"He pisses me off so much!" Album growled, glaring at Monoma from across the cafeteria, aggressively taking a bite of his lunch.
"You know, you talk about him an awful lot these days." Midoriya said, gazing up at him curiously.
"What are you saying?" Album narrowed his eyes.
"Just that he's interesting enough for you to keep talking about him. If you really hate him, why are you always talking about him?"
"Because I want other people to share my hatred!" The plastic fork bent violently in his grip.
Midoriya only smiled knowingly, as if he knew a goddamn thing about anything. The bruise Album had inflicted on Monoma's face was healing and the concealer almost made it appear nonexistent.
Worse, Monoma was clearly avoiding him, yet still had him very trapped under his small, clean, perfectly manicured thumb! And he knew he was driving Album crazy.
The month was moving fast, like a speeding bullet, and before Album knew it was the last week and he was no closer to befriending Monoma than he had been two weeks ago.
"We'll just die." he found himself telling Adrien. "We'll just kill ourselves."
Adrien didn't look all that convinced, his face blank and unimpressed. "Wow, you're so creative, Album."
"Well, what are we supposed to do? Come on genius, what great ideas do you have to share with me."
"Don't even at me, you got us into this mess, but since you're so stupid and completely incapable thinking of any ideas passed the very obvious, I will bestow upon you some of my wisdom." Album crossed his arm, waiting.
"Buy some time, tell him you don't have the money yet, but you will in another week and a half. Something tells me he wants the money more than he wants to expose your secret. So, then, do what you were supposed to be doing since the beginning and befriend him." Adrien's eyes narrowed, "And when he gives you extra time, thank him."
"For being a bastard." Album growled, rolling his eyes.
"Just shut up, swallow whatever miniscule pride you have left and do it."
"Fine, whatever, just get off my back."
Adrien turned back to his book and kept reading, hating how he was supposed to be the brains behind this entire operation.
And Album hated how he was being treated like a moron. He was a little slower, but just because he wasn't a cunning little snake, didn't mean he was stupid!
Daniel noticed his anger at dinner, and he wondered if it was his secret glares at Adrien or the fact he practically mutilated his chicken, but Daniel finally said, "Are you okay, Album. You seem upset about something."
"I have a theoretical scenario."
"And what scenario is that."
"Let's say you were doing something that isn't that bad in perspective but that everyone around you would hate you for and some bastard gets it on tape!"
"Okay…"
"And said that you had to pay a lot of money you didn't have EVERY month. What would you do?"
"Well… this thing that this person theoretically did, how bad is it?"
"Really bad! No one can ever find out."
"I see… so telling an adult is out of the question then."
"Especially an adult."
"Alright. Well, first of all, I would have been careful not to have gotten caught in the first place." Adrien snorted at the other end of the table but Daniel clearly didn't notice as he just continued, "But if despite all my best efforts he still caught me and taped me, I would likely have broken his phone immediately so he didn't have the chance to copy it anywhere."
Album was surprised to hear such a vulgar solution from Daniel of all people, but he supposed even the best of the best had a small dark side.
"What if you were too stupid to do that." Adrien snickered.
"Well then I suppose I would try to get him to delete the tape on his own."
"How?" Album asked.
"I'm not sure. Perhaps I would simply be kind to him. Sometimes, that's all people need."
"What if he's a prick that doesn't deserve kindness." Album said shortly.
"Everyone deserves a bit of kindness, my dear." Daniel said softly.
"Well what if you hate him so much it's really, really hard to be nice to him.
"Pretend. Say, this a very specific theoretical scenario. Is there something else you wish to tell me, Album." Daniel stopped cutting his food and looked directly Album's into eyes like a fiery arrow piercing straight through his skin and bone to his soul.
Nervously, Album nearly dropped the fork he was holding. Did Daniel know more than he was letting on. Album had already profiled him as smart, if too kind. Adrien seemed to think he was oblivious to their pasts, but his eyes were so sharp and knowing in that moment, Album thought he must know absolutely everything from the instant he left his mother's womb.
His smile was sharp, cutting, nerve-wracking. "No." Album finally whispered.
The tense moment passed and Daniel turned his attention back to his own food. "I see. So there isn't anyone blackmailing you and there's nothing you've done that you could never possibly tell me?"
"No." the answer came almost too quickly. But as far as he could tell, Daniel bought it, and nothing further happened.
"He scared me." Album finally said when he and Adrien were back in their room, alone. Adrien laughed and nodded.
"Yeah, I could see all the color drain from your face, it was really obvious how guilty you actually were."
Album groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "Daniel gets like that sometimes. He'll get very quiet and very intense and it's to gauge if you've done anything wrong in the past few weeks. The first time it happened I felt like he knew everything I'd done, but he didn't. He just wants you to think he knows everything so you crack and tell him and then he does know everything. You get used to it though. And don't worry, I faired about as well as you the first time he used it against me."
Album shivered, remembering his stare. How could Adrien be so sure he didn't know everything, it sure felt like he did. But he supposed Adrien hadn't gotten carted off to prison yet and he really had no other choice but to trust him.
The next morning Album got up and got dressed, and mentally prepared himself to talk to Monoma once again and not lose his temper and be k… kiii… Album shuddered and refused to finish the thought.
Grabbing his backpack he quickly walked out into the fresh morning air and to school. As he was nearing the school, he also saw Monoma walking towards the building and slowly went up to him.
This wouldn't be hard, he hated Monoma. But then, god, why the hell was he so nervous! "Hey." His voice cracked a little and he nervously cleared his throat and tried again. "Hey."
Monoma seemed to hear this time and turned to him, one hand on his hip. "What do you want?" he asked, almost accusingly.
"Just to talk." Album said, trying to stay civilized.
"Is this about the money? It's not the end of the month yet, but it's not as if I won't take it early."
"This is NOT about the money." Album growled. "It's about… um. I just want to talk to you." This conversation was not going as he'd hoped, it was awkward and weird and he really just wanted to run away.
"Just talk to me?" Monoma mocked and rolled his eyes.
Album ignored the remark and tried to start civilly, "How do you like U.A."
"It's fine." Monoma said shortly, glancing up at him almost curiously, as if he couldn't figure something out.
"Interesting. U.A. is not as bad as I originally thought, though sometimes the people here can be… annoying."
"That's true, especially Midoriya, acting as if he knows the exact proper way to be a hero." Monoma scoffed and glared at the pavement.
"I know right, god I hate him." Album said. It was odd to bond over shared hatred of someone, but Album would take it, since the conversation got slightly less awkward.
"In fact, I hate the entirety of 1-A, they're not so special. Besides, class 1-B is superior in many ways, and it won't be long before those stupid pro heroes realize it as well!"
Album was silently debating if he should tell Monoma what he witnessed a couple weeks ago and if he should say he knew he was cheating on his dates, and that they were probably way older than him.
He knew that would take whatever small relationship they had and move it back down to square one so he figured he would use that in case nothing else worked.
"You know," Monoma said, his tone changing from exasperated to something more playful. "I actually have a small favor to ask of you, Album."
"What?"
"My grandmother is having a dinner party this Friday, and she wishes me and my parents to come. But unfortunately, she's insisted I bring a date."
"Your parents? A date?" Album saw where this was going and he didn't want to meet the people that made this devil spawn and he also didn't want to be his date.
"Yes, I have some other people I could possibly ask, but I don't believe any of them would be quite so well-behaved as you, considering what's at stake."
God, he didn't have a choice. If he didn't go, Monoma would release the fucking video, wouldn't he! Album hated his life, and Monoma.
"You want me to be your date to your grandmother's party."
"Yes, won't it be fun."
"Splendid." Album said shortly, though he certainly didn't think it was going to be splendid. So much for befriending Monoma.
"And you can deliver the money to me at the party too, it's a win-win."
"For you." Album said distastefully.
"Yes, for me."
Album was shaking in rage and glared at him, "You manipulative, conniving…" Album seethed, wanting to punch him. Feel his stupid face underneath his hands and bruise it beyond recognition.
Album felt a smooth hand on his cheek and turned to meet Monoma's infuriating smile and pretty, gray eyes. "Please, won't you attend." He said, bottom lip jutted out in a perfectly sculpted pout.
As if Album had a choice! "Fine, I'll attend." You stupid bitch. And when I'm done with you, you will never ask me for anything again.
"Wonderful." If an onlooker saw they never would've been able to detect the pure evil in Monoma's smile. This jerk didn't deserve his kindness, he deserved death and pain, and Album was willing to give that.
No more of these stupid mind games, he would kill Monoma with his bare hands and whatever consequences came with that he would take in stride because at least this bastard would never see the light of day again.
"I'll see you Friday then, Album!" Monoma waved and smiled.
Album waved too, to play the part for any other student that could see or hear him, but on the inside he was plotting revenge. "Hello," Midoriya said cheerfully coming up beside him. "You know, I was just thinking, what if someone has a quirk that can let them read minds and hear what you're thinking!"
If there was a mind reader at U.A. he had been screwed from day one, but he assumed there wasn't, as he was allowed to walk free still. "Yeah, that would be pretty terrible."
"I know right. I would die if anyone could hear my thoughts."
Album only nodded and ignored Midoriya's further rambling. Monoma was going to pay. He would learn the price of messing with a villain, and he would pay it permanently.
A/N Here's another chapter, sorry it took so long, but I hope you enjoyed! Thanks so much for reading, I will have the next chapter out soon! Reviews are love!
