Denki didn't dislike his job. He didn't like it, but it wasn't that bad. A big part of his not-hate was probably thanks to Ashido, whom he managed to get the same position with. He could share the pain of existence and work with someone who understood, and with someone who he liked, on top of that. It made the job all the more bearable. A decent job—but that didn't mean he didn't complain about it, of course. Not even because of any good reason. It was actually just more on principle. And to annoy Bakugou with his endless whining.
Okay, mainly to annoy Bakugou. He was good at this. As opposed to his actual job.
"Shut up, Pikachu."
"Oh, Kacchan, why are you so callous?" Denki put the back of his hand to his forehead in a theatrical way and dramatically laid down on his friend-slash-roommate's lap, like a swooning lady living in the seventeenth century. Said friend unceremoniously pushed him to the floor.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about! You're so brutal! Unfeeling! Heartle—mphf!"
At that moment, the oh-so-brutal, unfeeling and heartless friend, threw a pillow right into Denki's face.
"Why do I even put up with you?" Bakugou let out a long-suffering sigh, and got up from the couch.
Why am I even friends with you? The words of a certain black-haired boy and a childhood friend echoed in Denki's head. The sting of nostalgia only brought more bittersweet memories. Admittedly—they were only bitter because they could only stay in the past now.
"Oh, I have this effect on people," Denki sent a charming smile Bakugou's way, watching as the boy opened the fridge and took out two cans of Pepsi.
"So you're not even doing it on purpose? You're eliciting sympathy and making people pity you just by existing? Pathetic," his roommate replied, and threw one of the cans to Denki. He didn't catch it.
The drink bounced off of his fingers, and made a beautiful arc in the air before landing with a dull thud on the floor, sadly but understandably not in telemark style. It rolled on the carpet and finally stopped before one of the table's legs.
Denki stared at the can as if it were a rabid dog, ready to jump at him and bite him at any moment. As if it were a bomb, of which the timer counted down the last seconds. As if it were Bakugou, who'd just realized Denki ate the last bag of his favourite chips. As if it were Jirou, who'd just discovered someone eating her ice cream.
The can rested where it finished its journey though, innocently and cunningly at the same time.
"Don't be a pussy, just take it." Bakugou rolled his eyes, visibly vexed, while taking out various ingredients from the cupboards to prepare dinner.
Denki finally managed to force himself to take the indescribably dangerous item—the shaken can of carbonated drink that was on the ground. He was going to do it…
He was just about to risk his life and open it, when Sero entered the room.
Amazing.
"Sero, my man, could you help me? I'm having trouble grabbing the ring-pull," Denki lied and pouted, feigning innocence. Bakugou, luckily, kept silent. He, too, craved the chaos, after all.
Sero glanced at Denki, full of amusement, but apparently not suspecting anything. Good. Great, even.
Sero was now knight in shining armor. His savior. The new incarnation of Jesus himself. Huh, the hairstyle actually kinda matched.
Three… two…
"Arg!"
The hiss of the now-opened can was drowned by Sero's surprised scream (which sounded kinda like a deer's mating cry), which in turn got drowned by Bakugou's laughter (which sounded a bit like a lawnmower unable to start, or like a dying hyena). Denki had to let out a wheeze.
"Wow. Top ten anime betrayals, dude." Sero frowned, disappointed. "And I wanted to tell you about this new guy at work, he seems to be your type. Don't count on it now though."
That caught Denki's attention.
"My dearest friend!" he moaned, "I'm prostrating myself before you, forgive me, please—"
Sero grunted.
"—I beg you! I will take over your laundry duty, just please—"
Aaand he caved.
Wow. He really was good at this. Sero succumbed to his wails fast.
"Okay, okay, fine!" he paused for a moment. "So, his hair looks as if he combed it with a leaf blower and it's purple, he's a bit mean, rather tall, honestly kinda cute. You'd have to ask Midoriya for more details. The new guy joined when I started my vacation."
"So it's decided! I'm going to walk you to work tomorrow!"
Sero snorted.
"You're so predictable, man."
For one short moment, Denki pondered if meeting the potential love of his life (he was a romantic at heart, okay? Leave him alone) was worth getting up at six in the morning to walk Sero to work for. Their schedules were completely different, and they kept missing each other, so Denki could either accompany Sero's to his morning shift or wait a whole week to do it at a normal hour, and he didn't intend on waiting. The hesitance turned out to be completely stupid in hindsight.
When Denki crossed the threshold of the coffeeshop, his eyes fell on the boy his age, bustling behind the counter.
The boy, who looked suspiciously familiar.
Denki frowned.
Midoriya was in the process of explaining something to the new guy, his voice definitely too cheerful for the early hour.
"Hi, guys!" Sero greeted, leaving Denki at the entrance.
"Good morning, Sero!" Midoriya replied.
"Hi," The way the not-so-strange-stranger only acknowledged them and his sleepy voice, fit the dark bags under his eyes.
And then the guy's eyes met Denki's.
The boy knitted his eyebrows, before raising one of them and asked in an uncertain tone:
"Kaminari?"
Suddenly, realization hit Denki like a speeding truck. His lips widened in a smile so big it was a miracle the corners of his mouth didn't meet at the back of his head. Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but you get it.
Toshi! Toshi, Denki's childhood best friend, was back!
"Tosh—Shinsou!" Denki yelled, full of joy. In two jumps, he reached the counter, fast like lightning.
Then he froze.
Because… wow.
Shinsou had become unfairly handsome during these years. His jaw was diamond sharp. He had a sexy piercing in his brow. And those penetrating dark eyes, under closer inspection—even the bags under his eyes were hot! How?! What was his secret?
Shinsou was a cute kid; definitely someone who could grow up to be a cute and borderline handsome adult. But this Shinsou… This Shinsou was hot.
Denki's little disaster bi heart stuttered at the sight. What he didn't know, though, was that Shinsou's little disaster pan heart stuttered at Denki's sight, too.
"Uh, Kaminari? Are you okay?" Shinsou asked, amused.
Crap. Denki was being quiet for too long, wasn't he? And he was staring at Shinsou like the eighth wonder of the world.
"Yeah! Of course! It's just…"
He sheepishly glanced at Midoriya for support (who was either failing at concealing his smile or successfully suppressing his laughter) and Sero, who was grinning like an idiot.
"That's gay," the latter mouthed.
Unhelpful.
"It's just, we haven't seen each other in ages," Denki continued. "How's life going? When did you get back?"
Shinsou lazily scratched his cheek.
"Long story. I came back two months ago. Staying for good."
"That's great!" Denki almost squeaked. He cleared his throat and purposely lowered his voice a little. "I mean, I've missed you, man. Would you like to hang out sometime?"
Although on the outside Denki probably seemed like his usual charming, cool, composed, and—of course—extremely attractive self, on the inside he was about to combust. No joke.
Shinsou was back. For good! And he was super handsome now too. They'd be able to catch up! Talking with him was always so easy. Denki was curious if they still had as much in common as when they were little. Besides, Shinsou was perfectly Denki's type. It would be cool to respectfully look at him some more.
"Kaminari, is something wrong?" Sero asked in a worried tone, although there was something in his voice indicating the bastard was shamelessly teasing him. "You look tense."
Denki kept up his smile, simultanously trying to murder his friend just with his stare. "No, why?"
Shinsou only smirked at that. He'd probably seen gay panic before. Gay panic caused by him, specifically. How could he not. He was so pretty and sexy and—
Get your shit together, Denki, for heaven's sake.
"So... about the hanging out thing," Shinsou said, "sure, why not. But you choose, I don't really know the city."
"No problem! What about getting coffee?"
Shinsou raised his pierced eyebrow.
"To be honest, I'd rather not go to a coffee shop. I have enough of this here at work."
Denki facepalmed himself mentally with such force that he was sure the sound was being carried far, far away, reaching their apartment, with Bakugou getting ready for uni and Jirou preparing to go to her new job. Those two always knew when he made an idiot out of himself. They derived deep satisfaction and had a good laugh out of it most of the time. Well, maybe not most of the time, but usually? Sure. Sometimes he was the cause of their headaches, after all.
"Oh, of course," Denki laughed nervously.
The third and fourth wheels apparently moved to the social room because at this exact moment there came a noise, something like a horse pissing on a sheet of metal. Denki recognized the sound—it was Sero dying from laughter.
"Sero, what are you doing?" Midoriya whisper-yelled.
"I'm texting the group chat. Ashido, Kirishima and the rest have to know about it."
Denki tried to ignore it. To be his usual charming, sexy, composed self.
"Then maybe…" Strut your stuff, Denki! Remember what Shinsou likes! "Hey, you like cats, don't you? What about cat café?"
You moron, a café is the same as a coffee shop.
The mental facepalm was so strong this time, that Denki accidentally pushed his soul out of his body. Only this would explain what he heard next:
"Fine. For the cats." Shinsou's deep and smooth voice blessed his ears and grounded him.
"Wait, for real?"
"No, I'm joking," The words were dripping with sarcasm. Still, his friend, although probably losing his patience, seemed amused more than anything. He rolled his eyes with a weird fondness. "I mean it, it's fine."
Why was he even so stressed again? He only wanted to reconnect with Shinsou, not ask him to marry him.
At least not now.
Get your shit together, Denki, for fuck's sake.
"Yay!" he replied eloquently, showing a thumbs-up.
He regretted that the third mental facepalm didn't kill him. Now he had to pray for the ground to maybe mercifully swallow him whole.
Sadly, the universe wasn't so kind.
"We're opening in a moment so I'll give you my number and we'll talk about details later. Sounds good?"
"Sure! Give me your phone! Number. I meant phone number. I don't need your phone. I have my own."
Even Sero's ugly cackling couldn't drown out the last agonal screams of Denki's dignity, that echoed now in his skull and his heart.
It all didn't matter anymore, though, when Shinsou snorted, his laughter short but adorable.
"Yeah, I deducted as much, dumbass."
Maybe not everything was lost yet.
Shinsou: so is 5pm fine?
Kaminari: yup! 5pm is great ﾍ(｀･ω･)ﾉ┌┛
Shinsou: did you just kick me?
Shinsou: wow you could've just said i'm not wanted here
Kaminari: nooo!
Shinsou: it's the kicking kaomoji
Kaminari: it's not kicking! it's me ready to go (;´Д`)
Shinsou: i know. i'm just messing with you, dumbass
Denki counted Shinsou coming back as one of the best things that had happened to him lately. His childhood best friend—whom he had told countless stories to his current closest friends about—was back, after years spent abroad. And he wanted to reconnect! They'd stopped keeping in touch when his family took him on a field trip for his birthday at one point, and Denki accidentally dropped his phone into a river. It was actually Mako's fault. Sometimes Denki wished he didn't have a sister. Anyway, the device floated into the ocean and Denki was left without any way to contact his friend. He didn't remember his number and they didn't have any social media back then. He didn't know Shinsou's address either, because when he visited this one summer, he was picked up by Mrs. Shinsou and she chaperoned them the whole time. All he could do was miss him.
Now Denki wasn't planning to waste even one minute. He couldn't, not when the universe was giving him a second chance.
Shinsou arrived at their appointed meeting point five minutes early, a can of energy drink in hand. Denki was waiting for ten minutes now, nervously rocking on his heels.
"Shinsou!" Denki was sure his smile was blinding, because his friend stumbled, stopped in his steps and glanced away, as if he was looking at the sun.
"Were you waiting long?" Shinsou asked, blushing. Probably a bit embarrassed.
"Nah, I just got here," Denki lied. For some reason he was afraid he would seem overzealous if he told the truth.
"Cool. So, we're going inside?"
"Yup!"
Denki had never visited this cat café before. He knew it was there and was planning to go with someone at some point—because who can resist the cats' charms?—but he never got around to actually do it. He'd heard good things though.
Once they entered, he could say it indeed looked promising so far. The interior was bright and tidy, with white furniture decorated with colorful elements like pillows and coverlets. Big windows had parapets so wide that you could take a seat on them, and they were embellished with pretty, soft mats. There were multiple shelves on the walls, some of them linked with bridges, so cats could walk on them or jump between them. Some had decided to fall asleep there, or laid and observed the café. One could also spot wicker towers and baskets, inside which the animals were sitting or on which they were sharpening their claws with.
In the corner of the room, there was a box full of toys. On the other hand, to the left of the entrance, stood a counter made of light wood, and next to it there was a cabinet filled with pastries. In the neighbouring wall there gaped a hole, through which the cats could go to the other part of the building to have some peace away from humans.
They walked to the counter, and once they cleaned their hands with the antibacterial gel, the employee gave them the menus. They went to look for a free table and found one by the window. The moment they took a seat at the armchairs, the curious cats surrounded them—one was black with mismatched blue and gray eyes, one was white dotted with dun spots and only one eye, and the last one was red with a torn ear.
They looked through the menus in silence. Denki started to feel a bit awkward.
"So, what were you doing all these years?" he tried. "I guess quite a lot. You dyed your hair and have a piercing now…"
Shinsou briefly glanced at him and went back to choosing what to order.
"Eh, there were a lot of things, or not much at all, depending on what you consider interesting I guess. I started uni three times but dropped out every time because my major turned out to be boring. Unless you want to listen about my equally boring high school experience, there isn't really much for me to talk about. Dying my hair and getting a piercing are the only interesting things, really."
"Okay, and what are you planning to do now?"
"I'm gonna go to uni again, once the academic year starts. Maybe this time it will be interesting."
"Cool! What major?"
"Psychology."
"Why?" Denki questioned. "Don't get me wrong, I think it fits you. I'm just curious."
"I just find it fascinating. Especially how easy it is to manipulate people."
Denki snorted.
"For some reason it doesn't surprise me at all."
"The darker parts of human psyche are a lot more interesting than the other aspects," Shinsou shrugged with one arm; a gray cat with a white speck on its snout balanced carefully on the other one.
"Let me guess, you wanna be a forensic psychologist?"
"Nah, I'm not cut out to be one."
"Maybe I don't know yet how much you've changed during all those years, but I'm sure you would do just fine. I just know it."
"How encouraging. You flatter me," his flat tone of voice and a deadpan stare completely stripped his words of any sincerity.
"I'm serious!"
The corners of Shinsou's mouth twitched upwards.
"Well, what about you?"
"Honestly? Not much either. I didn't even bother with uni, just found a job straight after high school. But! My friends and I started a band! I'm playing guitar!"
From what Denki could tell, that caught Shinsou by surprise.
"Really? And how's it going?"
"Not bad actually! You can come to one of our practices."
"The others won't have anything against it?" Shinsou quirked his brow.
"Nah! Well, Bakugou will probably pretend that yes, he totally does, but he won't really mean it. He's all bark and no bite, if you know what I mean." Denki smiled at his friend.
"If you're sure, then why not. For the record—I'll put the blame on you if they get mad."
Denki couldn't stop the laugh that escaped from his chest, but he feigned hurt caused by such shameless betrayal.
"Of course. It's the easiest to pin it all on me, isn't it?"
"Sure it is. You don't exactly make it hard, you know." Shinsou propped his chin on his hand, put his elbow on the top of the table, and the corner of his mouth turned up in a small smile. Denki hesitated a moment, before he replied:
"I'd love to deny it but I know I can't. I'm a trouble magnet."
"It's good to know you haven't changed much since the time we were kids. It would be nice if this particular thing has changed though."
"You can't tell me I don't make things interesting!" Denki leaned in Shinsou's direction. The other boy was lazily scratching some cat, which was curiously sniffing the table.
"'Interesting' is… a good choice of words."
"It didn't sound like a compliment."
"Maybe it wasn't supposed to be one?" Shinsou quirked the corner of his mouth teasingly.
"Nah. I know you loved it when we were getting into trouble together."
"I loved to watch you embarrass yourself, you mean."
"I remember the time we build our own secret base in the forest behind your house."
"The 'built' part is a bit of an exaggeration. We stole a tent from the garage."
"But we pitched it with our own hands!"
"That's true."
"It's a shame we didn't think about the food-hiding-place thing. It was your idea, though."
"Hey," Shinsou wagged his finger in Denki's direction, despite grinning now. "I was eight! I didn't know the boars would be a problem for us."
"Your parents would probably predict it and tell us about it if they knew."
"Oh, yes, telling everyone about your secret base is perfectly logical, after all," Shinsou rolled his eyes, then raised an eyebrow. "By the way, are you trying to say it was my fault?"
"No, I'm trying to prove I wasn't the only one with stupid ideas."
They stared each other down for a moment. Denki almost drowned in the beautiful eyes of his friend and he felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach.
"Okay, you won," Shinsou shrugged. "We both had stupid ideas. It was mostly you though."
"Again—I can't even deny it," It was Denki's turn to shrug now. He grinned mischievously. "Hey, do you remember that time when we found a recipe for a paint of sorts that was made of moss? It could grow and all that."
They spent the rest of the time reminiscing and catching up.
Denki couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun.
There was one problem and it made itself known in the evening, when Denki was going to sleep. He realized that he didn't think of the day the way he should. What was repeating in a loop in his head weren't the jokes so funny they both couldn't breathe, nor the adorable cats, nor the delicious cake. Well, that too, but not nearly as much as—
—as memories of Shinsou's sexy smirk, of Shinsou's deep voice, of Shinsou's laugh, of Shinsou's intense eyes or the way he combed his hair with his fingers. Just—just of Shinsou in general.
Denki had had a lot of mini-crushes. It was common for him to have at least one at a time, and he used to crush on his closest friends as well, at one point or another. This crush was different, though. It wasn't a mini-crush anymore, it was a big crush. And Denki wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing. Because wasn't it actually kinda awkward to like—like someone, whom you once were really close with in a platonic way and then lost all the contact for years?
So although Denki felt as if a bunch of angels flew him to the clouds the moment he laid his eyes on Shinsou, and he wanted to get back to being friends in the full meaning of the word, he knew it wouldn't be an easy feat.
This jaw— This hair— Those eyes— This piercing—
Eh, you know what? Just, Shinsou—in all his glory. He was really... distracting.
Denki really didn't want to fuck this up. He hoped the crush would pass.
Pikachu: you wanna play? :3c
Simon says shut up: sure
Simon says shut up: just give me 10 minutes
Pikachu: did you know that octopuses come from the outer space
Pikachu: we live on the same planet with the aliens!
Simon says shut up: no they don't
Simon says shut up: .
Pikachu: you're ruining the fun :ccccc
Simon says shut up: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Pikachu: wait i've read what you linked
Pikachu: they say there's no proof that octopuses are aliens
Pikachu: but there's also no proof they aren't
Pikachu: *x-files theme intensifies*
Simon says shut up: do we really have to have this conversation at 3am?
Pikachu: we didn't talk with each other in like
Pikachu: 300 years (;´Д`)
Simon says shut up: yeah bc on top of both of us being busy with life you dropped your phone into a river
Pikachu: and your mom changed her number
Simon says shut up: exactly
Pikachu: exactly
Simon says shut up: chill, we have internet and social media now
Simon says shut up: you won't get rid of me that easily this time
Pikachu: ❤️
Pikachu: and vice versa
Simon says shut up: ...on the other hand what did i just bring upon myself
Pikachu: i know you love me uwu
Simon says shut up: lies and slander
Pikachu: *aggressively* uwu
Simon says shut up: stop it. get some help
Pikachu: *aggressive uwu intensifies* uwu
Simon says shut up: dumbass
Pikachu: maybe
Pikachu: but your dumbass
Simon says shut up: i regret wanting to be friends with you again
Pikachu: i know you don't mean it UWU
Simon says shut up: …
Pikachu: ...
Simon says shut up: …
Pikachu: ...
Simon says shut up: ...don't you dare
Pikachu: U̵̪̻̟͌̾͠W̸͉͎͎͘͝U̵͕̙̪̽̚
Simon says shut up: blocked
Simon says shut up: so
Pikachu: so?
Simon says shut up: you wanna do a movie marathon?
Pikachu: but like
Pikachu: in person or online?
Simon says shut up: idc
Simon says shut up: both are fine
Pikachu: damn i thought you were suggesting netflix and chill
Simon says shut up: begone thot
Pikachu: fr tho i have work this weekend so if you don't want to wait the online one is the only option tbh orz
Simon says shut up: good enough
Simon says shut up: since i have work during the week and you during weekend i guess we won't stay up too late?
Pikachu: probably not
Pikachu: Bakugou will kick my ass. he's like the aggressive mom friend
Pikachu: are you happy we won't stay late tho?
Pikachu: you kinda seem happy through text lol
Pikachu: but you didn't have a problem with staying late before
Simon says shut up: i still don't
Simon says shut up: i'm kinda insomniac so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Simon says shut up: actually kinda hoped we would stay late
Pikachu: awwwww
Pikachu: you want to spend the night with me?
Pikachu: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Simon says shut up: i said begone thot
Simon says shut up: you just ruined everything
Pikachu: so you do!
Simon says shut up: look at my name dumbass
Pikachu: you didn't deny it!
Simon says shut up: -
Pikachu: awww you like me uwu
Simon says shut up: first of all - of course i like you
Pikachu: (´• ω •`)
Simon says shut up: second of all - i don't know what for
Pikachu: Σ(°ロ°)
Simon says shut up: third or all - in the moments like this one i have regrets :v
Pikachu: (;´Д`)
Simon says shut up: so friday at 5pm?
Pikachu: sounds great, can't wait!
Simon says shut up: cool
Denki was a curious guy. Nosy, even. He was fully aware of it and even prided himself in it. Well, sometimes he did.
And sometimes his curiosity ruined the fun for him. Just like now, as he eavesdropped on Ashido and Kirishima who were talking about hanging out somewhere. Instead of asking outright about their plans, he stood around the corner and listened about what turned out to be a surprise for him. His friends wanted to take him to the laser tag place for his birthday.
Well, not a surprise anymore.
His skill was a blessing, but also a curse.
At least it was of use this time. It turned out Midoriya wouldn't be able to go, although he really wanted to, so the teams wouldn't be fair. Denki, Ashido, Kirishima, Sero, Bakugou, Jirou, and Todoroki equaled an odd number of players.
So, reaching the heights of his acting skills, he laid on the couch in the living room and waited for one of his roommates to ask him what was wrong. He didn't have to wait long, bless his friends.
"What's wrong with you, Sparky?" Bakugou asked, looking at Denki critically. Denki sighed in the most dramatic way he could.
"You know how I'm friends with Shinsou again, right?" He didn't wait for an answer—not that he would get a verbal one from Bakugou—but his grumpy friend gave him a non-verbal one anyway. He rolled his eyes, annoyed, probably barely stopping himself from barking something along the lines of 'How could I not know when you talk about it all the fucking time?'. Denki couldn't not crack a smile at that, amused by his friend's irritation. He continued after a second, trying to not break character:
"So, his birthday is two days after mine and I don't know where to take him this time. We used to spend both of our birthdays together, it would be cool to do it again."
The mention of Shinsou caught Bakugou's attention. Well, if you didn't know him as well as the Bakusquad did, you'd think the grumpy boy didn't give a fuck. But Denki's Incredibly Skilled And Experienced Expert Eye took notice of the micromillimeter twitch of his brow, of the tilt of his head by a fraction of degree, and of the almost unnoticeable scrunch of his nose. It was a sign that Bakugou had fished out the information, connected it with the planned laser tag game, thought it all through, and had made a decision in a span of two seconds.
Mission accomplished.
"Then fucking ask him or whatever. You and your problems," Bakugou replied, as if he couldn't care less about Denki's doubts. He even took out his phone and started typing, his fingers whisking on the keyboard with impressing speed.
Denki probably would've believed his friend's (pretended) lack of interest if he couldn't read him like an open book. Well, tough luck, Bakugou.
The next time Denki overheard his friends' conversations—Jirou and Sero's this time—he got his confirmation that Shinsou was invited to the laser tag game as well.
Pikachu: sooo see you at the laser tag then, huh? ^^
Simon says shut up: at the what?
Pikachu: laser tag
Simon says shut up: i don't know what you're talking about
Pikachu: you don't have to pretend, i've eavesdropped :'D
Simon says shut up: ...
Pikachu: but don't tell the others
Pikachu: i know they're trying to make it an awesome surprise thing
Simon says shut up: ...
Simon says shut up: okay so let me make one thing clear
Simon says shut up: it may be your birthday but i won't have mercy for you
Simon says shut up: i will kick your ass
Simon says shut up: destroy you
Pikachu: wreck me?
Pikachu: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Simon says shut up: ew
Simon says shut up: you know what
Pikachu: pls continue what else will you do to me
Simon says shut up: i remembered i need to go somewhere and do something gtg
Pikachu: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Simon says shut up: not thsi kidn of soemtbinng
Simon says shut up: fc u k yo u
Pikachu: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Simon says shut up: akfkakdkakd
Simon says shut up: i hate you
Pikachu: no you don't uwu
Simon says shut up: hhhhhhhh
Simon says shut up: pls god if you're there
Simon says shut up: end my suffering and fucking kill me
Pikachu: the gods don't listen to the likes of you. they don't listen to anyone, really, just keep up the pretense.
Simon says shut up: stop quoting games when i'm asking for death
Pikachu: no ❤️
Simon says shut up: 🔪🔪🔪
Pikachu: speaking of games
Pikachu: wanna play? :3c
Simon says shut up: eh
Simon says shut up: sure whatever
Pikachu: ❤️
Simon says shut up: hey Denki
Pikachu: TuT
Simon says shut up: do you remember this old game we were
Simon says shut up: why the hell are you crying
Pikachu: you called me by my name TuT
Simon says shut up: i mean
Simon says shut up: it is your name
Simon says shut up: so
Simon says shut up: ?
Pikachu: it's just
Pikachu: it's so cool we're so close again TuT
Pikachu: and it only took like
Pikachu: a month of playing games together
Simon says shut up: and you annoying me 24/7
Pikachu: and annoying you constan
Pikachu: same brain cell lmao
Pikachu: i missed it Toshi ❤️
Simon says shut up: listen carefully bc i probably won't ever say it again but
Simon says shut up: same tbh
Pikachu: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Pikachu: so what did you want?
Simon says shut up: oh yeah
Simon says shut up: remember this old game we were playing in elementary school with islands and villages and pirates? i found it again
Pikachu: owo
Denki was equally excited and terrified at the prospect of the game.
The reasons for the excitement were rather obvious—after all, his friends had prepared a surprise for him! They were going to have a great time all together during the laser tag!
On the other hand—the fear came from the attitude of his friends. They were competitive and didn't like to lose.
Kirishima talked about his rivalries all the time. No matter if it was the one with Tetsutetsu they had at the gym, or the Weekly Bakusquad Video Game Tournament, or if it was situational. Rivalry was manly, after all.
Sero was a filthy, lousy cheater. He did it all the time in almost every game, but at the same time he was skilled and subtle enough to not be caught in the act most of the time. You could only tell by his shit-eating mischievous grin he couldn't stop, that he just tricked everyone one way or another. Besides, he loved to make bets with other members of the Bakusquad about the silliest of things, just for laughs.
Ashido, similar to Sero, was a cheater too. She lacked the boy's finesse though, so her attempts at playing dirty were always clearly visible. And thus, a lot more brutal and childish. She didn't have an issue with covering someone's eyes with her palm when they were playing video games and it was a stage easy enough for her to play with only one hand. She stooped low, didn't hold back, and was simply a sore loser.
Then there was Jirou. She was a lot more chill and didn't consider rivalries a matter of life and death, but she was naturally skilled in a lot of things she tried. Although her attitude was more casual and it was hard to awaken her spirit of competition, she, still, was a difficult opponent. It was because she was petty and liked to prove others wrong. What better way to do it than interact with people fired up to win, and win against them?
And don't even get him started on Bakugou. The guy was a perfectionist; he had to be the absolute best in everything he attempted and didn't like to lose. Even the silliest of things could become a reason to compete with him. Denki respected the drive, but it also scared him just a bit.
And even Todoroki, although not ambitious to the point of fighting for first place at any cost, was a dangerous rival. In his case it stemmed from his sheltered upbringing, and thus not a lot of experience with, well, living a normal life in society. Sometimes he had trouble determining where the fun started and ended, and treated mundane things a bit too seriously.
It only left Hitoshi. Though, he had already shown that he still liked to lovingly bully Denki, even after all these years, so there was no chance for an easy game.
So, summarizing, the laser tag could only turn out to be either the greatest fun in a long time or an absolute disaster. Denki was rather optimistic and hoped he probably wouldn't die. Or at least, if he did, that his death would be as quick and painless as possible. Optimism was everything he had left, after all.
Denki's birthday started with great fanfare. Literally.
Kirishima and Ashido barged into his room in the morning, playing vuvuzelas. Sero followed just behind them, throwing confetti in a very dramatic, exaggerated way. Bakugou and Jirou were observing from the corridor.
The former two of his friends dragged him out of his bed and basically half-carried his still half-asleep and disoriented self to the bathroom, so he could wake himself up a little better before they celebrate. So, Denki washed his face, combed his hair, and went to the living room, where a birthday cake awaited him. At the top, it proudly jutted a single candle in the shape of number five. It was their inside joke, in a way, because Denki often complained that he'd like to be a five year old again, when everything was easier. The meaner of his friends sometimes remarked he already behaved like a kid that age.
Denki's face blossomed a smile so big it could rival one of Sero's famous grins.
"I love you, guys!"
"We love you too, Pikachu!" Ashido exclaimed, tousling the top of his head with her knuckles. Then she took his wrist and brought him to the kitchen island, and gently pushed his shoulders to seat him at one of the bar chairs next to it.
Denki blew the candle, and once the flame disappeared, leaving only a thin trail of smoke, Jirou took it and glanced expectantly above his head at the rest of their friends. Sadly, no one had brought the knife to slice the cake. Instead, Denki felt someone's hand at the back of his head, and—
—and the next moment he was pushed face first into the pastry. The mysterious hand didn't even pat his head; the culprit had to be Bakugou.
Denki raised his head to the joyful squeals and laughter of his friends, and licked his lips.
"Delicious," he complimented, showing an okay gesture with his hand. Ashido swiped at his cheek with her finger and tried the frosting herself.
"It really is." She sighed happily. Kirishima quickly followed her steps.
"Oh god, it's so good!" he nodded.
"Hey, I was first!" Ashido pouted, then gathered more cream off Denki's face and shoved it into her mouth. "Don't steal my ideas, you thief."
"So what, you want it to go to waste?" Kirishima repeated what he did before, but this time he left the cake remnants on the girl's nose.
"Guys, let the others try, too!" Sero shouted, while Bakugou, with a predatory smile on his face, took a big knife out of one of the kitchen drawers.
"Gimme this," Jirou demanded with an unimpressed face, reaching out her hand in the grumpy boy's direction.
"What? Why the fuck would I do that?" Bakugou bared his teeth like an aggressive dog. This trick stopped having the desired effect on them a long, long time ago, but the boy still did it. Maybe he didn't want to get rusty in case he could scare some poor soul it would still work on.
"Because," she replied, her voice dull and her face still blank, "I don't trust you with it. I don't want you to murder someone."
Denki puffed a laugh, continuing to clean his forehead, with the help of Ashido and Kirishima.
Not long after the cake was sliced and then eaten, Denki was kicked out of the living room and into the bathroom so he could get cleaned himself up after his breakfast. Soon everyone could go to the laser tag place.
Todoroki and Hitoshi waited for them in front of the building. They both were holding present bags in their hands.
"Happy birthday, Kaminari," Todoroki said as a greeting.
"Best wishes and all that," Hitoshi added from himself, smiling lazily and sipping an energy drink.
How could one's lazy smile be so cute? How did it have so much power to make Denki's heart beat as fast as a pneumatic hammer, just like that?
"Hi guys!" he grinned back, hoping he looked composed.
"Cut the small talk and move your asses already. We've got a reservation and we're almost late," Bakugou barked, pushing Denki forward.
"Wait! I want to see my gifts!"
"You can do it later!"
Soon everyone was inside, in a locker room. They left their things in the lockers, and Jirou took out a small bag with guitar picks. Denki raised his eyebrows, surprised, but his friend explained quickly:
"There's eight picks—four simple ones in different colours, and four with prints. We're drawing who we're on the same team with. It's your birthday, so you're first."
Drawing lots? It made sense. Denki hoped the universe would be merciful.
He dipped into the pouch, stirred the picks a bit and finally grabbed one. It had the logo of some band Jirou listened to on it.
Next, the girl turned a bit to her right, clockwise, and offered the bag to Bakugou.
Oh god, it would be so cool to have him on Denki's team! Please, universe, pretty please!
"Simple red," Bakugou muttered, examining his guitar pick.
Curse you, universe!
Jirou moved on to Kirishima, then to Sero and to others.
In the end, Denki was sentenced to death. Bakugou, Sero, Ashido, and Jirou were in the opposing team. They were all monsters, regardless of whether it was thanks to their abilities to play or to cheat.
The only upside to all of this was that Denki was allied with Hitoshi.
A few minutes later, with their vests on and guns in hands, they were let in the dark room, lit up by the UV light. They split in the labyrinth of screens and obstacles, and got into their positions, waiting for the official signal to start.
Five.
The plan for now—avoiding Bakugou. Encountering Bakugou was like encountering a hurricane. Or a wild bear. Or a professional hitman that got paid a lot for the job but because of their sadistic tendencies took awhile to actually kill their target, because they preferred to torture the poor things a bit.
Well, he got a bit carried away with that metaphor. What was his point, again?
Four.
Oh, right.
Sero would find him no matter what Denki did. His friend could move silently, like a ninja or something. At least he wasn't as ruthless as Bakugou.
Three.
Ashido was kinda more complicated. A bit more chill than Bakugou, but definitely more cruel than Sero. A weird mix, but no less terrifying than her teammates.
Two.
Oh, and Jirou. Maybe he didn't exactly have to worry about her being particularly mean, but she was the most unpredictable out of the bunch. She flew under the radar most of the time, quietly and inconspicuously enough for you to forget about her, ending in her striking in the moment you expect the least, when you're most vulnerable, looking for cover, injured and dying.
Okay, maybe laser tag wasn't that serious, but consider this—it was in his imagination, because he liked to be dramatic.
One.
He hoped he could find Hitoshi. Maybe even save him, woo him, and make him fall for him.
Start!
Denki sprinted out of his hideout, looking for opponents between the screens, his finger set on the trigger.
The first shot was Ashido's doing. Denki knew that, because she yelled a cry of victory and thus gave away her position. He repaid her in kind.
He continued his jog among the obstacles. He hit Bakugou, but sadly had to retreat immidiately when Sero ran into them. He got hit twice, because Bakugou caught up with him.
Next moment Todoroki came to the rescue, Kirishima joining him a second later, yelling, "I'll save you, bro!"
Sadly, the advantage in numbers didn't last long. Just then, Jirou got them, like a real sniper hiding behind one of the screens.
They split once again, with Denki carefully observing his surroundings to avoid getting shot.
He had to think of a plan.
He backed away, and behind one of the screens placed closer to the corner of the room.
"It's my hiding place. Find your own," Hitoshi whisper-yelled.
Denki turned around instantly.
"To—" he cried, but remembered himself right away and lowered the volume, "—shi! It's so good to see you! They're shooting at me all the time!"
"I just escaped one of the girls. I think it was Ashido?"
"Yeah, probably. I only saw her at the beginning, and Jirou tried to kill me just a moment ago," Denki pretended to wipe a tear.
"That's terrible," Hitoshi said sarcastically. "For real though. This space is too small for the both of us, you'll distract me. Go away."
Just then, Denki heard footsteps.
"I can't, someone's coming!" he whispered, leaning on Hitoshi to not stick out from behind the screen. He didn't need anyone noticing him.
"You're shoving me out!" Hitoshi hissed, pushing back.
They were so close now, close enough for Denki to feel the movement of Hitoshi's chest. He heard the beating of his friend's heart too—it was quite fast, probably because of all the adrenaline and exertion.
Oh, Denki would do a lot for the moment to last.
(Although Denki wasn't aware of it as they were trying their hardest to not make any noise, and every second felt like a small eternity, Hitoshi was experiencing a serious case of gay panic. The boy was glad it was impossible to see in the dark room with how hard he was blushing.)
Denki continued listening for the slightest of noises, but the sound of footsteps faded away soon enough. From somewhere at the other side of the room, there came a cry of a furious beast:
"I'll fucking kill you, you half-n'-half bastard!"
And then, just as Denki had decided that the danger had passed, something else caught his attention. More specifically—a purple-ish, glowing shape on Hitoshi's collarbone which was sticking out from under his shirt.
"What's that?" Denki asked, but didn't wait for an answer. He quickly pulled the material away to reveal—
—a cat. A small, but quite detailed cat, drawn in a cartoonish style.
(Although Denki wasn't aware of it, Hitoshi's gay panic intensified. The boy was so flustered his face and ears burned; he was sure quite literally. Hitoshi hoped he wasn't blushing hard enough for it to be visible even in the semi-darkness of the room.)
"You've got a tattoo? And a glow in the dark one, on top of that?" Denki asked in awe, bringing his face closer to his friend's collarbone.
Hitoshi cleared his throat and whispered, "Yeah. You can only see it in UV light. My friend in the States is a tattoo artist and once, when he was drunk, and I was smashed, I convinced him to make me one, even though it's kinda against the rules to tattoo drunk people."
Denki raised his head to glance at Hitoshi, and they were so close in the limited space that their noses almost touched. His friend looked away from him. Huh, he was probably embarrassed he got a tattoo while drunk. It was a good thing he wasn't looking though, because Denki couldn't help himself but stop his gaze at the other's lips for a brief moment, before glancing up again.
In the dimness of the room, Hitoshi's dark eyes looked like two endless chasms, and Denki wouldn't mind being swallowed by them.
Oh wow. Tokoyami has been rubbing off on him.
"It's cool," Denki assured, tracing the lines of the tattoo with his finger. "Pretty cute."
Just like you, he didn't finish.
Hitoshi finally looked at Denki, his expression unreadable, but there was a resolve in his eyes.
He took a deep breath and moved his head a little, as if he wanted to whisper something in Denki's ear, probably some laser tag strategy, and—
"Found you!" Sero yelled, jumping out from behind a neighbouring screen, aiming at Denki and Hitoshi.
Denki hated Sero a little bit at that moment. Nonetheless, with a squeak (it was a very manly squeak, mind you) he fled his hideout, dragging Hitoshi with him by the side of his shirt. This way, his friend's hands were free and the boy could shoot at Sero.
Surprisingly, Hitoshi was vicious. Maybe he had become more competitive during those years.
Simon says shut up: btw thanks again for the birthday gift
Simon says shut up: and for the day in general
Pikachu: it wasn't as chaotic as my birthday but i remember you prefer it less chaotic lmao
Pikachu: glad you liked it (´,,•ω•,,)
Simon says shut up: well tbf it's hard to be more chaotic
Simon says shut up: 2 days have passed and i'm still sore after Kirishima crashed into me trying to save me
Pikachu: lmao
Simon says shut up: my birthday was really nice tho
Pikachu: (^˵◕ω◕˵^)
Simon says shut up: can i call you now?
Simon says shut up: or are you busy?
Pikachu: it's cool!
[Call ended. Duration: 02:54:39]
Simon says shut up: you wanna go somewhere?
Pikachu: like where
Pikachu: on a date? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Pikachu: jk jk
Pikachu: fr tho
Pikachu: sure 👀 👀 👀
Pikachu: what do you have in mind?
Simon says shut up: uhh idk
Simon says shut up: tbh i kinda hoped you could show me some cool places
Simon says shut up: or well
Simon says shut up: as cool as they can get if you like them
Pikachu: rude
Pikachu: are you thinking more active or?
Simon says shut up: uhhh
Simon says shut up: somewhere to go to with someone as well as alone?
Simon says shut up: like
Simon says shut up: the laser tag place was cool don't get me wrong
Simon says shut up: but i still prefer activities that don't really require me to be social you know? as you noticed earlier btw
Simon says shut up: something like the place you took me for my birthday. that was cool
Pikachu: i got you man
Pikachu: so two of my friends from the band
Pikachu: jirou (you met her) and tokoyami (you haven't met him yet) work at this one bookshop/music shop
Pikachu: it's in this old building
Pikachu: kinda goth
Pikachu: very climatic
Pikachu: you can read books and comic books and manga there and listen to some music
Pikachu: so it's cool to like
Pikachu: relax
Pikachu: it fits your aesthetics well imo?
Pikachu: there's a big section of horror/mystery/dark books by both popular and unknown authors
Pikachu: 'cause it's toko's fav genre and he started the bookstore as an edgy one before branching out
Simon says shut up: my fav genre as well
Pikachu: and there is this space with bean bags and hammocks and blankets where you can read
Pikachu: or take a nap
Simon says shut up: are we still talking about the bookshop?
Pikachu: yeah!
Pikachu: tokoyami is actually the owner
Simon says shut up: i deducted as much after the 'started an edgy bookstore' message
Pikachu: and he's chill af about it
Pikachu: he's a bit,,,
Pikachu: he's one of a kind but he's a cool dude and surprisingly good at giving advice
Pikachu: and really knowledgeable about the books he sells
Pikachu: so he has a lot of customers
Pikachu: and so he can afford to have this safe space for kids and in general people who are
Pikachu: i'm quoting here
Pikachu: 'abandoned by lady luck and in danger of being swallowed by their inner demons and the darkness of the world'
Simon says shut up: what
Pikachu: i told you he's one of a kind
Simon says shut up: i mean
Simon says shut up: it's edgy i like it
Simon says shut up: just didn't expect him to be this edgy
Pikachu: so yeah this place is cool so we can go there if you want
Pikachu: i have other places to recommend tho if you want something else
Simon says shut up: nah it's a good start
Simon says shut up: i hated english in school
Simon says shut up: and analysing all this shit
Simon says shut up: but reading fiction just because is cool
Simon says shut up: especially horror
Pikachu: cool 👀 👀 👀
Pikachu: so
Pikachu: when do you have some free time? (*＾▽＾)／
Simon says shut up: friday?
Simon says shut up: idk how long the bookstore is open tho so idk about the time
Pikachu: 6pm?
Simon says shut up: fine
Pikachu: cool uwu
The bookshop smelled of paper and printing ink, with a subtle, calming scent of some plants Denki couldn't identify. The bottom floor of the shop looked rather like a labyrinth of heavy, massive book stands and boxes made of dark wood, filled with books and music albums. LED lamps hung above, illuminating the space quite effectively, and giving a museum-like feel to the room. Black elegant pouffes were placed next to some of the bookcases for weary wanderers to rest on, and lush plants with long, winding climbers stood in the corners of the shop.
It all resulted in a unique atmosphere, as if you were entering an alchemical laboratory lit only by candles or a shop out of a fantasy novel for crooked magical individuals. Well, the second image was probably more accurate, because you didn't see as many people in a laboratory.
Hitoshi whistled in approval as they went inside.
"Not bad," he complimented.
"I knew you'd like it!" Denki exclaimed. "Just wait till you see the upper floor!"
They went to the dark spiral staircase with a richly decorated handrail, looking as if it were entwined with wild vines, then cursed by some cruel spell to become pure metal.
They passed by the cashier counter. Behind it sat a black-haired boy with multiple piercings and a tattoo of what looked like a crow on his neck, partially hidden by his black shirt and red choker. He had a book in his hand.
Denki waved to him enthusiastically in greeting, while Hitoshi only nodded. Tokoyami nodded back.
In the relative silence of the bookshop, the stomping of Denki's sneakers and Hitoshi's combat boots while going upstairs seemed particularly loud.
The upper floor wasn't exactly a floor, and more of an entresol. Behind a railing matching the one of the staircase, they had a view of the whole ground floor of the shop. And just like downstairs, you could get lost in a labyrinth of bookcases here as well. The alleys weren't as wide, though, to maximize the storage space. Metal plates embossed the names of different genre sections, which looked like—barring the actual names, of course—something taken straight out of a restricted section of a magical library.
A bit farther from the stairs, one could find an area clashing in style with the rest of the bookshop—although still fitting, in a strange way. It was separated from the darker part of the shop by a genkan, and lit a lot better. There were a lot of colours as well: a fluffy pastel carpet laid on the dark wooden floor, and next to it was where a few bean bags were placed. Above it all, three hammocks were hanging. Two coat hangers and a few branchy plants in huge pots stood by the walls, and there was a vending machine with drinks and snacks in the corner.
There was no one there, but there was an open backpack next to one of the bean bags, and some notebooks were left on it. It's owner probably was somewhere on the ground floor, looking for something to read.
"I have to admit, I'm impressed. It really is a climatic place," Hitoshi nodded. "C'mon, let's check out the horror section."
He left the reading area and Denki happily followed him to the bookcases closer to the staircase.
They looked through the books for a while, making fun of some of the covers and debating on buying others which had interesting summaries..
"Look at this one," Denki said, waving one of the books in front of Hitoshi's face. There was a house ominously hidden in a shadowed forest on the cover. "It looks like something where the main character and his wife inherit a remote cabin in the woods from his crazy uncle."
"Yeah, and the wife is probably pregnant so she can give birth to a demon baby later on in the story or something," Hitoshi nodded his head. "But first the husband has to check out the whole house, including the basement where evil lurks."
"Exactly. The evil has to be obvious though, so the husband looks like an idiot for unleashing it. I bet there's an inscription written on the doors or the wall somewhere and reading it out loud awakens the curse or something."
"The curse has to befall the husband's whole family. And the incantation is probably ridiculously long."
"And dramatic."
"And then it turns out the demon baby was just a figment of the husband's imagination because he has, like, seven split personalities and every character we meet is him," Hitoshi finished with a mischievous smile.
Denki bursted out laughing.
"Oh, c'mon!" he protested. "We can do better!"
"I thought we were coming up with parodies?" Hitoshi shrugged. "Shouldn't we use the clichest of cliches and stupidest tropes there are?"
"Well, yes, but do we have to stoop so low? Don't you have any standards?"
Hitoshi shrugged once more and took back the book he was looking through before Denki showed him the one they ended up making fun of, and sat close to the wall, his back leaning on the bookcase.
"Don't you wanna go to the reading area?" Denki questioned.
"Maybe later. Someone's there."
Indeed, the owner of the backpack was there again, reading her book on one of the hammocks.
"Fine," Denki consented. "Move then, I want to sit in the corner."
Hitoshi stuck his tongue out.
"No way, man. I don't feel like it. I'm staying here."
"C'mon, dude!"
"How can you torment me like that? Telling me to move my old, frail body—"
"Pleeeeease," Denki whined.
"No. Look how much space you have over there."
"But I want to sit here."
"Sounds like it's your problem."
"Okay, you asked for it!" Denki exclaimed and unceremoniously dropped his butt in the space between Hitoshi and the wall. There wasn't a lot of it and he had to force his weight there, but every cloud has a silver lining—not only did he end up sitting in his desired corner, but also the right side of his body was pressing into Hitoshi's left.
They were so close.
"Fine, you fatass…" Hitoshi sighed and moved a few centimeters to his right, but only enough so Denki wasn't crushed against the wall anymore.
"What did you find anyway?"
"Hm?" Hitoshi glanced at the book in his hands. "Oh. Some psychological horror. The summary says it's about a guy fighting his inner demons and the loneliness after everyone he loves leaves him, all while fearing he'll get possessed by real demons."
"That's rough." Denki commented. "Staying alone, I mean."
Hitoshi snorted a laugh and glanced at him.
"And potential demon possession isn't rough?"
"I mean," Denki cracked a smile, meeting Hitoshi's eyes, "at least he's not truly alone."
"You're a dumbass," Hitoshi shook his head, not breaking eye contact. His voice was full of fondness, albeit hushed. The low volume wasn't exactly surprising, given their faces were mere centimeters away, so Denki really didn't want to get his hopes up, but he also couldn't not imagine how it would be to lose himself in the moment, close the distance, and comb the purple locks with his fingers…
"Eh, your dumbass," He shrugged instead, sending Hitoshi a sheepish smile.
And then something in Hitoshi's face changed. There was a weird softness in the way he looked at Denki now, a brief hesitation, and then—
"Yeah, my dumbass," Hitoshi said breathlessly, and did what Denki lacked the courage to.
Hitoshi's lips were soft and warm, and it was all that Denki really registered before it felt as if his brain shortcuited.
Hitoshi was kissing him.
stopped working. Oh God, it stopped working completely. Denki hoped he was kissing back. He couldn't tell. He couldn't think at all.
It was his wish come true. He was one with the universe now. Blissful, with the only thing that truly mattered being Hitoshi's lips on his own—
A thud.
Hitoshi broke the kiss and finally got a second to reboot and assess his surroundings.
At the end of the alley they were sitting in, at the head of the stairs, kneeled Tokoyami, rapidly gathering a stash of books he apparently dropped just a moment ago. He looked at them, once he finished.
"Some things are meant to not be seen. Keep it that way," he said, leaving a tower of books on the floor next to the nearest bookcase and went back downstairs.
"What?" Hitoshi looked at Denki for explanation.
"Well," Denki hummed, "It's Tokoyami's speak for 'get a room, you two!'"
"Well, we could do that. If you want. Sorry, I just—"
"Don't. Don't apologize. We can continue. I mean. I sure hope we will continue because it was awesome." Aaaaand he was rambling again. "Saying it just to be clear. It was a surprise, though a welcome one—so I'm not sure I made myself—"
"What do you mean 'a surprise'? Your friends teased me about us the entire time at the laser tag thing. Jirou still teases me over texts. Are you trying to say you didn't notice? God. And that you didn't realize it's a date?"
It occurred to Denki at this exact moment that Hitoshi indeed never actually denied that it was a date. Huh.
"I'm— well, I didn't… want to get my hopes up?" Oh wow, he was so uncertain that it sounded more like a question, not a statement.
Hitoshi breathed a short laugh.
"You're so dense," he said. "Dumbass."
"Hey. We established I'm your dumbass," Denki reminded with a shy smile.
"I know. I wouldn't want it any other way."
Very short bonus:
"Does it mean you'll be making me coffee with hearts drawn on the foam now?"
"Don't push it."