Chapter Twenty-Seven: Storytelling

Christmas was quickly approaching and Class 1A was enjoying their week long vacation from studies. They started out by having a Friday night shindig in the dorm—stayed up late, ate way too many snacks, and played each other in SGO until Mr. Aizawa complained that they were being too loud and made them all go to bed. Even then, they all waited until Jiro could hear him snoring through the walls, then snuck out of their rooms and set up camp in the fourth-floor hallway so they could keep the party going.

"Why does it have to be in front of my room?" Katsuki grumbled, not for the first time that night. Though even amidst his complaining, he'd chosen to be a part of their group adventure rather than hide out in his room alone.

They all had blankets and pillows and were settled around the hallway in their pajamas with hot chocolate or tea in hand. Popcorn had also been distributed, and they were casually munching and sipping their drinks while taking turns telling scary stories. It was Kirishima's turn, and he was telling a story about a ghost who haunted this wealthy family who owned a clothing business.

Hagakure cowered under her blanket. "I hate this story! Ghosts are terrifying to me!" she exclaimed.

Katsuki barked a laugh. "That's pretty funny coming from one of their cousins."

Aisla elbowed him in the chest but a few of the boys snickered in agreement.

"I'm not a ghost!" she argued indignantly. "I'm invisible! There's a difference!"

Katsuki snorted in protest. "Not even. You probably have a few family members that are ghosts."

Aisla elbowed him again. "Katsuki," she hissed under her breath. "You can't just say that! What if some of her family members have passed away?"

Katuski's eyes widened, showing that he hadn't considered this at all. Meanwhile, Hagakure gasped in alarm. "Oh. My. God," she said. Katsuki winced as if in preparation for a meltdown from the invisible girl. She inhaled deeply and then, "My great uncle Subaru disappeared three years ago and no one has seen him since!"

Katsuki rolled his eyes and shot Aisla a smirk that said, "And you doubted me?"

"Soooo…can I finish my story or what?" Kirishima complained. He continued with his tale, and Aisla tried not to cringe too much. Admittedly, it was one of the better ones, though the plot wasn't very believable and relied on a lot of lame drama tropes. Apparently, the ghost was there as a warning to remind the family they needed to spend more time with one another and less time making clothes.

"And then they lived happily ever after in their shared apartment and never stopped loving each other!" he finished with a dramatic gesture.

Several of the gathered students groaned at this.

"Kirishima, you're such a girl!" Kaminari commented with a snort of laughter.

"Yeah, that's because his life has been taken over by one," Mineta agreed.

"Hey!" Kirishima said defensively. "Being in tune with your emotions is manly, guys! I've just got a sensitive soul, that's all."

"It is now my turn to reveal a scare, I believe!" Iida announced, his nightcap bobbing as he sat up straighter.

Snickers and hushed laughter met his words.

"Oh, just go to bed!" Katsuki groaned. "No one wants to hear your dumbass story!"

"Let's hear you do one then, Master Bakugo!" Mina suggested with a taunting lilt to her words.

"I'M NOT PARTICIPATING IN THIS LAME-ASS BULLSHIT!" he snarled.

"Yeah," Sero put in, "Bakugo doesn't need to tell one, he is the scary story."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" The aforementioned blond made to stand but Aisla pulled him back down and held onto his arm.

"Calm down, Katsuki," she murmured into his ear. "Why don't you tell us a story next? I'm sure you have a great one!" She gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

"Hmph, you're damn right about that." He cleared his throat and spoke loud enough to include the whole hallway. "Listen up, losers! This is the best story you'll ever hear so you better be taking notes!"

Aisla hid a smile and waited for her boyfriend to begin. She loved seeing him like this, sitting around with everyone having fun. They didn't spend a lot of time as a group outside of class, and Katsuki in particular hated being around more than a handful of people at a time. Trying to convince him to be a part of a large group activity like this was unheard of. She wondered what made him choose to appease her tonight.

"Get this," he began in a dark tone. "It's a normal rainy night for this guy who's all alone in his big house. He thinks it's a regular day, right? But the weird thing is, his wife and kids aren't home and he can't remember where they went. Then, the phone rings and he picks it up, and who do you think is on the line?"

"Pizza delivery?" Sero guessed.

"Maybe the police calling to let him know his family was killed?" Ochaco suggested, earning her a few looks. "W-what? I used to watch crime documentaries with my mom, okay?"

"Wrong, you idiots!" Katsuki laughed. "It's his friendly neighbor from next door. Just a little old lady who calls because she's worried about him, because she hasn't seen him, or his family, come out of the house in two weeks."

The other students shuffled a little closer, getting invested in the tale. Aisla was admittedly growing curious too, her attention focusing on the images he was giving them.

"And that's weird because he can't remember being stuck in the house for two weeks and he still has no idea where his family is. So, he walks through the house to try to find them but that's when shit starts to get freaky."

"Freaky how?" Tsu asked, curling up a little deeper into her snuggie.

"He hears things," Katsuki continued. Several people gasped when he suddenly tapped the wall. His voice got darker and his grin more mischievous. Aisla gulped as she listened. "There are sounds in the walls. Thumps and creaks that he swore the house never had before. Sometimes, as he walks down the musty hallways listening to the sound of his boots echoing off the walls, he thinks he can hear a set of feet coming from right behind him."

"My word," Iida gasped.

"Is it…a ghost?" Hagakure asked. She was shaking so hard that it looked like someone was waving a pajama shirt in the air.

"The guy thinks maybe he's losing it," Katuski said, ignoring them. "Figures, because he's an alcoholic and takes a shit ton of pills, so maybe it's all catching up with him."

"What…" Aisla wet her lips and shivered. "What happens next?"

"Next?" Katsuki got quieter so everyone leaned closer to listen. "Next, he's walking past his living room, calling out for his daughter, when the TV suddenly turns on by itself. It's staticky, but he thinks he recognizes the picture on the screen, so he gets a little closer and realizes…" Katsuki shook his head. "You know, maybe I shouldn't tell you."

"What?! You have to tell us!" Kirishima said.

"Yeah, man, we're invested!" Kaminari added.

Aisla wasn't so sure. She knew it was silly, but the story was starting to get under her skin. She kept looking down the hallway toward the elevator, where it seemed especially dark except for the eerie outline of the elevator button. She was flinching at every little sound, starting to tremble next to him as she waited for more.

"Alright, you losers asked for it." Katsuki shrugged. "The guy looks closer and sees that there's a room on the TV screen. It's got a couch and a TV, a bookshelf, some kid blocks on the floor. It's like someone set up a camera in the corner, but the room he's looking at…is in his own basement."

"D-did someone put cameras in his house? Is it like…a government conspiracy?" Jiro asked with a shudder.

"Doesn't matter how they got there," Katsuki snapped. "What matters is that the room on the screen is right below him, and standing there in the doorway on the TV, shrouded by darkness, is a little girl in a white dress, with long black hair that covers her face. And. She's. Not. Moving."

"K-Katsuki," Aisla whispered. "Maybe you should stop…"

But Katsuki was grinning triumphantly. He had a completely captive audience now. "Thing is," he continued. "His daughter has short hair and it's brown. She doesn't look like the girl on the TV—the girl in his basement. So, he does the only thing he can think to do. He takes a flimsy lighter, grabs the basement key, and walks down."

"Why do people always do this in scary stories?!" Momo complained. "Common sense would lend you to leave and call the police!"

Aisla whimpered. "Katsuki, I don't want to hear anymore…"

"Aw, but we're getting to the best part!" he said. "He goes down into the basement and walks toward that room. He can see it all. The TV. The bookshelf. The kid blocks. And he can hear it, too. Breathing. All raspy and choking, coming from the dark doorway at the other end of the room." He mimicked the horrible sound and Tsu actually covered her ears.

"He walks toward the doorway, but it's pitch black now…" Katsuki looked down the dark hallway as if he was the protagonist of the story. His eyes widened and he cowered backward as he continued the tale. "Closer, he walks. Closer… His hand is shaking and the light flickers from his lighter. He's only a few steps away from the sound of that breathing."

Every student was staring down the hallway now, their eyes fixed on the blackness as they listened in fixated terror.

"He's right there," Katsuki said, "close enough to reach into the darkness. He narrows his eyes and he can see…red eyes glowing in the dark, glowing rings of blood. He realizes…she's walking toward him."

Aisla's heart was pounding, her throat tight as she too stared down the hall toward the elevator. It was only then that a horrifying realization gripped her. Earlier, she'd been able to see the outline of the elevator door button. Now…it was gone.

As soon as she thought this, there was the squeak of something on the floor at the end of the hall. Everyone, including Katsuki, went deathly quiet. Every mouth was closed, every breath held as the students stared in horror at something that suddenly gleamed in the blackness. Just like Katsuki's story, they were staring at blood-red glowing eyes.

Aisla started to cry silent tears. Was this a trick? Did Katsuki do this to mess with everyone? It was too far. It was too mean. It was too scary.

Seconds passed with everyone frozen. Then, without warning, the lights in the hall flickered on and the booming sound of a boot bounced off the walls. Several kids screamed, including Aisla, as a black-cloaked figure with red eyes materialized suddenly before them.

The fear lasted less than a second, however, once they realized…it was Mr. Aizawa.

"Go. To. Sleep."

There were some relieved sighs and the scrambling of feet as kids rushed to obey.

"Whew, I really thought he was the demon girl from the story!" Kaminari said. "Not that Mr. Aizawa is any less scary."

Mr. Aizawa had already turned his back on them. "If I have to come up here one more time because you kids are stomping and tapping on walls, you'll all have extra lectures to attend during your winter vacation."

"Yes, sir!" They all said in unison before he left again.

Aisla was still shaking from Katsuki's story, goosebumps still risen on her flesh as she tried to come down from the adrenaline rush.

"You're a good storyteller," she told Katsuki as she stood in front of her door, blanket clutched against her chest. She knew she was procrastinating going into her own room because she was still so nervous. "I was pretty scared."

He scoffed. "I didn't even get to the scary part yet."

"I don't like stories about children…" she explained with an embarrassed shrug.

He chuckled. "You're weird. Go to bed."

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight," she said with a shudder. Already, she was picturing the little girl from his story sneaking into her room while she was asleep and strangling her to death.

He was suddenly right there, leaning down to eye level and pitching his voice low so only she could hear it.

"Hey," he whispered against her ear, "stop being a chicken or I won't let you come into my room later."

"W-what?!" she stammered, but he was gone before she could even get the word out.

She stood in the hallway completely frozen for an immeasurable amount of time while she tried to make sense of his words. She couldn't believe it. She'd imagined it, or he'd been possessed by that demon from his story. Katsuki didn't say things like that. Katsuki wouldn't… What had he just done? Because from where she was standing, it sounded a lot like he'd just given her permission to sleep in his bed. And the Katsuki she knew would never even hint that he was okay with her being in his room, and especially in his bed.

Yet…

There had been that unmistakable flirting lilt to his tone when he'd said that, buried just beneath the surface of his embarrassment. There had been no irritation when he'd spoken, either, leading her to believe that he'd been genuine in his invitation. But should she take it? How could she without drawing unwanted attention to both of them? A few of their classmates still lingered in the hallway, talking to one another and gathering up their remaining supplies.

Shoto was among them, staring pointedly in her direction. She stared right back, wondering how long he'd been standing there like that. He quirked her a smile. She fought the urge to return the gesture, but when he gave her one of his dramatic pained expressions, she could no longer hold her lips down.

She waved him over and he strode toward her, arms laden with a blanket, bowl, and tea cup. She almost rolled her eyes at the ridiculous sight of her friend stumbling over their classmates' outstretched legs and nearly dropping his pile several times before he reached her. She did smirk, though as she stood there waiting expectantly. She wasn't going to give him the courtesy of an offer of help. She would simply wait right where she was.

"I know what you're thinking," he accused when he finally stood before her.

She gave him an innocent expression. "I don't know what you're talking about, Shoto!"

He chuckled. "Your boyfriend sure has a way with words," he noted, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Even Dark Shadow was trembling."

Aisla giggled. "That he does! But, Roki, we didn't get to hear your story," she suddenly realized.

He snorted. "Fine by me, I didn't have one to share. Storytelling is not my strong suit. I guess the problem is that I'm not very imaginative. The only scary story I can think of is my own childhood."

Aisla cringed at this and responded with an awkward laugh. "Storytelling's not my strong suit either," she agreed. "Who would have thought Katsuki would be made for it, though?"

Shoto shrugged. "It makes sense to me. He's always had that ability to captivate a crowd. He's got the sort of personality that demands attention."

"I guess that's true," she mused thoughtfully. He's definitely got my attention tonight.

"So…" Shoto said slowly, gaze slightly averted, "are you free this weekend?"

Aisla smiled. "I think I can probably spare a few hours for you, Shoto."

"Oh look, it's RokiRu!" someone shouted from down the hall. "Get a room, you disgusting lovebirds!"

Aisla blushed scarlet and Shoto let out an exasperated sigh.

"Maybe you should spend less time interfering in others' lives and worry about your own," he suggested with an obvious edge to his tone.

The speaker had been Mineta who went a little pale in the face but tried to hide it behind a sneer. "Just you wait, Todoroki, you'll pay for saying that!"

Shoto walked right up to him and leaned down close to his face. His expression reminded her of one of Katsuki's, and even Mineta was starting to regret opening his mouth.

Good, Aisla thought, annoyed that he was always making comments about her and Katsuki's relationship. Now, he was starting in on her and Shoto?

"I think you're the one who needs to watch out," Shoto warned lowly.

Mineta visibly shuddered. "O-okay! I was just saying you're a cute couple!"

"We're not a couple and you know it." Shoto stood up straighter and turned back to face Aisla. "See you this weekend, Ru?"

She flashed him a grin. "See you then!"

She turned into her room and closed the door. Then, she deposited her things on the bed and went into her bathroom to brush her teeth and hair. She changed out of her wrinkly clothes since she had yet to do that already, and slipped into a maroon silk top and black pajama shorts. She had just pulled on a pair of ankle socks when her phone buzzed with a text.

She picked it up and glanced at the name: Katsuki.

"Get over here. Now."

Why did those four simple words fill her with so much excitement? Was it because Katsuki was being so forward tonight? Or was it something about the command itself that had her pulse quickening and her feet moving toward the door?

She pressed her ear against the wood and listened for signs that anyone was still out in the hallway before cracking the door and peering out. It appeared to be empty upon first glance but she waited another minute to be sure. When two minutes passed and still no one spoke or walked by, Aisla eased open the door and stepped into the hallway.

Fortunately for her, Katsuki's room was right across from her own, so all she had to do was walk a few feet before she could slip silently into the safety of darkness.

Darkness? she wondered as the door eased shut and she was immediately plunged into black. She stood there for a long moment while her eyes adjusted to the new light. Finally, she could make out Katsuki's shape in his bed and tiptoed over to him.

She knew he wasn't asleep, unless he'd texted her in his sleep, but if he wanted to pretend he was then who was she to stop him? He had his back to her but he'd left just enough room for her to slide onto the bed behind him and curl into him.

She let out a contented sigh when his heat enveloped her like a warm blanket. She buried her face in his back and breathed in his distinct, masucline scent. It felt so good to be near him.

"Are you still afraid?" he murmured softly.

She didn't even realize he'd been stroking the hand she held against his chest. She wondered if he too had been unaware of this fact or if, for whatever reason, he was allowing himself to be open with her tonight.

She had actually momentarily forgotten the nightmarish story he had described less than an hour ago. She'd been genuinely scared when he told his story but now that she was here with him, it seemed a lot less unnerving.

"No," she replied honestly. "I feel safe with you."

He took a deep breath, let it out, then whispered, "Turn around."

She did as he asked, which was a difficult task when there was little room to work with. Once she was still again, Katsuki turned so that her back was pressed against his chest. His arms went around her and pulled her close, his nose pressed into her neck and inhaled as she had done moments ago. And when his lips pressed there in a tender kiss, she heard his own sigh of contentment escape him.

He was happy, she was sure of it. He wanted her there, and not only that, he wanted her right there, pressed firmly against him like the first day she'd slept here. Only this time, it was Katsuki who initiated the late-night snuggle session, not Aisla. The thought made her smile into the darkness.

"Tell me a story," he breathed into her ear.

A story? "Like…a scary one?" No, she'd already said during the group party that she didn't have any scary stories. He must have been asking for something mundane, though she didn't think she had anything that would interest him.

"Please?" he asked, kissing her neck again. "I want…" he sighed.

"Want…what?" she pressed. Her heart was suddenly running a marathon in her chest and she wasn't sure why. He didn't even have to say anything and her whole body short-circuited.

"I can't…say…" he mumbled, holding her tighter against him.

Okay then… She thought about his request and tried to think of something she could share.

"One time, when I was really little, I got lost at the fair," she told him.

She felt his soft chuckle tickle the skin on her neck. "Of course you did," he murmured. "What happened?"

"I remember standing next to the carousel and watching the horses go around and around," she said. He was caressing her arm again while she spoke and she felt her eyelids getting heavier by the minute. "I felt like I was in a trance, and the ride moved in slow motion before me. I couldn't move, couldn't look away."

"And then?" he whispered, lips on her neck, hand gently stroking her skin.

"And then someone popped a balloon in the booth next to me and startled me," she answered with a soft laugh. "I remember looking around and realizing with sudden fear that my parents weren't with me. I stood there crying for a minute before a woman I didn't know came up to me and asked if I was lost."

"I'm guessing your parents found you?"

"The woman took me to the lost children's area," she confirmed. "My parents were already waiting there, and they both cried when they hugged me. After that, my dad bought one of those baby backpacks with the leash on it."

He laughed in her ear. "I bet that was humiliating."

"He made me wear it until I was ten," she deadpanned.

He laughed again before pulling her tighter against him. "That sounds like a horror story to me."

A long stretch of comfortable silence ensued as he thought about her story. "Katsuki?" she finally asked. "Why am I here?"

"Because you live here," he said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes in the darkness. "You know what I mean…" she spoke quietly and held onto his hand extra tight as she continued. "Why am I here, in your room? In your…bed?"

She felt him stiffen but only for a moment before he relaxed against her once more. "Because…" he began carefully, "I can't stay away from you. And I really wanted to hold you tonight."

She sucked in a sharp breath at these words as her heart skipped a beat. "Really?"

"I scared you," he said abruptly. "With my story? I felt bad. I felt like…I needed to do something to make you feel better."

"You always make me feel better," she told him earnestly. "You're amazing."

He snorted. "Whatever. The cringe-fest is done, okay? Go to sleep, now."

She snuggled against him. "Thanks for the fun night."

"Shh…" he hushed her softly and kissed her neck once more.

She smiled into the darkness and easily fell asleep in her lover's embrace.

The next day, Aisla sat in the courtyard with Shoto, sipping from cartons of milk and eating sushi that the two of them had put together that morning—with Ashido's help, of course. She'd been all too willing to give them a hand in the art of bento creation. Aisla had suggested sushi, which was harder to prepare than a simple bento and took them a lot longer than any of them had wanted, but in the end they had four complete bento boxes with sushi, some berries, and a small tomato salad—which consisted of cherry tomatoes and some kind of sauce that Ashido insisted was delicious.

Katsuki was still asleep when she left his room that morning, but she'd sent him a quick text to let him know where she'd be. He texted a few hours later when they were in the midst of their sushi rolling to tell her that he was going to get some extra training in that day and he'd see her later.

"Why tomatoes?" Shoto asked as he pushed them around the box with his chopsticks.

Aisla laughed. "I think it's because that guy likes tomatoes. What was his name again? Fujinari?"

Shoto nodded in affirmation. "Oh yes, I remember now. Ashido has been making bentos for him for a couple weeks now. She must really like him."

Aisla wondered about that. Ashido had been acting weirder than usual, and she was already the most unpredictable girl out of the group. She'd been spending a lot of time with another first year from the business course. A tall, gangly looking boy who was always waiting for her after class, standing in the shadows of buildings like a vampire or something. Aisla was pretty sure he was the same boy who threw a fit about her and Katsuki being in 'his' gazebo a while ago.

Aisla's eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. "Oh no, is that how you're supposed to show your affection for the boy you like?!"

Shoto snorted a laugh. "No, I think that's just the Ashido way. You shouldn't feel obligated to do something for someone."

She pouted. "Yeah, I guess…" She picked at her food, feeling guilty that she wasn't up at five in the morning making bentos for Katsuki.

He poked her leg with his shoe. "Relax, Ru. Bakugo is crazy about you and everyone knows it." He considered this for a moment. "Well, except maybe Bakugo."

Aisla giggled but in her mind she was remembering the night they shared. She could still feel his strong arms wrapped around her and his lips on her neck. She'd never felt as close to him as she had last night. He'd held her tightly against him in a way that he never had before. She had the funny feeling that Shoto might actually be wrong. Maybe Katsuki did know that he was crazy about her. Or, at least, maybe he was humoring the thought.

"Ru?" Shoto asked softly.

She turned her head to look at him but his gaze was downcast. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Do you remember that girl I told you about? The one I met at the hospital?"

She nodded. "Of course!" She recalled him telling her about his 'new friend' during their smoothie date, before he'd purposely antagonized Katsuki about their relationship. "How's that going?"

He leaned his head back against the pillar. "Honestly, it's going better than I expected. She's really nice and she doesn't pressure me to talk to her or spend time with her. Our relationship has progressed naturally."

"Relationship, huh?" Aisla noted the term curiously.

He fought the urge to smile. "I guess? I don't really know. I told you before. I'm not good at these sorts of social interactions. I asked her to categorize our relationship but she said something about how people don't need labels to spend time together. Still, it would be easier for me to know what we are."

"What do you want to be?"

He shrugged. "I know I want to be her friend. Beyond that…I can't say. I guess I'm waiting to see what the future holds." He looked down at her with a searching gaze as if looking for something. "What do you think I should do?" he murmured.

He's asking me what he should do with his relationship… Because he likes me, she realized. He was asking her if there was any hope that she might return his affection. She could see it clearly now in those dual-colored eyes—the hidden longing there, the barely detectable plea that begged her to give him even the faintest glimmer of hope.

She gave him a rueful smile. "I think you should go for it," she said. "If she makes you happy, then I think you should see where that leads you."

His eyes lost some of their hope but the warmth remained, and when he smiled it was genuine. "I think you're right, Ru." He took her hand in his and gave it a quick squeeze before letting it go again. "Thanks for the advice. But…"

"But?" she echoed.

A devious smirk slowly made its way onto his lips. "I'm still going to kick your ass in practice today."

She laughed, and with that sound all the tension left her body. She felt like their friendship was finally starting to go back to normal after their conflict about what he'd said to Katsuki. This was the way things should be. Aisla shared a special bond with Shoto that couldn't be replaced by anyone else—but it was fragile, easily unbalanced by hidden emotions. As long as they kept the air clear like this with each other, she knew their friendship could flourish.

"You think you can defeat me?" she taunted.

He pushed to his feet and offered her a hand. "Shall we go and find out?"

She placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her up. "Let's see what you've got, Shoto."

A/N: Good morning all! I'm in a hurry right now so I don't have time to say a whole lot, but I wanted to thank you all for reading this fic! I hope you enjoyed this little dose of filler. The story Katsuki told was basically a retelling of the horror game, Visage, for those of you who wanted to know the reference. I took a small part of the game and ran with it because I'm not that creative when it comes to storytelling! My beta actually helped tremendously with the storytelling bit and made it much more interesting than it originally was.

NOW…Who had a favorite part of this chapter? Any takers? Personally, Katsuki's story or the part with Aizawa scaring them all half to death are a tie for my favorite! Let's hear yours!

Reviews:

MeMyselfAndI82907: Indeed! Anime is great for that reason and many others!

blasttyrant: I love that idea as well! Katsuki deserves a good wakeup call anyway. He can't be the best at EVERYTHING! Sometimes, another person might be better than you. Not that he'll ever admit that lol.

The moral of last week's chapter was: knock before entering. The moral of this week's chapter is…Aizawa always knows so stop screwing around at 3 in the morning if you don't want his wrath XD.

Beta: yellowchikadee

—Thank you so much for your help on this chapter!