Chapter Eight: Wounded

Shoto carried Aisla down the hall to where Recovery Girl was stationed for the event. She didn't say anything as they walked, and she kept her face angled down so he couldn't see her expression. He wondered if she was more upset about what went down during their first exam, or about Bakugo dumping her on Shoto as soon as he walked into the room. If it was the latter, then it was Shoto's fault for what he'd said to the hothead.

She's my friend, too.

Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.

It was true, Aisla was his friend and he had no doubt in his mind that she felt the same way. However, even though she spent the majority of her time with Shoto, he knew that her heart belonged to Bakugo. It was this live grenade that had her crying into Shoto's shirt one day and skipping across campus the next.

What does she see in him? he wondered. Bakugo was just as cruel to Aisla as he was to anyone else. He said things that hurt her and isolated her when he felt embarrassed. His feelings—if one could even call them feelings—were a high-speed roller coaster. Shoto would never understand what drove his friend to seek that boy out.

"I'm sorry," Aisla murmured as she clutched his shirt with trembling fingers. "I'm sorry you have to do this."

Why is she apologizing?

"It's my duty as your best friend to carry you to safety," he announced grandly.

As hoped, she laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess you're right." A sigh. "Still…I know you probably have more important things to do than drag me around. I really can walk. I'm not in that much pain."

"I'm going to carry you anyway," he said, ignoring her request. "Helping the people I care about is important to me," he said. It wasn't something he'd known about himself for long. Before his battle with Midoriya in the Sport's Festival, Shoto hardly ever concerned himself with others. He was still learning who he was and who he wanted to become. What he did know was that there were people who mattered in his life, like his mother and siblings—people he wanted to understand better, who he wanted to be there for. And after meeting Aisla, well… "I need to make sure my friend is taken care of."

"Thanks, Shoto…" she whispered, then buried her face in his shirt.

She's still shaking…but why?

"What happened out there, Aisla?" he asked.

"It was awful…" she croaked.

"Was it…was it that guy?" What the hell was his name? "Shishibob?"

"Shishikura," she corrected with a tired sigh. "He was there…on the bridge. I…" She shuddered and clung to him even tighter. "I was so afraid." This confession was whispered through gritted teeth, dripping with something like shame. "It's so stupid. It's just an exam and he's just another student—and I tried to be brave but…it was like…he still had power over me."

"Aisla…" He held her against him as best he could while still walking. He sympathized with her feelings in a strange way. Not long ago, he'd been performing in the Sports Festival, fully aware of the man in the stands whose presence had power over him, too. He almost told her this but decided against it. It wasn't the time or place for him to dig into his family trauma. What mattered was how Aisla felt now. Did she feel safe in his arms? Did she wish it was Bakugo comforting her instead?

Probably not, he decided. Bakugo wasn't the best person to go to for comfort. She'd have better luck asking a cactus for a hug, probably. However… That didn't mean she wasn't disappointed that Shoto was the one hugging her in his place.

Shoto wasn't an expert on social dynamics, friendly or otherwise, but he got the sense that there was a very fine line between what was appropriate and what was not in their relationship. If he were one of her girlfriends it would be different, but since he was a guy, he couldn't do or say some of the same things a girl could. That was how it worked, right? Sometimes he felt like his relationship with Aisla was bordering on something, but he could never decide what exactly that meant for them. Regardless, he tried to be careful with what he said.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," he acknowledged. "I shouldn't have just abandoned you."

"Don't be silly," she told him, brushing off her feelings like she always did. "You were right that your power could potentially hurt the rest of us. It wasn't your fault I ended up alone. It was that earthquake guy, Shindo. The one from the other school. He forced our group to separate. Even if you'd been there, everything would have played out the same way."

He was shaking his head before she'd even finished speaking. "Not necessarily. I could have helped you. I could have stopped the attack or—"

"Shoto…" Aisla held his face and forced him to look at her. "It wasn't your fault I ended up fighting Shishikura. He was out to get me. Regardless of your presence, he would have found a way to accomplish his goals. He hates me."

Shoto frowned. "Why does he hate you?"

Aisla closed her eyes and sighed. "He thinks he's in love with me."

The disgust in her tone was almost humorous, but he chose to keep that thought to himself. Shoto couldn't really blame the other guy. Aisla was a sweet, genuine person who always gave more than she took. She made Shoto feel better all the time, with her soft smiles and pretty words.

"I guess he thinks I broke his heart or something." Her voice was suddenly fierce. "But I hate his creepy guts!" She opened her eyes and rolled them heavenward.

This time he smiled. "Well, Creepy Guts is out of the game, I heard. So you won't have to deal with him again today."

He found the appropriate door and managed to open it without putting Aisla down first, despite her protests. There were a couple of other students already inside, but there was a free cot that he immediately decided was for her. He plopped her right down, earning a surprised gasp in response.

"We need Recovery Girl!" he shouted to no one in particular. He didn't see her upon entering the room and had to guess she was busy tending to one of the other patients. There were a few beds concealed from view behind white curtains. That was probably where she was now.

Aisla needs your attention.

"I'll be right with you!" came a muffled reply.

"You should get back now," Aisla suggested. "The others are probably wondering where you went."

He offered her a smile. "No one would be looking for me except for you, Aisla. Sorry, but you can't get rid of me that easily. I'm not going to leave until you're better."

"I'm fine!" she insisted. "I'm not even that hurt."

Her expression said believe me, but her body told a different story. Cuts, bruises, and burns from Kaminari's quirk covered her skin, and the way her left arm hung against her side suggested it had gotten injured as well. He hoped it wasn't broken at least, but she was making a good show of pretending it didn't hurt so it was hard to say.

"I'll be miserable without you," he deadpanned.

She giggled. "Aren't you suave? You can stay if you really want to, but I don't want you missing out on anything important."

He rolled his eyes. "Trust me, there's nothing important going on right now. We're still waiting for the rest of the one-hundred students to pass the exam."

"Well, what do we have here?"

Recovery Girl finally stepped out from behind one of the curtains and stood beside Aisla's bed, peering curiously at all the chaos that was her skin. She shook her head and tsked, muttering something about the ridiculousness of allowing children to fight one another.

"Lie back now, dear. Let me give you a check-up."

Aisla obeyed, but Shoto noticed the wince she tried to conceal from him. Her eyes fell on him as if she knew she hadn't succeeded. He arched an eyebrow.

I know you're in pain, he silently accused.

She turned her head in the opposite direction.

Recovery Girl noticed the injured arm right away and let out a heavy sigh. She picked it up and Aisla sucked in a sharp breath. "My goodness," she chastised. "You're lucky this is nothing more than a dislocated shoulder. Easy enough to fix, but it's going to hurt."

Shoto took Aisla's free hand and squeezed, knowing all too well what it felt like to have something popped back into place. He'd been there himself on multiple occasions, and not just as a student at UA.

She gave him a grateful smile which turned into a cross-eyed expression of pain when Recovery Girl snapped the arm into place without warning. To her credit, Aisla didn't cry out. He'd learned the first time they trained together that she was much tougher than she looked, a trait he admired about her.

"That'll do," Recovery Girl noted with a nod. "Now, what else is bothering you…?" Without waiting for a response, she started prodding her in various places. When she pressed on her stomach, Aisla gave a shriek of pain. Her hand flew up and clapped over her mouth to cover the sound.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized without moving her hand. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Shoto frowned.

Recovery Girl turned a pointed look over at Shoto. "Avert your gaze, boy. I have to see what her stomach looks like now."

"It's fine…" Aisla said softly. "It's not that bad.

Recovery Girl huffed and rolled her eyes, but lifted the shirt anyway. It was all Shoto could do not to gasp in surprise. Her exposed torso was charred and burned, and a gash the size of his hand went right down the middle of it, caked in dried blood.

Why hadn't he noticed it before? He was such an idiot. He knew she was more hurt than she was letting on to, but this?

"That's got to hurt," Recovery Girl stated with another sigh. "How did this happen?"

Aisla turned sheepish and avoided eye contact. "I wasn't being careful enough."

Why is she being so evasive?

"Well, I'll do what I can but that one is going to hurt much worse than your arm," the doctor warned.

Aisla nodded and brushed away stray tears. "Thank you."

Smooooch!

Recovery Girl used her quirk to heal Aisla as much as possible, but her stomach was badly injured and had to be wrapped in bandages to keep out infection. She informed Aisla that she could come back the next day and she'd try healing it again, but for the remainder of the test she'd just need to be careful.

I'm such a terrible friend, he thought when they were alone once more. Why wasn't I there for you? I call myself a hero, but I… I don't even know what being a hero means to me. If it means protecting my friends from harm, then I'm a failure.

"Look Aisla," he began.

"I have to get up…" She cut him off before he could voice his apology. She groaned as she flung her legs over the side of the hospital bed and tried to stand.

"No, Aisla." Shoto tried to push her back down. "You need to rest for a while. Don't worry about the exam right now. That's not important."

Please, Aisla. Worry about yourself for once.

"It is, Shoto!" She cried. "It is important! I have to do this—not just for myself but for everyone else, too. You're all doing your best and going Plus Ultra and I want to, too!"

Aisla…

Shoto felt taken aback. The desperation in her tone surprised him. Her eyes spilled the tears that had just been a shining promise a moment ago. Shockingly, they also shone with a determination he'd never seen before. Did getting her provisional license really mean that much to her? More than her own safety?

Why are you so adamant about this? he wondered. Did it have something to do with that Shiketsu guy? Or maybe she still thought that her quirk was inferior to everyone else in their class and she felt the need to prove herself in the only way she knew how.

She gripped his hand in hers and held his gaze. "I have to do this," she pleaded.

He nodded. "I know." He squeezed her hand gently to assure her that he understood, or could at least relate to her determination to prove herself on her own merits. "But we don't know what's coming up next. You have to be extra careful, especially with those injuries." He gave her stomach a pointed look.

She averted her gaze and hugged her arms around her torso. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you."

He pressed a hand against her cheek and suppressed a pang of remorse. Was she that insecure about her own injuries? Did she really think she was putting everyone out just by hurting?

"Aisla, it doesn't make you a failure when you lose a fight," he murmured, hoping to reassure her. "It doesn't make you any less of a hero, either. I know you held your own out there. You're amazing."

She peered up at him through shimmering eyes. "You really think so?"

He nodded. "I know so. I've trained with you, remember? I've seen how great you are."

Her face lit up and she pulled him in for an embrace, nearly making him lose his balance. "Thank you, Roki," she whispered.

He felt a soft smile lift his lips.

Aisla. Why do I feel so protective over you? I've never had a friend like you before. I've never…had a friend before at all. You care so deeply for me, and I don't do anything in return. I don't know how to be a good friend.

"I know what you're thinking," she murmured, and pulled back to give him a mischievous grin.

I have no doubt that you do, he silently mused. He often thought this girl could read minds. That, or she had some insane intuition.

"Don't worry about me," she advised. "I'll be fine. I'm not in much pain now."

"That's not what I'm worried about," he said.

She arched an eyebrow. "Oh? So you don't care if I'm in pain?"

His lips twitched. This girl.

"Of course I do." He offered her a hand and helped her down, noticing the sharp intake of breath she tried to hide.

She gave him a weak smile. "Let's kick some ass, Roki!" She lifted a fist toward him and gave him an expectant look.

"What is that?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"It's a fist bump! You know, for camaraderie and solidarity! Just give me some knuckles!"

"I'm not doing that," he refused.

She waggled the fist for emphasis. "Come on, you'll love it!"

"Pretty sure I won't."

"Please?!" she begged, shaking the fist so hard now she looked like Iida when he was trying to get everyone's attention. "It'll make me feel better!"

He rolled his eyes at that, but pressed his fist against hers anyway. "There," he said flatly, then turned toward the door. "I'm leaving now, with or without you."

"Wait, I'm coming!"

He held the door open for her. "After you."

She smiled gratefully and stepped through the door, only to come to a sudden halt. A small gasp escaped her lips just a millisecond before he realized what froze her in place. His lips mouthed the word in sync with her whispered response:

"Katsuki."

Aisla froze in the doorway, wondering if she was really seeing him or if her mind was playing tricks on her. He was slumped against the opposite wall, hands stuffed in pockets, and expression unreadable. She thought she saw guilt written there, but the sneer that curled the edges of his lips made it hard to distinguish. Maybe he was just upset, but she couldn't say why.

"Katsuki," she whispered, using his given name even though Shoto was by her side. "What are you doing here?"

He shuffled his feet but still refused to look at her. "You were taking forever," he mumbled noncommittally. Though, she suspected this wasn't the reason for his sudden appearance. Something about his tone made her smile. Was he worried about her? Why else would he come all this way just to stand around waiting for her?

"She had a dislocated shoulder and burns on her stomach," Shoto supplied, unhelpfully.

She scowled but neither boy noticed. "I'm fine," she lied, even as the pain made her want to just run away and cry. Her stomach throbbed and made nausea twist her insides. She tried not to wince as she stepped further into the hallway, each step sending a fresh wave of pain through her middle.

"I wasn't worried," Katsuki muttered defensively. "I was just getting bored out there with all those losers."

"Sure you were." Shoto rolled his eyes. "Well, I better get going. I'm going to go check on our other classmates. You've got it from here, right, Bakugo?"

If Aisla didn't know any better, she'd say his tone was a challenge. She arched an eyebrow at him but he ignored it and stepped past her. He made his way down the hall without another word. She stared after him until he was out of sight and then turned back to Katsuki.

"I'm sorry," she said at the same time he uttered, "Listen."

They locked gazes, hers pleading while he was surprised.

"You better not apologize," he warned in a low voice.

"But—"

"NO," he cut her off sharply and stepped forward, hand reaching forward like he was going to touch her but then hanging awkwardly in the air like he couldn't decide what to do with it. "Don't you dare apologize. I'm the one who fucked up. I'm the one…" he swallowed hard. "I let this happen. This is my fault."

She sucked in a surprised breath. "Katsuki…"

"I didn't even know how badly you were hurt…" he whispered.

She reached for the hand he still held in the air and entwined her fingers with his. He stared at their linked hands for a long moment, eyes wide in either surprise or horror. She hoped it was the former.

"It wasn't your fault," she said pleadingly. "Please know that. It was all me and my useless quirk. If I was just a little stronger—" A sob threatened and she hiccupped.

To her shock, Katsuki closed the space between them and pulled her against his chest. Tears dripped from her eyes and onto his shirt but he didn't seem to care. He held her there with his free hand fisted in her hair, the other still clamped tightly around hers.

"Your quirk isn't useless," he told her fiercely. "And neither are you, so shut up and stop being so hard on yourself."

She shuddered. "If I wasn't so weak, Shishikura wouldn't have beaten me."

"You idiot," he murmured into her ear. "That stupid meat is just a coward in disguise. How can you not see that?"

She blinked back tears. Was he? She didn't think he was scared of anything. He was ruthless, cruel, and scary. But a coward?

"I know what you're thinking," he growled. "And there's more to being brave than acting like a shithead. Just because you can annihilate people as easily as you can shit your pants, doesn't mean you're not afraid of them beating you."

"I'm not so sure," she whispered into his chest. "I'm the coward, not him."

"I told you to stop that!" he snapped. "You're not a coward, you're braver than at least half of those idiots in our class, probably almost as brave as me!"

She gasped. "But…my quirk…"

"What about it?" he grumbled. "You can reflect back any attack that comes your way. That's fucking awesome! All Shishkabob can do is throw his own flesh at people. Which is cowardly and unsanitary!"

She couldn't help the muffled giggle that escaped. "Maybe. I just wish I had a more useful quirk is all. If I could be more like you and Roki, I wouldn't have to be so afraid all the time. I want to be stronger. I want to be a real hero."

He pulled back and gripped her by the tops of her arms, holding her at eye level. "Aisla Haru, you are a real hero. Do you hear me?"

Her eyes filled with more tears but she desperately tried to blink them away. His expression held its usual hardness, but his eyes… Those were full of sincerity.

"It doesn't make you any less of a hero, either. I know you held your own out there. You're amazing."

Katsuki and Shoto believed in her, more than anyone else ever had. How could she stand there and cry when those two were rooting for her? She should stand tall and proud and be a beacon of hope for others, just like they were for her. Sure, her quirk wasn't made for offense, but that didn't mean she couldn't stand by her classmates as an equal.

"Yeah," she finally said and tried for a smile. "You're right, Katsuki."

He growled and let her go. "DON'T SAY I NEVER DID ANYTHING NICE FOR YOU!"

She sputtered a laugh. "I wouldn't dream of it. Thanks for being so amazing!"

His cheeks colored. "I DIDN'T GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SAY THAT!"

"No, but it's true." She grinned widely now, feeling at ease. She wasn't sure why, but something about Katsuki always made her feel so carefree.

"Can we go now?" he muttered with an adorable pout.

She shot him a thumbs-up. "Yeah! Let's do this thing!"

He huffed and started down the hall in the direction Shoto had gone. "Yeah, well don't expect me to babysit you during the next test! Use your own power, dammit!"

"I didn't ask you to do that," she pointed out.

"FINE, I'LL DO IT! YOU DON'T HAVE TO BEG ME!"

She stifled another laugh. "If you insist."

"I WON'T LIKE IT!" he warned her.

"I don't expect you to!" she assured him.

They rounded the corner and were immediately bombarded by their classmates.

"Aisla! You're okay! I was so worried when I saw Todoroki carrying you off!" Mina exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around the blonde and squeezed.

"Me too!" Toru cried as she threw herself into the embrace. "Our poor Aisla!"

Another person joined the huddle. "I thought Bakugo killed you when he brought you in!" Ochaco sobbed.

"I thought you simply passed out from your union of amour~" Aoyama proclaimed.

"I was more worried than anyone!" Kaminari added his arms to the hug as well, and Aisla gritted her teeth to keep from crying out in pain. She didn't miss the narrow-eyed look she got from Katsuki, letting her know he wasn't fooled by her act.

"SHUT THE HELL UP, SPARKPLUG!" he roared. "YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED; YOU WERE THE ONE WHO FRIED HER!"

"That's why I was so scared for you, darling girl!" Kaminari over-dramatized.

"GET YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF OF HER, YOU MORONS! CAN'T YOU SEE SHE'S HURT?!"

Everyone froze mid-embrace, then looked at Aisla who hoped her forced smile was believable.

"Oh, I'm alright!" she lied again. "Recovery Girl fixed me right up!"

Please don't make a big deal out of this, she begged them. The last thing she wanted was their pity.

"Let's go, Aisla." Katsuki reached into the huddle and grabbed her by the wrist, all but dragging her away from the others by force. She was too stunned to do anything but allow herself to be taken to a more secluded spot in the room. "You don't have to deal with those losers. Get pumped or something."

"Wait!" she called after him as he started to walk away. "Where are you going?"

He turned back to her with a confused expression. "I'm giving you space?"

"Can you…stay?" she asked quietly. "I don't really want to be alone."

He looked surprised by this answer. "Why the hell not?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I don't like being alone." She didn't dare tell him that being alone for the first half of the provisional license exam had been unbearable. She didn't want to compound any guilt he still had over ditching her to do his own thing.

He stared at her for a minute before finally giving a shrug of his own. "Sure, whatever."

It was only a matter of minutes before the next test would begin and Aisla was full of anxiety. She'd barely passed the first round and that was only due to Katsuki's assistance at the last moment. She'd been seconds away from losing before he got to her. What would happen if she couldn't pull it off this time?

I'll be so ashamed, she decided. I already think my quirk is useless. If I don't manage to pass this test and get my provisional license, then I'll have proof of what a failure I am. How can I stand proudly next to my friends if I lose?

She wasn't feeling very confident in her quirk's abilities at the moment, which only made the nerves that much worse. What good was a mirror quirk during a rescue exercise? She couldn't reflect the disasters that had already happened. She needed to come up with a strategy.

"You know," Katsuki suddenly murmured near her ear, "that invisible chick doesn't have any offensive power either. Just saying."

Toru. She blinked in surprise. She never thought much about her friend's power before. She supposed he was right that Toru had about as much offensive power as Aisla did. The thought made her feel a little better. Toru had made it into the hero course and could do amazing things…just like Aisla could.

"And Uraraka," he added, avoiding eye contact. "All she does is make shit float but…she held her own against me in the Sports Festival." His teeth ground together as though it was physically painful for him to offer comfort like this. "And that spiky-haired extra doesn't do anything except get hard!" He met her eyes, clearly trying to convey his meaning without getting frustrated. "The point is, not everyone can have a bad-ass quirk like mine but that doesn't make you a total loser."

She turned a grateful smile his way. "Thank you, Katsuki. I feel better already!"

He scoffed and folded his arms across his chest, but she could just barely make out the blush turning the tips of his ears red. "Like I care."

But you do, she thought confidently. It was so plainly obvious in moments like these. Going out of his way to save her during the first round, waiting around the hospital room to make sure she was okay, trying to comfort her when he knew she was struggling. He was a good person. Underneath his seemingly impenetrable exterior, there was someone good-hearted. She'd known it was there all along. That was why she'd tried so adamantly to get him to be her friend, even when he'd been cruel to her.

"You're a great friend," she said sincerely.

He glanced back down at her, only instead of the look of irritation she'd been expecting, he appeared puzzled. Had he not heard her correctly? Or maybe she'd been wrong all this time about their friendship. Maybe to him, she was nothing more than just another classmate.

"Maybe I don't want to be your friend…" He spoke so softly that she almost didn't hear him over all the noise around them.

Maybe I don't want to be your friend…

It was like glass in a mirror suddenly shattering the image of herself that had finally been gaining confidence.

Ouch. I guess I was wrong.

She cleared her throat and stood up straighter. "Well. That's your choice then, isn't it?"

She walked away, knowing she was just being petty but she didn't care. She was hurt by his words, though she knew better than to take them too seriously. Katsuki said a lot of hurtful things to her that often made her question whether or not she should still attempt to mold this friendship with him.

Shrugging off the sudden bitter feelings, she made her way back over to the one person she knew wouldn't make her feel bad, because she just didn't want to deal with the giggling girls who'd definitely been watching the entire time.

"What did he say this time?" Shoto asked when she stood beside him.

"It doesn't even matter," she replied with a heavy sigh. "Let's just get this thing over with."

She saw him nod from the corner of her eye. "For what it's worth, he looks like he feels pretty guilty right now."

"That probably shouldn't give me so much satisfaction," she mused as she risked a peek in his direction. His red eyes were staring right at her like he knew she was talking about him. She averted her gaze. "He doesn't look that guilty to me," she muttered.

Shoto chuckled under his breath. "Oh trust me, he feels bad about whatever dumb thing he said to you. Don't doubt me; I read minds." She gaped up at him. He chuckled. "Only kidding, but I was serious about the rest."

Aisla didn't know what to believe, but she put all feelings involving Katsuki Bakugo away for now. She needed to focus on the task at hand: getting through this next round. All she had to do was save some people, right? That sounded easy enough. Maybe she didn't even need a flashy quirk to do that. She could just use her own body strength! That would be enough to pass…

…wouldn't it?

A/N: "Wouldn't it?" We shall see~ In next week's installment of Don't Deny Me! *Que dramatic music* Anyway! Good morning, friends! I'm so excited to bring you another chapter of this story. I'm so grateful to you all for taking the time to read this each week, and I can't wait to share the next part of Katsuki and Aisla's journey!

So, a little bit of Shoto POV there, a teaser if you will. He's doing his best to be a good friend to Aisla, even if he's still not entirely sure how to do that. What do we think? Is he doing the friend thing right? Or does he have some things to work on? Aisla seems to be pretty happy with her friendship with Shoto!

How about Katsuki's little pep talk? He tried his best to be comforting, even if he's not quite as suave as our Roki! What do we think of Katsuki's comment there at the end? "Maybe I don't want to be friends"? Hmm. Poor Aisla, her little feelings were sore at that one. What do you guys think will happen next with these two? Let's hear some theories!

Beta: yellowchikadee

Test Audience: yellowchikadee; Ashteriax

Thank you for all the help with this chapter in particular! And for helping me to follow through with some recently made changes in order to keep the story consistent. Everything you do for this story makes it so much better.

I'm also on AO3 by the same name!