Work Text:
Kaminari Denki is many things. Anxious. Boyfriend. Clown. Electrician. Flirt. Friend. Gamer. Literature nerd. Musician. Reader. Sick.
No. Really. Out of all of his friends, he's usually the first one, sometimes the only one, to contract whatever's spreading during the fall and spring. Add to that his seizures and ADHD, plus his penchant for having at least one hospital admittance yearly, and it makes sense why he's been on the receiving end of caretaking from his friends since he met them.
It's nice, knowing he has so many people he can rely on.
It's also disheartening.
No one's ever said he can't care for himself, but their actions and expressions convey the message clearly. He's lost count how many times one of his friends have left work or paused their life to take care of him and his sick self. He can't help but feel guilty everytime it happens; an invisible weight steadily growing heavier with each sacrifice someone makes for him.
He thinks it'd be different if it were, well, fair. However, then he's reminded of the times his friends have been ill or hurt or hospitalized and- he hates it. He doesn't want that for them!
Nearly as bad, he finds, is that no one seems to want him to care for them. As if he'd only make whatever's wrong worse.
He doubts they know they're doing it. He knows they mean no harm, yet he still can't help how he feels. Incompetent. Dismissed. A jinx.
Over the years, his wounded self-esteem and insecurities silently fester, until they become too heavy to ignore. Until he's jumping at the chance to prove himself- to his friends, to himself, to Hitoshi- without prior consideration. All he knows is this is his opportunity. Maybe his only opportunity to return all the time and care everyone's shown him. Alone, it won't ease all of his worries, but it is a start.
It starts with the flu.
A fluke, truly, because Ashido and Sero usually remember to get their annual flu shot. However, sometimes things fall to the wayside. Like flu shots.
Kaminari rubs the sleep out of his eyes as he reads through his text messages. In a minute, he's out of bed and darting towards the closet.
Shinsou rolls over in his sleep, likely seeking Kaminari's warmth. When he finds only empty sheets, he blinks awake, disappointed. "Babe?"
"Uh-huh!"
"Nooo, too loud." Shinsou smushes his face into the pillows, as he groans. Today is Saturday. What happened to sleeping in?
Kaminari hurriedly throws on a shirt and jacket. There's a hair tie on his nightstand which he grabs before rifling through the dresser for clean socks. "Sorry, Babe, the squad needs me."
"Nooo."
"Yesss. You can still sleep, Toshi. I'll be back toni- no, maybe not. I should be back tomorrow night."
Shinsou lifts his head then, a pout at the corners of his mouth. "Why are you abandoning me?"
"Ashido and Sero are sick, and Kacchan and Kiri are still out of town until Monday."
"Doesn't explain why you're leaving."
Kaminari pauses in his haste. He meets his partner's tired eyes. "They're really sick, Toshi. I'm going to head over and hold down the fort."
"Yeah, but anyone can do that," Shinsou counters. "Hagakure, Ojiro-"
"She's pregnant!"
"-Jirou, Momo-"
"Music lessons. Conference."
"-Uraraka-"
"Busy? Probably."
"-Satou, Todoroki, Tsu-"
Okay, this game wasn't fun anymore. Kaminari looks away, disappointed with Shinsou's response, his obvious lack of confidence in him.
"Sure, just name everyone they know."
"Denki," and he says it with a sigh. Kaminari knows that sigh. It means Kaminari's missed something, made a mistake, is one step away from frustrating Shinsou with his- Kaminari-ness.
Or he's tired and trying to gather his thoughts after waking up.
No. He won't let this deter him. He can do this. He will do this. He'll be the best in-home nurse for them and impress the socks off Hitoshi.
So, Kaminari shoves aside his hurt feelings, gives Shinsou a quick peck on his forehead, and grabs his phone, wallet, and keys. "I got this."
At age four, there's an electrical fire at Kaminari's grandparents' home while he's visiting. The old house fills with flames and thick smoke. Kaminari coughs awake, alone and terrified. He loses consciousness before someone manages to reach him. He's carried out. He doesn't remember anything after briefly waking during the fire and the burning smell that stains his nostrils and memory. He's put on oxygen and spends several days in the hospital. His grandparents do not escape unscathed, now having minor burn scars. Seeing them makes his heart twinge from sadness. Years later, he learns that it could have been much worse than scars.
At age seven, Kaminari's diagnosed with epilepsy. The doctor calls them absence seizures, and Kaminari asks something about going to school. His dad ruffles his hair, but he doesn't answer his question. No one does. Instead, his parents direct their own questions to the doctor. He's provided a prescription to help. When they pick it up from the pharmacy, Kaminari learns that "prescription" is a fancy word for medicine. He decides he doesn't like medicine. The Saturday morning cartoons that captivate him never make medicine look cool; only nasty and a chore.
At age nine, his teachers hold a meeting with his parents to discuss their "observations." Two weeks later he's diagnosed with ADHD and receiving a new prescription. He still does not like medicine.
Kaminari starts junior high. Falling asleep becomes harder. Video games become cooler. Some teachers like him more than others. Some teachers answer his annoying questions; others sigh when they see him approach or raise his hand. His classmates laugh when he jokes around. They laugh when he's called on during class and mentally blanks on the correct response. They laugh when he shoots his shot with pretty girls and is turned down. Every time. Kaminari learns. He adapts. If he acts as the class clown, it doesn't matter what his teachers think of him. And his peers? If he's in on the joke, then they're laughing with him, not at him.
His immune system takes a hit the second year of junior high during the fall term, and he's out sick for a week. Months later, he's struck ill again, during the spring. At first, he enjoys the time away from school. Then the days home alone become repetitive, and catching up on his missed coursework is a pain.
During the last year of junior high, he has a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Then another one month later. He goes in for tests and brain scans after the third incident, and leaves with a new epilepsy prescription.
He meets Kirishima and Sero the first day of high school. By the end of the week they are inseparable.
By the end of the first term, Kirishima's introduced them to Ashido, a classmate of his from junior high, and Bakugou, a student in the advanced courses who shares Kirishima's gym class.
They're a rowdy bunch, when all together, but Kaminari doesn't mind. He finds he thrives off the energy. It takes a while, but finally he realizes why this feels different. With the squad, he feels accepted. They joke and tease, yes, but they also care for one another. The friendship they forge together isn't only surface level. It's honest and hard and real.
They're his first friends. His best friends. Family.
It doesn't take long for them to discover Kaminari's not only their group's resident joker, idiot, and flirt.
Kaminari's the resident sick friend.
Sero and Bakugou help him with his missing work whenever he's out ill, even if only for a day. Ashido shares articles on hacks for living with ADHD. Bakugou, despite his tempramental mood throughout, helps him identify effective study habits. Sero and Kirishima start keeping face masks and hand sanitizer with them; to be prepared than not. Kirishima, too, deep dives Epilepsy one night and throws around terms the following day that Kaminari's only heard from medical professionals. They all learn what to do in the event Kaminari has a seizure.
The end of first year, Kaminari has a skateboard accident, leaving a scar on his forehead and his left arm in a cast. The squad rotates through their visits to his hospital room, with Ashido bringing sharpies for his cast.
Their second year, Kaminari falls head over heels for Jirou Kyoka. Literally. He's watching her walk past, her short hair looking particularly soft, when he misses the first step and tumbles down the stairwell. Thankfully, he walks away only bruised, sore, and embarrassed. He thinks it's worth it when he sits up, dazed, and hears Jirou's laughter from above. Yeah, worth it.
Kaminari experiences heartbreak near the end of second year. He goes through a pint of ice cream while sitting between Kirishima and Sero. Both of his friends are in the love gutter, too. They eat their feelings and flip channels as the mood commands. The night ends with them doing increasingly dumb dares, inspired by one of the reality shows Sero liked.
Dumb dares like running outside during a thunderstorm.
No one plans to be struck by lightning.
It sucks.
Kaminari wonders whether the same fate would have befallen Kirishima or Sero if they'd received the dare. Morbidly, he doubts it.
Kirishima, his moms, and Sero find him convulsing on the wet ground.
By the time Kaminari's conscious again, both Kirishima and Sero have confessed to their crushes. Traitors. He learns later how scared his friends were, how he flatlined on the way to the hospital, how close he came to almost staying dead... He doesn't blame them.
He doesn't blame Jirou.
He's eventually released and falls into his new role as the fifth wheel. A fifth wheel that needs constant repair. A fifth wheel that they can live with or without.
There's a new kid at school. Bakugou huffs that the extra started while Kaminari was in the hospital. Kaminari slumps in his seat. Of course, he's missed his chance to welcome the guy.
He finally speaks with the student during their third year. Shinsou Hitoshi.
A few weeks after graduation Kaminari's forced to face the facts. He's lovesick... lovesick for Shinsou.
"Have no fear! I am here!" Kaminari kicks the door shut behind him. No one greets him.
Kaminari ensures to lock the door as he slips out of his shoes.
The apartment's eerily silent.
He pulls up his face mask before texting Shinsou that he arrived safely. Then, he heads towards his friends' bedroom.
He knocks and calls out. If anyone replies it's too soft for him to hear from the hallway. He tries turning the knob and finds it unlocked. He slowly opens the door and peers inside.
The room's a mess and not in the normal sense of the word. The comforter's on the floor at the end of the queen-sized bed. The bedsheet's been kicked off at some point, too. Balled up tissues are scattered everywhere, on the mattress, their twin nightstands, around the floor. The ceiling fan's on its highest setting, judging by the loud whirring sound he hears. A mini trashcan's knocked over near Sero's side, with more used tissues spilling out from within.
Sero's wearing boxers. Ashido's wearing a tank top and underwear. Neither appear to realize he's there.
Kaminari tries finding safe passage through the room. He's stumped. He steps back into the hallway.
Think, think, think.
He heads to the kitchen, a plan in mind.
When he returns to the bedroom, broom equipped, he's ready. He sweeps through the accumulated trash and takes time to form mounds around the room.
A groan sounds from the bed, followed by another. Kaminari stops his task. He looks up and finds two pairs of eyes blinking at him.
He waves. Ashido lifts her arm. It's all she can manage before it flops back down. Sero cracks a smile. It looks like a grimace.
"Got your text," he shares. "I'm yours until tomorrow night." Kaminari resumes sweeping. "Why didn't you reach out earlier?"
"Didn't think it'd be this bad," admits Sero, his voice unusually scratchy.
Kaminari nods, accepting that. Then a thought occurs to him. His head shoots up, eyes wide. "People still die from the flu. Every year."
"No kidding," Ashido pipes up, her lively voice softer than normal. "I feel terrible," she whines. She both sounds and looks awful. Sero, too. Kaminari frowns at the situation before him.
"Have a thermometer?" Two arms wiggle in the direction of the connecting bathroom. Kaminari rests the broom against the closest wall.
He finds the thermometer in the third drawer he checks.
Kaminari presses the device against each of his friends' foreheads. Ashido, 38.6 degrees Celsius. Sero, 38.8 degrees Celsius. He quickly confers with the internet via his cell phone. Definitely fever range, but not high enough for emergency services.
They need to cool down.
"Have you taken any medicine?" He inquires, suddenly feeling like his parents.
"Not today," Sero answers.
Right. Medicine. Something to treat their fevers.
He walks back to their bathroom, hoping one of them has ibuprofen.
Shinsou receives Kaminari's text saying he made it to Ashido and Sero's. Then, nothing. For hours.
Kaminari seemed off right before he left. Shinsou can't shake the strange feeling that he did or said something wrong this morning.
Shinsou putters around their apartment. He starts some laundry, runs the dishwasher, replaces the toilet paper in the restroom. He's bored and missing Kaminari more each minute.
Eventually, he stretches out on their couch and scrolls through wedding venues... and rings.
He's not proposed. Yet. But more and more often he finds his thoughts drifting to flashy locales and jewelry. Would Denki want a destination wedding? Or something closer to home? Maybe a smaller, intimate ceremony?
Shinsou lets his phone fall on his chest. He shuts his eyes; hopes for a nap.
Soon, he reminds himself. He'll save a few more paychecks, then buy Kaminari an engagement ring. He drifts off to sleep with a faint smile.
Medicine, ice packs, and one clean bedroom later finds Kaminari ready for lunch. He finds a pizza in the freezer and pulls it out. He makes a note in his phone to replace the borrowed food later.
As the oven heats up, his thoughts turn to the sick couple. They'll need food, too. Water.
"Hydrate before you die-drate," he jokes to himself.
Once the pizza's baking, he searches for something easy and light to offer Ashido and Sero. There's broth in the pantry, some microwaveable ramen, pre-packaged pastries. He checks the fridge.
There's one, unopened sports drink and some apple sauce packets in the door. Nothing on the shelves scream "eat when sick."
Kaminari recalls his parents feeding him apple sauce and soups when he'd get sick during the school year. Hospitals, too, keep apple sauce and other mushy foods in constant rotation. Maybe he can make instant mashed potatoes later and gravy. Have some mushy variety here, too.
He grabs two pouches.
Sero's asleep again when he enters. Ashido's awake. Sort of. She's mostly tossing and turning, appearing unable to get comfortable.
Kaminari sets a pouch on each nightstand.
Ashido stares, confused, before she recognizes it. She tries to sit. Kaminari rushes to her side to help her up.
She manges to get down half of it before her stomach roils. Kaminari returns it to her nightstand for later.
He feels eyes on him. He turns. Ashido frowns at him.
"Kami, why're you here?"
"For you."
"You'll get sick," she bites at her lip, worried.
Kaminari shakes his head, touched by her concern. He points at his face mask then below his left shoulder, where he got his annual two months ago. "You need me. I'm here."
"I hate this," she complains. Kaminari nods, affirming her frustration.
Sero stirs. Kaminari moves to his friend's side, in case he needs help sitting, too. Sero manages the shift on his own. Kaminari hands him his apple sauce.
"Thanks, bro," Sero says.
Kaminari brings them water next.
When the oven beeps, Kaminari's already back in the kitchen. He eats at their bar top, not feeling up to dragging his meal to the table. The counter top's sticky in random places. The kitchen floor could benefit from a sweep. As he eats, he mentally plans his next to-do's. Counters. Floor. Dishes? He'll need to clean the pizza pan at least.
The day's slow going. After tidying the kitchen, Kaminari checks their laundry. The towel hamper's full and there's just enough detergent left for a load.
He hums as he fills the washer. If he were home, maybe Shinsou would stand behind him... wrap his arms around him... rest his head on Kaminari's shoulder. Or, Kaminari would sneak up on Shinsou, run his hands through his wavy locks, then drag his hands down to squeeze at his biceps, and end with a tight embrace.
Kaminari misses him. He sighs. If only Shinsou could see him now, successfully bringing their friends back from death's door, cleaning their home like a housewife.
Housewife. Househusband. Housespouse. Marriage.
Kaminari shuts the lid and starts the washer. When he sighs next, it's wistful.
Marriage. Would Sero propose next? Shinsou? Does Shinsou still want marriage? Or does he not want it with him.
He shakes out the intrusive thoughts. They're only good for causing a depressing spiral.
Kaminari has patients to care for.
Shinsou's not expecting the call. He jerks awake and knocks his phone off in his surprise.
He turns on his lamp. His cell buzzes from the floor.
"Hello?" he greets, not catching the caller id.
"Toshi."
Upon hearing Kaminari's voice, Shinsou's immediately alert.
"Denki, are you okay?"
"I- it's not me. Ashido and Sero's fevers are up again, and I don't want to leave them alone, but they need better medicine and more kleenix and maybe cough drops? The cherry kind? Or honey lemon. Reddit swears by honey and lemon water, but they don't have those either, and-"
"Denki, Babe, take a breath. You need to breathe," Shinsou interrupts, concerned by his boyfriend's anxious speech. Once it sounds like Kaminari's calmed, Shinsou leads the conversation. "You said their fevers are up. What temperature?"
"39.1."
"If they reach 40 degrees before I get there, you'll need to call an ambulance to transport them to the hospital."
"Okay. Okay. That doesn't sound good."
"No, that's last resort, but fevers are normal with the flu."
"Yeah."
Shinsou thinks back to Kaminari's other concerns. "Medicine. What did they take earlier? And when?"
Kaminari answers.
Shinsou opens his notes app to document and track his new shopping list. "I'll pick up what works for Eri and Aizawa when they're sick. You mentioned kleenix? Cough drops?"
"And honey and lemons."
"Anything else?"
The line's silent. Then, "I'm sorry."
Shinsou stares at his phone, confused. Kaminari had sounded more put together as they talked, but his apology just now was said with such sadness.
"What are you sorry for?"
"I told you I could do this... I thought I could do this, but... everyone's right."
Shinsou's heart twinges at the words, at his boyfriend's dejected tone.
"Everyone's right about...?"
"I can't do this." Kaminari gasps in a steadying breath, and Shinsou wishes he were already there, so he could hug and comfort him. "Are you on your way?" Kaminari asks, and his choked voice breaks Shinsou's heart.
"Yeah, Denks, I'll be there as soon as I can."
He feels like a royal failure after calling Shinsou. Some of his nerves were calmed from the call, but mostly he just leaves it feeling worse about himself.
Kaminari checks on his friends. He replaces their ice packs and refills their waters. Afterwards, he washes his hands in the kitchen sink, suddenly paranoid this may be the one year he contracts the flu, despite having the vaccine. That would be his luck. Can't care for his friends. Can't care for himself.
Can't care for Shinsou.
Kaminari slides down onto the kitchen floor he cleaned only hours ago. He presses his back against a cabinet and pulls up his knees. He hides his face as his tears fall.
That's it. The heart of the issue.
Sure, he hates knowing how his friends view him. Incompetent. Not worth acknowledging. A jinx. However, he's used to that. To them. But Hitoshi...
He doesn't want to be a burden, not to Hitoshi. Hitoshi deserves someone bright, beautiful, competent. Someone who doesn't freak out over a fever. Someone who can stand with him and care for him. In sickness and in health, his mind supplies.
Kaminari hiccups as he cries. In sickness and in health. He can provide Shinsou one of those.
He deserves better than me.
Shinsou holds his breath as Kaminari opens the door. Kaminari's face is red and puffy. Shinsou steps in. He lifts his arms; the sacks on them rustle. Kaminari shakes as he wraps his arms around him. Shinsou holds onto his boyfriend and breathes.
"It's okay. You're okay." They're platitudes; he doubts Kaminari's even hearing them. "Come on, I have meds and tissues."
Kaminari holds onto his hand and leads him to the kitchen. They sort out Shinsou's purchases.
Kaminari offers him a face mask and he accepts. Together, they prepare the remedy Kaminari read about earlier. Kaminari makes the trips into the bedroom, Shinsou not seeing a need to join. His boyfriend distributes the new fever reducer to Ashido and Sero, brings them each a mug of honey lemon water, a handful of cough drops, and every kleenix box Shinsou bought.
Finally, he checks their temperatures again. When he rejoins Shinsou in the kitchen, he looks relieved. "Their fevers went down."
Shinsou smiles behind his mask.
"They're going to try to sleep some. Sero asked after soup."
"Miso and chicken noodle. I picked up a few jello cups, too. Easy calories for upset stomachs."
Kaminari sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "You're already better at this than me, and you've been here half an hour."
Shinsou thinks back to their phone call, to Kaminari's apology. He suspects he knows what's bothering him.
"Hey, Babe, can we sit?"
They move to their friends' couch. They remove their face masks and set them on the coffee table before them. Shinsou gently pulls Kaminari's hands into his lap. His thumbs rub circles into the skin.
"Correct me if I'm misunderstanding."
Kaminari agrees with a nod. His eyes briefly dart away, nervous.
"Are you feeling insecure? About my help?"
"...No... Yes... It's-"
Shinsou squeezes Kaminari's hands in silent encouragement.
"I'm tired of being the sick friend."
"The-"
"-sick friend," Kaminari repeats. "Since I can remember someone's been taking care of me. Sacrificing for me. I just wanted a chance to try for once. To prove myself." He says the last in a whisper, though Shinsou still hears it.
"To who?"
Kaminari meets his gaze. "You," he answers. "Them. Myself."
Prove what? Shinsou wonders. Something else crosses his mind then. The corners of his lips tilt downward at the thought. "Denki, how long have you felt like this?"
"A while... high school."
Anywhere from seven to ten years then. "What changed?"
The room's quiet while Kaminari considers his response. Shinsou doesn't mind waiting. He feels this conversation deserves, well, time and care.
Kaminari moves his hands. He intertwines his fingers with Shinsou's.
"In sickness and in health," Kaminari whispers. Then, slightly louder, "I can only offer you one of those." The crooked smile he flashes Shinsou does nothing to hide his self-deprecation.
"That's not true."
"Hito-"
"No, listen to me, please. Denki, that's not true."
Tears sparkle in the corners of Kaminari's eyes. Shinsou continues, determined to make him understand.
"You said how everyone's there for you, but you seem to forget every time you've been there for us."
"Sure, as a laugh," his boyfriend mumbles.
"No, not as a laugh. As a friend. A caretaker. A healer."
And that last word catches Kaminari's attention. A slight pink tints his cheeks. Shinsou may not play every game his boyfriend does, but he listens. He knows Kaminari has powers and abilities he prefers to play regardless of the game. Lightning, electricity, music, healing. Of course Shinsou's noticed.
"You don't believe me, yet."
Kaminari doesn't reply.
"Third year. Bakugou."
Kaminari's expression darkens at the memory.
"Who made sure he always had a ride to physical therapy?"
"His parents. Kirishima."
"The schedule."
"Oh." Kaminari forgot he'd done that. He spent an entire afternoon at Bakugou's with his parents and the squad organizing everyone's calendars to ensure Bakugou wouldn't miss a single appointment. "Me. I suggested that."
"Winter break. Sero. Who stayed with him in the hospital the entire time?"
"Me... but I'm not a nurse. And I never drove Bakugou anywhere."
"There's more to caring for someone than the physical and medical. Like Eri. When she had strep? You were the one who helped her get over her fear of the medicine. You've always been the best at reading a room, from body language and expressions alone. Your emotional intelligence-"
"Toshi... You've told me this before." Kaminari appears to deflate across from him.
Shinsou's messing this up. He mentally scolds himself.
"Fine. Me."
"...You?"
"When I come back from an intense ride, you have a towel, a banana, and my favorite electrolyte drink waiting for me." He doesn't leave room for Kaminari to interupt him. "My migraines? I never told you what they were. You knew. Now you catch my auras sometimes before I do. You've never complained about my needs and have always accommodated me. Without argument. When I had laryngitis, in our home, you took care of me every day. By yourself."
Kaminari's mouth parts in surprise. "I- I did."
"You did. And what I was saying before? Please don't write those acts of service off. I know your friends helped you academically in school, and what their help meant to you. Why, then, do you dismiss the same care towards others when it's you doing it?"
Kaminari sits with that. His mind drifts back to Bakugou. Shinsou hadn't said it, but in addition to the schedule, Kaminari also helped him complete his missing English and Literature assignments until he caught up. And Sero? When his friend was too hesitant to advocate for himself in the hospital, Kaminari ensured his requests, complaints, and concerns were received and heard.
More examples flood him then and he feels like a complete idiot for not remembering until now.
Comforting Ashido through her heartache. Helping Kirishima with cramps. Suggesting they take a CPR course after Bakugou's attack. Following the RICE method for each of his friends throughout the years. Buying Jirou new noise-cancelling headphones. Always remembering to skip vomit scenes for Sero. Applying aloe vera cooling gel to his friends' sunburns.
"I'm an idiot."
"You're human. We're self-centered creatures set to cling to the negative by default."
"But..."
"Hmm?"
"How're you so good at it? You make taking care of others look easy."
Shinsou's own posture sags a little then. "Growing up, I didn't have a choice. If I didn't do it, nothing would get done. Bruises, coughs, cuts, -"
"Fevers?"
Shinsou nods. "Yeah. Fevers. I relied on myself. Until my dads."
"I hate that you had to."
"Hey, that's the past. I have a wonderful boyfriend now who helps me carry the load." He rests a hand against Kaminari's cheek. His fingertips brush against sunflower yellow hair.
"Carry the load..."
"That's what I'm doing here, yeah? Helping you carry the load. There's no rule that says you have to do this alone. And, there's nothing to prove to me. You're already enough. You've always been enough." Shinsou rests his forehead against Kaminari's. The blonde smiles, a true, happy smile, and Shinsou can't help but steal a kiss. "You're more than your worse days, Love."
Kiss.
"I love you, Hitoshi."
Kiss.
"I love you, Denki."
They spend the next few minutes embracing one another. At the sound of a coughing fit starting up in the bedroom, they reluctantly pull away.
"Soup?" Shinsou stands from the couch.
"Soup." As Kaminari walks towards the kitchen, there's a renewed confidence in his posture.
A warmth fills Shinsou's chest at the sight. He doubts one conversation will rectify a near decade of doubt and insecurity. However, now he knows, and he doesn't care how many times he needs to remind Kaminari of his worth and care.
Shinsou stays. They open the couch into a double bed.
Kaminari ensures Ashido and Sero have everything they need before he shuts their door for the night. His hand lingers on the cool doorknob. He wonders whether his friends share Shinsou's perspective. He thinks he'll ask them, once they're all well; maybe during their next group meet-up.
Kaminari doesn't feel anxious at the prospective. He feels lighter as he walks away.
Later, as exhaustion creeps ever closer, Kaminari asks, "This morning, when you mentioned our friends..."
Shinsou furrows his brow before realization crosses his expression. "You thought I was doubting you."
"Yeah."
"Oh, Denks, no. I was being selfish. I didn't want you to go. Anywhere. I missed you."
"I missed you, too."
"Goodnight, Denki."
"Goodnight, Toshi."