At the accusation of being at fault for short-circuiting the house, the family started blaming each other in near perfect unison. The twins called out each other's names as the culprit, Akari accused Denki- who was dead set on Akari being the one who blew it, but largely because he hated her the most right now.
"Someone better?" Bitch, please.
Mrs. Kaminari was the only person who threw in a playful, "Shinsou must have done it."
Denki crossed his arms and glared at her but the effect was lost in the dark of the room. He liked to believe his mother knew him well enough to sense that he was pouting.
Shinsou is totally going to dump me when we leave and I can't even blame him.
A generator, which had seen a lot of use in this house, kicked on with a hum and the lights flickered back on. A series of blonde faces, and one distraught looking purple haired boy looked at each other.
Mrs. Kaminari sighed, but kept her smile, "Honestly, I think we all did it together."
"Probably," Denki mumbled, "It wouldn't be the first time." He turned to Shinsou and added, "We once threw a surprise party for dad and he figured it out. So he went to surprise us. We got so scared we ended up having to use his birthday candles as our only source of light that whole evening."
At this point, Dad probably sees shattered light bulbs as a family building exercise.
Denki was embarrassed that his boyfriend had to hear about all the electrical exploits in this house, but he guessed Shinsou should probably know what he's getting into.
"Daddy was really nice about not being able to blow out the candles and make a wish, though," Pika added with a shrug. Her twin nodded beside her with a seriousness that was unbecoming of a thirteen-year-old.
"Alright, kids. Everybody out except the lovebirds," Mrs. Kaminari shot the two boys a wink that made both of them sink further into their seats with embarrassment, "I'll grab you all when lunch is ready. Let's stop sabotaging Denki's only real chance at a relationship-"
"Hey!" Denki yelped.
"-and be a little less rowdy. At least pretend I raised you all with better manners?"
The twins and Akari made a big show of unhappiness at being shooed away- so much so that the eldest sister brought her hand up to the side of her face in the shape of a phone and mouthed, "call me" to Denki's very flustered boyfriend.
After they'd all left Denki turned to the other and bowed low enough to hit his head on the table while babbling, "I'm sooo sorry oh my god why did I think it was a good idea to bring you here I totally get it if you want to leave in fact I might join you how do you feel about pizza and being literally anywhere else?"
Shinsou reached out to rub Denki's sore head affectionately. "I'm trying to think of it as hero training if that makes you feel any better."
Denki pouted, "Not really but if that's what keeps Dadzawa from killing me then that's cool."
Mrs. Kaminari had an exceptionally adoring look on her face as she leaned over the table to ruffle both boys' hair. "You're a brave man, Shinsou. Once Raijin gets back I think he'll take a liking to you right away."
"Dad's pretty normal," Denki offered before thinking, If there is a god I'm begging you...please let dad be cool today.
Shinsou shrugged, "Your mom is normal."
Mrs. Kaminari gave a quick laugh. "My little bolt, you really did bring home a sweetheart."
"Our boy brought someone home? Is it one of his weird friends?" Mr. Kaminari, a tall and strong man, walked into the kitchen and up to the table, grease on his pants and hands from working on his motorcycle. It was impressive how such a big guy managed to get into the kitchen in a stealthy manner. The Kaminaris were a light-footed bunch.
He had the, expected, blonde hair like the rest of his family, which was neatly cropped to around the bottom of his ears. There was a noticeable absence of the black lightning bolt associated with Kaminari. Denki obviously got it from his mother, along with most of his looks. Which he was happy about- he liked being the pretty one.
Mr. Kaminari turned, took one long look at Shinsou, and started groaning.
"Oh goody. Another one. Tell me Tired Eyes, do you explode things, turn into a rock, tape people to walls, or ruin our furniture with acid?"
Yeah, Dad has really put up with a lot of shit from the Bakusquad…
To the general public, Shinsou looked as emotionless as he usually did, but Denki knew the signs of discomfort. His hands would be fiddling with the hem of his shirt, and then he'll clench his jaw the smallest bit, and finally start tensing his shoulders.
"No, sir."
Mrs. Kaminari swooped in to save the day. "Honey, be nice! Shinsou is a very good kid and he hasn't left scorch marks on any upholstery his entire time here. Which is more than I can say for everyone else in this house right now." Denki had never been so happy to have his mother around his boyfriend than he was that moment.
Mr. Kaminari looked embarrassed at being reproached and it was when he made that sort of expression that Denki saw their resemblance the most. The two men of the Kaminari household were awful at keeping a straight face. Especially when scolded.
"Sorry, kid. I've been working on my damn bike all day and the thing won't cooperate. I haven't been able to start it." He looked a bit less sheepish after an apology but still appeared frustrated.
"I could help you," Shinsou was notably monotone in the face of this bizarre group of personalities. "I've worked with them before."
Mr. Kaminari was intrigued and arched a blonde eyebrow, "You own a motorcycle? Aren't you like...16?"
Shinsou shrugged modestly, "I do a lot of regular biking. I've never actually ridden a motorcycle. I'm pretty good with their engines, though. My dad has one."
"Dadzawa has a motorcycle!?" Kaminari was beyond psyched about this.
The mental image of that alone makes me feel better about every test of his that I've failed.
"Yeah, but Papa Mic is the one who uses it the most. It's how he got so attached to that leather jacket. Plus, he likes a flashy entrance to a crime scene."
Mrs. Kaminari listened intently, "Hear that, hun? We're going to have some very interesting in-laws." Mr. Kaminari's expression had returned to a neutral one, and he appeared to be thinking deeply.
If he's thinking of biking around the city with Mic we're going to have to buy him some killer earplugs.
Apparently, biking was all Mr. Kaminari needed to hear to be won over.
"Is that so? What's your name again?"
"I'm Shinsou. Shinsou Hitoshi."
Denki butt in, "and he's my boyfriend so please don't ruin this for me!"
Mr. Kaminari's face immediately bent into one of anger and he slammed a fist down on the table making the glasses shake. Denki saw Shinsou's eyes get slightly wider and he nearly looked frightened. The hairs on the back of his neck had already started to rise.
"And exactly how long have you been seeing this boy?"
Oh shit.
Denki's voice trembled when she spoke, "Like, a week and a half, but we knew each other for a while beforehand!"
Shinsou subtly grabbed Denki's hand tightly for moral support and felt the other hold on to his just as strongly.
Dad, please don't do this to me.
"Kaminari Denki... are you telling me you've had a boyfriend and you didn't immediately tell your parents the good news?!" Mr. Kaminari looked positively aghast. "A boyfriend who also works on bikes?"
Shinsou and Denki let out an audible sigh of relief.
I'm going to owe Shinsou like, 5 cats after this, and I'll have to figure out a way to keep Papa Mic from knowing that my family took 3 years off his son's life...
At seeing their expressions the man fell into a series of frighteningly dark chuckles.
"Holy crap, dad. You almost gave me a fucking heart attack!"
Unperturbed, Mrs. Kaminari was laughing, in a considerably warmer manner, but she composed herself just enough to add, "Language!"
Denki didn't let that deter him from wanting to talk about how cool his boyfriend was. "Shinsou is super awesome, Dad. He can control minds, he's Aizawa sensei's favorite student- which is crazy hard to be- and can befriend cats like nobody's business." He was pretty sure he would never get tired of singing Hitoshi's praises.
Mr. Kaminari smiled and looked at Shinsou as though he was taking in his appearance for the first time. "Mind control huh? What a fascinating quirk! I'm glad my son has found someone special."
Denki saw the other boy's brows turn up and then heard Shinsou mumble, "what the hell is wrong with this family?" to which the blonde answered, "Dude, you don't even know." Shinsou lightly blushed at being caught but kept his face dispassionate.
"Besides, I already told you your quirk is really cool. Now you've got an entire second family backing you up- you gotta believe it sometime, right?" the cheery boy gave that toothy smile that Shinsou would now always think of as Mrs. Kaminari's.
Denki noticed his and Shinsou's hands were still holding each other's and leaned over to rest his head against the other's shoulder. Denki liked touch. It was obvious in the way the Bakusquad are usually found with arms around each other's shoulders, giving friendly punches on the shoulder, and having near constant high fives or fist bumps. Before Kaminari had really come out of his shell with them the six weren't nearly as close. Ashido wouldn't drape herself over all of their laps at once just to immobilize them during a movie she picked, Sero didn't sit in the middle and try his best to reach both long arms around everyone (excluding Bakugou after the one time he tried it...Sero had really liked that shirt, too), even Kirishima didn't hang off of Bakugou the way he does now. The squad didn't seem to know how touch-starved they were until Kaminari basically forced them all into a tight friendship. He really hoped that he could get Shinsou to enjoy a good hug and not try to wiggle out of it the way he does now.
He'll come around. I'll just hang on him like a sloth until it feels normal. No biggie.
Even thinking about the times where Shinsou was affectionate made his chest fill with warmth. Little moments like a kiss on his forehead or nose, as well as the sweet embraces during their so far only-a-little-awkward, make out sessions.
Denki squeezed the other boy's hand and beamed at him.
Shinsou squeezed back and Denki had the pleasure of watching some color come onto the pale face beside him. He'd probably never stop finding it cute when his boyfriend blushed. The pink was a funny contrast to the purple of his hair and eyes.
Denki spied his parents giving each other a meaningful look that he couldn't quite decode. Frankly, he didn't care what they were thinking as long as he could keep touching Shinsou.
Mrs. Kaminari and Denki took up kitchen duty while Mr. Kaminari and Shinsou spoke with each other- or was the right word 'interrogated'? Denki tried to keep his mouth shut and watched the two interact from where he was chopping lettuce for a salad. It appeared his father had decided the time had come for a not-so-subtle test.
It started off gentle.
"If you've known Denki for so long how come I've never heard of you? Usually, those rowdy kids all come together." Mr. Kaminari held his head eye but kept his eyes narrowed.
"I was only recently transferred into the hero class. I spent my first year in General Education's 1-C."
"Is that so? You weren't good enough to merit the hero class, I suppose."
Shinsou kept his cool but Denki saw the corner of his mouth twitch.
"The test was designed for those with more physical quirks. You can't exactly brainwash a pile of iron."
"Sounds like an excuse you've had to use a lot."
Denki tugged on his mother's sleeve while shooting her a pleading expression. The woman responded with a soft smile and whispered, "Let the boy prove himself. Once they get this testosterone fight out of their system we'll all be more comfortable." Denki looked at the two glaring each other down and then tugged her sleeve even harder. "Besides, Denki, you know the second your boy helps dad with his bike he'll be suggesting they both get matching tattoos."
While he knew his mother was right, she always was, it didn't make watching this titanic of an interview any easier.
When the blonde turned to watch the two again it seemed Shinsou was now winning.
"So, you've been having trouble with your bike, Mr. Kaminari? It must be difficult not to short your engine with a quirk like yours."
Now it was Mr. Kaminari's turn to twitch.
"If I didn't have such excellent control of my quirk then perhaps it would be. I imagine you could fix it by asking it a question? Oh, right. You aren't very useful in physical situations. Shame."
Shinsou lightly sipped the tea Mrs. Kaminari had brought him with an eerie calmness.
"You mentioned your bike wouldn't start? If it's an internal combustion engine you probably have a simple problem. Perhaps something as easy as the compression fuel not properly combining with the air mix. Is the fuel clear when you open the float-bowl drain? Of course, I'm sure you've already considered that. It would be a beginners mistake not to."
The ability for Kaminari men to keep a straight face failed impressively as Mr. Kaminari gave an embarrassed grimace before firing back a defensive, "Of course I've tested it. Any idiot knows that." A horribly forced smile crawled onto his face.
Shinsou brought out the big guns and returned it with the Aizawa Smile he had quickly learned from his father. The other man blanched in response.
Shinsou continued, "Denki told me you can emit electricity in pulses. That must be very impressive. It must be far stronger than your son's, what with the very large difference in age. Oh wait, I believe your own wife told me yours paled in comparison. Shame." Shinsou took another calm sip of tea- most likely to hide the smirk on his face.
Mrs. Kaminari and Denki had entirely abandoned the food in order to watch this battle of snark. The two were having an incredibly difficult time not laughing. Denki was enjoying this a lot more now that his boyfriend was winning.
Mr. Kaminari was okay with hitting below the belt. "It's a good thing you're gay, Shinsou-" who cut him off with a, "Yes, your son certainly seems to think so."
Mr. Kaminari winced and continued, "Because I doubt you'd have much luck with women. The whole corpse look isn't very popular right now. Necrophilia is illegal, you know?"
Shinsou shrugged, "Then I guess your son is breaking the law every night."
"HA!" The arguing men both jumped in their seats as Mrs. Kaminari started to laugh so hard that the lights flickered. They turned to see Denki with his face in his hands and his mother nearly folded over the table in hysterics. She began fanning her face and trying her best to calm down but kept ending up in new spells of laughter.
Denki moved his hands to look at the damage but found his father had started laughing too. The man had even put his hand on Shinsou's shoulder and grinned down at him.
"Well, played!" Mr. Kaminari looked to his wife with pride, "Reiko, I like this kid!"
"I- ha- told you so!"
Denki walked over to where Shinsou was standing absolutely bewildered and watching the other's parents with dumbfounded shock. He looks super cute with his mouth hung open like that.
"Hey, babe…you ok?" Denki waved his hand in front of the purple haired boy's face. It took him a moment to close his jaw and the shock turned into the most sincere look of focused confusion that you'd think he was solving a 500-piece puzzle. In a way, he was.
Mr. Kaminari remained joyful while he shook Shinsou by the shoulder. "Hey, kid. What the hell was all that stuff about compression fuel and how do I fix it?"
"Uh…"
"You're going to need to give him a moment, honey. He just got the Kaminari Treatment. Get him a shock blanket and some water. Poor boy," Mrs. Kaminari began to fuss over him and pushed her husband away gently. She licked her palm and started to straighten out Shinsou's hair before Denki grabbed the boy and wrenched him away, hiding him behind his back protectively.
"Ok, that's it! You cannot groom my boyfriend like a monkey. Pack up our lunches in a bento, Ma. Let us leave before he leaves me!"
She looked contrite but turned around and grabbed two plastic bags that had been set aside.
"I already put yours in a bento. I had a feeling you'd leave before we actually got to lunch. Go take your boy home and apologize for introducing him to the most wonderful family in the world, won't you?" She handed them both their individual bento and kissed Denki on the top of his head.
Mr. Kaminari started to complain about his motorcycle but Reiko swatted him and then waved a farewell to the kids- who made no hesitation in getting the hell out of there.
"Come back real soon, Shinsou, you hear?"
They put on their shoes and slammed the door behind them before Denki stuck his head back in to shout, "Love you guys!" and then slammed it again.
Shinsou stood there, holding his bento like a veteran brought home from the war for the first time in months. Denki didn't blame him.
"So, uh...That's them. We don't have to ever go back. Like, let me move in with you and Dadzawa and Papa Mic? Friendly reminder that if you dump me you won't get cookies anymore!"
Shinsou managed to pull himself out of his stupor and looked down at the blonde boy biting his fingernails and waiting for his answer.
"You don't have to bribe me to stay with you," Shinsou started, "but can we do the only-on-holidays thing because I don't think I'm strong enough to handle your absolutely insane family."
If it were anyone else, and someone who hadn't just braved the Kaminari Challenge, Denki might have been upset. But upon reflection Shinsou had won over both his parents and all his sisters in under two hours. It certainly felt longer in retrospect.
"You know," Denki slid closer, "it took ages for them to allow me to bring the squad home after the first time." He smiled at the quiet surprise on the purple haired boy's face, "Just think of how pissed Bakugou will be that you charmed my family in one fell swoop?"
Shinsou reached out to hold Kaminari's hand and started to lead him down the street.
"I only really have one question."
"Seriously, dude? You go through all that and you only have one question? What is it?"
Shinsou shot him a slightly exasperated look and asked, "Do I actually have to fix your dad's bike?"
Originally this was supposed to be a 6 chapter fic with a dramatic plot but I've been having too much fun with this couple. I will actually get to the meat of the story- if people would prefer that to be sooner rather than later let me know!