Chapter Thirty-Five: Invitation

Aisla woke to the blaring of her cell on the nightstand. A loud groan escaped her as she turned over in bed and reached for the offensive device. Her father's name and a goofy picture of the two of them sticking their tongues out stared back at her.

With an eye roll, she answered the call. She didn't even get a chance to say hello before her father's booming voice flooded through the line.

"Happy birthday, my sweet Aisla!" he exclaimed, then began the traditional birthday song that he insisted on singing to her each year, even after she was too old to care about it.

Despite that, she found herself smiling as his off-key voice sang the words to her—twice—before finally allowing her to speak. "Good morning, Daddy. How are you?"

"How am I?" he asked incredulously. "How's my birthday girl? How old are you now, twenty-five?" he teased.

She giggled. "Twenty-six, actually," she retorted.

"Oh, my mistake!" He laughed jovially. "And when are you coming to visit your old man?"

Guilt settled in her stomach when she realized she hadn't even thought about visiting her family. Her birthday had sort of snuck up on her this year. She hadn't been avoiding it exactly, but it wasn't something she really cared about. There had been more important things on her mind, like her quirk training with Mr. Aizawa and her developing relationship with Katsuki.

In the past, it had been her parents who insisted on making each birthday a huge celebration for their two daughters. Airi always loved the attention and spent the whole day making everyone treat her like a queen. Aisla, on the other hand, would have preferred to not acknowledge it at all. It was just another day in her opinion.

"Aisla?" her dad said when she remained silent for too long.

"S-sorry!" she stammered. "I was just thinking."

"About coming to see your father?" His tone dared her to suggest anything else.

She let out a soft laugh. "I'll do my best, okay? I still have school today, but—"

"But," he cut in sharply, "tomorrow is Saturday! Do you have plans with your school friends?"

No…I don't even think my friends know about my birthday, she realized. She hadn't told any of them for the sole purpose that they wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

"I don't have any plans," she admitted reluctantly, having no ability to lie to her father.

"Excellent!" he intoned. "Then, it's decided! You'll come home tomorrow for dinner. And," he added before she could protest, "bring that boyfriend of yours, too."

Aisla started. "W-what boyfriend?!"

"Aisla, my sweet, your father knows everything."

"Did my teacher call you, or…?" No other explanation made sense. Her father had never visited her school, so he wouldn't have seen them around campus together. How else would he know?

A bellowing laugh met her words. "Oh, Aisla. I can't give away all my secrets! Now, tomorrow at six o'clock. Don't be late!"

The phone line went dead, leaving a slack-jawed Aisla to contemplate his words alone.

With a sigh, she put the phone down and got out of bed. The early morning wake up call gave her an extra hour to get ready for the day, which was considerably more time than was necessary. After a long moment's consideration, she decided a shower would help pass the time. She grabbed her things and left her room with a thoughtful expression.

Dinner with my parents and Katsuki… she mused, wondering what a scenario like that would even look like. Her father was jovial and brazen, whereas Katsuki was loud and sometimes brash. He didn't mean to be, but his insecurities always led to him saying things he didn't mean. Aisla's parents were big on the importance of manners and treating one another fairly and with respect. Would her parents like her boyfriend? Or would they hate him and insist that she stop seeing him?

She recalled her first meeting with Katsuki's grandfather. He'd already decided what his opinion of her would be before they'd even been introduced. One look at Katsuki and Aisla had been enough for him to demand they stop seeing each other. Katsuki had ignored him, but she could tell that it upset him. What would Aisla do if she were in his shoes? If her father declared that they wouldn't be allowed to date, would she go against him…or stand up for the boy she liked? Her family was important to her, but so was Katsuki. She didn't want to disappoint any of them.

Once she'd finished with her shower, she walked back to her room, mind churning with possibilities. She hoped her parents would like Katsuki as much as she did, but she wasn't ready to face the consequences if they didn't.

As she stepped into her room to finish getting ready, realization dawned on her and halted her progress in the doorway—hand poised on the brass handle, ready to close the door behind her but suddenly unable to move. It wouldn't even matter if her parents didn't like Katsuki…because how was she going to get him there? He would never agree to that! He hated social outings, and she had no doubt that he'd rather eat a live grenade than have dinner with her parents. Aisla didn't even want to have dinner with her parents.

She blew out an audible breath and finally closed the door behind her. It would be a challenge getting him to agree to a meeting like that, but she was certain her father wouldn't accept "no" for an answer. She wouldn't put it past him to come all the way to UA to confront Katsuki himself. The thought made her shiver.

He has to come, she told herself. She had to convince him. It was time anyway. They'd been together for a while now, and she hoped they'd stay that way for the foreseeable future. Their relationship was becoming more serious each day, so it was only right to introduce him as her partner.

With that resolve, Aisla blew her hair dry, tied her black ribbon into the back to keep the strands out of her eyes, then headed out to class.

Aisla was finding it difficult to pay attention. Her mind kept shifting back to her current dilemma. Trying to find a way to ask Katsuki to go to her dinner party tomorrow was proving to be an impossible task. Each time she came up with a new scenario she thought would work, she'd run into another problem. There was just no way she could get him there! Maybe she could knock him out and drag him… That would save time and effort.

When lunch time finally rolled around, Katsuki was already at her desk, wearing an amused expression that gave the impression he knew something that she didn't. His red eyes twinkled with mischief and his lips twitched in an almost smile.

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

His grin widened. "You sure are out of it today," he observed.

She felt her chest tighten. Was it that obvious? "I-I don't know what you're talking about!" she sputtered, turning her face away so he couldn't see her blush.

He chuckled. "Aizawa called on you three times but you were off in your own little fantasy world." He gave her head a playful knock to get her attention.

As she swatted him away and stood to her feet, she met the disapproving gaze of her teacher, confirming that Katsuki had been right. Her shoulders slumped as she hurried past him, silently praying that he didn't ask her to stay after class so he could lecture her. That was all she needed when her mind was already spinning.

"So…what's up with you?" Katsuki pressed, walking beside her toward the lunchroom.

Her shoulders lifted in a shrug, unwilling to confess what had her mind busy all morning.

"Oh come on, don't make me force it out of you." Her startled look was met with a very un-Katsuki-like wink. She couldn't help the answering smile from turning her lips upward. A hand slipped into hers, and he offered an encouraging smile of his own. "I promise not to judge you this time," he offered.

She choked out a laugh. "Thanks, I guess." Her joy evaporated when she remembered her daunting quest: convince Katsuki Bakugo to have dinner with her parents. It was an important mission. "Katsuki…" she began slowly. "What would you say to…I don't know…having dinner?"

"With you?" he clarified.

They stepped into the lunchroom, which was already packed with students and louder than she wanted for this type of conversation.

"Let's get some food first," she suggested, as a way to put off the inevitable.

Trays in hand, they sat down at their usual table in the back corner, which was surprisingly empty today. Katsuki sat down next to her, and she offered him a pleased smile.

"Well?" he prompted. Apparently, he wasn't going to let her out of this one. Normally, he could be counted on to be persuaded into switching topics. Today, he was especially aware of her mood and seemed exceptionally curious.

Aisla sighed. "I have a favor to ask you," she began, hoping her word choice would compel him to accept. "Would you maybe…"

"Go to dinner with you?" he finished. "You mentioned that. Something tells me there's a 'but' in there somewhere, though." His expression was still amused, letting her know that he wasn't upset or even suspicious with her. There was also a certain determination in his eyes that told her he wasn't going to let her out of talking about it.

"It's not just me…" The words came reluctantly and were barely audible over the din of conversation around them.

He arched an eyebrow. "Who else?"

She lowered her gaze and played with the ends of her hair. "Well…I might have a sort of dinner party to attend tomorrow?"

"A dinner party?" he echoed with a small frown. "What kind of dinner party?"

"It might be one my father sort of…invited us to?" she finally admitted sheepishly. She sucked her lip in between her teeth as her fingers tugged at a strand of hair.

"Your father wants me to go to a dinner party?" he asked in confusion.

"I know it's stupid!" she burst out before he could say it. "It'll probably be really boring for you and I'm sure meeting my parents is the last thing you want to do, but it would mean so much to me if you came. Also, my father kind of insisted, so I felt obligated to ask you, even though I knew it would be something you'd hate and—"

"I'll go," he cut in.

"—would probably make you—" She stopped abruptly and stared at him in shock. "You…really? You'll go?"

He shrugged and took a bite of his food. "Sure. If it means that much to you, then I'll go with you. Besides," he added flatly, "they can't be worse than my family. You met my grandfather. He's a real piece of work."

Aisla let out a relieved breath. "I didn't think you'd want to go."

"What's this dinner for anyway?" he asked, ignoring the comment.

"Oh!" she cleared her throat as embarrassment filled her once more. She was hoping he wouldn't ask that… "It's just a…you know, birthday thing?" She hoped that would convey the message so she didn't have to say the actual words—it's my birthday and my parents want to meet my boyfriend.

He hummed thoughtfully. "Alright, cool. I can probably get Grandpa Fartface to send us a driver if you want."

She perked up. "Really? But doesn't he hate me?"

Katsuki scoffed. "No, he hates me. He doesn't know you well enough to hate you."

"But he told you to stay away from me," she pointed out.

He shrugged. "And I told him to go to hell! I'm not going to listen to his bullshit demands. Getting my grades up was one thing, but dictating who I can and cannot hang out with isn't right and he knows it. Once I laid it out straight with him, he understood. More or less…" he muttered with an eye roll.

"Was it more…or less?" Aisla pressed softly.

"Let's just say I got my point across."

Aisla could picture such a meeting clearly—Katsuki's face red with rage as he went off on his grandfather, fist raised for an attack while his grandfather's bodyguards pointed tranquilizer guns at his head.

A shudder passed through her.

"I'm kidding" he suddenly spoke right into her ear. He leaned back in his chair when she turned to face him. "I just talked to the fossil. He threatened to drag my ass to America, and I told him he's a piece of shit. Then, we had tea and came to an understanding. I'm 'allowed' to date you or whatever, only if I keep my grades up and send him weekly reports on my progress." He rolled his eyes so dramatically Aisla thought they might get lost inside his head.

She couldn't help a small smile. "I'm glad to hear that! So, you'll be there? Promise?"

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be there. But don't you dare expect me to wear a tie!"

"Of course not! Wouldn't dream of it~"

Aisla's dad called her twice the following day, and texted her no less than twenty times to make sure she didn't forget about their dinner plans. He reminded her three times that the dress code for dinner parties was semi-formal clothing—no jeans or shorts, but also nothing that you'd wear to a wedding or an important event. In other words, a dress that wasn't too fancy. Fortunately, Aisla had lots of dresses and almost none of them were formal, so she had no trouble choosing something Dad-approved. In fact, just to be safe, she texted him a picture of the one she'd chosen before giving it the final nod. He messaged her back moments later with a string of emojis, including the thumbs-up and fist bump, as well as several different colored hearts.

She rolled her eyes at the obnoxious message, but inside she felt pleased. She hadn't seen her family at all since moving into the dorms and was eager to spend some time with them. Nerves may have taken up the better part of her mind, but she was also excited about introducing Katsuki for the first time.

With that in mind, she sent him a quick text to ask if he was still planning to meet her. Honestly, Aisla was just as bad as her father was today. She'd already texted Katsuki five times about the dinner party and he'd told her each time that he was still going.

Her phone chimed with a response just as she slipped into the dress.

"I won't disappoint you this time, Aisla. You don't have to worry. I promised I'd be there, so I'll be there." he promised her. A moment later he sent another message. "Besides, my grand-fart's car is picking us up. He wouldn't let me bail even if I wanted to."

Aisla laughed at the comment, even though it probably wasn't meant to be funny.

"Good thing Grandpa is on MY side, then!" she replied with a winking emoji.

When he didn't respond right away, she set the phone down and finished getting ready. She'd already gotten dressed and curled her hair. All that was left to do was find some matching shoes and head to the rendezvous point with Katsuki. She decided against makeup since she was just going home to see her parents—they wouldn't care if she changed her face.

With shoes in hand, Aisla made her way downstairs. She was supposed to meet Katsuki in the kitchen and from there they'd walk together to the front gates. This was something she'd insisted upon since the last time they'd made plans he hadn't shown up. This time, she was determined to make sure that didn't happen. And if he did bail on her a second time, she wouldn't make the same mistake as before. She wouldn't wait around for over an hour at a restaurant full of pitying eyes; she would wait fifteen minutes and then leave without him.

With that resolve, Aisla steeled herself one last time before turning the corner into the kitchen. When she did, she let out the breath she'd been holding in a relieved sigh. Katsuki stood there with his back to her, leaning against the counter as he focused on something through the open window. She could hear birds chirping and wondered if he was watching them, or if something else held his attention.

"Hi," she offered meekly, fingers idly twirling strands of blonde hair as she silently cringed at her awkwardness.

Katsuki turned slowly toward her, and she was surprised to find a gentle smile on his usually sardonic face. Today, he looked bright and even cheerful. It was so unlike his usual self that for a moment, Aisla was certain she was in another one of her fantasies. The clothes certainly seemed to validate this thought. He wore a simple white button-up shirt with three buttons left undone at the top. The jeans made the attempt at formal wear somewhat less accurate, but the dark wash allowed the whole look to work in his favor—at least as far as Aisla was concerned. He'd paired this with black loafers, much to her surprise, but had either forgotten or purposely refused to bring along a jacket or tie.

It's perfect, Aisla thought, considering her father's dinner rule about semi-formal wear. And hot.

She noted the way he was obviously taking her in just as thoroughly as she was him. His eyes traveled down the length of her crimson gown like he was memorizing each individual thread. It was an A-line style dress that fell loosely over the knees and didn't show off her curves as some of her other dresses did. She'd purposely chosen this one for its modest appearance, but the way those red eyes scanned over her made her feel as if she'd done the complete opposite. The high neckline suddenly felt like it was made of a sheer chiffon rather than a thick satin, and the knee-length skirt seemed to pull up to expose her thighs. Likewise, she could feel his intense gaze like a physical touch, and she was certain her dress had shrunk to hug her body like an embrace.

When his eyes met hers once more, there was a tenderness there she didn't often see from this boy, but underneath there was a barely discernible gleam of something hungry, like he was seconds away from pulling her against him and feeling the dress for himself. Or maybe he wanted to simply rip the thing right off of her body. Either way, Aisla had to clear her throat and turn away for a moment so she could forcibly banish her wayward thoughts. For all she knew, Katsuki just thought she looked like an apple.

"You came!" she trilled when she remembered to speak again. She glanced back up at him and found an amused smile on his boyish face.

"I told you I would," he replied. He held out his left hand to her—the right was already occupied with a small red gift bag filled with crinkly white tissue paper. She noted that he still wore the black ring she'd gifted him a few months ago, which elated her just as much as it did every time she saw it on his finger.

She raised an eyebrow at the bag. "What do you have there?"

He gave her a roguish smile. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He winked, then began to lead her outside toward the front gates.

As they approached, his hand gripped hers tighter and his expression turned to one of displeasure and hostility. Aisla had been watching him as they walked and noticed the change happen instantly. Her gaze shifted from Katsuki's angry face to the path in front of them.

Standing just inside the gates and chatting with the guard on duty, was Katsuki's great-grandfather himself. His arms were folded over a black suit jacket that just barely hid the blood-red shirt underneath. He wore no tie, but a matching black vest could just be seen peeking through the jacket. His slacks and dress shoes were also black, and paired with his slicked back white hair, he looked more like an ancient vampire than someone's grandfather.

"I told him not to be here," Katsuki grumbled under his breath. When his pace slowed, Aisla had a brief moment of panic as she pictured her boyfriend turning tail and running off toward the safety of the dorms and leaving her with his vampirish great-grandfather alone. Fortunately, he seemed to be using the extra moments to steel himself for the unavoidable encounter. He took a deep breath and let it out in a huff of air, then pulled her closer toward him as they approached.

The two men standing there had miraculously not noticed the pair of them just yet, but the two bodyguards had zeroed in on them before Aisla even realized they were standing there. They both stared at Katsuki and Aisla with unreadable expressions. One man held the world's ugliest cat—a scruffy gray wisp of a thing that Aisla wasn't even sure was still alive, with one missing eye and half a tail. Aisla usually loved cats, but this one was hideous even to her. The other man kept his arms folded fiercely across his chest. They said nothing, even as she and Katsuki finally reached the small group and stood there in awkward silence for much longer than she liked. Katsuki's grandfather studied them both intently with a disapproving expression as if he'd expected something better from them.

Aisla held a dignified air as he looked at her, refusing to fall prey to his disrespect of her relationship with his grandson. Whether or not he approved of them was of little importance to her. She wanted Katsuki's family to like her just as much as she hoped hers liked him, but that didn't mean she was going to sulk and cry if they didn't. She already knew his grandfather wasn't always the most supportive person in Katsuki's corner. That, paired with the knowledge that he was actively trying to take Katsuki away from her, made her feel more than a little prickly about the man. However, she wasn't going to let him get under her skin. She would hold her head high and show him that she wasn't going anywhere, no matter how mean and scary his face was!

Something like respect flashed briefly in his red eyes as she held his gaze, though it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and was replaced with his earlier annoyance.

"Thought you were just sending Chris?" Katsuki was the one to finally break the silence. He was obviously trying to keep the disdain out of his words but wasn't doing a very good job at masking it.

His grandfather must have known it, too, with the way his eyes narrowed further before speaking. "Chris is my driver, not yours" he replied shortly. "Consequently, he won't be driving anywhere without me. Now, get in the car, it's a long drive for a dinner party." His tone made it seem as if he didn't fully believe that was their plan. Maybe he'd come along to make sure they didn't give his driver a change of address at the last minute.

Aisla and Katsuki still had to show the gate guard their permission slips signed by Mr. Aizawa that allowed them to leave campus today. He input their names into some tracking system after taking pictures of the slips, then waved them off with a reminder to be back on campus by the end of the allotted time frame. Then, the couple fell into step behind Katsuki's grandfather.

"Of course he'd be here…" Katsuki muttered.

"It will be fine," Aisla soothed, giving his hand a squeeze. "I'll be right here."

"That's the problem," he griped.

Aisla offered him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior, just for you!"

He gave her an incredulous look. "It's not you I'm worried about, it's him. He's an asshole. I don't want him near you."

The protective quality of his voice made her happy. He cared about her and didn't want her getting hurt because of his grandfather's brash attitude. It was comforting.

"I haven't got all day!" called the old man in irritation.

Katsuki rolled his eyes and pulled her through the gate before sliding into the backseat of a sleek black SUV. Aisla climbed in after him, noting the overly tinted windows that lent credence to her vampire theory, and somehow managed to keep her skirt over her rear without giving the two bodyguards a show.

The SUV had tan leather interior with two rows of seats that faced each other like those in a limo. Katsuki had claimed the empty row across from his grandfather, so Aisla took the seat next to him, assuming this was allowed. She got another scornful look from the old man, but he said nothing as the two men-in-black piled in and the door was closed behind them. The one closest to Katsuki's grandfather passed over the limp creature, which didn't even open its one remaining eye as it was deposited into a new lap. It did let out a piteous meow that she couldn't help but cringe at.

Aisla felt a little bad at the seating arrangements, but made no moves to offer one of them a seat next to her and Katsuki. They were intimidating enough from this distance, and she didn't relish the thought of one of their hulking figures invading her personal space.

"So," Count Jerkula started once they'd begun driving, "what is this impromptu trip really about?"

When Katsuki refused to answer, Aisla swallowed the lump in her throat. "It's a birthday dinner, sir. My father wanted to meet Katsuki since we've been…um, since we've known each other for a while now."

He narrowed his eyes at her slip but must have decided to let it slide. "I see… So your family wants to meet my boy here, do they? Why would they want to do something like that?" Suspicion laced his tone, and Aisla wondered what was going through his mind just then. What did this man think was going on here?

Aisla glanced over at Katsuki, who was scowling out the window so hard she was sure he would crack the glass. He seemed adamant to remain silent, which she found to be a feat in and of itself. Katsuki was normally the type to bite back at every little comment, but something about his grandfather made him hold his tongue.

"Well, sir…" Aisla started.

"Call me Hironori," the elder man interjected as he casually brushed his hand along his cat's mangy fur. Aisla tried to keep the revulsion off her face. She hoped that thing didn't have fleas or some kind of disease. "Pardon my rudeness," he continued as he gestured at the man in the middle seat. "This is Kolya. And this," he pointed a bony finger at the man closest to the window, "is Alexei. They're my bodyguards."

Neither man made any moves to acknowledge the introductions, leaving Aisla to wonder if their foreign names meant they didn't speak Japanese. She thought they sounded European but couldn't say from which area they would be from. She didn't know any other languages besides Japanese and English as it was, so it didn't really matter to her either way.

"Of course, Hironori," Aisla agreed easily after a stiff nod to the two bodyguards. "I think they're just curious about…what sort of company I keep." She wasn't sure how else to phrase it without coming right out and telling him her parents just wanted to meet her boyfriend. They all knew the reason, there was no point in her spelling it out.

Hironori arched an eyebrow at her. "As in…romantic company?" he clarified.

Aisla kept her gaze fixed on his, never flinching. "Yes."

He hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "I suppose, then, I will have to insist I meet them as well."

"WHAT?!" Katsuki—who'd been doing such a good job at keeping quiet—suddenly exploded, teeth bared and eyes wild with barely controlled fury. "YOU WEREN'T INVITED, YOU OLD FOSSIL!"

Hironori remained calm. "I will go and meet this family," he repeated firmly. "If you are serious about being with this girl, Katuski, then I have no other choice." He made it sound like he was doing them some grand favor rather than simply inviting himself along to their dinner.

"YOU'RE NOT COMING!" Katsuki insisted as a vein pulsed in his temple.

His grandfather waved a dismissive hand. "Don't be disrespectful, son," he chastised. "This could be the first of many encounters with the Haru household, am I wrong? You'll have plenty of opportunities to meet with them privately. As for now, I wish to be there with you on your first visit. I will make sure this family is stable enough for you to invest your time into."

Aisla stiffened at the comment but somehow managed to hold back a biting remark. She wanted to tell him to go to hell for even insinuating that her family wouldn't be worth his grandson's time, or that they were somehow "unstable." She kind of wanted to mention that his cat was more unstable than her family was, but rather than start a war with her boyfriend's family, she clamped her mouth shut and worked to keep any sort of expression off her face.

Someone else, however, did not share her concerns.

"YOU BETTER TAKE THAT BACK, YOU BASTARD!" Katsuki yelled, leaning forward in his seat like he might strike his grandfather. Alexei and Kolya shifted uneasily.

"Sit down, Katsuki," Hironori ordered. "This is not a discussion. It's my job as your elder to ensure your safety in every environment. I don't know these people and neither do you. I won't stay long. Elizabeth III and I have other plans for the evening, but a brief pit stop won't hurt."

"You can't talk to her like that!" Katsuki exclaimed, still writhing with anger on her behalf. It was hard to see him like this, especially when it was partially her fault. She didn't want him to fight with his family.

"I'll do and say as I please," the old man said in a warning tone. "And you'll do well to respect that if you wish for me to also respect you and your…" He glanced over at Aisla, "stipulation."

Katsuki's teeth clenched but he sat back and said nothing else.

Aisla frowned, wondering what 'stipulation' they were referring to. It had something to do with her, if Hironori's glance had anything to do with it, but she couldn't say what exactly.

"You're welcome to meet my family as well, sir," Aisla offered, to ease the tension. She was trying to be polite, even though she thought this guy deserved as much respect as that cat in his arms.

"Hironori," he corrected mildly. "Do try and remind my grandson here how respect works with his elders." He gave Katsuki a meaningful look.

Aisla said nothing to this, but heard the faintest snort of indignation from Katsuki.

They fell silent for the rest of the drive, much to her relief. The silence was awkward, but the back and forth with Katsuki's grandfather was enough to give her a migraine.

When they finally reached her parents' house, the driver stopped the SUV and they all sat there for a long moment. No one seemed to know what to do now that they had arrived. Aisla kind of wanted to take her chances at running away, and knew Katsuki would appreciate any excuse to get away from this inevitable disaster, but she knew the right thing to do was to endure the misery with a smile.

Well, she attempted a smile, but it fell a little flat. She settled for a neutral expression and hoped she didn't look too chagrined. "Would you like to come inside?" she offered lamely, unsure if she was allowed to leave the car or if he was waiting for her verbal invitation.

He nodded once and tapped on the glass to his left. The door opened and the elderly man passed the creature to Kolya before slipping out of the car. The bodyguard did a fair job of hiding his emotions, but Aisla thought she detected a glimpse of annoyance when the cat was placed in his arms once more.

She leaned forward when the door was closed and pitched her voice low. "Do you even like that thing?" She pointed at the cat which was emitting an ugly wheeze as though it couldn't breathe properly.

The two men (both in dark suits with ties and black shades) exchanged a glance. Kolya shook his head as his lips formed a hard line. Alexei scooted a few inches away but gave no other sign of his displeasure.

Aisla winked at the first man. "Don't worry; our little secret." She gave the cat another brief inspection then wrinkled her nose. "It's pretty hideous, though…" she remarked under her breath.

She thought she heard a snort of amusement from Alexei, but just then the door to her left opened and Chris stood there with a stoic expression. Aisla noted his matching suit and shades and wondered if this was a uniform of sorts that Hironori required them to wear, or if he specifically found people to work for him who dressed like hitmen.

"Well," said Aisla as she looked back over at Katsuki with what she hoped was an encouraging smile. "Are you ready to meet my parents?"

He scowled. "I was, but now that my grandfather is involved…" he let out an audible breath.

Aisla pouted.

Katsuki chuckled under his breath and took her hand in his. He gave it a quick pulse with his own. "Let's do this thing, Aisla Haru."

A/N: Oh boy, dinner party! How do we think is going to go for our protagonists? They've been getting a lot closer lately, but now Grandpa Fossil is involved. Is this a recipe for disaster? Or simply a ploy to add comedy into the mix? Hmmmmm. Come back next Friday to see how the event goes!

Side note! Hironori is an interesting character, in my opinion. He was never meant to be more than a one-scene kinda guy, but he's become one of my favorite OC's, though he still doesn't have a lot of screen time. I love that he's completely detestable and he knows it. I liked the idea of him being a super rich snob, with bodyguards and drivers. I love that they're all stereotypical with their suits and shades. His cat is supposed to be absolutely hideous and disgusting, in case that wasn't obvious. I don't know why, but this seemed like something he'd be into. He's a hideous vampire, so why not have a half-dead cat with half a tail? The name Elizabeth III actually came from a romance sim I used to play a few years ago. When I was thinking up Hironori's character and the people around him, originally NONE of them had names. He was just supposed to show up once and never be seen again. So, it wasn't until later on that I decided to go back and add names for everyone. Elizabeth III was one I chose at random because, at the time, I was playing a lot of Mystic Messenger (judge me, it's a great game). Hironori I chose because of the meaning, "tolerant rule," which I thought suited him. Alexei means "defender" in Russian and Kolya means "conqueror." These names were chosen mostly because they sounded cool lol.

Alright, trivia time is over! Don't forget to leave a comment/review! And favorite/follow if you want to see more from these two!

Fun fact: Aisla's birthday is on February 20!

Reviews:

blasttyrant: Lol, we'll have to see about Akina! I've enjoyed playing with her character here and there, but I'd like to see more in the future! So about that gift…. Hmmm.

MeMyselfAndI82907: Everyone is so concerned about Shoto! It's really nice to see, honestly. I didn't know there were so many fans of his in here. Look at you, Roki, making all these friends! Good boy. Akina will take good care of him, I'm sure!

LilFoxDemon666: SAME, honestly lol. Especially after some of the fanart I've seen of him recently *winks* Aisla has way too much control, lol. She's sweet and understanding for once, but she's also got a little bit of self-consciousness inside of her preventing her from just jumping his sexy bones XD

Beta: yellowchikadee