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The ballroom burst with life as the music began.
Men and women of the upper class danced with grace and elegance only achieved through years of lessons and practice. The men wore their best suits, specifically fitted and tailored for this gracious occasion. The women laughed and swayed in their extravagant dresses lined with frills and lace as their partners spun them around to the sound of music.
The room was filled with soft chatter and the warm glow emitting from the chandelier created a much more relaxing ambiance. But the mystery of not knowing each other’s partners until the clock struck twelve was what kept the energy buzzing throughout the entire room.
And Bakugou Katsuki did nothing but sip on his flute of champagne as he observed the guests and their company.
He noticed Kirishima, an acquaintance of his, speaking to a woman in a teal dress, her face being concealed by a shimmery white mask. She seemed to enjoy his company and Bakugou watched as she took his hand and dragged him to the dance floor. They swayed together without a care in the world, not even bothering to waltz, preferring to ignore the prying eyes of the extras in the room.
Katsuki’s own mask began to itch and he prayed to the universe that time would pick up its pace and let him leave without being questioned.
But when has the universe ever listened to Bakugou.
The clock had struck ten and yet it seemed to have struck a thousand. He faintly heard the heavy doors open and failed to notice the person walking in until the room quieted until the only sounds heard were barely above a whisper.
Katsuki willfully pulled himself away from his train of thought to focus on the sudden commotion. He glanced towards the heavy ballroom doors, curious enough to want to know what was going on but not enough for it to fully grasp his attention.
Until it did.
And damn wasn’t she a sight to behold.
She walked down the steps with the grace of a princess, her head held high, not once looking down at the steps to check her footing. Her hair was twisted in a lavish updo he didn’t recognize. Her ears were quite literally dripping with diamonds that swayed back and forth as she walked. And her small hands were adorned by black lace gloves that matched the rest of her dress, a stark contrast to the pastels he’s seen all night. The black mask she wore disguised her face quite well but did nothing to hide the smug look she held, being completely aware of the attention she’s received.
She was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he has ever laid his eyes on.
And Katsuki wanted her all to himself.
He noticed the other men eyeing her ample chest and gripped the flute of champagne a little tighter than necessary. Did these low-level extras really think they had a chance with a specimen as fine as her? Did they really think they were worthy of talking to her? Much less look at her?
He glared into the open space of her general area and she seemed to sense it, seeing as she was now striding in his direction, towards him. As she got closer though, he could see the mirth swimming in her eyes, like a predator playing with its prey before going in for the kill. The way her dress swayed as she moved made her much more enticing than she already was and he couldn’t find it in himself to look away for a second.
The music slowly started up again as she made her way to his side, observing the crowd as he did just moments before her arrival. The guests slowly diverted their attention elsewhere, going back into their own little worlds.
Unfortunately for Katsuki, he wasn’t granted such a luxury. He had the most beautiful woman in the room standing by his side which meant it was expected of him to entertain her as much as she pleased, when all he really wanted to do was whisk her away, preferably to his quarters.
A hand placed itself on his shoulder and he felt his entire body tense.
“You’re so stiff Bakugou.”
And damn wasn’t her voice the most melodic thing he’s heard all day. It was smooth and even, not a trace of hesitancy in her tone.
“How do you know my name?” He so stupidly asked her, watching her mouth form a small smile as he did so.
“Well…” she began, a teasing hint in her tone as she spoke to him, “you are the host. It would be considered rude of me to not acknowledge you.” Her eyes wandered over to the dance floor, seeing the different couples sway.
“I— uh..” her eyes returned to to him as he stumbled over his words, silently cursing himself for not being able to for a proper fucking sentence.
“Although,” she plucked the flute of champagne from his hand and began swirling the liquid on the inside, “I did expect you to a little more….” she paused and his breath hitched, “articulate.”
“Oi,” it was like something in him switched as the words escaped her mouth, “who the fuck do you think you are talkin’ to me like that?”
She said nothing as she sipped from his flute, her eyes swimming with mirth.
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re implying Mr. Bakugou. I was simply trying to have a conversation with you.”
His eyes narrowed at the way she kept tapping the glass before eventually setting it on the tray of a nearby butler.
“Would you care to dance with me Mr. Bakugou?” She asked after a few beats of silence, holding a hand out to him as though she already knew what he was going to give as an answer.
“Tch,” he rolled his eyes and met her expectant ones before taking her hand in his and pulling her towards him, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Entertain me then, my lady.”
And with that she dragged him towards the dance floor with her head held high. The other guests seemed to notice their new position and watched as though nothing else could entertain them in that particular moment.
It pissed him off.
The woman leaned forward, going up as far as her small body allowed her to, and whispered steadily in his ear, “Let’s give them something to look at, hm?”
And with that, a new melody began, filling the walls with a new tension in the air. They began their dance, very well aware of the eyes watching their every move and whispering like it was the juiciest tea time gossip, but their eyes never strayed away from each other.
The haunting musical notes coming from the orchestra seemed to make her ethereal. Like she was a goddess among peasants, and he had the opportunity to dance with her.
Their steps were in tune with one another, not once faltering as they glided across the sleek marble floor. His eyes never left hers, either too mesmerized by the golden flecks that resides in them, or too busy tried to decode all of her secrets. He couldn’t tell.
His steps began to falter the faster she went as the music sped up. Her movements were quick and precise. The music halted and Katsuki let out the breath he didn’t know was held in up until that point. She watched him carefully, those eyes swimming in mirth as he tried to compose himself. Surely someone in this room must’ve cursed him.
“Tired already?”
His grip on her hand tightened and he pulled her closer, enough for their breaths to mingle with each other. They said nothing, nor did they move until the next melody filled the air. This one more sinister, more… enticing.
One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three.
“If you wanted me to put on a show,” he growled lowly into her ear, enjoying the shudder that went down her spine, “you could’ve just told me.”
Their moves were much more synchronized, mesmerizing all the other guests and dancers. The music guided them like they were simple marionettes, mere pawns in the grand scheme of the universe.
One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three.
The crowd made a sizable clearing and allowed them to take over. In the corner of his eye, he could see Kirishima and his companion gaping at them and he smirked.
Trust Bakugou Katsuki to do the unexpected. And so, their game continued with each step, each glance and twirl bringing them closer and closer to midnight.
“You’re smiling like you’ve won a prize,” she tells him after a moment of silence between the two.
“Tch, I don’t see why that’s relevant,” he looks back at her with a scowl.
“It isn’t,” she pauses glances towards the area he was eyeing before continuing, “but it’s a curious observation nonetheless. Don’t you think?”
One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three.
He spins her around as he contemplates her statement. She says nothing as he guides her across the marble floor, their steps a soft echo against the cacophony of the orchestra. Their eyes locked onto each other once more as the world around them began to fade for the second time that night. He spun her once more at the symphony’s bridge and dipped her low just as the music halted.
She looked so damn gorgeous under him, looking at him the way she did only fueled the thoughts of whisking her away for a night of debauchery and sin.
His mother would throw a fit if she knew of the thoughts running through his brain.
But alas, all good things must come to an end.
The loud chime of the clock brought them out of their daze, just as it did the other guests. He turned to face the clock, only to be faced with the two handles pointing up.
Midnight.
His heart swelled up with enthusiasm at the thought of finally seeing the face of the woman he danced the night away with. And when he turned around, he came face to face with—
“Ochako?”
“It’s been a while hasn’t it, Katsuki?”