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{A Deal-Breaking Offer}
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Word Count; 4,813
Costa twirled her chopsticks around in her noodle bowl. The lunchroom was buzzing with conversation, lively with the energy of a new week full of possibilities. It was only Tuesday, a day after the work-study offers were released and Costa was sitting with Bakugou in their usual spot.
"Do you like thicker noodles or thin?" She squeezed a noodle between her chopsticks, raising it in front of her face. Bakugou scowled at her, reaching out and grabbing her wrist. She gasped as he plucked them away from her, throwing them onto his plate. "Thick."
"Mmm, you like more mass?" Costa teased. Her fingers crept across the tabletop. Bakugou popped a piece of sweet-n-sour chicken into his mouth. You could see his jaw muscles flex as he chewed. Sometimes Costa's eyes would flicker back and forth from his eyes to his jaw whenever he was eating. Then, he'd get mad at her- thinking he had something on his face that she wasn't telling him. He grumbled under his breath before replying, his mouth full of food. "Yeah, so?"
She hummed in response. Then her hand shot across the table. Bakugou quickly tried to deflect her but she swiftly swiped the chopsticks off of his plate. A triumphant smile blossomed across her face. Bakugou's chewing slowed. She threw her head back and laughed. "Aha! Too slow, hotshot!"
"Shut the hell up-" He glared at her. "Don't play with your fucking food like a goddamn child then!"
"You're just jealous because I'm more fun than you are-" Costa stuck her chopsticks back into her noodle bowl to stir her broth. "Anyways, back to the noodle subject-"
Her eyes met his, showing the image of pure sincerity. He furrowed his brows at the innocent look. He had a strong feeling that she was about to say something that'd either piss him off or was just plain weird.
"Do your tastes in noodles transfer over to your choices in female partners?"
Both, then.
He spit his food out, a bright blush spreading across his cheeks. Costa burst into laughter, watching as he desperately searched for napkins to catch his flying chunks of food. He coughed loudly, clutching his bottle as he took a large swig of water. Costa rested her cheek on her fist, continuing to chuckle softly. He glared daggers at her when he pulled the bottle back, his throat finally clear.
"Lil spit up?" Her lower lip wobbled dramatically as she swiped her thumb under her cupid's bow. "Why do you say the stupidest shit?!" He growled in irritation, cleaning up the food he accidentally spat out on the table. "Don't ask me about my-my..."
"Choices in female partners?" Costa's lips twitched in an effort to not smile. "Why Bakugou? Scared you'll describe me exactly?"
"You sound better with your mouth closed."
"But then who would be the funny one?" She cocked her head to one side, eyes sparkling. He wiped his mouth, his head lightly shaking as he scooped up his chopsticks. Costa bit her lip, watching as he carefully popped a piece of chicken into his mouth. She shuffled in her seat, leaning across the table.
"You know that little voice inside your head? The one that tells you not to do, say, or ask particular things..." He went on high alert as she dragged her pointer finger across the table between them. His eyes followed it as it inched closer to his arm. Her golden eyes flicked up to meet his. "-don't have that."
He snorted, ready to say something witty and rude like he usually did. But then, her pointer finger curled around the cuffs of his sleeves. Her lips parted, her fingertip smoothing over the dips in his wrist. She pulled her lip between her teeth, her middle and ring finger slipping under his sleeve as well. She slowly wrapped her soft hand around his wrist.
He swallowed, looking down at the contact. His heart began pounding loudly. He feared she could feel how fast his pulse raced. She held it there for a moment before letting go. Their skin brushed as she pulled back. A match of fiery sparks lit. He blinked away the stimulating linger.
"But neither do you." She shrugged, looking back down at her dish. He continued chewing, trying to cool down his heated blush.
Costa laid her head against her propped fist, her focus gradually zoning out as her lips part. She stirred her noodle bowl, a soft breath of air leaving her nose. Bakugou furrowed his brows, noticing her rather distracted transition in emotions.
He assumed it was because of class the day before. She'd been in and out of it for the past 24 hours, after all. He didn't realize the news revealed the day before would impact her as much as it had been.
The truth was- Costa hadn't stopped thinking about yesterday when Aizawa had pulled up a screen full of hero agency offers. The vision of her name printed at the very top, as well as a number well into the thousands, stuck with her. The screen was practically ingrained into her memory. Every time she shut her eyes, that's what she saw. A whisper of a name kept echoing through her head. A name she'd reacted to with respect and excitement for years.
"Is that..." She'd flown to the edge of her seat, eyes stuck on a particular name typed out onto her paper. The whole class was examining their offers, talking amongst one another regarding who they hoped would offer them a spot. Costa had stopped breathing when she saw the name. A wave of giddiness and disbelief filled her chest all at once. "Holy fucking shit."
"Miriara-" Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. "Language."
"Holy-" She nearly leaped out of her seat. "I-I- Oh my god!"
Mina immediately shifted her attention to the girl. Bakugou began staring at her with narrowed eyes as he skimmed his own paper in the seat behind her. "What? Who'd you get?" Mina bent over the aisle, trying to peer over Costa's shoulder. Aizawa rolled his eyes at the two. The girls talked obnoxiously amongst themselves. He didn't have enough energy to tell them to be quiet, instead refocusing himself to complete whatever paperwork was in front of him.
Mina scanned the list as Costa fell back into her seat, a dazed look on her face. When Mina saw it, she gasped, swinging her head around to look Costa in the eyes. "MIRKO?! YOU GOT MIRKO?!"
"WHAT!" Ochaco shrieked, bolting from the complete opposite side of the room. She hovered over Mina, staring down at the sheet while inhaling large gulps of air. Mina pointed at the listed name, a huge smile spreading across her face. Costa stared at nothing at all, her mouth agape in shock.
"Oh my goodness! Miriara!" Ochaco shivered with excitement, flinging her hands up to cover her mouth. "That's huge!"
"Mirko never asks to take anyone on! She's independent!"
Costa leaned forward, her fingers grappling at her roots. She suddenly burst out laughing. The other two girls quieted down, sharing a puzzled expression as their friend let out a loud belly laugh. Bakugou's eyes widened at the sound, watching as she doubled over to clutch her stomach. She was hysterical, slapping her palm down on her desk as she ducked her head down. Her shoulders shook with each chortle. Sero and Kaminari raised a brow, leaning over the aisle to whisper to one another.
"What's with her?" Kaminari asked.
"Mirko gave her an offer," Sero shrugged. "I guess laughter is her joyous response."
"Huh- isn't she number 5?" Kaminari asked, scratching his chin. "I mean it's a big deal but I've never seen Miriara react like this to- well, anything." Sero elbowed him in the arm, rolling his eyes. He winced, pulling his arm back, "Ow! What was that for??"
"Idiot. Mirko is her all-time favorite hero. Have you not seen the giant poster in her bedroom? She's her idol."
"Wait- you've been in her bedroom...?"
Sero looked away, "Yeah- but that's not the point." Kaminari shook his head, grinning ear-to-ear, "You sneaky bastard! Did you get a peek in her underwear drawer??"
Sero full-on smacked Kaminari upside the head. A few others around them shared amused glances, smiling to hide their laughter. Sero glared at his idiot friend, "You never learn do you?" He let out a disappointed sigh, placing his elbows on his knees. "But anyways, Mirko is her favorite hero. That's why she's so excited."
"Ohhhh..." Kaminari nodded, still cradling the side of his head. "Still doesn't explain the crazy laughter."
Costa's laughs quieted down as a huge smile spread across her face. A real one, with dimples, crinkles, and all. She didn't hesitate before picking up her pen and circling Mirko's name. She quickly scribbled her signature at the very bottom line. Her heart was pounding hard, nearly bursting with delight. Mina squeaked, clapping her hands together. "I'm so jealous of you! You're about to learn from the woman herself-"
"God bless the queen of heroes," Ochaco sighed, clasping her hands together in a praying gesture. Costa chuckled along with them, eyes staring lasers into the paper where Mirko's name was printed. She shook her head slowly, still in awe.
"I can't believe it," She breathed out, "I'm seriously going to be working with her."
"You bet your talented, winning ass ya' are," Mina reached out to squeeze her cheek. Costa swatted her hand away with protest. A mischievous glint sparked in Mina's eyes, causing Costa's to widen. Ochaco started laughing as the pink girl pushed further, trying to get a good squeeze on Costa's cheeks. "You... annoying ass-" Costa fought back, slapping and grabbing her hands as they reached for her. When Costa twisted Mina's wrist back, the girl let out a yelp. Then the entire class went quiet, causing them both to freeze.
"Okay, now you're causing a ruckus," Aizawa glared at the three of them. "Ashido, Uraraka- back to your seats, now."
"But I didn't even do anything..." Ochaco deflated. He narrowed his eyes, "Now."
"Yes sir," They hurriedly scrambled back to their assigned seats, Mina winking at Costa as she turned. Costa flicked her off, quickly drawing her eyes back down to the paper. The adrenaline pumping through her veins just at the sight of Mirko's name gave her enough energy to run laps all day long. She smiled harder.
Suddenly, she felt a pat on her shoulder. Turning her head around, Bakugou was there scowling at her.
"You're such a loser." He gestured to her paper. "How long are you going to stare at it?"
"Until I stop thinking it's all in my head," She chuckled, "I'm just excited that's all, can you blame me?"
"I don't get it-" He scoffed. "What's so great about the bunny girl?"
She did a full 180 turn in her seat so that she was facing him, her eyes set in a serious, determined expression. He flinched in surprise as she smacked her palms flat on his desk. She yanked it toward her, shifting his entire desk closer to her body. His eyes widened. "Hey-" He began to protest until she reached forward to grab him by the collar. She pulled him in as well. His breath hitched as their noses brushed. Her golden irises had a deadly kind of flicker in them. The same flicker that occurred when someone crossed her before her morning coffee.
"Mirko is the first female hero to make it into the top 5 hero ranking in Japan. Ever. She's a symbol to the female hero community- exhibiting raw strength, grace, dexterity, and perseverance." Costa looked him straight in the eye with each word. A warm glow began to radiate off her, like she'd drank a liter of glowstick liquid. Bakugou's eyes widened at the sight. She kept going. "Not only is she stronger than nearly every male hero in the Japanese community, but she's faster, smarter, agile, and a kickass master in hand-to-hand combat. She clawed and fought her way into the 'boys club' that is the elitist top-ranking hero listing. It's unprecedented. She's made history and has paved the way for the rest of us, young girls, struggling to gain respect and attention in the field. So don't sit there and question what's 'so great about 'bunny girl', alright? She's a fucking genius."
Bakugou blinked as Costa pulled back, turning around in her seat to face the front. He flinched as her braid slapped him in the face. Without missing a beat, she slid out of her chair with swaggering ease, swiping her paper off the desk. Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows as she stalked toward Aizawa's desk. Eyes followed her as she placed the paper down in front of the sleep-deprived teacher.
Aizawa stared at the paper before switching his gaze up to hers. "Are you trying to turn this in right now?"
"Yes."
"We just handed them out."
"I'm aware of how soon it is to submit my decision, Mr.Aizawa." Costa clasped her hands together, a certain look on her face. "But nothing will make me change my mind. I'm going with Mirko."
Aizawa's eye twitched. Costa smiled. With a long sigh, he leaned forward. His pointer finger pressed down on the sheet of paper before he pulled his arm back. The sheet dragged under his finger, sliding across the desk. Costa fidgeted as he slowly rose it to eye level. He gazed down at the front page for a solid minute before he placed it in a pile to his right.
"The final decisions aren't sent out to be processed by agencies until Friday." He leaned back in his chair, eyes diverting to his work. "You have until then to change your mind."
"I won't be changing my min-"
"Just-" Irritation flashed over his features for a second. "Keep in mind that you can change your mind, just in case you miraculously do."
Costa pursed her lips before nodding slowly, "Color me understood, Aizawa." His eyes narrowed at the girl. A teasing smirk began to spread across her lips. His head was starting to ache. He tapped a finger against the space between his brows. "It's Aizawa Sensei to y-"
"Right," She snorted as if she knew that but used the informal address anyway. "Aizawa Sensei. Oh, also- I was wondering if-"
"After class, you may finish that question. But in the meantime..." His arm gestured in the direction of her assigned seat without looking up, "Sit down before I write you up."
Costa cringed, her head nodding in slow-motion as she backtracked toward her designated seat. He peered up with glowing red eyes, watching to make sure she'd followed his command.
He could be so intimidating when he wanted to be.
"What the hell was that?" Bakugou grumbled as Costa crossed one leg over the other. She glanced over at him, catching the painstakingly curious expression on his face. With a cute grin, she reached out to pat him on the cheek- two times. On the second pat, he grabbed her wrist.
"Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about!" She mocked a cheery tone, reaching out with her other hand to mess with his hair. He immediately began cussing at her, grabbing and pushing her so that she'd stop trying to mess with him- just like she'd done to Mina, only minutes ago.
It took only thirty seconds of bickering until Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose, preparing himself to yell at them... again. One would think being called out twice in class was a record for Costa. But it wasn't.
So there they were, at lunch after their morning classes out. Costa was spacing out and Bakugou was getting irritated by her. So, nothing new. He snapped his fingers in front of her face. She immediately flinched out of her daydream.
"You're too distracted," He pointed out, sticking one of his chopsticks between his teeth. "I don't like it."
"Uhh, sorry?" She asked, sarcastically.
"Stop thinking so damn much," He said, briefly glancing at their surroundings. He was making sure nobody was at a close distance to overhear their conversation. She quirked an eyebrow as he continued, "You already know who you'll be doing your work-study with. Why are you so... restless?"
"Because Bakugou-" Costa let out a sigh, hands flying up to cover her eyes. His eyes widened in surprise at the sudden shift in her emotions. She pressed the heels of her palms into her eye sockets. "It's not just any hero- it's Mirko. I have to figure out how to split my full attention between training for the NWH competition and proving myself worthy to my favorite hero of all time. It's just... a lot."
He said nothing for a minute. He simply watched her. How she tensed up. How her gestures increased in speed the more she let stress take over her body. Then, how after she expressed what she needed to- she'd slowly soften. It was like smoothing out the harsh lines of a fresh painting. Her shoulders slagged a bit. She carefully placed her hands back on the table. Her expression, bracketed with tension also became to fade slowly. A trickle of warm light. A deep inhale and exhale of breath had her relaxing more. Soon, her edges were all nearly smooth. "But I got this. It's a lot, but I'm gonna do it."
Her voice was definite, determined. He couldn't help but feel an immense amount of pride in her words. She sniffed, resituating herself on the seat so that she was more comfortable. He continued observing her. Her mannerisms and expressions were interesting.
She was so specific, he'd decided.
Figuring out Costa had a lot to do with figuring out the little things. Like how she sighed a lot when she was upset about something. Or how her eyes wouldn't crinkle at the corners when she smiled, only if it was genuine though. Or how she scrunched up her shoulders whenever things got too overwhelming. Her eyes were the easiest to figure out, changing color based on her mood. He found himself memorizing the exact color of when she was angry, or sad, or elated, or...
Costa slurped a noodle rather obnoxiously, eliciting a sour expression from the boy she sat with. She looked up with those color-changing golden irises. He furrowed his eyebrows. She was also the least modest, polite, or even remotely conforming person he'd ever met. Maybe that's was one of the reasons he enjoyed having her around so much. It was just... familiar.
She laughed at his repulsed expression all the while inhaling her noodles. Quickly, the laugh turned into a coughing fit as she began to choke the food. Bakugou's eyes widened as she full-on started hacking out the noodles lodged in her throat. He let out a dry laugh as she doubled over, making unpleasant sounds. "Oh God, how I love Karma."
"S-Shut-" Cough. "Shut your trap."
He suppressed a grin begging to form on his face. She chuckled after calming down, cleaning up her own area. "I guess we're both getting too rowdy to eat today." He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Speak for yourself." She grinned.
It was quiet for a few seconds. They were silent as they sat there, listening to the hub of the lunchroom. Costa was the first to break the silence. "We're with Kamui Woods this upcoming week..." She cleared her throat. Bakugou perked up at the change in conversation.
"Yeah, you dumbass, I know that." He scowled at her, "I was there when Aizawa told you."
"Oh sorry, sometimes I forget you exist," She shrugged, faking sincerity. He stared her down, his crimson eyes promising nothing but violence. She flicked her gaze back and forth between his and her food. At some point, she dropped her utensils and stared back. "Did you hear what I said? I said sometimes I forget that you exist. Does that bother y-"
"There's no need to repeat yourself. I ignored you fine the first time."
Costa snorted, tempted to brush her nose against his. "I'm sorry, what language are you speaking? Sounds like bullshit to me." He was tempted to head-butt her. He was also pretty sure she'd used that line at some point before. He imagined she had a whole google doc full of funny one-liners to use against him in any given situation.
A grin broke out across her face as she sat back in her seat. She tossed her white hair over a shoulder with a long sigh. He was always fascinated by how quickly her entire mood could change.
"Anyways- I was thinking as soon as we get to the hotel we should..."
His eyes caught on something behind her, tuning out her words. He tensed, his muscles locking up. A burning sensation started in the pit of his stomach. It began to spread to his chest, as the form came closer. A ringing filled his ears, his expression growing dark. Costa snapped her fingers Bakugou's his face, "Hey! Listen to me-"
"Hello, Miriara."
She whipped around in her seat, a surprised look on her face. Her eyes met multi-colored ones, staring down at her expectantly. She blinked back her surprise, "Oh hey- Todoroki."
Bakugou gripped his chopsticks in one hand, his eyes boring holes into the boy. The boy that was his rival in every aspect. One of those aspects was currently staring up at him with pretty, golden eyes. Todoroki didn't even glance in Bakugou's direction, taking the seat next to Costa swiftly.
"Hey, did I say you could fucking sit with u-"
"What's up?" Costa asked nonchalantly, going back to eating her now mildly cold noodles. Todoroki glanced down at her dish before back at her. She slurped a noodle, making direct eye contact with him. He blinked. Bakugou cocked his head to one side, irritation and jealousy levels rising high.
"I had a matter that I would like to discuss with you-" Todoroki's spine was pin straight, his hands politely laying in his lap. Costa, who had both of her elbows on the table, a noodle hanging out of her mouth, looked at him. He didn't focus on her informality, looking straight into her eyes. Costa raised an eyebrow, "Okay... well, spit it out."
"My father-" Costa immediately furrowed her brows in confusion. "He offered you up a work studies program at his agency, did he not?"
Costa nodded, a memory of Endeavor's name popping into her head. "Yeah, he did."
Todoroki looked puzzled. His brows drew inward, his lips parting as he leaned back an inch. Costa wanted to laugh at the adorable expression, shoveling more noodles into her mouth. Bakugou sent her a disgusted looked, his rage faltering for a minute. Her especially un-lady-like manners had the perfect timing. For Costa was a total pig.
And Icy-Hot was probably more into girls just as polite and conservative as he was. Or at least Bakugou was hoping so.
Costa raised her hand, the one hidden from Todoroki's view by her bowl. She quickly flicked Bakugou off, her eyes glaring at him with a mischievous glint. He forgot about Todoroki's presence for a solid second, glaring right back at her until he spoke again.
"Well, then how come you turned in your agency pick already?" Todoroki asked in all seriousness. "I assumed you would speak to me before choosing my father as your-"
"I didn't choose Endeavor." Costa turned her attention toward the boy. Todoroki blinked several times in a row, utterly shocked by her response. Bakugou grumbled curses to himself, on the bridge of screaming at the boy to just leave already. But Costa actually considered the fool a companion. It nauseated him to even consider the reasons as to why.
"Why would you not choose the number one hero?" Todorki asked. Costa let out a bitter laugh, turning her head to face her food. "Todoroki- do you think I care that he's the number one hero?" She shook her head in disbelief, "I went with the hero I thought I could learn the most from and I promised myself that if I ever was presented the opportunity to work with her- I would take it, no questions asked."
"Who did you pick?"
Costa's lips curved into a grin. "Number five, the passionate badass."
"Mirko?" Todoroki looked even more puzzled than before, "You turned down my father for Mirko?" Costa chuckled at his shock. The boy wouldn't understand her reasoning even if she told him her entire life story. "I absolutely fucking did. No offense- but your dad's kind of a twat."
Todoroki's eyes widened in surprise at her blunt insult. Bakugou held his tongue for once, enjoying the route in which this conversation was going. Seeing Todoroki failing at wooing her, right in front of his eyes, was more satisfying than he thought it'd be. She swallowed a bite of food, "Not that he's not good at his job or anything. Obviously, he is. But I am a good judge of character and I get bad juju from him."
She visibly shivered, her expression morphing into a cringe. Bakugou didn't fight back his smirk. Todoroki swallowed, unsure how to reply for a split second. "So, I can't convince you to say yes then?"
Costa narrowed her eyes at the boy. "Is that a question from you or your daddy?"
He looked taken aback. Then he cleared his throat. "From me, I wanted you to join me." She sucked on her front teeth in thought, "Why?"
"Because you're talented." His voice was monotone as he complimented her. Her eyebrows rose in amusement and flattery. Bakugou began gritting his teeth, acidic rage slipping back into his bloodstream. "You have amazing instincts and skills that obviously came from extensive training. You're very cut-throat when it comes to what you can do, like my old man. I think you'd benefit from his guidance."
"Aww." She stuck her bottom lip out in fake sentiment. "That's sweet and all. But I don't want to work with a self-centered, middle-aged bastard. No offense."
Todoroki let out a breath of air through his nose, his version of a small laugh. "None taken, I don't blame you for that blatant observation." Costa grinned. Not the real one, with her corners crinkled. But it was a smile, all the same. "You tend to give blatant observations often, I figured I'd return the favor."
Todoroki's eyes flickered over to Bakugou. The glint in them said, 'See, she's flirting with me. and not you'
He had half a mind to clock him in the face, right across the damn table. But Costa was too close to him and if he missed- he'd probably at least graze her. Not that she didn't deserve it but it would give Todoroki another reason to shoot him that patronizing 'i've won' look. Especially while Costa was chewing him out for being reckless. He looked back at the girl, a small amused smile forming on his lips.
"Well it's a shame," He placed his arm on the table. Bakugou watched as his fingers brushed Costas. Her own gaze immediately narrowed in on the action, her face expressionless. Todoroki's voice became quiet, "It would've been... good to do our work-study together."
"Sure." She replied blandly. He searched for something in her gaze, something she was simply not giving him. When he realized, he pulled back- the atmosphere a tad bit awkward. Costa pulled her hand back, placing it in her lap. Todoroki cleared his throat, "Well, please just consider it- for me."
Costa snorted, "Suure."
With a final, awkward nod- he walked away. Costa turned over her shoulder to watch him as he went back to his table. After he was out of view, she whirled back around to face Bakugou. He was still looking pissy, but she spoke up anyway "The hell was that-" She rolled her eyes, "Consider it for him, my ass. Like hell, I'm passing up a work-study with Mirko."
Bakugou's unease untangled as she expressed irritation toward the icy-hot bastard, his grip on the table loosening. She tossed her braid over her shoulder, one of her hands gripping the ends. "Obviously, he's never had a real role model in his life. Like would you pass up interning with All Might if you still could?"
His eyes sparkled, "Fuck no."
"Exactly! He doesn't get it." She shrugged her shoulders, digging back into her noodles. "Guess he's just not one of us."
One of us.
"No..." He didn't fight back his sly smirk as Costa redirected her attention to her food. She adorably hit herself in the face with one of her noodlies. "He's not."