Notes:
So my name choices have bugged me for quite a while. I, from here on out, will be using the correct names (first names) for the main characters depending on the POV and their relationship to the other characters from their POV. I wanted to use last names since those are the names that are so familiar to us as fans, but it doesn't feel right now. I, over time, will go back and change previous chapters as well. I'm sorry for the confusion, please forgive me for the abrupt change! I was going to try to wait for the sequels but it is driving me insane!
Chapter 78: Mind Over Matter
Hitoshi
Monday evening found Hitoshi training in Bakugo's dorm. They had dropped the Brainwash training two-hour sessions to 3 times a week. Although Bakugo could not break three-minute or two-minute holds, he could now break Brainwash with one-minute holds five percent of the time. Of course, Bakugo has to be good at fucking everything thought Hitoshi. Hitoshi couldn't help but feel a bit humbled by the fact someone could break through his quirk. Of course with all the training it took, it made Hitoshi realize how strong he was, but he still felt a bit envious of Bakugo's triumph. They had not started yet, Bakugo was hydrating since the sessions were really draining for him. After he finished the bottle of water he stared at Hitoshi for several seconds a serious expression on his face.
"Yes?" Hitoshi asked him, a little annoyed.
"You've been kinda quiet this last week. You okay? You and Kiri good?"
Hitoshi sat cross-legged on the rug. "My status with Red is none of your business," he replied in his usual monotone. Bakugo grinned at him.
"Damn, that sounds oddly familiar," Bakugo replied.
"You're not funny."
"Not tryin' to be." Bakugo tossed the empty water bottle in a wastebasket by his desk. He sat across from Hitoshi. "What about you, then? What's goin' on?"
Hitoshi shook his head. "Nothing worth speaking about. Let's get this session started okay? We got that history test tomorrow. I need to study."
"Fair enough," Bakugo said. Hitoshi had lied. It was worth speaking about, but he couldn't to anyone, not even Aizawa or Red. Hitoshi had been listless of late due to a very secret meeting he had had with the pro-hero Edgeshot in the "dungeon" about a month after the formal. The "dungeon" was what he and Bakugo had dubbed the super-secret training space under the school where he and Bakugo were working off their "punishment" for Aizawa. After Aizawa had come down to take Eri back up to the surface after a not too terrible training session, Hitoshi had stayed to move some mats back to one corner. He had not run into Bakugo yet down in the dungeon, but he knew from some cryptic bits of information Bakugo had let slip, that Bakugo was training a child around Eri's age in the dungeon. As Hitoshi turned away from the mats, wondering if he would eventually run into Bakugo and his mentee at some point, Hitoshi met eyes with Edgeshot who had seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
"Hitoshi Shinso," Edgeshot had said with a slight smile on his face. During the war with All for One and Shigaraki, Hitoshi and Neito Monoma had gone undercover with Edgeshot to try and find the villains' hideout for several weeks. He had learned a lot from the secretive pro-hero. That day in the dungeon a month ago, in the deep bowels of the school, Edgeshot's presence wasn't surprising to Hitoshi. Hitoshi had always assumed the dungeon wasn't under the school's jurisdiction even if they were privy to it since it was on their property. Hitoshi had the idea it was run under the watchful eye of Japan's secret central intelligence hero agency (CIHA) . And although the general public didn't know which heroes worked for this agency, many assumed Edgeshot probably did due to the lack of information the public had about him and how he wasn't attached to any public hero agencies. Hitoshi and Edgeshot had bowed to each other in the cavernous training room and then Edgeshot had confirmed Hitoshi's suspicions about working for the CIHA by offering Hitoshi a position to become a CIHA recruit. He would train under Edgeshot.
Hitoshi at one point had made that lofty goal of working for this very secure and secret government agency when his quirk manifested itself when he was young because Brainwash seemed like the perfect quirk for just such an organization, but he knew it was a pipe dream. The undercover gig he had been offered in Naruhata seemed the second-best thing. But Edgeshot had not only showed him where that long-forgotten door was, but he had opened it for him. If he accepted the offer, he would be working directly under Edgeshot. He would be given very little notice for missions and some of these would have him gone for weeks or months. Not to mention the year-long rigorous training as a recruit he would be completing at the same time he was working undercover with Edgeshot. He would live, eat, and breathe for the agency, and although Hitoshi wanted to desperately say yes, his thoughts went immediately to Red. As if Edgeshot could read his mind he had told him in order to be accepted for the position he couldn't have any "attachments." That would make him a weak link for the agency. It would leave him susceptible to leaking information and being outed as a member of the CIHA. Especially if his "attachment" was also a hero. Edgeshot didn't tell him directly, but he knew what he meant. In order to become a recruit of the CIHA after graduation, he would have to break things off with Red. Edgeshot said he had until March 1st to let him know his decision. Hitoshi had been distraught ever since. He didn't know what to do. He pushed these thoughts away now. He had to concentrate on Bakugo and their training.
"Okay, we'll start with a three-minute hold," Hitoshi said evenly. Bakugo crossed his legs and inhaled a deep breath, slowly letting it out. "Ready?" Bakugo nodded. After several seconds of silence, Hitoshi raised an eyebrow at Bakugo, slightly annoyed.
Bakugo let out an exasperated breath. "Can't believe I still hafta answer you verbally in order for you to use your quirk. Are you gonna upgrade your activation at some point – "
Hitoshi activated his quirk, thankful he had the ability to shut up Bakugo.
/
Hitoshi was standing in front of Bakugo. They were both wearing gym clothes and were barefoot, and they were standing in Gym Gamma on one of the large exercise mats. They were in a middle of a judo match. Hitoshi saw an opening and took it without hesitation. He grabbed Bakugo by the front of his gi, and rolled backward, taking Bakugo with him and tossing him overhead. As he quickly scrambled to his feet, he turned around, expecting to see Bakugo sprawled out on the mat but Bakugo wasn't there. Instead, there was a huge archway that led out into bright, blinding sunshine. Hitoshi walked through it and now saw he was standing on a large platform that seemed to be suspended in the sky. Several glass staircases led away from the platform in various directions that led to other platforms. Hitoshi decided to explore. The first staircase led him to a platform where he happened upon a young Bakugo. He looked to be around five or six years old. He was surrounded by other children and what looked to be an adult, a teacher. Young Bakugo's hands were smoking and he had a wide grin on his face.
Hitoshi assumed that Bakugo had just discovered his quirk. As he walked around Bakugo, the teacher, and the other children, none of them paid him any heed. It was as if he didn't exist to them. He looked past this scene and saw another glass staircase leading upwards. He took it and found another platform. Here he found a young Midoriya reaching his hand out to a young Bakugo who was on his hands and knees in a shallow stream as if he had fallen. Bakugo looked up at Midoriya with such animosity in his eyes. He didn't take Midoriya's offered hand. Hitoshi saw another staircase past this, but he decided to go back; he didn't want to get lost. He went back to the main platform and decided to take another staircase. This led to him finding Bakugo tied to a chair and surrounded by the League of Villains. His kidnapping at the training camp during his first year. Hitoshi spotted another glass staircase, and he went up to the platform above. Here he found All Might talking to Bakugo, his hand on a crying Bakugo's shoulder. By Bakugo and All Might's appearance, this was first year as well. Hitoshi backtracked back to the main platform again. No one ever made eye contact with him or spoke to him. It makes sense they don't Hitoshi thought to himself.
The main platform had large ornate wrought iron torches around its circumference. The flames whipped and burned vigorously, looking as if they would spread out from their iron container, but they didn't. There was nothing for the fire to consume anyhow, only glass platforms and iron and glass staircases. Although Hitoshi kept his distance. Hitoshi checked all the other staircases leading upward, finding a platform with Bakugo and his mother and father, another platform with Bakugo and Momo that Hitoshi quickly fled from because he saw more than he EVER wanted to see of Bakugo and another platform that had Bakugo blasting through the sky to bring down a high-end Nomu.
He returned back to the main platform feeling as if there had to be more areas he could explore. That's when he noticed a staircase going down. It was easy to miss, the way it came off the main platform, almost purposefully done so it blended in and was hard to see. He took the staircase down. He was in the "dungeon." Bakugo was standing in the same training room that Hitoshi trained Eri in. But in place of Eri was a red-headed boy about Eri's size. He was curled up in a ball on the floor in a hospital gown. It looked as if he was waking up. He moved into a seated position and then slowly opened his eyes. The boy had large black eyes, the irises so large they only left a small crescent of white sclera on the outer rim. Aizawa was in a far corner of the room with a tablet in his hand.
"Hey, Ryuji," Bakugo said in a tone that surprised Hitoshi. It was gentle and low. It didn't rattle like it normally did.
The little boy's eyes went wide with surprise. "Hi, Bakugo," Ryuji replied.
"How ya feeling? Still tired?" Bakugo asked him.
Ryuji shook his head and Hitoshi noticed an almost imperceptible shift of the expression on Bakugo's face. Hitoshi was naturally perceptive, a skill he further honed due to his quirk. He doubted anyone else except for maybe Red and possibly Momo would have noticed the change in Bakugo's expression. It was a look of sadness, like an acknowledgment that something bad was about to happen and Bakugo couldn't do anything about it. Acceptance and sorrow.
"I feel it already… I'm so sorry Bakugo," Ryuji said, his voice shaking and his eyes filling with tears.
"It's okay. Just try to calm yourself. Close your eyes and count to ten. Like we practiced the other day."
Ryuji closed his eyes but immediately shook his head, his straight thick hair swishing around the top of his ears. "It's bad this time. I don't think I can stop…" Immediately his hands started to smoke and moments later spark.
"10…..9…8….." Bakugo started to count down, his voice clear but low. Ryuji joined him. Hitoshi noticed his hands stopped sparking and the smoke dissipated. They both got to 1 and Ryuji opened his eyes and smiled at Bakugo and Bakugo smiled back. An actual smile.
Aizawa spoke now. "I'm pulling back the barriers." Ryuji's head snapped from Aizawa to Bakugo.
"Remember the video? Of the ocean? Just think about that okay," Bakugo said. Ryuji nodded his head. "Tell me. Tell me what it looked like and how it made you feel."
"It was sunny, and there were kids playing in the water."
"Good," Bakugo replied. "And the waves? What did they look like?"
"They were a really pretty blue and the noise they made…. it was like this weird noise like someone was spilling a giant tub of pebbles out on the floor."
"Yeah… that's what the waves sound like when they wash up on the shore."
"Can I go there someday?" Ryuji asked.
Bakugo's face was earnest like he was making a promise he had no intention of breaking. "Yeah. I'll take you there someday." Ryuji smiled. Without warning, a dark purple figure lurched out and above Ryuji's head. This phantom-like figure had the head of a bird and suddenly grew to a huge size, menacingly staring down at Bakugo, yet still attached to the back of Ryuji.
"Seems like Tokoyami must be having a bad day up above," Aizawa said looking at Dark Shadow. "Tell me when you've had enough, Bakugo. I'll put Ryuji back to sleep." Aizawa lightly tapped the tablet. Bakugo nodded.
"New quirk, Ryuji. This one is called Dark Shadow. It's already aggressive so on top of your own quirk, this is gonna be tough, but we can do it. You ready to try and control it?" Bakugo asked him, his body in a battle stance, ready to move quickly to dodge an attack. Ryuji had looked terrified, but when he heard Bakugo's voice, it seemed to have lessened his fear. He nodded at Bakugo.
"Yes. I'll do my best."
Suddenly the whole platform started to shake, but Bakugo, Ryuji, and Aizawa didn't seem to notice. Hitoshi figured out this wasn't a part of the memory, it was a warning for him. He quickly went up the stairs and noticed that the platforms and staircases around him were starting to shake violently and crumble as if they were in a middle of an earthquake. Hitoshi barely made it to the archway leading to Gym Gamma before…
Hitoshi opened up his eyes and gasped. He was sitting across from Bakugo in Bakugo's dorm room. They had been training with Brainwash.
Bakugo looked into Hitoshi's eyes. "Did I break Brainwash?" Bakugo asked. Hitoshi couldn't hide the feelings of dread, surprise, and utter fear that arose from his core. Bakugo's expression changed to one of concern which was surprising.
Hitoshi looked down at his phone and saw Bakugo had been down for under 2 minutes and 40 seconds. "Yeah… probably."
"Shin, what's wrong?" When Hitoshi had Brainwashed Bakugo for their training session he somehow had gained access to Bakugo's mind… his memories to be exact. Hitoshi figured Bakugo had broken the hold and that's when things started to crumble in his memories and Hitoshi had to exit. "You were…. in the dungeon…. You're training a boy named Ryuji….he's like an empath…. he takes others' emotions and quirks but they're more intense… he can't control it….." Hitoshi whispered under his breath. His mouth was dry and his heart was racing.
"How do you know that? Did Aizawa-sensei tell you… " Bakugo stopped himself from talking and his eyes narrowed at Hitoshi, figuring it out. Bakugo was always too smart for his own good. "You somehow read my mind when you Brainwashed me. You got inside my head…. What the hell Shin, what kind of shit is that to-"
"This is the first time it's ever happened, okay! I didn't even know I was capable of doing it!" Hitoshi yelled, interrupting Bakugo while he stood up. He then began to pace the room.
"Calm down Shin, damn…." Bakugo said as he stood up. Hitoshi turned and almost pounced on him, placing his hands on Bakugo's broad shoulders.
He looked down at Bakugo, his eyes pleading. "You can't tell anyone, do you understand?" Hitoshi said, trying to steady his voice and lessen his panic. "You can't say anything to even Aizawa, or Momo, or even Red." Hitoshi's words were all rushed together. "You know what happens to people when word gets out they have any sort of mind-reading quirk?"
Bakugo's face changed from irritation, probably from Hitoshi getting in his face, to actual concern but it didn't take long for him to push that away and fall back to his tried and true intense seriousness. "Yeah," was all he said.
"People panic, so they either get taken away by the government or killed. I ….. "Hitoshi was absolutely terrified.
Bakugo kept his face of seriousness and now placed his hand on Hitoshi's shoulder. "I promise you I won't say anything about it to anyone. You have my word Shinso." Hitoshi nodded as he stumbled backward away from Bakugo, trying to rouse himself from the shock. He sat on Bakugo's bed, and put his head in his hands, feeling numb and kind of lost and kind of betrayed by his own quirk. He had not been overexaggerating about the public's reaction to mind-reading quirks. They were extremely rare and incited so much fear in others. It was a quirk that had too much power. Hitoshi felt sick to his stomach. "It's gonna be okay. I'll…." Hitoshi felt the space next to him on the bed depress as Bakugo sat next to him. "I know about it so I can help you deal with this, okay?" Hitoshi uncovered his face and looked at Bakugo and nodded at him. Bakugo was a lot of things Hitoshi couldn't stand, but he was extremely loyal and honest. He would never tell Hitoshi's secret. If anyone had to find out about this new aspect of his quirk this way, Bakugo was probably the best choice.
There was a quick knock on the door that made Hitoshi jerk in surprise. Very out of character for him. It was Red, who opened the door a second later and exuberantly launched himself into the room.
"Hey, guys! Ready for dinner?" he asked them with a smile. It was time for Hitoshi to put on his mask, to hide all the events that just transpired out of sight.
"Yeah, we're done for the day. Making Brainwash my bitch," Bakugo said as he and Hitoshi stood up from the bed.
"Oh, don't tell Midoriya! He'll want to get in on these training sessions if he hears you one-upped him!" Red bellowed. Red walked up to Hitoshi and wrapped his arm around his back and squeezed Hitoshi against him. Hitoshi automatically wrapped his arm around Red's shoulder as they walked out of the room.
Hitoshi calmed his racing heart and tried his best to soothe his anxious mind. Even if he couldn't, he would hide it all behind his mask so no one would be the wiser. And he knew without a doubt Bakugo would never say anything to anyone under any circumstances. It would be okay.
Chapter 79: Sweet Disaster
Katsuki
Katsuki had not been paying attention, and he had ironed the shirt a second time. He hated the fact that he was nervous. He pulled the shirt on, buttoned it quickly, and then put away the ironing board and the iron. He looked at himself in the mirror while he tucked the crisp white dress shirt into dark denim jeans. Katsuki found the jeans extremely uncomfortable since he was used to mainly wearing baggy cargo pants. He wanted to look his best, however, and the dark denim he had been given from Best Jeanist when he started interning at his agency were the nicest casual pants he had. He walked over to his closet and pulled a magenta-colored corduroy sports coat off a hanger. He pulled it on and noticed it was tight across the shoulders. He sighed. The coat was a Christmas gift from his mother. It had fit him perfectly 2 months ago, but he had hit a growth spurt in the last few weeks. A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in, Momo," he said while he mentally critiqued himself in the full-length mirror next to his closet. Katsuki knew it was her. For one thing, most of the other students wouldn't be up at 7:00 am on a Sunday. The door swung open and Momo walked in and Katsuki did his best not to downright stare at her in awe. She was wearing a knee-length turquoise sweater dress with a matching turquoise wool pea coat. Her hair was down, but she had a portion of hair on the right side of her head clipped back in a grey tortoiseshell barrette. She wore knee-length grey suede leather boots with a matching clutch purse.
"You look amazing," Momo said as her eyes fell on him, surveying his clothes.
"That's what I was gonna say to you," he said. He now looked at himself in the mirror and sighed.
Momo stood next to him meeting his eyes in the reflection of the mirror. "Don't be nervous. They'll like you because I love you."
"I don't give two shits if they like me or not. I just know if they don't like me, that would make you unhappy. And I want you to be happy." Momo turned away from the reflection to now gaze into his face. She wore a broad smile briefly, then suddenly dropped it, a wrinkle appearing between both of her brows as if she was deeply concerned about something.
"You're taller than me," she said rather bluntly. "Just barely, but you are."
Katsuki smirked at her. "Yeah. And I'm not wearing shoes."
Momo's jaw dropped. "When did this happen?"
"Sometime in the last few weeks. I noticed a couple of days ago but I wanted to see how long it took for you to notice." He couldn't help but snigger.
Momo sighed. "This isn't fair. I've always been taller than you. The fact boys can grow until their early twenties is cheating." He wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands on the small of her back. He felt himself start to relax slightly.
"So competitive." He grinned his Cheshire cat grin. "But you're wrong, Ponytail. We've been the same height since second year." Momo looked at him skeptically. He kissed her on the cheek, and she smiled. "Come on, Shorty. We better start heading towards the station."
/
The bullet train would get them to their destination, Fukuoka, in a little over four hours. Momo's parents split their time between two homes; their "winter home" in Fukuoka and their main house in Nagoya. Nagoya would have only been fifty minutes by bullet train, but her parents had kept urging her to visit and she promised as soon as she had two days off and wasn't needed at Fat Gum's Agency she would visit. They wouldn't return to Nagoya until late March anyhow, just in time for graduation. So now the last week of January, a week after their visit to the Bakugos, found them both heading to spend Sunday and Monday with Momo's parents.
Momo had brought several books for the trip, as did Katsuki, although his were audiobooks. He popped his earbuds in and Momo snuggled next to him, a large book in her lap titled, "Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: 550 Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments." Two hours in Katsuki got a snack from the cart that passed by and purchased a bento box for Momo since she had trained quite hard the day before and needed to increase her calories. She balked at him, but her growling stomach had betrayed her.
After they ate Katsuki finally decided he was ready to ask Momo some questions. He had not wanted to think about it at all but realized it would be best to prepare himself for her parent's expectations if he was going to try his hardest to censor himself and behave.
"So, what do they know?" he asked. Momo looked at him questioningly. "About us," he clarified a bit huffy, already becoming impatient with the whole conversation.
"They know we are dating. That we've been dating since the formal," Momo replied. He was resting his forearms on his knees, looking up at Momo.
"And?" he asked, his irritation growing.
"And I told them we're a lot alike and to not judge you from some of the less stellar moments of your past. To give you the chance you deserve." Katsuki sighed and now buried his face in his hands. Momo leaned against him and wrapped an arm around him. "It will be fine. Try not to think about it, okay?"
"That's impossible. Or course I'm gonna fucking obsess about it. Shit." Momo leaned back and pulled her encyclopedia onto her lap. He started to count to ten in his head. He had a feeling he would be counting to ten a lot over the next two days. Momo didn't talk to him for a while or say anything and he was glad for the silence and the space. They were beginning to read each other too well over the last few weeks and just that idea alone calmed him. She knew when to back off and she knew when to not back down from him. This made him want to try even harder for her as far as his behavior. She deserved to have a decent boyfriend she could proudly take home to her family. He just hoped he wouldn't screw it all up. After a few minutes, he put his earbuds in and pulled her close to him. She kissed him on the cheek.
He awoke slowly, somewhere between dream and consciousness. He felt weightless, his mind empty and free of anxiety, it was just Momo there. He sensed her body near him, next to him. He knew it was her without a doubt even in this limbo. Now he heard her voice in his ear, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. His eyes fluttered open. "Katsuki," he heard whispered at his ear. He turned towards her and she was pressed against him, her face inches from his. His arm was around her, she was tucked next to him and they were sitting on the bus bench.
"I can't believe I dozed off," he mumbled. Momo smiled at him. They were in Fukuoka and as they exited the bus they were met with a humid gust of frigid air. It was raining. Momo took Katsuki by his hand as they made their way to the front of the station. There was a car waiting for them that Momo said she recognized and a man standing beside it holding an umbrella.
"Miss Momo," the man said enthusiastically as they approached him.
"Mr. Gato," Momo said. Then, they both bowed to each other. Mr. Gato quickly covered her with the umbrella and took both Momo and Katsuki's overnight bags, put them in the back of the luxury sedan, and then opened the door for them to get in the back. As Mr. Gato took the driver's seat and pulled the car forward, Katsuki marveled at how fancy the car was. It was a Toyota Century, a very rare and expensive car. Katsuki knew Momo's family was rich, but not this rich. A car that cost more than most people's houses and a chauffeur to drive it.
Mr. Gato and Momo made small talk and Katsuki resisted the urge to fiddle with interesting-looking knobs and compartments all around him. After a twenty-minute drive, they arrived at the Yaoyorozu's Winter home. Winter Estate may have been a better way to put it. The home was massive and the grounds it sat on had to be at least several acres. Mr. Gato pulled up in front of the home and exited the vehicle so he could open the door for both of them. When Katsuki walked to the back of the vehicle Momo grabbed his hand and nodded towards the front door where another man stood. "Don't worry about our bags. Staff members will take them up to our rooms." The man at the door escorted them into the massive foyer that was tastefully decorated with art and sculptures; it was reminiscent of an art museum. He led them to a sitting room and told Momo that her parents had not arrived yet, they had been delayed due to an important meeting downtown.
Momo sat down on a sleek modular leather couch and Katsuki was about to sit next to her but he felt like he was about to jump out of his skin. He wanted to have dinner with Momo's folks, and then whatever entertainment he would be forced to participate in afterward, and then have it all over with. They would head back after breakfast in the morning and then he wouldn't have to be on edge anymore. Momo reached out her hand to him. He took it, kissed the top of her hand, and then let go and walked over to the far wall. There were dozens of pictures of Momo at different ages in thick black frames. Momo at a piano recital, pigtails and a missing front tooth, probably around 6 years old. Another picture of Momo winning a spelling bee. Momo posing in a tutu and ballet slippers. Momo holding a certificate showing she won a poetry contest. Momo holding a debate tournament first prize trophy. Momo holding a saber and saluting with it. Momo holding a bo staff. Was there anything she couldn't do?
He heard a piano sound behind him and he whipped his head around and saw a baby grand piano in the corner of the huge sitting room. The room was so spacious he had not noticed it when he entered. Momo was playing a classical piece he recognized but couldn't remember the name of. He was forced to listen to a lot of classical music growing up because his mother felt like it would help him calm himself. He walked over and sat next to Momo on the piano bench. She played through the whole song and finished.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Adagio Cantabile by Beethoven," Momo said. "I haven't played it in years." Her rendition was flawless from what he could tell. He felt flush with embarrassment suddenly. Momo was the most perfect being on the planet in Katsuki's eyes, and he felt so unworthy to even sit next to her. Why would she choose to be with someone like him? How could she ever be happy and be fulfilled? A slight panic washed over him, and he wanted to bolt out the front door and blast his way through the sky back to Musutafu.
"Can you play the piano?" Momo asked him.
There was a small upright in the library of his parent's house. His mother could play the piano and she had tried to teach Katsuki but he had zero patience for it. The drums suited him better, he was less fidgety with drum lessons, and it was easier for him to pay attention. His mother had to leave the house though when his teacher came over to teach lessons on the drum kit. Learning the drums seemed to soothe Katsuki somehow, yet its racket put his mother on edge.
"I can play a few songs… my mom managed to teach me a few before I almost blew up the piano."
"Will you play them for me?"
Katsuki looked at her at a loss for words, his mouth hanging open. "Why would you want to hear something so laughable compared to what you can play?"
Momo smiled at him. "Maybe they're songs I don't know, and you can teach me."
"Wow. You're… you're really something Momo…." he said in an exasperated whisper.
She laughed softly. "Don't sell yourself short, let me hear them."
"I don't even know if I can remember…. I definitely don't remember the names…." He placed his broad hands on the ivory keys. He started to play a song, the first song he learned to play with both hands.
"Ode to Joy. That's Beethoven, too," Momo replied. He finished the song, then paused and started another. "Fur Elise. Also Beethoven," she said. He continued playing it to the end, feeling surprisingly relaxed, and Momo nodded at him. "Your timing is very good. Many people want to rush through some of the parts."
"You're too nice, Ponytail." Momo grinned at him. Katsuki closed his eyes and tried to remember his most favorite song his mom taught him. He opened his eyes and started playing. Momo nodded as he continued, the song was quite sad and moving and it had stuck in the back of his mind after all these years. He always hoped he would hear it somewhere else, but never came across it. It must not have been a popular piece. When he finished Momo looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"I've never heard that before but it was beautiful. Do you know the name?"
Katsuki shook his head. One of the many employees at the Yaoyorozu estate walked into the room and announced that Momo's parents were ready to receive them in the dining room. Momo stood up and Katsuki followed her as she left the sitting room and he presumed was heading to the dining room. "It's strange they didn't greet us in the sitting room…." Momo said more to herself than him he thought. As they followed the tall, lean man who was leading them, Katsuki couldn't help but notice the beautiful rooms they had passed along the way. Tapestries, fine furniture, more art, chandeliers, ornate rugs, it was quite impressive. The man leading them opened a large wooden door and stood to the side. Momo entered first and Katsuki followed her. Upon entering the room Katsuki's eyes fell on a middle-aged couple who stood up from the table and bowed at them. Katsuki bowed along with Momo and couldn't help but notice that also standing at the table across from them was a middle-aged woman who he immediately recognized as President Machida of the Public Safety Commission. He had met her several times. Some of those times he had not behaved very…. Politely. As he straighten from his bow his eyes took in the rest of the room and another guest immediately to his right was…
"Half and Half? Katsuki blurted out incredulously.
"Bakugo? Momo? I didn't know…" Shoto Todoroki began to say before he was interrupted.
"Momo! I am so happy to see you!" Mrs. Yaoyorozu said as she walked around the table and then embraced Momo. Momo had a look of surprise on her face that slowly melded into a polite smile.
"Hello, Mother. You didn't tell me about additional guests…."
"We seemed to have double booked. My apologies!"
"No need to apologize, Mrs. Yaoyorozu," rang a deep familiar voice. Katsuki couldn't help but lean forward and crane his neck to look past Todoroki and sure enough, there stood Endeavor. Katsuki started to say "What the actual fuck," but remembered he HAD to apply a filter to every word that came out of his mouth, so he just sharply exhaled. He had interned with Endeavor's Agency before the war with All For One. After the war, he returned to Best Jeanist's Agency, where he had originally interned his first year. His time at Endeavor's he had learned a lot but he had also been pretty out of control with his behavior. He had been around Endeavor some since then and had definitely chilled considerably around the #1 Pro-Hero. But he couldn't help to feel a bit awkward since Endeavor had seen him at a time he was a lot more immature and toxic. His hands began to sweat and at this point he felt if he could make it through the dinner without blowing something up it would be a plus. All hopes to control his mouth seemed to lessen considerably. "Good to see you Bakugo and Momo," Endeavor said. Katsuki managed to nod and Momo gave another polite smile, but her eyes said something else. They definitely didn't match her smile. They were wary.
"Well, let's sit. The first course is ready," the middle-aged man, Katsuki assumed was Mr. Yaoyorozu, said. The table was immense, made of deep red mahogany. It could have easily seated 20 people. However, it looked as if chairs had been pulled and only the one end of the table would be used. There were only eight chairs. As people took their places, they were already seated when Momo and Katsuki had arrived, there were now three empty chairs available. One next to President Machida who was seated next to the Yaoyorozus, and on the opposite side of the table, there were two chairs on either side of the Todorokis. And now things were getting clearer and the look in Momo's eyes earlier was understandable. Katsuki felt his face flush with anger and his palms started to pool sweat.
Momo said, "Excuse me," and then bowed. Then she walked over to the employee that had led them to the dining room. Momo said something quietly to him and then he quickly walked over and grabbed the chair next to Endeavor and then placed it next to the empty chair by Todoroki. "Thank you," she said and Katsuki stepped over quickly seeing an opportunity. He pulled out Momo's chair for her. She smiled at him, her eyes now no longer hesitant and apprehensive, and she sat in the offered chair. Katsuki sat next to Momo and then Momo made formal introductions. She didn't miss a beat. She held herself with confidence and continued speaking with a tone of her usual pleasantness. Katsuki couldn't help but smirk because he knew Momo probably would have just walked over and picked up the chair herself if she was at school. But in her parents' world, she seemed aware she had a different set of expectations. However, she wouldn't be bullied or pushed around by anyone. The seating arrangements could have been an accident not meant to slight Katsuki and separate him and Momo. But Momo's reaction made him realize it most likely wasn't.
The first course was served and the conversation turned towards the current status of heroes in Japan. Endeavor and Mr. Yaoyorozu were talking about the decline in competent employees in middle management positions at the agencies. Katsuki had finished his rather bland soup, truth be told he thought most food was bland, and now began to space out, not paying much attention to what he deemed very tedious and boring conversation. Momo would look over at him and smile every now and then. As the second course of appetizers was being served, Katsuki noticed a lull in the conversation that caused him to look up. All eyes were on him. His first reaction was to bellow why the fuck everyone was staring at him, but he knew that was the wrong reaction. Well, technically not the wrong reaction, it was Katsuki's initial reaction which he considered the correct reaction. But it wasn't a good reaction as far as showing respect towards Momo. That was how he was framing this whole weekend. So he would pretend to be someone else. What would Kirishima do? Fuck that, Katsuki thought. Kiri would be gracious and funny and polite and positive. Maybe What would Todoroki do? would be more inside his skill set. Aloof, succinct, wooden. Yeah, he could do that. Maybe not the wooden part.
He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, I wasn't…. paying attention," he said, his voice coming out oddly subdued.
"Oh, Endeavor asked you how things are at Best Jeanist's Agency," Mrs. Yaoyorozu said. She was a short woman who was slightly barrel-shaped. Her face was very young for her age and although she was attractive, she and Momo didn't resemble each other that much. Her eyes were the same color as Momo's though. A deep, dark brown. Her blonde straight hair was kept very short in a pixie cut. But as she spoke to Katsuki, he couldn't help but notice something in her eyes. Although her words and smile were pleasant enough, her eyes told a different story. She didn't like Katsuki. Not one bit. Katsuki was garbage at interacting with others most of the time, but he could read people better than a lot of his classmates. It's just most of the time he didn't care to do it. He didn't blame Mrs. Yaoyorozu for not liking him. He was him after all. But he didn't like the fact she wasn't respecting Momo. If Momo wanted to be with him, her mother should be willing to give him a chance. He took a deep breath, let it out, and then counted to five in his head.
"Things are going well. Last month the perp to hero injury ratio has been the lowest it's been in two years." Katsuki paid attention to the important numbers at the agency. Best Jeanist wanted Katsuki to be his sidekick when he graduated and to take a more visible leadership position. Katsuki had mixed feelings about this but didn't want to disappoint his mentor. Mr. Yaoyorozu, who had not given Katsuki much attention since he entered the room, now looked at him.
"Your agency below 4.3?" he asked. What Mrs. Yaoyorozu lacked in similarities to Momo, her father made up for them. His eyes were a deep green, but the shape of them were the same as Momo's. Expressive, upturned at the ends, almost cat-like. He had a receding hairline but what hair he had was jet-black like Momo's. He was tall in stature with a lean, muscular build. Even sitting he had a commanding presence, his posture proud.
"Yeah. We're sitting at 3.9," Katsuki replied. Anything below a 4.5 was good. It meant hero injuries fell well below the average compared to perpetrators captured. Mr. Yaoyorozu continued to chat with Katsuki about Best Jeanist's Agency, with President Machida joining in. Mrs. Yaoyorozu had a slightly sour expression on her face that Katsuki tried to not smile about. Momo had turned towards Todoroki and Endeavor and was chatting with them. As the entrees were placed before them by staff, an additional serving platter was put down close to Katsuki's plate. Katsuki recognized the dish immediately because it was one of his favorites. Kimchi, a Korean dish, that his mother often made him. Momo grinned.
"I called our chef, A-Yeong, whose from South Korea. I asked her if she would make it for you since I know you like spicy dishes. She made it for my parents and I one time and none of us could stomach it, it was too spicy," Momo said with a soft laugh.
Katsuki looked at Momo, feeling like his heart would burst. "Shi-" he paused censoring himself. "That was really… nice of you Momo, Thanks." He leaned close to her, to whisper in her ear so only she could hear. "You're fucking amazing." Katsuki didn't hesitate to grab his chopsticks and dig in. The kimchi was very spicy, the perfect amount of heat. He felt a warmness run through his body and pretty much zoned out completely from the conversation as he took turns between the kimchi and the salmon that everyone else was also eating. He now heard Endeavor speaking and all eyes seemed to be concentrating on him. Katsuki was amazed the warm sensation the kimchi gave him didn't seem to leave him. He felt enveloped by it, almost giddy. He also began to feel quite sleepy although he was a lot less agitated and felt relaxed. Maybe dinner wouldn't be a disaster after all.
Momo
Momo was on edge. When she had entered the dining room, she was quite upset but hid those emotions. It was very poor etiquette for her parents to not meet her and Katsuki in the sitting room since they were guests. And the presence of the Todorokis and President Machida all seemed to be some orchestrated tactic to make Katsuki as uncomfortable as possible. Or perhaps it was a message directed at her. Because Katsuki surely didn't know about the pressure from her parents she had received over the years to pursue a relationship with Todoroki. Her parents had always been supportive and loving towards Momo, parents that most people would dream of having. But this push for a quirk/class marriage soured all of that goodness. How could she make them understand?
As if her mother could read her mind, she addressed Momo. "Is everything okay, dear? You haven't touched your salmon. The next course will be an assortment of nigiri, I made sure they prepared some otoro, your favorite." Her mother's serene smile faltered a bit, was that a look of regret? Perhaps she felt bad about the whole dinner debacle. She had to have known Momo would see through it.
"I'm not very hungry at the moment. Perhaps the traveling didn't agree with me," Momo replied. Her mother nodded at her. Momo tried to make herself relax. So far, things had gone smoothly despite her parents' actions. Katsuki although not very involved in the dinner conversation had chit-chatted with her father. He had asked Katsuki many questions about his agency work and had responded positively to Katsuki's answers. He at least seemed to be giving Katsuki a chance. Momo looked over at Endeavor who was talking with President Machida. He and Todoroki had seemed genuinely surprised when she and Katsuki had walked into the room which had made Momo feel a bit better. She often wondered if Endeavor put similar pressure on Todoroki as far as future marriage candidates. Although Momo and Todoroki were friends, they had never had deep conversations but maybe now it was time. It would be good to vent about marriage pressure to someone because she definitely couldn't with Katsuki. And she couldn't talk to Kyoka because it would come across as "rich people" problems.
Momo suddenly felt pressure on her left shoulder and she turned her head to find Katsuki nuzzling her upper arm like he was a cat and she was a scratching post. Momo stiffened in shock. Katsuki had strong feelings about PDA. Even in the dorm common area he seldom initiated contact with Momo if anyone else was around. It was normally her who was physically demonstrative in public. And this cat-like nuzzling on her arm was very out of character, even when they were in private.
"Katsuki?" she whispered, hoping no one else was watching their end of the table. After he rubbed his face a bit more roughly against her shoulder he lifted his head up slightly, and sleepy, heavy-lidded red eyes blinked slowly at her. He smiled at her and whispered, "Momo."
"Bakugo, President Machida was just mentioning what they have planned for the memorial at ground zero where All For One was vanquished. You probably would be interested in hearing this since it includes you," Endeavor said, his voice proud and overbearing. He was at that hallowed battle along with Bakugo, Midoriya, Hawks, and Edgeshot.
A low, jovial chuckle erupted from Katsuki, it sounded nothing like him. Katsuki stood up abruptly, using the table for leverage and had used enough force to cause the table to shake, its plates and glasses rattling briefly. Katsuki grabbed at a glass and raised it up and towards Endeavor, the water sloshing around inside and spilling out onto the linen tablecloth. "Too Endeavor! The number one here!" Katsuki blurted out. The other dinner guests stared at him dumbly while Momo couldn't help but be concerned by his erratic behavior. "Not for long though…. Soon it will be me….." Katsuki said as he brought the glass to his lips and then took several gulps of water, his words changing to a low and serious tone. Almost menacing.
He lowered his glass to the table and then grabbed Momo's hand and pulled her up to where she was standing next to him. Momo glanced at Endeavor who didn't look amused. "And Momo…." Katsuki continued. The grin he gave her was purely sinful and she felt her face blush with embarrassment. He now threw an arm around her, pulling her towards him. He lurched his head towards hers, his breath suddenly at her ear, hot and tickling her skin. Normally she would have reacted differently to this in private, but now she had to resist the urge to push him away as her mother stared at them from across the table, her jaw having dropped open with shock. She was mad at herself for even thinking she would push Katsuki away; she wasn't sure what was going on with him, but she needed to support him, especially in front of her parents. Momo leaned away from Katsuki and grabbed one of his wrists gently and she reached for his face with her other hand. "Katsuki? Are you feeling okay? You feel hot. Even for you." Was he ill? He didn't seem to be sick, if anything he seemed euphoric. Now Katsuki bolted away from Momo and bounded around to the other side of the table. He knelt on the chair next to President Machida, turned towards her, and glared at her. He clumsily took off his sport jacket letting it fall to the floor and then he started to feverishly unbutton his shirt. President Machida could only stare at him in shock.
"He is out of control! This is highly inappropriate!" Mrs. Yaoyorozu's voice rang out. Momo's father was watching Katsuki with concern, but also with interest as if he wondered what he would do next. Endeavor stood up suddenly which garnered Momo's attention.
"Katsuki!" he said sternly. By this time Katsuki had unbuttoned the last button of his white dress shirt, jutted out his chin towards President Machida, and then violently jabbed his own finger at the huge scar on his now naked chest like he was trying to squash an ant under his fingertip. President Machida leaned away from him looking repulsed.
"You like that? This ugly scar? It's your fault! Because of the restrictions you put on heroes during the war because of civilian unrest. I couldn't get upgrades to my gauntlet approved because it was deemed too dangerous, so I was working at half the power I coulda been workin' with. I almost died because of it! A lot of heroes died because you didn't have the balls to support pro-heroes when they needed you the most!"
Todoroki walked over to Katsuki, finally paying enough attention to the whole scene to move into action. "Bakugo, calm down." He placed his hand on Katsuki's shoulder. Momo walked over to join Todoroki hoping she could calm him down as well. Katsuki violently shrugged his shoulder to dislodge Todoroki's hand, almost falling over in the process.
"Get off me Icy Hot! I don't need your fucking help!"
"Dear, I think we need to call the police, he's scaring me," Mrs. Yaoyorozu said.
"That won't be necessary…. I think he's drunk," Endeavor spoke, his face having changed suddenly as if an integral piece of the puzzle was finally locked into place.
"Drunk? How? I've been with him all day and he hasn't had anything alcoholic. Katsuki doesn't drink anyhow," Momo said as she scanned Katsuki's face. It was red but now instead of rage, his face looked pained.
"He isn't drunk, he's just out of control! Like a feral animal! Like he was at the Sports Festival!" Mrs. Yaoyorozu exclaimed.
Todoroki's head shot towards Mrs. Yaoyorozu as if he was seeing her for the very first time. "Bakugo's changed a lot since the Sports Festival. He's not some wild animal. You don't know him." Todoroki's words rang out sternly and he looked at Mrs. Yaoyorozu like a disappointed parent to a belligerent teenage child.
"Dear, he did seem fine earlier…." Mr. Yaoyorozu said before his wife sighed heavily and gave him a dismissive gesture with a few flicks of her hand.
Todoroki glanced at Katsuki. "This is out of character even for Bakugo…" Todoroki mumbled under his breath, more to himself now than to the other guests at the table. Stumbling backward, Katsuki swung his arms wide as if he was trying to regain his balance. His eyes started to scan the room as if he was looking for something.
Momo placed her hand on his shoulder. "Katsuki…. I think we should get you to your room….." Without warning, Katsuki bounded heavily over to the far corner of the dining room, placed his hands on the rim of a 4-foot tall 19th-century bronze and copper vase, the one with high relief birds and flowers (Momo's mother's favorite), and violently started to vomit into it.
"What an absolute disaster! That vase is priceless!" Mrs. Yaoyorozu shrieked with disgust.
"Katsuki…. You're sick…. A stomach bug of some kind…."Momo said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Katsuki righted himself for a moment and shifted his weight unsteadily. Momo placed her hand on his mid-back to steady him.
"He looks really bad…." Todoroki said, his face in a grimace that looked foreign on his usually impassive face.
Endeavor's voice rang out, demanding everyone in the room's attention. "He's drunk." Momo craned her neck around Todoroki until her eyes fell on Endeavor. He was holding the bowl of kimchi under his nose. "This reeks of cheap sake."
Momo and Todoroki's gaze now fell on Mrs. Yaoyorozu. "It's a fermented dish Enji. Perhaps that is what you're smelling," Mrs. Yaoyorozu said in a bland tone.
"I know straight sake when I smell it. It doesn't smell anything like fermented food. My apologies, Mrs. Yaoyorozu, for disagreeing with you." Endeavor's face was stony and serious.
She looked down at the table and sniffed once very primly. Momo knew her mother was uncomfortable by her mannerisms. Momo would have been saddened by the whole mess if she wasn't extremely angry, that one emotion trumping all the other things she felt. Betrayal. Hurt. Embarrassment. Not at Katsuki, who was innocent in all this, but at her mother. How low her mother had stooped. She, and perhaps her father was in on it, had spiked a dish with strong alcohol that was specifically just for Katsuki that Momo had asked them, along with their cook, to prepare. It would seem it was their hope he would become drunk and then lose control and cause a scene. Which was exactly what happened. Momo couldn't believe any of what was happening was real.
"Fuck me…." Katsuki whined seconds before he vomited again into the vase.
Mr. Yaoyorozu motioned to one of the house staff that had just walked in with another course, the assorted nagiri. "Ohara, please escort Bakugo to the guest quarters. He has taken ill," he said, his voice tired.
"No father. I'll take him." Momo's voice was cold and loud. She glared at both her parents briefly before she turned her attention back to Katsuki. He was still now, his hands gripping the rim of the vase, his exposed chest and face were soaked in sweat, she could smell it, pungent and smoky. His eyes were puffy and closed and he swayed slightly. Momo placed an arm around Katsuki. "Let's get you to your room. Come on, come with me." She started to pull him along but he barely moved, as if he was stuck. A second later Todoroki moved to the other side of Katsuki and placed his arm around Katsuki's lower back to help aid in trying to scootch him along. Now with the two of them helping, Katsuki started to shamble, which was a bit of an improvement, towards the door leading to the hallway.
"Momo! What about the otoro?" Mrs. Yaoyorozu's voice rang out.
Momo stopped briefly and turned her head towards her mother. She felt the fury on her face, new and raw, like a heavy, invisible mask had finally been lifted from her face. "Fuck the otoro," Momo said. Mrs. Yaoyorozu's face turned a bright red and she made a strange sound like a strangled gasp. Momo turned towards the door and, along with Todoroki, they helped Katsuki out of the room.
/
The guest room Katsuki was staying in was enormous and the bathroom rivaled the size of most people's living rooms. Katsuki moaned and made a gurgling noise like he was about to vomit. Todoroki and Momo increased their speed substantially and luckily got him to the toilet before he vomited. Instead of gripping a 19th-century vase, Katsuki was gripping a toilet seat, but in his current state, it didn't make much of a difference to him it seemed.
Momo grabbed a washcloth, wet it with cool water, and placed it on Katsuki's neck.
"Thank you…" he said weakly before his chest and stomach heaved, but nothing came out. Maybe he was through the worst of it. But a few seconds later… more vomiting. Katsuki now kneeled in front of the toilet, and Momo sat next to him.
"I'm sorry, Momo," Todoroki said, leaning against the door jamb.
"I know the possibility of dinner being a disaster was in the cards, but I never thought it would be at the hands of my parents."
"Yeah. Spiking a dish only Katsuki would eat was pretty diabolical on their part. Guess we know where you get your smarts from," Todoroki said in his usual monotone.
"My parents obviously don't want us together if they would go through all that trouble. Orchestrating Katsuki getting drunk so he would cause a scene…" Momo's voice wavered, but she wouldn't cry. Not in front of Todoroki. And definitely not in front of Katsuki in his current state.
As if he could read her perfectly, Todoroki bowed. "I will leave you two alone. If you need anything, you have my number."
Momo looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "Thank you," she said. As he began to turn away, Momo blurted out. "And thank you for sticking up for Katsuki."
"Of course. That's what friends are for."
After Todoroki left, closing the bathroom door behind him, Katsuki seemed to stop retching, at least for now, his face was still in a harsh grimace.
"Is there anything I can get you Katsuki? Are you cold?" He was no longer sweating profusely, but he was so pale, and he felt clammy to the touch. Momo was sitting behind him now, her hand resting on his upper arm. He answered her, but not in the way she expected. His head was bowed down, his face obscured from Momo's view.
"Ya know, I have a ring. It's my grandmother's. I'm gonna ask you to marry me, but I don't know how." Momo held her breath and looked at the back of his spikey head. "I'm worried you'll say no. I'm more worried you'll say yes and then I'll ruin your life….." Katsuki's upper body started to heave. Momo rubbed his back and waited for the next wave. She didn't know how he still had anything left in his stomach. Her mind raced trying to process what he had just said to her. Her face went flush trying not to think about the words that had just spilled from his mouth. "I love you so much, Momo. It fucks me up sometimes… because I think about everything now with you in mind. Always..." He groaned and vomited again into the toilet.
"Shhhh," she whispered to him. "Calm down, Katsuki. Try to rest." As he sat back a bit, she wiped his face with a damp washcloth.
"Shit. This blows…" he said under his breath. Momo rinsed out the washcloth in the sink and dampened it with very cool water. Katsuki laid on the cool tile floor in front of the toilet and groaned. Momo wiped his face and neck and then sat next to him and waited. He blindly reached for her, his eyes tightly closed, and found her forearm. He slipped his hand gently to where his hands wrapped around her wrist and then brought it to his lips and kissed the palm of her hand. He then rested her hand on his chest. "Thank you… for taking care…. Of me….." he whispered. He drifted off to sleep a minute later. She moved to kneel next to his head and gently brushed his damp hair away from his face. Although he was asleep, his face was still twisted in a harsh grimace. Knocking sounded on the bathroom door.
"Momo?" It was her mother on the other side of the bathroom door. Momo was still angry and not in the mood to speak with her.
"Not now, mother. Please give us some privacy."
"Momo…. I'm sorry…."
"Not now, Mother," Momo repeated. Although Momo was saddened by all the events that had transpired that evening, her anger seethed underneath it all, and she knew if she talked to her mother, she wouldn't be able to resist saying unkind things. She heard her mother's receding footsteps. She knew things between her and her parents would never be the same.