Chapter Text
-Celebrity Photographers Chisa and Rumi Kirishima’s Son Has- -Disappeared!-
The young up and coming photographer has left the country and no one knows why or where he is going. When asked, both Chisa and Rumi Kirishima stated that their son, Eijiro (23), has flown the coop in order to “see what he hasn’t”. What does this mean for the young Kirishima? Explore the world? Take more photographs? Or did he possibly find love?
For a young, up and coming photographer, Eijiro is not hard on the eyes and drives many women (and men) wild. The idea that the young Kirishima has found himself a girlfriend, or boyfriend, has the media and his fans in a shambles! With no word of where he is or what he’s doing, everyone is left waiting for news on the whereabouts of this once teen sensation-
Eijiro rolled his eyes as he stared at the many news articles circling the web about him. His abrupt disappearance from his parents' side has turned a lot of people on their head. Clearly the paparazzi and fans were pissed and very curious about Eijiro's' sudden departure.
Eijiro Kirishima Gone? What caused this? A parental rivalry? A controversial lover!?
That one made him laugh as he boarded his next plane. Eijiro loved home too much to stay gone forever and he never really fought with his parents. A ‘controversial’ lover was laughable at best, because Eijiro hadn’t dated since high school, way before he got serious about his photography career.
“What are you laughing at?” A bright blond head was suddenly looking over his shoulder at the news articles on his phone. Immediately blocking Eijiro from seeing anymore of the rapidly posting articles and news clips, and even the rogue YouTube news page.
“That paps finally realized I left,” He comments and holds the phone out a tad more for Denki to see.
“Is that bad?” The blond looked up at him with a confused frown, his gold eyes crinkled. Eijiro shrugged, swiping out of the news app, not before he muted the notifications.
He slipped his phone back in his pocket, “Don’t know, don’t care.” He pulled his face mask higher on his nose before him and Denki moved towards the boarding area of the plane.
Denki slipped his hand out to hold Kirishima’s pink as they stood in the crowded line. Kirishima smiled as he handed the lady his and Denki’s tickets and boarding passes.
“Have a good flight!” She smiled as they moved down the boarding ramp.
Denki was jittery and excited as they moved further into the plane and towards their seats. “I have to say flying in planes is becoming one of my favorite things about traveling with you,” Denki cheered as he plopped down in his window seat and bounced as he buckled his seat belt. The black collar around his throat occasionally made metal on metal clicking noises.
Kirishima smirked as he reached over to make sure Denki had the belt on right and tight enough, “You can literally fly on your own?”
Denki rolled his eyes, “So? This is cooler! Planes are totally man made and you fly with friends. Like that's so much cooler?”
Kirishima blinked as he looked up from tightening his own belt, “You can shape shift into two different bird forms and literally throw lightning?”
Denki smiled, eyes alight with the lightning that crackled inside him, “That’s old news now. I can stay human, with friends, and still be in the air.”
Not wanting to argue, Kirishima reached into his carry on bag and began pulling his and Denki’s headphones free. He handed the blonds over-ear headphones to him, along with Denki’s phone. Kirishima connected his own headphones, pushed them into his ears, and sat back as he began listening to the sounds of rock music.
Drowning out the familiar plane safety protocols along with the circling news articles about him. Currently, Eijiro has no interest in dealing with press or paparazzi or even the occasional rabid fan. He never thought that he would gain this much attention as a photographer, he always wanted his work to stand out more than him, but anymore it seems to be doing the opposite. A well deserved, career deciding break felt needed, and who better to take with him than Denki Kaminari?
Denki had been one of Kirishima’s greatest friends since they met. Anytime Eijiro’s heart called to explore, search, and find, Denki was the first, and sometimes, only to volunteer to join him. Eijiro hated being alone on a good day, and Denki was great company on bad days. They enjoyed traveling, and they enjoyed their time as friends. It only made sense.
So, as Kirishima closed his eyes, listening to the heavy beats of guitars and drums, his mind wandered to how Denki and him ended up friends in the first place.
****
Kirishima had met the Thunderbird on one of his trips around North America. The poor creature had been captured by museum curators and used as a live exhibit. He was kept in bird form so people could gawk at his intense and dangerous, but beautiful feathers. Kirishima watched in horror as people cheered and recorded clips of when the bird would squawk and flap his wings, creating tiny sparks of electricity down its feathers.
Thunderbirds were known for their exotic colors along with their incredible abilities. Yet, the Thunderbird Kirishima was seeing looked dull and lifeless. Like his spark of life was simply gone. A bad sign for thunderbirds, nine times out of ten it was a sign of a rapid descent in health that ended in death.
Kirishima had been horrified. He profusely argued, fought, and debated with the curators as to why it was completely unethical and horrid that they kept the bird locked indoors and away from the sky where he belonged. That it was extremely illegal to keep the bird there against his will and he would call the authorities. The museum argued they were taking wonderful care of him and was very happy in their care, (They weren’t taking care of him and he was clearly unhappy). Eijiro debated on just calling the authorities and allowing them to handle it all before the poor muzzled and tethered bird’s eyes met his own. They pleaded for rescue. Begged for help. For his help.
Instead of continuing his arguments, Kirishima simply broke(?) the bird out.
No one really knew what happened, later on news reports would say someone dropped a cigarette inside and it caught the dry hay at the bottom of the Thunderbirds cage on fire. Which burned the birds tether and allowed him to claw his muzzle off, and use his abilities to break free of the cage. Kirishima knew the story was bullshit but he had no intention of sharing the truth. He wasn't looking to expose himself or get arrested for arson.
Once outside and away from the museum, Kirishima found himself standing with a naked boy around his age hugging him and crying. Profusely thanking Kirishima for his help and getting him out of that cage.
Turns out his name was Denki Kaminari, he had been caught and trapped as a young boy. The museum made sure he had no home to return to by burning his ancestors nesting grounds and running off all other Thunderbirds in the area in an attempt to catch them. Denki was the only one successfully caught alive, and his parents were long gone.
“They destroyed my nest...I don’t have anywhere to go…” The boy had wept as he looked around, eyes drifting to the smoke rising from the museum.
So, Kirishima made him an offer, “I’m not going home right now, but you're welcome to come with me as I finish my trip? Then you can come stay with me, I have a lot of friends who live with me. I sort of help mystics without a home, I mean if that’s something you’d want to do?”
Denki flung himself on Kirishima, sobbed a yes and begged to go with him. So, Eijiro used his connections, got Denki a passport, 'real' papers, and enough clothes to last the trip, then the two became travel buddies.
Denki loved traveling as much as he loved Kirishima’s home. A place full of mystics and people with stories much like Denki’s. He made other friends and people he could trust and it made Kirishima so happy for the Thunderbird. Although, once Kirishima got worried that Denki was flirting with him before the blond laughed and said, “Dude, no. You may have saved me but there’s no romance here. You're kinda like a weird brother or a best friend?”
Kirishima smiled at the memory. He liked traveling with Denki, the Thunderbird was so curious and, in turn, adored going to new places. Kirishima had many friends, many of which traveled with him for long periods of time, but none shared the same level of enjoyment of new places like Denki did. They got along swimmingly and had fun together. Kirishima had never been fond of being alone, it was why he stayed so close to his parents for so long and surrounded himself with friends. Perhaps it was unhealthy, but Kirishima liked helping people and, in turn, if they wanted to live on his grounds, he didn’t care. He obviously had the space, and usually they helped with his work and he could pay them. It all worked out well for everyone involved, everyone was happy, safe, and content.
He didn’t realize he fell asleep till a loud voice in his ear woke him up.
“Kiri...Kiri? KIRI!” The redhead shot up, only to find Denki smiling mischievously at him. “Plane’s landing. We’re here!”
Kirishima scowled when the blond slapped Kirishima’s cheek with the earbud, “Why are you like this?”
“Don’t know! My dad hated me and my mom was a bird so she was always off in the wind. Just me myself and I!” Denki did that often. Just drop hints of his lonely childhood into conversation. Kirishima couldn’t blame him, he too had an increasingly lonely childhood, but he at least had loving parents who just dragged him everywhere with them.
Kirishima's childhood loneliness came in the form of never feeling like he belonged. He was the outsider in his own family and as an adult, Kirishima was working hard to build a family of his own, one where he felt the most like himself. Where he didn't have to pretend, and be a stranger like the world of his parents demanded. Which is why Kirishima loved to travel so much, he could find new pieces of himself in the understanding of new places.
Together Denki and Kirishima ushered out of the airport slowly. Going through customs always blew, but here they stood. Denki and Kirishima breathed out together, “Japan…” They looked at each other and smiled excitedly.
Kirishima and his parents were part Japanese and had lived here for a while but by the time he was five they had moved to America so his mothers photography could really bloom. So, Kirishima’s goal of visiting and seeing the truth of his birthplace was finally happening. He smiled widely as he and Denki moved through the city. Finally living out his dream of visiting his first home, but finally being in Japan, Kirishima began to feel a pull. Like there was another reason he felt such a strong desire to come here. With each day of their trip, he felt the sensation grow stronger. There was something in Japan that Kirishima needed to find. The voice inside him demanded it.