Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kaminari Denki had always found hanging out in trees peaceful. As a kid, he had been an enthusiastic tree conqueror, and he climbed every climbable tree in his neighbourhood. It was nice to look out at the world from a higher perspective, to feel the wind against his face and the sturdy tree branches while he could dangle his feet, humming a song and feeling free like a bird.

He did it so much that some of his elementary school classmates said he should be called Climbing-a-tree Denki instead, and he laughed until he got a nasty comment about it.

Someone commented that he was so dumb he existed back on the evolution chain and belonged to a family of chimpanzees. Jokes on them, humans didn’t come from the other primates that exist right now, humans were cousins with chimps and shared common ancestors millions of years back. Not that Kaminari corrected him. He didn’t see a point in educating the boy who definitely wouldn’t believe him.

Now that he was in UA, he spent every Tuesday and Thursday’s lunch alone on the trees, his group of friends perfectly content to let him be once he told them how he wanted some alone time. They were perfectly understanding about it, and Sero had even offered to make him a hammock out of tape. That didn’t sound too comfortable as he would be pretty stuck onto the sticky surface, subject to the sun if Sero forgot to release him. Thus, he refused his goodwill.

So here he was, munching on yakisoba bread while looking out at the horizon of the city, hearing the birds chirping around him with the distant sound of cicadas as wind ruffled his hair softly, making him drowsy. The sun was perfectly warm and soothing on his skin today.

“Aren’t you from Class 1-A?”

Kaminari glances down at the deep voice to see a skinny, purple haired dude. Uh, wasn’t he from the general education class? He fought Midoriya and lost. Shinsou Hitoshi was waiting for his answer, so he stumbled out, “Uh, yes.”

“Aren’t you afraid of answering me?”

Kaminari didn’t even think about it before answering at that moment, but now he swallowed. Reasoning to Shinsou’s dark eyes, he replied, “Well, you’re aiming to get into the hero course, aren’t you? If you wanted to use your quirk for bad you wouldn’t be here. And also, what’s the worst thing that could happen right now? You making me fall out of this tree?”

Shinsou blinked in surprise at the unexpected answer. He quirked a smile. He thought everyone in class 1-A were arrogant bastards (minus Midoriya) but perhaps he was wrong. “Well, I could make you strip and take photos of you and post them online.”

“Wouldn’t be much of a show,” Kaminari shrugged, surprising Shinsou again. He thought the other boy would be afraid of him, but then again, Shinsou tended to base everything on previous experiences like with bathroom bullies. He really ought to change that.

Well, back to what he was here for. He just wanted to nap in the shade of a tree, and this was the biggest tree on the whole campus.

“Do you claim ownership on this spot or can I stay?” Shinsou drawled.

“Do whatever you like dude,” Kaminari gave him a thumbs up and a grin. Another surprise.

Shinsou settled down beneath the tree, leaning against the thick and sturdy bark. He used his phone mindlessly, feeling exhausted. He always took a long time to fall asleep, which was a pain because that meant lesser sleeping time given his high workload.

Kaminari glanced down at the other boy curiously. Shinsou Hitoshi was like a walking zombie, pale like he hardly walked under the sun, thin like he ate one meal a day, and with eyebags so deep it looked like it was literally dragging his face down. Well…Shinsou should really get some nutrients in him. Kaminari looked about, plucking an apple from the tree and dropping it down. He miscalculated, however, and it dropped on the other boy’s head.

Shinsou stared at the apple that hit his head and rolled down his chest, looking up in disbelief. Did that drop by itself or did the blond boy drop it on him? Looking at the other’s sheepish face, he deduced it was the later.

“Are you trying to rediscover the laws of gravity?” Shinsou deadpanned.

“I thought you’d like one since you don’t seem to have anything for lunch. An apple a day keeps the doctor away and all that. I got the reddest juiciest one for you. It should be sweet, but let me know if you prefer sour ones!” Kaminari fixed a friendly smile on his face, that usually got him out of most situations.

Shinsou snorted in amusement, looking away to bite down on his apple. It was indeed very sweet and juicy. And crunchy too. One of the best apples he’d ever had. Figures U.A would have the goddamn best apple tree. Looking up, he called out softly, “Thanks dude.”

“You’re welcome!” Kaminari beamed down at him, looking relieved and pleased that he liked it. Huh.

Shinsou spent the rest of the lunch break eating his apple slowly while browsing his phone mindlessly. He did go back to class feeling more energized and rested in the end.

-

The next day, Kaminari wasn’t there.

But he was there again, the day after.

“Oh. Want another apple, Shinsou?” was the greeting he received when he slouched up to the tree, yawning.

“Sure.” He settled down again, the hazy warmth making him blink lazily. He heard Kaminari hum above him, presumably trying to find a good apple for him. Then he heard the rustling of leaves, so he looked up to see Kaminari agilely climbing higher to a different spot to get him an apple.

“Incoming!” the blond smiled, tossing it down. This time, Shinsou caught it with ease. “Woah, nice catch!”

“A lot easier when it’s not coming for my head without me knowing,” he joked, biting into the apple. It was just as sweet as yesterday. He wondered when it was he felt so comfortable in this boy’s presence. Realizing that he didn’t know the other’s name, he asked, “What’s your name?”

“Kaminari Denki, Quirk: electricity, easy to remember isn’t it? With my name having electricity in it and all,” Kaminari chuckled. Shinsou thought of the kanji for that name in his head, and yup. That was a fitting name for an electric quirk. It was like Kaminari's parents knew beforehand what his quirk would be.

“Shinsou Hitoshi. Quirk: Brainwashing,” he drawled in reply, although the other boy probably knew that. Kaminari just smiled down at him. “You weren’t here yesterday.”

“Missed me?” Kaminari asked cheekily, and Shinsou didn’t know how to reply to that. Did he miss the boy? They’ve only just met. Was he flirting? It might be the first time in his life someone was flirting with him, since everyone steered clear of him when they knew his quirk, plus, he wasn’t particularly attractive, looking as dead as he felt.

“Just kidding, I’m here every Tuesday and Thursday,” Kaminari mused at the odd look on Shinsou’s face. “I’ll be here if you want apples.”

Shinsou scoffed in good humor, finding the situation ridiculous. Kids in other schools dealt cigarettes in courtyards, like his middle school did, and here Kaminari was, dealing apples?

“I don’t have anything to give you in return.”

“That’s okay,” Kaminari smiled kindly, “Picking apples is easy, and it’s not even my apples.”

“Fair point,” Shinsou shrugged.

From then on, conversation ceased. Shinsou finished his apples, and browsed the internet on his phone again, until he heard a soft gentle humming of a lullaby from above him. It sounded nostalgic, and he found his eyes closing as it washed over him along with the soothing wind.

…

“Hey, wake up Shinsou.”

There was someone shaking his shoulder, and he opened his eyes blearily. That had been such a good nap, he hadn’t even dreamed. The first thing he saw was Kaminari’s smiling face. Well, it wasn’t such a bad sight. Wasn’t this the closest they’ve ever been, since he had always been looking up to talk to the boy? His eyes traced the black little thunderbolt pattern on Kaminari’s hair with amusement. It was fitting.

“Hey! Class is starting soon. Come on, we’re going to be late if we don’t start moving.”

Shinsou sat up, yawning and stretching. Hmm, this was the most well rested he’s ever been in a long time. Kaminari was squatting next to him and watching him with amusement. He appreciated the fact that the other boy stayed and woke him up instead of leaving him be like others would have done.

“You look like a cat when you stretch,” Kaminari chuckled.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Shinsou replied, smirking.

“Oh, you like cats then? There’s this really cute cat that stays near the dorms, and whenever I-“ Kaminari looked down when his watch beeped, signalling that the time was now 2pm and class was starting. “Oh crap, we’re so gonna be late, see you later Shinsou!” Kaminari ran off without a reply. Shit, Shinsou really wanted to hear about the cat too. Well, maybe next time.

Chapter Text

Tuesday.

They spent a few lunch breaks together, twice a week. Kaminari sends an apple down his way, and sometimes they do their own things. Sometimes Kaminari hums a song again, softly under his breath and the wind carries it down, making him fall asleep. Shinsou finds that Kaminari tends to do that when he’s especially tired. And then sometimes, Kaminari talks with him, about their class, about cats, about this perfect omelette Kaminari made in the morning. Somehow, even little things like that sounded interesting when it was Kaminari gesturing excitedly high up in the trees and sending bright smiles down his way, and him tilting his head back to reply.

Thanks to Kaminari, he’s had more energy to deal with classes, and the change was so significant that his classmates even noticed it, telling him how his eyebags had receded a little and how he was performing better in gym classes. It was a welcome change, and Shinsou supposed they were friends now with how often they hung out.

He still goes to the courtyard on days where Kaminari isn’t there to rest under the tree since it’s one of the quietest spots in the whole school. Some days, he hears the soft warm laughter of Kaminari despite the blond boy not being there, feeling a presence as if if he just looked up, he would see the boy swinging his feet in the air, looking out to the horizon.

But he’d always see the boy there on Tuesdays and Thursdays without fail, unless it was raining.

“Actually, do you wanna come up?”

Kaminari asked him that on another beautiful sunny day. He was lazing on a branch, his 4 limbs dangling down much like a sloth. Shinsou wondered how Kaminari could be so at ease and unafraid of falling.

“I’m fine being down here like a plebeian, thank you very much.”

Kaminari chuckled. “Come on, it’s really pretty and nice up here! Just try it.”

Well.

Shinsou sat up, staring at the tree trunk. He’s never really climbed a tree before. Resolving himself, he stood up, hugging the tree and swinging his legs up. He promptly slid back down again. He heard delighted giggles at his expense, and he sulked. To his surprise, Kaminari climbed down the tree, eyes bright with mirth.

“Come on, I’ll teach you,” Kaminari offered gently, “You need to find grip with your fingers. Here, this part is good to hold onto. Pull yourself up, and put your leg here.”

Under Kaminari’s patient coaching, he failed a few times but eventually made it onto the 1^st branch, which was about 2 storeys high. It was an odd feeling, sitting on a thick branch while hugging the tree trunk, looking about the world around him at a higher perspective. The wind that ruffled his hair was comforting, and he noticed a squirrel dashing across a higher branch. Cute.

“Isn’t it great?” Kaminari climbed next to him now, “Scoot over!”

Carefully and gingerly, Shinsou shifted his butt inch by inch so he sat further down the branch, allowing Kaminari to sit beside him. He briefly wondered if the branch would be able to hold both of their weights but decided to not think about it for his own benefit. From here, he could see the city in the distance, and the view was pretty nice. He looked down, wondering if this was how Kaminari saw him.

He looked towards Kaminari, who was wearing a peaceful expression as he looked out at the distance, golden eyes reflecting amber hues as the sunlight struck them. Suddenly, Shinsou marvelled at how he was here with Kaminari, above the ground, when he had been always looking up. He was glad he tried to climb the tree, because something about it felt special, sitting side by side and looking at the same view. He really wanted to make it into the hero class at this moment, more than ever.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Kaminari turned to him with a wide smile on his face, looking endearingly excited to share this sight with someone, and his glittering eyes reflected Shinsou’s face, just like how Shinsou was sharing part of Kaminari’s world. 

 “Yeah,” he breathed out quietly, looking at Kaminari. The sunlight just made everything about Kaminari glow, from his sun-kissed skin to his eyes, full of life and wonder. Had anyone ever looked like this with him? He couldn’t remember, memories of being ostracized due to his quirk flooding his mind, this moment a stark contrast to the coldness he felt being judged and left alone by others.

“I’m glad you like it too! Hang on!” Kaminari smiles so easily like it’s nothing.

Shinsou gripped the tree branch tightly when Kaminari stood up, climbing higher with ease to get apples for the two of them.

“Here, catch!”

Shinsou caught the apple, he always did.

“Wicked reflexes,” Kaminari grinned, pointing finger guns at him.

It was like tradition now, how Kaminari would get apples for them to eat. But this time, they ate side by side, Kaminari swinging his feet in the air like an overgrown kid as he laughed, telling Shinsou a story about how this one time, he accidentally short-circuited the whole dorm but pretended it wasn’t him.  

Kaminari’s an integral part of his life now, and Shinsou always looked forward to meeting the boy. It seemed rare to him that someone so full of wonder and innocence in the world could exist when he had completely lost faith in humanity ever since his quirk surfaced. He was regaining it after fighting Midoriya, and after finding out that his classmates didn’t stereotype him like he thought they did. Maybe most people didn’t, and he had been living in his narrow world all along, treating people with hostility before they could hurt him.

Kaminari Denki had listened to his threats and responded to his general unfriendly being with a smile and an apple. Ridiculous. He quirked a smile at the rambling boy, feeling content to be there, listening to anecdotes of Kaminari’s life. Time flew, as always, and he’d have to go back to class, thinking of the next time he’d meet Kaminari.

Wednesday.

It was cloudy the next day, but Shinsou brought his tumbler of coffee to the courtyard, not expecting to see Kaminari there.

…

He almost couldn’t believe his eyes.

Kaminari Denki was bawling in the tree, palms pressed against his face tightly as sobs wrecked his body.

It was so different from the smiling boy he had come to know that he felt disconcerted, jarred. Was this a dream? He rubbed his eyes, and felt a twinge of pain in him when he realized it was real. He didn’t know what to do, wanting to comfort his new friend and afraid to make it worse. Kaminari probably didn’t know Shinsou came to the courtyard on other days, and most likely didn’t expect Shinsou to see him.

Shinsou left, a whirlwind of thoughts in his mind.

Thursday.

Shinsou came angry on Thursday, angry at failing the combat evaluation his class just had. He was wrapped in bandages, and sporting a nasty bruise on his cheek. He cursed out loud as he settled beneath the tree, unscrewing the cap of his tumbler so that he could chug his bitter black coffee. Good. It reflected how he felt.

“I’m so done. U.A is always grading based on strength. Be it the entrance exam or now. I know I’m fucking weak at combat, do they have to keep rubbing it into my face? It’s like no matter how well I do on the other exams, it doesn’t fucking matter.”

Shinsou felt terrible dumping all his bitterness on Kaminari, especially after how Kaminari was like the previous day, but Kaminari looked the same as always on top of the tree he looked so natural in, this time wearing a sympathetic smile and thoughtful eyes.

“I guess our school is so focused on strength because All Might is the top hero, so it feels like being strong is what’s seen as most valued in heroes. But that’s all kinds of heroes out there! And everyone’s quirk is good for different things, like there’s rescue and investigation heroes other than what’s the stereotype,” Kaminari said encouragingly, “You know the invisible girl in our class, Hagakure? She’d be wicked good at espionage, and you’d be too!

Kaminari had a good point, and Shinsou felt his burning rage cool down to dying embers. Now that he could think clearly again, his curiosity and concern made him change the topic. No matter how he thought about it last night, he couldn’t see what would make the cheerful and friendly Kaminari cry so badly.

“And why were you crying yesterday?”

“W-what?” Kaminari stuttered, caught. Shinsou looked up at him, waiting for an answer.

“You heard me. Why?”

Kaminari’s face crumpled. It was like a dark cloud fell over it. It was a stark contrast from the bright and nosy boy he had come to know. Kaminari bit his lip, fingers digging into the sturdy bark beneath his palm. He took a deep breath, looked in front of him at the horizon, and his next words came tumbling out like it had been bottled up in him.

“Alright fine, I’m a fucking hypocrite not taking my own advice. I’m shit at math, okay? I know crying over a test sounds stupid, but I worked my butt off studying for it, I hardly got any sleep for a week, and then I failed. And the cherry on the cake was that my friends bet I would fail! They bet that I’d fail! Sure, Kaminari Denki failing in math, called it, why would anyone think otherwise, it’s basically a law of nature by this point,” Kaminari rambled, voice getting higher and higher, borderline hysterical. He could feel his face turning red with shame, his lip wobbling (shit, he didn’t want to cry in front of Shinsou, that would be so lame). But his eyes were watering again as the feelings of disappointment and hurt washed over him again.

“Who fucking did that?!”

Kaminari blinked at Shinsou’s angry voice, looking down to see dark eyes, burning with rage. Surprised, a tear slipped out from Kaminari’s eye when he blinked, falling loosely down his cheek. Shinsou growled at the sight, clenching his fists, “Which asshole?”

“They… they didn’t mean it, I think,” Kaminari explained weakly. They were his friends, they probably did it in good fun. They didn’t mean to hurt his feelings.

“Goddamn!” Shinsou snarled, turning on his heel, storming off. Kaminari realized that Shinsou was going to find his class, and in a flurry of panic, he scrambled to climb down the tree.

Shinsou Hitoshi had a mission, and he located the class with ease. He slammed open the door, glaring in at its inhabitants.

“Shinsou-kun!” Midoriya piped up, surprised. However, he had no time nor mood to return the greeting right now.

“Alright, which one of you fucking assholes bet that Kaminari Denki would fail his test?”

“What, did you bet and want to claim your winnings?”

He turned his head to the earphone girl who was twirling her one of her earphones.

“You bet on him?”

A glazed look fell over her face. “Yes.”

 “Stand up and put your hands around your neck,” Shinsou bit out. This bitch was going to pay. This startled the rest of the class into action, and almost everyone stood up, activating their quirk.

“Shinsou-kun, what is the meaning of this? We can talk this out!” Iida rushed to say, placing his hands in front of him placatingly. “Release her!”

“You want to fucking fight, eyebags?!” Bakugou released mini explosions from his hands, a vicious grin on his face. As if Shinsou was dumb enough to walk into a hero class and demand a fight with the entire class. No, he just wanted to make people pay for insulting Kaminari’s efforts.

Sounds of skidding feet, and Kaminari appeared at the entrance of the classroom, panting. “Shinsou!!” Kaminari took a quick surveying look to see the tensions in the classroom, and Jirou looking empty, about to choke herself. Shit. In a panic, he grabbed Shinsou around the waist, trying to pull him back. “It’s okay Shinsou! She didn’t mean it!”

“No, let me go! That bitch thinks it’s funny to make fun of a guy trying his best? She doesn’t know what it’s like to work hard for something, fail, and have people laugh in your face!” Shinsou screamed, enraged.

The effects were instantaneous. Now that the class knew what this was about, they shared looks of confusion, some of guilt, some of realization.

“Sorry!!” Kirishima was the first to pipe up, placing his hands in front of him in an apologetic bow. “I shouldn’t have bet on you!”

“You bet on me passing and lost money, Kiri, I should be apologizing instead,” Kaminari locked his hands around Shinsou’s waist to hold him back better, although it was Shinsou’s mouth that was dangerous.

“I know how hard you worked on math and I really, really wanted you to pass,” Kirishima said earnestly, not minding the loss of money. “You can study with Bakugou and me next time!” He looked to Bakugou for confirmation, and the explosive blond just grumbled under his breath, settling back in his seat once he realized a fight wasn’t going down.

“Sorry Kaminari,” Sero and Ashido said softly, having bet on his failure. They didn’t realize how bad the bet could sound like when they first joined. It wasn’t nice to bet on your friend failing. Shinsou finally released Jirou, who spluttered, coughing. Her face was red, and she seemed genuinely sorry when she also said, “Sorry Kaminari, I wasn’t thinking.”

“I don’t fucking trust any of you 1-A assholes, I’m going to teach him instead. Let’s go Kaminari.”

“Uh, okay,” Kaminari replied dumbly, letting go of Shinsou’s slender waist. He let himself be tugged along by the hand out of the classroom, dumbfounded.

“Since when were they friends?” Mineta questioned.

No one had any answers for him.

Kaminari was pulled along as Shinsou stomped away angrily. The slender fingers around his wrist were bruising tight in their intensity, and Kaminari felt his heart beating rapidly from the adrenaline as he watched Shinsou’s tense back. He couldn’t believe Shinsou got angry on his behalf, and he was so thankful he felt tears fill up his eyes again. Shinsou finally let go after he deemed they were far enough from the class, turning around.

“Don’t ever let them do that to you,” Shinsou bit out darkly, “Don’t pretend it’s okay for them to pull that disgusting shit on you.”

It felt like Shinsou was telling that to himself as much as to Kaminari.

“Yeah,” Kaminari nodded, still shaken.

“God,” Shinsou bit out, smoothing his hair back in frustration. He could remember how his middle school classmates bet on him becoming a villain. He had been so close to brainwashing them to make them sorry, but stopped because that would be proving them right.

“Are you okay?”

Shinsou looked down at Kaminari’s concerned face, feeling a wave of guilt, which made him deflate. God, Kaminari’s the one that should be angry about this, why was the boy being worried about him instead?

“Sorry for making a scene,” Shinsou quirked one of the corners of his lips up wryly.

“Nah, thanks for standing up for me, I appreciate it,” Kaminari grinned, his eyes crinkling up like always, slightly swollen from how hard he cried yesterday. He should have said something to his friends, but he pretended it was alright and snuck off to cry, all because he was afraid of making things awkward or seeming like he was making a big deal out of nothing.

“Just… give me your phone,” Shinsou sighed, holding his hand out. Kaminari gave him a look of confusion, put obediently took the phone from his pocket to place into his hands. It unlocked without a passcode – Kaminari really should do something about that- and Shinsou typed in his number, sending a message to himself so he got Kaminari’s number too. “Here. Let me know when you’re free to meet.”

“You… you’re really going to teach me?” Kaminari gawked, holding his phone in his hands to see Shinsou’s contact saved with a cat emoji next to his name. Cute.

“Yeah, until you beat those assholes, then we’ll see who’s laughing next,” Shinsou bit out, feeling his anger rising again.

Kaminari Denki looked up at him with sparkly eyes filled with gratitude, and it was hard to hold onto his anger. “Thank you so much! But are you sure you have time to teach me? You seem like you barely sleep enough. You don’t have to help me if you have no time.”

Here he was, offering help unconditionally, and Kaminari Denki was still worried about him. He couldn’t help but smile at his kind and considerate friend. “Yeah, I’m sure, I just have insomnia is all.”

“Oh…” Kaminari frowned, looking at his feet pensively. Insomnia… that sucked. How do you cure insomnia?

“Don’t worry about it and get back to class, we’re both late,” Shinsou mused, reaching over to ruffle Kaminari’s hair. He wanted the other boy to cheer up and stop worrying.

“Oh shit,” Kaminari’s head snapped back up, eyes widening. “Oh right, I forgot about class! See you later Shinsou!”

“Yeah, see you,” he smiled at Kaminari, who shot him a quick smile in reply before running off to class.

Yeah, he was definitely going to raise Kaminari’s grades and show the 1-A bastards what’s up.

Chapter Text

Kaminari Denki was very nervous.

Sure, he was the social boy of class 1-A, flitting about friend groups and people with ease. Everyone welcomed him because he was friendly and often funny. But something about this, about meeting Shinsou at the train station so that they could go to a nearby café together was… unexpected? It felt like there was something going on between them, or so Kaminari’s traitorous brain whispered to him every now and then, ever since Shinsou stood up for him in front of the whole class.

Would it be right for him to hope for something to happen? Shinsou had acted kind of protective, and just the thought of it had his cheeks flaring up in embarrassment. No one ever helped him like that before, and honestly, it was kind of nice.

Kaminari rolled the lollipop about in his mouth idly as he waited. He came pretty early, having been too jittery at home. His phone blew up with messages as usual, from Mineta spamming him about hot girls on internet to Kirishima wishing him good luck with offers of studying together if it didn’t work out. And Jirou, who was one of his closest friends in 1-A, made him a study music playlist, which was her way of apology, most likely. He assured her that everything was cool between them.

Shinsou Hitoshi was very nervous.

He wasn’t sure how to do the friend thing. It was hard ever since his quirk manifested as his quirk only drew the bad kind of attention. Although he was getting used to his own classmates as well as Midoriya, Kaminari seemed different, somehow. He didn’t want to fuck this up.

Kaminari hadn’t seemed too sure about the studying together, being tutored by Shinsou thing, but maybe that was because he felt like he was imposing. But it wasn’t like Shinsou wasn’t doing this without his own motives in mind. He always rooted for the underdog in shows and lived vicariously through them when they showed up everyone else in the end. He couldn’t wait to see the faces on the 1-A students when Kaminari took over them.

He blinked in surprise when he saw Kaminari leaning against the bike railings, wearing a yellow hoodie which had… Pikachu ears!! Holy shit that was amazing, where do you get hoodies like that? Clearing his throat and calming his nerves, he walked up to Kaminari.

“Yo, Kaminari.”

Kaminari blinked, looking up from his phone once a shadow was cast over him. He jolted in surprise at the sight of Shinsou Hitoshi dressed in full black, with the addition of a black beanie keeping his wild purple hair in place and a black mask over his nose and mouth which had drawn on white cat whiskers and a ‘w’ shaped mouth, which was ridiculously cute and stylish all at once. Shinsou’s purple eyes were crinkled with both weariness and amusement.

“O-oh! Hey!” Kaminari pulled off his ear buds in a hurry. “Wow, er, I really like your style, especially the face mask!” He stood up with a beaming grin.

It felt different, standing here face to face, dressed in casual wear instead of uniforms.

“It’s as black as my soul,” Shinsou replied wryly, tilting his head to gesture for them to get moving since his hands were stuck in his pockets. Kaminari chuckled at his remark, making Shinsou smile under his mask. “And I like your hoodie.”

Just because he could, Shinsou reached over to the hoodie, pulling the hood over Kaminari’s head to see just how well the Pikachu ears suited him.

“Ah, hey!”

Shinsou snickered at the flustered face of Kaminari. It definitely suited him. “Heh, cute.”

Kaminari flushed, tugging the hood back down since they were getting stared at. “Shut up.” God, he means the hoodie, Kaminari, not you. Breathe.

The café was just a 5 minute walk away from the station, which they spent in relative silence as they walked along the busy street. It was so busy that often Kaminari had to trail behind Shinsou and not beside him, but Shinsou always made sure to look back to see check if Kaminari was following, to which Kaminari responded with a bright smile every time.

“It’s here,” Shinsou held open the door, and Kaminari stepped inside with a quiet thanks, moving to a booth seat. They sat down, and Shinsou removed his mask and beanie, pushing his locks of hair back from his face to make sure they were tidy enough.

“What?” he asked when he noticed Kaminari staring. “Do I have a beanie head or something?”

Kaminari couldn’t resist a snicker, “What the hell is a beanie head?”

“Like, when you wear a cap or something for too long and your hair is all messed up,” Shinsou frowned, self-consciously pushing at his hair further.

“No no, it’s fine, it looks perfect,” Kaminari reassured quickly with a warm smile. “Really. I can help you take a photo if you don’t believe me.”

“Nah, thanks,” Shinsou grabbed the menu at the side of the table, handing one to Kaminari.

Huh. Looks like he comes here often. Kaminari accepted it, browsing through it thoughtfully.

“The pancakes are good,” Shinsou recommended.

“Ah, okay then!”

They ordered pancakes, as well as a caramel macchiato for Kaminari and an Americano for Shinsou.

“You brought your assignments, right? Pretty sure our classes are around the same pace for math.”

“Yeah!” Kaminari nodded, digging the textbook and workbook out of his bag with a gusto, slamming it on the table with a determined face like he was ready for a big fight. “I’m only going home when I’ve finished all of them!”

It was so easy to be fond of Kaminari, with his hardworking attitude and disarming demeanour.

“Yeah sure, we can eat dinner somewhere if we need to,” Shinsou shrugged.

Kaminari paused, hands still wrapped around his textbooks. He looked up slowly. “Uh, you don’t have to stay that late, I can-“

“Nah, I’m committed now, we’re getting through this together.”

“Okay,” Kaminari smiled in relief, the tension dropping from his shoulders. He visibly perked up further when the waitress brought their food and drinks over. Shinsou watched as Kaminari grabbed the bottle of chocolate sauce of the table, sticking his tongue out of his lips as he concentrated on drawing a Pikachu on his pancakes. Holy shit, that’s amazing.

 “Oh do you want one too?” Kaminari offered when he caught Shinsou’s impressed stare.

“Pusheen,” Shinsou replied immediately.

“The cat?”

“Yeah.”

Kaminari dragged his plate closer, making the same concentrated face as he drew a perfect, adorable Pusheen on Shinsou’s pancakes.

“Amazing. Thanks,” Shinsou took his phone out, snapping a photo to post on his social media.

“I used to be a barista, so I learned how to draw all these cool patterns. I even managed to pull off anime characters. Actually, I think I could do one for All Might,” Kaminari shared sheepishly, cutting a small bite of his pancake and putting it in his mouth. Oh shit, this pancake was crazy good.

“Yeah? Midoriya would totally love that,” Shinsou laughed.

“Oh right, you’re friends with Midoriya too, right? I’ve seen you guys wave at each other in the hallways when we switch classes,” Kaminari pushed his food into his cheeks to talk, and it made him look like a squirrel.

“Yeah, we’ve been friends ever since the sports festival.”

“Cool,” Kaminari’s mind drifted, wondering if Shinsou often hung out with Midoriya like this, looking so relaxed. Shinsou wore a soft smile as he ate his pancakes, humming with pleasure- a sound that made Kaminari look away and focus on his own pancakes instead.

They continued to talk while they ate, but Midoriya’s name was brought up every so often. Maybe it was because they both knew Midoriya, which was why Shinsou talked about him. And Kaminari knew he should be happy that Shinsou had other friends and was getting along with others, but somehow, it made his heart sink a little whenever he talked about things to Shinsou like really being into this comic (turns out Midoriya was too) and how he went to this figurine shop in the weekend (turns out Midoriya goes there often too).

Was this friendship jealousy? He didn’t have a right to hog Shinsou, especially not when they had been friends for such a short while. He wasn’t being rational.

Kaminari’s phone kept buzzing with notifications too, and in his state of mild annoyance, while Shinsou was talking about Midoriya saving this kid from the river, he checked his phone. It was Mineta, spamming him with updates and pictures of idol groups with their recent swimsuit commercial. He tapped a quick reply, saying that he was going to study soon and would reply later.

“Your friend?”

Kaminari turned his attention back to Shinsou. “Oops! Sorry, he kept texting me so my phone kept vibrating. Yeah, it’s Mineta from my class, do you know him?”

“Hmm, is he the really short guy?”

“Yeah! He keeps sending me pictures of girls,” Kaminari shrugged. He was bisexual, so he didn’t mind cute/hot pictures of girls, but sometimes Mineta tagged comments that were wildly inappropriate or somewhat creepy, like how he wanted to live in this girl’s lingerie drawer or he wanted this other girl to sit on his face.

“Hey, what’s your type of girl?” Kaminari sipped on his caramel macchiato as he watched Shinsou’s face turn pensive. There were a few moments of quiet. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m a pansexual,” Shinsou revealed calmly, sipping on his cold Americano. “I don’t care about people’s genitalia.” He added the latter comment as not many knew what pansexuality involved. Saves him the addition questions. “I care about personalities.”

A small part of Denki whispers traitorously, it must be Midoriya. Who wouldn’t love Midoriya? He’s a really great guy. And really cute.

“Oh! I see, well, I’m bisexual,” he replied awkwardly, since Shinsou trusted him enough to share, he felt like he should reveal that aspect of himself as well. He hoped Shinsou didn’t feel forced to admit his sexuality. He busied himself with texting his friends again, not noticing the way Shinsou’s eyes lit up with this new information.

“Huh, cool.”

“Y-yeah! And I have a gay friend in my class too.”

“Hmm, is it redhead that you hang out with?”

“Yeah! He’s Kirishima, we’re real tight,” Kaminari beamed. “He’s a really nice guy! Maybe I’ll introduce you guys to each other next time.”

“I see.” Shinsou glanced away.

The conversation cut off there, and they pushed their empty plates aside to focus on their homework, which Kaminari did with Shinsou’s notes in front of him. Shinsou looked over at him every now and then to see if Kaminari got stuck, and if so he taught him how to do the question patiently.

“Hey, stop biting your thumb, you’ll hurt yourself.”

Kaminari flinched, pulling his hand away from his lips. “Oh, haha, my mom tells me off for that too but it’s a bad habit.” He smiled apologetically. “It’s kinda gross isn’t it?”

“Nah, I’m just worried that you’ll break skin and it’ll hurt like a bitch when it touches water,” Shinsou shrugged, sipping on his drink, noticing how Kaminari reached for his own- with the straw bitten at the very end.

“Thanks for worrying,” Kaminari grinned. “Kirishima noticed the same thing, so he gives me lollipops to occupy my mouth with.” To make his point, Kaminari digs out a lollipop from his pockets, unwrapping it and sticking it into his mouth with a childish grin.

“He… gives you lollipops,” Shinsou said slowly, eyeing the lollipop hanging from Kaminari’s lips. Kaminari’s gay friend gives him lollipops.

“Yeah, he would like, come up from nowhere, and just stuff them into my pockets! He makes me charge his phone in return,” Kaminari pouted, pink lips puckered around the little white stick.

Maybe…. They were a thing, Shinsou considered. Not one for tact, he blurted, “so he likes you?”

“Wha?” Kaminari blinked rapidly in surprise. His cheeks darkened, “No! No way! I mean, Kiri’s hot and all, but he’s waaaaaaaaaaaay head over heels for Bakugou.”

“Hm,” Shinsou nodded, feeling pleased and not understanding why. Well okay, he kind of knew by now he had a crush on Kaminari, so that was a lie.

“S-so what about you and Midoriya?” Kaminari asked in the spur of the moment. He might as well go for it, since Shinsou asked about him too.

“Midoriya?” Shinsou raised an eyebrow. “We’re friends.”

There were a few moments of silence as they stared wide-eyed at each other. Kaminari, waiting. Shinsou, confused.

“He’s… really into that pretty boy in your class,” Shinsou supplemented, wondering if he was allowed to say this. Wait, was Kaminari interested in him? Was that why he was asking?

“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” Kaminari nodded, understanding dawning on his face. “I get that, Todoroki is mad attractive.”

“You like him too?”

“Nonono,” Kaminari laughed quickly, “I mean, sure, I’m pretty sure half the class had at least a little bit of crush on Todoroki, but no, not right now.”

Not right now.

Before Shinsou could ask him anything else, Kaminari lifted his textbook with a sheepish grin. “We’d better get back to it or we’ll be at it the whole day, yeah? Sensei?”

Sensei. Shit, that’s so cute.

“Yeah, be a good boy,” Shinsou played along, reaching over to ruffle Kaminari’s hair.

“Ehehe,” Kaminari beamed, looking back down at his textbook with a smile as he continued with his work.

They had to order dinner there, but at 9pm, both of them were done with their homework, feelings satisfied and tired. Kaminari picked up the bill, saying it was only right for him to do so as Shinsou was tutoring him for free, which Shinsou relented after a few moments.

“You’re a really good teacher,” Kaminari praised as they walked on the dimly lit streets together. However, Kaminari’s hair and smile were still bright, while Shinsou pretty much blended into the darkness.

“Nah, you’re easier to teach than you think.”

“Really? Bakugou called me a dumbass like, I don’t know, a hundred times-“

“He WHAT?”

“Nonono,” Kaminari burst out laughing, waving his hands in front of him, feeling a surge of warmth in his chest from Shinsou getting angry on his behalf again. “That’s how he shows his affection, I swear. He called Kirishima that like, a few thousand times.”

Shinsou huffed, tugging at his black face mask to adjust it. Something caught his eye, and he gestured for Kaminari to wait. “Hold on, I’ll just pop into the store real quick.”

“Oh, okay,” Kaminari shrugged, pulling his phone out to fiddle with while he waited. Kirishima was asking for updates, and he smiled while he texted his friend back that everything was good and Shinsou was really patient and good at teaching. Then it was Jirou, who asked him if he liked the playlist. He replied that he hadn’t had much of a chance to listen to it since he had a tutoring session with Shinsou, and his phone blew up with her teasing.

He scowled with a blush on his face as she made insinuations about it being a study date.

“Kaminari?”

“Hm?” He looked up, and Shinsou thrust a bag in his direction, dark purple eyes glinting fiercely even in the low light conditions. “What’s this?” He took the bag, eyes widening when he saw the insane amount of lollipops in it.

“Lollipops. You deserve a treat for working so hard. Stop getting them from Kirishima.”

Was this… what he thought it meant? Kaminari swallowed, putting on a cheesy grin. “Does that mean you’ll get them for me whenever I want?”

“Yeah.” Shinsou was looking directly at him, sincerely. He was wearing a soft, fond smile. “All the lollipops in the world.”

“Okay, and I’ll draw all the cats on your pancakes whenever you want!” Kaminari promised giddily as he laughed, falling into the arms that Shinsou opened to share a warm hug. Oh shit, my crush likes me back, what are the odds?

“It’s getting late, you should get back to your dorm since you have a curfew,” Shinsou smiled, ruffling Kaminari’s hair.

“Aw, I wanted to spend more time with you,” Kaminari pouted, and Shinsou sighed, pulling Kaminari in for a second hug. His new boyfriend was too good at being cute.

“I’ll walk you back, it’s dangerous to stay out too late.”

“Yay”! Kaminari cheered, laughing as he tugged Shinsou along, heart beating wildly in his chest when Shinsou intertwined their fingers.