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jazwritesalot · 2 years ago

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Shaken, Not Stirred - Chapter 1: Amaretto Sour

Pairing: Shinsou Hitoshi/Kaminari Denki, ShinKami Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia, My Hero Academia Rating: Teen & Up Audiences Total Word Count: 22,634 Tags: Aged Up Characters, AU - College/University, AU - No Quirks, AU - Coffee Shops & Cafes, Barista/Electrician/DJ Kaminari, Waiter/Bartender/Psych Student Shinsou, Bakusquad Shenanigans, brief one-sided KamiJirou, side KiriBaku, background EraserMic, background CamieJirou, comedy, alcohol consumption, drinking, house parties, bar scene, implications of depression, cat cafes

Link to AO3

Written for the ShinKami Big Bang 2020

Summary: Kaminari Denki is a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Juggling three jobs seems impossible at times, but he manages well. That is, until romance gets in the way. After a failed attempt to woo his long-time crush, he finds himself slipping into a downward spiral. With a not-so-gentle nudge from his roommates, he finds himself at the doors of Cool Beans Cat Cafe. What he finds beyond those doors may just be the push he needs to get better. The hot waiter is just an added bonus.

“For the love of God, can you please stop? You’re so freakin’ annoying! I’m only going to say this once, okay? I’m not interested in you, so back off.” The words replayed themselves in his mind nonstop since the moment she uttered them. It had been a little less than a month since the unfortunate accident that Midoriya had at Tape Deck, and Denki was sure it was going to work out in his favor. Sato had called him in a panic once he heard about the broken arm, asking if he would mind picking up some of Midoriya’s shifts for him. He jumped at the opportunity, figuring that spending more time at work with Jirou would give him plenty of opportunity to put the moves on her until he was able to work up the courage to ask her out. It was a total win-win. Or so he thought. It was one of the rare days where Sato left the shop early, so that left the store with Bakugou manning the kitchen, Denki the register, and Jirou finishing out her shift as the sole bicycle delivery driver. Clearly his attempts to woo her were in vain, for the moment the electricity-based pickup line left his lips, she whipped around, delivering the words in a harsh tone, eyes narrowed and face tinged red.

Things had been awkward between them since that day, unfortunately for him. There was the sting of rejection, sure, but he was hoping that they could at least go back to their normal friendship and banter. However, he was proved wrong again and again as she continued to ignore his very presence at work for the next week. He couldn’t really talk about what was going on with his coworkers since he was working pretty exclusively with Bakugou, who was as prickly as they came. Why his roommate had a crush on him, then proceeded to date him, Denki would never know. It got both better and worse when Midoriya returned earlier than expected; better since he had less shifts to fill in for, yet worse since he went back to working the lunch shifts, which put him back to working more closely with Jirou, who was still ignoring him. His heart just wasn’t into it, or anything, anymore, which was a tragedy really, since he did enjoy this job. Because of this, he found himself calling out more frequently, which he knew was kind of a dick move, but he just couldn’t help himself. He knew he needed to just be honest with Sato about what was going on. The man was very kind and surely would understand and fix the schedule for him. Unfortunately, the truth would have to wait another day. He picked his phone up off the arm of the couch, exiting out of the picture of the schedule he took and dialed the cafe.

“Sugar Rush. Sato speaking. How may I help you?” He could hear the ovens buzzing in the background and Uraraka’s laughter filling the air.

“Hey Sato, sorry for calling on such short notice, but I think I’ve come down with a stomach bug. I won’t be able to make it in today. Sorry,” he lied.

“That’s okay, Kaminari. I’ll get your shift covered. Feel better soon,” Sato assured in a warm tone before ending the call and Denki almost felt guilty about lying to him. With a heavy sigh, he placed the phone down on the coffee table and stretched out on the couch, his eyes roving the ceiling, looking for patterns in the uneven, flaking paint. He let his mind wander aimlessly as time crawled by slowly, ruminating in what he could have done differently to avoid this entire mess.

The sound of footsteps clambering down the stairs brought him out of his head and he blinked blearily. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed from his phone call to Sato and now, but he was pretty sure he dozed off a little bit. Kirishima rounded the corner, humming along to whatever song was playing on his phone, when he stopped short at the sight of Kaminari’s prone form.

“Dude, shouldn’t you be getting ready for work?” he asked as he popped a headphone out and looked at his phone. “Or well, weren’t you supposed to be at work like thirty minutes ago?”

“Sato called me off. I guess it’s just not been busy enough for me to be there,” he shrugged, sitting up to make room for Kirishima. He hated how easily the lies rolled off his tongue, but there really wasn’t anything he could do about it now.

“Man, that’s strange, since finals are coming up next week,” Kirishima mused before brushing it off and moving to stand in front of the mirror in the room to fiddle with his hair instead of joining him on the couch.

“You’re in a good mood. Have plans?” Denki asked, trying to keep up appearances as he slumped back down across the cushions.

“Yeah! Katsuki gets out of class soon, so we were going to have a lunch date before his shift tonight,” he smiled.

“Dressed like that? I’m sure Bakugou will love that,” he chuckled, hoping that it was believable enough to pass as he looked over Kirishima’s outfit. The guy was a fashion disaster in his black joggers paired with a white “suns out, guns out” tank layered underneath a short-sleeved navy blue button down with cartoon sharks patterned on it. If he decided to wear his crocs with that, Denki would yell at him, on principle alone.

“He doesn’t mind,” Kirishima laughed. “Better to be myself with him rather than who the media wants me to be,” he called out as he walked to the bathroom, returning with a tub of hair gel.

“That’s gotta be the only reason you are able to maintain such a low profile out in public despite your popularity.”

“That, and everyone still thinks I have black hair. Makes it really easy to go undetected when they’re looking for someone who doesn’t exist anymore,” he mused while spiking his hair. They existed in silence, save for Kirishima humming, while Denki watched him work, mulling over his words. What would it be like to be with someone who cares about you for who you are, not for what you are? The silence was short-lived, however, as Kirishima’s phone started buzzing incessantly against the table under the mirror. A grin lit up his face as he swiped his pinky across the screen, answering the call and putting it on speaker.

“Hey babe! I’m almost ready, just doing my hair.”

“Sorry Ei, but I’m going to have to take a rain check on our date,” Bakugou grumbled.

“Oh? Did something happen in class?” Denki felt like he shouldn’t be overhearing their conversation, but he was curious as to why Bakugou would cancel at the last minute. It wasn’t really like him. Instantly, the realization hit him, and he felt a ball of panic weighing down on him.

“Not class. Kaminari freakin’ called out again, so Sato called me in.” Denki was frozen in place, watching the realization hit Kirishima as his hands stilled in his hair. He faintly heard the fridge door close too, meaning Sero was also hearing this.

“He did?” Kirishima asked, wiping his hands on a damp towel he had also brought out from the bathroom, his eyebrow quirked as he looked at Denki, who couldn’t look away no matter how much his brain was screaming at him to run and hide.

“Something about a stomach bug, I guess. Now I gotta work a freakin’ double shift today on top of studying for finals. I swear to God, Dunce Face better actually be sick. I’m tired of covering his shifts.”

“I’ll hit him up and see how he’s doing. Anyway, when is your break? I can stop by then and we can have a mini date. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll probably take my break once Deku gets here at three. I’m about to head in, so I will see you then. Bye.”

“Bye babe! See you then!” Denki was still sitting there, petrified, as Kirishima ended the call and turned to face him, arms crossed over his chest. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sero leaning against the entryway to the kitchen eating an apple.

“I thought Sato called you off, Denks?” Kirishima asked.

“Did I say that? Whoops, my bad. I meant to say I called off,” Kaminari laughed nervously, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“Denki, when is the last time you went to work?” Concern was written all over Kirishima’s face.

“Last week. I think you were busy doing filming.”

“Filming finished three weeks ago, Kaminari,” Sero chimed in as he finished off his apple. How long had it been since he last worked at Sugar Rush? Two weeks? He couldn’t really remember. “Let me ask you this—have you worked any of your jobs recently?”

“What? Of course I have!” He had, hadn’t he? Sure, it had been probably two weeks since he worked at Sugar Rush. And maybe he had been neglecting the emails and texts from the local bars about putting on a show. He had at least answered the work phone for his electrician job... four weeks ago. Shit.

“Kami, I know Kirishima helped you out with your rent for this month. Don’t lie to us.” Denki bit his lip, averting his eyes from Kirishima’s worried gaze and settling on Sero’s face, which looked both disappointed and concerned. It’s not like he liked lying to them. It was just easier than the truth. Sero shifted and the kitchen light glinted off the metal through his nose, catching Denki’s attention.

“When did you get your septum pierced?” Kaminari asked both in genuine curiosity and in an attempt to change the conversation. How much had he missed?

“Like two weeks ago. But that’s not the point, Denki.”

“We’re just worried about you, man,” Kirishima said softly, sitting down next to him on the couch and clapping a hand on his shoulder. “You haven’t left the house in weeks.” Oh shit. They had noticed that?He hadn’t even realized how much time he had been spending around their house.

“That, and you haven’t even worked on any new mixes,” Sero added, collapsing into the spot on the other side of Kirishima. “I miss hearing the bizarre shit blaring from your room.”

“I guess I just really haven’t been feeling inspired lately,” Denki shrugs, leaning back against the cushions, head tilted back to stare at the cracks in the ceiling.

“Does this have anything to do with Jirou?” Kirishima asked quietly and Kaminari whipped his head to the right to stare at him.

“Wha? How did you?” he babbled. He couldn’t remember ever saying anything to either one of them about what went down between the two of them at work. He was also pretty sure he had done a decent job of keeping his emotions and reactions in check whenever she got mentioned at home.

“Katsuki may have mentioned something to me the last time I saw him,” Kirishima admitted sheepishly. That made sense, Denki supposed. Bakugou had been at Sugar Rush on that ill-fated day—he remembered hearing the low whistle coming from the kitchen before Jirou stomped off, leaving the shift early, much to the chagrin of both he and Bakugou. Having to tell customers that deliveries stopped early was never a fun thing to do.

“Jirou? What happened? I thought things were going good between you two?” Sero questioned as he turned to face him, his chin resting on Kirishima’s shoulder.

“I don’t know. I guess I just built it up in my head too much. I totally thought she was into me, you know, but I guess not. So it’s no big deal.” Denki moved his gaze away from the pair and blinked up at the ceiling again, trying to will the tears away.

“Not a big deal? Kaminari, you’ve got to be kidding me, right?” Sero asked, brow quirked. “You literally got caught lying to us about your work schedule by Kiri. Clearly something is not okay here.”

“It’s really nothing guys. You don’t have to worry about it.” He felt himself shrugging again, trying to give off vibes that he really was okay. He hated that they were worrying about him over something so stupid. It was just a crush—it would go away.

“Bullshit!” Kirishima snapped at him. Denki sat up and stared at him in shock as his jaw dropped. Out of the three of them, Kirishima was the one with the patience of a saint. If he was the one to snap at him, he must really be concerned. “We worry because we love you, bro. If something’s wrong, you’ve got to trust that we will be here to help you out.” Kirishima’s earnest gaze was the final tipping point for Denki; all of the tears and emotions that he had been holding back for weeks all came spilling out. Sobs wracked his body and Kirishima was quick to pull him into a bear hug, squishing him against his chest. Sero stood and moved to the arm of the beat up couch, sitting on it and rubbing Kaminari’s back soothingly as he let it all out, finally telling them about the interaction they had at work and what was said.

“It just… it hurts guys,” he hiccuped after getting the story out. “ And that’s the most confusing part. It shouldn’t hurt like this. There was never a guarantee that we would get together, so why in the world does it feel like my heart was ripped from my chest and stomped on repeatedly?”

“You really liked her—it’s that simple. You guys have a lot in common and when you talked, it seemed like you could see a future with her that was more than just the friendship you already had established,” Sero reasoned as he ran his fingers through Denki’s tangled hair. When was the last time he brushed it? He couldn’t quite remember.

“But doesn’t that just make me an idiot? I was asking for more than she was comfortable with,” he sniffled.

“Nah, I don’t think it makes you an idiot. Maybe you could have backed off before it got to the blowup, but there’s really nothing you can do about that now.” Kirishima’s chest vibrated with his words, which started to lull Kaminari into a sense of peaceful bliss.

“Besides, if you’re an idiot, what does it make this one here?” Sero asked, sticking his thumb in Kirishima’s direction. “He has us wingman for him and forgets to set an alarm to be here on time. What a loser,” he snickers.

“But clearly it worked out for the two of them,” Denki pouted, looking tilting his head to look up at Sero. “What about me though? I don’t know what I should do. Do I try talking to her?”

“I think the best thing you can do regarding her is to give her some space. If you try talking to her too soon, she may think you’re trying to hit on her again.” What Kirishima said made sense, but it still left a sour taste in Denki’s mouth. He hated when his friends were mad at him.

“You should try doing something to get your mind off her, off the situation. The longer you sit here in the house, the worse you will get. Maybe you should try picking up a shift at the cafe, just so you can get out of the house,” Sero suggested.

“And risk running into her? She’s been avoiding me like the plague. Not to mention Bakugou might actually try and kill me if I randomly show up to work one day,” Kaminari whined, sinking down until his head was resting in Kirishima’s lap.

“I’d make sure Katsuki wouldn’t kill you,” Eijirou assured him with a grin. “He may try and maim you a bit, but I wouldn’t let him kill you.”

“Gee thanks. That makes me feel so relieved,” Denki deadpanned, blinking up at him.

“Okay, if not the cafe, why not try calling around and seeing if there is any electrician work that can be done? There’s got to be at least one building that needs repairs of some sort.” As if the fates were listening to Sero, Denki’s phone started to ring, the annoyingly loud ringtone signaling that it was his work line and not his personal one. The three of them turned to stare at it, not quite believing the luck that was bestowed upon them.

“Dude, are you a wizard or something?” Kirishima asked.

“Kaminari, you better answer that or so help me God,” Sero threatened lightly and Denki scrambled to grab the phone from the table.

“Chargebolt Electric! Kaminari speaking. How may I help you?” The cheer in his voice sounded forced, even to him. But this was necessary. Just a step on the right path to getting better.

“Kaminari? Hello! I am so glad you called! My name is Yamada and I am a world of trouble like you wouldn’t even believe. I’m at work and my walk-in cooler unit just stopped working. Is there any way you can come and fix it? I’m desperate here,” he begged.

“I’m not quite as familiar with that piece of equipment as I would like to say I am. I’m not sure if I would be the best match for you,” he admitted with a sigh, shoulders drooping. He was actually kind of excited to get out of the house for once.

“I’ve called around and everywhere else has said that they have no experience working with it. And they all referred me to you, saying you are the best in town. Please, I’m begging you here. I will pay you triple your hourly rate. This is urgent.”

“Holy shit,” Kaminari wheezed under his breath. Triple his rate? Good god, he would be able to pay back Kirishima with that money. His gaze flickered to his roommates, who were both looking at him questioningly.

“Please say you will help me. I don’t know what else to do and I really need this to run my operations today.” The desperation was clear in his tone and Denki felt a pang of sympathy for him.

“Send me the address and I will be there as soon as I can,” Denki assured, already rolling himself off of Kirishima’s lap and rushing to his room.

“Thank you so much! You will not regret this at all! I will text you the address ASAP!” Yamada agreed before hanging up. He let the phone fall from his hand and bounce on the mattress while he yanked up a pair of jeans and switched from his nightshirt to one of his numerous band shirts that was littered all over the floor. Huh, maybe he should get around to cleaning his room?

“This will be good for you, Denks,” Sero called to him from his perch on the couch as he ran out of his room, hopping into his tennis shoes.

“I agree! And remember man, if you need us, let us know. It’s not like it’s hard to find either one of us,” Kirishima reminded him as he also was putting his shoes on.

“Says the man who was gone at least 4 days a week for filming. Also, your crocs are an offense to every god known to man, please burn them,” Kaminari teased while shrugging on his black and yellow hoodie, already feeling a little bit better. He grabbed his tool bag from the entryway and slung it over his shoulder. “Time to learn everything there is to know about walk-in coolers before I get there! See you fools later!” he called to them before he raced out the door.

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The journey to the destination wasn’t a long one, thankfully enough. It gave him just enough time to read up about the repairs he would need to do without letting his mind wander too much. Before he knew it, he was walking up the steps to Cool Beans feeling more refreshed than he had in weeks.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” he called out as he entered the cafe, closing the door softly behind him, mindful to not let any of the cats out. He was forever thankful that Yamada gave himthat heads up before he got there. He looked around the waiting area for signs of any human life. There was a low curse that came from somewhere to the right of him, beyond the doorway, and Kaminari wondered what that was about.

“Damnit, I swore I told Eri to lock the front door.” Denki looked over to where the grumbling was coming from and nearly choked. The man looked like he could belong on the cover of one of those alternative music magazines that Sero was subscribed to. The sleeves of his white button down t-shirt were rolled all the way up, revealing heavily tattooed arms. The front of the shirt was unbuttoned to reveal a black tank top that had what Denki could only guess was the logo for a metal band underneath. His vibrant purple hair was pulled back into a loose bun with wisps escaping and curling wildly around his face. And what a face it was—Denki could appreciate a man with piercings, he is friends with Sero, after all, and this man was no exception to that rule with the metal threaded through his lip, eyebrow, and bridge. What really captivated him, however, were his indigo eyes, which were lazily locked with his. This man could tell him to kiss his feet and Denki was pretty sure that he would in a heartbeat just from his hypnotic gaze alone.

“Welcome to Cool Beans. Unfortunately, we are temporarily closed right now,” the man said, his low voice bored which should not have sent a chill down Denki’s spine, but that required further introspection that he didn’t want to delve into at the moment. The man quirked his eyebrow up at him—was that two piercings??—and Denki realized he was still standing there staring at him like a fool.

“So I heard. The name’s Kaminari and I’m with Chargebolt Electric. I’m here to look at your walk-in,” he said as he jiggled his tool bag nervously. He was forever thankful that Sero combed his hair out during his earlier melt down as the hot stranger looked him over with a small smirk.

“An electrician, huh? Well, you look like death warmed over,” he grinned, scooping up the big white and black fluffy cat that had walked up and started rubbing against his legs, demanding attention, as Denki talked.

“You’re not looking so hot yourself, handsome,” Denki shot back as he took in the deep bags under the man’s eyes. A chuckle left the other as he lightly rocked the cat and gave it a small scratch under its chin and that was when he realized that he had accidentally used his flirty voice with cat-man. What was he doing ? “Forget I said that. Anyway, am I right in assuming that you aren’t Yamada?”

“You would be correct,” cat-man snorted. “The name’s Shinsou. Pops is the one who called you.” Shinsou squatted to let the cat go as it started wriggling around in his arms and dusted his legs off as he stood back up. “Follow me. I’m sure he’s still moving the product to the freezer so it won’t spoil.” It was all that Denki could do to not nod his head stupidly (or check him out discreetly) while following him, nor to scream loudly when a young girl came popping out of seemingly nowhere in a uniform similar to Shinsou’s, cradling a sandy-colored cat in her arms and speaking rapidly in a soft voice, the words too faint for Denki to pick up what she was saying. Shinsou ruffled her hair, chuckling at whatever she said and Denki was almost certain he had just heard the sound of angels. How was it fair for one man to be this hot? The small girl flitted away back toward the entrance of the shop after assuring that she would lock the doors this time and they finally reached the kitchen.

“Pops! The electrician is here!” Shinsou yelled out and there was a loud bang with an even louder curse following it before a man emerged from inside the freezer, rubbing the top of his head. His hair was tied up in a loose ponytail and Denki blinked at him before recognition set in.

“Wait—you’re Yamada? But don’t you work at Hands Up Radio?” he asked as he placed his toolbag on the ground. He knew his memory was a little fuzzy, but he swore he remembered being stuck in a conversation with this man for a good hour a couple months ago.

“Oh wait! You’re Chargebolt Electric? Welcome, Little Listener! It’s nice to work with you again!” he smiled, showing off his perfectly straight teeth.

“Wait a second, you know each other?” Shinsou questioned, grabbing the case of eggs from the counter to transfer them over to the freezer.

“Not closely, but I did some work at Hands Up a couple months ago for him. I guess I just didn’t make the connection that Yamada was also the radio host, Present Mic.”

“That’s right, Little Listener! Knowing that you’re the one doing the work here makes me feel better! And there’s no need to be so formal with me—feel free to call me Hizashi,” he said, giving Denki a hearty pat on the back. “Hitoshi, leave those on the counter. They just came from the market, so no need to chill them yet.” Shinsou shrugged and put the case of eggs back on the counter and grabbed another case of ingredients that Denki couldn’t identify from where he was at to put into the freezer.

“Sounds good, Hizashi!” Denki grinned. “Now, how about you show me where the problem is.” Hizashi perked up instantly, and he followed him into the walk-in, already sucked into the chatter coming from the older man. It had been quite a while since Denki had really gotten to flex his electrician muscles, so he was eager to get to work.

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The repairs didn’t take as long as Denki had anticipated they would—thank you, internet—and he was putting his tool away after only around an hour of repairs.

“Hey Hizashi, do you need any help getting your kitchen put back together?” Denki asked as he exited the walk-in. Instead of coming face to face with Hizashi, however, he ran face-first into Shinsou’s chest as he was leaving the freezer with a bucket of ice. Cubes sloshed out of the container around them, and Denki held his nose, which was throbbing from smacking it.

“Whoa, you okay there?” Shinsou asked, putting the bucket up on the counter and went to take Denki’s hands, but before he could, Denki squeaked and took a step back. He was already in the midst of a bi panic—he didn’t need Shinsou accidentally adding onto it by holding his hand (even if it was for medical purposes).

“Yeah! Of course ‘m fine! No need to freak out!” he flailed his hand, the other still over his nose. Shinsou just arched his eyebrow and shrugged it off before grabbing the ice bucket again.

“Suit yourself. I’ll let Pops know you’re done.” He walked out of the kitchen and Denki was this close to smacking himself on the forehead. What a way to be an idiot. He pulled his hand away from his nose and was thankful to see that his nose wasn’t bleeding, at least. What a story that would have been; “oh yeah, I got a bloody nose from smacking my face on a hot man’s rock-hard pecs. No big deal.” He could hear Kirishima and Sero laughing already.

“How’s my favorite electrician doing?” Hizashi asked, wiping his hand on a towel as he walked into the kitchen.

“Not bad! Thankfully it was a pretty easy fix and I didn’t have to go out and get any special parts. That really saved on some of the costs!” he laughed.

“Cost really isn’t a worry right now. I’d rather spend the money to get things fixed properly than go cheap and have it break down in a couple of days.”

“I still can’t wait to see how you explain this to Dad. He had been harping on you for weeks to make sure all of the appliances are up to par,” Shinsou snickered as he came back into the kitchen, putting the ice bucket up.

“Don’t you have a bar to be attending to, eh Hitoshi?” Hizashi said with a forced smile, eyebrow twitching.

“Oh, you’re right. Probably don’t want me spilling any more of your company secrets, huh?” he snarked back, before locking eyes with Denki. “The lighting has been going haywire recently. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw you again soon.”

“Alright that’s it!" Hizashi laughed, playfully shooing Shinsou out of the kitchen. “Get back to work before I get Shouta to dock your pay for mentally tormenting me.” Shinsou’s cackling laughter reverberated throughout the kitchen, and Denki’s skull, as he left the room and went back into the cafe. “Sorry about him. He just can’t help being snarky. I am scared to see what he may teach Eri in the years to come. Anyway,” he smiled, “how much do I owe you?”

“Um, give me a second,” Denki awkwardly chuckled, typing away in the calculator on his phone. “Since there weren’t any parts that I had to order, I only have to charge you for my labor. Which is 15,000 yen an hour. I hope that’s not too crazy of an amount for you.”

“Are you kidding me? That’s practically a steal! You’re almost undercharging yourself. But, as I promised, I would pay you triple your hourly rate. Let me go get the money.” Denki’s jaw dropped—he thought that Hizashi was kidding about that. He disappeared and came back with the wad of yen and pushed it into Denki’s hands.

“This is too much, I swear. Can I help you with anything else? Like, do you need help putting the stuff back into the walk-in?”

“Well, I was going to have Shinsou or Eri help me, but if you’re offering, then sure, why not!” The two set off to move all of the produce and day’s meat into the walk-in. Between the two of them, the job was done in no time.

“Was there anything else you needed from me today?” Denki asked, looking at his phone for the time. It was only a little after 1300, which wasn’t bad at all. He just needed to make sure he avoided the path to Sugar Rush, lest Bakugou see him and try to kill him on sight.

“I don’t think so, but you must be hungry. Why don’t you stay for a while and have a meal on me? For all of your hard work.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose. Besides, I have food at home, so it’s no big deal,” Denki chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

“Oh, but I insist. You have done an amazing job today,” he said, directing him to the bar area of the cafe. “How do you feel about cold soba?” he asked as Denki slid into a seat at the bar.

“It's nice! But really, you don’t have to worry about it. Or, at least, let me pay for it. I feel bad for taking a free meal.” It wasn’t like he didn’t have the cash to pay for a meal now, after all.

“Not a chance, Little Listener. Also, feel free to order whatever you want from the bar and Hitoshi will make it for you. And if you want to go spend time with the cats, let Eri know and she can set you up with some time with them,” Hizashi instructed before heading to the kitchen, leaving Denki alone with his thoughts and Shinsou.

“So, wanna take him up on his offer for a free drink? I’d like to say I’m pretty decent at mixing them,” Shinsou asked, throwing a towel over his shoulder.

“Hmmm, what about an Amaretto Sour? It’s been a while since I’ve had a good one,” Denki responded and Shinsou hummed before grabbing a glass and the bottles of Amaretto liqueur and sour mix. He found himself being mesmerized by watching Shinsou move, pouring the liqueur, sour mix, and a splash of Sprite into the shaker. A few shakes later and he was draining the liquid into a highball glass that had a couple of ice cubes in it. He garnished the drink with a cherry and slid it over to Denki with a satisfied smirk on his face.

“One Amaretto Sour. Shaken, not stirred,” he grinned while wiping down the counter.

“You’re such a dork, Haven’t heard a James Bond reference in a hot minute,” Denki snorted. A cute dork, not that he would say that to his face, though. The first sip of the drink was enough to ruin Denki for any other Amaretto Sour he could ever come across. How dare Shinsou say he’s only ‘decent’ at mixing drinks. “Dude—this is the best drink I’ve ever had. Do you like, go to school for bartending or something?”

“Ah, no. Nothing like that. I took some mixing classes since those were kind of required once we got the bar installed here, but otherwise I just learned by trial and error.” He didn’t look up as he spoke, too focused on cleaning the glasses he had just dirtied. “I actually am going to school for a degree in psychology, if you can believe that.”

“Well,” Denki started, eyeing Shinsou up and down, “I’ve known you for a total of maybe two hours, but I can say that that definitely tracks for you,” he announced confidently. “What I’m trying to figure out is why the cafe, though. Not that I’m really one to speak, since I also work at a cafe, but a cat cafe? What even made you interested in that?”

“The cafe? Oh, well my dads own Cool Beans. It’s somewhat a family affair, I guess you could say. My little sister, Eri, mans the front counter, Pops and Dad switch off on running the kitchen, and I have the wonderful pleasure of being the barista, bartender, and waiter. It can be a bitch and a half to get everything done on a busy day, but it’s not all that bad. Especially when we can take a break and just chill with the cats.”

“How is it working with cats?” Denki asked while nursing his drink. “I’ve never had a pet before, so the idea of having many little bodies working around you seems so cool to me.”

“It can be somewhat challenging, since they can mask when they don’t feel well. But the group of cats we have here right now are all super friendly. Some don’t get along well with one another, but there’s plenty of room for them to get their space and destress. Besides, we are all cat people here, so we all know how to read their body language to know what they need.” His back was to Denki as he reshelved the bottles but Denki could just picture the small smile that was crossing his face as he talked about the cats.

“You sound like you really know your stuff. So, do the cats just get free rein over the cafe? Or are they only allowed in one area?”

“Well, they used to be able to roam around the dining area and the front lobby, but we had an incident a couple months back where we had a customer harassing the cats because he had too much to drink. Since then, we had to section off a room that is for the cats specifically and people can reserve times to go in and play with them. We have one cat, who is actually our family cat, that is a recurring escape artist. So, we always have to keep an eye on him.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke, and while nodding along to what Shinsou was saying, Denki found himself being distracted by the intricate butterflies that wrapped around his forearm.

“That’s some really nice linework you’ve got there. Where do you get your tattoos done at?” Denki blurted out before he could stop himself. Shinsou blinked at him, looked at his arms, then back to Denki.

“Uh, I got these done at Tentacole’s. I came across Shoji’s portfolio and really liked his work. Awase, who also works there, was the one who did my piercings,” he admitted with a small blush on his face and Denki was pretty certain that talking about himself made him uncomfortable.

“Oh! That’s sick! My roommate got some of his tattoos done there. He and Shoji were good pals back in high school, so Shoji hooks him up. I thought the art style looked familiar. Say, you said you’re studying psychology. What school do you go to?” he asked as he finished off his drink, a small thrum of energy running through his veins.

“What is this, twenty questions?” Shinsou laughed. “I study at University of Akihabara. Why? You study there too?”

“Nah, I went to Isamu Technical School. That’s where I became a certified electrician. But one of my roommates goes to UA. Well, he does the online program route since his work schedule keeps him pretty busy.” That was the understatement of the century, not that Shinsou needed to know. “I also have some coworkers that go there. Heard a lot of good things. Maybe one day I will go back and get a degree in English. That seems like fun.”

“Don’t let Pops hear you—he’s a substitute teacher for English classes. He can, and will, talk your ear off about English literature for hours,” Shinsou grimaced and Denki laughed.

“Oh I can only imagine. The last time I did work for him, he talked my ear off for hours about different aspects of radio broadcasting. It was interesting stuff though. Definitely worth being late to my other job.”

“It’s not nice to talk about others when they aren’t there to defend themselves,” Hizashi chided, appearing from the kitchen with a bowl of cold soba and Denki’s stomach growled loudly. Guess it had been a while since he last ate, huh? As he dug in, he listened to Shinsou and Hizashi playfully banter and Denki made a mental note to come visit this place again, not only for the amazing food and drinks, and cats, but also to get to know the mysteriously hot waiter a little more. He could sense a friendship—and crush, who was he kidding?—budding and he would be damned if he passed this up. He just needed an excuse to stop by again. Oh well, he was sure he would think of something.

#jaz writes #kaminari denki #shinsou hitoshi #shinkami #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #long fic #chapter 1 #shaken not stirred #On the Rocks #also on ao3 and twitter #shinkami big bang 2020

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ladysunamireads · 4 years ago

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How do you know?

how do you know? by amerie

Shoto Todoroki is really dense. Not when it comes to fighting or training, but just in general, mostly with feelings and relationships.

Words: 964, Chapters: 2/2, Language: English

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other

Characters: Midoriya Izuku, Todoroki Shouto, Bakugou Katsuki, Kirishima Eijirou, Kaminari Denki, Shinsou Hitoshi, Jirou Kyouka, Yaoyorozu Momo, Asui Tsuyu, Uraraka Ochako, Ashido Mina, Hagakure Tooru, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Shouji Mezou, Tokoyami Fumikage, Aoyama Yuuga, Satou Rikidou, Kouda Kouji, Sero Hanta

Relationships: Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto, Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou, Kaminari Denki/Shinsou Hitoshi, Jirou Kyouka/Yaoyorozu Momo, Asui Tsuyu/Uraraka Ochako, Ashido Mina/Hagakure Tooru, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Shouji Mezou/Tokoyami Fumikage

Additional Tags: tododeku - Freeform, TodoDeku Big Bang 2020, TodoDeku Week, KiriBaku Week, KiriBaku Week 2020, kiribaku, bakushima, todoizu, shinkami, kamishin, momojirou, Lesbian Yaoyorozu Momo, Minor Jirou Kyouka/Yaoyorozu Momo, Yaoyorozu Momo is a Good Friend, Todoroki Shouto & Yaoyorozu Momo Friendship, Bisexual Jirou Kyouka, Jirou Kyouka is in the Bakusquad, Cute Todoroki Shouto, Todoroki Shouto is Bad at Feelings, Todoroki Shouto is a Dork, Pining Todoroki Shouto, Dekusquad, Deku - Freeform, Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk, Cute Midoriya Izuku, Bottom Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku Needs A Hug, Midoriya Izuku is a Dork, Midoriya Izuku is a Ray of Sunshine

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266496

#AO3 Feed #FanFiction #AO3 Tododeku #♥#Tododeku #Kiribaku·#BNHA #🐰❄️🔥#R:G #Quirk AU #A:Amerie

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jazwritesalot · 2 years ago

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Shaken, Not Stirred - Chapter 4: Hot Toddy

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

Written for the ShinKami Big Bang 2020

The first thought that crossed Denki’s mind as he slowly stirred to life was that he was full of regrets—he regretted drinking as much as he did last night, he regretted falling asleep in his jeans, and most of all, he regretted not closing his curtains; the sun was peeking through the window where he was missing sections of blinds and hit him directly in his eyes. Faint tendrils of a killer headache were creeping up his head and he squeezed his eyes shut to try and alleviate some of the pressure. Hissing out a groan, he rolled over to avoid the traitorous light and collided with something warm and firm. His eyes flew open and he quickly sat up—another regret to add to his list as nausea swept through him—and came face to face with Hitoshi stretched out languidly on his bed, Fenrir curled up on his chest purring softly as she snoozed.

“Shin-Hitoshi, I, wha-” he sputtered out intelligently as Shinsou blinked up sleepily at him, running a hand down Fenrir’s back, earning him a happy chirp in response. Panic immediately flooded him as he noticed that he was shirtless, not to mention that he couldn’t remember a single thing after Hitoshi showed up in the basement. He must have noticed the change in Denki; he sat up and adjusted himself against the wall, much to the displeasure of Fenrir, who meowed loudly in protest.

“Relax, Denki. Nothing happened. Just breathe,” he assured him, guiding him to sit flush with him, offering his shoulder as a place for Denki to rest his head, which he gratefully accepted. He reached over to pet Fenrir and received a warning swipe in return.

“You little traitor! I can’t believe my own child would choose you over me,” he grumbled, rubbing his hand. Thankfully she didn’t break skin, but her little claws were still painful.

“Well, I do handle cats every day. Who’s to blame her, really?” he snickered. Denki stuck his tongue out at him petulantly before settling back down.

“Wait a second. You said nothing happened. Did you mean that?” he asked hesitantly. The night was pretty blurry to him, but he was almost certain he remembered them kissing. If that was just a dream, then damn was it a vivid one.

“Well, if you call telling me that I am ‘the most beautiful man you had ever laid eyes on, which is a feat since I live with a very famous and gorgeous actor’ then kissing me senseless in the midst of a mosh pit nothing, then yes, nothing happened.” Hitoshi was wearing a shit-eating grin at Denki’s stunned face. He was mortified—he actually did that? And he didn't even remember it? Oh god, the floor could just open up and swallow him whole right now and he wouldn’t be content.

“Oh fuck,” he groaned, leaning forward to hide his face in the palms of his hands. “I’m almost scared to ask what else happened last night if that’s your definition of ‘nothing.’”

“Wait—you don’t really remember anything from last night?” Hitoshi asked, incredulous.

“I can remember bits and pieces. I most definitely remember kissing you, but I had no idea I said all that embarrassing shit before I did. Everything after that is a major blur,” he moaned, slinking down until his head was resting on Hitoshi’s thigh. Fenrir chirped in irritation and jumped off the bed.

“Just how much did you drink?” he laughed, reaching down to run his fingers through Denki’s tangled hair. “Anyway, Cellophane performed next. The guy’s got some amazing vocals, that’s for sure. Then there was a break and we went upstairs to get some more drinks. The redhead suggested doing some shots and you were more than eager for that. The tall one with the black hair and kickass tattoos decided to join in too. You then took off with the two of them which left me with the pissed off blond and the drummer of the first band, who kept screaming something about us all getting head.” Denki snorted and Hitoshi looked down at him in amusement.

“It’s actually HED, H-E-D, not head, h-e-a-d,” he laughed. “Stands for Hanta, Eijirou, and Denki. The ‘getting head’ thing was a joke that we came up with when we formed the band. But hot damn, I wish I could remember that. Last time we played was on Kirishima and Tetsu’s birthdays, but Ei was all down in the dumps because he missed out on seeing Bakugou.”

“The short goth girl made her girlfriend record it, don’t worry. It was definitely an experience. Sero, I think you’ve said his name was, apparently got drunk enough in the short amount of time we did the shots to the point that at the beginning of the set he stripped down to nothing but his underwear.”

“Oh my god—was it the checkered pair that said ‘spank me’ in lime green on the ass?” Denki cackled and then immediately groaned after as a sharp pain shot through his head.

“Those would definitely be the pair he was wearing. You guys are something else. But you guys did two songs together—fantastic rendition of 'Renegades of Funk,' by the way—then they joined the crowd while you finished out your performance. After the show ended and the house cleared out you brought me up here. We made out a bit, but I did put a stop to it because you were pretty drunk. After that you showed me some of your other music, both yours and HED’s. Then we talked until we fell asleep.” Denki hummed as he looked at Shinsou. He could see a trace of sadness in his smile, so he was pretty sure he knew what they talked about.

“Let me guess, we talked about my family, didn’t we?” he sighed, covering his eyes with the crook of his arm.

“Only a little. I didn’t want to pry too much, but I could tell that some of those songs were more than just lyrics you came up with. But it’s okay. I have no room to judge, not that I would, but I also come from a pretty fucked up family myself.”

“Oh yeah? But Yamada and Aizawa seem to be very loving parents,” Denki stated, disbelief seeping into his voice.

“Well yeah, they are. But my sister and I are both adopted.” Denki moved his arm and blinked up at Hitoshi, feeling very much like an asshole for assuming. “Don’t give me that look. We’re both in a much better place now. Much like you are—you have roommates and friends who really love and care about you, and that’s what matters. Who needs a blood family anyway?”

“You’re right. Fuck ‘em,” he grumbled and Hitoshi laughed, the sound sending butterflies racing through Denki.

“Speaking of family, Dad and Pops are probably wondering where I went. I kinda ran out last night without letting them know I would be gone all night. And then my phone died. They’re probably not too pleased with me,” he groaned.

“Look at you, being all Mr. Rebellious,” Denki teased and rolled off of him, stretching the minute his feet hit the floor. He squeaked as arms snaked around his waist, pulling him back into Hitoshi’s chest.

“By the way, I’m glad that we got to level three of friendship—I absolutely love the lightning bolts. They’re so you,” he purred into Denki’s ear before leaving a searing kiss on his neck that made Denki flush and curse simultaneously.

“You’re going to be the death of me, I swear to god,” he complained, turning around to give him a proper kiss. It was short and sweet but just enough to make Denki weak in the knees as they broke apart. The niggling thought of ‘are we dating now?’ was dancing around in the back of his mind, but he shrugged it off—that was something that could be established later. Right now the focus was seeing Hitoshi off and getting something for the pounding in his head.

“Where in the world did my shirt end up?” Hitoshi grumbled, sifting through the blankets to find it.

“You mean that one?” Denki asked, trying to stifle giggles as he pointed over to Fenrir, who was sleeping in the corner of the room, the black and purple plaid print nestled underneath her.

“Well, I guess I’m not getting that back any time soon. At least I still have my tank,” he snorted, running a hand through his hair, which had come loose in the night and was now framing his face.

“Speaking of that shirt, I gotta ask. Which band is it for? I’ve been trying to figure it out since I first saw you wear it, but I got nothing.”

“Oh this? Actually, my sister has been practicing her English lettering. It’s supposed to say ‘Hitoshi & Eri’, but she went a bit heavy-handed on the paint.”

“Are you kidding me?” Denki laughed, which startled Fenrir awake. “This whole time I’ve been thinking it was some sort of local act that I have never heard of. That’s just too precious though.”

“What can I say? It’s hard to resist her sometimes. But it is a very nice shirt. Hope it will keep me warm enough though,” he frowned, peeking out the window. There was a thin layer of snow still out on the ground.

“Like I’m gonna let you go out in just a tank. I think I have an older oversized hoodie out in the living room you can borrow. Do you have to leave immediately? I should probably offer you something to eat, since you stayed and dealt with my drunk ass all night.”

“I should be able to stay to eat. Do you have a charger I can borrow? That way I can at least get my phone charged up enough to let Pops know where I’m at before he sends a search party out for me.” They both shared a laugh and Denki handed a charger to him as he bent down to feed Fen, who was glaring at him and refusing to release the shirt.

“Maybe if we’re lucky Ei and Hanta will still be in their rooms. I really don’t want to see a grumpy Bakugou this early in the morning,” Denki laughed as they left his room and headed across the hall to the kitchen.

“Just for that, you ain’t getting any of this food,” Bakugou grumbled from the stove where he was frying up some eggs and bacon, which smelled heavenly.

“I take it back. Blasty is the best. Please feed us,” Denki begged, throwing himself at the kitchen table.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever Dunce Face. Morning, Eyebags,” he nodded at Hitoshi.

“Mornin’, Pissed off Pomeranian,” he snarked back as he took a seat next to Denki, ignoring the expletives and threats that Bakugou threw his way before wincing loudly.

“Babe, you’re being too loud,” Kirishima whined from his place at the table, face pressed into the cool wood. Sero wasn’t faring any better—he was a mess of groans lying across the couch on the adjacent wall, his arm slung over his face.

“It’s Sparky’s fault. Shouldn’t immediately wake up and piss me off,” Bakugou barked back as he took the kettle of water off the stove and poured out five glasses of water, mixing small amounts of honey, lemon juice, and whiskey into them.

“I don’t care who started it, just knock it off. Y’all motherfuckers are loud,” Sero griped. “Please tell me that that glass has the magic hangover cure in it.”

“No such thing. But it should help a little. So quit yer bitchin’” he grumbled, shoving a glass in Sero’s hands and bringing the rest of them to the table.

“A Hot Toddy?” Hitoshi asked with a raised eyebrow as he sipped at it. “Damn, this is really good.”

“Of course it is, I made it. But yeah, the hag swears by these for hangovers. So drink up and eat up.” He placed the plates of eggs and bacon on the table and they all dug in, eating as much as their queasy stomachs would allow them to—save for Hitoshi, who didn’t have nearly as much to drink as the other four did.

“So Denks, got any hot news to share with the group?” Kirishima teased, waggling his eyebrows.

“Yeah, what was that about him being the, what was it, hottest man you’ve ever laid eyes on?” Sero chimed in from the couch with a laugh as Denki’s face flamed.

“Doesn’t look like you really have much room to talk, what with those hickies on your neck,” Hitoshi quipped back and both Bakugou and Kirishima choked on their food, which made Sero laugh even louder from his hangover cocoon.

“Babe! You said there wasn’t anything on my neck!” Kirishima whined as he reached over to shove at Bakugou. “PR is gonna be a freakin’ nightmare now.”

“Whoops, my bad,” he grinned, not looking sorry at all. Denki was thankful that Hitoshi was able to change the subject so flawlessly, since they hadn’t even had the ‘are we partners now?’ talk yet.

“You guys know I don’t kiss and tell,” Denki pouted, crossing his arms and jutted his chin out.

“Dude, we all saw you sucking face with him last night. Nice try,” Sero guwaffed.

“Anyway, nice try with the deflecting. Now, are you gonna treat our Spark Plug right, Drowzee?” Bakugou asked with a stern look on his face.

“Aww Blasty! I didn’t know you cared so much about me!” Denki sniffled, shooting out of the chair to tackle him in a bear hug, ignoring his protests and shoves to dislodge him.

“To answer your question, yes, I will take good care of him. He is my partner, after all. At least, if he wants to be,” Hitoshi murmured sheepishly, looking down at the table instead of meeting Denki’s incredulous gaze.

“Hell yes I wanna be your partner!” he cried out, pushing away from Bakugou to wrap his arms around Hitoshi and pull him in for a kiss. He could hear the sounds of fake gagging coming from Bakugou, and snickers from the other two, but Denki could care less. He was so immeasurably happy.

“I’m glad you’re enthusiastic about this,” Hitoshi chuckled as they parted.

“Anyone who wouldn’t be overjoyed to be dating you is an idiot. Or blind. You know what? Both. Both is good,” he decided and Hitoshi buried his face in the crook of Denki’s shoulder to hide his blush.

“Oh great. The mushy-gushy crap is here now too,” Bakugou groaned.

“Dude, let them be. They both deserve this,” Sero vouched from his perch.

“I agree with Hanta. Now we just need to work on getting him a partner and then we can go on a triple date!”

“To take a line from Denki’s book, I don’t kiss and tell,” Sero winked before standing up and stretching.

“Dude??? You’re seeing someone and you haven’t told us? What type of betrayal is this?” Denki exclaimed, standing and slapping his hands down on the table as he glared at Sero, who just shrugged at him.

“It never came up and it’s not a sure thing either. Besides, we’re keeping things pretty hush hush. His dad is kinda an asshole. We’re just waiting for the right moment to happen to come out with it if we go any farther.”

“And we will respect that decision, won’t we?” Bakugou glared at Denki and Kirishima nodded, backing him up.

“Fine. You right. But the moment you decide to spread the news, you better tell your favorite bro all about it.”

“As much fun as this has been,” Hitoshi said, interrupting the conversation, “I really do need to get going. Thank you for the meal.” He stood, nodding at Bakugou and Denki followed suit.

“See ya later, Lover Boy,” Sero snickered.

“It was nice partying with ya, man! Hope to see you around more!” Kirishima smiled and Bakugou merely grunted. Denki led him to the entrance of the house, making a quick pit stop at the coat rack to find the aforementioned hoodie he promised Hitoshi. He handed it over to a snorting Hitoshi, who pulled the Snorlax-themed garment on, making sure to leave the hood up. It was slightly snug on him, since Denki was decently smaller than him, but still, it worked.

“You know, I figured that if you had a Pokemon hoodie, that it would be of Pikachu,” Hitoshi teased as he typed out a quick message to his parents.

“Of course I have a Pikachu one! But there is no way that it would fit you since it’s snug even on me. I do have to say, you make a very handsome Snorlax though.”

“Thanks. I think it’s the eyebags. They really bring life to the character.” The level of snark in his reply caused Denki to double over in laughter. He wasn’t sure how he got so lucky to have this man both in his life and his home, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to question it. “Anyway, I do need to get going. But I wanted to thank you for such a fun night. And for, well, you know,” he stumbled, face flushing. Seeing Hitoshi get so flustered made butterflies dance in his stomach.

“Yeah, I think I do know,” Denki grinned with a wink, leaning forward to press a soft kiss against Hitoshi’s lips. “Thank you as well. For taking a chance on me. Now, better get going before your dad comes after me. I could hold my own against Pops, but definitely not against him.” They shared a laugh and with a promise to let him know when he got home safely, Hitoshi left. As Denki watched his retreating back walking down the sidewalk with the faint chaos that was Bakugou, Kirishima, and Sero in the kitchen echoing into the living room, he realized that, for the first time in what felt like forever, he was happy. And not the type of happiness that happened when he got a mix right on the first time; or the happiness when it’s Ei, Hanta, and him chilling at home; or the happiness that he got when Blasty got riled up from his shenanigans. No, this was an unadulterated joy that made him feel invincible. As Hitoshi disappeared from his line of sight and he turned to head back to the kitchen, he was forever thankful that he answered Hizashi’s call that day. It was most definitely too soon to call it love, but he was undoubtedly extremely smitten with one Shinsou Hitoshi. And, to be honest? He wouldn’t have it any other way.

#jaz writes #shinsou hitoshi #kaminari denki #shinkami #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #long fic #chapter 4 #shaken not stirred #On the Rocks #also on ao3 and twitter #shinkami big bang 2020

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jazwritesalot · 2 years ago

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Shaken, Not Stirred - Chapter 3: Vegas Bomb

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Written for the ShinKami Big Bang 2020

Things seemed to only be going up for Denki since the night at Lurkers. He was pretty sure that things had been going good between him and Shinsou, too. After getting his number at the bar, they had been texting pretty frequently. Today’s text consisted of a picture of his cat standing on top of the table by his door, paws wrapped around the doorknob as she attempted to twist it.

I feel like Fen is one evolution away from having thumbs. I shudder to think of the day that happens.

His phone lit up moments after sending the message and he snorted when he saw the response.

...there’s too much there to unpack this early in the morning

??? it’s 3pm?!?

I’m a creature of the night, what can I say?

Lol you sound just like Tokoyami

Wait...is your cat named Fen. Like Fennec fox?

Nope! Fen as in Fenrir! :D

...you...you named your cat after a mythological dog…

OH! YOU KNOW NORSE MYTHOLOGY TOO?!?!?

/too early for this/

When Denki walked into the kitchen, Sero was sprawled out on the couch with his laptop open on his lap, grumbling to himself as he chomped down viciously on an apple. Kirishima was sitting at the table shoveling food into his mouth as his foot tapped out a beat on the tile.

“Who pissed in your Cheerios, Hanta?” Denki asked after fetching a bottle of soda out of the fridge.

“Just stressing because Tsuchikawa called to let us know that Wild, Wild Pussycats won’t be able to play tonight because Sosaki came down with a fever. Need to figure out a third act for tonight and update the social media pages.”

“Having any luck?” Denki asked between gulps of the drink.

“I wish. Most people I’ve contacted about it have said it’s too last minute. The holiday isn’t making it any better either.”

“Why don’t you play?” Kirishima asked around a mouthful of food.

“Oh my God yeah! It’s been forever since you’ve played last, Sero. It would be like old times—you and me performing on the same night. Only, you know, we aren’t playing in the same set,” Denki grinned, pushing Sero’s foot to the side so he could plop down on the couch next to him.

“I don’t know about that guys. I’m not sure that I can be prepared enough before tonight. Besides, it wouldn’t be any fun performing if Kirishima isn’t here to encourage me and my reckless behavior.” Kirishima snorted at Sero’s grin around another bite of food.

“Sorry man, but this trip with Katsuki is really important, you know? It’s not like I can reschedule it, with the press tours starting after the New Year.”

“You and Blasty aren’t any fun,” Denki pouted. “Where are you going anyway?”

“I was able to reserve us a cabin in Hokkaido for the weekend. When we aren’t chilling there, we’ll be out hiking and enjoying nature.” Huh. Well that explained the unusually large backpack that was by the door. “But I really think you should play tonight, Sero. You know I will be cheering you on no matter where I am.” Kirishima’s grin was infectious—a small smile crossed Sero’s face.

“I’ll think about it. I just might, if I can’t find anyone else to agree to it.”

“Speaking of the show, who else is playing tonight besides Yours Truly?” Denki asked. The smile on Sero’s face strained as he glanced at Kaminari out of the corner of his eye and mumbled a name under his breath.

“Dude, I couldn’t even hear you. You gotta speak up,” Kirishima laughed while Denki snorted, taking a sip of his soda once again.

“I said, first act up is Dark Shadow,” Sero ground out and Denki choked on his drink, soda spraying out of his nose. Sero went to whack him on the back, but Denki quickly moved out of his way, glaring daggers at him.

“Dude? What the fuck? You invited Jirou’s band to play?” Denki croaked out, tears stinging his eyes from the residual soda-spray.

“What? You know Dark Shadow is a staple band for any show here!” Sero shot back.

“But you know she’s not talking to me! So why would you go and invite her into our house, Hanta?!”

“Bro, that’s not very manly of you to do that,” Kirishima quipped.

“I know,” Sero sighed, running a hand down his face. “She asked once she heard through the grapevine that we were having a holiday show, and I agreed to it without thinking. It’s a little too late to tell her nevermind.”

“Traitor,” Denki hissed from his end of the couch as he pulled his knees up to rest under his chin. He wasn’t sure he was ready for this. “Are you sure you can’t stay here and keep the peace, Kiri?”

“I wish I could. But I’m not going to do that to ‘Tsuki, and you know that, Denks. And I’m really sorry, but I gotta get going so I can get him and get to the station in time,” he announced, slipping his feet into his shoes and slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

“Have fun with Bakugou,” Sero waved halfheartedly, already focused back on his laptop.

“Thanks guys. Chin up, Denki. I’m sure it will all work out. And have fun tonight for me, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll try. Give Blasty my love,” Denki teased, trying to force himself to think of anything but the sinking feeling in his gut. He quickly fished his phone out, sending off a series of texts to Shinsou in a flurry of panic.

RED ALERT! My traitor of a roommate invited Jirou’s band to play at the show tonight

(that’s the girl I told you about the other day)

I’m losing my mind. Why did he do this???

ANYWAY! The invitation to the show tonight still stands. I would love if you could be here TwT

He also sent Shinsou his address and had to force himself to put his phone back in his pocket before he continued to panic-text him. Denki groaned, pushing himself to his feet and heading back toward his room to start working on finalizing his mixes and setlist for his performance.

“You know I didn’t say yes to her to be malicious to you, right?” Sero quietly asked as Denki got to the doorway, a nervous lilt to his voice.

“I know man,” Denki sighed, the small amount of anger he was harboring deflating. “I just wish I would have had a little more of a warning that she was going to be here than six hours.”

“I should have said something sooner. That’s my bad. I was just worried how you would take it,” Sero admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Did I live up to your expectations?” Denki joked.

“Well, considering you didn’t cuss me out and threaten to not play, I say you’re doing much better than my worst fears,” he laughed. “If it’s any consolation, Jirou seemed genuinely excited to hear that you would be playing tonight.”

“Wait, really?” Denki asked. That didn’t make any sense to him. She was still actively avoiding him, so why would she be happy to hear he was performing?

“Yeah. Maybe she’s ready to make amends? You know her better than we do—she has to do things at her own pace.” Denki thought this over. Ever since he met Jirou the summer between senior year of high school and his first year of trade school, she had always been more of a thinker rather than one who acts impulsively. It’s what made their friendship so strange, them being opposites. But they both wore their hearts on their sleeves, and it definitely took them both a long time to forgive any indiscretions that came their way. And that’s what made them such good friends.

“You’re right,” he admitted after a few minutes. “I’ll try not to worry about it too much.” He knew that was easier said than done, of course, but as he left the kitchen and immersed himself in his music with Fenrir curled up next to him, he was pretty sure that he could do this.

---------------------------------------------------------

Denki was most definitely wrong—he could not do this. Working on his setlist didn’t take him as long as he anticipated it would, so he soon found himself lying on his bed, periodically checking his phone to see if Shinsou had responded. Each time his phone showed no new messages, he felt his heart sink a little lower and his thoughts start to spiral. Not only was he going to have to spend the night around someone who, as far as he was convinced, hated his guts, but now he also was dealing with the worry that he had (once again) gone too far in his messaging/subtle flirting with someone, Shinsou being the latest victim.

Time passed by quicker than he realized too. One minute it was 4pm and he was settling in to work on his newest mix, the next, it was inching closer to 8:30pm and he was frantically pulling apart his room to find an outfit to wear to the show. Fenrir’s screams of discontent put a pause to Hurricane Denki’s closet ravaging so he could feed her, but soon enough, he was back at it. None of the shirts he had tried on seemed to fit into the aesthetic he was wanting to go with tonight. His go-to Rage Against the Machine shirt was nowhere to be found, and all of the alternatives just weren’t good enough. He was contemplating just going shirtless when he finally stumbled upon the gag-gift sweater that Sero and Kirishima had gotten him last year for the holidays. The sweater was a galaxy print one that at the hems had flames shooting up the material. A Christmas tree was in the center, and surrounding it were many cats decked out in Santa hats who were pawing at the tree. It was ugly—it was perfect. He paired it with a pair of acid-washed, distressed, skinny jeans and his purple high tops. He knew he was going to be hotter than hell in that cramped basement, but he couldn’t care less.

He took one last look at his phone, swallowing down the disappointment that there still was no response from Shinsou, and steeled himself to leave his room. He knew Jirou and company would be arriving soon enough to get the equipment brought in and begin the soundcheck, and he wanted to have a decent buzz going before that happened. He gave Fenrir a few good scritches on her head and some treats before shutting her in the room for the next few hours (since he didn’t want to risk her getting out).

There was a small buzz of activity happening in the kitchen, and Denki found himself drawn there, rather than the living room where he was going to set up the pre-show music, when he heard a familiar, yet unexpected voice speaking.

“My, my. What do we have here? Didn’t expect to see the Funky Little Firework Man here tonight,” Denki teased as he entered the kitchen, spying both Kirishima and Bakugou seated on the couch.

“The hell you just call me, Pikachu wannabe?” Bakugou spat out, crossing his arms over his chest. His face was in a weird mixture of a pout and a scowl, which just made Kirishima laugh and pull him close.

“We weren’t planning on being here either, but as we were on our way to Hokkaido, we got a call from the rental company. Because of a severe snowstorm they are having, the roads from the station to the cabin were blocked off and they had to cancel the reservation,” Kirishima explained, and Katsuki’s frown deepened.

“We still coulda hiked through the snow. They were just being lame, cancelling on us like that.” Denki laughed at Bakugou’s sour expression and was rewarded with Bakugou flipping him the bird.

“I’m just surprised you both decided to come here. I thought you were wanting a weekend away together,” Sero added, sipping from his beer as he threw one Kaminari’s way. “Nice shirt, by the way,” he added, nodding in his direction.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe you kept that thing!” Kirishima laughed, catching the beers that Sero threw his way too.

“You look like the rejected Ghost of Christmas Past,” Bakugou grumbled as he took a drink.

“I resent that statement. The Ghost of Christmas Past only wished he looked as good as I do! Anyway, I’m with Sero on this one. Didn’t think you guys would be here.”

“Well, Bakugou here didn’t get to have the full Tape Deck experience last time he was here.”

“And whose fault was that?” Bakugou bit back, but the smile on his face betrayed his anger. “There’s also the fact that Deku has Round Cheeks over at the apartment this weekend, and I don’t want to be anywhere near that mushy gushy crap,” he grimaced, taking another swig from his can.

“You say that as if you and Kirishima aren’t all mushy gushy yourselves,” Denki teased and dodged the crushed, empty can that Bakugou threw at him. He finished his own beer and fetched the can thrown at him off the floor, dropping it into the recycling bin they had. He went to get himself another beer when the case of energy drinks caught his attention. He spun around in almost manic glee as he grinned at the couple—Kirishima was looking at him with amusement and Bakugou looked wary.

“Clearly you’re plotting something, Denks. So out with it,” Kirishima laughed, crushing the can and tossing it past Denki to the recycling bin.

“How do you guys feel about doing some Vegas Bombs?”

“Why in the hell would we do that, Sparky?” Bakugou scoffed. “I’d actually like to enjoy tonight, not be too trashed to function because of some shitty round of shots.”

“What? Afraid you’re gonna lose?” Kaminari asked and he could see Bakugou rising to the bait, his jaw clenching and face flushing.

“The hell I’ll lose. Get the drinks ready and prepare to get your ass kicked,” he growled, cracking his knuckles.

“Count me in. I can’t wait to beat both of you.” Denki leaned over and gave Kirishima a fist bump; he knew he could count on him to join in the fun.

“Gonna have to pass, sorry guys,” Sero chimed in, but Denki sort of expected this. Sero didn’t tend to get as hammered as him or Kirishima at the shows. Said that one of them had to be the responsible one, and it might as well be him. He did tend to loosen up a little on nights he played, but it seemed that tonight wasn’t going to be one of those nights.

“Suit yourself! Three Vegas Bombs, coming up!” This would be perfect—rounds of these drinks would get him to that comfortable buzz that he desired. Denki quickly fetched out the energy drinks and other liquor before flitting over to the cabinet to get the cups and shot glasses. He might not be as good at mixing drinks as Shinsou was, but he definitely knew his way around this one. The three pint glasses were quickly filled with the energy drinks and left to let the fizz settle. The rum, whiskey, and schnapps were all eyeballed into the shot glasses, and if Denki made a mess of the counter, that was for him to deal with later. He topped each shot off with the cranberry juice and moved the glasses from the counter to the kitchen table, a triumphant grin on his face.

“Alright boys, who’s ready to lose?” he announced with his hands on his hips.

“You're going down bro,” Kirishima laughed, pushing himself up from the couch and pulling Bakugou, who was grinning evilly, along with him.

“Okay! Sero, you gotta be the judge! Let us know when to start. And make sure neither of them cheat, got it?” Denki laughed and dodged the shove that Bakugou sent his way.

“Sounds good. Hands on the glasses,” Sero instructed, and all three of them grabbed their pint and the shot. “On three. One. Two. Three.” As soon as the last number left his lips, the three of them dropped the royal flush shots into the pint glass and they chugged. The mixture of fruity liquor and energy drink burned at Denki’s throat and he had to fight back a cough as he continued to chug. He jumped slightly when Bakugou slammed his glass on the table, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth, a wide grin splitting his face.

“Told you losers I would kick your asses,” he laughed. Kirishima and Denki slammed their own glasses down at the same time, a pout crossing Denki’s face.

“Dude no fair! How were you able to just down that with a straight face?”

“Don’t you work with him, Denks? I’ve seen the insane amounts of caffeine that he consumes on a daily basis—a little Red Bull is nothing.” The proud grin that Kirishima wore as he clapped a hand on Bakugou’s shoulder made his heart hurt in ways that he didn’t want to think about right now.

“Oh yeah? Then how about we go again? Bet he can’t win a second round.” That was enough to get them fired up; Denki dished out another round of the drinks and they continued to compete, with Kirishima claiming victory this round. They were about to go again when the door slammed open, TetsuTetsu’s booming voice filling the room.

“Happy Holigays, my homo-bromos!” he greeted.

“Bro!” Kirishima cried, clapping their hands together and pulling him in for a one-armed, side hug.

“Feels like forever since we’ve seen ya! How you been, man?” TetsuTetsu grinned as he pulled away from the embrace and leaned over to give Denki a high five.

“Not bad! Fly out after the first for this press tour. Not looking forward to that.” Denki tuned out of the conversation as Kirishima continued talking with T, introducing Bakugou before excusing himself to go to his room to change into something more appropriate for the night. Tokoyami was the next to enter the house, a black backpack slung over his shoulder while the other hand was full of his guitar case. He nodded sagely at Denki before turning toward the basement, rat tail whipping behind him. It always came as such a shock to Denki when he saw Tokoyami without his signature mask. For the longest time he thought that it was glued to his face. Denki knew they wouldn’t see any sign of him until the show started, for the man liked to hide in the darkness of the basement as much as he could. Said it helped his ‘creative process.’ As the door to the basement clicked shut behind Tokoyami, Denki could feel the nervousness setting in. He tried to not stare at the back door, but it was in vain—he knew it was a matter of minutes before Jirou would walk in, and he certainly wasn’t prepared.

“Oi! Dunce Face! Tin Can here said he would finish this round of drinks with us. Get your ass over here,” Bakugou grunted, pulling Denki back into the conversation, and he was thankful for the distraction. The third round of Vegas Bombs ended with Denki finally winning a round, which was surprising given the iron stomach that TetsuTetsu had. He felt a tad floaty, which made him pleased. Right as Sero left the kitchen to go start up the music in the living room and greet some of the other guests that had filtered in, the door opened again and in walked Jirou. The anxiety Kaminari was feeling was quickly replaced with confusion as he noted that she wasn’t alone; a tall and buxom blonde had Jirou tucked under her arm and they both wore soft smiles as they whispered to one another.

“Finally you two get here,” Tetsu barked out a laugh as he shoved the pint away. “Worried for a moment that you two ran off and eloped.” Eloped? Eloped? Was Denki that drunk that he was hearing things?

“As if I’d get married without a grand ceremony. Besides, not like Kyoka here has popped the question,” the mystery blonde joked, and Denki continued to blink in confusion.

“You two are horrible, I swear to god,” Jirou groaned, hiding her face in her hand. “Bakugou. Kaminari. This is my girlfriend, Utsushimi.”

“But you can all call me Camie!” the blonde—no Camie—smiled, waving at the two of them. Denki could only blink. Jirou had a girlfriend? When did this happen? And wait; how did he not realize that Jirou was gay? An elbow dug into his side and he hissed in pain, turning to give Bakugou a glare, who merely rolled his eyes at him.

“Nice to meet you, Camie,” Denki replied, his voice cracking with nerves.

“And which one are you, you handsome little thing?” she purred back, reaching out to mess with his hair. The snort from Bakugou as he stuttered out his name was not appreciated one bit.

“Camie, leave him alone,” Jirou complained, but the smile she wore betrayed the amusement she was feeling. Of course it would be at Denki’s expense.

“Not that I really give a damn, but since Dunce Face over here is impersonating a fish out of water, I’ll be the one to ask. How did you two meet?”

“Oh, well you see, Babe over here literally ran into me. I was walking campus, gotta get to the library you know, when all of the sudden, BAM, I am on my ass on the concrete, books scattering the ground. She hopped off her bike all like ‘oh my god I am so sorry! Are you okay?’ I swear to you, it was love at first sight.” Camie’s animated gestures as she spoke brought a smile to Denki’s face. He hadn’t known her but five minutes, and he already knew she would fit in perfectly.

“Knock it off; it was not,” Jirou grumbled, her face reddening.

“Maybe not for you, sweetheart,” Camie chuckled, pulling her into her side. “She asked if I wanted to get a coffee at the library coffee shop as an apology and it just snowballed from there. Study dates that turned into late night convos, which then turned to me asking her out on a proper date that didn’t involve the library or school.”

“How long ago was this?” Denki finally asked.

“A couple months ago, right babe?” The nod from Jirou, who had her gaze trained on Kaminari, both confirmed Camie’s question and answered the unspoken question that Denki had. At least, one of them. No wonder Jirou turned him down so viciously. Camie turned her attention to annoying Bakugou, who was busy getting himself more drinks while he waited for Kirishima, and Testu had excused himself to go to the bathroom, leaving Denki leaning against the table with Jirou standing awkwardly next to him.

“So, you’re a lesbian?” he finally blurted out, cursing himself for being such an idiot. Jirou looked over at him, expression unreadable for the briefest of moments before she cracked. Her body shook with the force of her laughter and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. It was contagious—Denki found himself laughing along with her, slapping a hand on the table repeatedly.

“Oh my god, you’re such an idiot,” Jirou gasped out, wiping away the tears and taking some of her eyeliner with her. “But yes, Denki, I’m a raging lesbian.”

“How in the world did I miss that? But now I feel awful for all of those pickup lines I threw your way,” he snickered as his own laughter subsided.

“Guess your gaydar must be broken. Would have thought the hair gave it away,” she chuckled as she gestured to the side shave she was currently sporting. “But in all seriousness, I owe you an apology. Clearly you didn’t know, and it wasn’t fair of me to snap on you the way I did.”

“Nah, I definitely deserved it. I was being a jackass and not reading the room right.”

“When are you not a jackass?” she quipped with a smirk. “That said, we cool now? I really hate the awkwardness between us. Really kills my vibe.”

“Cool as a cucumber,” he grinned, shooting finger guns at her as she groaned in annoyance.

“Aww, my babe and her bff have made up!” Camie squealed, rushing over to envelope them in a hug. Denki was quick to escape the near chokehold the taller blonde had on the two of them, choosing to go crash on the couch.

“Denki and Jirou made up? Just how long was I gone?” Kirishima questioned with a laugh as he walked into the room. Tetsu and Sero followed Kirishima in, each grabbing a beer from the fridge.

“Long enough, you shitty-haired bastard,” Bakugou grumbled as Kirishima stood behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his chin on top of the other’s head. Denki was pretty sure it only took Kirishima a long time to change because he was washing the hair gel out so his hair could hang loose, since there was no way in hell that it took him forever to change from hiking jeans and a flannel into a pair of black skinny jeans and a Suicide Silence muscle tee. But he would never out his bro like that.

“Holy shit, Ei? You’re here?!?” Jirou asked as she was still trapped in the bearhug that Camie gave her.

“Long time no see, Jirou,” he laughed, stealing the beer from Bakugou to take a drink from it. Denki saw Jirou and Tetsu share a look before Jirou was squirming out of Camie’s grasp, making a beeline for Kirishima.

“You should come help me and Tetsu get the rest of the equipment from the van!” Jirou said, trying to pry Kirishima away from Bakugou, who was trying to swat her away.

“Yeah bro! Come help. We’re wanting to do something special tonight, because of the holidays, and who better to run it by than you?” Tetsu chimed in, a shit eating grin on his face. Confusion crossed his face before some sort of realization set in, of what Denki couldn’t tell you, and a grin to rival Tetsu’s own split his face.

“Of course I’ll help you guys out!” he exclaimed, handing the beer back to Bakugou, who was thoroughly pissed off, especially when Kirishima told him to just hang out upstairs. “Sorry 'Tsuki, I’ll be back in a bit, promise. Don’t wanna ruin their surprise.” He gave Bakugou a quick kiss, which did nothing to erase the angry look he was sporting, and took off after Jirou and Tetsu to help them with whatever this plan of theirs that they were cooking up was.

“If they’re doing what I think they’re doing, this is about to be a very interesting night,” Sero chuckled as he collapsed next to Denki on the couch, nursing his beer. Bakugou shot a glare his way, grumbling something along the lines of ‘cryptic bastard’ under his breath. Denki took the time to fish his phone out of his pocket and tried to not let the disappointment settle further in his stomach as he saw his messages to Shinsou were left on read.

“Nu uh. We already have one grumpy-puss tonight,” Camie chided as she walked over to stand in front of Denki, ignoring the shout of protest from Bakugou behind her. “I may be new here, but this place seems like it’s supposed to be full of fun, laughter, and good times, not frowns, gloom, and doom.”

“Pretty sure Tokoyami prefers the latter,” Denki joked.

“Well he’s downstairs brooding in the dark. Now put your phone away and let’s get this party started. How do you feel about tequila shots?” she grinned, pulling a bottle out of her oversized purse.

“Oh man, you fit right in.” Denki felt his own face stretch into an almost manic grin as he pocketed his phone once again and heaved himself up from the couch. He wasn’t going to let the thoughts of screwing up with Shinsou get in his way of a fun night. Slamming three shot glasses on the table, because Denki was going to make sure Bakugou would join them instead of moping like a kicked puppy so help him, he was ready to really get this party started.

-----------------------------------------

Denki wasn’t quite sure how or when he ended up in the basement—tequila was known to do that to you—but he felt the excitement of the beginning of the show thrumming through his veins. Bodies packed the space, and Denki knew from experience that as the night went on, more people would arrive. Bakugou was still pouting and it only got worse when he couldn’t get Kirishima’s attention. Sero stopped him before he stomped up to the designated stage area, telling him that he just needed to be patient. Kirishima still stood with Dark Shadow, his back to the crowd as he chatted with the members, and Denki was fairly certain he saw a guitar strap wrapped around his neck. Instantly, all of the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.

“Dude! Is Kirishima going to do what I think he’s going to do?” Kaminari questioned Sero, smacking at his arm.

“Just watch and see, Denki,” Sero grinned.

“What are you extras going on-” Right as Bakugou was about to explode on the two of them, the first note from Tokoyami reverberated through the basement, silencing any lingering conversations. Jirou’s bass soon was added to the mix, and the anticipation was eating at Denki. He knew what was coming, but nothing could compare to the first ripple of shock that ran through him at a live show once the music started. Back still to the crowd, Kirishima inhaled loudly and on the exhale, the magic happened. The guttural words rang out into the quiet of the basement, his head tilted back, microphone poised in his hand above him as he screamed out the intro. As soon as the last word rang out, he turned around, face cracked into a wide smile as he hooked the microphone onto the stand. Tetsu immediately joined in and the band came to life—the cacophony of guitar riffs, bass lines, and drum beats filled the cramped space with an energy that was contagious. The look on Bakugou’s face as Kirishima joined in with a rhythm guitar, headbanging as he waited for the first verse to start, was one that Denki only wished he had the foresight to record, because that shit was priceless. As the verses bled into the chorus, both Jirou and Tokoyami lended their voices in a perfect harmony to compliment the rough vocals that Kirishima was dishing out. Tetsu continued to beat away on the drums, looking every bit in the element that Denki knew he was in. The area in front of the stage soon started to fill with bodies slamming against one another, various liquors spraying all around, as the mosh pit took life during the breakdown. Denki was itching to join, especially after watching Bakugou jump into the fray, but he hesitated. The last time he was in the pit with Bakugou, it didn’t end so well for anyone involved. Cheers from the crowd echoed all around as the ending notes rang out. Bakugou’s shouts of pride for Kirishima were the loudest, which made both Denki and Sero snort in laughter.

“Happy Holigays, ya filthy animals!” Jirou cried out. “Bringing you some true, back to the roots, Dark Shadow tonight, courtesy of one Kirishima Eijirou! Now, let’s get this party started!” The loud roar of cheers was soon cut short by Tetsu’s drumming filling the space as he transitioned into the next song. This one was Jirou dominated with Kirishima growling out the supporting chorus. Tokoyami was swaying as he played the chords, letting the music flow through him, the serene look Denki knew he was sporting hidden behind his signature raven mask. The song finished and immediately pushed forward into the next and Denki threw himself into the pit during the breakdown after downing the beer he brought down with him. Between Bakugou and Camie he found himself getting thrown around, laughter bubbling up from him. He had missed this so much. He skidded to a stop next to Sero as the song ended and the band took a drink break.

“Dude! Next time I’m all down and depressed, throw me in a mosh pit. Instant cure,” he panted and swiped Sero’s drink away from him to finish himself, much to the taller man’s chagrin.

“I’ll try to remember that,” he chuckled.

“Dude, where are you going? It’s just now getting good!” Denki asked as Sero started toward the stairs following Jirou’s announcement that this would be the last song featuring Kirishima for the night.

“Stepping outside for a moment,” he said as he brought two fingers to his lips in the universal sign for ‘I need a smoke.’

“Man, I thought you quit that shit,” he teased and received a shrug in response. “Suit yourself—you’re gonna miss the best part. Bring me back a beer!” he called to him as he dove back toward the mosh pit, the heavy riffs reverberating in his bones. He was pretty familiar with this song, given that it was one of Kirishima’s favorites to blare when they went to the gym together, so as he pushed and shoved along with the others he was screaming along to the lyrics, feeling more free than he had in a long time. A mammoth of a man nearly sent Denki flailing back on his ass, but Bakugou and Camie caught him and propelled him forward.

“Watch it, Baldy!” Bakugou growled.

“I’m not bald! But my apologies!” the man yelled back, bowing down and nearly knocking his head on Camie’s shoulder, who laughed and shoved him. The tension that had started radiating from Bakugou disappeared as soon as it came, and he went back to enjoying the rest of the song. Denki followed suit, more than energized that he was getting to see his bro really let loose. He couldn’t wait to mosh with him later.

“Alright! Hope you guys are having as much of a fuckin’ great time as we are!” Jirou yelled, her chest heaving as she caught her breath as the song ended. “Thanks again to Kirishima for joining us!” There were hoots and hollers as he waved and left the stage area to be beside Bakugou, who pulled him in for a rough kiss.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me you could do that, Shitty Hair?” Bakugou asked as soon as they parted and Denki could only laugh along with Kirishima, who was sheepishly scratching at the back of his head. If only Bakugou knew that had Kirishima showed up on time on his birthday, he would have found out just what his boyfriend was capable of.

“I’m really excited for this next song. Tokoyami and I have been working on something a little different for the drop of our EP. Hope you guys are ready for this!” Jirou called out as she grabbed an acoustic guitar. Tokoyami had already traded his electric one out for his own acoustic one, and with a nod from him, they started. The tune was faintly familiar as they plucked away at the strings, Tetsu in the background providing muted percussion against a wooden table. Jirou and Tokoyami’s voices complemented each other beautifully, and it was driving Denki crazy why he couldn’t place the song. He tried to not let a pang of jealousy hit him as he watched Bakugou cling to Kirishima. If he hadn’t screwed up, then maybe that could have been him and Shinsou tonight. He expelled that thought as soon as it came—he couldn’t let himself get down now. He was still riding the high of the pit and nothing was going to come in the way of that. The chorus of the song hit and that’s when Denki realized it was a song that Shinsou had shown him the last time he was at Cool Beans.

“What an interesting take on this song. I would have never thought to make it acoustic. I really like it,” a voice said beside his ear, making a shiver run up his spine. He blinked, looking over to see what must be an illusion standing by his side.

“Shinsou? You’re actually here?” Denki questioned, still not believing his eyes. He figured that he was being stood up, if that’s what you could call it, when he hadn’t gotten an answer all day about the invitation to the show.

“Yeah, I’m here. Sorry, I meant to text you earlier and let you know I was going to make it, but the cafe got super busy. Then I had to chase Jacques around the apartment because he took off with my shirt,” he chuckled. “Also, you can call me Hitoshi, if you want,” he added, a blush dusting his face as he handed a beer over.

“Then you should call me Denki. And I must say, Hitoshi, this is most definitely more your scene,” Denki smiled as he eyed Hitoshi. He was in a pair of black skinny jeans which were ripped at the knees and upper thighs and they were cuffed above a pair of dark purple Doc Martens. He had on the same black tank top with the unidentifiable band name in silver (that had been driving Denki nuts for ages) on with a dark purple and black flannel shirt tied around his waist. His hair was pulled up in a sloppy bun and all of his piercings were in and damn, Hitoshi looked like a whole ass meal.

“Oh really? And what possibly gave you that impression?” he joked, eyebrow arched.

“For starters, you don’t look like you’re about to jump out of your skin at the slightest touch,” Denki laughed while the haunting harmony of Jirou and Tokoyami rang throughout the cramped basement.

“I am almost scared to know what else makes you think that this is more my scene,” he chuckled and took a swig of his own drink.

“Besides the fact that you look like you walked out of an alternative magazine looking sexy as fuck? What other evidence do you need, handsome?” he flirted and Hitoshi choked.

“You can’t just say things like that Denki,” he grumbled, wiping his face with the back of his hand. “Just how many drinks have you even had tonight?” he asked as Denki downed the beer given to him, crunching the can and tossing it. Kaminari’s sassy response was cut off by the ending notes of the song ringing out and he called out a loud cheer that was echoed by others in the room.

“How did you even know where to find me?” Denki asked as the realization that Hitoshi was here and standing next to him finally sunk in. He knew he sent him the address, but sometimes navigating the house could be a pain.

“He ran into me,” Sero said, weaving himself back into the crowd as Dark Shadow switched gears from acoustic to electric once again, the song one of the best covers of My Chemical Romance that Denki had ever had the pleasure of hearing. “Figured he was looking for you since he seemed to fit the description of the ‘totally cute cat man’ you’ve been going on about,” he snickered and Denki’s face flamed at the arched eyebrow aimed at him from Hitoshi.

“Oh! You’re the waiter from the cat cafe! How’s it going, man?” Kirishima asked as he popped over with Bakugou in tow, both covered in sweat from the pit.

“It’s been a day, that’s for sure,” Hitoshi shrugged.

“Tell me about it, Eyebags,” Bakugou scoffed. “I’ll be back—gonna go get us some more drinks.” He took off up the stairs after giving Kirishima a quick kiss and flipping Denki off after he asked for yet another drink.

“Dude! It was great to see you play again!” Denki yelled, taking control of the conversation and leaning over to give Kirishima a fistbump. “I feel like it’s been entirely too long and that’s a travesty.”

“You’re right. Hopefully I can get back to it soon enough. By the way, my name’s Kirishima. Nice to meet you!” he smiled, extending a hand out to Hitoshi.

“Shinsou. Same to you,” he responded, clasping hands with him.

“I met him when I was doing work at Cool Beans! By the way, the angry blond goblin is Bakugou. We work together at Sugar Rush!” Denki laughed.

“I’m also Ei’s boyfriend, so don’t be getting any thoughts,” he griped, returning and shoving a drink, which suspiciously smelled like rum and coke, at Kaminari.

“Don’t worry—no offense, but he’s not my type.” Bakugou’s eyes narrowed at him, but he decided against whatever smartass comment he was planning to say as the last notes of the song rang out.

“Oh really? Then what exactly is your type?” Denki purred, threading his arms through Hitoshi’s, who coughed and immediately flushed a bright red. Thankfully, Jirou’s announcement that this would be the last song of their set distracted Denki enough from getting an answer out of the poor man. “Come on! Gotta enjoy the show to the fullest!” he exclaimed, pulling Hitoshi into the pit. The song was a heavier one than Denki was used to hearing from Dark Shadow without Kirishima playing, but he was proud of them for branching out. Denki felt more alive than he had in ages—the laughter and shoving from his friends surrounding him as the song was reaching its crescendo. Things were deliciously fuzzy as the alcohol raced through his body and he felt like he was floating. He found himself flailing from an unnecessarily hard push from Bakugou, but two large and warm hands shot out and steadied him.

“Whoa there. No eating shit tonight,” Hitoshi murmured, his voice the only thing that Denki could focus on in the moment, the sound of music becoming a muted roar in the background. Denki looked up, panting, and was struck with just how beautiful Shinsou looked; his hair was wild, whisps sticking out of the sloppy bun and framing his face in the most breathtaking lavender halo ever. His eyes were shining with amusement and there was a light sheen of sweat coating his skin. The dim lights of the room were reflecting off his piercings and Denki was almost certain he was looking at the face of an angel. But what really drew him in was the honest to god grin that Hitoshi was sporting. He had seen the smirks and sarcastic grins that Hitoshi had a tendency to wear when he wasn’t looking bored, but this was the first time he had seen his true smile, and Denki was hooked. He could feel his mouth moving, but he wasn’t exactly sure what he was saying to Hitoshi, the hysteric need to get the thoughts of just how gorgeous and utterly hooked on him he was off his chest fueling his inebriated ramblings as the song was coming to an end. Whatever he was saying seemed to have an effect on the other man, for his eyes widened and jaw slackened slightly. As the feedback from the guitar reverberated through the cramped quarters, Denki closed his eyes and pulled Hitoshi down by the shoulders and pressed their mouths together in a quick and sloppy kiss. He felt Hitoshi stiffen momentarily before tentatively returning it and Denki was sure he had died and gone to heaven. Nothing mattered more to him than the feeling of Hitoshi’s mouth working against his as they stood in the dimly-lit basement, shoes sticking slightly to the liquor and sweat dampened floor as hoots and hollers from the crowd, and his friends, faded into a pleasant murmur in the background. They separated, chests heaving, and there was a softness in Hitoshi’s eyes that made Denki feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

“Thank you for such a great show tonight!” Jirou said, her voice slightly hoarse from the performance. “Up next we’re gonna have Tape Deck’s own Cellophane serenading us! If you’re interested, find us over at the merch table for a copy of our new EP Revelry in the Dark! Until next time, ya filthy heathens!” The crowd dispersed, many making their way to the merch table that Camie was setting up and others heading upstairs for more booze or smoke breaks. Denki leaned against Hitoshi, who wrapped his arm around him, pulling him close, and sighed happily. While Sero made his way to the stage to prepare for his set the only thing that kept revolving in Denki’s mind was he was a very lucky man. If the grin from Hitoshi was any indication, the feeling was mutual. The basement quickly filled back up and the first notes of Sero’s set filled the air, a serene and stark difference from Dark Shadow’s performance. He cuddled closer to Hitoshi, swaying along with the music, and as he lost himself in the melody he found himself having absolutely no regrets.

#jaz writes #shinsou hitoshi #kaminari denki #shinkami #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #long fic #chapter 3 #shaken not stirred #On the Rocks #also on ao3 and twitter #shinkami big bang 2020

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jazwritesalot · 2 years ago

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Shaken, Not Stirred - Chapter 2: Blue Kamikaze

Chapter 1

Written for the ShinKami Big Bang 2020

It seemed that Denki didn’t have to come up with a half-assed excuse to visit Cool Beans. True to Shinsou’s word, Denki received another call not more than 24 hours later from Hizashi in a panic because the lights in the dining area went kaput. That was another easy fix—just some faulty wiring that finally breathed its last breath. He wanted to stay and get to know Shinsou some more after that, but he promised both Kirishima and Sero he would actually go to Sugar Rush and have a talk with Sato about his absences, so he begrudgingly went and did that. But that was okay, because the next day he got another frantic call from Cool Beans about how their pastry oven wasn’t working. That repair was a bit trickier because he had to place an order at the local hardware store for some parts, so there was a delay in the repair, but ultimately it didn’t take too long once he was able to get to work. He was able to stick around a little while on the first day to talk to Shinsou some more, but not for long, since he had a meeting with Takeyama at Lurkers to secure a spot at the club for a Friday night show. The next day, he once again had to dip right after the repair finished because he picked up a shift for Bakugou as the beginning of his ‘eternal apology for being a flakey asshole’ as Blasty so lovingly put it. He was high-key expecting a flustered call from Hizashi for the fifth day in a row, yet he found himself both pleasantly surprised and slightly disappointed when the phone didn’t ring.

“You know,” Kirishima said around a mouthful of cereal, “you can always go to this cafe just to eat, right? You don’t have to only go there because there’s a repair to be done.”

“But wouldn’t that seem, I don’t know, a little weird to just pop up out of the blue and be a patron after I’ve worked there for the past four days?” Denki pouted, resting his chin on the kitchen table.

“I mean, you’ve been saying you need to work on your mixes since you’ve got this show in a couple days. Wouldn’t a change of scenery do you some good?”

“That,” Sero started as he entered the kitchen, “and it would give you more time to chat with this hot waiter that you haven’t shut up about since Friday.”

“You wound me, Hanta. I haven’t talked about him that much!” he whined.

“Dude, literally every other word out of your mouth has been ‘Shinsou this’ and ‘Shinsou that,’” Kirishima snickered.

“Like you have room to talk—I distinctly remember you waxing poetic about Bakugou from the first moment you met him. What was it again? Oh yeah: ‘I think I met the love of my life today, guys. He could murder me with just a look and I would thank him.’ Or did you forget about that, bro?” Denki teased and Eijirou gave him a playful shove.

“In all seriousness though, I do think you should go. You’ve been doing a lot better the past couple of days, Denki. And if it takes a hot waiter at a cafe to do that for you, then why would you even think of passing up on an opportunity like that,” Sero said, leaning over and draping an arm around his shoulder. “Besides, who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky like Ei and he will give you his phone number.”

“Oh yeah, like I want to be given the wrong number and then get immediately blocked once I get the right number,” Denki laughed, ignoring the noise of protest from Kirishima. “I kid. I kid. But you guys are right. I think I will head to the cafe! Thanks, my bromos,” he laughed, giving them each a sloppy kiss on the cheek before running to his room. He grabbed his backpack and stuffed his laptop and headphones in it before running out to the living room to shrug his hoodie on and slip into his shoes. He grabbed his toolbag, just in case, called out goodbyes to Sero and Kirishima, and made his way to Cool Beans, excited to get some work done. And, of course, to see Shinsou.

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Arriving at the steps of Cool Beans sent a nice little thrill down his spine, but he didn’t want to try and delve too deep into the intricacies of why that was. He was about to walk up the stairs when a small meow caught his attention.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” Denki mused out loud as he walked to the side of the building and found a small black and white cat in the bushes. “Ah, you must be the escape artist! Better get you back inside!” The cat squirmed in his arms as he picked it up and he had to stifle the laugh as he looked at its face and saw that it resembled that of a vampire. He smoothed the fur down and gave the kitty a little boop on the nose before hugging it close to him and heading into the cafe.

“Welcome to Cool Beans,” Eri’s soft voice drifted out from the front desk and Denki gave her a small wave. Shinsou came out from the kitchen and gave a small groan.

“Oh god, what could possibly be broken now,” he asked, running a hand down his face.

“Oh! Nothing is broken. I just chose to come here. Also! I found your escape artist outside!” Denki smiled, thrusting the cat out toward Shinsou, who blinked at him and cocked his head.

“Um, Kaminari, I’ve never seen this cat a day in my life. Also, please don’t hold cats like that,” he pleaded, coming over and scooping the cat out of his arms. The cat stopped struggling once it was in Shinsou’s embrace and it started to purr happily. “Where did you say you found her?”

“Outside in the bushes; that’s why I thought she was the escape artist. Wait? How do you know the cat is a girl?” he asked, walking over to pet the happy ball of fur.

“I mean, it’s easy if you look between the legs,” he shrugged. “So she was just outside?”

“Yupp.” Denki hopped onto one of the barstools and kicked his feet back and forth. “It looked like she was trying to get in, so I just assumed she was one of yours. But, I guess she would be now, right?”

“Uh, no? We can’t just take in every cat that comes through the door, unfortunately. We are limited on how many animals we’re allowed to have in the cafe at once, and we’re at capacity. Believe me, I wish we could, but it’s out of my hands.”

“What will happen to her?” Denki asked, reaching over to give her a scritch behind her ears, which earned him a happy chirp.

“Well, since there’s no tags on her, we would have to call animal control and she would be taken to the shelter until someone adopts her. And that’s the best case scenario.” The sad look in Shinsou’s eyes hit Denki right in his heart.

“Well, what if I take her home!” he exclaimed without really putting much thought into it. “She could live with me and I will be her new owner and give her a happy life.”

“You’re going to take her home?” Shinsou asked, arching his eyebrow. “I’m sorry, but do you even know the first thing about taking care of a cat?”

“I mean, how hard can it be? Besides! The internet can tell me everything I need to know! So, can she stay here while I’m here? Let her socialize with the other kitties?” Denki asked, giving Shinsou his best rendition of puppy dog eyes.

“I know I’m probably going to regret this,” Shinsou started with a loud sigh, “but sure. Hey, Eri. Can you come take her, check her out, and introduce her to the other cats please?”

“Of course,” she replied, sliding off the seat and gently took the cat from his arms. “Come on, little kitty, let’s go check you out and have you make some new friends.”

“She’s pretty good with cats,” he noted as he watched her walk away, happiness already thrumming through his veins at the prospect of being a pet parent.

“Yeah she is. She’s made mention to me once that she wants to be a vet when she grows up. I think it would be the perfect job for her. She’s always been super kind-hearted and attentive to others.”

“Man, you really care about her, don’t you? I can see it in your eyes,” Denki commented, pulling his laptop out of his bag and getting it situated at his place at the bar.

“Of course—she’s my little sister. If anything were to ever happen to her, I would kill everyone in this room, and then myself,” he said in a deadpan voice, and Denki wasn’t sure if he was actually joking or not. “Anyway, what will it be today? Another Amaretto Sour?” The stare was replaced with his shit-eating grin that Denki had become accustomed to seeing on his face, and his heart skipped a beat (at least, that’s what he swears happened).

“Nah, I think today I will just stick with a Coke. Need to get some work done. Oh. Could I also put in an order for gyoza? I’m starving.”

“One Coke and gyoza, coming right up. So, what are you working on?” he asked as he punched the order into the computer and served up Denki’s drink.

“Oh, just some mixes! I do some part-time DJing and performances on the side, and I’ve got one coming up on Friday night. Been pretty stuck on the latest song, so my roommates and I thought a change of scenery would do me wonders,” he explained, sipping on the drink and turning the connection to his headphones on.

“What made you choose to come here? Didn’t you say you worked at a cafe yourself—why not just go there?”

“What, is this twenty questions?” Denki teased. “Yeah, I work at a cafe, but right now one of the employees, well no, two of the employees are kind of pissed off at me. I feel like that would be too hostile of an environment for me to try and produce anything worthwhile in.”

“What on earth could you have done to piss off two people at once?”

“What does the sheet music on your bicep say?” Denki shot back, trying to change the topic at hand.

“It’s the notes for 'Friday, I’m in Love.' Nice deflection, by the way. Back to my question.”

“Stupid psych majors,” Denki grumbled. “Okay, so I’m going to sound like a total asshole when I say this, but I kind of was hitting on a girl at work. I knew her, of course. We have been friends for quite a few years, and I thought she was totally into me. Well oh boy, was I wrong. She got super pissed off at me and told me off during the middle of our shift and hasn’t spoken a word to me since,” he explained, sliding down in his seat and resting his chin on the trackpad of his laptop.

“Were you being a fuckboy about it? Also, hold on one second,” Shinsou announced, walking off to go into the kitchen. He returned with the plate of gyoza and placed it on the counter next to him before taking a seat next to Denki. “Taking my break,” he said at Denki’s confused face. “Anyway, so were you?”

“I don’t think I was? I was just being my brand of flirty, which includes copious amounts of horrendous puns. Not anything she wasn’t used to, what with being my friend, and all. But I guess it was just too much for her all at once. And I feel like shit about it,” he groaned, shoving a dumpling in his mouth.

“Okay, so you pissed off the girl you were crushing on, who happens to be your coworker. Give her some space—if she’s been your friend for a while, and you didn’t do anything super asshole-ish to her, I’m sure that time is just what it will take.” He snagged a dumpling off of the plate, ignoring the weak protest from Denki. “Now, that’s one person you pissed off. How about the other?”

“Oh god. This is going to be even more pathetic. I got really fucked up about her rejection, you know? So I started making up excuses for why I couldn’t come into work, since we work the same shifts. Each time I got called in, the same coworker got called in to work my shift, so now he’s super pissed off. And it’s even worse because he’s my roommate’s boyfriend, so now I’ve been screwing up their date nights and stuff because of my dumbassery.”

“Does he know you were faking each time you called in?” he asked while leaning against the counter with his elbow, resting his head on his hand.

“I don’t think my roommate, or boss for that matter, ratted me out to him. I just know he’s pissed because Ei doesn’t get a lot of free time with his work schedule, so they try to do as much as they can when their schedules align. And wait a minute; isn’t it about time I get to ask a question? I don’t think you’re playing this game very fair.”

“You should probably have a talk with him and apologize for your behavior. That would be a good place to start.” He stood and leaned over the counter to pour himself a glass of water before settling back down in his seat. “By the way, it’s your turn.”

“I’ve already started the atonement process with Blasty. He can be, um, very intense. So a simple apology won’t do. But thanks for the advice. Now,” he started, “what’s your favorite color?”

“Purple. That was almost too easy; I’ll give you another question.”

“Aww, just as a treat?” Denki snickered, and Shinsou rolled his eyes. “Okay, what’s your favorite hobby?”

“Don’t laugh, but I enjoy composing music,” he admitted with a shy smile.

“Laugh? Dude, why would I laugh? I literally told you I’m a DJ and performer. Could I look at some of your stuff sometime? Oh! Do you play any instruments?” he yelled and slapped his hands on the counter.

“Uh, I don’t know about that. My stuff tends to be pretty garbage, actually. And yes, I can play the guitar, but I don’t get to very much. Too busy with school and work. What I would kill to have a night where I can just go enjoy myself,” he sighed. “Enough about that, next question.”

They continued on with their back and forth questioning, and with each one, Shinsou opened up a little more, much to Denki’s delight. He found out that he studied psychology because he has always been fascinated in the brain and how people could be easily swayed and influenced by the actions and words of others. He also found out that Shinsou was an insomniac—though Denki could have guessed by the bags underneath his eyes that that was the case. They had been lucky that all of the patrons who had come in the past half-hour had been there for the cat room and not for food or drinks, but soon enough, a stern-looking man with dark hair and eye bags that rivaled Shinsou’s came out and told him that he needed his help in the kitchen. Denki popped his headphones in as Shinsou gave him a small wave before heading off to the kitchen and he immersed himself in the beats that were going to star in his next mix, lyrics already forming in his mind.

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Denki had lost track of time while at Cool Beans, and before he knew it, they were being slammed with their dinner rush. He had made a lot of headway in his mixes for Friday, which was his cue to head home for the evening. After picking up his cat, whose name was still undecided, from Eri in the cat room, he was met with a horrified look from Shinsou as he placed her in his toolbag. With the promise to get an appropriate cat carrier for her, and the reassurance from Eri that she was flea-free, he began his trek back home.

“Okay, Little Lady, I’m going to need you to be quiet now, you hear?” Denki whispered to his toolbag as he approached the front door of his house. He was slowly beginning to realize that declaring he was going to house a cat without actually talking to his roommates about having a pet may not have been the best idea. So, the solution was simple—sneak her in, warm them up to the idea of having a pet, and then, when the time was right, introduce her to Hanta and Eijirou. Well, it would have been simple, if she hadn’t decided to yowl loudly the moment Denki entered the house.

“Denki,” Sero asked, lowering the magazine he was reading. “Did your bag just meow?”

“What? No! Why would you think that?” Denki laughed, silently praying that nameless kitty would behave and not give him away. Unfortunately, she had other plans in mind as she let out another loud meow and shoved her paw through the small opening that Denki had given the bag for her to breathe.

“Dude! You got a cat? That’s awesome!” Kirishima shouted, running over to him. “Can I see it? What’s their name?”

“Ei! Don’t encourage this!” Sero shouted, closing his magazine and throwing it on the table. “He could barely afford to pay rent last month. How is he supposed to afford to take care of a cat?”

“Hey! I paid off Kirishima the other day. Yamada has been paying me good money to come and fix up his shop!” Denki protested, pulling the cat out of the toolbag, which was met with a loud exclamation of joy from Kirishima.

“Okay, but what about cat necessities, Denks? Do you even have food for her? What about litter and a litter box?”

“Litter box? Why would I need one of those?” He cocked his head to the side as he held the cat how Shinsou instructed him to while Kirishima ran his fingers through her fur.

“How else will the cat go to the bathroom, Denki?” Sero asked through his teeth.

“Oh! I just saw a video the other day where someone trained their cat to use the toilet whenever they needed to go to the bathroom,” Kirishima added, nearly vibrating with excitement.

“Oh my god guys, you cannot and will not teach the cat how to shit in the toilet. On another note—why a cat? You’ve never seemed interested in pets before today.” Sero arched a brow at the two of them while leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen.

“Does this have something to do with this guy you’ve been talking nonstop about?” Kirishima teased as he gave the kitty chin scritches.

“No! Well, maybe. But not entirely. She was lonely and I found her in a bush. I couldn’t imagine taking her to a shelter because what if she never got picked for adoption? I would feel awful for her. So please, Hanta. Let me keep her. I promise I will take good care of her. You’ll never even know she’s here,” Denki pleaded, holding her up so she was right in Sero’s face.

Sero sighed, defeated. “Fine, Denki, you win. You can keep the cat. Besides, she is kind of cute,” he murmured, reaching out to pet her on the head. “But please, for the love of god, get her a litter box.”

“Thank you, Hanta! You won’t regret this at all!” Denki exclaimed. “Now come on, little lady. It’s time for you to go see your new room!” He took off to his bedroom, kitty in tow, excited at the prospect of being a pet parent finally.

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Friday had rolled around before Denki realized it, and he had found himself being a healthy mix of excited and nervous for his first performance in months. And, in true Denki-fashion, he had been running late because it took him forever to find his lucky performance shirt. He was hopping into his black and yellow checkered Vans when he ran into Bakugou and Kirishima on his way out of the house. Seeing the confused look on Blasty’s face about his not knowing that his boyfriend was roommates with Denki was well worth being late to Lurkers, if he did say so himself, even if it did earn him a chewing out by Takeyama. All seemed to be forgiven, however, when the club was packed wall to wall for his set.

The bass was bumping through the club, reverberating through his bones, as he sat at the bar. The silver-haired bartender silently slid Denki his beer, to which Denki nodded his thanks at him. As he sipped at the cool, frothy liquid, he leaned back in the chair with a huge grin on his face. The adrenaline of his show was still thrumming through him and he couldn’t believe that it had been months since his last gig. The rush of being on stage—a real stage (no shade to Tape Deck, however)—and looking out into the sea of people as he wove lyrics into the mixes he created was a high that he wanted to chase again and again. He couldn’t believe that he had put a pause on such an experience as this. He was halfway through his beer when someone shyly cleared their throat to the right of him, and when he turned to look at who was trying to get his attention, he nearly choked on the swig of the drink. The person he was least expecting to be there was gracing him with his presence: Shinsou stood before him looking every bit as nervous as Denki had anticipated he would look in a club.

“What are you doin’ here, Stranger?” Denki purred, taking another sip of his drink as he eyed Shinsou up and down. Even dressed down in a black The Cure hoodie and dark skinny jeans that Denki was pretty sure were purple if he squinted hard enough in the darkly lit club, Shinsou looked as stunning as ever to him. Even more so with his hair up in a loose bun and that he was wearing all of his piercings—Denki had sorely missed seeing those when he had been working on the equipment for Hizashi.

“Can’t a guy come to the bar to celebrate being done with finals?” Shinsou questioned, grabbing the beer he ordered for himself to sip slowly on it.

“Sure he can. But most guys who come to bars don’t look like their spine has been replaced with a steel beam,” he joked, finishing his beer and signaling to the quiet bartender for another round. Yet another wonderful perk about being a performer—the free booze. “I never took you to be one for the bar scene, my friend."

“Got me there, I guess,” Shinsou sighed. “By the way, nice shirt. Rage is a great band,” he commented and Denki could see that he was visibly trying to make himself relax, but every time a person brushed up against him, he jumped and tensed, knuckles taut enough around his drink that Denki swore they could cut glass.

“Thanks! They’re one of my favorites. Anyway, why exactly are you here? Not that I’m not happy to see you, of course.” He knew he was slipping into the flirty voice, but who could blame him? They called it liquid courage for a reason.

“Curiosity mostly. I saw fliers on campus advertising for the show tonight and I wanted to know if DJ Chargebolt was the same person who keeps fixing up our shop. Very creative on the naming,” Shinsou teased and Denki snorted.

“Hey, when you got something good, why change it? By the way, what did you think of the show?”

“Wish I could tell you. We got busy at the cafe, so by the time I made it here, the show was already over,” he admitted and Denki felt a small thrill run through him at the prospect of Shinsou still sticking around to see him even though the music was done. A slightly awkward silence filled the air, which made Denki pout. He had never had any issues with maintaining conversation with Shinsou before, and he wasn’t about to let it happen now. “So I have an idea, if you’re down for it?”

“Does it involve dancing? If the answer is yes, then that’s an automatic ‘no’ from me,” Shinsou warned cautiously.

“No, no. Nothing like that. I was just going to suggest we do some shots; just a little something to loosen you up a bit.” Shinsou eyed him warily for a few seconds before nodding. “Okay, sweet! Bartender! Could I get a round of Blue Kamikazes for me and my friend here?” he asked, and the man nodded. “These are my favorite shots ever!” Denki yelled over the music that had started booming through the speakers while they watched the bartender mix the vodka, lime juice, and blue curacao up and pour them into the shot glasses before sliding them over. “Down the hatch!” Denki laughed, pushing his glass forward to clink against Shinsou’s.

“Here goes nothing,” Shinsou muttered and they both tipped their shots back. Denki let out a small hum as the vodka burned his throat before licking his lips to get the faint citrus taste off them. He briefly wondered if Shinsou’s lips also tasted citrusy, but he had to shove that thought far away before it became a problem. He did have to say, however, that seeing Shinsou take the shot without his facial expression changing in the slightest was probably the hottest thing he had ever witnessed.

“So, whatcha think?” he asked, invading Shinsou’s personal space. It didn’t seem like the other man minded too much, which filled Denki with delight.

“Definitely on the sweeter side of shots I’ve ever had. I prefer some of the more sour ones, like Lemon Drops, but this is one I’d be willing to drink again,” he explained, a hint of a smile ghosting his face.

“Well, why should I keep a good man waiting?” Denki smirked before ordering another round. One more round turned to two, which turned to three then four. The more shots they did, the more relaxed Shinsou became, moving from standing next to Denki at the counter to sitting in the chair next to him, their knees touching as they faced one another.

“You were right, you know,” Shinsou finally said after they finished their fifth shot. There was a small blush on his cheeks and Denki would have given anything in that moment to place a kiss against them.

“I usually am, believe it or not. But what specifically about?” Denki made a mental note to start weaning off the alcohol soon—he had to work a day shift at Sugar Rush the next day and didn’t need to go in with a hangover.

“Just that clubs aren’t really my go-to when it comes to enjoying live music. Honestly? I try to avoid them as much as I can if I’m able to. Every once in a while my friend Monoma will drag me out to them, but I usually try to weasel my way out of it if I can,” he admitted.

“First off, you’re friends with Monoma? You poor soul. And second, if clubs aren’t your thing, then what is?” Denki ordered another round, and a water for himself, as he awaited Shinsou’s answers.

“I feel like I should be able to get a question in here too, you know,” he laughed, taking the shot. “To answer the first question, yes, I’m friends with Monoma. I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but he was the only one in high school that didn’t treat me like I was a complete outcast. We kind of clicked since then, though we don’t see much of one another since I went off to university and started helping around the shop more.”

“That makes sense. But man, is it hard to picture anyone being friends with him. I swore to god that my roommates were going to kill him the last time we encountered him. Man just doesn’t know when to shut his mouth,” Denki complained and Shinsou snorted in agreement. “Before you answer my second question, feel free to shoot me one of your own.”

“You’re so generous,” he drawled. “So, do you have any tattoos or piercings of your own? I notice you’re always looking at mine whenever I see you.” Well, Denki sure didn’t expect to get caught with his ogling. Not that he regretted it one bit. “That, and you mentioned that your roommate had some too.”

“No piercings; they’re too much of a liability with my line of work. Though, if I could get one, I think I’d look pretty hot with a belly button ring. As for tattoos, I do have one tattoo, but that requires at least a level three friendship to unlock what and where it is,” he finished with a shit-eating grin before sipping on his water.

“That hardly seems fair. But, to answer your last question, I guess I would say my favorite music scene would be the underground one. There’s nothing better than going to house shows where local acts get together to unleash their angst and repressed teenage rage on the crowd while sipping on shitty beer and mixed drinks of questionable potency.”

“No shit? I actually live at one of the underground houses here in town!” Denki exclaimed, sitting up straight and practically vibrating with excitement. “We call ourselves Tape Deck. We’re actually getting the acts together for our Holigay Bash next week. You should totally come!”

“Tape Deck, huh? I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of that one. It sounds like it could be fun though,” he mused.

“Our shows are always a blast. I think you would really enjoy it. Besides, Yours Truly is playing, and since you missed tonight, what better way to get acquainted with my music than in my domain?”

“The offer is very tempting. I’ll have to think about it,” he laughed. “Where is Tape Deck, anyway?”

“Why don’t you just slide your number in here and I’ll text it to you. You know, for safekeeping,” Denki winked and pushed his phone across the bar to Shinsou, who laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of Denki’s proposition. It didn’t stop Denki from scoring Shinsou’s number, however, which made him feel like he was on top of the world. He sent a quick text his way, filled to the brim with emojis, so he could save his contact information.

“As much fun as tonight has been, I need to get back home. Dad’s the one opening tomorrow instead of Pops, and he’s about as much of a morning person as an opossum, so I told him I’d lend him a hand with the open. I’ll let you know about the show.”

“You got my number now, so don’t be a stranger. Besides, now that we are at level one of friendship, I must let you know I will be spamming you with kitty pics and updates for at least the next twelve hours. So, be prepared,” Denki threatened and Shinsou chuckled, giving him one last wave before weaving through the crowd and disappearing. A pleased sigh escaped Denki—not only did he get to perform again, but he also scored his crush’s phone number. How much better could life get?

#jaz writes #shinsou hitoshi #kaminari denki #shinkami #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #long fic #chapter 2 #shaken not stirred #On the Rocks #also on ao3 and twitter #shinkami big bang 2020

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