A Flower's Affection (KiriBaku Flower Shop AU)

Katsuki Bakugo-Settle Down

        "So they're really just... giving up?" Hanta wondered cautiously. "Just like that? After all this fuss?"

        They were gathered in the hall just outside the courtroom, talking in hushed whispers, as if even mentioning this good fortune would jinx it. The 'Big 3' third-years stood huddled between the campus president and vice, and Professor Yamada and the dean, Eri sat happily atop Mirio's shoulders. Todoroki, Deku, and Uraraka kept trying to read Iida's notes over his shoulder, not helped at all by Hanta trying to read them from the ceiling or Denki trying to read them through the pad. Shinso had already fallen asleep, leaning on Mina's mam's shoulder, and she was knitting him a new scarf while her wife and daughter tried discreetly kicking each other behind her.

        Iida nodded. "Mr. Sasaki realized he'd been lied to, and that his client had perjured herself. They're dropping all the charges, on the grounds that we drop the retaliatory suit against Karen Filippelli, promise not to sue his firm for their oversight, and that we won't claim any additional charges for her perjury."

        Lying under oath was a serious offense, and once her lawyer realized what she was doing, he'd been wise enough to try and put a stop to this. Katsuki knew that if they pursued this further, Karen would probably be charged with jail time on a criminal offense. Between perjury and fraudulent medical records, she'd be in for a horrid time.

        Eijiro leaned against Katsuki, seated on the bench that Katsuki had so considerately commandeered. "Sounds simple enough," he ventured.

        Katsuki growled, not convinced. This was all too easy and sounded like a scam. "That's an awful lot of demands. What do they get in return?"

        Iida glanced again at his notes, as if double-checking. "Split four ways: ten thousand from Mrs. Filippelli, and ten thousand from Sasaki's firm."

        A beat of silence followed. Deku and Uraraka reached the conclusion together; drew their eyebrows together. "Ten thousand... as in dollars?!"

        "Technically," Iida corrected, "it's twenty thousand, split four ways is five thousand, but yes. Dollars. It is meant to cover legal costs, of which you have none, and any damages as a result of the time, effort, and emotions that went into this trial."

        Shocked silence reigned again, this time until Eijiro broke it. "What the hell am I going to do with five thousand dollars?"

        The redhead recoiled into Katsuki's shoulder a second later under their stares, even when Katsuki cackled at him and shoved him a bit. "Ei, you're supposed to buy things with five thousand dollars. That's how money works."

        Hotaru snorted in the corner. Eijiro turned a pouting glare on Katsuki. "I don't want things!"

        Katsuki shrugged, leaning away against the arm of the bench. His hand fell against Eijiro's thigh, finding him just as tense as this morning. "Then save it. Use it to pay your rent. Buy yourself a fashion sense."

        "Hey!"

        "Treat the dorm to lunch," Denki suggested.

        "Don't do that," Aizawa countered with a tired sigh, looking disgruntled despite his freshly shaved appearance. He'd showed up to court looking rather nice, actually--nothing like the sleep-deprived gremlin that usually taught their Hero Studies class. "Nezu's treating you kids to make up for this mess.

        "Food..." Tamaki grinned quietly, causing his two classmates to laugh at him teasingly. He flushed under the attention, pulling up the hood hidden under his court clothes. Poor bastard must have been stifling hot, but it didn't seem to bother him.