Chapter Text
There were so many people crammed into one little bus, it was almost difficult to breathe. So many bodies in a small space with barely any ventilation or fresh air made the bus so warm, and there was the persistent odor of sweat and something else. Something rotten. Someone’s breath? He didn’t want to look up from his hands, cuffed together and held between his knees, his ankles were cuffed, too, and he was connected to another inmate next to him with a long chain. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, and the bus was quiet. The guards had shouted at them multiple times already to keep quiet, and he felt like he wanted to just curl up into a ball and cover his ears. It reminded him too much of the men that would visit his mom and shout at him whenever they saw him. It always resulted in his mother getting hurt.
The bus came to a jerking stop, jostling everyone inside. “Alright, ladies, we’re going to do this nice and easy. No speaking, no fighting, and no shoving. The faster you follow these rules, the faster we can get inside and get this done,” a guard said, a large man with a metallic cylindrical object in his hand he was repeatedly tapping into the palm of his other hand. When they first boarded the bus, a couple of the inmates got hit with it, and the sound was so much louder than he’d expected, and the inmates who were struck immediately stopped disobeying. He assumed it hurt. “Alright, let’s go.”
He was jerked to his feet with the momentum of the other inmates standing. He was small, much smaller than everyone around him, at least, so he didn’t stand much chance resisting. Not that he was planning on it anyway. They were led into the prison in a single file line, shuffling relatively slowly through the entrance to the building. The walls around the prison were so high, he didn’t think anything aside from high-rise buildings could be that tall, with barbed wires at the top of the walls, and a massive steel gate that was being pulled shut by the guards stationed there. They had guns. The area they were in had a garden, some prisoners dotted around tending to the plants, pulling out weeds and watering the flowers growing there. One even pulled a carrot out of the ground! And there were several trees, too. Did they farm here?
There wasn’t much time to study the area any more, as he finally entered the prison. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness, blinking rapidly and nearly bumping into the person in front of him. They were having their photos taken, information written down and given a small bundle of things handed to them. He followed along, heart racing with increasing anxiety, when he came to the front, where a mean looking lady with a computer sat in front of her. She eyed him, judging, like he was dirt under her shoes.
“Name?” She asked.
“Denki Kaminari,” he said timidly, unsure if she heard him.
She looked at him, exasperated. “Is Denki your first or last name?”
“First.”
“Are you a foreigner?”
He shook his head. “I was born here, I think.”
The annoyance in her face became clear. “Honey, I need concise answers. Are you Japanese or not?”
“I- I’m not sure. Mama was from France, but I- she had me here, I think,” he said, his chains starting to rattle with how hard he shook. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, she never said-”
“Alright, alright, no need to panic,” the woman quickly cut in, a calmer look on her face. “Did you ever go to school?” She asked, to which he shook his head. “Where did you live, honey?”
“Oh!” He perked up, happy to know this answer. “Our alley was next to this bakery! The uncle who owned it was really nice, he used to give us boxes in winter, and he let us use the bathroom after they closed and before they opened.”
A moment of silence followed, and he felt his ears start to warm a bit as the inmate next to him, who used to be behind him, and the lady gave him this look. Like they were sad. “Do you know how old you are, or in what year you were born?” She asked, her voice much more gentle this time.
It soothed the worst of that awful feeling in his body. “I was born in two thousand and six,” he said, peering curiously over the counter as the lady typed his information into the computer. He’d seen one a few times, but the screen was always black when he did. The light hurt his eyes. “Woah, that’s cool,” he whispered to himself, jumping a little when a guard tapped him on the back.
Kaminari immediately shrinked in on himself and apologized, but he was just escorted further down the line and handed a white plastic basket with a few items in. He gazed at it curiously as he shuffled further down to have his photo taken. There was a towel, two sets of clothes, a few bottles, a toothbrush and toothpaste. He gazed around curiously to see if the other inmates got the same, if they were just meant to carry these things inside or if they were theirs now. No one’s basket was taken, aside from when their pictures were taken, but it was handed right back to them as they were led into a separate room. No one came out of that room.
He let his basket be taken, bowing to the guard who did, and stood to have his photos taken, and thanked the guard sincerely when it was handed back. They kept giving him these weird looks, but he didn’t let that bother him. He was led into the other room, where they were taking off their clothes and the guards inspected their bodies. Kaminari wasn’t sure why they did this, but he didn’t want to get in trouble, so he followed along and did as the guards asked, and was allowed to change into his new clothes.
Their uniforms had a white shirt and this blue-ish green jacket and pants that were really pretty, and so much warmer than the clothes he’d worn before. It was soft, too, and clean! He took a moment to just feel the material, before a guard quietly urged him to hurry up. His wrists were cuffed again and he was led out into the prison itself. There were two floors of cells that were sectioned off by two different doors. The first one was made of thick glass, the second had thick steel bars.
The guards used a set of keys that were clipped to their belts to open the first gate, letting the small group of inmates in before another guard closed it behind them. The second door was opened by a guard standing on the other side, and they were led into the section of the prison that held the cells. A lot of the inmates were still in their cells, some laying on their beds, quietly reading, others coming to their cell doors to watch the newbies. Kaminari followed along, all the way down to the middle of the long room.
“Oi, Sero,” the guard called, tapping his baton on the steel bars. “You’ve a freshie to take care of.”
“Again? I just watched a new one three months ago, and he was a pain in the ass,” a voice said, Sero, Kaminari assumed. “I’m just kidding.”
“You better be,” another muttered.
“Mineta is a pain in everyone’s asses,” the guard said and grabbed his arm while unlocking the cell door. “New face’s name is Kaminari Denki. Take good care of him, he’s ignorant and ditzy.”
Kaminari felt like he should be insulted, but his cuffs were undone and he was shoved into the cell with two unknown people, and the cell door slid shut and locked behind him. He watched, standing in the corner by the bars, as the guard and the rest of the inmates shuffled off. His heart started to race again, and he swore he could feel it in his throat this time. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dark, before a dim light was switched on and he could finally make out the rest of the cell.
There were two bunk beds, and a small sectioned off area with a basin just next to it. Kaminari blinked once and looked to the beds, where the two people were. One was really, really short, with curly purple hair, sitting on the top bunk, and the other was lanky with chin length black hair and a dopey smile. He seemed friendly.
“Hey,” the lanky guy said, standing up from where he was lounging on the lower bunk bed. “My name's Sero Hanta, that’s Mineta Minoru.”
Kaminari was quiet for a moment, studying the tall guy, Sero. He didn’t seem threatening. “Denki Kaminari,” he murmured.
“Huh, I thought the guard said it was Kaminari Denki?” Sero said, crossing his arms, propping an elbow on his forearm and pinching his chin in thought. “Which is your first name?”
“Denki.”
“Are you a foreigner?” Sero asked curiously.
He shook his head. “No. Mama just always introduced herself with her first name and then her last.”
“Huh,” Sero grunted, then smiled. “Keep in mind, though, it’s last name then first name, kay? We refer to each other by our last names unless you get special permission, are family, or really, really close friends.”
“I’ll try to remember,” Kaminari said, holding his basket closer to himself. His nervousness was slowly wearing off, but he was still anxious about being in such a small space with two people he barely knew.
“So!” Sero said loudly, missing the way it made Kaminari jump. “You can choose between the top or bottom bunk.”
“Which is- which is better?” Kaminari asked, glancing between the two beds.
“Well, I chose the bottom bunk because I move around a lot and falling out if the top bunk is not fun at all,” Sero said, moving to sit down in his bunk.
“I chose mine for higher ground,” Mineta piped in for the first time.
Kaminari hesitated for a moment before he decided to take the bottom bunk under Mineta. He sat down cautiously, keeping his basket in his lap, but he was surprised to find just how soft the mattress was under him. “Wow,” he muttered in awe, poking the mattress with his hand, shifting this way and that. “Do you guys get to sleep like this every night?” He asked, feeling a little envious as he looked at Sero with wide eyes.
Sero wore a look of surprise, and a moment later Mineta’s head popped over the edge of the top bunk to look at him judgingly. “Are you kidding? These are the shittiest mattresses ever,” Mineta said, a bitter look on his face. “They’re so thin and lumpy, nothing like the bed I had back at home.”
“Your home’s bed is even better than this?” Kaminari asked, shocked, before he laughed softly. “How lucky!”
“Not really? What the hell were you sleeping on?” Mineta asked.
He was a little rude, but Kaminari tried not to let it get to him. He’d dealt with a lot meaner. “The ground.”
“Like a futon?”
“No, the ground,” Kaminari said with a shake of his head. “Sometimes on boxes and newspapers if mama could find some and it didn’t rain or snow.”
There was a moment of silence as Mineta looked at Sero. “You lived on the streets?” Mineta asked.
“Yeah,” Kaminari said with a nod. “Mama did her best. Sometimes we’d get to stay in a motel if her clients were nice enough, but that didn’t happen often, and then there was usually a futon we’d share. It was nice though.”
“Oh man,” Sero murmured, and sighed. “I can see why they said I should take care of you.”
Kaminari was a little confused, but he didn’t want to cause his new…friend? He didn’t want to cause Sero unnecessary stress. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, Kaminari, it’s not your fault,” Sero said with a reassuring smile. “We have a few rules here, though, that’s important for you to follow, okay? Can you do that?”
“I promise I’ll try my best.”
“Okay,” Sero said, studying Kaminari for a short while, then sighed again. “Okay. So, first I’ll tell you our schedule. Breakfast is from seven thirty to nine, then work until twelve. Lunch is until one, then work again until four. We get time outside from then until dinner, which is at six, till seven thirty. Usually we shower afterwards, then free time. Some of us like to go outside again, some like to go to the library to read, or the tv room. Bedtime is from nine, which means you absolutely have to be in your cell then. Any questions?”
“You eat three times a day?” Kaminari asked quietly, a concentrated frown on his face. “Really?”
Sero pressed his lips together in a thin line. “Yeah, man, three free meals a day.”
“You’re lying?” Kaminari said, completely unsure, glancing around the cell for a moment.
“It’s not a lie, my guy. The food’s pretty shitty though,” Mineta said and climbed off the bunk bed.
“It depends on who’s on kitchen duty,” Sero said with a roll of his eyes. “There isn’t a whole lot of work to do, but we get by. It can get pretty boring, sure, but luckily we have the tv room now.”
“Wow,” Kaminari murmured to himself.
“Okay, rule number one,” Sero said, a more serious look on his face. “Don’t piss off the guards. They can and will make your life here a living hell. So just keep your head down and do as they tell you to, okay? Rule number two, minimal talking during working hours, unless it’s for something like asking for help or something like that. You can get punished for talking too much otherwise. Third, you can’t bring anything into your cell without permission from the warden. No books, utensils, or even leftovers. They’ll randomly come in here to toss our cells and if they find something in here that doesn’t belong to you, you’ll get punished. It’s not too hard to get permission for some things, though, as long as you don’t cause any trouble. Fourth, don’t pick any unnecessary fights with the other inmates. It’ll instantly put a target on your back and cause you a ton of pain. Fifth, don’t wander places you aren’t supposed to. We generally have free reign, but try not to go into any of the offices. They’re not well guarded, but you can get in trouble for being in there. Lastly, just try and be as neat and respectable as possible.”
Kaminari’s brain felt like it was swirling with all these rules, worrying that he would immediately forget something and cause trouble. “Uhm.”
“Don’t worry! You’ll get the hang of it soon, Kami,” Sero quickly reassured. “Just stay by my side and I’ll keep you out of trouble.”
“Thank you,” Kaminari said, jumping when there was a loud buzz and the cell door slid open.
“Well! It’s the start of your first day here,” Sero said and stood up, smiling warmly. “Ready for some breakfast?”
Kaminari gaped. Food so soon already? “Y-yeah,” he said, putting his basket on his bed.
“Stay close to me, okay?” Sero said and led him out where swarms of people were headed to a hall on the first floor opposite to the doors they were led in through. “Hold my jacket so I don’t lose you.”
“Okay,” Kaminari said and fisted the back of Sero’s jacket, quickly losing sight of Mineta’s short frame between the swarm of people.
It was difficult not to become overwhelmed by the amount of people walking around, but soon they came into a massive space with plenty of tables, and against a wall was an L shaped station with people behind, and plenty of food options. Sero grabbed two trays, handing one to Kaminari, but he was too busy eyeing the array of food to notice it immediately. He had a feeling he’d get used to prison real quick.
Kaminari’s first day was quite nice, he could admit, despite being yelled at for doing his work wrong. He could have gone without that, he didn’t know how to work the laundry machine, but Sero was quick to interject and show him how it worked. He liked Sero, he was really nice to Kaminari, and Mineta too, but he didn’t like the short inmate nearly as much. Not to mention that there were a few guards who were really nice to him, too! There was a redheaded one, Kirishima, who was especially nice to him, always greeting him back with a wide grin and a friendly wave.
Some of the rules were hard for Kaminari to remember though, because not only were there a lot of official ones, there were a few unspoken ones they had to follow if they didn’t want to get into trouble with the other inmates. Things like not stealing from the others, they weren’t allowed to make eye contact with a select few, and don’t snitch to the guards. Sero tried his best to explain these things to Kaminari, but he couldn’t quite remember all of them and just hoped he didn’t step on anyone’s toes.
It was just before dinner time on his second day, and they were outside in the yard, where some inmates were playing basketball, working out, or playing card games. Some were just standing around smoking. Kaminari decided to inspect the rose bushes in the corner where a chain link fence led to the front yard where the garden was. He liked the smell of roses, and the petals were really soft when he rubbed them between his fingers. There was a bench barely five steps behind him that Mineta and Sero were sitting on, Sero being one of the people smoking. He didn’t like the smell, it reminded him of the men who used to hurt his mother. So instead of focusing on that, he let his gaze wander around the yard, taking in as many details as he could, until he spotted a guard walking an inmate down the hall-like chain link fence that led from the prison directly into the yard. They had to scan their cards both at the door to get back into the building and at the gate leading into the yard.
“Who’s that?” Kaminari asked, tilting his head to gesture to the new guy the guards were leading in. “I’m pretty sure he wasn’t here before, right?”
“Huh? Oh that’s Dabi,” Mineta said, propping his cheek against his fist. “He’s big trouble. I’d steer clear if I were you.”
Kaminari wrinkled his nose and glanced back at the man who was now making his way to an area in the corner where a few others sat. “Really?” He asked, studying the man as well as he could. He had white hair, and from what Kaminari could tell, tattoos on his arms, but he was too far to see much more. “He doesn’t really look like it. Why’s he only just joining, though? I thought you said all the inmates get to come outside at the same time?”
“Most inmates, sure, but Dabi was in solitary for a week,” Sero explained.
“What for?” Kaminari asked curiously, sliding into the seat next to Sero so they could gossip better.
“Mineta isn’t kidding when he says the guy’s bad news, you know.”
“Yeah, he’s a dangerous criminal,” Mineta added, not even bothering to hide the sneer on his face. “He’s in for life. Mass murder, assault, drug distribution. Pretty much any crime under the sun. There's a rumor that he’s even the son of the yakuza boss.”
“That sounds like bullshit,” Kaminari said, feeling quite skeptical about it.
Sero shook his head. “Nah, it’s pretty much fact at this point. He’s like the top dog in here or whatever, so everyone generally tries to stay out of his way. He generally doesn’t cause trouble though, unless someone messes with his circle. The last guy died and that’s why he was in solitary for three weeks. They legally can’t keep him in there for longer than that. Besides, the prison goes rampant if he’s gone for too long, they tried that a few years back and everyone rioted. He’s the go to drug guy, or basically anything you could need from outside he can get you for a hefty price. Pretty sure he’s got some big deal with the warden or something.”
“What, why?” Mineta asked, scrunching his face up.
“I forgot you’re pretty new too,” Sero said with a laugh. “So when he first got here, like three, four years ago now? Anyway, when he got here, because of his reputation a lot of prisoners and guards wanted him gone. So many fights broke out, it was fucking intense, but the guards got the worst of it. I heard some of ‘em talking about their cars getting damaged, and one of the guards’ houses burned down.”
“They think he did it?” Kaminari whispered, a little shocked by this.
Sero nodded. “Yeah! It was even proven later. By then he’s gained a few good followers here or whatever, so he struck a deal with the warden. He’d keep everyone at bay as long as they stopped targeting him or getting in the way of his business. I think the warden was desperate to gain some control because this place was fucking insane back then.”
“Woah,” Kaminari muttered, glancing over his shoulder at the group Dabi had joined. “He really is the main attraction, huh? Is he cute?”
It was quiet for a moment, Mineta looking at him in disgust before Sero burst out into laughter. ”Ah, Kami, you’re so fucking adorable,” he said as the bell rang. “Time for dinner, are you boys hungry?”
Kaminari shot to his feet, the brightest smile on his face. “Oh man, oh man, oh man, I can’t wait to see what we’re getting today!”
“You’re so precious,” Sero whispered, wrapping an arm around Kaminari’s shoulders to lead them inside. “When I get my next allowance, I’ll get you some chocolate, how’s that sound?” He asked, his smile widening into a dopey grin as Kaminari lit up even more.
“Are you serious? Chocolate?” Kaminari asked, his voice going a little high-pitched. “Oh my God, I’ve only ever had chocolate this once! It was small, but it had nuts and raisins in it and it was soooo good. It melted on my fingers though, which sucked a little, but I ate it so fast it didn’t melt all the way! The best bite of my life.”
Sero’s smile was a little strained now, but Kaminari couldn’t tell why. “How small was it?”
“Oh, uhm, like this, maybe?” Kaminari said, unsure, pinching his fingers together to measure the size of a single piece of chocolate.
Sero’s heart hurt. “I’ll get you an even bigger one, okay? They usually come in sizes nine times as big, you know?”
Kaminari gaped, before he snorted. “You're pulling my leg, aren’t you?”
“Nah, it’s real, you even get ones that are bigger than that.”
“Bigger than nine pieces? What?” Kaminari asked, nearly walking right into a wall if it wasn’t for Sero.
“There are so many good things in the world, it’s too bad you can’t get to experience them all,” Sero said with a heavy sigh.
“Hmn, I don’t know, prison isn’t that bad yet.”
“You’ll fucking eat those words soon,” Mineta grumbled as they lined up to receive their food.
Sero rolled his eyes at his short friend and led them to a table once they got their food, sitting across from Kaminari who eagerly dug into his food with noises of appreciation. While Sero had grown accustomed to prison food, it was never something he truly enjoyed, but Kaminari looked like he was eating the best damn meal of his life. It was cute, the way his cheeks would puff out as he took a little too much food in his mouth. He got a little distracted watching his new friend eat, that’s why he flinched in surprise when Dabi dropped into the seat next to Kaminari, who startled so badly he clacked his utensils against his teeth.
“Well, well, looks like we’ve got another fresh face,” Dabi said, wrapping an arm around Kaminari’s shoulders. He always did this. “What’s your name?”
“Ah, that hurt,” Kaminari muttered, touching his upper lip as he finally looked at the person invading his space. His eyes widened. “Oh. Hello,” he said in that oddly timid, yet friendly way.
“Hi,” Dabi said patiently, tilting his head to the side. “Name, sugar?”
“Oh! I’m sorry, uhm, I’m Denki Kami- uhm, Kaminari Denki,” he said with a wide, eye closing smile, his freckled cheeks rounding.
Dabi seemed taken aback for a moment, glancing at Sero with a curious look. “Denki, hmn? How long have you been here?”
“I just got here yesterday,” Kaminari said, glancing at his plate longingly.
“Hmn. They explained the rules to you?” Dabi asked, tilting his head a bit more to try to meet Kaminari’s eyes.
He was growing annoyed, Sero could see that. “Yup, we told him everything he needs to know, no worries,” he chimed in, hoping to de-escalate the situation before Dabi inevitably snapped.
“I didn’t ask you, Hanta, now did I?” Dabi drawled, before he pulled Kaminari’s tray further away from him. Kaminari visibly tensed and sat up a bit straighter, hands making aborted motions like he wanted to grab the tray back but thought better of it, and instead frowned. “Relax, you can go back to eating after you’ve answered my questions.”
“Dabi,” Sero said, voice low, hoping not to draw too much attention to them. “Please don’t do this.”
Dabi raised a pierced brow, resting his forearm on the table. It was a subtle, yet threatening display. “Why?” He asked, expression blank. “Protective of little blondie already?”
“He doesn’t know any better,” Sero hissed, getting irritated. “You can interrogate him later, but let him eat in peace.”
He was practically begging for a beating at this rate, but he didn’t want to see Kaminari look so sad. He’d never seen anyone be so happy getting to eat prison food three times a day. A tense silence followed as they stared each other down, but with their attention elsewhere, Kaminari very slowly reached for his tray and pulled it back to himself before quickly shoveling another spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. Dabi’s eyes snapped to him, the anger clear on his face, but Kaminari just turned his torso a bit to block him, shoveling more food into his mouth, and Sero was starting to worry the blond would choke.
“Oi,” Dabi said, voice low, but a few tables nearby started to look at them. At this point, things were about to get messy.
“Can I- can I just finish the potatoes before you beat me up? I’ve never had them before, wah, they’re so tasty!” Kaminari said, scraping the last of his potatoes onto his spoon. He paused. “These are called potatoes, right, Sero?”
“Yeah buddy, those are mashed potatoes,” Sero said with a warm smile, tempted to hand over his own plate at how happy the blond looked.
“You’ve never had potatoes before?” Dabi asked, a subtle frown on his face.
Kaminari shook his head absentmindedly. “Mom could never afford these, she said they were waaayy too expensive, and they’re bad for you when they're raw? Plus they’d go bad too soon.”
Dabi shot Sero another look, before he jostled Kaminari a little bit with the arm still around his shoulders. He smiled, warm and slightly dimpled, much to Sero’s shock, once Kaminari looked at him. “Would you like some more?” He asked.
“Wha-” Kaminari cut himself off, his spoon nearly falling out of his mouth before he put it on his empty tray. He practically had stars in his eyes as he lightly fisted the front of Dabi’s shirt. “I can have more? Really?”
Sero swore he could see the moment Kaminari started to tug at the man’s heartstrings. “Yeah, you can have as much as you want,” Dabi said and broke eye contact with the blond to shoot the first available person a look, who quickly scrambled out of his seat, nearly tripping over himself in his rush. It was hilarious, to say the least.
Kaminari gasped silently as a new plate was put down in front of him. He hesitated, still holding onto the front of Dabi’s shirt. “I can- really? Are you sure?”
“Sure, go on,” Dabi urged and propped his cheek up on his palm as Kaminari dug into his second serving, resuming his happy noises and chipmunk cheeks. He eventually tore his eyes away from the blond to look at Sero. “Is there something up with him?” He asked.
Sero shook his head. “Nah, he was just born and raised on the streets.”
Dabi side-eyed Kaminari for a moment before he sighed. “Someone get the kid some water before he chokes,” he ordered, his hand slipping down Kaminari’s back and leaning in close. “Oi, sunshine. Slow down, will ya?”
Kaminari said something, words extremely muffled, but slowed down once he glanced at Dabi and saw the look on his face, like he was mad. His face flushed. “Thank you,” he said, smiling sweetly, staring into Dabi’s eyes for several long moments before he simply fell into the man’s chest. Dabi tensed like a fucking rod and Sero wanted to burst out into laughter so badly at the sight. “Thank you very much,” Kaminari said, nuzzling his head under Dabi’s chin.
“Okay, yeah, this is getting too fucking fluffy for me,” Dabi said and got up from his seat, sighing once again. “Just try not to get in trouble, alright?”
“Can I come to you for help if I do?” Kaminari asked, peering up at Dabi with those wide golden eyes.
Dabi dragged his tongue over the front of his teeth and sighed. “Yeah, whatever,” he muttered, waved lazily and strolled away.
Kaminari grinned and went back to his food, thanking the person who got him some water. He had an almost satisfied look on his face. It was as Sero was finally digging into his own meal that he realized Dabi never actually finished asking Kaminari his questions. Was it a manipulation tactic? Sero wasn’t entirely sure. He didn’t know Kaminari well enough to know if he was capable of something like that or not, so he’d have to just wait and see. As long as he didn’t get himself, or Sero for that matter, into too much trouble, then he didn’t mind.