Chapter Twenty: Downfall

Three days. That was how much time had gone by since she'd seen Katsuki. Sure, she saw him during class, and he usually showed up for concert rehearsals, but as soon as those events were finished he would disappear to some undisclosed location. She went looking for him a few times, but he wasn't in any of their normal spots, nor was he up in his room. Once, she tried waiting until curfew when all the lights were out and everyone was in bed. She snuck across the hall to his room and gave a tentative knock. She tried the door handle, too. No such luck, though. He'd started locking the door the day after she'd slept in his bed.

It was all her fault he was avoiding her. She'd known it the moment he'd asked her to leave that morning. That look of panic in his eyes when he'd told her it was time for her to leave had been burned into her memory and she couldn't get rid of it.

They still had a couple of weeks until the school festival and everyone was working hard on their parts for the concert. Aisla wasn't in the mood to be around all of their classmates today. Classes were done for the day, and all she wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry. Instead of giving in to her pain, however, she decided to get out of the dorm and do some training. If she was lucky, she'd run into Katsuki and could demand he tell her why he'd been avoiding her for so long.

She was making her way there now, hands stuffed in her navy jacket pockets, head down to avoid eye contact from any passersby. She walked at an even pace, though. She didn't have the energy to make haste, even if she ran the risk of getting caught in conversation with someone. Hopefully, they wouldn't even notice her. She was used to being invisible before she came to UA. If she was lucky, today she would be, too.

She reached their clearing without interruption, but when she got there she found that someone else already claimed the space. It wasn't Katsuki as she'd hoped it would be, but she was surprised when she recognized who it was. This was someone she didn't normally run into here. He sat in the middle of the clearing with his back to her, knees drawn up to his chest and head tilted up toward the fading light of the sun.

She thought about just turning around and going somewhere else—he probably wanted to be alone just as much as she did—but finally decided to take a seat a few feet away from him.

"Hey, Kirishima," she greeted as she settled in beside him.

He turned a soft smile her way. "Aisla. I thought I might see you here."

Surprise lit her features. "You were looking…for me?" What would Eijiro Kirishima be doing looking for her of all people? It wasn't that she disliked the guy, but they didn't really spend time together outside of class.

He shrugged. "I've seen you around school the last few days. You look miserable, and I'm pretty sure I know why."

Her eyes widened. "You…do?"

"It was Katsuki," he stated without hesitation. "He's been extra moody the last few days. Did he do something stupid?" His eyes held hers and she could tell he wasn't asking out of simple curiosity. He was Katsuki's best friend, he knew him better than even Aisla probably did, and knew how the explosive blond could get.

Aisla sighed and leaned back on her hands, watching the sunset for a long moment while she decided what information to offer. "I think it was my fault this time," she told him honestly. "I…I fell asleep in his room the other day, and I think that really upset him."

"That's…all?" he asked incredulously. "Aisla, there has to be more to it than that. I know Katsuki, and he wouldn't do something that petty. I mean…as far as guys go, he is petty, but… He wouldn't avoid you just because you fell asleep in his room."

"I was in his bed!" she blurted.

"That's—"

"In his arms," she emphasized this with the widening of her eyes.

Kirishima blinked at her. "Oh." He cleared his throat and awkwardly scratched the back of his head as he processed the implications of this statement.

Aisla sighed. "Do you see what I mean now? He stopped talking to me right after that. I haven't spoken two words to him since that morning. I'm pretty sure he hates me now." She sat up and let her hair fall to cover her face as tears threatened.

"Aisla…" Kirishima argued softly, "I still don't think that's the reason. You shouldn't beat yourself up over something like that. Katsuki wouldn't do that, not anymore. Maybe a few months ago, but now? He cares about you, Aisla. A lot. I can see it. He's been changing a lot lately, ever since he met you."

She sniffled. "I thought so too, but…I just don't see any other reason why he would suddenly avoid me."

"I'll talk to him," Kirishima offered, determination in his words. "Not just for you," he quickly added, "but for me, too. I need to know why my friend is acting so unmanly. Besides, a few days ago he came to my room to yell at me about moping over a girl." He waited until she looked over at the mischievous, sharp-toothed smile he wore before continuing. "It's about time I return the favor, don't you think?"

Aisla felt her lips curve upward in response. "Are you going to come screaming at all my friends, too?" she joked, recalling the way Katsuki had sought out the girl Kirishima had a crush on to yell at her.

He gave her a serious look. "Every last one of them. In fact…" he stood up and took on a dramatic air. "I'll start with me! EIJIRO KIRISHIMA! YOU BETTER GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND HELP MAKE AISLA LAUGH OR I'LL PUMMEL YOUR FACE IN!"

It was the over-the-top wink at the end that finally did her in. She laughed, feeling much more at ease than she had in days.

"Thanks, Kirishima."

"Hey, you can call me Eijiro if you want," he offered. "But…maybe not in front of your boyfriend." He thought about it for a moment. "Or in front of my girlfriend."

Aisla arched a curious brow his way. "Oh, Eijiro has a girlfriend now?"

He blushed bright red. "W-well, it's not like it's official or anything! But I mean… maybe soon? I don't know! I hope so." He let out a happy sigh. "I really like this girl."

Aisla smiled. "I can tell. I hope it works out then."

He turned back toward her. "Oh…sorry. You're having boyfriend trouble and here I am bragging about my new relationship that probably isn't even a relationship at all since she spends most of her time avoiding me anyway and probably won't even let me call her my girlfriend so I'm totally jumping the gun here and—"

"Eijiro Kirishima," she interrupted.

He took a deep breath. "Yeah?"

"It's okay, you know," she said. "You're allowed to talk about things going on in your life. I mean…" She bit her lip and twisted a strand of hair. "I didn't mean for it to sound weird. We aren't exactly 'friends' or anything, but I mean if you want to talk about whatever, you don't have to hide your feelings because of Katsuki." She scowled, then muttered, "We both know this won't be the last time he avoids me."

He laughed. "That's the truth. Well, thanks for the offer. Maybe I'll take you up on that sometime."

"Things are going well with Kanzashi then?" she observed. It was still kind of hard to wrap her mind around the idea that Kirishima had a thing for the same second-year fashion guru who made Aisla the outfit she'd worn for her first botched date with Katsuki. Dorky, jock Kirishima who was obsessed with all things manly, and the reserved, sort of snooty upperclassman who liked to knit. It wasn't what she'd call "natural" chemistry. Then again, would an outsider think that her chemistry with Katsuki was natural?

He grinned his shark-toothed smile at her. "Yeah! She's so cool, Aisla. She's crazy smart, and her hair changes colors, and she can be scary serious but also so funny. She's so different from all the other girls I've met." He cleared his throat at her amused expression. "I mean, you're cool too!"

She laughed. "It's fine. I already have a boyfriend. Or…" She felt the smile falter a little. "I did. Kind of."

He patted her on the shoulder. "Don't sweat it! I know my boy will come around. He's probably just being an idiot about something. I'll go see if I can find him, alright? I'll report back as soon as I learn something!"

She tried for a smile. "Alright. Good luck with your…um, Kanzashi."

He winked at her as he turned to leave. "Thanks, Aisla! See you later!"

"Goodbye, Eijiro Kirishima…" she murmured, but he was already long gone.

She stayed there until the sun had dipped below the horizon and the chilly night air began to force its way into the light fabric of her jacket. Just when she had decided she'd moped long enough, she heard footsteps clomping in the dirt behind her. She assumed it was Kirishima. He'd either come looking for her since she hadn't come back to the dorms, or he really had found Katsuki and was coming to tell her what he'd learned.

"Forget your gloves or something?" she teased as she stood up and dusted off her rear. She turned to give him an amused smile, but the expression slipped into a frown when she saw who stood before her. "Roki. I didn't expect to see you there." His expression was worn and tired and he looked utterly defeated, the way he sometimes looked after he expressed his guilt about his mom being in the hospital. In fact, she'd only ever seen him look this upset when he talked about his family. She wondered what could have happened to make him look like this now. "Is something wrong?" she asked in alarm.

He stood several feet away from her with his hands stuffed in pants pockets, and his gaze wouldn't quite meet hers. She waited for him to come closer or say something to her, but he just continued to stand there.

"Shoto…?" She spoke carefully and slowly approached him. "You can talk to me. You know I'm here for you." She placed a hand on his bare arm. It was cold as ice. "You're freezing! How long have you been out here without a coat?" She started to take off her own coat and at least drape it over his shoulders, but his hands reached out and gripped the tops of her arms roughly before she could.

"Aisla," he started, tone hoarse. "I'm so sorry, Aisla. I really screwed up this time. This is all my fault."

She stared up at him in confusion. "Shoto, I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong. Let's go inside and we can talk about—"

"No!" he snapped, making her flinch. Shoto had never raised his voice at her before. Honestly, she hadn't thought it was possible. He was usually so monotone, so composed. She had seen him get frustrated, sad, annoyed, but she'd never seen him look quite as conflicted as this.

"You're hurting me," she said flatly, eyes narrowing on the hands that still gripped her arms tightly.

"God…" He let her go and started pacing in front of her. He drew a hand through his hair as though riddled with anxiety. He was cold, but his forehead was sweaty under his hair. She watched in fascination as occasional puffs of steam escaped his parted lips, as though he was having trouble regulating his quirk. "Just let me get this out, okay?"

"Alright," she agreed, though she was still a little hurt by his behavior. She would have expected Katsuki to scream and yell at her, that was just the type of person he was, but Shoto? He wasn't like that. Maybe she was deluding herself into thinking he was this perfect being who could do no harm. Regardless, he was acting completely unlike himself at the moment.

"I did something reprehensible," he said. "Something that hurt my best friend, and I don't know if she'll forgive me or not."

Aisla felt another scowl threatening but held back the expression for now. "Is this best friend still named 'Aisla'?" she asked, just in case he was talking about that girl he'd been hanging out with. He hadn't given Aisla a name, but he'd spoken about her a few times since that initial day when he'd confided in her over smoothies.

He nodded. "Of course it's you." He said this in a way that suggested that there couldn't possibly be anyone else who would want to hang out with him other than her. "But…I'm kind of afraid you might not forgive me once you find out what I did."

Now she felt suspicion start to kindle inside of her. She hoped he wasn't going to say what she thought he was because if she was right, then she might not forgive him for that.

His face fell. "You already think that's a possibility, don't you?"

She could tell by his tone that it wasn't really a question but she shrugged anyway.

He nodded, the muscles in his neck tense and the motion stiff. "I'm just going to be honest here, Aisla," he began, and with each word, she prayed that she was wrong and he wouldn't do what she was imagining right now. "I…might be the reason that Bakugo—that Katsuki—has been avoiding you." He left it at that and waited for her response. She let out a slow breath. That was what she'd been expecting him to say. As soon as he told her he had done something unforgivable, there had been this sinking feeling inside of her.

"What did you do?" she asked after a long stretch of silence. Her voice was void of emotion now. She didn't know what she wanted to feel, not until he told her the whole story.

He pressed two fingers to his temples and sighed. "It was a few days ago, in the shower."

"Wait," she cut him off. "Why were you two in the shower?"

He waved off the interruption. "That's not the point right now. A few days ago, when you didn't go back to your room, I got worried about you…"

Dread filled her. She didn't think anyone had noticed that she'd been absent all night. Shoto hadn't said anything to her about it, but then…she supposed now she knew why.

"So," he continued, "when I heard him come into the showers the next morning, I called him out."

She waited for more but it didn't come. "Did you threaten him or something…?"

He gave a half-shrug. "I don't think so, but I'm not the best at picking up on social cues. I mean, I told him not to take advantage of you—"

"God, Shoto," she groaned. "I know you want to be my knight in shining whatever, but you can't keep doing this. Katsuki is—was—my boyfriend. At least, I think that's what he was… The point is, you can't threaten the boys I date!"

"That's not all…" He spoke quietly, either out of embarrassment or because he hoped she wouldn't hear him.

She narrowed her eyes. "There's more?" she demanded.

He looked down at her with eyes that shone with unshed tears. She wondered if this would be the moment she would see him cry for the first time, and tried to decide how she would feel about that with all the other emotions coursing through her system.

"I was angry," he explained. "I…I'm an idiot, Aisla. I'm sorry. You're my best friend and that's all I need from you, I swear. I was just…"

"Jealous?" she guessed. He took a deep breath and nodded. So, that was what this was really about. It explained how guilty he was right now. Shoto had seen Aisla go into Katsuki's room and knew she stayed the night there, and he'd been both bitter and envious about it. He'd wished that Aisla was having sleepovers in his own room, and the thought of what she might have been doing with Katsuki was enough to make him lash out, even though he knew how important Katsuki was to her and how hard she'd fought to have even the tiniest semblance of a relationship with him.

"I didn't know you had those kinds of feelings for me…" she murmured, though she knew this was a lie even as she spoke the words. She knew Shoto might feel more for her than an average friend, but she also thought he respected her choice to be with Katsuki. She thought he was okay with being her best friend.

"I am okay with just being your friend," he echoed her own thoughts. "I love being your friend and I would never intentionally do anything that would jeopardize that. I swear it, Aisla. I still want to be your friend."

"What did you say to him, Shoto?"

He pulled at his hair in frustration, much in the same way Katsuki did when he was angry. "I told him that…you deserve better than him," he finally admitted. "I told him not to take advantage of your generosity, then he accused me of being jealous. I told him maybe I was…but that you still deserved better than what he can give you."

She stared at the toe of her sneaker for a long time, trying to puzzle out what he'd just confessed to her. On one hand, she wasn't that surprised that he'd tried to "defend her honor" or whatever, but on the other hand, she didn't expect him to tell Katsuki he wasn't good enough for her.

"You're mad," he observed, carefully reading her body language and expression. "I'm sorry, Aisla, please don't hate me," he pleaded.

"I don't…hate you," she got out. "But… I don't really want to be around you right now."

"I know I was immature—"

"No!" This time Aisla was the one to snap. She jabbed a finger into his chest accusingly. "You don't get to speak anymore. 'Immature'? Really? You think this is some stupid prank like you TP'd my house or something?"

He looked taken aback by her sudden outrage. "Of course not…"

"This was my relationship you messed with, Shoto!" she exclaimed. "Katsuki has been avoiding me for three days because of you! He may never speak to me again because you had to let your stupid jealousy get the better of you instead of just coming to me and talking about it! What, you don't trust me enough or something? Did you think I'd make fun of you?"

His eyes widened. "No, I didn't think that at all. I just…it wasn't fair of me to bring my own feelings to you when you were with someone else."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, but it was okay to go to my boyfriend and tell him your feelings instead? Were you trying to break us up so you could have me all to yourself?"

She knew she was being harsh. Maybe too harsh. But, at the moment, she didn't care. Whether or not Shoto had thrown out a couple of random insults at Katsuki in the shower out of pettiness, he had damaged her carefully crafted relationship with him. The last few months had been arduous. Getting Katsuki to open up to her, to be sincere about his feelings… It had been like building a house of cards. Shoto had to have known that a single, misplaced word could send the entire thing crumbling down, but he did it anyway. Who knew how much progress he'd undone in that single act of jealousy? Katsuki was insecure, finicky, and being told that he wasn't good enough to stand by Aisla's side must have sent him right back into the self-loathing pit that lurked beneath his hotheaded exterior.

His eyes widened and his expression told her that he'd never even considered this possibility. He looked horrified by the idea of it. "No, Aisla. You don't really believe that, do you?" His lip quivered and, for a moment, he looked like a little boy, confused and afraid, dual-colored eyes full of longing and sorrow. "I'm your friend. That's enough for me. I don't need anything more from you. I just really care about you." That boyish look intensified and he ran his fingertips over the scar around his left eye. "I don't… I've never had friends. Besides my mother, I've never cared about anyone the way I care about you. Everything I feel toward you is new and confusing, and I have to learn how to manage these emotions…but I swear that's all it is."

"Shoto…" she said quietly. "You're allowed to feel however you feel toward me or anyone else. There's no right way to feel, but you have to respect my choices. I really like Katsuki. I can't tell you exactly why, but I do. It's your job as my best friend to support me in whatever I decide. If I end up getting hurt because of my own choices, that's on me." Tears welled up in her eyes. "That's when you can be there to comfort me and tell me what a shithead Katsuki is. You don't get to discourage him from being with me when things were finally going well between us!" She was shouting, frustration and hurt coming together to throw her emotions out of control.

"It's not fair," she whispered as the tears fell from her eyes. "Things were good between us…and then they suddenly stopped. All this time, I thought it was my fault!" She pushed his chest but he didn't budge. She slammed a hand into it, growing more upset the longer he stood there with that pained expression as if he was the one who'd been wronged. "I thought I pushed him away, but it was you!" she shrieked at him. "It was all you! How could you do that to me?!"

"Aisla, don't cry. I'm sorry. Please, let me make it up to you," he begged. "Please, tell me what I need to do to fix it."

"You can't do anything now!" she sobbed. She hit him with her fists over and over but there was no real fight in her. He didn't even flinch at her actions. Instead, he waited until she finally collapsed into his arms, then wrapped them around her and pulled her to the ground with him. "I want to hate you!" she wailed.

He was quiet for a moment as he thought about her words. "But…you don't," he observed. "I would deserve it if you did, but I'm grateful you don't." He tightened his hold on her and let her cry into his shirt.

She wanted to hit him for real. She wanted to scream at him that she hated him and tell him to never talk to her again. She was so angry and upset that it had been Shoto, her best friend, who had been the catalyst to her losing Katsuki. He'd always been so good to her, better than she deserved. Maybe this was her karma for not appreciating the things she had.

At long last, the sobs lessened and she spoke in a hoarse whisper. "I can't hate you… You don't deserve that. It's not your fault you have more feelings than I do."

"Ouch," he mumbled.

She swatted his back. "Oh, just be quiet, Shoto!" she warned. "I have feelings for Katsuki and you know it. I can't just forget about those feelings because he's avoiding me and move on with someone else. Even if it's with you. I'm sorry."

He sighed. "Don't be. I understand. And like I said, being your friend is enough for me, I promise you."

"Good." She pulled away and wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands. "Then you have to swear not to meddle in my love life anymore without asking me first, okay? No more threats, no more passive-aggressive comments."

"I'm passive-aggressive?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"Promise me!"

"I swear to do my best, Aisla. Please, be patient with me while I learn these things. I will be a good best friend."

She narrowed her eyes as she studied his face for any signs that he would break that promise, finding nothing but sincerity. She nodded. "Aright, I believe you. But I'm still mad at you."

His face fell again. "I know. And I'm sorry for that. I'll make it up to you. I'll go find Bakugo and apologize. I'll make it right. I won't let you down again."

She nodded and pushed away from his embrace. She stood up and turned her back on him. "I would appreciate that, but I think I need some time to myself right now. I'm going to go back to my room. Please don't follow me there."

"Can I walk you back to the dorm?" he offered as he stood up with her.

"I don't think that's such a good idea right now," she advised. "I will talk to you," she promised. "Let me go for now, alright?"

He nodded, and without another word, Aisla left him there. In the light from the moon, she thought she might have seen a tear slip down the unscarred part of his face, but it might have been a trick of the light playing on those dual-colored eyes. Whatever it was, she placed it far in the back of her mind, refusing to think about it as she walked away.

Words couldn't describe the way Shoto felt. It was…a bit like when he overused his right side and felt the ice begin to settle in his veins. Cold, raw, sharp. Guilty. He'd wanted to make things right with her, but he was afraid all he'd done was make everything that much worse. Aisla didn't hate him, but she was the most upset he'd ever seen her. All of those emotions she'd been trying to keep in check the last few days all came boiling to the surface in a geyser of feelings. She spilled them out before him with her fists and her tears, the volume of her words.

I have never heard her scream like that, he thought.

And those fists…

Aisla hadn't hurt him physically, but her aggression had wounded his heart a little. He'd never been on the receiving end of her outrage before. He hadn't even known she was capable of getting that angry. He should have known better, though. Everyone had moments of emotional instability. He certainly wasn't one to talk about keeping his anger in check. After all, it was Shoto who had earned such a dramatic show of emotion from her.

The last time he'd seen a woman lash out like that was…

He touched the scar on his face with a shudder. No. Aisla wasn't his mother anymore than he was his father. He'd been angry, jealous, possessive even—traits he knew belonged to the man he still resented. But I'm not Endeavor. I care about her. I will make things right.

He sighed as he trudged along the path back to the dorms. He'd waited an additional fifteen minutes after Aisla's form had disappeared from sight. Then, he brushed off his wounded pride and the feelings he still didn't understand, and started for Heights Alliance. He had no idea where he would even find the blond hothead, and he had a feeling the other boy wouldn't be very receptive to the conversation when he did, but Shoto made Aisla a promise and now he had to keep it. Because that's the kind of man I will be. That's the kind of friend I am.

He tried Bakugo's dorm room first. It was ten minutes to curfew, meaning he would have to be inside or on his way there now. He pounded on the door a few times but no answer came. He decided to wait around to see if he'd open the door. He didn't have to wait long. Ten minutes later, he saw the angry boy stomping up the stairs with two bags in hand. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Shoto standing next to his door and stared at him for a solid minute without blinking.

"Get out of my way," he finally sneered. "I don't want to talk to you."

Shoto nodded. "I know, but I promised someone I would talk to you so, now I have to make good on that."

Bakugo's face went from rage-filled to downright anguished. "Aisla asked you to talk to me?" he asked in a low tone. Shoto could tell from his expression that he'd been wracked with guilt over the last few days. He must have known how much his avoidance was hurting Aisla.

Shoto shrugged. "Not in so many words. Do you have a moment? For her?"

Bakugo bared his teeth like a rabid animal and Shoto swore he saw saliva shoot from between them. Then Bakugo clamped his mouth shut, chewed his lip for a long moment, and finally nodded. "Fine, but just for a minute, dammit! Then you can go to hell for all I care."

"I believe that might come to pass," he muttered under his breath when Bakugo disappeared into his room.

"SHUT THE HELL UP AND GET IN HERE BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!" he bellowed.

Shoto followed him inside and closed the door behind them. He watched Bakugo set down the bags on his bed before turning to face him once more. His expression was a mix of anger, irritation, and pure unrivaled guilt.

"I came here to apologize," Shoto began earnestly. Bakugo's face started to get even more enraged at this, but Shoto plunged onward before he could respond. "I was wrong the other day when I told you that Aisla deserved better than you. She clearly has strong feelings for you, and if she thinks you're good enough, then I have to support that."

Now, Bakugo looked confused. "You…support that," he repeated flatly.

Shoto nodded. "Yes. I can see that you've actually been trying to be better for her, and it wasn't okay for me to insinuate that you haven't been. Aisla's happy with you, and that's all that matters to me. I'm her best friend, but you're her boyfriend—"

"HEY!" Bakugo interrupted.

"So, you're the one she needs the most," he finished. "She's a mess without you. She needs you in her life. You bring her happiness that I'll never be able to." He shrugged. "I still don't like the way you treat her and I wish she had feelings for anyone else…but since she's made up her mind, let's just try to be friends for her sake."

Bakugo scoffed. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?"

Shoto held a hand out toward his classmate. "Are you willing to make an effort…for Aisla? Or is she not good enough for you?" He arched an eyebrow in challenge. He half-hoped that Bakugo would tell him he had better things to do than be with Aisla, but the other half knew his friend would be tormented by this knowledge. Even so, he couldn't help a small jest at his expense.

Bakugo didn't look angry as he'd expected. He stared at Shoto's outstretched hand for what felt like an eternity without moving or blinking, and he was pretty sure the other boy wasn't even breathing. Maybe he'd turned into a statue right before his eyes.

After a long moment, Bakugo took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he let out the air, and with it, Shoto could see a newfound determination in those red irises.

"I'll do whatever it takes for that stupid girl," he finally announced. Then he thrust his hand into Shoto's and squeezed. "I hate your stupid face."

Shoto smiled. "But you like that girl, don't you?"

"Just get the fuck out before I kill you," Bakugo suggested.

Shoto smiled, released Bakugo's hand, then turned to leave.

"Hey, douchebag," Bakugo called out when he'd opened the door. He turned back and raised a questioning brow. "Is she…okay?" he asked softly, almost reluctantly.

Shoto thought about telling him how Aisla had gone off on him that evening, or how she'd spent the better part of three days hiding in her room crying. After a moment's thought, he decided against it. It wouldn't help anyone to divulge that information.

Instead, he offered up a half-hearted smile. "She will be. Go to her, Bakugo. Only you know how to make things right."

Then he left and went back to his own room. He'd done his best to keep his promise to Aisla, now it was up to Bakugo to make the next move. If he really did care about her, then he'd go find her. Shoto didn't know how that conversation would go, but he'd done his part. Now all he had to do was wait and hope that Aisla would forgive him.

I'm still learning, and still trying to sort through these feelings I don't understand. Some things are clear to me, though. I want to be a good friend. I want to see you smile.

A/N: Good morning! I hope everyone had a great week! It's been a busy one for me! Just got back from my mini-vacation, and tonight I have a Christmas party to attend. It's been hectic lately, I tell you! Speaking of…for those of you who read In Denial, I wrote a very long Christmas special type of scene for EC. In my author's note, I explained that the scene was written for a new story I was working on (hint, hint, it's this one). It will NOT be any time soon, I'm sorry to say. When I started posting this, I already had a whole bunch of chapters written, so I wasn't trying to post anything when it would actually occur during the year. That would have been pretty awesome, though. So, as I mentioned with the Halloween chapter, there will be a Christmas one as well! It will follow the one already posted at the end of In Denial, but there ARE a few changes to reflect how the story progressed over time. Not enough to make much of a difference, but definitely worth reading! Especially since I know most of you haven't read the previous installment.

Anyway! Thank you again to all who are keeping up with this story, and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! See you next week for more Don't Deny Me! Please leave any theories, predictions, opinions, etc. down below! Questions are also always welcome! I respond to EVERY review, so if you have one, don't hesitate to ask!

Reviews:

MeMyselfAndI82907: It's like you KNOW Katsuki and Aisla lololol. I like your prediction! Katsuki needs to stop being so damn stubborn. Or, as the title suggests, stop denying Aisla and his feelings for her. That doesn't help anyone!

Kibaschick: Thank you! That means so much to me! Hopefully, it continues to get better! I know I have a LOT more in store for you guys! XD

Beta: yellowchikadee

Test Audience: yellowchikadee; Ashteriax

Thank you, as always, for your support and guidance. I couldn't do this without you!