Chapter 12
He shouldn't have been here, walking around in the jail. Katsuki glanced around towards the glass doors lined with bars, "What the heck, man?" A voice snapped, it took a minute before he realized that it was his own. He felt his eyes land on Kirishima, tissue pressed to his nose. The damage: a blue eye rapidly changing to black and blood still dripping from his nose.
"I messed up." Kirishima laughed glancing away.
"They told me you started that fight."
"I did. I was aggravated."
Katsuki paused, raising an eyebrow. It wasn't like Kirishima. He didn't lose his temper, he only got stronger. And with how powerful Kirishima's quirk was there was no reason for him to be that beaten up. Katsuki drew a chair, lowering himself into it, "There's no reason you should be the one bleeding."
You let them do that.
Kirishima raised his hand, running along his neck, "Come on man, cut me a break. I'm in jail. I swung, they would extend my time more." Kirishima glanced away, refusing to make eye contact with the next statement, "I might want out."
Katsuki took a breath, tapping his foot. He needed to be careful on what he said. It was hard enough to try to get evidence to get Kirishima out with this listed on top of it. He needed to reassure Kirishima, but he couldn't agree with whatever had happened.
"How's it going with Uraraka?" Kirishima glanced at him.
"Not now." Katsuki glanced towards the guards shuffling paperwork.
"Sorry sir, we need you to sign these."
Katsuki glanced towards Kirishima, "Also, why am I listed as the emergency contact?"
"It's not something you ask your mother for. I let them down enough." Kirishima glanced at the table, the sound of the chains as he moved his hands.
Katsuki sighed glancing at the paperwork. It was weird to be called into a jail to sign paperwork for Kirishima, he didn't remember how jails were supposed to operate. But hey, at least Kirishima seemed to be in a decent place.
Katsuki skimmed the paperwork: Kirishima's right's while in jail, options to go to a hospital, and various other pieces of information for him; probably determined necessary by lawyers. He let the pen strum against the paperwork after reading each line carefully.
Kirishima muttered some words his hands tapping against the table and glances towards what would've passed as a window.
Katsuki glanced up from the paperwork, "Don't be stupid."
"Bring me a good story next time." Kirishima laughed.
Katsuki sent a glare towards him. There was something fictitious about him. Kirishima was trying to hide something. Kirishima glaned at the table trying to fake a frail and reassuring smile, fidgeting and refusing eye contact weren't part of his usual traits, "What happened?"
"I got into a fight." Kirishima sent a glance to the wall.
"You didn't kill the kid you know." He waited for Kirishima to make eye-contact and give him a reassuring nod. Anything that would remind him that the old Kirishima was still in there. The amount of silence felt like it was beginning to slither along his neck. He moved towards the door as Kirishima glanced back towards his guard to come get him, "You haven't let me down you know?" He sent Kirishima a glare before trailing out of the room. Katsuki paused glancing at the guard from last time, slightly down the hall, "Yo."
The guard shuffled glancing towards him underneath his hat, feigning ignorance glowing in their eyes, "Are you lost, sir?"
"You know I know my way out."
"Do you need something?" The guard glanced down the hall.
"What pissed him off?" Katsuki sent a glare into the now-empty room.
"I'm not sure, Sir." The guard glanced down the hallway, "but if I were to know I would say that the other person started the altercation, likely about an apprentice. I'm not sure nor do I have the clearance to discuss fights within the jail."
Katsuki suppressed a hiss, feeling his foot twist ready to turn back, he should've said something more. There was no way that Kirishima was going to tell him that.
The guard grabbed his arm, "Sir, I understand your concern. But, by going back now you won't be able to find your way out." The guard glanced towards the end of the hall, his co-workers approaching, "The door is that way."
He paused, turning back to the guard, "I'll remember."
"Be sure you do." The guard nodded before returning to their post.
Katsuki keyed his car, the car's strumming engine steadily buzzing to replace the rampaging of his mind, even if they had managed to win the case the jury would still bring this fight up. As though Kirishima could get out on good behavior in the first place.
Murderers didn't get out for good behavior.
Katsuki glanced down to his phone loosing a circuit as it beat itself against the cup holder, temptation to ignore it was running high. He glanced at the jail; when they got Kirishima out he would need a place to crash. And if he didn't go, there wouldn't be a place for either of them. He picked up the phone, "Yo?"
"Where are you? You were suppose-Uravity, that's-"
"I know that's why I picked it up! Incoming!" Explosion echoed in the background as he could hear Deku rustle around finding a place for cover.
"-you were supposed to meet us here an hour ago!"
Katsuki glanced towards the building again, he wasn't about to tell Deku where he was at. He paused thinking the job over, work usually helped with slightly with the stress, but not with Midoriya there.
"Ur-, I thought we were a team. I've got to go." Deku whined before the phone went silent.
He glanced at the phone Midoriya had hung up, paging through his phone he found the address. They were supposed to do a drug-bust and from the sound of things they had found what they were looking for. Katsuki snapped open his glove box pulling out his uniform. It shouldn't take him long to get there, heck he was halfway there already due to visiting Kirishima.
After several miles and a couple red lights he found himself walking into Uravity and Deku wrapping things up.
"You're late." Deku sent a soft spoken glare at him.
"I was in the middle of something." He snapped, today just wasn't his day today.
"Wh-"
"Give him a break Deku, we had it handled." Uravity sighed, tightening the ropes around the assumed druglords.
"I'll do it." He grabbed the ropes and beginning to move the people. He was part of the team he needed to put in his part of the work.
"I don't know where you've been, but this isn't like you. Are you hiding something?" Deku asked. His voice sounded almost sincere, but Katsuki attempted to quell the bitter feeling rising in his chest. There was something accusatory about that sentence, he was ready to snap his head off.
"Deku, lay off. He'll tell us when he's ready-" Uravity paused turning to him, "-and if you need a break, don't worry we can handle ourselves."
Katsuki glanced between the two, contrasting faces for the same reason. The exception was knowledge. He knew that Uraraka knew about everything that was going on in the background, but how much did Deku know? He had assumed that Uraraka would've explained the situations to him, it wasn't something they could hide and deal with on their own.
He tightened the ropes on the druglords recounting each of them, placing them with restraints while they waited for the cops to arrive and apprehend them. "I've got a problem."
"You've got a lot of problems."
He sent Deku a glare, as they got older Deku had gotten older still thought rapidly, but held his tongue less, "Nevermind." He snapped, turning on his foot stomping back to the drug lords. It felt as though it was taking a century for the cops to finally show up.
He could barely hear Uraraka's hushed tone scolding Deku the way she used to scold him, "He was trying to tell you something."
"I-what was-"
"Don't bother if you're not going to let him speak."
If it wasn't for the shit day he had just had he knew the flip-flopped scene would've made him smirk. Katsuki glanced up at the police finally pulling up to the situation to apprehend the drug-lords, "Thank goodness, we were trying to apprehend them for a while, but they're too out of control for us to handle."
"I was somewhere else, showed up when called."
The office nodded heading towards Deku and Uravity for their report. His queue to leave this place. Uravity's heels clopped down the sidewalk catching up to him, "Katsuki, whatever it is, you know you can talk to us about it right?"
He glanced over his shoulder, her eyes trailing over him with worry, "Kirishima got into a fight. He listed me as the contact information."
Knowledge ran through her eyes. It wasn't something he was quite ready to talk about, but with her she might've had a different perspective on it, "Wh-"
"We have other things that need to take priority before we get him out." He turned leaning against his car, "Our main goals are whose after the class and why and then finding the guy who offed Kirishima's sidekick."
Uraraka glanced over her shoulder, sending a quick look towards Deku still chatting with the police, "Should we tell him? Would it be easier if we split into groups?"
"No." Katsuki paused following her gaze up towards where Deku was discussing the typical matters after an arrest with the police officers.
"He's got a decent poker-face."
"But he'll go into a full scale investigation, and for a hero constantly under the spotlight to disappear? It's not like he's us, we've disappeared without a problem before. He's been pulled off the scene for working with the last deadly case of the flu. We need him to keep up the act, the easiest way is for him to just not know."
"Are you sure?"
"For now, yeah."
Deku trampled down the hill towards them, glancing between the two of them, "The police want one of us to ride back with them to make an official report, since I was up there already I offered to go. Uhh, Uraraka i'm sorry, but I can drive you back first." Deku fidgeted.
Katsuki sighed glanced between them, "I can drive." He snapped, something about the courtesy Deku was offering irritating him.
"Sorry, I just meant Uraraka lives closer to me and you guys would probably want to get ready for Todoroki's party tonight.
Katsuki glanced between the two, understanding seeming to understand in Deku's eyes, "You weren't invited?"
"No, I forgot." He snapped. He wasn't in the mood for this not today, he didn't want to go to someone's shitty party on top of having to worry about Kirishima starting fights in jail and being late for work.
"If you don't want to go, then it's okay. I'll tell them. Besides, it looks like you haven't slept in days."
"It's fine." He snapped glancing towards her, it almost seemed as though she was offering to drive him home. "We can go to your place, but I'm not showing up anywhere smelling like a drug-lord." He gestured to the house where the criminals they had just caught were apparently making the substance they were trying to get off of the market. Unfortunately, on his part it wasn't the drug that he was searching for. He needed to find it and prevent his production and develop a cure. Also unfortunately, was the fact the entire place reeked, they weren't the smartest or most powerful drug-lords in the area. He took a swift glance around the territory: some broken down fence, terrible smell that was obviously a drug, and several people curled in blankets barely coming down from the high, likely the test subjects. It wasn't a safe neighborhood, but also one that was likely to cover up the smell of the drug. "Let the police finish, let's get out of here." Katsuki gestured towards the car, Uraraka nodded, beginning to head towards the passenger seat.
"Kaachan, are you over-working? You'll concern Shoto and Momo if they see the color of your eyes."
"It's none of your business."
"We're a team you know."
"And that means we stay out of each other's business."
"Not if we're involved in something dangerous. Is something wrong?"
"Don't worry about it and go to your stupid party."
"Hurry up! Neither of us will have time for showers if you stay there and talk all day." Uraraka shouted from the car.
Katsuki turned jogging down to the car. He watched Uraraka throw her seatbelt over herself grabbing for a coat from the back.
"When?"
"That time we had to go a mission at the beach, you drove remember?"
He slowed the car, pulling into a luckily opened space in the crowded neighborhood, "I don't see why you insist on living somewhere so crowded."
"We work for the city, I'm able to start working immediately whenever we're called into action." She hurried out of the vehicle onto the sidewalk before another car swung around the corner, catching his glance at his car, "It just looks dangerous, your car will be fine when we get back out." She borrowed through her purse bringing out her keys as her neighbor's cooed.
"Don't you think it's a little early in the night to bring a man home?"
He paused ready to swipe the keys out of her hands and storm up the stairs to escape the elderly-neighbor's coo-ing and teasing.
"Gran, he's a friend from high school and a co-worker."
"I still think you should quit that job, it doesn't seem right for you to always have to patch yourself up after working at a police station."
"They're just a few bruises, I bump into things."
"What about that one time you came home with a broken arm?"
Katsuki felt her hands press into his back leading him towards the door, "Unstable filing cabinet, I told you already it's the safest position in the whole firm."
He raised an eyebrow as Uraraka shut the apartment door behind them, "Police station?"
"It was the closest thing I could think of at the time, I should've said something like a circus performer." She laughed, one of her most recent bruises barely sticking out from below her cuff.
He sighed, "Did you want me to run a crossed to that drug store to grab concealer?" His last girlfriend had worn enough make-up for him at least have a close enough guess on which one to grab.
She followed his gaze towards her wrist, "I guess I should cover it up, it'll make people at the party worry. My neighbors already think I'm bullied by my co-workers. I should have some in the bathroom somewhere." She moved to the bathroom rummaging through the products on and under the sink. "I don't have that many people over so there isn't much motivation to clean the place, I didn't expect to be bringing you back today. Oh-here's a towel." She muttered, shoving a mass of purple fluff into his hands before moving to the next room. "I only have fruity smelling shampoo, is that alright?" She asked.
"Fine, I don't care." A hot shower is all he really wanted after how long that day had been and it looked like it was just about to get longer on top of that, who cared if he smelled like strawberry shampoo.
"You go first, I'll get my stuff together while I wait. I'll go get my stuff." Uraraka moved into her room without waiting to hear his opinion.
Shutting the door he turned the shower on letting the pressure of the shower hit his back and running his fingers through his hair. It wasn't a day that he had pictured he would be living out in the future. It wasn't where he had pictured himself to be when he was in high school. Katsuki reached for a bottle, his hand matted in red, he pulled his hand back glancing it over-nothing was there. He cussed glancing at the bottle, it was sizzling. He had gotten lucky he didn't destroy her shampoo. If he was honest with himself he didn't want to go to that stupid party. It should've gotten a rise out of him, or at least a small laugh out of its irony where he wanted to be. He wanted to be in that jail having Kirishima's back like he used to have his. He had killed that kid as much as Kirishima had.
Uraraka's knocking on the door, startled him from his thoughts, the smoke-detector begging for mercy likely in her hand. She shut it off before yelling in, "Are you okay?"
"Fine, I'll be out soon."
"Okay, I'm going to get batteries, don't rush." He heard her footsteps trail away before he could speak up about frying at least the outer casing of her only shampoo bottle.
He turned the showers off, glancing at the fog-covered mirror. He didn't need a mirror to see how many scars the lifestyle he was leading covered him in, but the one's that covered him were painted on. They made him proud, he had obtained several during his job. It was a symbol that he had gone through hell and lived. They were like a type of body paint or tattoo, a prize to show that he had been through hell and back. The one's that bothered him were on the inside, there was no way to cover those up if he didn't like them, they would repeatedly come back. He wrapped a towel around himself glancing at the ragged clothes he had grabbed when rushing out the door this morning when the jail called saying there was an emergency and something happened to Kirishima that required him to be there. He opened the door trailing into the kitchen in search of his phone, there had to be some place around here he could grab clean clothes quick.
"I asked Deku to swing by and pick some clothes up for you, decent for the party."
"You think he would?" He shouted back in the direction her voice was coming from.
"I asked him to. He'll do it."
"Sure." He let his eyes trail to the window, cars traveling through the town almost incessant, rush hour just starting, he slid the window open, listening to the subtle sounds of the city.
He shivered feeling her fingers run down his back, "uh-i'm, sorry. I-uh" Uraraka's face lit up as she jumped back due to startling him.
"What the fuck?" He snapped turning around feeling the heat rush to his face praying that he wasn't changing colors like a chameleon.
He glanced towards her at least he wouldn't be the only one with a different colored face, "I, uh-I walked in and I, sorry. I'll get the door, hopefully it's Midoriya with your clothes." She darted out of the room. It felt that the cool air that had been running along his shoulders was now replaced by the steam and warmth of the shower. "If you want to wait in the bathroom, I'll bring them to-I mean if you don't mind."
He nodded heading towards the bathroom, but not without a quick glance over his shoulder towards her. He wanted to make that party wait even more now, better yet not show up at all. He wanted to be just as ambitious and impulsive to reach out and touch her. He took the clothes she slid in then got dressed rapidly, before making usage of the products that she had left out on the counter. "Alright, let's do this." He stormed into the living room, if they were going to the party no matter what he did they should leave soon. He'd rather sit at the party he didn't want to be at with some food then in traffic to go to a party he didn't want to be at.
"So, who's car-" Deku glanced around the room, fidgeting as he glanced around the apartment.
"I'm driving." He needed a distraction. There was no way that he was going to be left in the backseat to fall asleep with all the thoughts running through his head. Especially since even Deku seemed to be noticing the differences within him, he had gone so carefully to hide the multitude of situations from him. A distraction was important.
"Oh good, because either of you hold the presents and you'll squish them."
"What exactly are we going to again?" He glanced down towards the child-like wrapping and how Deku was holding the boxes.
"A housewarming party, but mostly a birthday party since their children's birthday just passed." Deku muttered climbing into the backseat.
As soon as everyone was in and safely buckled, Katsuki pressed the peddle to the floor, feeling Uraraka's hand grab onto his shoulder, "City-driving is different than being in the open." She shouted tightening her grip on his sleeve.
He knew that, but one glance at her hand wrapped around his arm made him want to press the pedal harder into the floor. "You're going to miss it." She slurred, causing him to slow the car down barely making a red light.
"Ah, dang I thought you mean the house." He said receiving a light slap on the arm.
"We're heroes we don't blow red lights for parties." She muttered glancing towards the window, but her eyes sparkling with temptation.
With the way he was feeling tonight he might've blown that light too. He glanced back towards Deku half-expecting him to have accidentally squished the presents between Deku's late "blooming" powers and his own driving. Katsuki glanced towards where the party was being held, then another glance towards Uraraka, "Are you sure this is their house?" It was a few stories short of being a fancy hotel.
"Yup." Uraraka's voice was soft was she glanced up towards the building.
"Are you jealous?"
"Kaach-!"
"A little bit, but I don't think I could live like this my whole life. It would feel like a movie to me. These two don't know how to live in anything, but this lifestyle."
He held out his hand, "Well, tonight, we'll know this lifestyle too."
"I guess a day or two I wouldn't mind." She slipped her hand into his, allowing him to lead her inside where Todoroki greeted them before beginning running around again trying to be a good host. The guests moved their way throughout the room, and he found himself moving to the top of the balcony overlooking the guests.
The party seemed to drone on minutes feeling like hours, glass clanking together echoed throughout the hall as he felt his eyes graze over Todoroki spinning Momo around the dance floor. Uraraka bumping into him bringing him out of his daze, "what?" he snapped, eyes darting away before she could notice him examining her in that dress. It made him feel like he was choking, his body begging him to take her hands and spin her out of sight where no one could see.
"They invited us as guests, not as bodyguards. You know this right?" She laughed pulling him down the stairs onto the floor.
"They don't know better."
Guilt flashed through her eyes, her hair brushing his shoulder as her gaze moved to the floor. He felt bad for ruining her mood, but he wasn't going to let anyone embarrass them by destroying the party while at least five trained heroes were there. With so many of them there it was the least likely place whoever was targeting them would make their move, but if he were the attacker he would take advantage of this feeling of security and ruin it.
He glanced towards Uraraka, he had been letting her lead. It felt empty, she knew that he was letting her pull him around like a puppet. It wasn't the same as dancing. His hands buzzed remembering the feeling that had rushed through his hands in the kitchen that begged him to slam the door on Deku, grab her by the hips, and kiss her until she was the one with this feeling. The way she was making him feel like he was choking on his own breath, trying to figure out how to breathe again, a cluster and rainbow of emotions all at once. He pulled her closer arms tightening on her lips, she was right against his chest he could feel her breathe.
Her eyes glowed as she looked at him, smile beginning to spread on her face like butter on toast. He could feel his feet spinning them, they must've turned the same direction nearly a thousand times as he leaned down, slowly, waiting for her to back away, skin barely touching-
-A scream brought the party to a halt.