Work Text:
Yaoyorozu, Sato, and Sero were responsible for cleaning each dorm room so that it isn’t dusty after a while of being neglected. They offered themselves.
Ojiro and Asui had to leave in the afternoon to fill in some police officers about the war, and have been gone ever since.
Aoyama’s situation was confusing, Denki didn’t know if he'd even come back.
Iida and Shoto were still at the hospital, so were Midoriya, Bakugou, and the rest of the girls. Mina had Kirishima with her, as Denki fussed over Jirou, worried for her.
Tokoyami was with Hawks, staying with him for as long as possible.
“Yeah, you’re on your own, bro.” Mineta said.
“What?!” Denki exclaimed, pulling at his own hair. “You’ll leave me like this?!”
“I can’t even reach the stove, man. If the others are taking cleaning duty, then I’m afraid cooking duty is all you. I’ll be in my room.” And with that, the nasty grape walked away, looking like it makes a rubber toy sound with every step it takes.
Denki’s eyes twitched, how did he end up in this situation?
Last thing he’d do is leave his friends -who were about to come back from the hospital- to starve, and Aizawa wasn’t around so they could order anything, and honestly? Denki didn’t feel it was appropriate to order something, he should do better. He told himself that a lot. But hey, this time, he means it!
His head snapped to the door when he heard it open, and saw Shoji and Koda walk in in civilian clothing. He knew the both of them had some work to do with heteromorph heroes like Gang Orca and Kamui Woods because they were so fond of their movement, and promised they’ll help them make a difference, choosing not to wait until the two students were heroes and immediately starting to spread the word of raising awareness about discrimination against heteromorphs.
They were doing so great, they were amazing. And Denki was so proud.
“Welcome back, guys!” He ran over to them and pulled them into a hug. They were way taller than him, but he still did.
They accepted it after being startled but who doesn’t know Denki’s love language? It was…all five of them, and Physical Touch was no exception.
When the hug broke, Denki started speaking. “So? How are you? Is everything okay?”
Shoji nodded and smiled. He had his mask off. “We’re alright, everything’s….not terrible.”
“I’m so glad to hear that! You must be tired, how about you get some sleep?”
“Uhm, that’s…really sweet of you, Kaminari.” Koda smiled. “But where are the others?”
Denki looked back. Yeah, the common room was empty.
“Oh, uhm…some of them took cleaning duty and Mineta decided to be useless. I’ll be cooking!”
“On your own? We could help.”
“Oh come on! You just came back!” Denki whined. “Won’t have you working already, you didn’t even take a shower to unwind yet.”
“Well,” Koda suggested. “We can at least have a quick grocery run to help you get some ingredients.”
Denki’s eyes widened and he jumped a little, just now realizing he still hasn’t even decided what to cook. He stared off somewhere that wasn’t his classmates’ face, and for a moment they thought he zoned out but left him to ponder, patiently waiting for him to speak.
Denki doesn’t cook Japanese a lot. He perfected curry from how much he cooked it with his classmates, but would never compare to any of the others’ skills. So what was he going to cook?
And without any help?
Correction, without any help from his classmates .
His eyes shone with light and his lips curled into a huge grin, leaving the two classmates confused before he put a fist on his palm. “While you’re still in civilian clothing…”
Both of them smiled softly, happy that Denki accepted their help.
“I’ll write you what I need, and the place where you could get it. If it’s too much you can decline.”
“Never too much, and I’ve got birds to help me, and he has dupli-arms.”
“Sweet!” Denki clapped and immediately sprinted to write everything he could remember down. He really hoped it was everything he needed.
Handing the paper over to his two classmates, they stared at it in confusion for two seconds before looking back at him and nodding. “On it.”
“Thanks guys!”
The places were stores not too far away, actually, they were pretty close. But still, places they’ve never been to, words they’ve never read before to the point they had to show the staff the note instead of pronouncing, and ingredients they couldn’t think of using, ever.
Whatever, that’s not their business and they shouldn’t meddle with it. Denki looked like he knew what he was doing.
When they came back with the groceries, Denki had an apron on and the kitchen supplies (ones he needed) were neatly put in their places in front of him, some ingredients that they already had were out, and he had his hair clipped back, looking at his phone before noticing them.
“Hey guys!” Denki walked over to them as they set the things on the counter. “Thanks so much! You were a great help, you should go take a nap or something, I don’t think the others are coming back any time soon…”
Koda nodded. “We’re glad we were of help, and it seems that whatever you’re working on is something we have no idea what it is…”
Denki giggled. “You’ll see! Come on, I’m sure Sero and the other finished cleaning and are probably relaxing too.”
Shoji patted Denki on the shoulder when he walked past him. “Don’t neglect yourself.”
“I won’t!”
Common room and kitchen are empty. All for himself.
Bakugou? Isn’t around to yell at him.
Todoroki? Isn’t around to take all the ingredients for his soba addiction.
Sero? Isn’t around to call him a housewife with that apron.
He opened his text messages with his Nonna, rereading everything she wrote to him while his friends were getting the ingredients.
[Nonnaaaa<333]
Denki, this isn’t your first time!
We’ve made a lot of recipes together when you were a little kid
I just sent you all of them again!
You’re good at Italian cuisine, you just need to take the step and start
Right
Thanks Nonna
-incoming call-
“I knew it.” Nonna sighed from the other end.
“I just need you to be with me step by step, okay?” Denki whined. “I want it to be good.”
“Okay okay…”
What he expected had happened.
His Nonna was the sweetest to make him start the process of cooking, but the moment things got serious, she was very strict and made sure everything was done right, albeit rather harshly. He didn’t mind it.
She advised him to start with the Chicken Scarpariello, considering it took the longest, and his Nonna advised him to use skin-on chicken thighs or legs. Breasts tend to dry out much more easily. Store bought sauce was a crime, and while homemade sauce could be a pain to cook sometimes, Nonna was there.
The Italian Wedding Risotto was rather easier for him, having cooked it with Nonna more than any other dish. It was also a personal favorite, considering the garlic and parmesan. He knew Mina and Ochako specifically enjoyed this mix of flavors like he did, and the Panko breadcrumbs was an even better addition.
He tried to remember the type of food flavors that his friends liked so he could focus on cooking dishes that give off the same taste, but he couldn’t really remember.
As he thought about the foods that could be to their liking, he decided to make the universal, worldwide Pasta Carbonara and of course, the pizza.
“Oh!” He remembered. “Shoji and Todoroki like mussels a lot.”
“Do you have time to cook Tiella?”
“Hmm…” Denki checked his phone, it’s already been three hours, and they’re still not back. “I think we can try.”
“Don’t rush food.”
“I know, Nonna!” Denki whined. “We won’t. Promise.”
And surprisingly, he had some more time to make a last emergency Chicken Parmesan to fill the table.
Denki wiped his hands on his messy apron, his hair was disheveled and all over the place despite the clips putting it away from his face. The kitchen was sort of a mess. He cooked in a clean way, no spills but there was a fiesta of pans and pots going on at the sink.
Problem for later.
For now? He gets to admire the luxury he cooked.
The table was filled with a dish at every corner, the aroma of the mixed sauces were filling the room and making his own mouth water.
He snapped a picture and sent it to his grandma, to which she replied with a bunch of emojis and encouraging words as if she wasn’t yelling at him to get the sauce right just a few hours ago.
He loved her.
Denki jumped at the sound of something falling on the ground with a thud, and he looked back to see Midoriya standing there, a part of his hair shaved for a stitch as he dropped his bag on the ground, staring at the dining table, mouth agape and eyes stunned.
The rest of the class were standing behind him, all wearing the same expression. Even Bakugou. Shoto’s stun was softer than the others too.
“Welcome back!” Denki jumped, scurried to take his apron off and hug his verdant-haired classmate. “Oh it’s been so long! I’ve been worried sick!” He spoke like a mother.
“H-hey Kaminari…we missed you too.” Midoriya hugged back before letting go.
Denki sighed and looked at Kirishima. “Dude! You’ve never spent that long not answering my messages, I know you were in a tight place and everything but you know I accept any form of acknowledgement.”
“S-sorry man…” Kirishima stuttered, still looking at the dining table. “Hey…what’s all-”
“What’s all this?!” Mina exclaimed, her usual happy grin came back on her face. “That smells awesome!”
“Thank you!” Denki giggled, putting his palms together. “It’s dinner! Yaomomo, Sato, and Sero cleaned and dusted your rooms by the way, so you don’t need to worry about resettling uncomfortably.”
“You cooked this, Dunce Face?!” Bakugou yelled.
“Yes I did!”
“Doesn’t look like Japanese cuisine.” Shoto commented.
“Italian!” Denki jumped up and down, not expecting these excited reactions. “Right from my Nonna’s book, she’s the best!”
“You’re Italian?” Jirou looked at him.
“Half! Dad’s side. Why are you guys talking so much? That’s usually me, come on, let's eat before the food gets cold!”
Ochako, Tsuyu, and Iida were already examining the food in bewilderment.
“That’s amazing, Kaminari!” Ochako drooled. “Seriously!”
“Oh, stop it!” Denki flushed, rubbing the back of his neck.
“That’s very sweet of you, Kaminari.” Iida gave him a soft smile, fixing his glasses. “Seeing the pots and pans, I can tell you put in a lot of work to cook this, we really appreciate that, and thank Nonna for us.”
Denki laughed. “Yeah, but it was fun! And trust me, she wants your personal opinion too. Now come on, come on!”
Hearing the commotion, Yaomomo, Sero, Sato, Mineta, Shoji, and Koda came down. They all looked like they just woke up from a nap, which they did.
“Oh my God, Kaminari.” Sero froze. “Dude!”
“Wow!” The grape spoke. “You really did a good job, huh?”
“You don’t get any.”
“What?!”
“Yaomomo, Sero, and Sato cleaned. Shoji and Koda brought me the ingredients I needed, what did you do? Ditch!”
“Oh come on man! I can’t reach the stove.”
“You left me all on my own! You couldn’t have phrased it worse!” Denki crossed his arms. “Guys, eat it all before he gets a bite.”
“Yeah!” The class hurried to sit in their seats around the table, Sero taping Mineta for a favor.
“Most of the things on here I’m sure you’ll all love, but I think Tiella will be Todoroki and Shoji’s personal favorites because it has mussels, Uraraka and Ashido would love the Italian Wedding Risotto.” He had to point where after mentioning every dish or else they would get lost.
“You made them according to our preferences too?” Ochako teared up.
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I?” He said, like it wasn’t the sweetest thing in the world. “Midoriya, Chicken Parm is like Chicken Katsudon, and I used Japanese Panko breadcrumbs too, you’ll love it!” He started scooping Midoriya's plate, leaving no arguments.
“You are such a sweetie!” Hagakure almost cried.
“How come you never cooked for us before?” Kirishima chewed.
“Ask Bakugou.” Denki rolled his eyes, knowing Bakugou was too busy mellowing in the Chicken Scarpariello to fight back. “Aoyama?”
“Magnifique!”
“Love that!” Denki had already made himself a portion and stored it until they came back, and he was eating it as he observed his classmates to see that they’ve tried everything. On his way to tell Iida something, he bent over behind where Jirou was sitting. “Are you okay?”
“After this? Yeah.” She smiled. “Everyone ended up with an injury from the war, and your Lichtenberg figures got worse, too. I won’t fuss over my ear much, and the support course are working on a prosthetic one.”
Denki sighed in relief. “So good to know.” He straightened up and then continued his way over to Iida. “Hey man, sorry I have to interrupt your meal, but can you help me take some portions to the teachers?”
“You mean to tell me there’s still more food in the pots?”
“Yes.” Denki didn’t hesitate. Seconds, thirds, and even fourths were an option in his Nonna’s kitchen, and that’s the way in his too.
Iida got up and they both went to each teacher’s office to lighten their moods up with a warm meal.
“Thank you and your Nonna.” They all said the same thing.
When they came back to the dormitory, Denki immediately ushered Iida to sit back down and continue eating. He was turning into his grandma.
Proof of that? The moment he caught Bakugou get up from his seat, he grabbed the pasta pot and tongs, used them to slam him back on the chair with a strike to his back.
“Ow! What?!” Bakugou yelled.
“You just came back from the hospital, is that all you’re going to eat?!” He scolded, putting some (not some, a lot) of pasta back on his plate. “Eat!”
“I’m full!”
“No such thing.”
“Come on Bakugou.” Sero snickered, sitting next to a silent and obedient Mineta after Denki finally agreed to let him eat. “Half the class is full, but it’s too good to stop eating, don’t tell us you’re not capable of that.”
“Shut up! I’ll eat more than all of you combined!”
Denki smiled as he watched his classmates fuss over the food and chat with each other. He was capable of making them happy. He’s sleeping good tonight, knowing he played a huge part in their smiley faces after they came back home.
He pulled out his phone when it rang and put it to his ear. “Hello?”
“So?”
“They loved it, Nonna.”
Upon hearing the word “Nonna”, the class turned to Denki’s direction and started yelling about how good the food was, letting Nonna know that she was amazing.
She laughed and Denki smiled at his classmates, putting the phone back to his ear. “See? I’d never shame your cooking.”
“Oh I’ll never doubt you again.”
She said that every time he cooked.
She was going to doubt him again.
He loved her.