’ll do my best to skip most of it, but they definitely gave off quirked hints that I need you to listen to. I know this is going to be overwhelming, so we can text you the plan later if you need a break.” offers Katsuki softly, understanding in his voice as the elevator doors close and move before stopping again, almost abruptly because there was only a one-floor difference.
“Thanks man, I appreciate it.” murmurs Denki as they get off the elevator and walk down the hall to Katsuki’s apartment.
Getting inside takes no time at all, and then Denki’s being crowded over to the couch and sat firmly between Izuku and Eijirou as Tetsu and Katsuki get the video set up on the TV for them to watch.
It’s painful to watch Mina, Hanta, and Kyoka talk so badly about him, talking about how he’s just a spotlight stealer, a heartbreaker, a trend-follower, always trying to be talked about with no care about the people he’s supposed to be saving. To hear them talk about how he’s a failure as a hero because he only cares about the attention, the fame, the autographs that come with being called a hero.
It’s a sharp kind of painful to hear Eijirou and Katsuki quietly agreeing with what they’re saying, knowing they don’t mean it makes it better, but it still stabs into him in the worst way possible.
Eijirou and Izuku are murmuring their apologies, even Katsuki and Tetsu keep apologizing, trying to talk over the worst bits that they can’t skip over because of the hints of potential quirked responses.
“It’s just like Amiah was saying when I met her in Italy, he’s just a user and it’s honestly pathetic because he would never put his life on the line for us like we all have for him. It’s just disgusting.” says Mina seriously as she waves her hands, acid carefully building and dissipating from her skin.
“She’s right, and I am so glad you introduced me to her that night. After he lied about his sexuality to reject me all the while leading me on the entire time. It's just- she was such a good shoulder to cry on for me, and I never would’ve confessed to you and Hanta without her.” adds Kyoka brightly, pressing kisses to Hanta and Mina’s cheeks as she speaks.
“I still need to meet her, but we’re going to meet her tonight, right? I’m so glad you two told me all about her, of course she’d know everything about him. I can’t believe that he dated her and never told us because she’s quirkless. How pathetic of him, honestly? He was all supportive of Izuku, but suddenly the woman he claimed to love isn’t good enough for that? I’m so happy she opened your eyes so you could open mine.” Hanta’s praising this woman, bringing up a relationship that never happened, and he’s so certain of his words.
“I think you’re right about them being quirked, and it looks like Hanta is going to be quirked sometime today as well. Izuku and Tetsu tagged their cars with trackers while also telling some heroes on patrol to track them with Mirio, Tamaki, Momo, and Monoma coming in to handle it if they do lead us to her.” explains Katsuki softly, wincing at it before shutting off the recording and the TV before taking his place on the coffee table next to Tetsu.
“I guess this means that you guys should get Hitoshi involved since his quirk cancels hers out.” mutters Denki as he tries to breathe through the overwhelming need to break down into pieces over everything that he just listened to.
“That’s good to know, especially because we should be able to have Monoma copy his quirk to make things easier. I’ll message them, and do a mass email, so they can swing by to copy the quirk in case they manage to catch her tonight.” says Izuku as he tugs his phone out of his pocket to send off the messages as well as a mass email.
“As for the plan, we know for sure that we need to counter the quirk if they really are quirked. Which it’s leaning heavily towards that being the case. We also-” Denki starts to tune Eijirou out, though it’s done unconsciously, his mind running with how much his friends believe the words they said because while Serenade can convince people to say things, there’s usually some truth to it. “Bro?”
“Denki, come back bud. You’re way too zoned out right now.”
“Hey, Sparky, are you okay?”
Unsurprisingly, it’s Katsuki’s voice that drags him back in the same way that the warm hand on his wrist, that no doubt belongs to Izuku, tugs on his focus as it presses down until his heartbeat beats steadily in his ear. Denki blinks harshly a few times before looking at all of them, seeing their nerves completely on display on their faces.
“If this is too much, Sparks, we can message it to you later, so you know the plan.” offers Katsuki softly, gruff but filled with care as he looks at him.
“Yeah, don’t push yourself. This is probably extremely overwhelming, and you may need some time to process before thinking about anything else. It’s okay if you need to go lay down for a bit instead.” agrees Izuku seriously, hand moving from Denki’s wrist to his back instead.
“We can call you when dinner gets here, and we’ll pack it away for you, if you’re not hungry. But you don’t have to stay and listen to all of this, we saw how overwhelming just the recording was for you. We don’t want to hurt you, or overwhelm you anymore, Denki.” says Tetsu quietly, reminding Denki why he is his other best bro besides Eijirou.
“For sure, bro, don’t push yourself past your limits. Today was already overwhelming before this mess spilled into it. Go get some rest, and we’ll check on you when dinner gets here!” exclaims Eijirou genuinely, pitching his voice quieter when Denki winces at his loudness.
“Thanks, guys. I think you might be right. I’m definitely feeling overwhelmed, but I’m probably just going to go lay down. But, listen, the revenge is up to all of you. I don’t care what happens, and I don’t think I want anything to do with those three anymore, whether they’re quirked or not. Once you read the full file on Serenade, you’ll understand, I promise. But I- I think I’m done with them. So, whatever you guys choose to do, you have my support, but I want nothing to do with it.” explains Denki softly as he stands and moves away from everyone, not wanting anymore comforting touch as his skin feels rubbed raw.
He leaves the room, moving down the hall to the room that he calls his own right now. Denki immediately flops onto his bed, grabbing his pikachu stuffy as he just lays there with his face pressed into his pillow, but then he remembers what he told Hitoshi. He rolls onto his side to pull out his phone, and he finds Hitoshi’s contact before typing out a message for him.
Denki: Hi, Toshi Doll, it’s Denki!
Denki: So, I got overwhelmed… I told them that they could deal with the revenge because I’m just done with everything to do with the other three, so if you wanna know the plan, you’ll have to ask Katsuki, or the others… He might message it to me, so I can send it to you, if he does, but it’d be better to ask him. I’m not going to look at that message until I feel better situated in this mess.
Denki rolls back onto his stomach, crushing Pikachu under his arm and his chin as he lays his phone on the pillow next to him, and he lets his emotions roll over him a bit heavily. He bites his lip to try to keep from sobbing as his eyes sting with tears beginning to fall down his cheeks.
He jumps in surprise when his phone vibrates next to the hand he has clenched in his pillow, crushing the pillowcase between his fingers as his emotions get loose. His face is an absolute mess, and his eyes are blurry as he tries to see what’s on his screen. But then his yellow eyes go wide as he reads, “Toshi Doll” for three messages.
Toshi Doll: Do you need me to come up there? Or do you want to come back down here?
Toshi Doll: I’ll talk to Izuku and Bakugou later about the situation, but what can I do to help you?
Toshi Doll: Would a phone call be easier than texts? You don’t even have to speak, we can just be on the phone, if that’ll offer more comfort to you.
Denki: Don’t you have to patrol soon? And are your dads still there? I wouldn’t want to distract you or take you away from anything.
He curls onto his side, tucking Pikachu firmly against his chest as he watches those three dots appear and bounce on the screen. There’s a warmth curdling through all of the hurt from the betrayal of his friends, and Denki knows it has everything to do with Hitoshi.
Katsuki’s name drops down telling him that they’ve got the plan and are sending it in a group chat. Then several messages drop in succession, but Denki ignores all of it to read the message that comes through from Hitoshi instead.
Toshi Doll: Dad and Pops just left to go check on Eri before they both go patrol, so they’re not here. As for patrol, you won’t be a distraction. Well… you’d be a welcome one. Patrols are typically boring anyway.
Toshi Doll: You don’t have to stay on the call during my patrol, if you don’t want, but we can do a call ahead of that, if you’d like?
Denki hides his smile in Pikachu’s head before focusing back on his phone to respond, not wanting to leave this amazing man on read for too long.
Denki: If you’re sure, then I wouldn’t mind getting on a call…
He only has to wait a few minutes before the call takes over his phone, and he’s answering it, thumb quickly pressing the green phone icon.
“Hi, Toshi.” murmurs Denki as soon as he answers the call, and Hitoshi replies, “Hi, Denki.”
Then it’s silent for a few minutes, all that Denki can hear is Hitoshi’s breaths and what sounds like a coffee maker starting up. Denki puts the phone on speaker for a moment to finally go and look at the plan, but instead of properly reading it, he just copies the messages into his texts with Denki and sends six paragraphs of plan explanation to Hitoshi.
“Katsuki and them decided on the plan and sent it to me, I’m not quite ready to read it, but I wanted to send it your way.” murmurs Denki as he takes the phone off speaker again.
“Well, it seems fairly solid. They’ve taken a lot of recordings of those three being jerks, huh? Oh, I have a place in the plan. That’s interesting. Anyway, when you’re ready, we can talk about the plan. But for now, I know this is going to seem like an extremely stupid question, but are you okay?” asks Hitoshi softly, his worry coming through the static of the phone as he switches topics quickly to focus on Denki.
“I’ll probably read the messages sometime tomorrow just because I know they’ll start their revenge as soon as they can, but I’m glad they’re going to get you involved, even if it’s probably just to make sure whether they’re quirked or not. I’m not okay, but that’s to be expected since I’ve been betrayed by my best friends, and my biggest enemy has probably targeted them which is even worse. But at least I’m mostly safe… That’s the least I can ask for right now.” replies Denki softly, grimacing even though Hitoshi can’t see it because there’s so much he’s feeling that he still can’t entirely separate into their own emotional category.
“Well, at least you’ve managed to parse through some of what’s no doubt overwhelming you right now. Do you want to keep talking, or would you rather just be here in silence?” asks Hitoshi softly, offering a silent comfort for Denki to take if he would rather have that.
“Silence sounds nice right now… I’m sorry, normally I’m much better on phone calls, but today is just- I’m just not- I can’t seem to catch a break at the moment.” mutters Denki as he rolls onto his back, staring hard at the ceiling as the tears start up again, stinging in the corners of his eyes.
“Don’t apologize for needing silence. This has been hard on you, and last night was a breaking point that hurdled into today. Don’t apologize for that. I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t okay with it. Silence is nice when we’re feeling overwhelmed, and I know that all too well myself, Denki.” replies Hitoshi supportively, giving a little piece of himself in his comfort that has Denki wanting to ask.
“I want to ask, but I don’t think I have the capacity to handle it right now… So, I’ll say this, I’m here if you ever wanna talk, or need silence too. I’m pretty good at being quiet, though Kats and Ei will probably disagree with me. Thank you for this, Hitoshi, I really appreciate it.” offers Denki softly, eyes closing as his curiosity melts back into the pot of emotions weighing so heavily on his chest that he has to roll onto his stomach to feel like he can breathe again.
“I’ll tell you someday, I promise, but for now, I’m going to pour my coffee and figure out what I’m eating ahead of patrol. Let me know if you need more than silence at any point, lightning bug.” replies Hitoshi quietly before a soft click echoes through the speaker, telling Denki that Hitoshi is getting ready to pour his coffee.
Denki only hums in response before he reaches over to his sidetable to grab his wireless headphones so that he’ll have a bit more leeway for movement without having to consistently hold his phone up to his ear. Once his headphones are in, he puts his phone securely in the phone holder that he’d sealed to the wall for himself. Makes it easier to not lose it since he’s done that far more often than he’d like to admit to anyone ever. The quiet is welcome, the soft sounds from Hitoshi’s end lulling Denki as yawns escape him.
He doesn’t remember closing his eyes.
What he does know is that when his eyes flutter open again, he sees darkness outside the window, and he hears curses being muttered directly into his ear. He pushes himself up on his arms to look at his phone, and Denki sees that he’s still on the phone with Hitoshi despite it being one in the morning.
He stayed on the phone with Denki despite him falling asleep, despite him patrolling. Denki can’t stop the goofy smile from curving his lips as he realizes that Hitoshi really stayed on the call this entire time.
“- couldn’t have given me something tonight? My last fuckin’ patrol and it’s boring as shit.” grumbles Hitoshi into his ears as Denki’s stomach grumbles.
He debates getting up and eating for a few minutes before deciding that he’d really rather go back to sleep, so he lays back down and gets covered back up and falls asleep again as Hitoshi continues to mutter curses about his last patrol for who knows how long being boring as all hell.