#it’s an inside joke but i thought y’all’d enjoy it

[june-buggin]

I be moaning in her ear like “this is a terrible idea”

[nerdiests]

So I’m participating in Kaminari Appreciation week, and. Yeah. 

Check it out on ao3!

prompt: past/present/future

It’d been a long while since Denki had the opportunity to visit his hometown. Considering his full schedule with heroics, he didn’t have much of a reason to take a flight over to Houston, Texas, for sentimental reasons. He’d told himself, however, that he would try and visit again before he turned twenty five and see what had changed. So here he was, walking out of George Bush Intercontinental with a messenger bag on his shoulder and a suitcase in hand. For a moment, he paused. All he could hear around him was English, a sound he’d missed back in Japan. Even though he’d lived in Japan for the past twelve years, Denki still found himself more comfortable speaking in English.

“C’mon, Denki, we’ve got a hotel to get to,” Denki muttered to himself, tightening his grip on his suitcase and heading towards the car rental so he could drive to the Marriott he’d booked for the duration of his stay. He’d stayed at this particular hotel before his family had moved back to Japan. It was thrilling, he’d get to order room service again, and he could have orange juice in a wine glass!! Ohhhhh, Iida would be jealous!

The hotel was wonderful, the food was even better, and Denki was ready to go around and check out all his old haunts. Like the Houston Natural Science Museum, and the Downtown Aquarium, and the Memorial City Mall with the Cheesecake Factory. He made a lot of money as a pro hero, and he was going to use it! ...Plus he wanted to have some souvenirs from Houston back in Japan he could show his friends - specifically Hanta, Mina, and Eijirou - once he went back.

It was probably a good idea that Denki hadn’t gone during spring break, because he wouldn’t have been able to visit any places he’d enjoyed in his childhood. Even the ones he’d checked out were slightly different. Denki couldn’t ride the ferris wheel because it was getting fixed and the white tiger was gone, the meteorology exhibit at the museum had been taken down, and the mall layout had changed! Along with those changes, he couldn’t even remember his old neighborhood and couldn’t go and visit and see how it had changed in twelve years, and he couldn’t ask his parents about it either. At least he could go and check out the Baskin Robbins he used to go to with his parents when they still lived there! Hopefully.

The Baskin Robbins was gone. Treasured and cherished childhood memories were also gone. How wonderful. This trip was going absolutely swimmingly. He’d spent two hours in traffic getting out here, because he remembered this place’s existence at 4:39 in the afternoon and everyone was getting off work. It was a surprise he’d remembered how to get here without a GPS. But the Baskin Robbins was no more, and all remained was a crafts store. Denki might know how to knit, but saying he made a sweater because he couldn’t remember his old neighborhood was so lame!!

“Oh you’ve gotta be shitting me. Denki Kaminari?” Denki whirled around at his name and was met with a slightly familiar face.

“Wait wait wait… Madeline Versailles? You still live here?” Denki blinked at the sight of his old childhood… Rival? Is that even the right word? They’d just tried to do better than the other in school, so rival was fitting, he guessed.

“Yeah, went to college at U of H. What’re you doing back here? Thought you’d moved to Japan to stay twelve years ago,” Madeline replied, shifting her shopping bag from one hand to the other. Denki shrugged.

“Decided that I’d come back before I turned 25, and being a pro hero makes a ton of money, not at all surprisingly,” Denki said, putting his hands in his hoodie pockets. Madeline raised an eyebrow.

“So you did go on to pro heroics, then? It’s probably a lot easier in Japan, yeah?” she asked. Denki nodded, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He turned it so the phone case was facing Madeline.

“Dunno if you’ve heard of the Stun Gun hero Chargebolt, but that’s me,” Denki said, slipping his phone back into his hoodie pocket. Madeline paused, before walking over to Denki quickly.

“No shit, really? My fiancée loves Japanese heroes, and her favorites are Cellophane, Red Riot, Suneater, and Chargebolt! Hanako’s always talking about when she could interact with heroes on the street back in Japan when she still lived with her mom, and she kept up with Japanese heroics once she moved in with her dad,” Madeline replied, pulling her phone out. Denki noticed the familiar pattern on the phone case.

“I’m more partial to Earphone Jack,” Madeline said, small smile on her face. Denki grinned.

“Well, I happen to know Cellophane, Red Riot, and Earphone Jack. Plus Red Riot knows Suneater, has since first year of high school, so I could… Hook you up?” Denki said, tilting his head sideways. Never let it be said that Denki wasn’t a generous man.

“Oh my god that’d be a literal blessing,” Madeline grinned, tapping something on her phone and handing it to Denki.

“I’ve been trying to get a good anniversary present for Hanako for our three year anniversary next month, but this would take the cake,” Madeline explained. Denki looked down and saw a contact open. He blinked, before giving Madeline a look.

“I trust you won’t give this number out to anyone? This is my personal number and it’d be fairly difficult to get it replaced again,” Denki said. Madeline nodded, and Denki plugged his number in.

“You’ve got an international plan, yeah?” Denki asked, getting another nod. Then Madeline tapped something else in, before putting it up. Denki felt his phone buzz, but left it alone.

“So, how long’re you in Houston?” Madeline asked, and Denki shrugged.

“I was planning on two weeks, since that’s how long I booked my hotel stay for and my plane tickets are scheduled for the same day I’m checking out of my hotel, so. Enough time that I’ll suffer when I head back over,” Denki replied. Madeline chuckled, before looking at the crafts store.

“If you ever need something to fill your time with, Hanako and I are typically free most days. Except Tuesday afternoons and Saturday evenings. Tuesday is couples ballroom dancing and Saturday is my cooking class and Hanako’s book club. So any days that aren’t those,” Madeline said, and Denki shrugged.

“I’m about 45 minutes away with minimal traffic, so I’d be down,” Denki said. Madeline grinned, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Brilliant!! You free tomorrow? Hanako wanted to head down to the zoo,” Madeline replied. Denki nodded.

“Don’t have any plans, though I am gonna go on one of the exclusive tours at Johnson and check out the Astros game next week. Can probably grab some extra tickets if y’all’d want to join me at the Astros game? Fun is always better with company, after all,” Denki said. Madeline waved a hand.

“Nah, Hanako’s dad has a box. Some of the best seats in the house. We can probably get you in there, if you’d want?” Madeline offered. Denki paused for a moment.

“If you’re gonna get me into some of the “best seats in the house” then let me get those zoo tickets tomorrow. It’s only fair,” Denki replied. Madeline opened her mouth, but closed it shortly after. She looked pensive for a moment.

“It’s only fair,” she replied. Denki nodded, before glancing over his shoulder at the crafts store.

“You know what? I’ve got yarn to buy and a sweater to knit,” Denki said, turning around.

“Text me later with what time you and Hanako are planning on going to the zoo, and I’ll meet y’all there,” Denki said, waving over his shoulder as he walked inside. He had a plan for this sweater.

The rest of Denki’s trip was absolutely phenomenal. The zoo was wonderful, though he couldn’t look at the meerkat exhibit as he once had. He saw the Johnson Space Center through new eyes, and had a bird’s eye view of an Astros game for the first time in his life. Not only that, but he got a new perspective on his “rivalry” with Madeline. Apparently the both of them had made botched attempts at being friends with the other. Good thing they cleared that up, because apparently the two of them got on like a house on fire.

Madeline and Hanako had decided to see him off at the airport, since that was what friends did. He knew that was what friends did, since half of 1-A did when he took his plane flight over here in the first place. At least it was a direct flight back to Japan, he could nap the whole way over. Or work on his sweater, he was almost done. Plane rides were the perfect opportunity to work on knitting. Plus he could finish that custom hat he was making for Kyouka… Yeah, he’d probably do some knitting too.

“You keep in contact, now,” Madeline said, slight grin on her face. Denki nodded, grip on his suitcase tightening slightly. Hanako smiled as well.

“It was a pleasure getting to meet you, Kaminari-san,” Hanako said happily, and Denki sighed.

“Hanako, how many times have I said this? You can call me Denki, it’s fine,” Denki replied, with a somewhat joking tone. Hanako giggled, slightly nervous.

“I’m sorry Kaaaaaaaaa… Denki. It’s. A bit hard to call a hero you’ve looked up to by their first name so suddenly,” Hanako said, fiddling with the hem of her dress. Denki grinned, reaching over and patting her on the shoulder.

“Really, Hanako, it’s fine,” he said, before looking back at Madeline.

“Expect those things I’m getting you in a few weeks,” Denki said. Madeline nodded, while Hanako looked confused.

“What things? Madeline, Denki, what are you two conspiring over?” Hanako asked, looking between the two. Madeline only grinned, while Denki pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. He blinked when he saw the time, processing for a moment.

“Oh hell I’ve gotta go through customs, I’ll talk with y’all later!!” Denki said, rushing off towards customs.

“Bye Denki!” Madeline called, and Denki glanced over his shoulder to spot both Madeline and Hanako waving. Denki only grinned and waved back, before continuing the walk to customs. That’d be a hassle and a half to go through.