Chapter 6
A/N: Sorry for the long wait on the update! I had hoped to publish this chapter on Mari's actual birthday (Nov.16th) but life had other plans!
As always; I hope you enjoy and all music, movies and/or entertainment devices are property of their individual owners!
Mari's birthday fell on a Wednesday; but she didn't mind. She had already decided to wait until that Saturday to celebrate, that way she could have a proper party.
She rolled over and grabbed her phone. Sure enough; there were already happy birthday texts from Mina, Kirishima, and…
She paused. One was from her mother; and the other was from her friend Suzume.
She and her mom weren't exactly on speaking terms; seeing as she had essentially thrown Mari out when she told her she was nonbinary. Suzume; who had been her friend before she even knew what a friend was; and her family took her in; essentially adopting her.
She considered ignoring her mother's text; but decided against it, knowing if she didn't acknowledge it; she'd just keep texting her.
"Happy birthday; my sweet girl." The text read.
Mari wrinkled her nose. She knew the wording of the text was deliberate. When she had come out to her mom; it had been a huge blowout. Her mother had yelled saying she didn't recognize her; and then she told Mari that she wasn't allowed back in the house until she started acting like "a good girl."
What she hadn't expected was for Mari to come back with "Okay; do you want me to leave now; or do I have time to pack?"
She stared at the offending text; wondering how to respond.
Finally she sent a simple "Thanks; Mom."
She checked Suzume's message while she waited for the inevitable response.
This one was much more cheery. "Happy birthday; bestie! Sorry I can't celebrate with you this year, Mom and I are going to Hokkaido to visit my grandparents. But I promise we'll celebrate as soon as I get back!"
She smiled. Obviously she was a little disappointed that she wouldn't be able to celebrate with Suzu; but she knew that she'd see her soon enough.
She typed back a quick "Don't worry about it! I'm not gonna be able to celebrate today anyway. Waiting for the weekend."
Her phone chimed, signaling her mother's response. She braced herself.
"I'd love to see you to celebrate; granted you've gotten over your little 'phase'."
And there it was. She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Then I guess you won't be seeing me for a long time. I've explained to you multiple times that this is who I am. I have to get ready for class."
She sent the message and muted the conversation. She wasn't going to let her mother get to her; especially not today.
She got up and went to her closet. She debated for a moment; then put on her uniform with the pants instead of the skirt. It felt appropriate.
She went to the bathroom and fixed her hair and put on some makeup; nothing fancy, just some eyeliner and shadow.
Once she was satisfied; she headed for the door. She paused before opening; hearing voices on the other side.
"When is she going to come out?"
"She should be out any minute."
Mari smiled. It sounded like Kiri and Mina were waiting to surprise her. She put on her best surprised face and opened the door.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY; MARI!" The two yelled together.
She laughed. "Thanks; you two."
She looked at her door. Somehow, they had managed to decorate it with streamers and a "Happy Birthday" sign.
Mina smiled at her. "I know you said to wait till this weekend; but we couldn't let today go by without celebrating a little."
She hugged them both. "Thanks; you two. I…didn't have the best start to my birthday, if I'm going to be completely honest." She quickly explained the situation with her mother and how she had texted this morning like she had on her birthday every year for the past three.
"Jeez; that sucks." Mina said, letting out a low whistle.
Mari shrugged. "I'm used to it; unfortunately. I was never 'girly' enough for her; even as a kid. It used to drive her mad that I was more interested in sports and stuff than makeup and doing my hair."
"But I thought you said your parents supported you doing track and gymnastics?" Kirishima asked; cocking his head to the side.
Mari giggled. He looked like a confused puppy when he did that. "When I said that; I wasn't actually talking about my parents; at least not my biological ones. When I left, my friend Suzume's parents took me in. They'd already been my surrogate parents for as long as I could remember; maybe even before that. When Suzu told them what happened; they were appalled. They couldn't officially adopt me since my mother refused to give up her maternal rights; but for all intents and purposes, they became my parents."
They headed down to the common area; which had been decorated in even more balloons and streamers. A big "Happy Birthday!" sign hung across the common area.
Mari let out a low whistle. "Good grief. I thought we were celebrating on Saturday."
"Did you honestly expect us to let today pass without acknowledging it?" Mina asked; smiling.
"You do know I'm not even gonna be here; right? Traveler needs me to come in all this week. I'm only gonna have time to eat and do homework."
Her friends' faces fell. "Come on, you two; don't be like that. Working on our birthday comes with the job. You know that." She went to the kitchen and made her morning coffee; then grabbed a plate of the eggs that were on the stove. As much as she didn't want to admit it; she had started eating breakfast more thanks to Bakugo's…insisting.
"I know; it still sucks though. We're barely gonna get to see you." Kiri said; a pout on his face.
She smiled at him. "I'll be back this afternoon; Sharky. Besides, I chose to wait for this weekend to celebrate anyway."
When she returns to the dorm later that afternoon; Mari pours herself onto the couch. Her head is screaming and her muscles feel like they're on fire.
She briefly registers the sounds of her classmates streaming into the room; and she barely opens her eyes when Kirishima plops down on the couch with her.
"Tough day?" He asks; repositioning her feet so they're in his lap.
Mari groans. "I feel like I just went ten rounds against Bakugo's Howitzer." She pushes herself upright. "Fun fact about my Quirk; after I let go of my ChronoLock, time around me has to speed up to set everything right again. And it has a tendency to mess with my vertigo and equilibrium. I've even passed out a few times."
Kirishima lets out a low whistle. "I never thought about that. That's gotta be rough."
Mari shrugs; then hisses at the pain in her shoulders. "It used to be a lot worse when I was younger. I don't remember it; but apparently the first time my Quirk manifested, I passed out and I didn't wake up for hours."
She can feel Kirishima's eyes on her; so she continues. "They actually didn't know what happened at first, because time moved normally for everyone else. It's one of the things I'm working on with Traveler; her advice has been invaluable."
"And I know your "inversion therapy" helps too; right?"
Mari nodded. "Exactly. I figured if I can force myself into a controlled vertigo state; eventually I'll become immune to it." After a moment; she spoke again. "Traveler said it helps if you find an anchorpoint and keep your eyes on it while you're 'shifting'. She wants me to work on it in my spare time."
"I could help you with that." Kirishima said. He had positioned her head so that it was laying on his shoulder. "You can use me as an anchorpoint to focus."
Mari could feel her face heat up; she hoped it wasn't noticeable. "Thanks; Kiri. I appreciate it." Her phone buzzed. "Hold that thought, for a moment."
She looked down and blanched. It was her mother trying to Facetime her.
She sighed. "May as well get this over with." She sat up, then plastered a fake wide smile on her face. "Hey Mom." she said, no joy in her voice.
"I've been trying to reach you all day! Have you been screening my texts and…what did you do to your hair?!"
Haruka Oshiro glared at her daughter through the phone; her own dark hair pulled back in a tight bun. She looked exactly like Mari remembered; all hard lines and edges.
Mari smirked. "What? You don't like it? I think it looks badass." She ran her fingers through the bangs framing her face.
"Language; Mariko." Her mother snapped. "That's no way for a young lady to talk."
Mari sighed. She hadn't used her full name in ages; but her mother always insisted on using it. "Mari." she said. "My name is Mari. I haven't used Mariko in years; it's not even on my student ID."
Her mother huffed. "I suppose this is all part of your… 'phase'; changing your name and…mutilating yourself."
Mari could feel Kirishima tense beside her; like he was ready to jump into the conversation. She gently put her hand on his and squeezed; a silent signal that she could handle this. "Is there something I can help you with, Mom; or are we just gonna do this all night? I had a rough day today, and I really want to go take a shower."
Her mother snorted. "I'm allowed to talk to my daughter on her birthday; even if I don't agree with her…choices. You know I still don't approve of this hero business, it's no job for a young lady. I mean; look at the state you're in! All bloody and dirty, it's atrocious…" She trailed off, her eyes landing behind Mari.
She followed her mother's eyes and turned to see Bakugo standing behind her; a bowl of food in his hands. Mari knew automatically what she was staring at.
While he wasn't particularly self conscious about the scar running down the side of his face; Mari knew it made him uncomfortable and angry when people stared at it; especially strangers.
Her mother opened her mouth to speak; no doubt to say something rude and unnecessary. Mari cut her off. "Don't." She said; her eyes full of malice.
Her mother snorted again. "This is exactly why I never wanted you to go to that school. It's too dangerous."
Mari rolled her eyes. "Riiight… and it had nothing to do with the fact that you want me to settle down and have a nice, dull, quiet life like you do?" Her mother was getting on her last nerve. She needed to end this call quickly.
"I did what I had to do. Mother knows best."
"Okay; and that's my queue." Mari said. "Thank you for the call; Mother. It's been lovely as always."
She disconnected the call, and threw her phone down on the table. Then she let out a loud, frustrated yell.
"You good; Short Stack?" Bakugo asked. He handed her the bowl of food. It was a beef rice bowl.
"Yeah; I'll be fine. I'm used to her by now." Mari mumbled; her face now in one of the couch pillows.
"What did she mean by 'I did what I had to do'?" Kirishima asked.
Mari sat up and pinched the bridge of her nose. "She's the reason I missed the original Provisional test. Apparently; she had thrown some kind of stink about me living in the dorms without her permission."
"Because she's still your legal guardian…" Kirishima said. She could see the frustration and anger rising on his face; matching hers.
"Exactly. When she found out that Auntie Setsuna had given me permission to live on campus; she contacted the school and informed them that she was my legal guardian and that I didn't have her permission to stay on campus. That created this whole red tape situation; and as a result, prevented me from getting my license when I should have." Mari's face turned sad then. "And because I didn't have my license at the time; I wasn't at the battle with the League. They said it would be a 'liability' to have an unlicensed hero in the fight; so I had to watch the entire thing and feel absolutely helpless." She let out a small hiccup, tears running down her face.
Kirishima wrapped his arms around her, squeezing tight. "I'm so sorry about all that, Mari. That's a really shitty thing for her to do."
Mari rubbed her hand across the back of her eyes. "It was just so aggravating; knowing I could do something, but having my hands tied by a stupid technicality."
Mina, who had wandered in halfway through the conversation, sat down on her other side. "Do you have any idea why she's trying to sabotage your hero career?"
Mari chuckled; but there was no humor in her tone. "I know exactly why. She grew up in a very traditional family; and doesn't believe hero work is suited for young women. Pair that with the fact that I apparently inherited my father's Quirk, and you have a volatile cocktail." She took a bite of her beef bowl. "Do we have any of your chili oil left; Bakugo?" She asked; tilting her head back to look at the blonde.
"Seriously? You know that stuff is five alarm hot, right?" He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Oh I know. It doesn't bother me, really."
"If you say so." He walked back to the kitchen area and came back with a little glass jar. "Here. Just be careful, don't get it on your hands. I don't want to hear you complain if you get any in your eyes." He said; handing it to her.
"I know; I know." She opened the lid and poured a drizzle over her beef bowl. Then she took a bite. "Yum; that's what I needed." She handed the jar back. "Thanks, Blasty."
He nodded in response; but Mari could see there was a bit of coloring across his nose.
She turned back to her friends on the couch. "Anyway, like I was saying. She's always resented that I inherited my father's Quirk. I never knew him; but apparently they met in college and things just got really heated really fast. He never wanted to be a father; so he peaced out when she told him she was pregnant." She took another bite of her food. "And I just realized I'm trauma dumping. Sorry; guys."
Mina hugged her. "Don't apologize. If you can't vent to your friends; who can you vent to?"
Mari nodded. She felt her phone buzz again. "Aw jeez; what now? Mina, can you hand me my phone?"
"It looks like someone named Suzume is trying to Facetime you." Mina said, handing her the phone.
Mari's face instantly brightened. She answered the call.
A girl around their age showed up on the screen. She had long brunette hair and green eyes. "Hey bestie! Happy birthday!" Suzume said; then she looked Mari up and down. "Good grief, Mari. You look like shit."
Mari let out a laugh; genuine this time. "Gee thanks; I've been at my internship all day and I haven't had a chance to shower and feel human again."
Suzume nodded. "Well, I wasn't gonna let today pass without saying happy birthday!"
Mari laughed again. "Did you forget you texted me this morning?"
"Nope; I just wanted to tell you face to face. How does it feel to be seventeen?"
"At the moment; not much different. I'll let you know in the morning." She teased.
Suzume nodded. "I really am sorry I can't be there for your birthday; and our traditional binge watching of old rom coms."
"You just want to watch Top Gun again so you can oggle Tom Cruise in his Air Force uniform." Mari said.
"Can you blame me? I mean; come ON!" Suzume countered, throwing her hands up.
"I still stand by my statement that Richard Gere is hotter in An Officer and A Gentleman." Mari smirked. They had this debate every year.
"You just like that movie for the ending scene!" Suzume accused.
"Can you blame me? That ending scene is just…ugh I can't" Mari said; practically melting into the couch. "At least we can agree on Grease, though." She smiled.
"This is true." Suzume said; nodding.
Kirishima; who had followed Bakugo into the kitchen, suddenly appeared behind Mari. "Hey, Bakugo wants to know if you've finished yet. He's gonna start loading the dishwasher."
"In a second, Kiri." She replied; resting her hand on his.
From the phone, Suzume let out a whistle. "Well; now I see why you're not coming home on the weekends." She gave Mari a look.
Mari blushed. She was sure she was as red as Kirishima's hair. "Stop that. Kiri's my friend."
"I'm just saying; Mar… I don't blame you in the slightest."
"Don't you have something else to do besides tease me? You know, like packing?" Mari said; deflecting the situation. "I know you, Suzu. You'll procrastinate till the last minute, then panic running around like a chicken with its head cut off."
Suzume huffed. "You're no fun, Mari."
"And you're a menace. Go; you'll thank me later." She made a shooing motion with her hands.
"Fine; I give. But we're still on for the rom com marathon right?"
"Yes; as soon as I see you, we'll watch them. And yes; we can make popcorn and all that stuff."
"And we're still on for the Renaissance Fair next weekend; right?"
"Yes; Suzu. Now go. I know you're trying to procrastinate. Give Auntie Setsuna and Uncle Haru my love."
"Will do! And happy birthday again!" Suzume said. She waved and then the call disconnected.
Mari shook her head, chuckling. "Same old Suzume. Sorry if she made you guys feel awkward; she just likes to tease me."
"I liked her. I thought she was funny." Mina said.
"You would! You two would be absolute menaces together."
"You said you've known her for a while, right?" Kirishima asked. Apparently Suzume's comment hadn't bothered him; or he was choosing to ignore it.
Mari nodded. "We grew up together. She's the closest thing I have to a sister. We were in almost all the same classes; up until I got into UA. She…she took it pretty hard when I said I wasn't going to the same highschool as her. Didn't speak to me for weeks."
"So you two went to middle school together as well?" Mina asked.
Mari nodded. "We were both on the track team; and we both did some school theater together as well."
Mina brightened. "That sounds like fun! Do you have any pictures?"
"Oh no; you do not need to see my middle school pictures. I look awful. I had these big glasses and I was a complete dork." Mari said, shaking her head. But Mina was already reaching for her phone.
"Come on; I'm sure it's not that bad."
"Mina; no! Seriously!" Mari reached for her phone, trying to wrestle it out of her friends' hand.
"Oh my gosh!" Mina gasped. "You were adorable; what were you talking about?"
Mari groaned. "You're humoring me and I hate it." She looked at the picture on her phone screen. It was from her last year of middle school. She was wearing her big thick glasses and her hair was pulled back in braided pigtails. She groaned again.
"I hate that picture. I don't know why I never deleted it."
"Wow, you look totally different." Kirishima said; leaning over the couch.
"Well, it's amazing what a pair of contacts and a basic knowledge of makeup can do." Mari said. "I actually have Suzume to thank for that. It was kind of her way of apologizing once she realized she had overreacted about me going to a different school."
She grabbed her phone and swiped to a new picture. This one she had her hair down; and she wasn't wearing her glasses. Her face was half covered in green stage makeup and she was making a face at the camera.
"Now this is actually my favorite picture. It's from backstage of when we competed in our school talent show. We did a scene from Wicked; that's why I have the green makeup on." She thumbed through her phone again. "I think someone recorded it for me; actually."
She found the video and played it. It was her and Suzume dressed in their Elphaba and Glinda costumes doing the song "What Is This Feeling?"
She laughed again. "I can't lie; I miss that. Being on stage. I really think I'd be an actor if I wasn't a hero." She stood. "And on that note; I think it's time I go take a shower and get changed. I can't sit in this grime any longer." She stood with a hiss.
"No! Come be lazy with us! We want to see more embarrassing pictures!" Mina said, trying to pull her back onto the couch.
"You can see more on Saturday! I gotta shower; I stink and my muscles are screaming."
Mina huffed. "Fine; but I'm holding you to that"
The rest of the week passed by fairly uneventfully; and finally Saturday dawned. Mari relished being able to sleep in after such a long week. She and Bakugo had gotten into a long argument about her skipping sparring that morning so she could recover. She had told him that she could handle it; and he had argued back that it wasn't going to do her any good to get worn down. She finally relented after he threatened to have Kirishima camp outside her room to make sure she slept.
She knew his concern came from a place of caring; so she didn't argue too badly after that.
The weekend also meant no school; which meant dress down days. Mari browsed through her collection of band t-shirts, pulling out her Green Day "American Idiot" one. It was well worn; and faded in all the right places. Then she pulled out her acid wash blue jeans and her favorite pair of Doc Martens. She quickly got dressed and examined herself in the mirror.
"Oh yeah; I look good." She said, smiling. She pulled a belt from a drawer and threw that on too. Then at the last minute; she grabbed a slouchy beanie as well, fixing her hair so that the bangs peaked out underneath.
She walked to her bathroom and put on her makeup. She decided on eyeliner on her top lid today, as well as some smokey eyeshadow.
"Now I'm ready to face the day."
She took the elevator down and was immediately set on by Mina. "Hey you! Are you ready to finally celebrate your birthday! I can't wait for you to see what I got you!" She wiggled her eyebrows.
"You didn't have to get me anything; Mina." Mari said, hugging her friend back.
"Nonsense! You're my friend and it's your birthday. Besides; Kiri helped me pick it out."
Mari felt her cheeks color. "Did…did he pick something out too?"
Mina sighed; hands on her hips. "Well; yeah. But I'm not gonna tell you what it is." She poked Mari's shoulder. "So, you're really not gonna say anything to him; you know about…you know?"
"I already told you; Mins. I can't. I'm just happy to be around him; be his friend." Mari said.
"Alright; but if I know Kiri, and I do; I don't think you have anything to worry about."
Mari sighed. It was a losing battle with Mina; she knew that. Hopefully she wouldn't be too much of a menace today.
The aforementioned redhead made his way into the kitchen. His face lit up when he saw Mari; and pulled her into a hug. "Happy birthday! I know it was Wednesday; but today we actually get to celebrate!" He put her back down on her feet. Over his shoulder; Mina gave her a look and mouthed "told you so." Mari stuck her tongue out at her.
Kirishima, completely oblivious to their little exchange; continued. "I can't wait for you to see what I got you! I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I'll love it; Sharky. But like I told Mina; you guys didn't have to get me anything."
"But that's the best part of birthdays! That and the cake!" They walked into the kitchen. "And Bakugo's making your cake; so it's bound to be good."
"But; Bakugo never bakes. That's usually Sato's job." Mari said.
"Correction: Bakugo very rarely bakes. He only does it on special occasions." Mina said, giving her yet another look. Mari swatted her arm.
"Are you two okay? Is there something going on?" Kirishima asked.
"Everything's fine; Kiri. Perfectly normal. Mina's just intent on being an even bigger menace today specifically for my birthday."
"Come on; Mina. Don't tease her; especially not on her birthday."
Mina sighed. "Alright fine; I'll try."
The rest of the morning flew by; with the setting up of all the party accouterments. Bakugo had specifically told her not to come into the kitchen while he was 'working'; making the excuse that it would be faster and easier if she didn't try to help. Mari knew it was just because he didn't want her to spoil the surprise of her cake.
She wandered into the common room; where Momo and Denki were setting up the karaoke machine.
"Um; is it safe for you to be helping set that up; Denki?" She said, tilting her head to the side while she watched.
"First of all; I know what I'm doing. And second off; rude." the blonde said, turning to her and sticking out his tongue.
"I don't doubt that; I'm just saying you and electronics don't have the best track record. Remember when you fried Sero's phone?" She said, making a face back.
"To be fair; I told you all that using my Quirk to charge your phones is a bad idea." Denki said. "And it was one time!"
"Alright you two; that's enough. Besides, I think this is just about ready." Momo said; standing up.
"Thanks again for making one of these; Momo. I really appreciate it." Mari said; giving the taller girl a hug.
"It's honestly no problem. I've been looking forward to this; if I'll be honest. When Mina said that you wanted to do karaoke for your birthday; I thought you meant going out somewhere."
Mari shrugged. "I thought about that. But we've all been so busy lately; and we hardly ever get to just chill in the dorms together. You guys are like my family now; and I just want to celebrate with my chosen family."
Momo smiled at her. "That's very sweet. I know you haven't been here long; and I can't speak for everyone, but you're definitely family too."
Denki nodded his head vigorously. "She's right. Although to be fair; you were in for me the very first day. Not many people appreciate my jokes." He smiled at her.
"Thanks, you guys. I really appreciate it." She turned to Momo. "Do you think we should test it? Make sure it's running? I mean; I don't doubt you, but still…"
"It couldn't hurt." the black haired girl replied. "Is there a song you want to test it with?"
Mari thought about it. "I think I have an idea." She took the control and typed in the title of the song she was looking for. The melody of Stevie Nicks started permeating the air.
She could see everyone's heads turn; clearly interested in the working karaoke machine. She closed her eyes; not out of self consciousness, but to give her better focus. She didn't need the lyrics on screen; she knew this song by heart.
"Can you hear me calling
Out your name?
You know that I'm falling
And I don't know what to say
I'll speak a little louder
I'll even shout
You know that I'm proud
And I can't get the words out"
The words to the song fell from her lips easily. It was one of her favorites. She cracked an eye to look around the room. Everyone was watching. Her gaze fell on Kirishima; and Bakugo standing behind him. Part of her hoped they weren't really paying attention to the lyrics; while the other, less rational part was hoping they were.
She started dancing to the music, ignoring the voice in her brain.
"Something's happening
Happening to me
My friends say I'm acting peculiarly
Come on, baby
We better make a start
You better make it soon
Before you break my heart"
She glanced around the room; catching Mina's eye. She had a shit eating grin on her face. Mari knew that she was enjoying this.
The song ended. Mari set the microphone down as the melody petered off. "I think it's safe to say it works." She said. "Who wants to go next?"
"I'll give it a try."
Mari's head shot up. In the doorway of the dorm stood Suzume. She leaned against the doorframe; smiling.
"Holy crap! Suzu; what the heck?! You told me you were gonna be in Hokkaido this weekend!" Mari said. She vaulted over the couch; ignoring Iida's yelling about proper dorm room etiquette.
Suzume smiled; booping Mari's nose. "Yeah; I lied." She giggled.
Mari wrapped her in a hug. "Ugh; I've missed you so much." She said, squeezing her friend tight.
"Missed you too; Mari. Nice to see you haven't lost your singing voice. Interesting song choice by the way." She gave Mari a nudge.
Mari colored. "I was just making sure everything is set up correctly." She looked behind Suzume. "What's in that box?"
"Oh it's just some stuff for you from home. I didn't lie about packing." Mari took the box from her and sat on the couch to open it.
"Good grief; Suzu. I think my whole room's in here! I don't have space for all this!" Mari exclaimed. She pulled out various posters and pictures; along with some more t-shirts she had left at home. "Is my bed in here too?! Honestly…"
"I just figured you'd want to have these." Suzume shrugged.
"I'm messing with you. I appreciate it." Mari wrapped her arm around her friend and squeezed. "Oh; I should probably introduce you to everyone. Don't want to be rude."
She stood up. "Hey everyone; this is my friend Suzume. Please be nice to her and make her feel welcome."
Naturally; it was Deku that introduced himself first. "So; you and Oshiro have been friends since you were kids, huh? That's kind of how it is for Kaachan and I." His eyes landed on Bakugo; who had been watching from the kitchen.
Mari laughed. "That's one way to put it. Suzume was probably my very first friend. I think we even lost our first teeth at the same time!"
"We did! I remember we were so excited to be 'twins'! I think I actually have a picture of that." Suzume turned back to the box on the couch; digging through it.
Mari groaned. "Suzu; don't! Nobody wants to see that."
"I do! You promised me more embarrassing photos anyway!" Mina said; apparently lured in by the promise of more pictures.
"Found it!" Suzume said triumphantly; pulling the picture out of the box. In the picture was six year old Mari and Suzume; flashing twin smiles. Mari had on a big pair of glasses and her hair was in two ponytails.
Mina gushed. "Oh! You were so cute! Kiri; come look at this!"
Mari panicked. "No! No no no! He doesn't need to see that!" She grabbed the picture and sat on it.
"Killjoy." Mina said; pouting.
"What about this one then?" Suzume said, pulling another picture out.
It was a middle school photo; after Mari had started wearing her contacts. She and Suzume were backstage after one of their play performances. Mari's head was resting on Suzume's shoulder; and she was facing the camera, a finger to her lips.
"If I say yes; will you stop?" Mari groaned.
"Come on; it's my job as your best friend to tease you." Suzume said, nudging her. She handed the picture to Mina over Mari's head. The pink haired girl smiled; and then got up, presumably to show the picture to the aforementioned redhead.
"So…" Suzume whispered; giving Mari a look. "Have you told them yet? Either of them?"
Mari felt her face color. It seemed to be doing that a lot today. "No; and I'm not going to. I swear; you and Mina are the same person."
"Gotta tell you, you're not exactly being subtle. I mean; that last song choice was…"
"I know; I know it was stupid. But what can I do?"
Suzume got an evil smirk on her face. "Well, you could always make them jealous. Make them realize how much they want you."
Mari gasped. "Suzu; that's evil!" Then she thought about it. "You already have a plan; don't you?"
"I say we pull out the old "Take Me or Leave Me" bit." Suzume said.
"That…could backfire really badly." Mari said. She sighed. "But if we're gonna do it, we're gonna do it right. The whole scene. Let me get a prop drink."
Suzume grinned. "I'll go set up the music."
Mari grabbed a glass of punch from the counter; and then she plopped herself next to Kiri. "Hey; sorry about Suzume. She's a little…enthusiastic."
He laughed. "I like her enthusiasm. She fits right in."
Mari took a sip of her drink. She could hear the first notes of the song starting. Suzume walked over and grabbed her arm. "Okay; so we're going right into it" Mari thought
She felt herself get pulled up.
"Excuse me for a second; Kiri. Whoa!" She said, pretending to sway a little under Suzume's grip. There was no actual strength to it.
"What the hell?" Suzume said
"We were just talking!" Mari said, pretending to be a little tipsy. Suzume leveled her with a fake glare. "Suzu; we were just talking."
"Please do not do this today." Suzume said. By this time; all heads had turned to them. Exactly what she wanted.
Mari let out an over exaggerated sigh and took another sip of punch. "You know; I don't think I can take much more of this. This obsessive compulsive control freak paranoia! We didn't go out last night because you wanted to go home!" She poked Suzume in the chest.
"You were flirting with the woman in spandex!" Suzume shouted; changing the line a little. The whole room stilled; mouths open and staring.
"There will always be people in spandex flirting with me! Give me a break." Mari downed the rest of the punch and set the glass on the table.
"Every single day I walk down the street
I hear people say 'baby's so sweet'
Ever since puberty
Everybody stares at me
Boys, girls, I can't help it baby
So be kind
And don't lose your mind
Just remember that I'm your baby"
It was so easy falling back into the role. She was almost on autopilot.
She jumped on the table for the next part of the song; hearing the gasps out of her classmates.
"A tiger in a cage can never see the sun
This diva needs her stage baby let's have fun
You are the one I choose
Folks would kill to fill your shoes
You love the limelight too now baby
So be mine
And don't waste my time
Crying oh honey bear are you still my my my baby."
Suzume's part started next. As always; her Joanne was a perfect balance to Mari's Maureen. It's why they love doing this; acting together.
Soon enough; the end of the song came up. Mari and Suzume faced each other.
"Guess I'm leaving
I'm gone"
Mari pretended to turn and walk away; the song cutting off.
The two girls turned to each other and giggled. Then they took a bow.
"Wait; so was that all an act?" Mina said.
Mari nodded; a little out of breath. "Yep. I told you; we did theater together. We did RENT our last year of middle school; and we played Joanne and Maureen."
"It was very believable." Kirishima said. Mari could see a splattering of color across his cheeks; and then felt hers mirror it. That seriously needed to stop.
She rubbed the back of her head. "What can I say? I just really enjoy acting."
"Do you have any others?" He asked.
"Oh we have a bunch. But we should probably let someone else take a turn. Don't want to hog the spotlight."
Sure enough; she sees Jirou has grabbed the mic and is scrolling through the song list.
"Hey extras! Cake's ready; so get in here!"
Mari laughed. "That's Bakugo for you; perfect timing as always."
Everyone slowly made their way into the kitchen. Mari stared at the cake in front of her.
"How did you know my favorite cake flavor?" She asked, turning to the explosive blonde.
He clicked his teeth. "Wasn't difficult. You like chocolate ice cream; so it was easy enough to guess."
She smiled. "Thanks; Bakugo. I appreciate it. This was very sweet of you."
"Yeah; well…don't read into it too much. Just couldn't stand the thought of you having a shitty birthday cake." Mari could see the light coloring across his nose; but she didn't push it.
"Alright; everyone! Time to sing Happy Birthday! Shoto; can you get the candles?"
Todoroki nodded. "I got it." He said in his monotone voice. He carefully lit the candles with his quirk. They were cheesy; a large 1 and 7 to make up her age; but Mari loved it.
She felt warm and content as the people she cared for most sang happy birthday to her.
"All right; Mari. Blow out the candles and make a wish!" Suzume said, hugging her arm.
She sighed. "I don't know what to wish for. I have everything I want right here…"
"Just hurry up and blow the damn candles out! The wax is starting to drip on the cake!" Bakugo griped.
Mari laughed again. "Okay, okay! I'm going; I'm going."
She closed her eyes and thought really hard. She did have a wish; but she'd never say it out loud.
Casting her wish into the ether; she drew in a breath and let go.
"Wow! You got them all in one go!" Kirishima said; eyes wide. "What did you wish for?"
She shook her head. "You know I can't tell you that; Kiri. It won't come true!"
"Oh! Don't forget to wipe the frosting on your nose!" Suzume said beside her
"I almost forgot!" She dragged her finger through the frosting that made up her name; and smeared it on her nose.
"Oi! What did you do that for? Can't put your fingers in the cake!" Bakugo said.
"It's this silly tradition Suzume and I have. Ever since we were kids; we would swipe our name frosting on our nose. It always ensured our wishes will come true. Hasn't not worked since."
Bakugo clicked his teeth again. "Whatever. Just no more fingers in the cake."
Everyone was distributed a slice and sat down.
"Oh my gosh; this is so good. There's even peanut butter in the middle." Mari sighed; a look of happiness on her face.
"Well; now that we've had our cake, are you ready for presents?" Mina asked; nudging Mari's side.
"Oh! Me first! I'm calling bestie privileges!" Suzume said; running to grab her present.
Mari laughed. "Don't run; you're gonna trip!"
Suzume came back and placed a large package in Mari's lap. "Happy birthday; Mari! And yes; you have to read the card out loud!"
Mari rolled her eyes and opened the card. She could feel herself getting choked up over the words written inside.
"Happy birthday Mari! Thank you for being the best friend and best sister I could hope or ask for! Love; Suzu."
Mari wrapped her arms around her friend. "Thanks; Suzu. You're the best."
Suzume nudged her shoulder. "Come on; open it! I want to see your face!"
Wiping her eyes; Mari started carefully unwrapping the paper. Inside was a photo album.
She opened it and flipped through. It was all pictures of her and Suzume at different points in their lives. Ones from when they were younger; all the way up until middle school.
"This is awesome! I'm just sad we don't have any high school pics to put in here." Mari said; setting the album down next to her.
"We'll just have to add some!" Suzume said; brightly.
"Alright; my turn!" Mina said; handing Mari a bright pink package.
She smiled. "Thanks Mina. Even though I told you you didn't have to get me anything."
Mina's words from earlier echoed in her ear; how Kiri had helped her pick it out.
She slowly unwrapped it. "This paper is so pretty; I don't want to tear it."
"You don't have to read my card out loud; by the way." Mina said; she was practically jumping in her seat.
Mari laughed again. She finally got the wrapping off the box; and pulled out a shirt.
"Underestimate me. That'll be fun." She read off it. "Thanks; Mins. This is right up my alley!"
"There's something else in there too!" Mina said
Mari looked back in the box; and sure enough, a small pair of earrings was resting inside.
She took them out of the box; it was a matched set of little stars and moons.
"I love them! I'm gonna put them on now!" She quickly undid the backings and put both sets on.
Everyone took their turns giving her their gifts. By the end; she had a novel from Deku, a warm heated blanket from Tsu, and some rock and roll CDs from Jirou, among other things.
"Thanks everyone! This is all so great!" She smiled.
"Wait; Bakugo and Kirishima haven't given you their presents yet." Kaminari said.
"The cake was my present; Duracell." Bakugo growled.
"It's fine; Blasty. The cake was perfect. I really did appreciate it." Mari said; tipping her head back to look at him.
"Okay then; what about you, Kirishima?" the other blonde asked.
Kiri scratched the back of his neck. "Mine…didn't get here on time."
Mari knew he was lying. Mina had told him she had picked something out himself; but she didn't push it. Maybe he just wanted to give it to her later. Which was fine.
"Alright; if that's everyone, I'm gonna turn the music back on." Mari said.
She stood and set the karaoke machine to a song.
"I just want to dance this time. My throat's a little sore from singing."
"Oh! I love this song!" Mina said, standing to join her.
Soon; most of the students were dancing. Mari hummed; content. This was definitely a birthday she'd never forget.
After a while; Suzume spoke up. "Well, as much as I really don't want to; I gotta get home. It's getting late; and even though they know I'm with you, I don't want Mom and Dad to worry."
Mari pouted, standing with her friend. "I wish you could stay. But I'll walk you out."
Suzume waved bye to everyone; then they headed down the stairs and out the dorm.
"Thank you for coming today. It was a wonderful surprise. But how did you even know we were doing this today?" Mari asked; hands in her pockets to ward off the chill.
"Oh; Mina told me about it." Mari gave her a look. "Yeah; she got my number from your phone and messaged me."
Mari groaned. "Great; now there's two of you and I have to change my phone password."
Suzume laughed. "You love us. But seriously; Mari, you should consider talking to Kirishima and Bakugo. I saw how they looked at you tonight; you have nothing to worry about."
Mari chewed her lip. Suzume was probably right; and she hated that. "I have to go back inside." She said, hoping to avoid the line of questioning.
"I know you're diverting; but I'm gonna let it go because I have to get home." Suzume said, wrapping her arms around Mari. "Happy birthday again"
"Thanks; Suzu. I'll call you tomorrow!" She waved; watching her friend walk to the bus stop.
Once she was out of sight; Mari headed back in. The party was starting to wind down; and everyone was heading for their rooms, giving her a final 'happy birthday' as they walked past.
"Now I just need to get all of this upstairs." She said, groaning. "I'm definitely gonna need to take more than one trip."
"I can help!" Kirishima said; startling her. She jumped.
"Jeez; Kiri! You almost gave me a heart attack. Nice to know stealth training is paying off; though." She said, clutching her heart.
"I'm sorry; but seriously though, let me grab some of this for you." He'd already started grabbing some of the bigger, bulkier items. All she had to do was grab the smaller things; which she stuffed into the box Suzume had brought.
"Oh! Don't forget this!" He said, handing her the picture she'd tried to hide earlier.
"Ugh; I can't believe you saw this." She said; heading towards the elevator.
He followed behind. "It's not that embarrassing. Besides; I'm sure my moms have tons of embarrassing little kid pictures of me."
They stepped into the elevator; and Kirishima hit the floor button with his elbow.
It was quiet for a bit; and then he said quietly "I'm glad you liked the earrings. They look good on you."
"Oh, thank you. Mina mentioned that you helped her pick out my gifts." She said, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"You know; I wasn't exactly truthful when I said my present for you hadn't gotten here yet. It's in my room; I just didn't have time to wrap it. Besides; I'm awful at wrapping presents anyway. I always tear the paper." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm sure it's fine; Kiri. And besides; I'm just content that I got to spend today with the people that mean most to me, especially after such a long week."
"You have been working really hard." He said; as the doors opened up to their floor. They walked down the hall to Mari's dorm. "I'm super proud of you; you know."
Mari's face colored for what felt like the millionth time tonight. "Let's just put this stuff down on my bed; I can put everything away tomorrow." She balanced the box on her hip; pulling out her dorm key and opening the door. She dropped the box unceremoniously onto the bed.
"Alright; now I can give you my gift." Kirishima said; leading her across the hall to his room.
He opened the door; his room was almost as familiar to her as her own was. It was just on the border between messy and neat; bed unmade; papers scattered all over the desk. It was delightfully Kiri.
He turned to his closet and started looking. Then he stood; hands behind his back. "Okay; close your eyes." He said, grinning at her.
She made a face, but complied; squeezing her eyes tight.
"Okay…and open!"
She opened her eyes to see Kirishima holding out a shark stuffy. She giggled.
"Oh my gosh; that is adorable! I love it!" She said; taking it from his hands and giving it a squeeze.
"I'm so glad. I honestly thought it might be a little cheesy…" He trailed off, embarrassed again.
"It's perfect; Kiri. It's definitely you." Mari said; giving him a hug, the stuffy squished between them.
"There is…one more thing. It's supposed to go with the earrings; but I wanted to give it to you myself." He turned to his desk; opening the drawer and pulling out a small box.
Mari was starting to get concerned over how much she was blushing today. It couldn't be healthy.
She took the box and opened it. Inside was a delicate moon pendant; with little stars made of amethysts in the bend of it.
"Ki..Eiji; this is…this is gorgeous." She said, staring at it. Formality was lost in this moment; and they were alone; so it was fine.
"I'm glad you like it. The stars made me think of you." He said; his own face as red as his hair. He gently took the box and removed the necklace from the box.
"Dang it; the clasp is too small. I wanted to put it on for you." He mumbled; defeated.
She laughed again. "I got it. I appreciate it though." She took the necklace from him, and clasped it around her neck. She adjusted it so that it faced front. "So? How does it look?" She said.
"It's…perfect." He said.
There was an awkward pause. Mari chewed her lip; trying desperately not to think about kissing the boy in front of her.
After a moment; she broke the silence. "I should probably get back to my room. It's been a long day." She said; looking anywhere but at Kirishima.
"Right…you're right. That's probably a good idea." He said; shaking himself out of a stupor.
She grabbed the stuffed shark and headed to the door. "Well, good night, Kiri." She said, formalities slipping back into place.
"Yeah; good night, Oshiro. Happy birthday again." He replied; a small smile on his face.
Mari closed the door and sighed. She touched the necklace again. Maybe Mina and Suzu were right…
Walking back across the hall; she noticed something leaning against her door. It was a box; wrapped in bright orange paper.
She picked it up and brought it into her room. Pushing all the stuff on it to the side; she sat down on her bed and read the note with it. Her eyes widened.
"I lied when I said I didn't have a proper present for you. Just didn't want all those extras making a big deal out of it. Anyway; happy birthday Short Stack."
Mari smiled, of course it was from Katsuki. She shook her head at the way he had crossed out his name in signing the note; as if deciding at the last minute to change it.
Carefully; she opened the box. She wasn't worried about its contents, she just wasn't sure how much more she could take today.
Pulling the lid off; she blinked. It was a customized care package; including things for days when the effects of her Quirk got too bad and when she had an anxiety attack.
She pulled out various things; including warm slipper socks and some calming tea.
There was a note at the bottom of the box. "Now you have no excuse not to take care of yourself; even when I'm not around."
This note was signed with Katsuki's first name. She smiled.
She quickly got ready for bed; throwing on a comfy pair of sweats. She left on her band t-shirt as her sleeping top.
She pushed all of her stuff onto her desk; not worrying about it tonight.
As she snuggled down into bed; holding the shark plushie from Kirishima and pulling on the sleep mask from her self care box; she just had one thought.
"Best birthday ever."
A/N: Wow… I did NOT expect this to be this long. I know it's probably cringe, and a little self indulgent, but I could not get the idea of a Class A karaoke party out of my head.
Anyway; next chapter is either going to be a Christmas chapter or a winter festival chapter. Let me know which you guys prefer!