CHAPTER TEN - FRIDAY

~ Dabi and Kurogiri, Friday Afternoon ~

The bell ending the school day died down. The series of doors had already slammed open, the stampede in full effect.

Dabi, head and shoulders above a number of students, squeezed in between traffic going both ways, looking for - of all people - Kurogiri. Usually he was easier to spot, but Dabi had to remember Kurogiri could easily disappear in an instant if he wanted to. And being that it was officially the weekend, he probably had somewhere to be in a hurry. Maybe. What did Dabi know? He and Kurogiri were not really friends, actually he knew very little about Shigaraki's best friend - outside of what he learned from being in classes with him.

He was about to give up on his location mission when, speaking of the devil, Kurogiri was walking towards him, his bored expression turning into one of annoyance in preparation for an unwanted interaction with Dabi no doubt. Dabi naturally had to smirk and if there was a wall present to lean on, he would have lazily leaned in and blocked his way. As it was, he merely stepped directly in front of Kurogiri's path, pausing for a few seconds before getting to the point. Kurogiri looked like he wanted to hit him. Or worse.

"So… I was thinking."

"Funny."

"Yeah. It happens sometimes."

"Were you concentrating really hard?"

"I was. This is really important, you know." Before Kurogiri could deflect with more sarcasm, Dabi continued, "So you got the invite to my party?"

"I'm pretty sure the entire school got the invite to your party."

"Just our year."

"So almost everyone."

"Well, I want everyone to come." Dabi said, emphasis on the word everyone. "Are you going to come?"

'Why do you care?" Kurogiri asked, head tilting to the side. He wasn't sure why Dabi was so interested in his RSVP all of a sudden.

Dabi chewed on his lower lip, combing his fingers back through his hair. "Look. I'm just going to be honest with you." He started, "It might land me in a whole lot of trouble with a certain mutual… friend but…"

"Ah." Kurogiri interjected, before a Dabi could finish his sentence. "This is about Shigaraki."

Dabi eyed the other boy. "Yes."

"Are you two dating or something?"

"What!?" Shocked, Dabi almost choked on his own words.

"No? Just making out then?"

"We're not…" Dabi stopped himself there. What was the point of denying or lying about it? No, he and Shigaraki were not officially dating but that was the end game. Well, at least for Dabi it was anyway. Kurogiri was bound to find out the truth eventually - once Shigaraki got comfortable and accepted the idea of being in a relationship.

"Is it that obvious?" Dabi asked.

"Depends." Kurogiri shrugged, "I like to think I know Shigaraki pretty well, so to me, yeah, something is different between you two." He explained. "And let's face it, the whole class has noticed you have both been more… amicable with each other these days. It's not just me."

"Right."

"I mean, he hasn't said anything directly to me, and I didn't really think you two were... doing whatever it is you're doing, I'm sure no one does, but I knew something had changed."

"Regrettably, I am not doing anything with Shigaraki that I couldn't talk to you about. I won't go into details of course, because he'd probably kill me, but I could and still manage to keep it PG rated. Mostly." Dabi explained with a smug grin.

"Please stop. That's already TMI."

"Anyways, back to the party." Dabi began, "He said he would come if you did."

"That does not sound like something Shigaraki would say."

"Scouts honor." Dabi responded, holding two fingers up with sincerity.

"Were you ever in the scouts?"

"Er no. But they've got pretty good morals and codes and shit, right?"

Kurogiri looked at him, unimpressed. "He wants me to say no."

"Yeah, I think he's counting on it. That's why I am here politely requesting that you come to the party. I really like him, and I want him there. I need him to be there."

Kurogiri sighed, resigned to help for God's knows why. Maybe it was more for Shigaraki's benefit than it was for Dabi's. His best friend didn't trust easily, and he didn't have many friends, so if Shigaraki was willing to allow Dabi close to him, maybe it was worth fostering that friendship or relationship or whatever it was they had now.

"I'll see what I can do." Kurogiri stepped around Dabi and continued down the hall. "No promises though."

"Hey, thank you! I'll owe you one." Dabi couldn't contain his excitement, fist pumping silently behind Kurogiri's retreating back.

~ Shigaraki and Kai, Friday Night ~

"Ha Ha! Die Freaks!" Yelled Kai at his screen as he blasted away, shooting anything and everything in sight.

"What the hell are you doing?" Barked Shigaraki, tugging his headset down and peeking over the edge of his laptop at his new friend.

"Killing Mexican Outlaws."

"We were supposed to keep that one dude alive for the bounty, idiot."

"Ah fuck. I died." Kai grumbled, removing his headset and tossing it absently onto the floor. He had hoped to show Shigaraki up by charging in head first but apparently the other boy had already mastered the game. "My bad."

Shigaraki snickered and shook his head. "That's what you get for trying to take on the entire Del Lobo Gang by yourself. I was just behind you, you know."

"Yeah, yeah." Kai's scowl grew deeper as Shigaraki smiled triumphantly.

"Are you going to spawn back in or what?"

"Let's take a break, my eyes are starting to hurt." Kai sighed, putting his laptop aside. He turned to look back over his shoulder at Shigaraki who was lounged comfortably on his bed, his back against the headboard.

"Amateur." Shigaraki mumbled, teasing the other boy with a grin.

"You haven't been sitting on the floor for the past two hours. My ass is numb." He got up to his feet and grabbed his soda before plopping down onto Shigaraki's bed.

"I'm joking, dick." Shigaraki said, reaching for his bottle of water. "Pass the Dorito's."

Kai grinned in return, shuffling further onto the bed and offering a new unopened bag of Cool Ranch which he had recently learned were Shigaraki's favourite.

"Thanks for the sweatshirt by the way." Kai said, crossing his legs and tugging on the end of the material. It was a heavy black hoodie that fit him almost perfectly. They were so similar in size and apparently, they also had the same internal climate control issues. Always cold.

"I want it back before you leave."

Kai snorted a laugh, "Fine. Black is your colour anyway."

"Oh, you noticed." Shigaraki replied, sarcastic

"It's hard not to notice. Everything is black."

"Good for hiding blood."

Kai's brows popped up.

"I'm joking." Shigaraki exclaimed.

"True though."

Shigaraki eyed his new friend before stuffing a handful of chips into his mouth.

"So, are you going to Dabi's party?" Kai asked breaking off half a Twizzler and chewing the flavoured licorice.

"What?" Shigaraki stammered.

"You got the invite, right? For next weekend."

"Oh. Yeah." Heat immediately flooded Shigaraki's cheeks and he glowered at Kai. "I don't know if I'll go. Probably not." He sniffled with disregard and lowered his chin, playing it off like it was nothing, no big deal.

"Really? That's… surprising." Kai commented.

"Why is that so surprising?"

"Well, you and Dabi seem pretty close."

Shigaraki scoffed in contention.

"So, you're not? Actually, at first I didn't think you were friends at all but…"

"I just… Parties are not my thing." Shigaraki interjected before he and Kai went down the complicated friendship rabbit hole. "Too many people, too much noise. No thanks."

"Hm. I guess I can understand that." Kai concluded, "We can hang out or something instead. I don't think I'll go either."

"Oh, let me guess, you don't like parties either?" Shigaraki ventured, thinking Kai was only going along with his weekend plans because he was trying to get into Shigaraki's good books.

"I like parties fine. But me and Dabi aren't really friends." Kai shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever." Shigaraki took a deep drink from his water bottle, "Can we get back to the game or are you still being a little bitch?" He taunted, trying to diverge the conversation away from Dabi and his stupid party. He dragged his laptop back in front of him and repositioned his headset.

"Ass." Kai leaned over the edge of the bed and picked up his own laptop and headset from the floor, resting the gear comfortably on his crossed legs, "Don't get upset if I accidently shoot you in the back."

~ Shigaraki, Kai and Kurogiri, Sometime early early Saturday Morning ~

"Are you dead again?"

Kai scowled at the other boy. Truth be told, he just wasn't as good a gamer as Shigaraki was but that was no reason to rub it in his face. Also, they had been playing for hours, Kai was having trouble focusing.

"Oh c'mon, quit sulking. We're a team remember? If you die, I lose too." Shigaraki paused and then tilted his head, like he was pondering something. "If anything, I should be the one brooding. You shoot like a fucking storm trooper. Couldn't hit a…"

An empty water bottle whooshing past Shigaraki's head stopped him mid-sentence.

"Shut up." Kai grumbled.

"Missed again! You just proved my point, idiot." Shigaraki asserted. And even though he looked ticked off, Kai couldn't contain his grin, amused by the casual and comfortable banter between him and his new friend.

Pound, pound, pound. Both boys started at the sudden knocking on Shigaraki's door. "Yeah?" Shigaraki answered, tugging his headset down.

"It's me."

Kurogiri.

Shigaraki set his laptop aside and then hopped off his bed to open the door for his best friend.

"You're up late."

"Yeah. I can hear everything from my room you know." Kurogiri was leaning against the door frame, his cell phone in his hand. He looked bored - although perked up a little at the sight of Kai sitting on Shigaraki's bed.

"You two look comfortable." He commented, observing the nest of drinks and junk food they had created on the bed. He snickered at Kai, who merely raised his brows.

"Hi." Kai greeted with a quick wave.

Kurogiri nodded his head in return before strolling into the room. Shigaraki closed the door behind him.

"You want to take over? I am being completely destroyed." Kai declared.

"Understatement." Shigaraki mumbled, Kai's mouth settled into a hard line. Kurogiri snorted a laugh and shook his head.

"I'll pass."

"So, what's up?" Shigaraki asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"You see Dabi's invite?"

Shigaraki rolled his eyes and quickly returned to his spot on the bed, his head falling back and hitting the wall behind with a loud thud.

"We're not going." Kai answered, speaking for both of them. He offered Kurogiri a rope of licorice from his opened bag of Twizzlers. Since he had started at UA, he and Kurogiri hadn't really spent that much time together, he was hoping they could be friends too. "We already talked about it."

With an arched brow, Kurogiri accepted the offered candy, "You making decisions together now?"

"No." Shigaraki hissed, rolling his head back up to look at his friend. "I just said I'm not going."

"And I want to go. But I don't really know anyone so if Shigaraki isn't going then I'm not either."

"I kind of want to go." Kurogiri revealed, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

"What?" Shigaraki replied, dismayed. He scowled. "Why?"

"Aren't you a little interested in seeing the Todoroki Family Home? I mean, Endeavor lives there. How often do you get a chance to see the home of a Pro?"

"I don't think he's going to be there." Kai interjected.

"I know." Kurogiri countered, "I'm still curious though."

Shigaraki eyed his best friend suspiciously. Why the interest suddenly? Kurogiri never gave Dabi a second thought, and he definitely wouldn't have accepted an invitation from him - for anything. What had changed? Not a second later, realization hit him smack in the face and heat flooded his cheeks. Did Kurogiri know something? Had Dabi actually talked to him? And if he had, what did Kurogiri know? What was he hiding?

"Since when do you give a shit about Endeavor?" He questioned. Kai glanced over at Shigaraki before looking back at Kurogiri. He knew he was missing something but didn't want to seem like a third wheel. It probably didn't matter.

"I don't." He replied confidently, and then added. "But why not go? Could be fun."

Shigaraki scoffed.

"Kai, you want to go right?"

"Ah." Again, he glanced quickly over at Shigaraki. "Yeah. I'd go. If you both do."

Shigaraki huffed and drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs.

"We don't have to stay long or anything. Drop in and drop out." Kurogiri reasoned with his best friend, pushing the subject gently and trying to make the idea of going to the party somewhat more appealing. He had to tread lightly and gauge the other boy's reaction based on the words he was saying. The current outlook was positive, Shigaraki was close to accepting the invitation but one wrong word and it could turn ugly really quick.

He was fine either way, whether they went to the party or not did not matter to Kurogiri. He was doing this only for Shigaraki, and coincidentally, partly for Dabi as well. He said he would try and get his friend to the party, with no promises. He was fulfilling his side of their agreement.

"That's a good compromise." Kai agreed, biting back a grin. He didn't want to seem too keen, but he was kind of looking forward to going to Dabi's party with Shigaraki. He didn't care to go by himself.

"So how about it?" Kurogiri asked, hopeful.

"Okay, fine." Shigaraki finally muttered, "I'll fucking go to the stupid party. Can we stop talking about it already?"