It's not like I care. He doesn't even have a fan. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Three days later, Shigaraki was still thinking about Kurogiri's advice. He's just teasing me, he thought as his eyes narrowed on the computer screen. He clicked the mouse as his teeth chewed at his lower lip
As much as he grumbled to himself about it and told himself that it was insignificant, it was really wearing on him. What if Kugutsu really did fall for some other villain? What if she started following someone else? Fangirling over someone else. Watching someone else play a game and complimenting someone else's gaming skills.
That last thought made a pain start to grow in his chest. He could imagine her sitting next to someone other villain, watching them play a game while those ridiculous cat ears were perked forward. Her head tilting like it did sometimes. Telling them how cool they were. How good they were at the game.
Shigaraki stopped clicking the mouse and glared at the screen. It was a cut scene, but his patience was quickly wearing thin and there was no "skip" option for the cut scenes in this game. What if she does like another villain? Why would she though? She's supposed to be loyal. My loyal fan girl. So why would she move on to someone else? She likes me.
Trying to reassure himself did absolutely nothing and he found a really disturbing image pop into his head. Kugutsu handing over her console for someone else to beat a level for her. He gritted his teeth, imagining her cheering them on and then kissing them.
Just the thought of someone else experiencing that. It filled him with hatred. That warmth, that feeling of importance. It belonged to him. He refused to share that with anyone.
So now there was the issue of making sure that Kugutsu knew that. Kurogiri had suggested that he take charge and show he was interested, but with his nonexistent experience with this sort of thing, Shigaraki had only the faintest idea of what he could do. I shouldn't have to do anything, he thought irritably. She's my fan. Why should I have to do stuff to make her keep liking me?
The cut scene ended and he finished the fight in record time. Leaning back with a sigh of frustration, he started scratching at his neck and left deep, red lines. Where is she anyway? It's been three days. A look toward his phone made his scowl deepen and he looked away. There was no chance that he was going to call her and tell her that he wanted to see her.
For whatever reason, he had the sudden urge to go out to the bar. Not that he was going to ask Kurogiri for advice or anything. That was out of the question. Besides, Kurogiri had zero fans. What would he know about keeping a fan girl's interest? If anything, whatever he had to say would just be irritating and nagging.
He was nearing the door to the bar area when he caught the sound of a female voice. Quiet and melodic. He peered through the window on the door and, sure enough, spotted his fan girl sitting at the bar and conversing with Kurogiri. There was a sugary-looking frozen coffee in front of her on the counter; piled high with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and little marshmallows.
What kind of psychopath brings something like that into a bar? Freak. Shigaraki remained standing in the hallway just beyond the door. Just kind of quietly lurking like the blue-haired hoodie gremlin that he was. Not about to go talk to his fan girl, who gave him an insane amount of confidence and a decent amount of enjoyment. Not about to go back to his room and let her out of his line of sight.
It was only when Kurogiri seemed to look over and possibly raise an imperceptible eyebrow that Shigaraki knew he should probably go into the bar. Of course, he let another five minutes pass just for the sake of appearances. Meanwhile, Kugutsu seemed to be telling Kurogiri a story.
As he entered the bar that the villain realized that Kugutsu was covered in blood. It was drying in clumps in her hair, patches of it were on her cheek and neck, and splashes of it were on her lavender button-up shirt. As gross as it was, she seemed completely unfazed by it and sipped her coffee contentedly.
Shigaraki approached the counter, settling in a seat two down from hers so there was an open seat between them. If she did or said something that pleased him, he might tell her to move closer. Maybe.
"Alright, then. I'm off. Kugutsu, I trust you to step in for me while I'm gone," Kurogiri announced.
"Wait…where are you going?" She seemed just as confused as Shigaraki was.
"I have a meeting with my fan." When Kurogiri said "fan", he appeared to look in Shigaraki's direction. However, the blue-haired villain glared instead of looking even remotely impressed with this news.
"You don't have any fans," he argued. "Where are you really going?"
"I have a fan."
"Who would be your fan?"
"Um…where did you meet them?" Kugutsu's ear twitched as she tried to ease the growing tension.
Kurogiri came from behind the counter, preparing to leave. "I met her online," he replied simply.
Shift P.O.V
Online? Kugutsu watched him go and frowned slightly. Kurogiri's fan. I wonder what they're like. Abruptly remembering that she was now alone with Shigaraki, she nervously sipped her beverage. It had been a gift. Something that Kurogiri had waiting for her when she came in.
It was odd. Giran had sent her to collect some money for him, hence the blood splattered all over her. When she said she was done, he told her she should go to the bar and try to make connections with the other villains in the League. It seemed spur of the moment so the fact that Kurogiri had the drink waiting for her was really weird.
On the walk to the bar, Kugutsu had started to get a little anxious. She was a real villain now and part of a group of villains. It meant working with other people. When she had agreed to join the League of Villains, she put very little thought into what it really meant. She was mainly focused on the whole "becoming a real villain" thing and being able to see Shigaraki more often.
She had almost decided to just go back to the office, but now she was glad she had gone to the bar. The object of her affection was sitting two seats away, scratching his neck as he turned his gaze from the door down to the countertop. I'm alone with Shigaraki! Wait a second!
Her face felt like it caught fire. Lowering her head, she started to fidget a little. "S-sorry…about last time," she muttered. The apology sounded really weird coming from someone covered in blood, but she hoped he could forgive her.
Shigaraki shifted his eyes toward her as he held out a hand. "Give me that."
"Ah…okay." She slid the coffee into his hand, more than happy to let him have it if it would help him forgive her. Kugutsu heard him sip from the straw, her heart beating so fast that she almost wanted to just bolt from the room. Using the same straw…Shigaraki's using the same straw as me like it's nothing! How can he stay so calm?! I feel like my heart's going to beat out of my chest!
To her surprise, the drink was slid back to her after a while. "You…don't want the rest?"
"What kind of psycho could handle something that sweet? It's disgusting." Yet he had consumed a decent amount of the sickly sweet beverage. Now chewing at his lower lip, he almost looked like he had something he wanted to say. Something difficult, from the looks of it.
Before anything else could happen to either increase or decrease the tension, they were joined by two more members of the League of Villains. Kugutsu bit her lip, trying not to shout at them for ruining the moment. To her, it had almost been romantic. Of course, Kugutsu's ideas of romance and fun were a little different from the average person's.
"Yami, you're here, too?" Spinner, either oblivious or ridiculously brave, took the seat between her and Shigaraki. Compress greeted the others as he entered behind Spinner and found a place against the counter to lean.
Why is he dressed like Stain? She wanted to laugh, but it was clear that this was not his idea of a joke or parody. He was wearing the Stain cosplay a little too proudly for that. "Yami?"
"It's your villain name, right? Shigaraki called you Yami before."
Villain name! Kugutsu's lips twitched into a subtle grin. "Yeah…that's right."
"After I talked to you, I thought you looked familiar so I was looking online last night." He pushed his phone in front of her on the counter, showing her a video. "That's you, right? From the "café bloodbath"?"
Hitting the "play" button, she realized that this was security footage of her fight with the yakuza. It was a bit fuzzy, but she could still see that moment when she had maimed Chisaki. It brought a smile to her face and she lifted a hand to cover her mouth. "Wow! I…I look…"
"You look cool!"
"Move." Shigaraki's voice penetrated their weird gore geeking out session like a pin through a small child's balloon.
"Oh. Sorry." Spinner slid out of his seat, stepping back and looking uncomfortable.
Kugutsu moved to hand the drink back to Shigaraki, expecting that it was what he had wanted. Instead, four of his fingers closed on her sleeve and he pulled hard. She nearly fell out of her seat, but caught herself on the chair between them. "What-?"
"Here. You want to sit next to your idol, don't you, Yami?"
Hearing him say "Yami" made her pulse start to pound. She sat beside him, almost cheerfully, and put her drink on the counter between them. He wants to sit next to me. This is….this is the best! She felt his knee touch hers as he grabbed the drink and it felt like tiny bubbles of happiness started popping where their knees touched. The joy spread through her rapidly and she kept her mouth covered to hide her growing yandere-style smile.
Kugutsu was convinced that this was the highlight of her day. Sitting this close to Shigaraki, sharing a frozen coffee. Even if he did call it gross; he still kept drinking it. She wanted to get closer, but remembered what happened when she kissed him. He tensed up. He acted like it was unpleasant. Not wanting to force anything on him or embarrass herself again, she decided to be happy with the way things were for now.
Shift P.O.V
He saw the grainy security footage and it made him frown. Watching her fight with the yakuza members actually made his left eye twitch a little. She was taking on nine opponents at once with very little time to collect herself. Kugutsu's movements were quick, as if on instinct alone, but her hits managed to land. She even critically wounded what seemed to be their leader. Somehow, the knowledge that she had gone through that alone, was more irritating than impressive.
For one, she could have died. His one and only fan girl could have been killed that day, fighting so many men alone. Secondly, he was watching her get injured. It pissed him off. These complete strangers were hurting her; his fan girl. It made him want to grab their leader by the throat.
"You looked really cool," Spinner continued, taking the seat Kugutsu had previously occupied. He leaned over, putting his phone down between them so he could show her more videos.
When Spinner did this, Kugutsu leaned over to look and her knee moved away from his. Shigaraki felt his irritation growing, but said nothing. He could still feel the residual warmth from her knee on the side of his. Listening to her talk to the reptilian villain, it only made things worse.
He was so angry that it felt like something toxic was eating away at him. The villain eventually leaned over and quietly grumbled, an arm slipping around her front. He pulled hard, drawing her off of her seat and partway onto his. Keeping a hold on his fan, he glared at Spinner until the other villain seemed to get the message.
Now Kugutsu was sitting partially on the very edge of his seat, between his legs, with her back against his chest. She tensed at first, but then started to kind of shake a little. It took Shigaraki a few seconds to realize that she was trying to withhold excited laughter.
He showed no outward reaction besides a slight smirk. This had to be what Kurogiri was talking about, right? He had taken charge and moved her closer to him. He even did it twice. This had to be enough to keep her interested in him and him alone. If the muffled purring was any indication. Purring probably meant she would be in love with him forever, right? That probably made sense.
Shigaraki gripped the cup with his free hand and finished the frozen coffee, glaring down at the countertop as he did so. As if to challenge the other villains to criticize him for drinking something so sweet. Literally no one was looking at him. The other two men were now watching another video on Spinner's phone and he saw that Kugutsu's head was bowed.
"I thought you were my fan," he muttered, in anger. It quickly died; replaced with confusion when he felt her set a shaky hand on his knee. It felt warm, nice.