Pride
Despite it being morning, the skies were dulled in grey. Clouds covered every inch of the blue behind it, masking the sun from view as water harshly pattered on the ground. Estelle scowled as she looked ahead, thunder and rain clanging in her ears as she squinted to get a better view.
It was challenging to see that enemies were standing far ahead of her, and the rain only made it more difficult, making her earthbending useless from the harsh sploshes against the ground. Estelle could glimpse a faint figure, prominent and towering over a field of black, and she just knew that darklings were restlessly waiting behind it, eager to throw themselves into a fight.
The plan initially was to get the enemy to split up, making it easier for her squads to fight the obscene amount of dark spirits that had arrived for battle. But, when the rain started to pour, Estelle immediately got a bad feeling about it, knowing that she was effectively blind from what was happening.
But it was too late to back out, and Estelle had to focus on winning this fight. They were currently in Hiroshima, and the towns surrounding them had emptied, sirens blaring to alert them to get out of there. She had never been more glad for the machines because Estelle had no idea how this would go.
Her confidence dwindled slightly as she observed the tall figure turn around, a loud roar screeching for miles. It was vicious enough that she visibly heard those behind her shudder, but she ignored it, knowing another squad was likely moving like they had been ordered.
She inched closer as if that would allow her to get a better view. It was tense, the sudden return of silence blaring into her until a scream finally erupted. Estelle's heart lurched to her throat before she quickly propelled her composure; turning around to the biggest squad, her own, she commanded, "They are distracted. Let us go!"
Estelle refused to look them in the eye before rushing forward, the sounds of their agreement hurrying out as painful screens continued to enter the atmosphere. As they got closer to the enemy, Estelle instantly understood that one of her squads was down.
They weren't going to make it.
Forcing the knowledge away, Estelle focused on the towering beast, a minotaur, whose back was still turned as it focused on her dying comrades. The creatures in front were lost in a frenzy, heathens of black piling over each other as they rampaged over the light with evident glee.
They always left the big ones to her, so Estelle wasn't startled when the large group behind her split up, rushing to each side and giving her a wide berth as they lunged for an attack.
Estelle wasted no time either, her legs sprinting towards the beast with irritation as her hand lifted up into the air. Using her air-bending to yank him into the sky, Estelle slammed the massive creature into a nearby wall, giving her enough time to shoot fire into the air to alert anybody else alive to their location.
By the time the stream of fire entered the atmosphere, Estelle was quickly met with a vicious slam. Her eyes met with the clouds as she zipped across the sky, the blow making her feel dizzy for a moment before she used the air around her to stop her body from making an impact. Floating in the environment, Estelle squinted her eyes to gain her bearings, hissing as her body darted back to the beast and the ground. The zing of metal filled her ears as she whipped her katana out of her saya.
Once her feet touched the concrete, Estelle surrounded her blade in fire, lunging for the Minoutar as she aimed for the leg. The beast was too slow to dodge, a loud and pained yowl entering her mind as she forced the blade to sink in deeper. Ripping the katana to the side so it effectively cut off half of its leg, Estelle watched in satisfaction as it fell to the ground, hunched over as it tried to recover quickly.
She kept her body moving to land another attack, her being tensing as her name was called out into the ether. "Estelle! Please!"
Snapping her head to the right, Estelle's eyes widened for a moment as she witnessed a head leave its body, black eventually surrounding it as the darkling enjoyed its victory. She felt nothing but a dull ache, the corner of her eyes locating another soldier's demise before she could blink. Estelle lunged forward, shaking her thoughts away as if to remind herself of where she was; the beast somewhat recovered as it moved onto its three working limbs.
Crouched over like a disabled dog, the Minotaur screeched as it rushed towards her, bloodlust enveloping its eyes as it demanded repayment for the damage she had caused. Sliding to the right, avoiding the body that would have crushed her, Estelle extended her katana as it spun around to block. The metal dug into its big beefy arms, the blood trailing down onto the metal and her hands.
Her eyes glared into the snorkel huffing right in front of her. The creature's face was too big to glimpse in its entirety at this distance, its awful breath making her feel queasy. Disgust filled her veins when she noted its action of sniffing her, clearly enjoying her close proximity as it drooled over the smell of flesh.
"Ugh, at least take me out on a date first," Estelle commented drily, letting out a huff when the arms pushed back against her katana, forcing her to slide back from the force of it.
She must be going crazy, making a joke on the battlefield whilst her comrades were dying around her. She couldn't think about it now; she didn't want to. But, regardless, she would make sure their sacrifices weren't in vain. That's all Estelle could do, so thinking about it was pointless. She's dismissed deaths before, and she could do it again.
'But then it crashed down on you the minute you stopped fighting and entered this world,' her mind seemed to comment back. Estelle grew agitated with the thought, not wanting to admit the truthfulness surrounding it. She never sat down and thought about it, just pushed it away till the pain dulled, and she had fooled herself into thinking it was a just cause. It was happening all over again, but now, her mind didn't want to ignore it anymore.
As she continued fighting, and her eyes met with another disintegrating body, Estelle rolled on the ground as a car flew over her head. Snapping her head up in aggravation towards the Minotaur, Estelle allowed sharp winds to cover her katana as she vowed to finish the fight.
It was long-winded, the Minotaur being one of the more potent creatures within Nyx's arsenal, yet defiantly not the strongest. The main advantage of the Minotaur was that it could keep going, regardless of how injured it was, making it a massive pest in a fight.
Eventually, its face was planted on the ground as Estelle used all her strength to stab him directly in the hip, her body leaning in to ensure her total body weight was added to guarantee its death. It was only when it began disintegrating that Estelle finally relaxed for a second before turning around and heading back into battle.
Even though they won, it never felt like a victory.
Estelle couldn't help but stare at the resting spots of her comrades before she left; their bodies had already gone from this earth. Staring down at the ground, she bowed her thanks and headed her way back to camp.
She didn't let herself think about it further.
Estelle greeted the new arrivals with open arms; a group of roughly fifty spirits had willingly arrived through the gate, showing up with beaming smiles once their eyes met hers. Estelle met their smiles with her own, her heart almost singing, knowing that the group had told her the truth yesterday. Though, she hadn't expected them to show up that quickly.
Getting them settled in and explaining her side of the events, Estelle dealt with their usual outcry of the whole situation before restating their devotion to her cause. Her heart had warmed under their declarations, feeling a strange layer of acceptance from them she had never experienced beforehand.
It had also bolstered her standing with the spirits who had gotten here unwillingly, either through capture or accidentally. They had no idea what happened on the spirit side of things whilst they were here, and once they were informed, it seemed to spark an extra layer of determination unlike before. She hoped it would help in the political side of things; Estelle had never liked that aspect of army leadership.
A small group of the new arrivals requested to meet with her, so trudging to a quiet section of the camp, they headed into a little hut where Estelle waited for them to speak. It was a group of four consisting of a Centaur, a Pixie, a Nix and a Dwarf. She was surprised to see them all together, considering groups liked to stick to their own. Still, she could see the companionship between each other, and she was glad this was becoming a little more prevalent after the previous war.
"A few moons ago, our group was scouring the southern regions when we came across dragons. It was a shock to us; nobody had seen them for ages. They have been searching for you."
Startled by the topic, Estelle was suddenly hit with the memory from a few months ago when a pair of ghouls had told her that information. She had completely forgotten about it since so much else was going on. But now, with the reminder, a spark flared, learning they were still foraging for her after all this time. She was surprised they were still doing so, assuming they would have moved on when they had failed.
"They weren't alone, though."
That caught her attention. Even though spirits were now mixing a little more, the woes of war bringing them together in ways they hadn't encountered before, Dragons were the total opposite. They had only gotten more distant due to their history and part in the war. Aite was a dragon himself, so after so many of them had been killed, they decided it was best to stay away. They struggled to trust others, fearing they would go extinct, their numbers in the double digits by the time everything was over.
So, who would be travelling with them? Who did they trust enough to leave hiding with, especially when they had such low numbers? It sounded crazy, and Estelle wondered how the dragon elders had approved of such a thing, even if it was in search of her.
"Who?" She questioned, her tone a little too eager for comfort.
"Anwir."
Estelle's mouth dropped open, unable to comprehend the name that had just been voiced out loud within this little hut. Taking a step back, Estelle shook her head as she mumbled, "What?!"
"You heard us correctly. Anwir is currently among the dragons, looking for you."
Staring at the table between them, Estelle placed her hands on the plain to steady herself. She couldn't believe that Kiko's and Keres's brother were with them, the last person she ever expected the dragons to travel with willingly. What caused them to change their mind about him after he left in search of power, essentially betraying them all? Had he changed that much that they had forgiven him?
She had thought the resentment would still linger from his brother's deaths. But here he was, travelling with dragons and looking for her? It sounded...unreal.
It was evident from the spirit's faces that what they told her was the utmost truth. They allowed her a few moments to take it in before continuing. "Ever since he had heard of the news of you going missing, the Cambion has been scouring high and low for you. He never gave up."
"Someone should tell him to stop; he will never find me within that world."
"Yes, we know that now. But before, we believed that maybe you were held captive somewhere. The idea that you were in a different world was never on the cards. Anwir feels indebted to you after what happened. He won't give up."
Sighing, Estelle's heart fell at the news. Though their relationship was never good, they finally began to mend the broken bridges after everything ended. They had never gotten the chance to further the mending of broken pieces, as Estelle was quickly thrown into the army and then another reality. Hearing how he had searched for her simply because of debt felt wrong. He should be living his life, not looking for her.
"If he's looking for me, I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up here at some point. No matter, at least his search would end."
"Yes, the news will get to him soon enough. Spirits are making their way in search of portals as we speak. Eventually, it will reach him, and he will do the same."
Sighing, Estelle didn't know how to feel, knowing that she would eventually see Anwir again. She had assumed that the last time they saw one another would be the last. She didn't know what would happen when she saw him, though she hoped it wouldn't be filled with tension from their history. Nobody would be able to get over their two brothers' deaths that quickly; no matter how many times he had said he was over it after the war ended, Estelle knew it wasn't the truth.
"Shouldn't she be older?" The pixie whispered into the centar's ears.
Whipping her head up as the hooved male harshly whispered back, "It's rude to talk like that!"
"Oops, sorry!"
Narrowing her eyes, Estelle leaned forward as she asked, "What do you mean?"
But, the pixie who had clearly taken the centar's words to heart shook her head wildly, her hands waving frantically as she responded, "Ah, I must be getting confused. Apologies!"
Opening her mouth to enquire more, Estelle's attention was quickly caught by the nix, who had stepped up nervously; his voice rushed as he spoke, "Oh, did we mention that the dragon's numbers seemed to have improved a little?"
Amazed, Estelle felt a bit of relief knowing that their crushed numbers had gotten better. She had known of their heartbreak with the number of deaths and pondered how quickly they must have gotten to work on producing heirs. "Oh?"
Nodding quickly, the nix continued to ramble about their improved state. Estelle bobbed absentmindedly, the pixie's previous comment niggling in her mind for a moment before she was quickly distracted again.
"What's on your mind?" Katsuki questioned with a frown, his head tilted towards her when he noticed she wasn't even looking at the television.
Jumping from the sudden interruption, Estelle rapidly shook her head with a mumble, her eyes trailing back to the screen as if it had never left. The news her comrades provided to her earlier in the day lingered in her mind like an uncomfortable itch she couldn't scratch. Maybe it was anticipation, but Estelle understood there was still time before Anwir would make an appearance, yet it still bothered her. "Nothing."
"Tch, liar! Are you even watching? You love lions!" He baulked, pointing to the television with a scowl.
He wasn't wrong, Estelle loved all animals, but since Katsuki admitted the reasoning behind her nickname, she couldn't deny that her interest had piqued more than ever before. So, when lions ended up on her screen, she paid more attention than she should have. Katsuki seemed to have caught onto this newfound intrigue, his face smug whenever he pulled up a documentary centred around the creatures. The female internally cursed herself for not reigning it in, somehow only getting more flustered about the name the more she learned about the animal.
Ignoring him, not wanting to confess that he was correct, Estelle stared at the screen with a seriousness that caught the blonde off guard. "Lions are really loyal, aren't they?"
Raising his brow and overlooking that she hadn't answered his question, the male shrugged before answering, "Huh? Yeah, I guess."
"They stick by their pride no matter what."
"Hm."
"I used to wonder what it would be like to have others around me like that. I was young, naive, you could say."
"There's nothing naive about that," Katsuki gruffed in return, a scolding edge to his tone that amplified his glare.
"It was at the time. I had thought I found something like that with Kiko, and then he died. And beings just continued to disappear whenever I came close to them again. I wondered if I was cursed, and I decided it didn't matter because I'd never let anybody get close to me again."
"Tch, you idiot. That could have applied when you were with spirits. But here? Where people care about one another, you have a whole pride behind you."
"..."
"And none of us are dead. None of us will die, got that?! If you were cursed, something would have happened by now. You probably left it in your old world. Good riddance, I'd say."
"Hah, yeah. You'd really label the class as my pride?"
"Well, it wasn't me who said it," Katsuki commented, looking at Estelle with satisfaction. The expression deepened as he observed her move back on the couch, her eyes drifting from his face bashfully as she desperately avoided his stare.
"Shut up."
Smirking, the explosive blonde soaked in her embarrassment, thoroughly enjoying every moment she was hesitant within his vicinity. Wanting to see her sink even further into that pretty expression, he was swift to lean forward, his voice barely a whisper as he gravelled out, "Well, If we're your pride, then I damn well should be your mate."
Estelle needed a second to decipher his words before she choked on air, her sights focused on the table in front of her as she drowned in a flustered, chaotic mess. Feeling her thoughts jitter like a car engine stalling, the female could see his victorious grin from the corner of her eyes, only making her feel worse.
Biting her lip harshly, hoping it would bring her back to her senses, Estelle remained bewildered at how he could easily say such gripping words. He had a knack for throwing her in for a loop, and Estelle found that she equally hated and somewhat enjoyed it.
It forced the hair on her body to stand on end, a profound urge licking away at the sanity that begged her to retaliate. She wanted to snap back, yank on Katsuki's hair just like he did hers so readily, and not give him any relief until he apologised for what he was bringing out of her. Estelle could already hear the words leaving his lips in rapid succession, a begging twinge within his tone that would have calmed the beast inside her.
The desire to see him all flustered and having the roles reversed flowed through her body and Estelle's grip on her bottom lip began to hurt as the portrait was painted in her mind. She could envision the hiss leaving his teeth as she pulled on his hair with ferocity, eyes wide as the blush spread from his ears to his entire face. God, he would look so breathtaking, held down by her demanding gaze and utterly at her whim. Estelle could-
"You're so wound up. What? Does the thought of me being your mate make you feel all funny?"
Oh. Shit.
Estelle jumped, her butt leaving the couch for a second as her globes nearly left her sockets. Her jaw dropped slightly, her head nearly leaving her neck as it moved so quickly to meet his ruby eyes. The female couldn't help but stare silently as if she had uncovered something she wasn't prepared to know, a bubble of terror building in her mind. Katsuki ignored the expression, assuming it was related to his jab as he leaned back on the pillows as if he had won an argument.
In a sense, he had. Because why the fuck was Estelle picturing him like that? She didn't know if her quickened breath was due to her thoughts or his words, which made her body tauten like she was preparing for battle. Wordless for a moment, she could only manage to croak a weak "Shut up."
Sniggering at how thrown off guard Estelle was, Katsuki decided to free her from her torment as he patted her shoulder. "It had a nice ring to it."
"Huh?"
"The pride of 1A."
Raising her brows, Estelle failed to hold back her smile of amusement as she shook her head, showing more fondness than she would ever admit. "Hah."
Her response seemed to have sparked something within the blonde, his body unconsciously leaning forward to ensure he captured every minute detail of her face as he continued. "Estelle, the queen of the pride."
"Hmpt."
"Katsuki, the king of beasts," He tried again.
Forcing her smile to retreat, Estelle pursed her lips thoughtfully, her arms crossing as she tilted her head. "That...doesn't ring as well."
Shooting up, his feet slammed against the ground, Katsuki pointed at the female with an affronted glower, his scream eliciting another smile that she tried to hold back. "Hah?! Shut up; it totally works!"
"'Nope."
"Katsuki, the killer of zebras," He egged on, his face practically in hers as his eyes turned bloodshot from such an intense expression.
Despite the crude title, Estelle failed to hold back her giggle, her head shaking in disagreement with his choice. Katsuki's tense shoulders relaxed a little from the sound, his thoughts already committing it to memory before he surged on. Estelle had never giggled before, and quite honestly, it was so appealing he could have screamed. "KingExplosionMurder, king consort."
Estelle leaned back to allow her stomach to rumble at such a ridiculous name. She failed to discern how he managed to come up with this stuff, and it was so out of the realm of normal that she could only laugh. Katsuki leaned back, his intense eyes softening from the picture as a smile crept up onto his lips. The summersault within Estelle nearly made her lurch, her shaking chest beginning to fade as she languished into faint chuckles.
She tried to ignore his scrutinisation, his eyes glinting at her in a way that made her want to hide away from how overwhelming it felt. Yet, she did her best not to acknowledge it, her grin curling around her lips as she prodded, "King...what?!"
Katsuki paused, his ears turning pink as his eyes retreated into another fierce stare. Though he had captured every second of her laugh into his soul, he really hadn't meant that one to slip, so it was a little mortifying. Though, pondering on it further, it was worth it; he just didn't want her to know that. Eventually, he managed to roar, "You heard me!"
Estelle forced her lips together, every strand of her being doing everything possible to prevent herself from losing it again. But, as air buzzed past her lips, she hunched over in another round of laughter. His pout only egged her on. Her cheeks began to hurt when she detected he was shuffling like a kid who got caught stealing, a slight wheeze leaving her as she attempted to reign herself back in.
"Tch, your laughing now..."
"I am," She managed to return, her hand drifting to her eye to remove the excess water. That was more fun than she had thought, but she needed to calm herself.
Estelle had barely started before a hand grasped her head, pulling her into a hard chest. Letting out noise from the impact, the palm on her temple slowly morphed into a fist, and it didn't take long before she recognised what he was about to do. Fidgeting within his locked hug, she cried, "Hey, wait-!"
"Let's see you laugh after this!"
Pushing half-heartedly against his chest as the ruby-eyed male rubbed her head with a ferocity that probably removed hair from her head, Estelle disregarded the slight sting as she listened to the male laugh like the menace he was. Despite his knuckles digging into her skull, Estelle giggled at his rude joy as she attempted to release herself. She pulled herself out of his chest, her chin still digging into his shirt as she finally got a good look at him.
Katsuki's typical ominous grin was plain as day as he bestowed punishment on her poor head, his eyes gleaming with pleasure that was playfully sadistic. Her hands, placed at his front when she tried to push him away, tensed when his eyes connected with hers.
His rough movements slowed to a halt, his expression of ecstatic glee beginning to fade as he took her in. He was entrapped by her, by everything she did, and how she looked at him made his teeth clench. How did she manage to look so innocent? It didn't make sense to him, yet he latched onto it with such intensity that he could have buckled. He wanted to ruin it, a burn so deep within him that it couldn't help but reflect in his eyes.
Estelle's breath hitched as Katsuki's eyes scanned her in a way that made her insides twist. It was as if he was tracing every inch of her features with his thundering stare before coming to a complete stop, eventually meeting at her lips. The noise of the television began to simmer out, the sounds of her pulse getting louder in her ears as his eyes grew darker.
It was hungry, the way he was staring at her. It was clear as day, his expression unguarded on what was fluttering through his mind, and the knowledge made her heart skip multiple beats. It was as if he wanted to cram into her very being and never leave. He sucked in a deep breath like he had somehow stumbled across a treasure, and Estelle herself seemed to be the diamond in the rough. It was so honest that she wanted to squirm in his hold, entirely not used to being looked at in such a provoking way.
It left flashes of heat flowing through her body as if someone was turning the stove on and off, her cheeks being the only truthful aspect of her that showed him how affected she was. The blonde was not stupid, the redness catching his attention as soon as it flickered into view. His lips tilted up from the image, the storm within his eyes worsening her state without trouble.
Her brain malfunctioned.
It didn't take long for his fist to flatten on her head, his fingers immediately making their way through the tresses of her hair, every movement precise enough to ensure she knew he wasn't playing around. His pull was rough, yanking her hair to pull her closer, and Estelle followed, unable to break herself out of his smouldering eyes.
Estelle wasn't sure why she was so still. The female didn't know if it was because she was curious about Katsuki's actions or if she didn't want to leave his presence, and as much as Estelle wanted to find out, she couldn't care when his very expression made her urge to follow and do the same in return.
Estelle was silent as his fingertips tensed on her scalp, his face so close to hers that she could feel his hot breath lingering on her lips. It made her feel uneasy because she was so ensnared by him that nothing he could have done would have prevented her from it. She could only stare up at him, wide-eyed like a lost child, as the hurricane within him scorched her like he was the very sun.
A deep growl left Katsuki's lips, his eyes flickering with deep frustration as he shook her a little by the head. When she heard his quirk crackle next to her, she noticed explosions were leaving his other palm enough that he could accidentally set the couch on fire. Still, she couldn't break away from him, his demanding nature forcing her to keep her eyes locked onto rubies that Estelle adored.
"It's so goddamn annoying. I don't know if I want to crush or kiss you!"
If Katsuki's hand wasn't holding her head in place, Estelle would have dialled back from the words. How could he not tell the difference? When she tried to voice her thinking, Estelle was left speechless as something slammed into her temple. Stunned, Estelle tried to look up, but the male wasn't giving her the opportunity, repeating the same action until the realisation set in.
He was kissing her forehead rather aggressively. Each placement was harsher than the last, like he was trying to compensate for his feelings by providing her with rough affection. Estelle's mouth remained mute, boneless within the electricity surrounding her body as he refused to stop for breath, his movements urgent with every kiss he bestowed on her. She noted how his tenderness was more overwhelming than her lightning-bending and wondered how he could achieve such a feat by simply being near her.
Estelle felt scalding as he never faltered, continuing reverently and never ceasing in the passion he was drowning her in. Both hands eventually moved to her neck; his fingers splayed across her skin in a way that screamed with a possessiveness that made her heart pound. The sound of kisses was loud compared to the quiet in the room; it felt like it was blaring in her ears, and her face flushed from the lack of apprehension he had. "Kat-"
"You are so fucking cute."
Steeping in what seemed like fuzziness, Estelle bit back the noise at the back of her throat, the words sending another shock of lightening through her spine. She couldn't stop the shivering wave, the shake making his arms move slightly. Katsuki paid no mind to it, his eyes still angrily watching her face like she should be apologising for her own adorableness. Yet, Estelle could still detect the affection behind his eyes, her own globes scanning him in a way that was trying to figure him out.
"It makes me want to ruin it."
The gasp that left her lips was entirely out of her own volition, her body flaring under his comment in a way that made her try to escape his tight grasp. It was fruitless, her boneless limbs affected by his words so much that the push was lacklustre, and it was all too obvious to Katsuki. Her reaction seemed to destroy any ounce of control he had left, every part of his body tightening in a way that made the room feel smaller.
Even though Katsuki was taller than her, Estelle felt like he was towering over her at this point. His body arched over to scan every inch of her like she would disappear. Estelle had never felt small since she left Nyx, but now, Katsuki was a predator circling his prey, and Estelle felt tiny.
A part of her battled with it, her mindset ablaze with the conflicting thought of cowering or baring her fangs at him. The previous urge to dominate was just beneath the surface that Estelle wondered if she could even control it when he was literally and metaphorically surrounding her. It begged her to take action, to show him she wasn't one to just bend despite how warm it made her feel.
The lingering strands of her sanity told her that it wasn't possible. If she stepped up and took charge, it was an admission of something Estelle wasn't prepared to do. So, Estelle did what she could: grit her teeth and bare it knowing she wouldn't be able to see those eyes weakening at the sight of her. It wasn't fair; how he could enter her senses like a corroding acid, destroying everything in its path apart from him.
Estelle stilled.
Perplexed by a sudden sensation, Estelle flickered her eyes to the right to find Katsuki's face pressed against hers. The strange thing was, her lips were free. So, what was he doing? Feeling hypothesis running through her thoughts, it was only when a groan vibrated through her cheek that her brain finally clicked onto place. Estelle was glad he couldn't see that her eyes were comically wide open.
Katsuki's teeth were on her cheek.
He was biting her.
The air sucked out of her as his teeth continued to sink into the soft cushion of her cheek. Katsuki wasn't holding back, his fangs making her wince since he practically chewed her face off without care if it would leave a mark. It was like he was taking a bite out of his own dinner, for god's sake.
Yet, why the fuck was her body reacting so nicely to it?
Her body churned as she tried to return the air to her lungs. One of Katsuki's hands remained on her neck, sliding to the right so it could hold onto her throat. His hold was gentle, yet the thumb rubbing back and forth against her skin made her choke, the action feeling so covetous that it was just so Katsuki. The growl that vibrated through her flustered face only exacerbated her state as her legs pressed down onto the couch with such unrelenting attention. She willed herself to calm down, feeling the blonde shuffle slightly to get a good look at her despite latching onto her damn face.
Estelle had a good pain tolerance, so she honestly couldn't tell how bad the imprint would be. But, as Katsuki finally detached himself from her cheek, a few strings of saliva seemed to follow him as he drew back, his eyes staring at her skin with such approval it made her core burn. Her eyes surveyed with avid attention as his tongue peeked out from his lips, slowly capturing the rest of his spit lingering on his lips as he heatedly stared down at her like he had marked his territory.
He seemed to have used her stupefied state to his advantage, hurling Estelle sideways, so her back landed on the couch. Estelle barely registered her eyes on the ceiling before the view was intercepted by Katsuki's face, a menacing grin in the complete picture as he silently monitored her.
His legs were on either side of her body, his back hunched over so he was the only thing Estelle could see in her peripheral vision. It was just what Katsuki had wanted; Estelle always had a million thoughts zooming through her head simultaneously. She could be watching tv, talking to him and planning for a fight all at once. Yet, Katsuki loved it when he captured every ounce of her concentration, with no glaze in her eyes as she glimpsed up at him in a way that made him want to engulf her whole.
Katsuki was selfish enough to desire it all of the time. It was so addicting to have someone so goddamn majestic thinking about only him. It was better than any comment someone could give him; it was better than any fight or win. When Estelle is unable to stray from him, it's the best damn win Katsuki would ever have, and he wanted it all of the time.
Yet, the frustration never waned whenever it happened. Katsuki was well-versed in explosions. He used his quirk every damn day. He had never had any trouble with the overwhelming nature of it, but when Estelle was the way she was. She was a fearless lioness in battle, an empathetic woman behind her well-built walls, and, quite frankly, precious in everything she did. It made Katsuki want to explode. It tore him up from the inside like he would detonate at any moment.
She had killed spirits and killed people with her bare hands. What gave her the right to be so fucking endearing in everything she did? Estelle didn't even know it, which made the whole situation a hundred times worse in the blonde's eyes. The way she sometimes glanced at him with innocent eyes made him want to break it, yet he knew he would never because it was one of the things he cherished about her. Still, it festered inside him, building and building, until he would eventually take down the school in the aftermath. It wasn't fair that she could overwhelm him with such a simple look, but Katsuki wasn't prepared to let that go anytime soon.
Nuzzling his nose against hers, the action was softer than anything else he had done today. It threw Estelle in for a loop, perplexity evident in her eyes as he hovered over her. Letting out a breath, he mumbled, "You have no idea what you do to me, do you? How much I think about you? How much I want you to be my pretty little lioness? My pretty little mate?"
Estelle lurched upwards, her hand darting to grasp his shirt with all her might. Despite laying on a sturdy couch, Estelle was falling, her grip tightening around the fabric as if he was the lifeline keeping her airborne. She nearly whimpered from the words, seemingly plucking at strings she never knew existed, and she bit her lips to refuse the embarrassing sounds from leaving her.
Everything about him, from the honesty within his words to the gravel within his tone and grip on her body, was devastating to her. It made her feel like he really had picked a diamond from the rubble. She couldn't stop herself from wanting to believe him, the deep baritone weirdly shooting directly into her groin. Estelle was never used to compliments. She had never been given them for anything other than her battle prowess. But, Katsuki gave them to her so freely, with such resoluteness that she was forced to stop and listen.
Nyx had told her often that she wouldn't amount to anything without him. Estelle had believed him for so long that she felt more lost when she finally left him. Estelle was never good enough; she had never accomplished enough. Katsuki seemed to think differently, thinking almost too highly of her sometimes that it felt undeserved. His vocal attitude of her made her want to believe him, managing to make her insecurities slide away like ice, always working to pluck at the softest part of her like a delicate flower.
It made her eyes sting. How good Katsuki was to her; he always told her how he thought about her. Regardless of the fact she would be dismissive, it never deterred him from revealing his innermost thoughts. Katsuki was courageous, always facing things head-on despite the potential outcome. It was just another thing Estelle admired about him.
Katsuki continued to get bolder by the day, showering her with compliments like candy. It was as if now he had made it clear about his intention to court her; any worry or shame he had about voicing his approval had instantly diminished. Honestly, Estelle wondered if he had just lost his filter at this point, uncaring of how it sounded despite her flustered reactions. Hell, it probably egged him on.
She did wonder if he had been biting his tongue this whole time. It was a sudden jump to vocalise things to this extent. Estelle knew some of her was afraid of discovering that these were his thoughts the whole time. Though, had he been worried she would shut them down?
Then again, if he had said any of this earlier, she probably would have.
Breathing through her nose, Estelle closed her eyes briefly as she tried to manage her thoughts in a way that would be able to articulate her thoughts. No matter how much she endeavoured, she couldn't seem to find the right words to tell him to stop. The hurricane he enveloped her in was too much for her rational aspect to kick in.
Opening and closing her mouth, Estelle knew she had failed miserably in her attempt to form a response. Slumping in defeat, she stayed red and breathless under his arms whilst he refused to falter in making her submit to her affections.
Katsuki seemed to understand her line of thinking, a frown playing on his lips as the storm raged on in his eyes. "No."
"Huh?" Estelle answered dumbly, unsure of what he was even trying to say.
"You got that look in your eye. It's like you don't know what to do with yourself, so you clam up. But no, I'm not going to stop."
Estelle already knew this. The male was too stubborn to listen to her on this topic. So, instead of instigating an argument, Estelle forced her mouth to work as she slowly asked, "Because...? You're trying to court me?"
Katsuki was silent as he nodded, a seriousness that didn't tend to usually line his face evident as he continued to look at her as if she was an idiot, yet one that managed to hang the moon.
Flushing, Estelle noted the sudden change in his expression, finding that she was uneasy knowing she had caused that. The urge to lighten the mood filled her, and she lifted her hand to his face, poking his cheek as she cheekily responded, "Even though you are bound to fail, I can't help but admire your determination."
Unable to figure out how to take the backhanded compliment, the blonde bared his teeth, a noise of annoyance vibrating from the back of his throat. "Tch, I don't fail!"
Feeling her lips move upwards from the pout that had just arrived on Katsuki's face, Estelle's eyes narrowed as he turned his head away from her, pink on his ears as his lips puckered outwards. Drifting her hand to the back of his head so she could tug his attention back to herself, she teased, "Don't pout!"
Silence.
Scoffing at the childlike petulance, Estelle braced her shoulders as she leaned upwards to get closer. The smile lingered on her face, her eyes sparking with amusement as she muttered, "Oh, are you pouting because I'm not fawning over you too?"
Katsuki snapped to attention, his jaws opening in fury as he yelled, "Tch, you brat! I don't need you to when I know you like me back!"
Shaking her head wildly, Estelle scowled at his answer, "No way."
"Hah! Who's pouting now?!"
"Still you!"
"Why, you little-"