A/N: The end is here, folks! I'm super excited to share this final installment of In Denial with you! I'm really proud of how this whole story turned out. It's not like my usual Nalu fics but I thought it came out really well. Thank you to everyone who had read this and favorited/followed, I appreciate each and every one of you! Enjoy this final scene!

Part Four: Epilogue

Two Years Later…

Bakugo had just come out of a battle with some villains who'd tried to rob a bank. It was almost exactly like a training exercise they'd had once where All Might pretended to be the villain who had been stabbed. A real villain had been shot, and like All Might, he had only been pretending to be dead. Unlike that exercise, however, this villain didn't get very far before Bakugo used his quirk to blast his ass into the wall of the police station across the street.

"Heh, nice one!" Kirishima gave him a thumbs up when all the participating villains had been captured and taken away. "Easy win for a real hero, eh?"

They were in their first few months of being official heroes. Bakugo still worked at an agency under a more established hero, but he now had the freedom to kick as much ass as he wanted, whenever the hell he wanted to. Kirishima also had this ability and seemed to think it was his duty to follow Bakugo around like a fucking puppy. He didn't tell him to stop.

"I'm sick of all these loser villains," Bakugo complained as they walked down the street. It was a relatively quiet night. Other than the robbers the two had encountered, it had been pretty dead around these parts. Not enough crime to go around, he thought bitterly. He wanted some action!

"Hey, that snot villain gave us some trouble!" Kirishima reminded him, much to Bakugo's displeasure. He felt a little nauseous. That villain had been too similar to one he'd fought back when they were still in middle school, the one that had almost killed him and everyone else. It had taken a dozen heroes to hold him back and it wasn't until All Might had shown up that Bakugo was saved. That quirkless freak Deku had attempted to save his ass, which was another reason he hated remembering that day.

"I'm goin' home." Bakugo said abruptly and turned in the direction of his street. He'd done enough hero work for one day. It was quiet, the streets were empty, and he was fucking hungry.

"Gotta get home before the girlfriend goes berserk on you, eh?" Kirishima snickered.

"SHUT UP, YOU IDIOT, SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" His loud voice bounced off the walls of the alley they had turned down. It was a short cut that his not girlfriend hated he took because it was 'too dangerous.' Well fuck that. He was no pussy.

"I'm gonna tell her you took the dark alley," Kirishima said, quickening his pace.

"BETTER FUCKING NOT OR YOU'RE DEAD!" He sped up as well, trying to beat his speed.

"Don't want your girlfriend to be mad?" He teased and went even faster.

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"

"Bakugo, you live with the girl. She's your girlfriend."

Bakugo ran hard, stomping his feet in anger and annoyance at his friend's stupidity. "She's my roommate! We each pay half the rent! She just needed a roommate!"

"Keep telling yourself that, man." Kirishima slowed his pace, no longer caring if Bakugo got to his apartment first. He could just go in after. Didn't matter who was first.

"You're not coming over!" Bakugo yelled, still running, voice getting farther away from his friend.

He beat him to his home, unlocked the door and stepped over the threshold. He was about to lock it behind him but the strong aroma of whatever was being cooked for dinner wafted over him and distracted him. He kicked off his shoes and took off his gear before coming in all the way, then made his way into their small kitchen.

Aisla stood there, blonde hair tied back into a simple braid to keep it out of the food she was preparing. She wore a yellow sundress that barely touched her knees and short white socks because her feet were always cold. She was humming softly to herself as she stirred a pot of what smelled like curry.

Feeling bold, he came up to her from behind and placed a kiss on her neck. She immediately stopped humming in favor of a small gasp. She let herself melt into him, twisting her face to give him a warm smile.

"Welcome home." She pecked his cheek. "Where's Kirishima today?"

He scowled. "I told him he wasn't invited."

She rolled her eyes and elbowed him off of her so she could continue cooking. "You tell him that every night," she pointed out.

"And every night that fucker still bothers us," Bakugo muttered.

The front door banged open and Kirishima gave a loud greeting, informing them and everyone else who lived around them, that he was there.

Bakugo gave her his most pained expression. She laughed, gave him a swift kiss, then turned back to the stove. "In here, Kirishima!" She called out to him, unnecessarily. He would have found them eventually. He had been inviting himself over every night since Bakugo and Aisla moved in together. Sometimes he came over during the day if they weren't working, but Bakugo usually ignored him in favor of staying in bed.

"What's for dinner, Mrs. Bakugo's Girlfriend?" Kirishima gave Bakugo a wink as he sat at his usual place at the table.

"SHUT THE HELL UP! SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Bakugo yelled again.

"Sorry to tell you this, man," Kirishima began, "but she's your girlfriend and you just need to accept it already."

"I won't accept it because it's not true! We're roommates!"

"I have a roommate, too." Kirishima picked up an apple from a bowl that sat on the table, took a bite, chewed, swallowed. "Only he and I don't kiss."

Bakugo's whole face went as red as the apple in Kirishima's hand. "WE. DON'T. KISS." He forced the words out one at a time.

"Okay," Kirishima agreed with a shrug. "Hey Aisla, can I take you out sometime?" He winked when she turned his way.

Bakugo remembered the rule about using his quirk in the apartment, but there was no rule about throwing other things…

He grabbed an apple and threw it at Kirishima's dumbstruck face. Fortunately for him, he'd hardened himself just in time to avoid it. "You can't have her!"

"But she's not your girlfriend," he reminded his friend. "So maybe she wants someone to call her own." A smug smirk.

"Oh, stop it, both of you." Aisla swatted Bakugo playfully on her way by before setting up three bowls. She set the pot in the center of the table and swept her arms out. "Dig in or get out!" She said as she said did every night. Bakugo thought this must be a joke, but it wasn't very funny.

They ate their food and then Kirishima bid them both a "good night in the sack" before leaving to go to his own damn apartment.

"I hate that guy," Bakugo said with a pout.

Aisla giggled. "You don't hate him. He's a good friend."

"He eats all our food."

"It's nice to share food with people you love." Aisla playfully trailed her fingers up his arm. They sat together on the small sofa, with Aisla's head resting on his shoulder.

"I don't love anyone!" His pouting lip and lack of conviction in the words were common those days. Not that he noticed he'd grown soft once school had ended for them. He didn't love Aisla or anyone else. He was the same old Bakugo as before. Mean and angry and—

"I love you, Bakugo." She whispered into his ear. On instinct, his head swiveled toward the sound of her voice, the tips of his ears going red from embarrassment. It wasn't as if she'd never said the words aloud to him before, nor was it not plainly obvious she felt that way, but it still made him want to crawl under a rock and die from embarrassment every time he thought about having any sort of stupid girl feelings.

Her eyes were screaming the words at him, the truth of them hot as any fire. She did love him. But did he love her back? Maybe. But he couldn't say so aloud.

"Yeah, whatever." He said instead. "I'm going to bed." He started to get up, but Aisla pulled him back down. Her eyes had that pleading look in them he'd only seen a handful of times when she really needed him to pay attention. When she really needed him.

"What?" His tone came out more annoyed than he actually was. He hated when she got that look, it made him uncomfortable. The hell was she about to ask him?

"Can you be honest with me, Kacchan? Please?"

Those damn eyes! He tried desperately to pull away from them, but too many times he'd hurt her by doing so. He owed her so much more than he could ever admit.

"What kind of stupid question is that? I'm always honest."

Petulant fool. Just be nice for once. Let her speak.

But he couldn't. Feelings and relationships and whatever the hell else this was made him uncomfortable and anxious, and reverting back to his normal asshole self was his safeguard.

She searched his eyes for a long time and he wondered what she was looking for in them. Would she find it? And if so, would it be what she wanted to find? Or something else?

"Are you happy, Katsuki Bakugo?" She asked in a small voice, not a whisper but almost.

He was about to blurt something out as he usually did when she asked stupid shit like that, but he'd promised to be honest so he stopped himself and thought about her question. Was he happy? He wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that, but he supposed he was as happy as he could be, by any definition of the word.

"I'm happy." Was all he could muster. No stupid flowery speeches about how she'd changed his life for the better and how he'd never be able to live without her or whatever. He definitely hadn't read many speeches like that in some stupid romance books Kirishima had given him once. He'd sooner die than be caught reading that shit.

She was still searching for something, but this time he could tell she was also anxious about something. When she was feeling anxious or embarrassed, Aisla always bit her bottom lip or played with the ends of her long blonde hair, or twiddled her thumbs. He wondered what she had to be embarrassed about.

"I'm glad," she began. "But…are you also happy…with me?"

Her damn pleading eyes!

The correct answer would be 'yes.' He knew this. Even so, this thing she was asking him was a lot more…feeling than he was comfortable with. Truth was, he couldn't put much thought into his feelings because that wasn't in his character. He wasn't a feeling type of person. But since he'd met Aisla, he'd been forced to go out of his comfort zone and express more than just anger. He wasn't always good at it, okay he mostly fucking sucked at it, but once in a while he said or did the right thing.

He sat there staring into her pleading blue eyes for an eternity, trying to will himself to say the words she needed to hear. He felt like his tongue weighed a hundred pounds and he couldn't move it to answer her. Her gaze never left his, forcing him to stay where he was. She knew he was helpless against her evil woman gaze.

When he couldn't take it another minute, he did the only thing he could. He kissed her. Their faces were so close together already that doing so was as simple as letting out a breath. Aisla's whole body relaxed into him as he wrapped a hand in her hair and felt the soft locks, letting his thumb caress her cheek briefly. This woman turned him into something he never thought possible. He didn't hate it anymore, but that didn't mean he wasn't still fighting it.

When they pulled apart, her eyes were back to normal again, a happy smile on her face. "Okay, Katsuki," she murmured, kissing his lips once more. "Okay."

It was long since dark the first time it happened. They had been living together for almost five months at the time and had known each other for over two years. Bakugo had been asleep for a while, dreaming of how great his new move was against the villains he'd fought that day, even if they had been lame ones that hadn't taken much effort.

He'd gone to bed after a conversation with Aisla. She'd asked him if he was happy, if he was happy with her. He hadn't been able to give her a verbal answer. He was much too embarrassed for that sort of mushy crap. But he'd done what he could to show her how he felt, even if he wasn't always sure himself. She seemed content, though and went to her own room soon after.

A few hours later, Bakugo heard his bedroom door creak open. He didn't open his eyes, his only thought was I really need to fix that squeak. But when the faint glow from the nightlight Aisla kept in the hallway between their rooms and the bathroom briefly illuminated the space behind his eyes, he blinked them open only to find the room dark once more. He closed them, thinking he must have imagined it.

The bed suddenly dipped on one side. His eyes flew open but he didn't turn around. A small, warm frame slid under the covers at his back and curled up there, fingers gripping the back of his t-shirt. She buried her face in his back and clung to him, shaking slightly as if frightened.

"Whoa," he said into the darkness. He tried twisting his head to look at her but she just held on tighter. "What's up, Aisla? The hell happened to you?"

"I-I'm sorry, Kacchan." Her voice shook, too, making him instantly on high alert. He broke her hold on his shirt so he could turn to face her, propping himself up on an elbow and looking down into her tear-filled eyes. She looked terrified.

"What the hell happened?!" He demanded, unsure what else to say in this situation. "Are you hurt or something?" He searched her face but found no visible signs of harm. When she didn't respond, he pushed back the blankets and looked at the rest of her body. She wore only a silk nightgown that was pulled up, revealing pale panties underneath. He thought nothing of it right away, thinking only of checking her body for bruises or cuts. Nothing.

Her hand gripped his shirt once more. He looked down at her pained expression, feeling more helpless than he ever had in his life. "WHAT?!" He exclaimed. "TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG!"

"Kacchan," she whimpered through her tears. "Please, let me stay with you tonight. Please." Her eyes closed as she let sobs take over her body. He just stared in confusion. There was nothing in the damn romance books (the ones he definitely hadn't read) about what to do when a woman cries! Was she dying?! Should he call an ambulance?!

Her hand pulled on his shirt, making him stumble forward and land on her chest. The feel of her breasts against his chest through her thin nightgown made him freeze in place. "Please," she begged him. She was trying to take control of her sobs, to make them stop, but she just kept shaking. "Hold me, Katsuki. I need you to hold me."

"Hold you?" He repeated the words in disbelief. "Like-like that?" He gestured at her half-dressed body, feeling uncomfortable at the thought of a half-naked girl in his bed.

"Please…" She squeezed her eyes shut, lips quivering. She was waiting for rejection, he realized. That was something he would do. Tell her to get the hell out of his room and leave him alone.

Not tonight, asshole. Look at her face; she needs your dumbass.

"Okay."

He lay down on his back and felt her curl into him, her head against his chest, arm and leg draped over him. Ignoring his need to flee, he let his arm wrap around her from behind and hold her close like she wanted. His free hand found hers and linked their fingers. She still shook but less so than when she'd first gotten into his bed.

I'm sorry, Mom, he thought to himself. I have a half-naked girl in my bed and I'm not asking her to leave.

"What happened?" He tried again. Unconsciously, his fingers were caressing the bare skin of Aisla's arm and tangling in her hair. He'd never felt so comfortable or safe but wasn't sure why.

"It was awful," she whispered, voice a strangled sob. "I had a nightmare that you told me you hated me and then turned into a villain and killed all of our friends. You were so mean. I've never seen you like that before, Kacchan. Please don't ever let your anger get the best of you like that. I don't want to lose you. I love you."

He had no words of comfort at the moment. He was too stunned. Aisla had had a nightmare…about him? She'd seen him choose to be a villain and then kill everyone? He wondered what details she wasn't sharing about what he'd done to her specifically. Was she afraid that he would use that against her later?

He held her tighter, again ignoring the need to push her away because that was exactly what she was afraid of. Never had Bakugo seen her so upset. He wasn't going to make it worse by being the villain she feared he would become. "I won't ever do that stupid shit to you, okay? I promise."

That seemed to satisfy her, and once her sobs had died down she fell asleep, right in his arms where she belonged.

After that night, by some unspoken agreement he was not privy to, Aisla would slip into his bed every night once he'd fallen asleep. He pretended not to notice for a while, and the two wouldn't talk about it in the mornings, just got up and went about their day as if all was normal. And then one day she didn't wait for him to fall asleep at all, she just got right into his fucking bed without a word.

"You know you have your own bed, right?" He said as he flicked off the light and got into bed with her anyway. Aisla's head found it's spot on his chest and she snuggled in for the night like she fucking owned it.

"Yours is more comfy," she reasoned. She didn't say that it was because of him, to which he was grateful. He could pretend that she only wanted to be in his bed because of the mattress and not because he was involved. "I like it when you don't wear a shirt." She added a moment later.

Her sudden comment had him stiff as a board and this close to throwing her out. He had forgotten to put one back on after his shower. He'd been a little distracted by the girl in his bed. The girl who happened to wear a lot less clothing these days, or at least nights. Currently, she wore one of his t-shirts and some panties and nothing else. At least, he hoped she had on some damn underwear.

"Well maybe if you didn't steal them, I'd have one to wear." He snapped, definitely not blushing at the thought of Aisla in his shirt.

Her hand glided up his bare chest and stomach, feeling the ridges with her fingertips. Her breath was hot on his skin and seemed heavier than usual. Bakugo, on the other hand, wasn't breathing at all. He'd caught his breath when her hand started moving and wasn't able to let it out.

"I like it," her tone was a purr, like a cat. It was pure evil. Her lips pressed against his skin in a soft kiss. "I love you…"

"I'm tired." The words were choked out and hoarse from the breath he'd been holding.

"Okay." She kissed his cheek this time. "Do you want me to leave?"

Yes.

No.

I don't know.

"Do whatever you want, I'm sleeping." He wrapped his arm around her back as he had every night and closed his eyes, knowing she would stay right where she was.

The next morning, Aisla wasn't in the bed with him when he awoke as she had been every other day. He sat up in bed, suddenly feeling panicked that something had happened. Aisla wasn't an early riser. She usually had to be dragged out of bed or coerced out with a cup of coffee. His eyes darted around the room, looking for her and finding nothing but empty space. He bolted out of bed and threw open the bedroom door.

"AISLA!" He called out loudly. Murmured voices from the kitchen. Was she in trouble?! He raced down the hall and threw open the kitchen door, ready to take on an army of villains.

His mother sat there, holding a cup of tea between her hands and giving him a disapproving look as her gaze traveled down his body and then back up to his face. Aisla also sat there with tea in hand, still wearing his t-shirt…

Oh fuck. Why couldn't it have been villains?

He glanced down at his still-bare chest and wished he had just died that day long ago, when All Might saved him from that snot villain. If he had, he wouldn't have to endure the pain of his own mother seeing him shirtless while his girlfriend paraded around in nothing but his missing shirt…

If there's a god, take me now.

"Mom, I—" He started, but her loud, angry voice interrupted him.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, KATSUKI?! WE TAUGHT YOU BETTER THAN TO WALK AROUND SHIRTLESS. ANYONE COULD COME BY AND SEE YOU LIKE THAT! ANYONE WOULD WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT BODY, YOU FUCKING MORON!"

He balled his hands into fists. "IT'S MY APARTMENT AND I'LL WALK AROUND HOWEVER THE HELL I WANT! NO ONE EVEN INVITED YOU, SO WHAT THE HELL GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO BURST IN HERE AND DEMAND WHAT I WEAR IN FRONT OF MY OWN GIRLFRIEND!"

"Girlfriend?!" Aisla exclaimed, voice full of joy, eyes sparkling with stars.

He turned on her. "AND YOU, GO PUT SOME DAMN CLOTHES ON, MY MOTHER IS HERE!"

"What happened to us being able to wear what we want in our own home?" She asked with a pout.

"THAT DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU! PUT SOME DAMN PANTS ON!"

She rolled her eyes, but after giving his mother a knowing smile, she left the room, hopefully in search of clothes.

"I like her," said his mother in a normal volume.

"You do?" He asked in disbelief. "But she's half-naked. In my shirt." He didn't know why he felt the need to point this out.

"Yes, I am aware that young people have sex, son." She rolled her eyes as if that weren't a perfectly obviously deduction.

His face went bright red. "I NEVER SAID WE WERE DOING ANYTHING LIKE THAT! WE JUST SLEEP TOGETHER SOMETIMES, THAT'S ALL!"

She waved a dismissive hand. "Call it what you want, Katsuki, as long as you're happy that's all that matters to your father and me."

"That's not what I—"

"I actually came by just to congratulate you on becoming the number five hero in such a short time. Your father wants you and your little girlfriend to come by for a celebratory dinner this weekend. What do you say?"

Aisla came in then before he could give his mother a response. She'd changed into shorts and one of her own t-shirts. She'd left her hair down, but it looked like she'd at least run a brush through it in an attempt to straighten it out.

"What do you say about what?" She asked, smiling at them both.

"We're going to dinner this weekend," he deadpanned.

"Don't sound so enthused," his mother said with equal flatness. She got to her feet and bowed at Aisla, thanking her for the tea, then bid them farewell and left. Geez. Everyone was always crowding their apartment, it seemed.

Aisla wrapped her arms around him from behind as he stared at the door. Her lips pressed against his back, which was still bare. "You're mom thinks we're having sex." Her tone was light and teasing. Bakugo wanted to go die from embarrassment.

"I'm going to go die now," he declared and started in the direction of his room. He needed to shower and contemplate what just happened before he blew a gasket. His mother had come to his home. His mother had seen his not-girlfriend in his t-shirt. His mother had seen him without a t-shirt. His mother thought he was having sex. He was definitely going to die today.

Bakugo's "celebratory dinner" was not what he had expected. He and Aisla had shown up around six-thirty on Saturday expecting it to be this small get together thing with just his parents. But when they arrived, he found at least a hundred people there, including his old classmates.

"Surprise!" Rang a chorus of people he hated when he and Aisla walked through the front door. He squeezed her hand tight in his sudden shock and anger, enough to make her yelp in pain. He tugged her past the congratulators that all tried to hug him or give him a high five or whatever and went straight for the study where he knew his mother would be waiting for him.

"MOTHER!" He slammed the door open and found her standing there with Mr. Aizawa and All Might and a few other teachers from UA. "This is a nightmare." He muttered aloud.

"I would be in your nightmares." Mr. Aizawa said with a straight face.

"Come now, young Bakugo!" All Might stood tall and strong. "No need to fear, because I am here!"

Bakugo turned and left the study without another word, letting the door slam shut behind him. "I'm in a fucking nightmare," he told Aisla, whose hand he still gripped like a python. He didn't notice. He wasn't using her as a safe zone. He was brave.

"Kacchan! Aisla! Hey!"

"Hi, Midoriya!" Aisla greeted politely.

"DEKU." Bakugo growled under his breath. "I HATE YOU FOR TEACHING HER THAT STUPID FUCKING NICKNAME, YOU QUIRKLESS FREAK!"

He gave an embarrassed laugh. "Kacchan? That was so many years ago, I don't even remember talking to her about it." The guilty expression he wore said he was lying through his teeth but Bakugo decided to ignore it for now. He pulled Aisla away from the freak and looked for someone more sane to talk to. Surely his mother had invited someone he liked. Sudden;y, his eyes burned with fury.

He found Kirishima and let him have it. "YOU ORCHESTRATED THIS SHIT, DIDN'T YOU?!" He accused him, shaking a fist in his face. It occurred to him only seconds after he'd caught sight of his stupid arrogant face. "YOU PUT MY MOTHER UP TO THIS!"

He shrugged in a 'what can I say' way. "Nice to see you've got that pretty gem on your arm this evening." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Aisla. Bakugo punched him, knowing he'd see it coming and feel nothing. Kirishima laughed. "Did your dumbass finally accept that she's yours or are you still living in denial?"

"I'm not in denial!"

"Good," Kirishima smacked him hard in the back. "Show that pretty thing off like the prize she is. She's hot as fuck. Let everyone know that Katsuki Bakugo is rolling with an eleven." More suggestive eye movements.

"We're leaving." He pulled Aisla alongside him, too overwhelmed to really do anything at the moment. There was no safe zone in this house. There were people everywhere. This was worst than a villain attack! He'd take that over this shit any day. At least he was allowed to punch people in an attack.

"Katsuki." Aisla's voice called out to him from the void. He looked down at her, at the steadying blue of her eyes and the golden shine of her painstakingly curled hair. The way her midnight blue dress brought out the color in her eyes even more than usual, and how the silky fabric clung to every single curve in all the right ways…

'She's hot as fuck,' Kirishima had said. He wasn't wrong. This girl was indeed hot as fuck.

"Let's get some food," she suggested. "I bet we'll stumble across someone you want to talk to, and if not then just act like you're too busy chewing!"

That wasn't a terrible idea, he supposed.

They found some food and settled in at the kitchen island. There were only two stools there so if anyone wanted to bother them they'd have to stand. They wouldn't stay very long, he hoped. Although… He supposed everyone was already standing at the party so it probably wouldn't make a difference. He scowled into his dip.

"Want to make a break for it?" Aisla whispered conspiratorially.

He gave her a 'who the hell are you?' face. She winked. He grinned back evilly. He knew just what to do.

An hour later, they were stumbling back into their apartment, laughing at how sneaky they thought they were. They felt like school children once more, sneaking out of the bedroom window to go be together. Not that they ever did that, but it was still fun to pretend that's what they were doing now.

"That was so fun~!" Aisla sang as she plopped down onto the sofa, grinning up at him. Her face was gorgeous, so full of happiness—happiness he'd brought to her. It was a strange feeling.

Her hair was splayed out on the seat and her feet, still clad in her high heels, hung over the edge of the small sofa. He looked down at her slender ankles and felt the need to touch them. He didn't know why, only that he wanted to feel the bare skin of her little feet.

He stepped closer and began unstrapping the shoes, letting them fall unceremoniously to the floor. Her eyes watched him, he could see them from his periphery but didn't dare look up just yet. And if he wasn't mistaken, her breathing had become heavier.

When the foot was free, he just held it against his chest for a moment, and then caressed the skin with his fingertips, sending a shiver through Aisla's whole body. He heard her sharp intake of breath followed by a long, deep sigh. When he braved a glance up, he noticed that her dress had been pushed up when she'd fallen into the couch. It wasn't as if he'd never seen her in her underwear before, but these…

Those are new, he thought but wasn't entirely sure how he knew that. Surely he hadn't seen every pair of her underwear in the last few weeks? But something about them made him think they were not one of her normal pairs. They were lacy and almost see-through, the exact color of her eyes when she cried.

"Do you…like them?" She spoke quietly, with the faintest twinge of fear in her words. Did she think he was going to tell her she looked stupid? He hadn't exactly complimented her outfit choice, but he hadn't thought he needed to. If she'd chosen to wear this, he assumed she already knew she looked hot. She was the sexiest thing to walk this earth, he often thought, but he'd die before uttering those words aloud. But god-fucking-damn did she look sexy laid out before him like that.

"It's okay if you touch me. I won't fall apart. I'm not frail."

The memory of that day in the clearing emboldened him. His hand moved up and down the length of her calf, eyes meeting hers once more. There was a certain gleam in them he'd witnessed only a handful of times in their time together but had never been sure what it meant.

The first time he noticed that look was when they had been practicing with their quirks back in high school and Aisla had accidentally fallen onto his chest. His hands had instinctively reached out to catch her and rested on her back. Their faces had been centimeters apart. If he'd just breathed they would have been kissing.

But they hadn't. He'd pushed her away as he did so many times and they went back to fighting. Another memory was from not too long ago after Aisla had started sleeping in his bed. She got into bed with him one night and he'd turned to face her, arms encircling her and pulling her body against his before he'd known what he was doing. He'd woken with a start and realized his lips were brushing hers.

Aisla's eyes had gleamed in the same way they did now. They seemed to be asking for something, or telling him something, he couldn't tell but was too embarrassed to ask outright. She was doing that lip chewing thing again, too and for some reason, even though he'd seen her do so on a number of occasions, tonight it made him want to bite them for her.

Her leg slid out of his hold, giving him a brief feeling of emptiness. He watched her slowly place both bare feet onto the floor and stand, never losing eye contact. Her blazing eyes dared him to do something, but he didn't know what she wanted him to do. So he stood there, frozen as she crossed the few feet of space between them and placed her hands on his chest.

"I really do love you, Katsuki." Her words were a promise and he believed her wholeheartedly. He would never understand why this girl cared for him when he'd been nothing but mean to her, but she stayed loyal through everything. He didn't deserve her.

"That's fucking stupid," he breathed, then because he couldn't wait another second, he pressed his lips to hers. She let out a sound of pleasure that even brash Bakugo wasn't immune to. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine which seemed to excite her more.

He didn't know what had changed or when things had changed or why tonight was different from any other night, but their kiss was much deeper and intense than it ever had been before. Maybe because he'd always stopped it before it got like this, or maybe he'd been too stupid to notice. Their mouths moved, tongues dancing, hands touching everywhere at once.

She pulled back once to gaze up at him with that gleam. He could almost decipher what it meant, why she sometimes looked that way. He thought for a moment that she wanted him to stop, that she'd had enough of this kissing shit, but her lips just pulled back into a knowing smile as she took his hand and led him into his room, walking backward so their gazes never broke.

He kicked the door shut behind them and immediately captured her lips once more. He needed her kiss, her touch, like he needed air to breathe. And even though he'd never done this before, he somehow knew what was about to happen and he had no intention of stopping it. Not tonight.

His hands played with the bottom of her dress skirt, teasing, loving the feel of her lips curling up into a smile against his. He broke their kiss to pull the fabric over her head and toss it aside. Her body was goddess-like in his eyes. Her burning gaze set his insides aflame. Her soft touch like electric shocks. He wasn't sure what was happening to his body, but he didn't hate it. This feeling wasn't unlike what he felt amidst a tough battle, but somehow also entirely different all at once.

She stood completely still as his eyes drank in her almost naked form. His hands reached out and touched her softly like she was a porcelain doll, fragile in his hands. Her skin was smooth and hot as he explored every inch of it. He let one hand glide over her panties, which were thin as silk. She let out a moan, her head falling back and eyes closing. He'd never seen anything like it. He wanted to see it again and again, to be the one who made her like this.

A sense of pride filled him as he touched her again, this time dipping his fingers lower. Her body moved to meet his hand as if begging for more—more of him. She wanted him to touch her like this. It made him bolder than he actually was.

"T-Take it off." He stammered out the words and swallowed the lump in his throat.

Her eyes opened, breath still heavy. He gave a shaky nod toward her underwear and she took a single step back. Her fingers hooked the top of her panties and she pushed them down, letting them drop to the floor. Bakugo's eyes traveled down, taking in the sight before him.

"I want you, Kacchan." Her hands reached behind her to unclasp her bra. It fell to the floor between them, forgotten instantly. "I want all of you. Tonight."

Oh the embarrassment.

But holy shit is she hot right now.

Bakugo and Aisla had technically, though he'd never admit to it, been together for over two years now and had never so much as slept in the same bed until recently. Never, never had they been naked with one another. His mother thought they were having sex because Aisla had been in his t-shirt. But they hadn't crossed that threshold yet. Kissing was the most they'd ever done, and even that wasn't an everyday thing.

He'd never seen her shirtless and he'd never seen her without a bra and underwear. Her breasts were average, he supposed, not huge by any means but not small either. They were perfect, he thought and kind of wanted to know what they would feel like if he held them in his hands.

"Kacchan," she called his attention back to her, giving him those fluttery lashes again. "Please be with me tonight. No holding back."

She was asking for a lot from him. He wasn't the type to just let go and let loose. He couldn't turn his brain off, even for a minute. However, when he was with her, in moments like these, he was able to push the thoughts aside for a while. He could do it for her.

He gave her one of his rare smiles. He had practiced them in the mirror on occasion and thought he looked like a sociopath so he didn't often attempt to use one. Each time he did, though, Aisla's whole face would light up. She didn't look at him like she thought his smile was weird, she looked happy.

"I love your smile," she said now as if reading his thoughts. To this day he swore she could do that. "I want to see you, too." She gave a light tug on his jacket. He swallowed the lump in his throat, gave a quick nod, and let her push the coat off his shoulders. He had to help her with the sleeves because he wanted the damn thing to just get off already. He didn't know why he felt that way, just that his clothing suddenly felt very intrusive.

Her fingernails grazed his skin through his thin shirt then tugged at the hem, eyebrows lifting in question, asking his permission once more. He didn't move as she slid her hands up, taking the shirt with them. She pulled it over his head and tossed it across the room.

She had seen him shirtless only twice before. Once was when she walked into his room after he'd showered and caught him without one, and once from the other day, when he let her sleep against his bare chest and she'd kissed the skin there. Even so, her eyes and hands traveled all over it like it was the first time she'd seen it. He liked the way her eyes took in every detail, even though it made him feel completely naked and exposed at the same time.

Her hands went down to his belt now and pulled it free. The loud clang as it hit the floor made them both jump, then laugh. Aisla's fingers hooked in his belt loops and pulled him closer, not that he needed much urging at the moment. He captured her mouth once more, unable to resist the invisible pull that bound them together.

Between the two of them, they managed to get his pants off without breaking the kiss. They fell into bed with Bakugo hovering over her so he wouldn't squish her. Her legs were wrapped around his back as if trying to keep him from pulling away.

A hand moved up her long leg, over the expanse of her stomach, and came to rest on her bare breast. His thumb played with the nipple there, eliciting moans of pleasure from her.

His body moved of its own accord, grinding against her through his boxer shorts. They both gasped at the new feeling this brought forth, breaking their kiss at last. Their eyes met, each gaze seeming to search the other for something—permission, maybe. Aisla's hand glided down shakily, nervously and touched him through his shorts. He let out a primal sound and almost collapsed onto her. He'd never had anyone touch him here before. He didn't know how one touch could send his whole body into spasms.

"I want you," Aisla repeated as she stroked him.

"And I want you," he breathed.

Her eyes shimmered and she smiled. "Take me, Katsuki. Show me how you love me."

When they finished, Aisla lay against his chest as she had each night for the last three weeks, only this time was different. Bakugo felt sated and comfortable now, tired even. They lay there silently for a long time, each basking in the after-sex glow. He was afraid of ruining the moment by speaking. He always said the wrong things, but at least for tonight, he was pretty sure he'd at least done the right thing.

"Are you…happy or whatever?" He asked, trying to remember the exact words she'd asked him the other night.

"I'm so happy, Kacchan." She snuggled into him. "I love you more than ever."

"Guess that makes you my girlfriend. Or whatever." He muttered under his breath, recalling Kirishima's "advice" about "sealing the deal".

She laughed. "I was always your girlfriend, but glad to see you're finally accepting it." She kissed his chest. "I love being your girlfriend," she said.

"Why?"

He felt her shoulders rise. "I just love you. You're an amazing person, and no one has ever made me feel the ways that you do. I was so lost and alone before I met you. You saved me; you're my hero."

"Shut up, you're being sappy." There was only so much he could handle in one lifetime.

"You love it," she accused teasingly.

"I DON'T LOVE IT, NOW GO TO SLEEP."

She giggled. "Okay, lover."

"DON'T EVER SAY THAT ALOUD AGAIN!" He snapped, embarrassment at her words, and now that the reality of what they'd just done had set in, turned his cheeks red.

"Thank you for being with me…" She whispered against his chest. He wasn't sure if she meant being with her intimately or being with her in the relationship sense, but either way those words made him smile into the darkness.

Thank you for being with me, Aisla Haru.