Lightning Serenade

Chapter 25: Lightning Serenade I

Neito froze in the doorway of the training gym and forced himself to make eye contact with Denki. He looked sincere. Neito decided that even if Denki was pissed and wanted to zap the fuck out of him because of the stunt he had pulled the day before, then who was he to stand in Denki's way? Even if it came down to it, Neito knew he was safe. Denki wouldn't save his ass just to harm him the next day.

Neito kind of wished that Denki would knock him on his ass. Or at least yell at him a little. Call him a few names, maybe. And if Denki did, Neito knew he would deserve it. The fact that Neito knew he wouldn't made him feel terrible. If Denki was angry, Neito could beg for forgiveness. The way Denki is, he would think there is nothing to forgive, even though Neito is so, so sorry.

So, Neito sighed, crossed the threshold, and closed the door behind him, closing him in with the electric boy that his soulmate and himself loved dearly.

"You don't have to stay if you don't want... just because I asked," Denki reassured as Neito stepped closer, noticing his dejected mood.

"It's not that," Neito said, shaking his head and hoping that Denki might drop it.

But Denki always knows what Neito needs most, doesn't he?

Neito made his way to the center of the roomy gym, toward Denki. Denki offered his hands, and Neito took them, feeling Denki's familiar quirk envelope his own body, begging to be used once again.

"Raise the charge on your inhales, and stabilize it on your exhales," Denki instructed. "Repeat until you start to feel disoriented, then back off a little. If you can stabilize it, then you can try to go higher again."

Denki showed Neito the meter strapped to his wrist that determines voltage levels and explained that it goes the whole way up to 3 million volts, but Denki had never made it past 1.3 million, yet.

Neito nodded in understanding, and they both allowed the electricity to come bursting forth and surround them.

After a few breaths of steadily rising the charge with each inhale, Neito asked, "how did you learn how to do this?" on an exhale.

On the next exhale, Denki answered, "I taught myself. It took a long time."

"You did a good job," Neito complimented, his voice wavering.

Denki was amazing enough not only to improve that much since he had last copied his quirk but did it all on his own. Neito was in amazement at the lengths his friend would go to. He unwittingly squeezed Denki's hands, and Denki knew that yesterday's events were weighing down on Neito but was mistaken about the exact feelings Neito had.

"I'm really sorry about yesterday," Denki blurted after building the courage along with the electric charge a few exhales later.

"Don't," Neito commanded, biting his lip and looking away, but not pulling his hands out of Denki's and storming away.

It was probably wrong of Denki, but he was going to use this to his advantage. Neito was obviously curious and eager to advance, and Denki was offering a great training opportunity, so he would hold him hostage and make him hear him out.

"I didn't mean—" Denki started but stopped himself abruptly, not wanting to be dishonest in anyway with Neito. "I did mean it. And I would do it again. But I'm sorry how it turned out for you."

"Seriously, don't be," Neito attempted to dismiss, but Denki would just not let it go.

"If there's anything I can do to make it up to you—" he started.

"Tensai," Neito interrupted, immediately grabbing Denki's attention at the use of his code name from the QQQ. "You didn't do anything wrong. If anyone should be apologizing, it's me."