At the Core | Aizawa Misako

Taboo

・・・　・・・　・・・

     He sighs again, the third time in 10 minutes.  It was something of a mental reset, in hopes he would stop thinking, but he never did.  He couldn't stop thinking about the park, either visit.  Misako, what happened to her, or Kirishima and his stupid 'you're in love' crap.  Or in general, about differently he acted with her.  The point was that she wasn't Uraraka, or anyone else.  
     No one was like her.  That wasn't her fault.  And her being actually tolerable wasn't his fault, either.  It didn't say anything about him that he was trying to keep an important pro-hero alive, and it didn't say anything about him that he answered when she spoke.  
     "Katsuki."  His eyes fly open and he blinks quickly at Misako standing over him.  He didn't know how to explain the way her eyes were so soft when she looked at him, even though their slits should've been terrifying in the dark like this.  To most people, even her so-called friends, they were.  
     Bakugo huffs and sits up as she takes a step back, still melding into the walls with the darkness.  
     "What's wrong?  You've been breathing hard for like an hour," she says gently.  He scratches his head as he makes out her frame, standing with her arms crossed loosely and her head tilted like it often was.  
     "Something stupid Shitty-hair said is pissing me off," he grumbles back as he throws his legs over the edge.  "Wanna play?"
     "Who's 'Shitty-hair'?" she questions with a small smile.  The moonlight catches slightly on the points of her exposed teeth and Bakugo smirks.  
     "Kirishima."  He stands and stretches over his head as Misako picks up the controls and moves to the black bean bag.  "Is that a yes?"
     "Obviously."  

     Bakugo gets everything turned on and then settles himself in.  He takes the controller from Misako as he watches the TV.  
     "You can be player one, if you want, since you threw a fit last time," he quips with a small smirk.  Misako grins but shakes her head.  
     "It's okay.  You should, it fits you more."  He cocks an eyebrow, still not pressing the button as he glances at her.  "I'm serious.  You lead well.  And the little character kinda acts like you, it's cute."  A low growl of a chuckle rumbles out of his mouth as he caves and turns on the controller.  
     "You literally run a hero agency," he replies quietly.  She laughs lightly through her nose as she follows his lead.  
     "I think that's what's messing me up.  The tunnels in the game are set up to be good puzzles, not like a real hideout.  I keep getting turned around."  She pauses as he picks their level and gets his position figured out since she'd been playing this one last.  It was to be expected that he was behind a bit.  "What did he say?"  

     Bakugo can't help sighing again, beginning to push forward in the game.  
     "You don't have to talk about it.  I just want you to know I'm willing to listen if you need to get it off your chest," she says quickly, but she continues to take his lead and move through the rooms.  "Sorry, I should've framed that better."  
     "You're fine."  Bakugo takes a second to close his eyes before glancing over at her.  She seemed to feel he was, doing the same back at him.  "He told me I'm in love," Bakugo laughs as he shakes his head.  "Dragged me all the way out to Tokyo to say that bullshit."  
     "Gods, before school?" she laughs herself.  Bakugo looks over at the sight of her overly scrunched nose.  "You better not be.  That shit spells bad news."  
     "What?" he questions, then suddenly tunes into the game as a monster falls through a wall and they begin to work on scurrying.  
     "I don't know who it is but stay away from them," Misako chuckles in response.  "Japan doesn't like romance.  I'd hate to see your parents do something because you didn't listen to their marriage requests."  
     "Wait, wait, what are you talking about?" Bakugo grumbles as he twists to face her better, now hiding from the enemy.  She turns to look over at him with her brows pulled in.  
     "What do you mean?" she asks back.  "Marriage requests?  Like, arranged marriage?" she says calmly.  She takes in a breath and shuffles her legs a bit to turn her whole body at angle between him and the TV.  He pauses the game as she keeps staring at him, feeling something in his chest ache against the inside of his ribs.  "You've got a lot of good things going for you, Katsuki.  Your parents have a lovely life.  I think you should try whatever their arrangements are first.  Love in Japan is basically taboo."