I just stood at the entrance to the building, stiff and unsure. Classes were out and I had a bus to catch. But someone stood in my way, who stared down at me with his heterochromatic eyes. Which I had trouble looking into.
I was waiting for one person, who decided to use the restroom before we got on the bus and headed into the city. Since I wanted to go to a store and get something to eat. And as I waited here, Shoto walked up to me and just stared.
Neither of us said anything. I didn't know what to say. How to apologize. How to... explain my emotions. Ugh.
"I shouldn't have told Midoriya anything about you. It wasn't my place." Shoto finally said something. I let go of a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
"He's not a bad person, so I can see why'd you tell him your troubles." Gosh I sounded off. Uncomfortable. So... weird, especially since it's Shoto of all people.
"That doesn't excuse the fact that I spilled some of your story. It's not mine to tell, and I broke your confidence by doing that." I couldn't respond. Couldn't say that was wrong. Because that's exactly how I thought I felt at first. But not how I felt now - and I didn't know how to put it into words.
I sighed and lowered my head, rocking back on my heels. I should just talk with him. Get it out of my system. But I didn't know what to say, after all that I yelled at him. I... I don't know what to do.
"Kazama! Todoroki!" We both snap out gazes to the bright voice, stopping next to us. Midoriya, with bright eyes and a wary smile. His innocence sometimes feels like a bullet to my heart, when I look into his eyes.
"Yes, Midoriya?" Shoto asks, calm and kind. Midoriya looked between us and seemed to steel his nerves.
"I apologize for causing you both to become unfriendly with each other! If it wasn't for me, you'd both be getting along just like normal."
I blinked a few times, sensing Shoto's shock as well.
I started shaking my head, placing my free hand on Midoriya's shoulder and pushing him up.
"You did nothing wrong, so stop bowing!" I said, a bit flustered. Midoriya stared at me, about to refute, but I continued. "I was mad at Shoto for telling you without asking if it was all right with me. But, in the end, I'm more upset with myself."
I leaned forward a bit. We were practically the same height. Midoriya's round, green eyes seemed to be a bit sad, as if going over my words and what he knew about me so far. I patted his shoulder again.
"Midoriya, don't apologize for our own mess. You're a good person, but don't take others faults and push it on yourself. Okay?" I was being sincere. Midoriya wasn't the problem, he didn't cause a problem. It was something between Shoto and I, and I don't like seeing Midoriya push blame into himself.
His eyes seemed to get more determined, and be took my hand on his shoulder in his own. His hands were rough, a sign of hard work. He looked at Shoto then I, eyes hardened with something similar to determination.
"Kazama, you should have a full conversation with Todoroki. If the problem is between you guys, then fix it! I don't like seeing best friends so cold to each other!"
I breathed in slowly and looked over to Shoto. He seemed to share Midoriya's sentiments. As did I. But...
I'm not ready. I don't have the strength to splay my emotions out again, not right now. I don't have my thoughts together, don't have the will to do it right now. Not when I felt so bad about myself, but hid it perfectly.
I couldn't look either in their eyes. Not as Midoriya dropped my hand, or patted me on the shoulder. Not as he waved bye and walked away. I just stared down at the ground, feeling my shoulders slouch.
"Mira, it doesn't have to be right now, but can we talk? Tomorrow? Saturday?" The earnest voice from Shoto made my heart clench, a wince accompanying it.
"Saturday. Let's talk Saturday."
Enough time to prepare myself. Hopefully.
"Thank you - hello Bakugo."
I suddenly felt a large, warm hand gripping my elbow.
"You're going to make us miss the bus, IcyHot!" Katsuki replied to Shoto's manneristic greeting... unmannerly. Then I was being dragged from my spot on the stairs. "Don't drag your feet!" He shouted to me.
My legs unconsciously began to move properly. I looked over my shoulder, at Shoto who stood still and just watched. Our eyes connected, and I nodded. Saturday. We'll talk Saturday.
I returned my focus ahead of me, letting myself be pulled along by Katsuki's large hand. I suppose I should thank him, for getting me out of a situation where I couldn't respond.
"If you feel uncomfortable, don't just fucking stand there." I looked up, barely making out Katsuki's profile from behind his hair.
"How'd you know I was uncomfortable?" I asked. I didn't think it was obvious.
He yanked me, surprisingly not hard, to walk side-by-side with him. "If you're not talking and glaring at the ground, you're uncomfortable."
"But... yeah." I couldn't dispute it. We walked out the gate, the bus pulling up to the stop. I looked down at the hand around my elbow. Tight enough to keep me by his side, but not enough to hurt.
"You like holding onto me, don't you?" I ask, not meaning to be teasing. Cause if he asked that, I would have said yes.
Katsuki instantly let go of me. "You were just walking too fucking slow!" Not a no.
"You like the word 'fuck' a lot." I made an observation.
"You like the word 'shit' a lot." He countered. I scoffed
We stepped on the bus, near the back, taking a seat together. "I mean, fuck can be turned on you easily. Shit doesn't."
"What are you saying?" He gave me a frowning face. I made it clear for him.
"If I said 'fuck me' when I make a mistake or 'fuck you' when I'm pissed off with someone else, it could quickly be turned against me."
"Why are you going on a rant about the downsides of fuck?"
"It's not a rant! It's an... explanation of my reasoning for using shit."
"Ok."
"Huh?"
"Do you have a problem with me saying ok?"
"I didn't know your mouth could form that word."
That's when a large hand started shaking my head around.
********************
I sat at island, absentmindedly opening my iPad and scrolling to FaceTime.
Katsuki just got back from changing at his house, now on the sofa and changing channels. We went to see a movie, a new 'superhero' movie, on a whim. Then ate a quick chicken dinner, and returned. On the way back, I got pads and...
I was tired.
Tired from being sleep-deprived. Tired from looking at every face that passed by me, looking for that purple woman that looked so much like Mrs. Osaka. Tired from keeping my thoughts at bay.
So now one thought was swirling around, blocking out the noise of the TV behind me, my eyes barely focused on the screen before me.
We ate at the same place where that old, purple lady spooked me. With her face, so oddly like Mrs. Osaka's. Her words...
What if it wasn't a coincidence? If she really meant to stay by his side, to stay by others side, what would happen next week? When the majority of my day would be passed alone. Would something happen? A trap sprung on me? Or would I be fine, alone for a week.
It's just a week.
I sighed and shook my head. Time to call Yuuko.
I pressed on her name, a second later my iPad began ringing. And another second later she answered. Sitting on a lounge chair, her own tablet propped on her lap. Her blue hair was wrapped up in a loose bun, electronic glasses on her eyes.
"You answered pretty fast." I mused, noting Katsuki turning the TV volume down.
"Where is he?"
I tilted my head, hair covering the sofa in the background.
"You said to call you when I am with him. Not that you wanted to talk to him." Yuuko frowned at me but moved the screen closer.
"How are you? Are you healed? What happened during the Sports Festival? Are you okay and not in danger?" Yuuko rambled out her questions. I waited, seeing if she had anymore, before answering.
"I am perfectly fine right now. Just a bit tired. Plus I'll see you soon." I gave her my 'smile'. "Don't worry anymore, okay?"
Yuuko sighed out heavily. "Hey, are your dress measurements the same as when I had the dress made for you for the conference?" Yuuko suddenly asked.
"Why?"
"There's a wedding coming up in July. Should be during the start of summer break."
I didn't hesitate. "I'm not going."
"You have to go."
"I'm not going." I repeated, adamantly. I hated business weddings.
"You have circles under your eyes." She changed the subject. Oh, I knew that I wasn't going to like this subject. "You aren't sleeping well, huh?"
Yuuko knew how to get people to accept shit they didn't want. She would change the script to something that the person loathes to talk about, worse than the before subject. And now she was doing that to me.
Shit.
"Have you ever heard me say that I had a good night's sleep?" I ask sarcastically.
"When you were on the pills. They helped you sleep."
My entire body went frozen. My veins went cold, my blood stiff. I could feel the eyes on the back of my head, but I refused to look.
"They weren't sleeping pills." I replied, even my voice sounded strained and stiffed.
"They helped you sleep, though." Yuuko was hiding the small smirk.
"For five hours, until I became immune to them and they didn't do shit." I sighed and forced a hand to run through my hair. It shook a bit. "Let's talk about the wedding." I gave up. This was not a topic I talked about. With anyone.
Maybe I should. But I was just... embarrassed.
"Why? Don't you trust the male that coddled you during the sports festival." Again, I froze. But this time, my cheeks warmed.
I blew out harshly, slamming my hand down on the table.
"I don't want to talk about it because I'm fucking tired and embarrassed about it." I said, my tone a bit snappy. "Now either talk about the wedding or hang up so I can sleep."
Yuuko did that mocking face and high pitched tone, before frowning at me. "Fine, fine."
"Why do I have to go?"
"It's the wedding of the son of a board-member." I groaned, placing my face in my now-propped up hands. "The son is someone you... know well. If the broken engagement says anything." I groaned as if someone stabbed me, falling out of my hands and smacking my face on the table.
"You were engaged!?" Katsuki couldn't keep himself from asking.
"Not a real engagement. But our grandmother was trying to force Mira into the business world through marriage." Yuuko started to explain the situation briefly. "She died before it went through. Although Arima never gave up."
"A perverse, egotistical bastard whose interested in girls way younger than him and fantasizes on the idea of cheating on a wife." I moaned from my spot on the table, my words slightly muffled due to table.
"So you are obligated to come, due to the fact that you are the heiress to the company. And the fact they invited you."
I didn't react.
"And I want you to bring a date, so you won't be alone and won't accidentally kill one of those pricks."
I popped up. "You don't mean-"
"Let me talk to him."
"Why? I don't want you being an ass to him."
"I'm not an ass. If I think he isn't a bad person." She smirked. "If he has balls he'll let me talk to him." I lost.
Katsuki let out a low growl, and I only motioned with my hand to come sit next to me. I heard footsteps, saw Yuuko's eyes glitter as the chair next to me pulled out. Then he was sitting next to me, his legs spread wide to where his knees pressed against mine. Warm against my bare knee, even with his pants on.
"What do you want from me?" Katsuki asked, gruff with his voice. I sighed and thought about running away right now.
"My, aren't you a piece of eye candy. I can see the physical attraction." I felt my face bloom with heat. "What do you think of my cousin?" I moaned in pain, covering my face once again.
"Why do you care?" He wasn't shouting yet, but sounded annoyed.
"I'm her only living family member left. I think I'm qualified enough to question possible future boyfriends."
"Oh my gosh, can you ever be more unprofessional around me?" I asked my cousin, dropping my hands.
"Oh, I can. But I'm going easy on you right now." I sighed, glancing at Katsuki. His lips were in a frown, eyes serious. And those ruby eyes glanced at me, and I felt my breath get stuck in my chest with the look in those eyes.
I looked away sharply, not sure why my heart began beating so quickly.
"Lady, I don't care what you think. If I hated Mira, I wouldn't be sitting next to her right now." Katsuki answered. First name, huh? "And if she didn't trust me there'd be no fucking way you'd know about me right now." A sneer crossed his lips in a reduced manner, as if he was reeling in his emotions.
"If you got a problem, I don't give a fuck."
Yuuko was smiling at him.
"Eye-candy and proud."
"One, your married. Two, you're twenty-two and he's seventeen." I pointed out and both of them snorted.
"I'm not interested in this prick." Yuuko scoffed. "He just doesn't seem to be a bad person."
I didn't call put the paradox.
"If that's all what you want from me, I'm leaving." Katsuki placed a hand down, made to leave. Yuuko hurried up and got her real question out.
"Will you be Mirayu's... companion to the wedding." I was thankful she didn't say 'date' but I was unsure about inviting Katsuki to a wedding full of 'prim and proper' people.
He'd probably help me kill someone instead of stopping me.
"Why?"
"Because I want someone to keep my cousin company. Someone besides the boy she had a blowout with on live TV." She winked over the screen and I wished I could jump her right now.
I honestly was expecting a no from him. When he opened his mouth, a frown on it, brows bunched, I seriously thought he was going to say no.
"Fine." My heart lurched and if I was drinking something it would be coming out of my nose right now.
"Fine?!" I ask, shocked, turning to look at him with wide eyes. He just raised a brow at me. "You want to go to a wedding, as my date? A business wedding! That means suits and dresses! No bad manners and cursing assholes out, to keep up appearances!"
"And what? go with Dumbass or Kirishima? That idiot Deku?" I sighed exasperatedly.
"I don't know who, okay! It just...." I groaned, forgetting Yuuko was watching everything. "I don't like these events, and I'm more than positive you're going to hate it."
"I'm going, and you're going to deal with it!" He growled at me.
"Why?!" I just wanted a clear answer. I had crossed my arms at this point, one leg bent in the chair so I could fully face Katsuki.
His ruby eyes narrowed on mine, and the sneer dropped.
"I don't want someone I-" he cut off quickly, looking away sharply. "You're a fucking eavesdropper." He said in a low, angry tone to Yuuko on the phone.
That's when I remembered she was on the screen, smiling intently at us.
"Not my fault you left the camera on. Bye!" She waved her fingers at us and hung up. I closed my iPad as Katsuki stood up and began walking away. Down the hall.
I sighed and brushed a hand through my hair once again.
"If you're so adamant on coming, I'm going to need to send her measurements. So she can get you a suit." I didn't have the strength to push him to tell me what he was about to say, before cutting off due to Yuuko being online and watching.
I heard his footsteps pause. "Fine." He said gruffly, then a door slammed.
I slid out of my chair, and went to get a glass of water.
I wasn't upset that he was going to come with me. I was just... so annoyed and tired. Annoyed with Yuuko for bringing up the pills, for the fact that I had to go to the wedding of someone I hated. And now I was going to bring along someone who got into fights easier than me.
Maybe it'll be fun in a terrible way.
Maybe we'll end up on the news for murder.
Or maybe, just maybe, everything will be fine.
I groaned. I'm groaning too much. If it wasn't for the reminder of my school, I would have thought myself to be fifty years old. Maybe older.
I plopped onto the sofa the same time Katsuki left the bathroom. I kicked my feet up on sectional, leaning my head back against the cushions, closing my eyes. I was tired. Seriously tired.
Out of everywhere to sit, Katsuki sat next to me, a hair's breadth away. I inhaled deeply, and without the blast of wind, I could smell his caramel scent. The hint of smoke. So... satisfying to smell. Relaxing my senses.
I wanted to place my head on his shoulder, to feel his warmth and fall asleep. Maybe sleep peacefully. But maybe I shouldn't. He was just returning my teasing this morning, doesn't mean anything will happen.
I fought the urge, even as his scent beckoned me. I could fight it. I couldn't yesterday, but today I can. I will be strong and fall asleep like this -
I blinked my eyes open as a warm, large hand grabbed the left side of my head and pulled me down. Until I hit a warm shoulder, comfortable despite the hard muscle. An invitation to fall asleep next to him.
The caramel scent with the hint of smoke surrounded me and I breathed out slowly, my eyes fluttering closed. The sound of Netflix opening accompanying me.
"You sure?" I mumbled out, already feeling the clutches of darkness surrounding me.
"Just go to sleep, Vampy." Katsuki's voice sounded annoyed, but forced. As if he was putting on an act.
I yawned, and my body was listening.
"Vampire... do you like it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. He didn't tense under my head, instead settling into the sofa a bit more. My body went lax, and I was on the verge of sleep.
He took too long to answer. And when he did, I could swear that I was already sleep, just dreaming at that point. Dreaming of the present.
"I like that you used my name for you." His voice was quiet, drowned out by the talking on the screen of the TV.
And I was sleep. Swallowed by caramel, I didn't dream.
Didn't have nightmares or memories waking me. I... slept so peacefully.
*********************
My eyes were closed as my alarm went off. I was on top of something... hard but soft? But so deliciously warm. My hands seemed to be under something, a fabric similar to a shirt, and on top of something toned and hot. And I was covered in caramel. The scent just wafting over me so pleasantly.
I groaned, sliding my hands out and pushing myself onto the hard/soft/hot cushion, pressing the off-button to my alarm. Sitting up, I yawned and stretched before rubbing my eyes. I felt rested. Nothing plagued me, sent me to the kitchen or the bathroom.
I rubbed a hand through my tangled hair, getting caught in the hair, and dropped my hand. I was too comfortable, too rested to want to open my eyes. I wanted to plop back down, hold onto my cushion, and go back to sleep.
I was about to do that. Until my eyes opened in shock.
"Stop fucking groping me, Vamp." A deep, sleep-tinted voice said, shaking through my body. My eyes popped open and I looked down.
Only to find myself straddling Katsuki. Hands on his abdomen, shirt lifted to just under his chest. No bruises - I somehow noted. Hair a bit more poofy due to sleep, eyes hooded and glancing over me. A hand on my thigh and one under his head.
I froze, my hands stopping their appreciation of the warmth, my heart stilling in my chest. I looked him over again, and noticed the slight smirk that told me he saw my glance.
I should have jumped off. Should have blushed and apologized and ask what happened. But I didn't.
Instead, I moved my hands to wrap around his upper torso, placed my head back on his chest, legs in the same position. Sighed out pleasantly.
"I'm not groping. Just appreciating warmth." I murmured, my voice deeper with sleep. Then I groaned as my lower abdomen ached, closing my legs.
"Hurry and get up." Katsuki ordered.
"Why?"
"I don't want you to kill me with period blood."
I huffed. "One, I'm wearing a pad. Two, I can't control... that region, or I would be infertile. Three-" I pushed myself up, finding his arms over his eyes. As if he too didn't want to move. He adjusted to look at me, an annoying question in his eyes.
"I'm in the perfect spot to make sure you can't have any children, so don't make fun of me."
Katsuki smiled at me with a big, egotistical smirk. It both irked me greatly and sent a flare down my spine.
"Are you sure you'd actually do that to something as big as it?"
I blinked a few times. Then I rolled into the side next to him with a plop, sighing out.
"You're not supposed to be so flirtatious." I complained, balling up a bit.
"Said who?" His tone raised a bit.
"Maybe the fact you always get pissed at the idea of someone hurting you." I tried pouting. "What was supposed to happen was you throwing me out the window as you shouted 'I'll kill you before you'd touch me!'."
I could feel the bed dip and the brush of his body as he sat up, a growl on his lips.
"I'm not fucking like that all the time." His voice was dangerous. Low, a growl of anger and annoyance deep within his throat.
I opened my eyes, looking straight up into the ruby eyes marked with anger and sleepiness and - and some hidden questions. One of them which I answered.
"I know." He was an angry man. But not all the time. I think I knew that better than most at this point.
Katsuki looked away sharply. Then a large hand fell from the sky onto my head, ruffling my messy hair.
"I'm leaving. Get your ass up and get dressed." A statement, followed by an order. He removed his hand and I refrained from growling at the removal of warmth.
"Yeah, yeah." I huffed, turning my face into the empty spot as Katsuki stood up. The sheets smelled like him - caramel. I inhaled deeply, barely hearing him mutter bye as he left.
I gave myself five minutes to get my brain together, to ignore the pain and push myself to get up.
How many pills would I need? Aspirin, Tylenol, or Aleve... at least seven a day. Most likely more. Luckily I bought a ton.
With a heave and an old-lady groan, I left my warm, caramel scented bed.
Not the longest chapter - just 4000 words. Hope you enjoyed it still!
P.S. - periods are the absolute worst!