Don't Be Afraid of Shadows (BakuDeku)

◅ Chapter 8 ▻

'The sad truth is that the truth is sad'
Daniel Handler

Not all of the Squad could make it on Saturday; Mina had to attend her cousin's wedding in the role of bridesmaid, something she was obviously thrilled about, and Kaminari was too much of a liability to bring to meet an actual member of law enforcement. Tokoyami, de facto member, was in attendance when the four boys met at their nearest subway station. Tokoyami had plotted out their route and he engaged in the playful banter Kiri had started on the train ride to the precinct. Turns out the birdbrain had more personality than Katsuki thought.

When they reached their stop they piled out and up onto street level, and began following Tokoyami to their destination. Across the open plaza stood a large square building made of red bricks, with several long arching windows across its face and a wide archway where the door stood open. The large letters across the outside of the building clearly marked the precinct out from the surrounding architecture and the teens huddled together, bundled up in their hats and scarves to hash out their plan before approaching.

"So we just stroll in there and ask for Aizawa? You think he'll talk to us?" Sero asked skeptically, burying his face deeper into his scarf.

"We- well, Bakugou- tells them that we have new evidence on the case, and hopefully that at least gets us in front of the detective." Tokoyami answers, eyeing the officers entering the building in front of them.

"What have we got to lose?" Kiri smiled, "All we can do is try, right?"

Sero and Tokoyami nodded, but Katsuki was uncharacteristically quiet. Not even a 'let's do this Shitty Hair'. He was watching the building, eyes unfocused and lost in thought. There was a low uneasy rumble in his stomach that he really didn't want to admit was bothering him. He didn't get nervous. So what if some shitty two-bit detective didn't believe them? Did that mean he would give up? Never gonna fucking happen.

His friends watched as he closed his eyes and took a deep inhale, his mind immediately thinking of green eyes and green hair, and the hurt masked behind a wide smile and freckled cheeks. If Izuku could deal with the shit in his life, then Katsuki could damn well deal with this.

He clicked his tongue, "Come the-fuck-on. I don't wanna be here all day."

They entered the lobby of the precinct, seeing a few people waiting in plastic chairs, and the bullpen visible through the windows in the double doors next to the reception. The reception curved around to meet the far wall, and behind the tall wooden sweep of the desk sat an elderly woman with half-moon spectacles perched on the very tip of her nose.

The boys glanced at each other and Kiri patted Katsuki's shoulder lightly, urging him forward. Katsuki pulled his beanie from his head as he approached the desk and the other boys followed suit. He passed a hand through blond spikes, coughing lightly to get the receptionist's attention.

Her eyes squinted tightly when they flicked up to meet Katsuki's gaze, before she looked back down to her computer screen and continued to type.

"Uh, hi, we have some evidence we think might help on an old case." When the woman didn't react he looked back at his friends who nodded encouragingly. "We'd like to talk to Detective Aizawa... please."

As he tagged on his best attempt at being polite, she pulled a pen down from her grey bun and grabbed the notepad to her side, placing them before Katsuki, "If you give me the information and your details young man then I'll be sure Detective Aizawa gets them."

Her voice was firm, no sign of frailty.

"Not gonna happen." Katsuki glared, crossing his arms, "We need to speak to him, it's urgent."