Chapter 14: Pre-Game - Where My Party People At?
Chapter Summary: As the class prepares for a party, one of Katsuki's old acquaintances makes a reappearance.
It annoys Katsuki to no end that Testutsetu is one of the first people from UA to find out that Kirishima is being released from hospital. Apparently he was visiting Kirishima at the hospital when the doctors came to the decision.
Equally frustrating is his lack of progress on how he's going to deal with Midoriya. He can't believe he told Midoriya he forgave him. He doesn't. He never did. But at that moment he was willing to say or do anything.
Mina: Everyone meet in the common room so we can discuss Kirishima's party!
Glasses: What party?
Mina: To welcome Kiri back.
IcyHot: Did we discuss this already?
Tokoyami: You said I could invite Akiko right?
Glasses: I hope this has nothing to do with the conversation I overheard you having with Kaminairi and Sero about illegally purchasing alcohol.
IcyHot: ?
Soy-Sauce: Yup! Everyone is welcome.
Soy-Sauce: We all know Kaminiari wants an excuse to spend more time with Shinsou *smirking emoji*
IcyHot: I'm confused.
Mina: *eye roll emoji* Just come to the common room guys.
Earphones: Now?
Mina: ffs guys.
Mina: YES!
Mina: Meet NOW in the common room and all will b explained there.
Deku AKA THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE: Omw!
It is while Katsuki is reading the messages sent to the group chat that the beginnings of a plan come unbidden to his mind. It still bothered him that he had given into his own weakness and told Midoriya he'd forgiven him but maybe he could transform the event into something more than a symbol of his own cowardice. After all, sometimes it takes losing a battle to win the war.
Several days later, Katsuki finds himself in a corridor he has never ventured to before.
It is the night of Kirishima's welcome home party and Katsuki is brimming with confidence regarding his newly constructed plan.
Katsuki raps his knuckles heavily on the closed door in front of him and tries his best not to scowl as he waits. Moments pass before the door opens to reveal a ginger haired girl staring up at him. Like last time he saw her, her hair is styled in two buns on either side of her head. She has a beige plaster over the bridge of her nose and is wearing glossy pink lipstick.
"Osagou!" She exclaims.
Taken aback by her enthusiasm, Katsuki blinks at her blankly.
"I'm Harada Akiko" she tells him "did you forget?"
"Uh…no? I didn't." He had but she didn't need to know about his awkward conversation with a very suspicious Tokoyami earlier this morning..
"Really? Fumikage says that you don't remember anyone's name. Apparently you just call us all extras," she giggles. "Come in!"
She grabs Katsuki and pulls him into her room, kicking the door shut behind them.
Katsuki looks down at the small hand holding onto his wrist. Usually he hates being touched without permission, especially by strangers. Several months ago, his reflex response would have been to flinch away. Midoriya would be delighted to see how well he'd trained Katsuki in such a short amount of time.
He pulls his hand out of her grasp and takes a step back towards the door.
"Um…I'm not supposed to be here."
"Don't worry. Fumikage trusts me completely!"
That was not what he meant at all. Now he feels even more uncomfortable. Especially given that she is wearing a navy dress with spaghetti straps that barely comes to mid-thigh. He's not interested like that but there is a lot of skin currently on display. There are lava lamps everywhere in the room and it gives the room an almost romantic atmosphere which is admittedly not helping.
"I meant because of the school rules."
'Oh! Well I won't tell if you don't," she says with a wink and a grin.
"Right."
If she doesn't care about him being here, he supposes there is no point worrying about it himself. Harada has decorated her room in a vintage style with a kaleidoscope of contrasting design features and bold colours. Her floor is covered in various rugs that make it look like a patchwork quilt. The rug in front of the bed is zebra print. Noticing her bare feet, he quickly kicks off his own slippers. She nods in thanks and her smile widens.
"Sorry! Y'know how it is. A boy and a girl alone in a room together." She looks at him meaningfully. "People get the wrong idea. Especially those who know about Fumi being ace."
"Uh-huh."
Harada shifts, eyes downcast. Now she's not smiling like a fool, Katsuki notices her mouth is slightly too wide for her features. It doesn't suit her. He misses her smile.
"People say all sorts of hurtful things to me about Tokoyami," she continues. "Implying I'd leave him and stuff because we're not gonna sleep together." Katsuki inhales sharply, he can't help comparing them again to his hypothetical relationship with Kirishima. "A lot of the girls say they'd never date a person like that and that I'm missing out and we should break up but I'd never do that. I love him more than anything."
"You're a good person, that's why, not everyone is like that."
Her smile is back.
"Thank you Osagou!"
"It's Bakugou."
"…what?"
"Never mind," he says quickly. He has a feeling she's easily side-tracked.
Decorative pillows are unceremoniously flung to the floor as she makes room on her bed. One of them skids across her side table, which appears to be a giant rubix cube and knocks over one of the many lava lamps in her room. Katsuki dives for it before it smashes on the ground.
"Amazing! You rock Osagou!"
Okay, this is starting to annoy him.
"Ba-ku-gou," Katsuki enunciates slowly.
As predicted she gets very distracted. She spends a little while giggling, a good several minutes apologising and then over fifteen minutes rambling on and on about names she had gotten wrong in the past and people who had confused her name with someone else.
Katsuki is content to let her ramble. Sometime during her apology Harada had patted the space next to her and he had curled up at the foot of her bed and closed his eyes. She doesn't seem to be offended given the way she is still happily droning on. Her voice isn't exactly soothing but it is filled with so much happiness it makes him feel lighter than he has in a long time.
Next time Katsuki opens his eyes he is met with a darkened room. The only source of light is the gentle glow from all the lava lamps and a brighter desk lamp glowing off to the side, which illuminates the two other individuals in the room. Harada is carefully outlining her walnut hued eyes with glitter while Kirishima is adding gel to her hair. He's using only one hand due to the cast that goes from his right knuckle to midway up his right arm.
"Shitty hair?" he mumbles sleepily. He sits up and the blanket that had been placed over him, slips to his waist. He rubs the tiredness from his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Bakugre!" Harada excitedly exclaims. "Finally! You're up! I called your friend over because I forgot what your Quirk is and I didn't know if it was normal for you to just conk out like 'bam!' but he said you were probably just tired."
With a groan of exasperation, he throws a pillow in Harada's direction. "Bakugou," he stresses.
"Sleep well?" Kirishima asks gently. The hoarse rattle of his lungs is uncommented upon by both Harada and Katsuki. "I figured you must have tired yourself out with all the hospital visits."
Unwilling to let Kirishima to blame himself, Katsuki quickly deflects. "Nah, I was just getting some shut-eye in preparation for your party." Katsuki throws his legs over the side of the bed. "Playing hairdresser again?" He teases before he yawns so wide his jaw cracks.
"Kirishima is great! He's giving me a fresh look for the party!"
Katsuki flexes his toes on the plush carpet. "I see you remembered his name," Katsuki mutters but his words are without heat.
He leans back and listens to Kirishima and Harada talk as he relaxes on Harada's very soft bed.
"I love your mattress," he tells Harada during one of their lapses in conversation.
"It was a bit pricey but worth it! Fumikage loves it too."
Seeing Kirishima's eyebrows twitch, Harada gently swats at him. "Get your mind out of the gutter," she orders, but she's smiling. Katsuki guesses she had a similar conversation with Kirishima when he entered and that he passed the 'test' given his lack of stuttered apologies.
Laughing, Kirishima says to her, "you are the one who went there! I was just thinking…he must really feel comfortable around you to sleep in here…given Dark Shadow and it being y'know um dark."
"Wow! He really has such good friends!"
Katsuki zones out again as they continue talking, closing his eyes so he doesn't have to see the yellowy-brown bruise that marrs the back of Kirishima's neck. When it is time to leave, Harada asks to be alone with him for a minute. Kirishima nods cheerfully.
"Sure! I need to get ready for this party myself. I'll catch you later, yeah, Bakugou?"
Katsuki grunts in agreement. All attention is focused on Kirishima as he leaves the room as Harada obviously intends to wait until they are alone before speaking. It pains Katsuki to see Kirishima's movements reduced to a shuffle with his breathing clearly laboured. Twisting the doorknob with his non-dominant hand is clearly a struggle. From the corner of his eye Katsuki notices Harada about to assist him and he grabs her arm to stop her because he knows he wouldn't want somebody helping him in a situation like this. Eventually Kirishima succeeds and he calls another cheerful goodbye, acting as if nothing was unusual about him spending such a long time trying to open a door. As the door closes, Harada turns to Katsuki.
"I hope you don't mind but…I used my Quirk on you. I didn't know you'd fall asleep but maybe you needed it? The rest I mean. Please don't be mad. I thought that might be why you came here but I could tell the moment you came in for some reason you decided not to ask me. I'm really sorry."
Again he thinks of Midoriya. He no longer has such strong feelings about his body autonomy being breached in this way. He's just grateful that it was something that was purely for his benefit for once. She's still talking and he grasps her shoulders to cut her off. She stiffens, clearly surprised.
"I'm not mad."
She relaxes and goes for a hug. He finds himself relaxing into her hold. Upon reflection Katsuki has hugged more of his classmates in the past few months than he has in his life. Kirishima, Mina and now Harada. Her skin is soft and the way the small mounds of her breasts and her doughy belly press into him feels comforting.
"Next time I'll ask." She says. "This is the first time I've ever used my Quirk without permission."
Katsuki thinks back to Midoriya's comment about Kirishima and his explosions. He shivers as he hates himself a bit more.
"Don't worry." He reassures her.
"Want another bump before you leave?" she asks.
Does she have to make everything sound so illicit? He's not a drug addict. Regardless, Katsuki nods and she grasps his hand. Harada's eyes are screwed shut, her glossy lips slightly parted. The calmness that usually trickles in comes through at high pressure through a hose. She's slightly breathless when she's done.
"I've never put that much behind my Quirk before. I hope it helps with your coming out."
Shocked, Katsuki pushes her away from him by the shoulders. "Wait, what?"
"I mean that is what this was for right? Isn't that why you told me that you weren't out but are gay?"
"I told you that?"
"Are you feeling OK? Did you forget again?"
"When did I tell you that?"
"After I told you about Fumikage and before I told you about my friend who I used to get confused with my other friend because - "
"Yes I remember," Katsuki hastily interrupts. He doesn't but he does not need to hear this story again. As he turns to leave he thanks her again. He waits until he's safely out of the corridor before he slides down a wall. He doesn't think she's lying which means he's lost time again. It doesn't matter. She doesn't know his true plan and he got what he came for. Harada's Quirk is pulsing through his veins. He pushes aside the time he's lost. He can't waste this gift. He needs her help to push through the fear so he can face Midoriya.
This ends tonight.
Author's Notes: From the last chapter - thank you very much to my regular commenter and my new one! Reviews make me so happy! Guest reader, if you are still around I'd love to hear from you again too 3 3 Anybody reading who hasn't left a comment yet please also consider leaving a review! :)
It has come to my attention that the link I posted last chapter was messed up by the site algorithm! So I am reposting the link with hopefully enough caveats to trick the algorithm but easier enough so people won't be put off looking!
The My Hero Academia one-shot I was self-promoting can be found at:
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