Press Release

The cameras flashed before the trio as they stood on the podium. Estelle had been waiting for this moment for weeks, hoping for the chance to step away from hero duties. She was between Hawks and Endeavour, silently despising the ruckus around the room as reporters and a few other heroes spoke over each other. She felt like she was about to go blind, the flickering lights of the cameras not stopping before her eyes could even begin to adjust.

Feeling uneasy at being the focus of everyone's attention, Estelle let a hiss of a breath leave her lips as her back straightened. Hawk's eyes glanced over to her face from the action, his mind automatically computing the fact she was uncomfortable. Her stance was tense, like she was ready to fight a boss at any moment.

'It's a shame that the boss is a bunch of civilians. She can't fight her way out of this one,' He pondered wistfully. Positioning his hand on her shoulders, hoping it would help, he learned that it only worsened as the camera's flash became more belligerent.

Endeavour stepped forward, his voice booming, forcing everyone around the hall into quietness. "The Guardian has been signed with both my agency and Hawks. I am sure she will do well under our care and provide support to those in need."

Opening his mouth once more, Endeavor's mouth tipped down into a scowl as his eyes turned white, and the screams of reporters began to fill his ears like static. Glimpsing their words, the hero was already aware it would be a shock to find this out as Estelle had always stood on the side of fixing things and leaving this world. Joining a hero agency directly contradicted that in their eyes.

Estelle remained frozen, unsure of what she was supposed to do in this circumstance. When she joined the humans after the war, she had barely even been given a thank you. So, having people surrounding her as if she was worthy almost seemed too much for her to comprehend.

"The hell am I supposed to do?" She muttered quietly, her body rigid as she stared forward, unwilling to look anybody in the eye.

"Just be yourself!" Hawks muttered back gleefully, grinning towards everyone with ease. It was almost amusing to see the stark difference between the two, their personalities so far removed from each other that it struck everyone who saw them.

Internally scowling, Estelle urged to wack the male across the back of the head but contained herself. The female didn't know who she was besides being a soldier. She didn't have many hobbies outside of that, and if she had to label her personality, she wouldn't know where to begin.

Moving her stare from the back of the room and looking directly at the camera, Estelle filled her eyes with steely determination. Estelle was clueless about things that came to her, but she knew what she had to do for the upcoming war. The otherworldly being had been planning in the background, training her comrades, and ensuring that squads were ready for any missions their general would have to throw at them. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough, and it meant she wasn't fumbling in the dark.

She would protect them.

Estelle didn't know that every eye that watched the screen could see the unwavering globes as it seared into them. It seemed to hold everything she didn't say, a profound promise to defend and protect.

She looked like a hero.

Typically with these kinds of announcements, the populace was used to seeing those with powerful quirks show off their personalities, as the public ratings were a significant factor in becoming top ranks. They would please the crowd, tell them their catchphrase, and voice their promises of heroship.

The Guardian did none of that.

Because her actions were louder than words.

She had been consistent in the daily news, papers, and conversations the general public had. They wondered what she was like, the power she held, and the world she came from. They were awed at her strength, watched her fights, and cheered her on.

She also had a broad group of people who disliked her and hated how she was. She didn't bother relating to the crowd; it appeared like she was too good for them. They detested how they bent the rules for her, how she brought a war right to their doorsteps with the attacks happening around Japan.

The Guardian was either well-liked or disliked. It was just that those who loved her seemed to shout it from the rooftops. Yet no matter if the citizens liked or loathed her, Estelle never showed an ounce of care in that regard. She was battle-hardened, and things such as other people's opinions mattered little to her unless they interfered with her objective. They could not refute the single fact that her abilities were needed right now.

The sheer reality that Estelle had joined hero agencies solidified that the world was beginning to accept her. They knew it was a message for them. The number one and the number two heroes inviting her into their agencies? What else could convey that they welcomed her with open arms, trusted her, and relied on her? Nothing. This was the perfect megaphone to shout from the rooftops that Estelle was on their side.

"Alright, quiet down", Hawks placated, his hands raising up and down to lessen the noise of the individuals. "We'll follow procedure and answer your questions. Who's first?"

"Link from News Weekly! Why did you decide to recruit The Guardian into your agencies?!"

"Well...The Guardian is an amazing ally and hero for the community. She has shown time and time again that she will defend the people, and her skills are unmatched. Why wouldn't we want someone like that in our ranks?" Endeavour spoke with a smirk, his eyes drifting down to Estelle with approval as she remained in position.

Estelle didn't outwardly acknowledge his words, though she recognised her stupefaction at the fact he had praised her so publicly. Pushing the thought away, she remained motionless.

"Alright! Next!" Hawks exclaimed, bored.

"The Guardian! What do you think about this partnership?"

If it were possible to stiffen, even more, Estelle would have. But, she had to force herself to unwind a little before she became a board and turned her eyes down to the female. The room quietened, enthusiastic to hear her answer as Estelle took a deep and pacifying breath. "I think it will be beneficial to help you in matters of this world. I hope I will be of service."

"But does this mean you've heard us, and you'll be staying?" Someone else shouted, catching everyone's attention for a moment before whirling their heads back to the front.

Tilting her head thoughtfully, Estelle wondered if there had been more requests to stay than she had initially seen. She had read an article about it before, which the class had shown her, but she had assumed that it was just an oddity, but now, maybe it wasn't.

A strange pang seeped through her, like a slow flame that ached her in a torturously slow way. Hadn't she already been clear about it? Why were they asking her questions they had already heard the answer to? They didn't need her.

"I will return to my world once my mission is complete and the citizens are safe from spirits. I will help as much as possible until then, but after that, I will leave my confidence with the heroes you admire," Estelle reiterated, her gaze stern as she conveyed her previous promise with resolution.

"But why would you leave when we need all the heroes we can get for what's coming?!" Another echoed, deepening the strange discomfort Estelle seemed to have within herself.

"As much as I appreciate the sentiments, the heroes of this world do not need me. They are capable and able to handle everything with their strong will and might alone. Class 1A of UA high school are being trained until my tutelage, and I will ensure they fill in the gap I have left when I am gone. I have complete faith in their capabilities, and I have faith in them.

I may be strong, but I do not belong here. But that does not mean I will leave without knowing you have been taken care of. Why do I have faith in your heroes, yet you all lack so much? Enough that you would ask another for help?"

"Because what if it's not enough?!" A woman hollered, causing Estelle to turn her head to her earnestly.

"If they are like my class, they will be."

"Alright! Alright! It's getting hot in here with all this tension! Don't worry, guys, we're working on convincing her!" Hawks jumped in, giving an exaggerated wink to Estelle at the end.

Physically controlling herself again from raising her hands against the hero, Estelle imagined throttling him till he begged for mercy to compensate for the annoyance bubbling inside her. What an idiot. Why would he underhandedly ruin her words of truth by giving them false hope?

Hawks could feel Estelle's glare inside his soul as he smiled broadly at the reporters. Setting an internal reminder, he figured it was best to tail it as soon as the conference ended; otherwise, he was a dead bird.

"Now! Let's get back on topic! Next question!"

Estelle trudged through the doors of Height's Alliance with a bag in her hand. They had notified her before that they were going to watch, but now, she had hoped they wouldn't have. She had a niggle of an idea of what would happen when she returned, so she brought goodies to lighten the mood.

Her plan seemed to fail as she stared back at them all. The class were gaping at her in confusion, but it was towards themselves. It was like they didn't know how to feel, yet the frowns dancing around the room made it clear that their emotions weren't entirely positive.

The expressions wained momentarily as they all greeted her, small smiles warming her core before she was distracted by the body that had hurled into her. Letting out a noise of surprise, Estelle had known Toru was near but hadn't expected the ambush.

"Estelle! You called us your class!" Toru cried, her arms holding onto her tightly as Estelle's eyes broadened.

"It was just a slip of- oof!" Estelle stopped, stunned that Kaminari had joined them, holding the two girls in a hug as he let out a dramatic whimper.

"Your class!" He blubbered out, unable to get all his words out as he made an inflated cry. Estelle deadpanned at the reaction before shaking her head, unable to stop her lips from tilting up as she dropped the bag and patted the duo on their heads.

Turning to the rest of the class, Estelle bit her lip as she hid her relief that the hesitance from before had disappeared entirely. Instead, they held broad smiles, their eyes golden with happiness as they observed the scene.

"That was some speech!" Kirishima spoke, "It was so manly!"

"Um, thanks," Estelle mumbled back, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly as the duo finally let go of her.

"It was very touching. I never knew you thought of us like that." Tokoyami murmured, her eyes warm as they met hers.

"I may not say it very often, but I told the truth. You are all capable, even though there's work to be done. I know you all will exceed my expectations when you head out onto the field," Estelle respoke, nodding her head in agreement as she stood by her words. She wouldn't lie about something like that.

"But you won't be there," Izuku reminded, the atmosphere suddenly dropping within the room.

Estelle sighed as she observed the students return to their previous emotions. Shuffling her feet, the female had to prevent herself from turning around and leaving, almost uncomfortable with the knowledge that she had caused them to feel this way. She didn't want them to be upset because of her, but it seemed like a lose-lose situation because no matter what she decided, there would always be downsides.

Knowing she couldn't lie to them, Estelle pushed herself past her unease and forced away the bubbling ache in her stomach as she nodded. Without intending to, her voice came out breathy as she stated, "Yes, I won't."

"Even though you called us your class?" Momo asked, disappointed as her head tipped downwards.

"I..." Estelle started, her words caught in her throat as the discomfort deepened. Her mind was muddled at how strongly she was feeling. Estelle struggled to understand it, and before she could even begin, her attention was caught by another.

"We'll never force you, Estelle," Iida added sadly, "But that doesn't mean the thought does not pain us."

"I don't belong-" She tried to explain, sensing the urge to get them to understand where she was coming from. They needed to accept that so the ache would go away, wishing they would leave that simple truth alone.

"Do we make you feel like you don't belong?" Katsuki harshly challenged, leaving a zing through her soul as she turned to him. The ache was beginning to sting.

"No! but..." Estelle tried to communicate again, a growing frustration building as she noticed that she was barely getting a word out. They've done so much, respected her space (after being idiots), and accepted her and her faults. They had done more for her than they could even imagine, and she didn't want them to ever think they were the reason. But, yet, the truth remained.

Estelle didn't belong.

Why have they made things so much more difficult? Why was her soul hurting like it was bruised?

"Estelle. Would you consider staying with us?" Shoto articulated, cutting through everything to ask the question her classmates had been dying to enquire about for months.

Silence hung around the room as the students hesitantly waited for a response. And Estelle was just trying to get air back into her lungs. The sting of his question overpowered everything within her, overtaking her previous pain as if a thousand needles had begun poking into her skin.

She had never expected this conversation to strain her so much. That was the last thing Estelle had expected. The last time they had this discussion, Estelle felt the bare minimum because it was the truth. But now, the dialogue felt like she was suffocating, their countenances only adding to the strength of the blow.

'What the hell is happening?!' She wailed to herself, disbelief lining her words at how everything suddenly felt so skewed.

Yet, Estelle still knew the truth.

She had her world. This was not her world.

Maybe she had forgotten that because being around them even a little made her breathe easier. Violence used to be her answer, but now, returning to the dorms was her reprieve. How had she missed that? This wasn't good.

Estelle closed her eyes to shield herself from them and breathed a soft "No."

Feeling a pang of distress hit their systems. They should have expected such an easy refusal; Estelle had always declared she would return home. But, for her to say it so bluntly. They felt like they meant nothing to her, and it hurt.

"But, why?!" Ochako blurted, her arms raised up in frustration.

"Worlds are not meant to collide. What if there are repercussions for the world jumping over an extended period? It could be detrimental. My world could already be suffering, and I would have no idea. It is the safest option, and I have already told you guys. You do not need me here. I don't belong here," Estelle spoke back quickly. Her words melded into each other as she clarified, hoping they would get it, accept it and leave her alone.

She wanted them to stop looking at her like she had ripped the world from them and stomped on it. Spat all over their dreams and turned away like it had meant nothing. She buried the anguish from her face; her expression was blank as her body internally tensed from the pain. The stabbing of the needles prickled every inch of her body, an intense flush piercing even her sanity.

Estelle was losing grip of herself the longer she saw the looks on their faces because she knew they deserved better than that. They didn't deserve any of the pain Estelle provided, and the guilt only seeped deeper into her mind.

This was what she was good for, wasn't it? She wasn't made for this, and even though she sometimes hoped she was, moments like this reminded her of Nyx. His words that he would spit out to her, at how she was only made to ruin, never nurture or grow.

"Bullshit!" Katsuki growled, annoyed he had to hear this for a second time. An innate frustration built inside him from the fact that she wouldn't even think about the option of staying here. With them. With him. "You won't even think about it!"

Clutching her hands tightly into impenetrable balls, Estelle felt a flare of heat as Katsuki vocalised something that wasn't true. Snapping her head up, she growled, "I have!"

The sharp response caught their attention, and the students nearly broke their necks from how quickly they looked up with wide eyes. She had thought about it. How much? The simple fact that Estelle had wondered what it would be like if she had changed her decision caused hope to brew in their stomachs, their eyes trailing to each other in mutual agreement.

There was hope.

The needles seemed to have grown into a knife, the prickles of pain turning into gaping wounds as Estelle admonished herself for admitting such a thing. Her eyes seemed almost desperate as she continued to hiss. "But, there is too much risk! It's for the greater good!"

The class was too busy drowning in newfound hope to take in what she had just said. Estelle couldn't pinpoint who it was who spoke next, but the words still settled in her mind, catching her attention as she glanced up from the ground. "Haven't you given up enough for the two worlds!? Haven't you done enough for them!?"

"You all know more than most that you must stick by your duties!" Estelle rebuked, her eyes knowing as they slouched their shoulders at her response. It may have been underhanded, but it was somewhat the truth. They would never leave their hero duties in the name of being selfish.

"But you said you aren't a hero," Sero muttered with disappointment.

"But, I am a person. And I would give up my life to save the masses. My wants and needs do not matter compared to theirs. If it did, I would have lost the war," Estelle answered, her voice faint as she noticed the sorrow surrounding the room.

Startled, the moment of icy stillness halted when Katsuki stalked forward, his body beginning to tremble as he gnashed his teeth. It seeped out of him, an aura that begged everyone watching to turn away. It was suffocating; the air seemingly sucked out of the very room as his eyes met theirs.

Peering over at the blonde standing by Estelle's side, a shiver licked up their spine from the aura emanating from the teens. It was like fire and ice, ready to clash at a moment's notice and ooze the lava that was building between them. Katsuki would never back down, and Estelle was just as stubborn. The consequences were about to be seen, and the class was already ready to book it before he could utter his demand.

"Can you give us a moment?" He grunted, his voice deathly quiet compared to his eyes which seemed to promise pain.

Stunned at the sheer turmoil flowing out of Katsuki's mouth despite the calm, the class nodded as they trailed out of the room. They knew they were being selfish; Estelle's points made sense. But they didn't want her to go. What if there were no repercussions? Then what was it all for?

Katsuki could only describe his emotions as red, a whirling, firey tsunami of crashing emotions flooding every ounce of his very being. He wanted to scream, shake her, get her to fucking understand that he didn't want her anywhere else but by his side.

Katsuki was not a patient man, and despite trying to be for her, he couldn't just stand by and listen to her say she would leave again. It ripped him to his core, like a violent twist right to his heart, and he couldn't take it. It made him feel wild, like a rabid dog, panting, hissing and spitting his venom at the sound of it. It always bugged him; he knew that, but hearing it again made him want to rip the walls apart and burn everything in sight. He never expected the rage that was flooding him to arrive from the statement. But, now that he was drowning in it, he should have known. Katsuki couldn't let her go; he refused to.

"Estelle. You have to at least think about this!" He gritted out, his lips tilted in a snarl as his eyes clashed with hers.

Her globes were considerably calmer, only succeeding in landing another battering wave within Katsuki. He hated it, the lack of fire in her eyes causing him to hiss. It was blank, full of acceptance for a truth Katsuki wasn't prepared to admit; It lacked everything, everything that he knew Estelle was.

"I have, Katsuki. This is the only choice."

Gripping her shoulder quickly, Katsuki pulled her forward as he exclaimed, "You haven't! You haven't tried to look for a way to stay here! Come on, Estelle! You've pushed us all away for that simple reason, dammit!"

The class stood outside the door. The yelling inside was vociferous enough to be heard in the corridors. They held bated breaths from the scream, waiting with tension for Estelle's response to the festering fury of Katsuki.

Estelle was already suffering under the previous wounds that lay gaping in her soul. The whole conversation pained her in some way. But it didn't compare to the moment when Katsuki stood in front, his rage feeling mortally lethal to her soul. Her mind spiralled, distress lining her every thought as she tried to figure out a way for this conversation to end smoothly. But to no avail. The sheer turmoil vibrating off the blonde seeped into her very bones.

Snapping her eyes to meet his, Estelle's eyes lit like a fuse as she growled, her body meeting his standoffish stance with ease. The tightness in her throat was too much to bear, but she forced out the words, ignoring his expression, which was drinking her in. "Why do you care, Katsuki? You always knew it would end this way!?"

"Because!"

"Because what, Katsuki!" Estelle snarled back, unable to take a meagre word as an answer. He needed to explain his reaction more than that because Estelle had never seen anything like it. Not when it came to her. But, Katsuki seemed to hold so much of it for her, and it sunk into her like molten gold.

"Because! Dammit, Estelle! Because!" Katsuki exclaimed in frustration, struggling to voice his argument from the emotions running through his veins. Running his hand through his hair, Katsuki let out another scream as he let go of her and began to pace.

Taking a ragged breath, Estelle's voice was subdued as she responded, "I cannot stay here."

"Goddamit, Estelle! Are you seriously saying after all this time, you still don't care for us!?" Katsuki rebuked, stopping right before her as he demanded an answer. His face was inches away from hers, his ruby red eyes daggering right into her very being, that Estelle had to force herself to maintain her stare.

"That's not what I'm saying!" Estelle shrieked, not wanting him to believe such a thing. Leaving them didn't correlate with caring for them, and despite all of her efforts to not care for them, it seemed like she had failed miserably. Because now, Estelle didn't want them to think that. She tried to ask herself why she was bothered by their opinions, but there was no time to think about it as the duo battled for dominance through their stares.

As Estelle and Katsuki fiercely glowered into each other's eyes, the tension only continued to blister in the smouldering heat. They were practically headbutting each other at this point, too engrossed in their tidal surges of emotions to realise how close they had gotten. Gritted teeth gnashed at each other, a streak of white, hot and blazing stubbornness encasing every vessel in their bodies.

It was then that Estelle noticed the plunging hurt lying within ruby-red eyes. Widening her own with astonishment, Estelle quickly took a step back, her mind replaying the image in her mind as her wounds continued to bleed and expand. The flare in her stomach remained but fizzled out a little as her mind whirled on connecting the dots.

Katsuki quickly wrapped his hand around her collar, noticing how she had wained before he shook Estelle back and forth rapidly. Estelle let him, her eyes watching the male as he gripped onto her as if she would disappear at any moment. "Then stay, goddammit! Fucking Stay!"

"You know I can't!" Estelle shrilled back, her hands grabbing onto him as he shook her, grasping like she was clinging to the hope that he would finally listen.

"Bullshit!" He instantly belted back, his voice cracking in the end as it began to get hoarse.

Panting for air, the two slumped on each other as they tried to regain their bearings. It was like a sudden mountain of exhaustion had been dumped all over them, yet they still seized each other with all their might.

"Seriously, Bakugo, you knew it would end this way. I tried to warn you. I don't understand what's causing this?" Estelle sighed, forlorn, as her eyes drifted up to the roof.

Ignoring that she called him by his last name, Katsuki's eyes were heated as he stared down at her. Taking a moment to recognise the deep-rooted confusion flooding her eyes, he knew she was being honest about her ignorance. Estelle didn't get it; she didn't understand their decisiveness to get her to stay in a world much better than the one she grew up in.

It filled him with the resolve to get her to understand his side. Internally sticking to the yearning that she would just listen and know how much more she was appreciated and treasured here. She had to know. Everything inside him screamed to tell her, every emotion he withheld in his soul bubbling out as his shaking hands reached to hold each side of her face.

"Don't you see?! It's because I care about you, dumbass! I care that you will leave us to be in a shithole filled with people who don't give a crap about you. I care about the fact that they don't deserve someone like you! I care that I won't be able to watch shitty nature shows with you, take you rock climbing ever again, or show you all the new things this world has to offer!

I won't be there for you! I won't be able to show you new things and see that pretty look that crosses your damn face when you're happy! I won't be able to feed you or take care of you! You'll be a whole world away from me! Estelle, I care about you way too fucking much to let you leave us; leave me, now."

The palms resting on her face were sweaty, but she appreciated it because Estelle would have lost touch with reality without them. She couldn't believe what she was hearing; she couldn't fathom the words that had just left his mouth. She inherently knew Katsuki cared for her, but listening to him say it so desperately was like a layer of warmth surrounded her heart before it was seized by ice.

Motionless, her eyes enlarged, realising his word's true meaning. The air was caught in her lungs as the room grew smaller around her. She heard his words, but they slid around her head mindlessly like oil and water; it wasn't sinking in correctly. Shutting her eyelids with strength, Estelle whimpered, "Bakugo. I told you this would only end in heartbreak."

"It doesn't have to," He was swift to reply, his eyes searching hers in a way that made her legs want to give out. It bombarded her with overwhelming emotions that Estelle wouldn't dare recognise in her own mind. Yet, it lingered in her own heart, a deep sense of longing filling her being as his eyes reached out for her with intense fervour.

Estelle didn't know what to do. But, right now, his yearning stare was striking her core in a way that was too much to bear. She needed time to compute his words because it still felt like they hadn't registered in her mind correctly. It muddled her sanity, like a coded script she needed to crack.

"I'm sorry", she rumbled weekly, leaving his grasp as she turned to leave.

It was when she took her first step that Katsuki's breath hitched. Every trainwreck of a thought speeding through his mind was eliminated as he realised she was walking away from him. The alarm rang in his mind, siren bells ringing in his ears as he witnessed the woman he wanted by his side step away from him after garnering every ounce of his willpower to speak that truth aloud.

Slumping, Katsuki could admit that defeat had entered his head; the deep-rooted despair filling up his soul left him motionless. She couldn't go after everything he had just said. What if she never came back? Katsuki could never live with himself if he was the cause of pushing her away. Regardless, it felt like she still didn't get it. Estelle still didn't understand his dire need for her to remain with him. How could she? She couldn't feel the turmoil wrapped around his veins, the unbridled longing that seemed to reach every part of his brain.

Every step she made was like a kick to the head, and as Katsuki watched her go, the tightness of his jaw began to sting. He wasn't ready to let her go, and he wouldn't just stand by like a weakling and let her leave like that. It wasn't on; she couldn't keep running away from him. The sight of it alone made him want to rip out his eyeballs and explode everything to oblivion. Their time together meant more than that, he knew it did, and she knew it too. Yet, she still stupidly thought he would just roll over and take it? Fuck no!

Baring his teeth wildly, Katsuki fell into the familiarity of his anger as his feet moved before his mind could follow. He just needed her to understand, and if he had to chase after her, so be it.

Determination followed every step as he blazed behind Estelle, his frantic thoughts of fury becoming deathly quiet as his hand reached out to grab her hand. His fingers jittered, unable to contain the overflowing plethora of his wrath as he yanked her back to him, his eyes frenzied with promise as they met hers for a breath of a moment.

Meeting rubies for a brief instant, Estelle was taken aback, her mouth opening to argue before she felt something crush against her face. Furrowing her brows for a beat, Estelle's mind short-circuited in her brain as she stood there like an idiot.

It was harsh, but warmth followed soon after. It was strange. One moment Estelle was stepping her way out of Height's Alliance, and the next, she felt a cosy heat on her lips that caused her brain to malfunction. Instinctively reaching further into the heat, Estelle's mind was utterly obliterated within the haze.

Leaning in, her toes curled as her body seemed to thaw within the embrace. Her gaping wounds seemed to close within the fireplace that was now in her stomach. It eased every ache, even the ones Estelle never knew she had, and the urge to chase it overwhelmed her. She wrapped her arms around it, pulling it closer like it was medicine for her dying soul.

Everything within her roared with the intense need to keep the feeling, lock it within her grasp and never let it go. She had never experienced anything like it, an intensity of benevolence she felt was undeserved, yet her blood sang within the hold.

She had paid no mind to the hands gripping the back of her head and waist, but when they pulled her in further, Estelle could only gasp as the warmth began to heat within her core. She couldn't find it within herself to care because it only brought her further into the all-consuming nature of it. It called out to her, her fireplace roaring with the extreme appetite to keep it there, and Estelle could only groan in riposte.

And then she crashed back into the earth.

Her eyes snapped open, hazy with perplexity, as she heard the deep gravel of a groan in her ear. Dragging her head to the side, Estelle rapidly blinked as the lips touching her own grazed past her cheek and ear from the sudden movement. Focusing her eyes, they soon widened once they looked up to find blonde spiky locks.

Freezing, Estelle's mouth dropped open in shock as lips continued to pepper affection on every inch of exposed skin. The fierce and unwavering fall of heat she had been experiencing cut off like she had hit rock bottom, and Estelle could only gasp before pulling her body away instantly.

Leaving his embrace, the blonde tried to follow her for a moment before he stopped himself, realising she was gone entirely from his vicinity. Snapping his eyes up to meet hers, the realisation of what had just happened seemed to sink in for the duo simultaneously.

Katsuki Bakugo had kissed her.

He kissed her.

Estelle had kissed him back.

Standing a metre away, panting breaths left their lips as they stared at each other. They mirrored each other, looking with wide eyes and lips that had turned red and bruised from the harshness of the kiss. Their hair, slightly scruffy from the sudden frenzy of their embrace, only furthered the coil within Estelle's stomach.

"You..."

"We..."

Katsuki could only watch as Estelle took multiple steps backwards, her legs hitting the back of the couch as she stumbled away. Her eyes, filled with perplexity and distress, made his blood turn frigid. Raising his hand softly, he froze when the female let out a sound resembling an injured animal, and his heart clenched from the reaction.

He could barely even compute what just happened himself, never mind what was happening with Estelle. But he hadn't expected it to turn out like this. His brain ran a mile a minute, unable to stay on a single thought as he frantically tried to figure out what happened. How did they get here?

Gasping as if she had just re-experienced the simple fact that Katsuki had just kissed her. Her head swivelled back and forth as if she was looking for the quickest way out, and the blonde could only suffer as he watched tongue-tied.

"I...need to go. Yeah, I need to go." She frantically muttered to herself, the adrenaline from the kiss making her knees weak as she jittered around the room. "I don't understand..."

"Estelle..."

"I don't understand... I need to go."

Once he blinked, Estelle was gone.

Katsuki, feeling as if the world had crashed around him, robotically stepped forward as he stared at the doors Estelle had just escaped from. Glancing at the bag in the middle of the room, he withered once he realised its contents.

Sweets, Estelle had gotten them all sweets.

If Katsuki wasn't numb, he was sure he would hunch over like he had been punched in the gut.