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Tamaki wandered through the campus of UA, feeling at peace. The December air was cold and he pulled up his hood, liking the sense of security it gave him. It was nearly Christmas and most of his classmates were home with their families; he was the only one with nowhere to go. It was a kind of a relief, really, to not worry about encountering other people. He didn’t have to worry about what to do or say.
Normally he would have gone with Mirio, but this year he just hadn’t felt like it. Mirio was always so positive, so upbeat- and usually that was a good thing, but lately Tamaki hadn’t been in the mood. There were times he just liked to be alone with his thoughts, and with everyone gone this was the perfect opportunity.
He headed for the dorms, thinking how nice it would be to hold a hot cup of tea and let it warm his hands. As he approached the big double doors something caught his attention. It was a melody of some sort, and it was very familiar. Was that Christmas music? Someone was playing Christmas music on an electric guitar. It was out of place but sounded oddly beautiful.
Tamaki turned the corner and found the source. Denki sat on one of the benches outside the dorms, playing a guitar and completely oblivious to anything going on around him. Tamaki noted the small amp at his feet where the sound was coming from, wondering how he had gotten it to work outside when there was no place to plug it in. Upon closer inspection he saw the amp had a cable, and the end of the cable was in Denki’s mouth.
Of course! Tamaki remembered now. Denki was the one with the electricity quirk. Thinking how that must be very convenient to be a walking power source, he moved closer. He walked softly so as not to disturb Denki and interrupt his playing. Denki’s face was relaxed, eyes closed as his fingers moved over the frets by feel alone. When he finished the song he was playing he opened his eyes, jumping in surprise when he saw Tamaki standing there. The end of the cable fell from his mouth.
“Shit! You scared me!”
“That was beautiful,” said Tamaki, staring at the ground and pulling his hood further down to hide his face. Unsure of what to do or say, he began to walk away.
“Hey man, don’t go!” said Denki.
Tamaki turned back, still not making eye contact.
“It’s just... everyone is gone and it’s kind of lonely,” Denki explained. “Do you like video games?”
“Yeah, sure,” said Tamaki. Who didn’t like video games? “Why are you still here, though? Shouldn’t you be with your family?”
“Nah, we really don’t get along that well,” Denki explained. “Trust me- everyone, including me, is more comfortable if I don’t go home.”
“Sorry to hear that,” said Tamaki. “Sounds similar to my family.”
He raised his head, forgetting his shyness for once, and they looked at each other for a long moment. Kaminari’s yellow eyes were kind, and Tamaki felt an inexplicable connection to the other student.
“Will you play another song?” he asked quietly.
“Sure,” said Denki. He picked up the cable and put the end of it back in his mouth, brows furrowed in concentration. He played another Christmas song, this one with a haunting melody, which created the perfect atmosphere for the cold winter afternoon. Tamaki closed his eyes and listened.
“Thank you,” said Tamaki when he was done. “You play very well.”
“Thanks,” said Denki, smiling at the compliment. “I’m getting cold though, I think I’m gonna head back inside.”
Tamaki struggled with his anxiety, unable to speak but wanting to say something before he missed his chance.
“Would you like to get some tea with me?” he finally choked out. “And maybe you can tell me about your favorite video games?”
“Hell yeah, that sounds like fun!” Denki replied, grinning from ear to ear. “Let’s go!”