Layla makes her way down the halls she hardly ever walked through with a huff, trying to fix her hair and stick-on jewels she had on her cheeks. Hey, she might not like events like these, but she wasn't a barbarian. 

     With a turn the atmosphere in the hallways almost immediately changed, the once gloomy surroundings in the one she resided in now long gone. She could still hear slight chattering from many of the similar blue doors, her face crinkling in disgust at the careless littering (and by littering there was a single ball of crumpled up paper that didn't land in a basket correctly). "Animals, all of you," She mumbled to no one in particular, before finally reaching the elevators and slipping inside.

     The doors shut before her, leaning back on the cold metal surface that still managed to bite her through the lab coat on top of her turtleneck and sweater. Her building was thankfully heated up properly since the snow had fallen (which wasn't that long ago of a change, so the extra layers she wore was now more of a curse than a blessing) but it still didn't stop the claustrophobic metallic box from freezing her like a bitch. Amazing, and to think she was taking this to go to a party she didn't want to go to. 

     She quietly hum a tune to herself, tapping on the metal railings behind her on beat. 

     The drug, tap.

     No known antidotes. Tap.

     The high, high chance of her failing. Tap, tap.

     Never being able to find the lab, tap.

     Asking too much out of Taneo and never getting the help she might need, tap. Tap.

     Not being able to do the right thing on time, tap tap tap.

     Something happening because she was careless and—

     Before she could get even more off-beat from the song she was trying to hum out, the elevator dings, the button reading for the ground floor lighting up as the final stop. She sighs, pushing herself up and watching in anticipation for the doors to slide open. Just a stupid party, right?  Just a little gathering with her colleagues, maybe a few interns and a couple of sponsors. After all, it was seven pm on a weekday. She was sure that this wouldn't drain much of her social battery fast enough to survive just showing up and talking with a few—and she takes it back, the entire place was jam-packed. 

     She stares in horror as, even in the lobby there were already way too many people. There were many unfamiliar faces—were these guys from the other building?! She always thought that thing was abandoned! And since when the hell did they ever have so many staffs and students!?—and the only one she was able to recognize was one she regretted making eye contact with.

     Melissa makes an 'oh' sound, an excited look on her face as she says something to some people. 'Here she is right now!' She read her lips (she always forgot that she could) throwing herself to the elevator's panel and tapping repeatedly on a random floor number and trying to close the doors. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," She cursed repeatedly while simultaneously trying to hide her face, hoping that by some miracle, if she threw her hair around enough her long-time friend wouldn't be able to recognize her.

     "Come on, come on. . !" She laughs in disbelief as the doors start to close, but yelps in surprise as Melissa's face pops through, stopping them before they could fully close with a wide grin. "There you are! Come on, I got some people I want you to meet!" 

     "No. .  !" She managed to squeak out, one hand desperately trying to hold onto the doorway. But with Melissa's insistent tugging she eventually lets go, being dragged off against her will to talk with people. Oh God, way to make the night even unnecessarily longer than it needed to be.

● ● ●

     You pushed yourself up the subway stairs with a heavy sigh, almost tripping in surprise at the sight of snow once again. 

     It felt like almost forever since you've been out of those carts, even though it was hardly an hour or two. Which would've been fine, if you were prepared for it. The answer was you weren't, and neither were almost all the people inside when a woman started panicking in the sight of her broken water.

     They had to stop the train entirely, a doctor from the next car over having to be called to help. The bad thing was that you were in the middle of a tunnel, so you weren't allowed to go out even if you tried, and you did. And you failed.

     It was an. . . interesting, experience to say the least. One teenager started recording and you were surprised that the group of misfits you were supposed to be with were respectful enough to ultimately agree that that wasn't cool. Sure breaking his phone might've been a tad too harsh, but at this point what's done is done. Another thing that was interesting was how Elijah's entire demeanor changed the moment the woman got into labor, running in like a hero to serve as an assistant to the doctor who gave enough of a fuck to help.

     You were curious to know how a birthing works, but not curious enough to watch, so you ultimately just sat down in the furthest part of the car trying to get away from the commotion. Which was a lot harder than it sounded, because apparently the universe hated you so much that she started giving birth practically right next to you. 

     It took everything in your power not to cry, practically pressed up and having a conversation with a wall in an attempt to ignore her screams of pain and the sounds of blood squirting and—oh God you made a mistake taking a peak and saw it's head coming out of oh my God.

     "Ah, life's greatest miracle, huh?" Dabi laughed for what seemed like the umpteenth time since that, nudging you with an elbow as you tried your best not to stare at the flecks of blood on Elijah's clothes and remembering the way the woman burst into tears after holding the newborn that was just recently washed in a high school student's painted ceramic bowl filled with mineral water. Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures, they were just glad the woman thought a little too much ahead and brought a baby blanket in her bag. 

     "Ugh, real nice, really amazing and blessed to have witnessed that." On normal occasions, you probably would've been able to handle the phoenix's teasing smoothly (or at least the best you could) but what justified it, kind of, was the way you had screamed in horror when you turned around the wrong time and saw the doctor cut off the umbilical cord.

     You handled it like a champ of course—"AHH-HA, AHAHA, CONGRATULATIONS IT'S A HEALTHY BABY!" You had played off beautifully when everyone snapped their heads towards you—but now you didn't ever want to step into a subway in the same ride as any pregnant women. 

     "It was bleeding, Dabi. Bleeding!" You had tried to reason, making sure to keep a one-man's distance away from the bloody Elijah. Poor man looked like he had just escaped a Saw movie, having lived and survived but at what cost. 

     "Whatever, are we done here? Where are we even going?" Compress asked trying to suppress his laughter—he didn't want to be rude, he didn't know you well enough for him to know when it was safe to mock you—a groaning Shigaraki leaning onto him for support. The sight of blood, and coffee being chugged down his throat was enough to sober him, but the hangover was proving a bigger problem than the last in terms of his drama and cursing at random people. "Well since it seems that none of you refuse to ever go back onto a subway train and hot-stuff here is afraid of taxis, we're going to be walking." Dabi announced nonchalantly, easily missing your attempts to elbow him before sliding an arm around you. "And the bus is a no-go because our scientist looks like the mad type." 

     "Yeah, like anybody cares," Shigaraki burped, a certain magician groaning as he pushed him off and let him walk for himself. "Like seriously! You, hippie," He stopped a random man trying to go about his day, raising a brow as he stops mid-sip of his coffee, "What do you think of the blood on this guy?" 

     "It's. . . blood? I guess?" He hesitated, before the self-appointed leader nods and lets him go. "See? Nobody gives a shit. Now come on! I'm not going to fucking walk when I can let a random bus driver do it for me."

     "Do you even know how driving works at this point?" Compress scoffs, being ignored as he kept walking to go to a waiting shed. He ignores everyone, actually, going to walk off the completely wrong direction when the giant building of your destination was a mere minute or two worth of trudging away.

     "Should we even stop him?" You ask, earning a look from Dabi.

     "Nah," He says a beat later, the rest of your group walking off and letting the poor man figure out himself that he was pretty much on his own. He'll follow them eventually. "Sure Shigaraki might be an idiot, and he sucks at math, and can't make his own breakfast."

     . . .

     "And I'm gonna assume that's it?"

     "Yup that's all that guy sucks, let's go." 

     It took about almost a block for him to notice that he was alone, turning around and cursing at all of them left, right and center for leaving him. Nobody cared of course, and you only didn't because the phoenix assured you that he was probably going to be forgetting about it soon enough. Weird, the last time you met him and from the stories Dabi told you, you always assumed him to be a stickler for the rules and their faceless boss. Was it the alcohol? Amazing how much that can change a person's demeanor.

     Eventually you arrived at the building, sighing in relief at the fact that neither of you five had died along the way. Sure your dignity didn't survive in the subway, but everything else was in check.

     "Do you have an invitation or staff ID?" The guard had asked you upon holding out a hand to stop, the lights from within the area as bright as ever. "Invitation?" You repeated, scrounging around your memory in any mention of that beforehand, "No? Why, what's the occasion?" The guard sighs, obviously already going through a long day, "There's a welcoming party inside, and only staff are allowed free entrance. Anyone else must have an invitation. And seeing as you don't know about it, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." 

     You scoff loudly, taking out your regular ID. "Surely we can just get inside for a quick chat? I just really need to talk to Dr. Layla Blue, she works here!" You pause, "Or studies, I don't know, she never really made that clear." The guard sighs once again, sending a glance to his colleague that was manning the staff-only door. Next to him was another one, yawning as he took charge of letting cars in. Neither shared a word, but it was obvious that you were starting to really annoy them. "Alright fine, we'll go," You huff, mumbling out a 'have a nice day' half-assedly and turning to stand just by the sidewalk near enough to the building. 

     You took out your phone, trying to ignore their curious glances as you scrolled aggressively through your contacts and calling the scientist herself. Did you ever get her number? Melissa handed it to you, right? Or did she give it herself, or were you just dreaming? 

     Either way you let the phone ring, sighing in frustration. Great, not only was it freezing outside and the guard refused to let any of you in, you could also feel the little pricks of cold from the snow that landed on your face. That was going to take a while to get used to again, and you were worried that the 'dry air' was going to cause another nosebleed. If the regular air you were breathing in wasn't polluted enough to kill you first, at least.

     . . .

     Oh man you better find that lab soon, you were starting to lose your mind over your stupid mood swings.

     Not too far away in a, somewhat similar situation inside the building was a certain brunette being forced to sit in a crowd to listen to some person give a speech. Melissa was smiling at many, sometimes waving an erratic hand if she looked particularly excited enough at a certain lab-coat wearing bloke. "How do you even know this much people?" Layla scoffs, the one time she actually made eye contact with someone she just glared at them. "They're from the other buildings. They're really nice, you should talk to them!"

     "Wait buildings with an s, Melissa?" 

     "Oops, gotta go to the bathroom real quick."

     "Melissa! Is it with an s??" Her little panicked question was remained unanswered as the blonde disappears into a sea of scientists, uniformed white giving the chemist a small headache trying to follow her friend. God, how did she even get into this place? If she didn't know this much about the company and building—s, apparently—now, how did they even agree to let her in the academy in the first place? Surely her carelessness and overall lack of fucks to give was enough of a red flag on her resume?

     . . .

     Eh who cares, at least she wasn't homeless.

     The vibration from her pocket was enough to solicit a sigh of relief, finally having an excuse to escape the place if it was important enough. 

     She answered the call without much of a thought, not even reading the caller ID because of the euphoria she was currently trying to milk. "Blue here."

     "Layla! Thank God, answer earlier next time. Where are you? I have Elijah right here and the guard isn't letting us in." She cursed under her breath, before mumbling something about that not being towards you, "Fuck, of course he wouldn't. Wait right there," She hangs up the call pretty easily, standing up and scooting herself through the many rows of seats. God why'd she agree to sit in the middle of the fucking row?! Melissa was starting to grow an influence on her. Whether good or bad was for God to decide. 

     She glares at one of the particularly younger looking lab-coats that tried to take her and her friend's seat, raising their hands up in (mock?) surrender and walking away. Wow, for a nerdy event like this she was surprised at how packed the entire place was.

     . . .

     Then again she went to cons and those were way worse.

     She grabbed a mint on the way out, pushing through many amateurs and veterans alike and trying not to get recognized by anyone in her field. The last thing she needs is another awkward conversation filled with long pauses and small talk, and she sure as hell wasn't going to be having that with someone she might potentially see on a regular basis. (If she even came out of her lab enough for that to be in the realm of possibility, but either way her point stands she hates people.)

     The cold air greeted her face head-on, slapping her bangs away as her coat swished dramatically behind her. She would've found it cool had it not been pulling her back like a flag on a boat, but she had enough decent strength to persevere her way to the gate. Which was dark, by the way, why were there no lights here? The only way she was able to see was the passing headlights, the ones from the building behind her and lamps on the street outside the perimeters. 

     A guard bowed his head in greeting, a muffled 'good evening' as she waved a careless hand as though that was her response. She slipped past, head turning left and right before spotting you a few feet away hugging yourself and your phone. A man stood beside you, and she wasn't sure, but it almost felt like he had just done something right before she arrived and stopped in a panic. She saw remnants of small smoke rising (heat?) and him putting on gloves, but she decided not to question it the same way she hadn't the first time she saw and welcomed Dabi into her lab. Those questions can be saved for later, she reasoned, just take care of this first.

     "There you are! Why isn't the guard letting you in?" You scoffed—or at least tried to—shivering immensely as the other four beside you didn't look as bothered, "He won't let us in just because we don't have an invitation or staff ID. So I called you in a panic." 

     She sighs, rubbing the space between her brows and nodding, "God, I hate this night," She mumbled to herself before shaking her head and pointing back to the entrance with a tilt to her head, "Come on, I'll tell them to let you," She mentally counted you all, grimacing at the amount she had to smuggle in. One or two, she could do, hell, three even, but five?! "All, in. So many questions," She points to the blood on Elijah as she holds eye contact with you, "So, many, questions." Before turning her heels and heading off with you in tow.

     "Who the hell is this chick?" Shigaraki scoffed in all his sober attitude, a deadpan look on his face as he quietly follows from the rear of the group. Well, he had been in the rear, before moving up front to strike up a conversation with Dabi. "A friend."

     "Like you're capable of making any."

     "Yet here we are."

     The little bickering went on for a bit, before they both shut up as you held up a hand. Wow, who knew that would work, you didn't even have anything to say. 

     "Alright but what's their business? It's not visiting hours and they don't have invitations." Blue sighs again, scratching her wrist with a huff, "Well I'm inviting them now aren't I? Just let them in, because if they don't, this is going to take a huge toll on my research." The guard rolls his eyes, a bit of you starting to sense that he had quite an attitude problem. "Like I haven't heard that one before. Look ma'am, either get inside, alone," He made a point to emphasize, glaring at all the extra five of you as you scoff when his gaze passed by you, "Or I'm not letting any of you enter." 

     "I've been working here for five years!" Ah, there was the answer to your question, "Now you're threatening to kick me out of my own building?!" 

     "I am if you don't get inside alone." He responds as smug as ever, a passing comment under his breath missing everyone's ears. But before the situation could get any worse and the three stray criminals could enjoy the drama, another voice calls from the other side of the gate. "What's happening here?"

     The guard turned around with a click of his tongue, but almost dropped to his knees when he stammered out an 'it's all good', raising a brow of yours as you tried to see past the darkness. "Are you sure? Because I heard the sounds of squawking, and what's this issue of not being granted entrance?" There was a few moments of silence as you tried to make out features of a humanoid shape standing in the darkness, a click, before yelping in surprise when a flashlight's beam hit you square in the face. "I don't see the issue here. Is there a reason why they can't get in?"

     "Well you see, sir, they're not from here." Blue scoffs, but holds her tongue and raises a hand, "I am."

     "Ah! Dr. Blue," The voice laughs, turning off the light and stepping out to at least be in range of a nearby lamp post. "I've heard many a-great things about you." You heard her mumble a 'doubt that', "Come, it's cold, and Dr. Harrison's just about to start her speech." You didn't get to catch a good enough look as he turns almost immediately, putting himself between the guard and entrance to make sure all six of you got through. 

     Powerless as ever the guard just lets it, a big sigh of relief coming from Layla as you all head for the front entrance. "Wow. Thanks. That was really awesome, sir. But I don't think I've seen you around before. . ." She trails off as she turns her head, trying to get a good look on the guy as well. He was dressed neatly, a clipboard held close to his chest and thin rimmed glasses on his face, "Oh, we just arrived. I'm Dr. Harrison's assistant." He holds out a hand in greeting, "Nice to meet you."

     "Cool! Nice to meet you too." 

     As they exchanged formalities, you turn to look at Elijah, who had fallen behind and looked visibly shaken. You raise a brow, slowing down your pace to match up with him. 

     "Elijah? You okay?" He shook his head, hands clenching and unclenching as it was getting pretty obvious that he was doing his best to stay out of this guy's sight. "No. . ." He whispers, shakily gesturing to him as subtlety as he could, 

     "He's my. . . boss."

note ; HI SO IK THIS STORY IS LIKE NONSENSICAL AND PROLLY HAS SOME PLOT HOLES BUT LIKE YOOOOOOOOO IF I EVER STARTED ANOTHER X READER BOOK WHICH ONE SHOULD I DO??? LIKE I HAVE A DRAFT FOR A SHORT ROMCOM kind of DEKU X READER HERE, BUT ALSO A SLOWBURN also kind of SHINSOU X READER AND I CANT PICK WHICH ONE TO PURSUE LMFAOODJAFAFAFKJAFK

ANYWAY MOVING ON HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER