Your head leaned back against the edge of the tub while you allowed yourself to sink deeper into the soak you made. You'd lit a few candles and put a fruity face mask on to start a good self-care Sunday. Your earbuds pressed firmly in your ears with good tunes lulling you into a peaceful-
"Why did my music stop?" Your eyes shot open. "Why is my phone ringing?" tapped at your earbud, declining the call and going back to your soak. It rang again. "Can it not be the commission again? Days later? Is that too much to ask for? Am I asking for too much?" You ripped the bandaid off and answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Are you dead?"
"Huh?"
"Are. You. Dead?"
"Faust, get off my phone." You sucked your teeth.
"Do you remember-"
"When you tricked me into signing a marriage contract and went so far as to have it signed by a judge? I do, what about it?"
"Grow up, I'm doing you a favor."
"Suck my dick, Akira."
"I'll bite you."
"What do you want?"
"Before you interrupted me." They scoffed. "I was asking if you remembered the company party from a few years ago."
"Which one, Akira, I went to like, three."
"The Christmas one."
"Barely."
"That's interesting. It crossed my mind at the gala and I thought-"
Not that you had anywhere else to be in particular, there were a few places you knew you'd rather be that evening. There next to Faust fake laughing with a few heroes, or in your apartment getting your lesson plans ready for the next day, or anywhere else honestly. So many options. You sighed, eyes glossing over the lobby full of heroes, employees, and an obnoxiously large tree. "I'm going to get another drink."
"Already?"
"Uh, yeah, I need something to make this suck less." You turned for the bar, "Want me to grab you something?"
"I'll pass." He waved.
You guessed you were taking too long to come back when Akira came and took place next to you. Reclining with both elbows on the bar, his head tilted towards you. "Changed your mind?" You asked, having already taken a seat waiting on the tender to bring you your order. "Nope. It sucks less over here."
"Ah." Your brows raised, watching your drink be placed in front of you, you mouthed a thank you. "All this," Faust motioned with his hand, "Stuff, the festivities, the pleasantries, the superfluities, the-"
"Say one more word that ends in 'ies'," You side eyed from your drink, the glass teetering on your bottom lip. "Do it, I dare you."
"Tell me you want to leave and we'll leave." He sighed.
"So I'm your scapegoat."
"I wouldn't say that."
"Mhm. 'Sorry, guys, my date's not feeling too good. We're gonna head out.'"
"I planned on using different words."
"I bet so," You reached over, pulling a piece of fuzz off his shoulder. "I like this color on you." You said about his rust colored top, flicking away the little thing of lint. "You should wear it more."
"Is it the open bar holding you hostage?" They asked, brow raised. "That's one reason." You chuckled, peeking over your shoulder. Not there. You looked over the other. Found him. "Over there." You nodded in the direction. Faust looked around your form, scoffing almost immediately. "What? You want All Might's autograph?"
"More than that. Just waiting to see how much liquid courage it takes." You bottomed out your glass of cognac. "What are you?" Faust leaned in, eyes narrowing. "Exactly what it sounds like." You snickered. "I'm trying to get Detroit smashed."
"You're disgusting."
"You're only saying that because you don't like him. I'm a fan."
"Doesn't matter, it's not a good idea."
You lifted your glass slightly, a silent request for another round from the bartender. You watched him nod and pour you another before turning to serve someone else. "I don't think you understand." You took a sip. "When he was dressed as Santa, for the photos a few hours ago? I didn't want to get off his lap. I could not tell Santa-baby exactly what I wanted for Christmas."
"Please shut the fuck up."
"No, I've never wanted to gag on something so bad in my life." You shook your head, the hero next to you peering over your shoulder at Might before looking back at you. "I think-"
"I think you need to understand I'd let him give me three kids and leave me. He could ruin my credit and I'd tell him thank you."
"Why are you the way that you are?"
"I'm just getting started. He could pull his work boot off after a full day of patrolling and tell me to suck his toes and I'd do it."
"You are downright horrendous."
"I'm trying to get folded like a pretzel in his presence every time I'm in his presence. Any nasty thing he can think of that another bitch wouldn't do, I will do it."
"Are you done?"
"I don't know." You shrugged. "Let me get another drink and we'll find out."
"Before you do that," Faust turned to you, now leaning his side on the bar, "before you get more of that 'liquid courage', I want to tell you something." His eyes on you, then All Might, then back to you. "You do know he has great hearing, right?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"He can hear very well." Akira nodded.
"What, you mean like above average?"
"No, he's got enhanced hearing. Super hearing."
Your shoulders slumped, a nervous laugh coming out your throat. "I mean..." You puffed. "I mean. Shit. I mean. Fuck. I mean like, the room is filled with people. So he'd...y'know, he would have to zone in on our conversation. Like....shit. Nah, he has to hear every one, so like.....there's no way. Nope." You shook your head. "He's even in a conversation-"
"He's been out of it for the past few minutes."
You took a look for yourself, no conversation. You saw him standing there picking over the hors d'oeuvres table. "He's focused on the food. He wasn't even listening to me," You waved Faust off. "Whatever."
"Why don't you test that theory?" Faust snorted. "Since you're feeling so bold, so sure."
"Pssh, alright." You shrugged. "I promise you he's not in this conversation." Ngl, I don't even know what to say. You weren't going to admit it, but you were kind of nervous. Akria saw that plenty on your expression though, his cheek bones nearly squeezing his eyes shut with a smile. It's gotta be specific. You took a deep breath, trying not to be obvious when you looked over at the blond. "You kinda look like you only date women who wear Baccarat Rouge 540."
He smirked.
From across the room you saw him fucking smirk and glance directly at you for a moment. Your jaw fell and your heart sank into your stomach. "Oh, SHIT. Oh FUCK." You put your glass down and jumped out of your seat grabbing Faust's arm. "WE NEED TO LEAVE."
"Do you remember that? I think back on it fondly."
"I think I hate you." Quite literally why I cannot touch myself while he's home. "You don't. Do you think he knows that was you? You should tell him." Akira laughed. "Is that why you called me? To drag those repressed memories to the surface?"
"It's not, but I thought it was a good opener."
"It was not and you're ruining my self care Sunday."
"Oh, poor thing. I'll get to the point."
"Please."
"Explain to me, in great detail, how I was supposed to get in contact with this potential apprentice if you never sent me their information."
"You could've sent that in a text."
"I wanted to bother you."
"I want to put my foot up your ass." You reached for your phone and typed out the info for him in a new message. "We can spar, if that's what you're insinuating. I have nothing but time."
You hit send. "And I have nothing but fades to run." You looked over your notifications while you had the chance, opening an email from the airport. What do they want? Your eyes narrowed as you read it over.
"Hellooooo?" Faust bellowed. "My bad, I was reading an email." You apologized.
"Is it bad? You went silent."
"Not bad, unexpected for sure." You bit your lip for a second. "They found one of the packages that got lost during my move."
"How long ago was that? And where the hell was it?"
"I don't remember and it doesn't say." You pushed up in the tub. "I gotta go see about this. Talk to you later?"
"I'll call you after I meet with this kid."
"Sounds like a plan."