Work Text:
The night was like most nights for Shinsou.
He sighed as he felt the wind blow over his face, listening to the crickets that sang their tune from his open window. He kept his eyes closed, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he would be able to go back to sleep. He heard a car drive by, the beat to a song he couldn’t quite remember playing. It was silent for a moment before the crickets continued their song, the wind rustling the tree. A moment passed, then another, then a car.
He frowned.
He wasn’t going to fall back to sleep, he knew he wasn’t, but it didn’t stop him from trying again and again anyway. He readjusted himself, flipping the pillow blindly before accepting the cool fabric as he laid back down. He pulled the covers further up, Sock laying somewhere at the bend of his knees as he settled, her tail slowly thumping against the bed rhythmically. For a moment, he was comfortable.
But then he got antsy again. His exhaustion started to grow more neutral, still there but now being meshed with complete alertness. He gave it maybe twenty more seconds before giving up and huffing. He rolled on his back, finally opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling as he trailed some random path through the popcorn ceiling. A long yawn came over his body, letting his body naturally stretch for a moment. He rubbed at his eyes as he sat up, letting the cool air wash over him. Leaving the window open was a good idea, the cool air refreshing as he pushed himself out of bed.
He debated on his next move, letting his mind zone until a buzz pulled his attention. He looked over to his phone on the nightstand, raising a brow at the sudden notification. He supposed it wasn’t too late for someone to be messaging him, seeing as it was a Friday, or maybe it was one of the apps he had on his phone. He picked it up to find out.
He blinked his eyes a couple of times as they adjusted to the brightness,squinting a little as he read. Most of the notifications were from some of his games and he quickly swept them away, taking note to check on them later. He was about to keep swiping when he noticed that one of the last ones was a message from a server on Discord instead. He took a moment to read through the preview, scanning the name and not recognizing it. ‘Charge Bolt’ was a fun gamer tag, and the server was Midoriya’s so his curiosity was piqued to say the least. It was usually muted, mainly so his phone wouldn’t be blown up with the group chat, but Charge Bolt had tagged everyone. He opened it up to see if it was anything interesting, making his way over to his desk.
Discord:
Charge Bolt Today at 2:21 am
@ everyone Important News!!!!
I found a cat.
…
Shinsou was a simple man. A man that was fond of cats. It was no fault of his own to be fair, his father being the one to blame his love for them. He waited patiently as several people seemed to be typing, hoping to learn more.
He settled in his chair as he booted his computer, eyes trailing back to his phone every so often just in case. He could probably make himself tea in the time it took for everything to load now that he thought about it. His phone buzzed and the thought was immediately forgotten.
Alien Queen Today at 2:28 AM
You found a cat?
Charge Bolt Today at 2:29 AM
I found a cat.
Cellophane Today at 2:30 AM
Where?
Charge Bolt Today at 2:30 AM
In a box in the park by my place!
It was raining so you know I had to bring the little lady home
Poor thing was just left there
Alien Queen Today at 2:31 AM
Proof or it didn’t happen!
Charge Bolt Today at 2:31 AM
So little faith! I. Am. OFFENDED.
IMG.0078 SENT
Let her beauty be appreciated~!
…
He continued to read along the messages as they came through, snorting at the dramatics of Charge Bolt before looking at the photo they had sent. True to their word, the cat was adorable, not that he had any doubts. The cat was curled up on their bed, fur white and fluffy as they stared at the camera with bright blue eyes. She looked wet and cold, but he could tell Charge Bolt was doing their best to dry and keep her warm as towels sat messily beside her.
Alien Queen Today at 2:32 AM
A BABY!
Cellophane Today at 2:32 AM
Gone for a day and you’ve already replaced me!
Disrespectful
Hurt
Betrayed
…
Shinsou snorted. He took the lull in the conversation to look through the people in the group chat. It had been a while since he had been active in the server, noting that the people who were chatting now were added after he was. It was likely that these were some of the friends Midoriya had mentioned here and there, a couple more offline that he didn't recognize.
He did recognize at least half of the server though, some mutual friends and classmates from school. Iida's name was Ingenium, a picture of some mech hero he and his brother grew up with. Ururaka’s was Uravity, her picture of Kirby riding on a giant star. Froppy was Tsuyu’s gamer tag, her profile picture being of a frog she had held on a trip to the zoo one time. Todoroki’s name was his own name with no picture assigned, even after Midoriya had tried to help him add one. And Midoriya was Deku, a picture of the popular comic hero All Might as his profile picture. That tracked since his friend always seemed to have something All Might related on him, a keychain, a pencil, he even saw a gum packaging with him on it at one point.
He wished he could put a name and face to the profiles he didn’t recognize, finding them as entertaining as they were mysterious.
Chargebolt had a Pikachu meme as their profile picture, hair drawn poorly on top of the pokemon. He could only guess it was supposed to resemble the person’s hair, even if it wasn’t realistic with the distinct black lightning bolt placed on one of the bangs.
Alien Queen had a picture of the alien emoji, but instead of it being green, it was a bright pink. There was also a crown drawing resting on the top of its head, little hearts posted around it. She was probably going to get along, if she wasn't already, with Ururaka likely, given their similar interests in pink space creatures.
Cellophane’s profile picture was just as silly as the pikachu meme. It was just a stock picture of the Scotch tape, dispenser and all. Didn’t make too much sense to him, but he thought it was funny because there was definitely a story behind it, probably behind all of their profiles. It took him too long to realize that there were also tired looking eyes drawn on the picture as well, a smile drawn tiny on the front side of the dispenser.
Red Riot was a cool username, but he did find it funny that their profile picture was a rock with what looked like a mask taped to it and muscled arms drawn in. He wasn’t quite sure who the mask was supposed to be, but he knew the logo looked familiar and it was possible he could ask Midoriya about it if they were a superhero.
Lastly there was Ground Zero. They had a picture of a little bomb, clearly drawn to have a cute but angry face on it, the fuse lit and little spikes on the side that looked akin to butterfly wings. He had to admit it was pretty cool, and that he found it kind of cute that despite all of their pictures being different stock photos, they all had a common art style flair to it.
His phone started buzzing again, and he couldn’t help but be curious if they were still talking about Chargebolt’s new cat. He didn’t check his messages right away though, his computer finally fully loaded in. He pulled up Discord, pulling his switch from its dock. He wasn’t sure what game he wanted to play, but he was leaning closer to pokemon every time Charge Bolt’s image popped up.
Charge Bolt Today at 2:52 AM
@Cellophane I COULD NEVER!!!
Cellophane Today at 2:54 AM
And yet here you are
With a new best friend
Charge Bolt Today at 2:54 AM
Yeah but dude…. Look how cute she is
IMG.0054 SENT
You’re going to look at that face and not want to be her best friend?
Cellophane Today at 2:56 AM
Okay fair
…
Yeah there was no arguing that the little cat was so absolutely adorable. With the photo being a closer one, he could see the small patches of tan on the cat, faint and only noticeable because of the lighting in the room.
Alien Queen Today at 3:01 AM
SO… does she have a name yet?
I’m thinking Snowball or Snow
Princess?
Blue!
Charge Bolt Today at 3:03 AM
Love the ideas babe
But I’m going for Marshmallow
Alien Queen Today at 3:03 AM
I can see it.
Cellophane Today at 3:04 AM
I was on the Snowball train.
Alien Queen Today at 3:04 AM
Snowball or Marshmallow
Charge Bolt Today at 3:05 AM
Marshmallow is more fitting
And it’s a better name
Cellophane Today at 3:05 AM
It is not!
…
Shinsou snorted a bit, typing a response before he could think of it.
Mimic Today at 3:06 AM
Marshmallow is definitely a better name than Snowball.
Charge Bolt Today at 2:40 AM
THANK YOU!
Also hi! I don’t think we’ve met!
…
Shinsou froze then, staring at his phone as he tried to find the right words to respond. He could feel his anxiety pick up, his shoulders feeling slightly tingly as he let it sit for a second. He could ignore the response, but that felt mean, especially since it was clearly a message for him. He could probably message Midoriya and ask him to take over and save him, but that felt like a cop out and he wasn’t sure if he was even awake. He nibbled his bottom lip before responding.
Mimic Today at 2:42 AM
Hey.
I'm not on very much.
Charge Bolt Today at 3:07 AM
No worries!
It’s nice to meet ya!
…
Shinsou wasn’t sure how to respond. He felt awkward, typing some words out only to just delete them. He then remembered that the others could see that he was typing and stopped trying all together out of embarrassment. He could just respond generically and move on. But then more messages came in.
Cellophane Today at 3:09 AM
Nice to meet ya Mimic!
Alien Queen Today at 3:10 AM
Welcome to hell~~~
Mimic Today at 3:11 AM
It’s colder than I was expecting
Charge Bolt Today at 3:11 AM
HA
That’s cuz we finally installed some AC units down here.
…
Shinsou snorted, glad that his joke had landed well. The conversation also didn’t teeter off in awkwardness like he thought it would, the three of them continuing the conversation like he had been there the whole time.
It was nice.
Charge Bolt Today at 3:16 AM
Actually
Anyone up for a late night/early morning call?
Cellophane Today at 3:16 AM
I’m down
Alien Queen Today at 3:16 AM
Hopping on now!
Charge Bolt Today at 3:16 AM
You joining Mimic?
No pressure! (:
…
Shinsou paused, lowering his switch as he let his pokemon roam free at the picnic. He could join, not like he had any plans for the next few hours. He was also having a pretty good time with them while just in chat. He watched as each of their icons popped into one of the voice chats noting the title saying ‘Baku Squad’. It made him hesitate a little longer than he would have liked, fiddling with the analog sticks. He was invited, so it wasn’t like he was over stepping or anything. These were Midoriya’s friends too… So it should be fine.
He took a look over to Sock only to notice that she had already been staring at him, her eyes judgemental. At least that’s what he was assuming. It certainly didn’t help that her tail was flicking with an attitude.
“Alright…” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. He clicked into the voice call, letting Discord load in for a second. And then…
“Hey there!” Came a bright voice, one he admitted he wasn’t expecting at this late hour. It sounded almost like it was the middle of the day for them.
“Hey.” He greeted.
“Whoa!”
“Holy shit…”
“Oh my god!”
“Uh…” Shinsou blinked, unable to shake the feeling like he was being stared at despite his camera being off.
“Is that really your voice!?” Alien Queen asked, making Shinsou snort a little.
“Nah. I stole it.” He said sarcastically. He forgot they had never heard him before, oftentimes catching others off guard with how deep it could get.
“From who!? A God!?” Chargebolt asked, voice cracking before laughter seemed to bubble from him.
“Maybe.” He offered, shrugging a little.
“Damn. Must have been one hell of a fight dude.” Cellophane chuckled.
“I got my shit rocked.”
“But you walked away with a voice made in heaven.” Alien Queen cooed.
“That’s the voice of a guy popular with girls. You’re popular right?” Charge Bolt asked, joining in on the teasing. That made Shinsou snort a little. Yeah. ‘Girls’.
“Names Sero by the way. Miss royalty is Mina and flustered mess is Kaminari.” Cellophane, Sero, introduced, interrupting the other two.
“Hey!” Chargebolt, Kaminari, cried, sputtering slightly on his end.
“Nice to meet ya! Again.” Mina chuckled.
“And no worries if you want to stick to your Discord name Mimic.” Sero added.
“Whatever makes you comfortable!” Kaminari also offered.
Shinsou could see why Midoriya had become friends with them, their kindness very similar. It almost felt like they knew exactly what he was thinking about, stopping any sort of awkwardness or anxieties from popping up. It made him relax a little more. No pressure, no expectations, just a nice chill call.
“Shinsou. Most people on the server know, so it's cool.” He said.
“Some of us are bad at names so you might have to remind us a couple of times.” Mina laughed a little, Sero and Kaminari grumbling a little for being called out.
“Same if it makes them feel better.” Shinsou offered, playing along.
He continued playing his game as they all talked about anything and everything that came to mind. Even though he didn’t say much, the others continued to include him anyway, occasionally directing questions his way. They were also happy to share some fun memories they had with one another so that he could understand the context of whatever conversation came up.
When they came to a nice pause in conversations, everyone was kind of doing their own thing, Mina humming, Kaminari occasionally making small noises from a game he was playing and Sero occasionally joining in with either of them. Without trying to have expectations, Shinsou was genuinely surprised at how easily he was able to hang out with them, like he had already known them for a while. He also couldn’t remember the last time he had smiled and snorted so much. The three of them were funny, dramatic dorks that had such a chaotic vibe and he was here for it.
“Oh shit. It’s almost five and I have work later.” Sero mumbled suddenly, breaking the small pause they had with a long yawn.
“Mhmm I don’t know about ya’ll but your girl also needs some beauty sleep.” Mina added, sounding half asleep already.
“But Mina, you’re already beautiful.” Kaminari complimented, causing her to giggle. Shinsou thought it was sweet.
“Good night Kaminari.” Mina said, like she was pushing him to go as well.
“Yeah yeah. Good night everyone. You should hang out with us again, Shinsou! We had fun with you.” Kaminari said.
“Uh. Sure. Good night guys.” He said.
“Good night!!" Mina and Sero called.
Shinsou watched as their icons dropped from the call, clicking out if it as well. He let out a small yawn, vision blurring slightly as he tried to look back at his game. He wasn’t sure, but he felt that maybe he could try to go back to sleep, at least for a couple hours at least. He shut his game off and placed his switch on the charging dock, deciding to take advantage while he could.
If anyone asked, Shinsou wouldn’t say much about the call. But he also couldn’t deny that he wasn’t looking forward to maybe another opportunity to hang out with the people he met with today, enjoying their company. He smiled as he climbed into bed, feeling Sock curl up next to him. Maybe. Maybe he’d hang out with them again.
…
Shinsou found himself joining them on late night calls nearly every weekend after that night, always commenting on something they were talking about before hopping on. On the occasion that they weren’t starting super late, Bakugou and Kirishima would join them too. He didn't mind them though, often finding himself caught in sarcastic banter with Bakugou after a while. Sometimes it was fun to poke the bear.
Apparently, it was normal for the two of them to be in pairs, and was most obvious when it came to their sleep schedule. Bakugou was a stickler for being in bed at a certain time, and often when he hopped off, Kirishima would follow soon after. If they were trying to hide their relationship, Shinsou thought they were doing a poor job at it.
“They’re totally dating.” Mina said one night after they left.
“They just don’t know it yet.” Sero chuckled.
It was more like the rest of the 'Bakusquad' didn't know it yet. It wasn't his place to say anything though, so he kept his mouth shut. It didn't stop him from occasionally messaging Bakugou to tease him about his boyfriend.
…
Their hangouts started including video games and anime at some point, Shinsou being introduced to a variety of things he had never heard of before.
“You’ve never heard of Pico Park? Oh my god you’re going to love this.” Kaminari laughed, clearly excited as he had quickly gifted him the game before Shinsou could even look it up.
“You didn’t have to buy this for me.” He grumbled.
“Legally I did. Wait till you see what we play as.” He argued.
To say the least, Shinsou had retaliated by sending him a game from his wishlist as a gift in return. If Mina and Sero had messaged him separately to tease him about it, it was no one else’s business but his own.
…
It had been nearly three months since he started hanging out with them when one night Kaminari had messaged him directly. He hadn’t expected it, it being a Thursday and it looked like everyone had been offline for the night when he read some of the earlier messages. He was on his way home from the library when he had gotten it, a research paper taking up most of his free time this week.
Charge Bolt Today at 10:34 PM
Yo!
Do you want to hang out?
Mimic Today at 10:35 PM
Hey
Sure, just grabbing some dinner real quick
Charge Bolt Today at 10:34 PM
Sweet~!
I’ll make something real quick too
Let me know when you’re set?
Mimic Today at 10:38 PM
Will do
…
“Here’s your order sir!” Came a call from a young woman with bright pink hair. She looked tired, but smiled regardless as she placed his order on the counter.
“Ah. Thank you.” Shinsou pocketed his phone and took the bag from the counter, mumbling a ‘you too’ when she wished him a good night. He nodded to the man with black hair that was sweeping, his smile somewhat familiar. He didn't linger on it though, quickly making his way home.
When he finally got there fifteen minutes later, he did not rush through his usual stuff when he got home. He showered and fed Sock in a timely manner, and he certainly did not forget that his food was still sitting on the kitchen counter
Midoriya would laugh at him if he could see him for sure.
Mimic Today at 11:14 PM
Sorry for the wait
I’m set
Incoming Call from Charge Bolt
Shinsou answered the call, smiling a little as the response was near instant.
“Hey Shinsou!”
“Hey.”
“What did you end up getting for dinner? ” Kaminari asked.
“I ended up getting Chicken Katsudon from a local shop not too far from here.” He answered, quickly stepping out to grab it from the kitchen counter.
“-jealous!! I just warmed up some ramen.” He caught him saying as he sat back down.
“Ramens always good.” He offered.
“True.”
There was a pause then, Shinsou waiting patiently for Kaminari to continue. But as the silence stretched on, only the sound of the other clicking here and there, Shinsou couldn’t help but feel like something was… off. Not that he minded sitting in silence, but Kaminari was usually more chatty, filling the silence with details of his day or something he had found interesting. He could be imagining it, but it was out of the norm for his friend.
“Everything okay?” He ended up asking.
“Ah. Yeah… I just couldn’t sleep. I know I should probably try to go to bed anyway but I don’t even feel tired.” He said, mumbling a little at the end. It made him frown.
“Do you usually have a hard time falling asleep?” He asked, looking at his icon.
“Sometimes yeah. I can be beat tired from the day and as soon as I’m home it’s like all my energy comes back and I’m wide awake. It was easy for a little while, but recently not so much. Brain just won’t shut off you know?” Before he could ask something else, Kaminari asked “What about you?”
“Me?”
“Well yeah. You sound super tired yourself. You don’t have to hang out if you want to head to bed after you eat. But also I know you’re a night owl too since you hang out pretty late with us and all. You’re also usually the last of us to go for the night. But totally no pressure if you want to catch some Zs! We can hang another time and- ”
“It’s fine.” He said, cutting off Kaminari’s nervous rambling. Cute. “I’m tired, but I know if I go to bed now, I’ll only wake up in a few hours.” He reassured, smiling a little.
“Okay… if you’re sure.”
“I am.” They sat there for a moment before Kaminari let out a huff.
“Insomnia is a bitch.” He whined, and Shinsou couldn’t hold back a laugh. Kaminari made it sound like Insomnia was a person who had personally attacked him, pout clear in his pretty voice.
“Can’t argue with that.” He chuckled.
“Well… if neither of us are going to sleep any time soon, wanna watch something while we eat?”
“Depends.”
“On…?”
“What are my options?”
“Hmmm. Disney or Anime?” Kaminari asked, excitement practically buzzing through his mic.
“Anime.” Shinsou answered, maybe a little too quickly. His response wasn’t unnoticed, Kaminari laughing. He could feel his cheeks burn with embarrassment, grateful that there were no cameras involved as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Sorry. My sister has been on a Disney kick so it’s all we watch at home. I’m pretty sure I could recite the whole script from ‘Encanto’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’” He explained.
“Haha no worries. Though I am curious to test that theory.” Kaminari chuckled, full on teasing him.
“In your dreams.” He grumbled.
“You’re already in them.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
“So, any suggestions?” Kaminari finally asked, voice cracking slightly. Shinsou cleared his throat, trying to ignore the way his face heated up. Kaminari was a flirt, he knew that, knew that he flirted with most of his friends. But for whatever reason, it flustered him. Maybe he knew why, and maybe he was trying to ignore the obvious.
“I know we’re watching a couple different ones with the others, but I’m down to keep watching them and leave them behind. We also started some before you joined, so if you want we can totally watch one of those and catch up too. Or we could watch the ones they suggested before! There’s also the oldies but goodies too. Or if you have any suggestions, we can always watch something brand new. Lot of options sorry.” Kaminari said when Shinsou hadn’t said anything right away.
“What’s the first one that comes to mind?” He asked finally.
“Right now? Inuyasha. But that’s because I was thinking of restarting it.”
“Let’s do it.” He hummed, pulling up their call to full screen.
“Hell yeah! Buckle in my friend, this ones a long one.” Kaminari cheered. Shinsou smiled as he settled in, joining the steam Kaminari started as he began eating his food.
…
Even though Kaminari had told him he couldn’t sleep, Shinsou couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something else bothering his usually energetic friend. He commented here and there as they went through the first few episodes, but it was quieter, like Kaminari was just trying to say enough to keep under the radar. Maybe he was imagining it, maybe over thinking, but hanging out with him for the past few months, Shinsou picked up on a few things.
He waited until there was a pause after an episode, Kaminari popping out to use the bathroom. Shinsou took the time to pack his leftovers up and pop them into the fridge. When he came back, Sock was already at the foot of the bed, curled up with her tail thumping against the sheets as she watched him. He chuckled, giving her a small scratch behind her ear before grabbing his laptop and setting it on the bed.
“Okay I’m back!” Kaminari called, sounds of him shuffling around coming through the call.
“Welcome back.”
“Did you miss me~?” Kaminari teased and Shinsou heard the slight waver in his voice.
“Kaminari… Are you okay?” He asked, sitting in bed and staring at the screen, for once wishing they had their cameras on.
“Yeah dude. Just a little sleepy.” He laughed. It sounded forced. He didn’t respond, instead staring down the little Pikachu icon like it was the source of whatever was going on. The silence stretched as he tried to find the right words to say next, to double check that he wasn’t imagining the difference. But before he could say anything, Kaminari sighed.
“I’m that obvious huh?” Kaminari mumbled, sounding so tired, so… defeated. “I’m sorry.”
“Not really. You just got stuck with the guy who’s just weirdly observant. And you don’t have to apologize. If you’re having a bad day or are upset, that’s okay.” He reminded.
“Right…”
“...Do you want to talk about it?”
“Absolutely not.” Kaminari laughed, but it was different from the ones he knew. It wasn’t joyous or sarcastic, and it wasn’t forced or stiff. It was bitter, it was mean. And it wasn’t targeted to anyone else but himself. “Sorry. It’s just- I-” A sigh. “I don’t want to think about it anymore because then I’m gonna spiral and I'll get stuck on it for longer than I want or probably need to. And it's just so silly. Stupid and dumb and it doesn't matter.” His voice cracked.
“It’s not.”
“Huh?”
“It’s not stupid or dumb. Not if it involves your feelings.” Not if it involves you.
“That’s sweet but-”
“Nope.”
“It’s not that impor-”
“It is.”
“Shinsou-”
“Kaminari.”
There was a frustrated huff. A pause. Then it felt like the world seemed to grow warmer, brighter even though it was still dark out. Kaminari full on laughed. Purely out of joy and amusement and it made something swell inside his chest. Maybe it was pride, maybe it was relief, but it made him smile. It felt like Shinsou had hit the jackpot.
"You're such a dick." He huffed, but it was playful.
"Can be, yeah." He shrugged, listening closely to the way Kaminari seemed to still have a few giggles to let out. Once he was done, it teetered into a small aigh.
“Thank you Shinsou.”
“Anytime Kaminari. I mean it.”
“I know.”
What Shinsou would give to see if Kaminari was smiling. But because he couldn't, he simply pulled his phone out, scrolling through Tumblr as they continued to watch anime. Every time he heard Kaminari snort or laugh, he felt himself smile too. He didn't know what was wrong, didn't know who was to blame, but they better hope he never finds out.
…
“Can we do a video call?”
Shinsou lost track of what he was reading, the question surprising him, both because it was sudden and because it was unexpected.
Ever since that night, Kaminari and he had been spending nearly every day they had free together. If it wasn’t watching Anime, it was them playing a game one of them had found. If it wasn’t them playing games, it was the two of them on call, both focusing on homework or projects that were coming up. If not that, it was small calls here and there, lunches being taken at the same time or calls to and from somewhere. And if they couldn’t call, they would text, often sending memes or videos they found that reminded them of each other. Shinsou didn’t mind it one bit, and found himself looking forward to the times they could spend together even more. They were always just a message away.
Recently it was calls to bounce ideas back and forth for their respective finals. Shinsou was working on his final paper while Kaminari was working on his final piece. He wasn’t all too surprised at the idea of doing a video call in itself, Kaminari sending him pictures here and there about what he was working on. Shinsou however, wasn’t sure why the thought suddenly made him nervous, self conscious. He ran a hand through his hair.
“Sure.”
All of a sudden, his screen shifted from his icon he had first seen nearly a year ago, to the screen loading the camera.
Shinsou couldn't say what he had expected behind the voice, he didn’t really think too much of it. When he tried to, nothing seemed to fit his image of Kaminari, nothing felt right. But when the screen finally loaded and a pretty blonde smiled into the camera towards him, he wasn’t all that much surprised. It was like putting the final pieces of a puzzle together.
Kaminari was smiling wide, dimples present and golden eyes shining even with the lights dimmed behind him. His bangs framed his face nicely, and Shinsou couldn’t help but snort at the slightly faded lightning bolt that had clearly been dyed in his hair. The rest was put up in a small ponytail, small lightning bolt clips holding some of the shorter strands back. It was hard to tell, but he was pretty sure the other had freckles across his nose and cheeks too. With the way his eyes kept darting from the camera to probably his screen, Shinsou could already tell the other was nervous.
Kaminari was… Pretty. Cute. Adorable. Some of the words Shinsou had already described him as before. Kaminari was overall amazing just as a human being, smart in ways that fascinated him and so funny that his ribs and cheeks were often sore. But seeing him, finally seeing the full picture, Shinsou couldn't deny that it made everything he's come to want increase.
He wanted to hold his hand, ruffle his hair, tease him until he was red in the face and trying to hide behind his hands or hoodie so that he was muffled in embarrassment. He wanted to see what his laugh and smile looked like, wanted to see how tears would well after a particularly long fit of giggles took over. He wanted to see what it'd be like when Kaminari fell asleep first in the call, curled up with Marshmallow at peace. What would it be like to see Kaminari sucked into focus, so into it that Shinsou wished he could just reach out and shake him a little. He took a deep breath.
He hadn’t even turned the camera on and he was already trying to hide the fact that he had been staring, cheeks warming a little. When he glanced back again, it only got worse as he took more details in. He noticed that the other was wearing a hoodie that was unmistakingly based off of Gengar, sleeves resting halfway down his hands as he cutely patted against his knees that were drawn up onto the seat. He scrunched up his nose, nervously picking at his nails as he waited, wiggling in his seat on occasion.
“Shinsou?” Kaminari called, head tilting slightly. He was way too cute before. Now it felt overwhelming, like he was overreacting way too much about it.
“Uh… sorry. Sock was um… doing something.” He responded lamely. “Give me a second.”
🗲🗲🗲
“Yeah no worries.” Kaminari chuckled. Kaminari waited patiently as Shinsou went to ‘help Sock with something’. He couldn’t help but shift nervously, tucking a small piece of hair back as he awkwardly looked around his own room. He couldn’t help but pause when he looked at his reflection in the mirror. His hair wasn’t out of place, and it didn’t look like he had something on his face. He took a quick glance down to his clothing, finding the sweater clean of any stains or crumbs. He bit his lip, wondering if there was something he wasn’t seeing.
Then it smacked him. Why was he so worried about how he looked? It was just Shinsou. A friend he’d been hanging out with for over a year now. It wasn’t like Shinsou didn’t know some of his habits, or how messy he could be. But it still picked at him. He knew exactly why he was worried about it, and he tried to ignore it, but his face was already warming up.
He was pulled from his thoughts when a sudden ‘ding’ sounded, indicating that Shinsou had turned his camera on. He couldn’t help but hesitate, staring at his keyboard for just a second longer than needed.
This was no different than what he did with the others. The Bakusquad and Dekusquad did this a million times and it was fine. It didn’t matter what Shinsou looked like, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t always curious when they got into a call. Was he tall? Was he short? Did he have red hair? Blue? Black? Piercings? Tattoos? A glance to his left told him that Marshmallow was clearly judging him, like she could read his thoughts.
“Is it working?” He heard Shinsou and suddenly his eyes snapped up to the screen.
Shinsou was… very much attractive. He wasn’t even wearing anything fancy, just a plain black t-shirt, and even then Kaminari felt like that was illegal. He had an undercut, lilac hair wild and defying gravity with only a few pieces falling over his forehead. He was wearing black studs in both ears, the right having a silver helix cuffed around the ear lobe. There was also a piercing through his left eyebrow, lilac eyes staring back as he looked over him. He shook his head slightly when he spotted the dark circles under Shinsou’s eyes, knowing full well that Shinsou probably didn’t sleep very much after their call ended yesterday.
“Yeah you definitely need a nap.” He huffed, but he could feel his ears warming as they continued to stare at one another
“You’re one to talk Sunshine.” Shinsou chuckled, and it felt like the cloud of awkwardness and shyness lifted. Though, the nickname made him tap his feet a little, hoping Shinsou wouldn’t see how red his cheeks and ears felt.
“I took a nap before classes. Did you sleep at all? Did you eat?” Kaminari asked, eyes narrowing as he leaned in closer like it would reveal the answer.
“I got… some sleep. And I did actually! Pops made me cheeseburgers.” Shinsou stuck his tongue out.
“So unfair! God every time you bring those up, it just makes me want them more. Rude.” He mirrored Shinsou before both of them laughed.
They fell into their usual banter, Kaminari completely forgetting why he had asked to do a video call in the first place.
🗲🗲🗲
“So…”
Kaminari looked up from the large outline he was working on, setting the ruler and marker down. Kirishima, his best friend, had been hanging out with him until his next class, occasionally helping him lift up some of the heavy equipment Kaminari had been working with. He was finishing a text at the moment, tongue between his teeth before he beamed and whatever text he got in return.
“So…?” Kaminari prompted, raising a brow.
“It’s almost Summer break.” Kirishima pointed out, pocketing his phone before kicking his legs out, lifting himself up a little with his arms on the stool.
“Ugh I can’t wait. This piece has been such a pain in the ass.” He grumbled, glaring at the metal pieces he was sorting through, lining them up against the outline to check his measurements one more time.
“Any plans so far?” He asked, and Kaminari felt like Kirishima was plotting something.
“Uh… I guess not really. Shinsou and I will probably finish up ‘It Takes Two’ and the usual. I was thinking of maybe going home for a little bit at some point. Why?” He asked, watching Kirishima closely.
“Want to go visit Bakugou and Sero? Mina will be back from studying abroad too, so it would be a full Bakusquad reunion!” He said, tapping the stool.
“Oh hell yeah! I miss when we were all together.” He said, smiling wide at the thought. He couldn't help but tap his toes a little.
“Don't get me wrong, our internships are awesome, taking classes at a sister school is also a cool experience, and I love living with TetsuTetsu and Tamajiki, but I also can't wait to go back to sharing the apartment with the others again.." Kirishima admitted. Kaminari didn't say anything less he wanted to also be teased, but he was pretty sure his friend just missed being in the same space as Bakugou. Those two really need to get their shit together and ask each other out already.
"One more semester after finals are over! Though we'll have to see if we can find a new person to move in." He pointed out.
"Isn't Jirou still living with us when she gets back?" Kirishima asked. Though as soon as he realized, guilt quickly replaced his confusion. “Shit, sorry Kaminari.”
“Don’t worry about it. Would have just been kind of weird, you know? But we're cool.” He reassured, patting his shoulder. He can’t say it didn’t hurt a little, thinking about when he thought Jirou and he had… something. It was nice, fun and simple. He thought they were on the same page so he had asked her out for dinner.
He thought it was a date.
She thought they were just friends.
“So. Bakusquad sleepover?” He asked, moving on before he spiraled. He didn’t miss the look of concern Kirishima was giving him, but they both knew that Kaminari wouldn’t budge when he began humming. Besides, he was also happy for Jirou, his friend finding herself a girlfriend while studying abroad.
“Second week of summer. Give ourselves a week to just take it easy and then I was thinking I could drive us down?” Kirishima offered, sighing a little.
“Which means I’m in charge of the music!” Kaminari cheered, twirling a piece of metal before accidently dropping it, jumping out of the way so he wouldn’t get hurt. Kirishima shook his head and proceeded to remind him to be careful.
“Sounds like a plan then!”
He was looking forward to the summer.
🗲🗲🗲
“It’s nice to see you finally on the server Shinsou.” Midoriya says one night. They were in a group call, playing 7 Days to Die on one of the rare nights most of them were available.
“Wait, how long have you been on the server?” Sero asked, cursing under his breath. Kaminari could only assume he had run into a zombie.
“For a while I guess.” Shinsou mumbled.
“‘A while’ meaning?” Mina prompted.
“Since the beginning of the server.” Todoroki threw out before Shinsou could say anything.
“Wait. You mean you’ve been in here for like… almost two years then?” Kirishima asked. Wait… it was almost a year since they started hanging out, maybe even a little over. Which meant…
“Why did you wait so long to join us for game or movie nights?” Sero asked, seeming to have the same thought. What Kaminari would give just to see Shinsou’s face. It was easier to read him when the cameras were on, a twitch of an eyebrow here, his nose wiggling a little there, rubbing the back of his neck, just little movements that Kaminari had noticed.
“I don’t know. I just… didn’t.” Shinsou answered. He was definitely rubbing the back of his neck.
"He's kind of shy." Ururaka offered, giggling when Shinsou responded with a 'tch'
“Wait… Wait hold on-”
“Oh fuck, here we go.” Kaminari ignored Bakugou’s grumbles as he continued.
“You mean we could’ve been friends sooner!? Shinsou…” He whined, “What the fuck?”
“We’re friends now.” Shinsou pointed out.
“After a fucking year.” Bakugou reminded, snorting a little.
"You're not helping." Kirishima chided.
To say the least, Shinsou was teased lightly for the rest of the night, Shinsou occasionally threatening to abandon them. When the Blood Moon came along, and a horde began to crawl to their main home base, it was decided that Shinsou providing help was more important than their amusement.
When time actually got late outside of the game, Kaminari, as he often does, found himself alone with Shinsou, the two of them switching out of playing games to continue their night with a new anime Shinsou had come across.
“I’m glad I found Marshmallow.” He said suddenly, yawning a little as he let his eyes close, only for a moment. It was so late.
“Yeah? She’s super cute.” Shinsou chuckled.
“Yeah… She also helped me meet you.” He added.
If Shinsou responded, Kaminari didn’t remember.
🗲🗲🗲
Mimic Today at 7:23 PM
Hey
You alive?
Charge Bolt Today at 8:37 PM
I’d like to think so
…
Kaminari snorted at his own response, lazily letting his phone fall from his hand and back on the bed beside his pillow. He gently ran his hand through Marshmallow's fur, the little bundle of fur curled close to his chest. He pulled the sheets up around them carefully, not wanting to scare her away. He left the AC on, the air on full blast and making his room feel like it was the middle of winter, and he loved it. He had accidentally fallen asleep, still in his clothes for the day. He just wanted to lay down and snuggle with Marshmallow as a reward for finishing his last final for the semester, but he wasn’t going to complain though, the nap definitely appreciated as he snuggled further into bed. As he thought that maybe he could go back to sleep, his phone buzzed.
Mimic Today at 8:43 PM
That’s good
Congrats on making it to the end.
Charge Bolt Today at 8:43 PM
<3
How’s your final paper going?
Mimic Today at 8:44 PM
Turned it in an hour ago.
Charge Bolt Today at 8:44 PM
That means you’re done right!
RIGHT!?!?!!?
Mimic Today at 8:45 PM
It means I’m officially done.
Charge Bolt Today at 8:46 PM
OH MYGODDFPOIFSJAIOH
…
Kaminari scrambled out of bed then, throwing an apology over his shoulder to Marshmallow who was likely annoyed by the sudden abandonment of affection. He quickly booted up his laptop, letting it load up as he started to get somewhat decent. He changed out of his shirt he had been wearing and threw on a sweater, ignoring the fact that it was a light purple before moving on to fix his hair. So what if he wanted to look nice for Shinsou? It had been forever since they were able to do a call, let alone a video one since their finals started nearly two weeks ago. He was excited!
Once discord was loaded up and his hair wasn’t sticking up in every possible angle, he called Shinsou.
He had to wait all of three seconds before his screen was filled with Shinsou’s chest, the other clearly getting adjusted at his desk. Kaminari absolutely did not stare at the muscles that were in view, defined even with a shirt covering them.
“Hey Handsome~” He cooed after a moment, smirking a little when Shinsou just gave him a look.
“You had me worried for a second. Sounded like you got murdered mid typing.” Shinsou said after he got comfortable, Sock jumping onto his lap as soon as he sat down.
“Sorry to disappoint, but I am still very much alive.” Kaminari joked, sticking his tongue out.
“I mean I would hope so. Who would take care of Marshmallow?”
“Obviously as her Father, you would have to take full custody of her! You think I can trust her godmother Mina to cater to all her needs!?” He said dramatically, placing the back of his hand to his forehead as he pretended to sniffle.
“Obviously.” Shinsou snorted.
“Speaking of precious babies, where’s my little Sock~?” He asked, looking for even a small glimpse of the cutie.
“Your daughter decided that she wanted to tear down the closet rod today. So she’s currently running away from a shirt that got stuck on her tail somewhere.” Shinsou chuckled, sighing a little
“Why is it that whenever she’s up for a little adventure, she’s suddenly my daughter?”
“Well she certainly didn’t get it from me.”
There was a small pause, the two of them falling into a small fit of laughter as they stared at each other.
“I missed you.” Shinsou said, voice so warm and soft, it was a wonder if Kaminari’s heart didn’t just full on melt out of his chest.
“I missed you too.” He said hoping his voice wasn’t as shaky as it felt.
He wanted to say more, wanted to spill every single word he had painfully held back for months. He wanted to tell Shinsou that he looked forward to moments like these, where it was just the two of them and soft, meaningful words were shared. He thought about them for weeks after. He wanted to tell him how much he loved his voice, how it fluctuated with his emotions, how it felt calming when he always seemed to say just the right things at the right time. He wanted to tell him that his smile, the small, slightly crooked smile he got when Kaminari complimented him on something, was one of his favorites, like a reward to earn. That his laugh was rough and smooth at the same time, a sound he adored. He always thought it was funny when his left eyebrow would twitch whenever he was bickering with Bakugou, easily missed if you weren’t looking. But Kaminari was always looking- in like a non-creepy way of course!
But he was desperately trying to shove the words down, biting the insides of his cheeks to keep them at bay. He tried to douse the butterflies in his stomach with a friendly reminder of reality, tried to calm the fluttering in his chest with a healthy dose of logic. But the stupid, innocent little crush that he initially tried to ignore as much as possible, really had a mind of its own.
Innocent flirting. Joking about being married with kids (cats) and sharing ‘custody’. Pairing up in every game, regardless of their friends being present. Constantly spending their free nights with one another. Constantly messaging and checking in if things got too busy. Often falling asleep, something they both struggled with, in call with one another. Waking up to each other before ending the call. The times where Shinsou trusted Kaminari when the nights were rough with nightmares. The times when Shinsou seemed to know when Kaminari was hiding that he was upset.
None of it helped the suffocating realization that he was without a doubt in love. Again.
Not that being in love was an issue!
The issue was, it was Kaminari Denki who was in love again.
Kaminari who fell fast, and fell hard. Kaminari who read too much into a person’s actions and misinterpreting it as romantic interest. Kaminari who was an utter disaster, rushing head first into assumptions only to make a complete fool of himself.
He didn’t want another repeat of Jirou. He didn’t want to make anything uncomfortable or awkward because his stupid brain wanted him to see things that weren’t there. Even if Mina and Sero encouraged him, pointed out why they thought it would work out this time. Even when Bakugou had flat out told him to stop being a ‘little bitch’, Kaminari couldn’t see it work out. He was also tired. Tired of being hurt by his own stupidity. He was also scared.
Kaminari didn’t want to lose Shinsou.
So even though he had a lot to say, he swallowed them down, the pit in his stomach only growing.
“So, what should we get started with? We’ve got a lot of shows to catch up on!” He grinned, insecurities tossed to the side of denial. Shinsou watched him for a moment, and maybe he had stayed quiet longer than normal, maybe Shinsou was seeing through him, yet again. But the insomniac simply looked like he was pulling up their list, lips curling inwards as he scanned through them in thought.
“Let’s go back to the classics. We haven’t watched Inuyasha in a while, and I kind of want to see if they’ll finally get their shit together.” Shinsou said.
“It’s Inuyasha. The only one who has their shit even a little together is Kagome.” He laughed, pulling up his stream.
“I still think she should forget about Inuyasha and just go with Koga instead. He’s a better choice.”
“In the past world? Sure, I can agree with that. But you gotta remember my boy Hojo! Man really was out here getting her stuff to improve all of her health conditions!” Kaminari argued.
“Okay fair.” Shinsou relented with a chuckle.
“Hmm… If you had to pick any of them, who would you pick?” He asked, looking to the screen to see Shinsou already looking at him, cheek in palm.
“I don’t think I could pick any of them honestly. You?”
“Sesshomaru.” Kaminari said, barely waiting to answer. He felt his face flush when Shinsou simply rose a brow. “He’s hot! His voice is nice, and you can’t tell me he wouldn’t be able to pick me up and protect me easily.”
“I could pick you up.” Shinsou pointed out.
“Not with those noodle arms!” Again, Shinsou rose a brow as he looked down at his very clearly defined arms. “Shut up!”
“I didn’t say anything Sunshine”
“You didn’t have to!”
Kaminari hid under the collar of his hoodie, grumbling as he started the episode without asking Shinsou if he was ready. He could feel his ears turn red when Shinsou’s laugh came through over the intro music.
🗲🗲🗲
“Kirishimaaaa…. I’m hungrryyyy.” Kaminari whined, slumping in his seat as his knees pressed into the dashboard in front of him. He watched as yet another food stop passed by them, eyes trailing after them as he patted his empty stomach. He sighed, full on pouting as he let out a smaller whine before leaning against the center console. He waited until Kirishima took a glance at him, full on looking up at him with wide, sad eyes.
“Oh, Kaminari… Not the puppy dog eyes!” Kirishima huffed, using his free hand to try and block the look. Kaminari grumbled before dramatically pushing his chair back.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures! I’m starving!” He reminded, picking up the book he had been trying to read only to close it and shove it into his backpack.
“Dude. We’re like almost an hour out. If we stop now, we’re just going to end up being late. You’re more than welcome to text Kats if that’s what you want.” Kirishima offered, smirking a little
“Yeah no thanks.”” He huffed, not wanting to be at the end of their friends yelling. Then, “ Kats huh?” He asked, leaning past the center console.
“Shut up!” Kirishima grumbled, face flushing with slight embarrassment. He hummed as he pulled his phone out, snickering a little when Kirishima rolled his eyes and playfully shoved him away.
Charge Bolt Today at 3:43 PM
Kirishima’s starving me!
Mimic Today at 3:45 PM
I told you to bring snacks
Charge Bolt Today at 3:45 PM
I didn’t think I was going to get hungry! It’s like, a four hour drive.
Mimic Today at 3:45 PM
Before you starve to death, do I build your grave behind our Minecraft house?
What flowers do you want?
Charge Bolt Today at 3:46 PM
You’re so mean! >:P
…
“Ugh. How much longer?” He asked, leaning over to try and see the GPS.
“Fifty-five more minutes.” Kirishima answered, swiping away a message that was surely from Bakugou before he could read anything. Kaminari sighed, accepting his fate to die of starvation, the craving of something sweet being a bitter memory in the afterlife.
Charge Bolt Today at 3:53 PM
Smash Mouth better be playing at my funeral
Mimic Today at 3:54 PM
I’ll see what I can do
Though, I can’t guarantee I’ll be there
Charge Bolt Today at 3:54 PM
You’re going to skip my funeral D:
Mimic Today at 3:57 PM
More like I’m trapped.
Midoriya dragged me to the grocery store to grab some stuff for a get together he’s having
He’s been debating on grabbing either ranch or nacho cheese for Doritos
We’ve been here for ten minutes now
Charge Bolt Today at 3:58 PM
Ranch is the superior choice
Mimic Today at 3:58 PM
Tried to tell him that
Oh no
He found the popcorn
Save me
Charge Bolt Today at 3:59 PM
I’m trapped Handsome
Can’t do much from my end
Just wasting away
Mimic Today at 4:02 PM
Well aren’t you a ray of Sunshine
…
Kaminari snorted, tapping his feet against the car floor.
“Yeah?” Kirishima asked, teasing him slightly. Kaminari flushed, feeling the tips of his ears turn pink.
“Yeah…” He mumbled, burying his face into his sweater to hide the stupid smile that was probably taking over.
🗲🗲🗲
“Oh finally!” Kaminari cheered, getting out of the car as soon as Kirishima put the car in park. He stretched, brushing off any crumbs he had missed from when he had munched on some potato chips. He took a deep breath as the wind blew by, enjoying the sun as it began to set.
“You’re late!” Bakugou snapped, glaring at both of them. He was waiting by the door to the apartment complex, foot holding it open.
“Bakugou!”
Kaminari didn’t hesitate to run over to him, forgetting to grab his bags as he hugged the other blonde. Instead of being shoved away, the other just huffed and patted his head.
“Nice to see you too, Dunce Face. Now hurry the fuck up. The foods gonna get cold.” He grumbled.
“Yes sir!” Kaminari gave him a mock salute, dodging a smack to the back of his head just in time. He decided to be a child and stuck his tongue out, making his way into the apartment complex. He heard soft whispers between Bakugou and Kirishima while running up the stairs, deciding that he could tease them about it later. He'd let them have their moment.
The first thing he noticed when he walked into their old shared apartment was the absolutely divine smell that was coming from the kitchen. His mouth watered, the snack only holding off his hunger for the remainder of the trip as he quickly kicked his shoes off and made his way further in. He could hear a couple people in the living room, voices too hushed for him to really understand. Without a doubt, it was Sero and Mina.
“What’s up, party people!?” He called, strolling into the living room, practically bouncing in excitement.
“Kaminari!” Mina and Sero looked up from their phones, sitting in the squad couch they usually used for movie nights. He immediately disposed himself on top of the two of them, wiggling around and giggling as they all managed to hug one another.
“Hey bud! How was the ride?” Sero asked, gently adjusting himself so his elbows wouldn’t dig into anyone.
“Long. I’m starving and so ready for food.” He said, dramatically sighing as he relaxed further into his side, legs laying over Mina's..
“Guessing the other two are having a little moment~?” She asked, the three of them grinning.
“Such lovebirds. Sharing whispers to one another where only the wind can listen in.” Kaminari sighed..
“Such a way with words.” Sero chuckled.
The three of them stayed comfortably in the little pile they created, Kaminari perfectly content to finally be in their presence again. School was done for some time, they were all together again, and Bakugou cooked them dinner? He couldn’t ask for a better night.
“Alright you heathens. Go wash your fucking hands if you wanna eat!” Bakugou called out, pausing in the living room to give a look at all three of them before heading into the kitchen. As predicted, Kirishima wasn’t too far behind. Kaminari rose a brow though, noticing that he was carrying a bag, spotting some doritos and a box of popcorn. He was about to ask, jumping up from the couch, when he noticed Mina had her phone suspiciously angled. He jokingly made a face towards it, Mina snickering before her eyes looked past him for a moment.
“What are you doi-” As he turned around while asking the question, his voice died down when he noticed that there was someone else walking in.
It felt like everything stopped. His voice, his heart, his body, hell, it felt like even time itself paused as he stared. He probably looked like an idiot, but he couldn’t find himself caring as suddenly things seemed to speed up again.
“Kaminari.”
“Shinsou!”
He didn’t think about it, his body moving on autopilot as the two of them crashed into each other. Kaminari threw his arms over the other’s shoulders, feeling Shinsou pulling him in closer if it were possible. He wasn’t sure if Shinsou lifted him first, or if maybe Kaminari had wrapped his legs around his waist first, but either way, Shinsou was supporting him, holding him tightly. And they just stayed there, Kaminari grinning into Shinsou’s shoulder as they swayed a little, Shinsou chuckling softly.
He leaned back, fully confident that Shinsou wouldn’t let him fall as he stared down at him. Shinsou tilted his head ever so slightly as he gave him that crooked smile that made his heart flutter.
“What are you doing here!? How come you didn’t tell me you were here!?” He asked, smacking his shoulders lightly.
“I didn’t know. Midoriya just dragged me along to a ‘friend’s house’. I didn’t know it was Bakugou until I got here.” He explained, gently putting him down.
“Figured it was fucking time for you guys to get your shit together.” Bakugou said, kindly reminding Kaminari that they were not alone.
“Huh?”
“What Kaachan means is that we thought it would be a good surprise for you two to be able to see each other outside of video calls.” Midoriya explained, Bakugou rolling his eyes.
“You two pining idiots would’ve taken forever.”
“Says you.” Mina snickered, putting her phone away. Ah… She was recording… He wondered if he could sneak a way to delete it later… after sending it to himself of course.
“If you’ve got something to say then just fucking say it Racoon eyes!” Bakugou snapped.
“When are you and Kirishima gonna stop dancing around and date already? You’re not really fooling anyone you know.” Sero chuckled.
“They are dating.” Shinsou said, like he was stating the obvious.
“What!?”
“We’ve been dating for like… two years now.” Kirishima chuckled, laughing a little.
Mina and Sero quickly jumped from their spots as they began throwing questions in Bakugou and Kirishima’s face. Kaminari was about to do the same too, but as he tried to step away, he realized that his hand was interlocked with Shinsou’s, the feeling so natural and new at the same time, it just… felt right. He looked at their hands before looking to Shinsou, slowly sinking under his sweater.
“You’re cute.” Shinsou commented, and Kaminari nearly melted.
“You can’t just say that!” He snapped, pulling his hood over his face.
“Sorry. I’ve been wanting to say it for forever now.” Shinsou admitted.
“...Really?” He asked. He took a glance at the others, all of them very much involved with the reveal of Kirishima and Bakugou’s relationship. Even so… “Come on.”
He gently pulled Shinou with him, the two of them sharing a smile as they once again snuck away from their friend group. They didn’t rush anywhere, it didn’t feel like they needed to. They just walked, watching the oranges and pinks take over the sky. Eventually, they settled on a bench, sitting closely, and never once letting go of each other. Even now they were pressed comfortably close to one another, leaning into each other’s space as if they had to hide their words from the world. Maybe… Maybe this is how his friends felt.
“It’s barely been five minutes and we’ve already ran away from the others.” Kaminari jokes, “You’re such a bad influence.”
“I mean. I did fight a god and stole their voice. I feel like that was a pretty good indicator that I was when you met me.” Shinsou chuckled,
“I like your voice.” Kaminari admitted, feeling slightly braver.
“I like you.”
“You son of a -” Kaminari pressed his face into Shinsou’s shoulder, the other wrapping an arm around and laughing.
“Amazing parents? I know. You should meet them. I know Eri would love to meet you. If you want to, of course.”
“I would love to officially meet your family. Though technically, I have already met them.” He pointed out, but excited all the same.
“I’ll ask Pops if he’s up to cooking his famous cheeseburgers for you. How long are you staying?”
“We planned for the week, maybe longer depending on Kirishima’s job. I’m free for the summer really, so I could come back for longer.. If you want.” He pulled back just enough to look at Shinsou, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.
“I’d like that. I’m sure Sock would too. And if you want, you could stay with me, bring Marshmallow along.”
“You’re going to make it very hard to go back to wrap up my internship.” Kaminari sighed.
“Just means I have to come visit you too.” Shinsou shrugged, like it wasn’t even a question.
Kaminari studied him for a moment, truly looking at him without a screen in between. Shinsou was here, actually here with him. He was looking at him, listening closely, smiling and comfortable. They were still holding hands, still pressed close. It was addicting if he were honest, the satisfaction of just being in each other’s space. The fear of getting hurt wasn’t entirely gone, but maybe that was normal anyways. There’s no guarantee, and honestly, pretty unrealistic. But what was realistic, was that right now, in this moment, he trusted Shinsou. And though he had been spiraling into thinking that falling in love was a bad thing, it didn’t feel that way now.
“I like you too. By the way. Just in case you were wondering.”
🗲🗲🗲
“It’s about fucking time you two got back.” Bakugou huffed as the two of them made their way into the kitchen, hungry stomachs beckoning them back.
“We were ‘getting our shit together’. Wasn’t that why you set this whole thing up?” Shinsou asked, lips twitching a little.
“Fuck off Eyebags.” He growled before he gently (though it didn’t look like it) shoved his way in between him and Shinsou.
“Bakugou…?” Kaminari asked. Bakugou only held a hand up, silently asking him to wait.
“You hurt him and I will make sure they never find your body. Got it?” Kaminari’s eyes widened when those words didn’t come from his explosive friend, the voice quiet and cold. It sent a shiver up his spine, finally spotting Kirishima who had somehow snuck up behind them. He was staring at Shinsou with such a dark look, somehow looking bigger than he was.
“Uh- Yeah. Yeah, got it.” Shinsou said, clearing his throat. He tensed when Kirishima patted his shoulder, nodding once before he was smiling normally.
“Good! Now come on. We’ve been waiting to eat till you guys got back.” He said cheerily, Bakugou smirking as they both grabbed their plates to go sit in the living room.
A pause.
Then Kaminari couldn’t stop giggling.
“Looks like you’re stuck with me Handsome.” He teased, watching as Shinsou shook the last of his worry away.
“I’d have it no other way, Sunshine.” He said warmly, a crooked smile and all.
…