Chapter Thirteen: Letting Go
Over the course of the next few weeks, Aisla didn't interact much with Katsuki during school. They were both busy with classes and training, and she got the feeling that he didn't really want to be seen in her presence. She'd thought things were going well between them after the training session in the woods with Shoto, when Aisla and Katsuki had laid together on the sparse grass in comfortable silence. She'd thought that maybe, finally, they were something more than friends. This hope had been crushed, though. Now, he avoided her in the halls and ignored her when she tried to strike up conversation outside of classes. However, they still had their training sessions in the evenings and even some mornings. During these times, he acted almost normal with her, which was all she could really ask for at this point.
"You're all dismissed," Mr. Aizawa said tiredly when the day finally ended. He looked like he needed a nap, and Aisla couldn't even blame him. She felt just as exhausted, and had half the mind to go back to her own room to sleep.
"Aisla! Come chat with us, girl!" Mina called from across the room, pulling her from her daze. She shook it off and dutifully joined the group of girls who were discussing plans for the evening since there was no school tomorrow. Mina wanted to get them all together to paint each other's nails, Ochaco wanted to have a movie night and couldn't decide between a horror flick or a rom-com, and Tsu suggested they ask for permission to use the pool. Aisla just wanted to sit in her room alone and read or work on her art, but felt guilty denying her friends when they seemed so excited about hanging out, so she kept this thought to herself.
"What do you think, Aisla?" Ochaco asked.
The blonde shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. They all sound pretty fun!"
"Aw, come on!" Mina whined. "You have to be the deciding factor! We can't choose!"
Aisla twisted a strand of her hair, feeling uneasy about the whole situation. "Well, it's just…"
"She's busy."
Aisla glanced over in surprise at the sudden interruption. "Kat-I mean Bakugo, what are you doing here?"
He was leaning against the doorframe to their classroom, bag slung over one shoulder and a pronounced pout set on his lips. He wasn't looking at any of them but she was sure he'd been talking to her. He avoided her eyes a lot when he was trying to talk about something uncomfortable. Meaning, anything that didn't involve fighting or killing.
"What do you mean 'she's busy?'" Mina demanded, hands on hips and expression expectant.
Katsuki shrugged indifferently. "She just is."
"Do you two have a date or something?" Mina pressed.
Aisla felt her cheeks get hot. That was a ridiculous question. Katsuki wouldn't ask her out on a date, she was certain of that. Admittedly, she sometimes hoped that he would, though she could never pin down his flighty and unpredictable feelings long enough to decide if he saw her that way or if she was reading all the signs incorrectly.
Katsuki scoffed, further validating her own thoughts. A pang of disappointment hit her, making her shoulders slump. She had to work to keep the frown off her face, lest her friends pester her about it. She didn't want to explain the pathetic thoughts that went through her mind.
"We're training together," Katsuki muttered in annoyance. "You gonna meet me or not?"
The question was directed at Aisla, though his eyes stayed glued to the floor across the hall. The idea wasn't strange, but the fact that he was actively seeking her out, while her friends were around too, wasn't something that had ever happened before. Usually, she'd just take her chances by going to the clearing on her own and hoping that he'd show up. Sometimes he'd be there, other times she'd sit there alone until she grew bored and left.
"I'll meet you at the clearing," she promised. "I just have to change first."
"Fine," he said, then walked away without another word.
The three girls stood there for a moment watching his retreating figure.
"That was weird," Ochaco noted.
Mina swooned. "That was a profession of love if I've ever heard one!"
Aisla blushed. "Oh, it wasn't like that at all! He just likes having someone to train with."
Mina rolled her eyes. "Come on, girl. You don't really believe that, do you? This is Bakugo we're talking about. 'Training together' is like his definition of quality time. Violence is his love language, and he wants to get violent with you, Aisla~ If you get what I'm saying."
"I don't know," she replied evasively. Katsuki Bakugo was a conundrum to her. Sometimes she swore that he thought of her as someone desirable and strong, and other times it felt like he couldn't stand being anywhere near her. Despite all that, he almost always took time out of his day to train with her and rarely did so with anyone else, except maybe Kirishima on days when he really wanted to let loose.
But what does that mean…?
She had no answer for that.
As she made her way up to her room to change, she thought about the possibility that Mina could be right. Well, she didn't think "love" was quite right, but maybe…Katsuki Bakugo was trying to spend quality time with her after all.
Katsuki was currently heaving for breath on the ground, staring up into the reddish-orange hues of dusk. Exhaustion was already starting to set in, which was exciting. Not a lot of people could put up such a fight, especially a girl, but Aisla had grown stronger over the course of a few months, especially in the weeks following their provisional licensing exams. She'd been working hard to make up for what happened and it made challenging her even more thrilling.
Aisla was curled up on her side near him, clutching her stomach from laughing so hard. He didn't think what he'd said was that funny, but she'd been laughing like this for five minutes already. She was on the ground because his quirk had put her there, but she'd stayed there because of his unintentional wit.
He thought about telling her to "shut the hell up" already, but he just let her be. Not because her laugh was adorable, but because telling Aisla Haru to be quiet was a useless feat. She couldn't stay silent for long. Katsuki had learned to deal with this for the most part—sometimes he just walked away in the middle of her tangents, or he simply tuned her out and did his own thing. Today, he did neither. He let her have this moment of joy amidst their battle.
"I'm sorry," she said when she finally calmed down. "I never knew how funny you could be, Katsuki." Her face was alight with joy. Had he really done that? Was it because he'd been nicer to her lately? He would come to the clearing before or after school and they'd fight until one or both of them was too exhausted, and sometimes he let her sit near him at lunch, but that was only when he was in a particularly good mood.
"You've got it bad, man…"
Again, those words Kirishima spoke to him weeks ago echoed in his mind.
"We should get back to the dorm," he told her, silencing the voice inside his head telling him he should do something stupid like look at her or hold her hand again.
She crawled over to him and laid her head on his chest. He stiffened but didn't move to push her away. It was like she'd read his mind again. She knew he'd been thinking dumb shit.
"In a minute, okay?" she murmured into his chest.
Tell her to leave!
"Yeah, whatever," he muttered in return, again choosing to ignore the voice. He didn't care that she moved a little closer to drape an arm across his chest—she was always doing dumb shit like that—touching his hand, hugging him, or just looking at him. No one could look at him the way Aisla Haru could.
"It's okay, you know." Her voice was muffled in his shirt.
"What?" He tried to make his tone sound bored but it came out more like a snap.
"It's okay if you touch me, too. I won't fall apart; I'm not frail."
He stiffened. Frail. The exact words he'd thought the first time she'd hugged him, when her tiny arms had encircled him and he'd been paralyzed. Even now, he was unable to move a muscle, like some force held him there against his will. Because he wanted to move, he did. He wanted to push her away from him and run off to be alone. Really… He did.
"I don't want to." The words sounded like a lie even to his ears.
Aisla laughed softly into his chest. "I wish you would…" she whispered.
His whole body was already stiff and hot, but those words—for some stupid reason—made his skin blaze. Why did she care if he held her stupid hand or whatever the hell she wanted? It wasn't going to make a difference. They would still be sitting there, not doing hero work, probably be late for curfew, and accomplish nothing.
The hand on the opposite side of her twitched of its own accord. It wanted to move, to touch, to feel. He didn't let it. Instead, he sat up and got to his feet. Normally, he would just walk away and not care what she did, but this time he made the mistake of glancing down. Her expression was disappointed—in him? In what he'd done? Or…what he hadn't done?
He thrust a hand out in her direction so fast it made her flinch back. This was a reaction he'd never gotten from her before. That start of fearful surprise, the widening of crystal eyes. She thought he might hurt her. Because he'd been an ass to her. He deserved that look, yet it still pained him to see it there. He realized a moment later that his fist was still clenched. That was why fear had flashed in her eyes. He loosened his hand and let it fall open—an invitation.
"You can…trust me," he muttered awkwardly, feeling embarrassed that he had to say the words aloud. Even so, a smile lifted the edges of her lips and a hand slid into his own. It was so much smaller than his, and soft too. His hands were rough with calluses and more often than not drenched in sweat. Hers were smooth and warm. Just like they were that day in her bedroom.
He pulled her up onto her feet but didn't let go when she steadied herself. Their eyes were locked in that way again, the one that froze Katsuki in place. He felt his breath deepen like he was falling into sleep, or falling into something else…
"I trust you, Katsuki," came her whispered reply. "Now trust me, too."
He swallowed hard, eyes shifting back and forth between hers. He wondered when they'd gotten so close to one another. Her body was practically pressed against his own. He could feel heat radiating off of her and enveloping him.
"I don't trust anyone," he lied.
She smiled in that way of hers. It told him she knew exactly what he was thinking. He still swore she had some kind of mind-reading abilities. She always seemed to know things about him, sometimes before he even knew them himself.
"I don't do hugs or whatever." He thought it was important to add this but he wasn't sure why.
Another knowing smile and a small step closer. He held his breath, not because of emotions, though. No, it had nothing to do with the way Aisla's free hand slid up his arm and then back down to his hand, entwining their fingers before giving it a squeeze. Or how she took his hand and placed it on the small of her back, or the way her eyes never looked away from his.
Why am I letting this happen right now? he asked himself.
He didn't have feelings for this girl. He didn't like the way she looked at him. He didn't like the way she smelled like orchids or the way she looked in her tiny skirts, or how she was always a fun challenge for him, even if she had no offensive power. And he definitely never let her win to see the victorious gleam in those crystal lake eyes. That would be stupid.
"I don't like you," he informed her, just so she was aware. Or, maybe that wasn't right. The words lacked any punch as they tumbled gracelessly from his lips. They were defensive and he had to force them from behind unwilling teeth, and he thought—for a fraction of a second—that he might have been lying. He saw his reflection cast back at him in mirror-like eyes, saw the way it looked like the glass was cracking, no…like Katsuki was cracking. I don't like you, he repeated, but this time the words wouldn't even form on his lead tongue.
"But I like you."
Fuck it.
He pressed his lips to hers and waited for something to happen. He didn't know what the hell he was supposed to do next or what it was supposed to feel like. His stomach felt strange, twisted maybe, and his whole body burned.
Small, quivering hands fisted his shirt and he felt himself being pulled forward. A sharp intake of breath, followed by a long sigh. Something else deep in the back of the throat, like a moan. He wasn't sure who made the sound, but he liked the vibration it created.
Aisla's lips were soft and warm on his. He liked the way they felt when she moved them against his own and pressed down harder. A shudder ran down her small frame and his arm tightened around her back to pull her closer against him. She felt so right in his arms, like she belonged there. Like she was made to be there.
That's the dumbest fucking thing you've ever thought, Katsuki.
He pulled back, breaking the kiss. He started to move away but her hands still gripped his shirt. Her eyes were wide as saucers, an almost frantic look about them.
"Don't, Katsuki." A broken plea.
He gripped her arms and pushed her back slightly, his ember eyes narrowing on hers. "I'm leaving now."
Aisla stood in the clearing for so long the sun disappeared entirely over the horizon and the moon took its place up in the sky. The air grew chilly but she didn't notice at first. She was already frozen. Rejection and confusion, and something like betrayal turned her body to stone.
Katsuki had kissed her. She'd been dreaming of this day for months now, wishing he'd finally see her the way she saw him. But the look he'd given her afterward, the one full of fear and horror, had struck her as deeply as a blade. He'd run off, leaving her there in the diminishing light to be alone in her sorrow.
He definitely hates me.
She sat on the ground now, though she couldn't remember how she got there.
She thought about the way his lips had found hers and the explosion of feeling that poured through them and into her own. The way his hands had pulled her closer, and the soft moan that passed between them. In that moment, she would have bet her life that he was feeling just as strongly as she was. The passion he expressed in that one kiss was as powerful as when he engaged in battle.
So, what did I do wrong? she wondered. Maybe all she'd really done was kiss him back. It wasn't that he was kissing someone, it was the fact that he was kissing her. He didn't like her. He'd said it himself, but Aisla had learned a long time ago to take the things he said with a grain of salt. His words rarely matched his actions, and she'd always thought his actions were what defined him. So, despite his insistence that he didn't feel something for her, the fact that he was the one who leaned in for the kiss made her think…made her hope…
"I don't like you."
That sucks…because I really like you.
She couldn't say how long she sat there before a familiar shape emerged from the shadows and finally settled in beside her to put an arm around her. She leaned onto his shoulder and let silent tears fall from her eyes. He pulled her against his side tighter and let her cry for a while before finally speaking in a soft voice.
"I was worried about you when you didn't come back."
"I'm sorry, Roki" she whispered. "I didn't know how to move." The words didn't feel sufficient, but she wasn't sure what else to say. That a veritable male Medusa had frozen her to the spot with a single, horrified look? That he might as well have crippled her legs with his quirk before turning his back on her and announcing in that cold voice that he was leaving? No, Shoto was too literal to grasp any metaphor strong enough to exemplify her humiliation and hurt.
"What happened?" His voice was hard now but she knew the emotion wasn't meant for her.
She sniffled. "I shouldn't say…" Part of her wanted to confide in him. Another part of her wanted to pretend nothing had happened and avoid the embarrassment.
"Aisla, I'm your best friend. You can trust me."
She gave a choked laugh. "That's the problem, Shoto. If I tell you, I'm afraid you'll do something dumb."
He sighed. "I promise I won't do anything unless I have your permission first." He paused and then added, "Unless he tried to take advantage of you or—"
"Of course not!" she quickly cut him off. "It was nothing like that, honest." She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes but kept her head on his shoulder. It was comforting being this close to someone. It kind of made her miss her father and the way he could make everything okay with just a hug. "Bakugo… He kissed me."
A sharp intake of breath. "Seriously? That's…surprising."
Something about his reaction offended her. She pulled away and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Oh, that upset you," he realized as he studied her face. "Apologies, I didn't mean to imply that it's surprising that he kissed you. I have no experience in the subject, but you seem kissable enough to me, Aisla."
"Gee, thanks," she hiccuped. "You always know the right things to say."
"I'm guessing that's sarcasm," he said with a frown. "I didn't mean it in a bad way," he added. "I just meant that…you know, Bakugo doesn't usually express his feelings well. Or at all."Aisla let out a long breath. "Yeah, well you'll be happy to know you're still right. He ran away after that. Like I have some plague or something. I think he hates me."
"Aisla." He waited until she met his gaze. "None of those things are true. I'm not happy that he ran away like that—I think that was childish and stupid, and I have the sudden urge to knock out his teeth, but you're wrong that he hates you. The fact that he was here with you is evidence that he doesn't. And him kissing you is a huge indication that he has feelings for you. And that's coming from me, a social introvert."
She smiled. "I guess you're right." Another sigh. "But that look he gave me after he pulled away, and then leaving me here like I meant nothing to him? That really hurt."
He took her hand and squeezed. "You of all people should know that Bakugo doesn't like to admit he has feelings. He probably just realized that he was feeling something for you and had to take off to deal with it. I'm sure he's up sulking in his room right now."
"Maybe," she agreed. "Not that I'm doing anything better."
He chuckled. "That's true. You're both pouting, which seems odd for people who just shared their first kiss." He paused to consider this for a moment, as if deeply contemplating the mysteries of teenage romance. "Mr. Aizawa has been looking for you, by the way. He seemed a little agitated. Are you ready to end this pout session before he personally comes looking for you?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Shoto. Has anyone ever told you how great you are at comforting crying girls?" She rolled her eyes and sent him a teasing smile. "It's getting a little cold out here anyway." As if to emphasize this, a breeze blew over them and made her shiver.
"Ah, now I'm sure that was sarcasm." Shoto laughed and stood up before offering her a hand. When he pulled her up, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Better?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for coming to find me. You really are the best friend a girl could ask for."
Something strange flashed in his eyes but it was gone before she had a chance to decipher it. "Yeah," he said smoothly, "I'm really glad we're friends."
When they got back to the dorms, Aisla was bombarded with questions before she'd even stepped all the way through the door. Her friends hurried around her and spoke all at once so it was impossible to say who was even asking what. It sounded like the rumor mill had been in full swing for the past couple of hours. She thought she heard something about Bakugo killing her, or a lover's spat, something about it being past curfew, and a few people asked if she ran into villains on campus in the forest.
"ENOUGH!" Mr. Aizawa's stern tone silenced them all in a second. They broke away from her and stared at their teacher until he gestured with a flick of his wrist for them to leave. When they scattered, Mr. Aizawa looked down at her with disapproving eyes. "Miss Haru, I'm concerned about your recent behavior."
Her eyes widened in shock. "My…behavior? What have I done, sir?"
His brow twitched with irritation as he stared at her, as though trying to decide if she was playing dumb or genuinely had no idea why he was extra grouchy right now. " It has come to my attention that you've been secretly working on your ultimate move with Todoroki and Bakugo," he accused.
"It wasn't in secret!" she defended herself. "We just thought it would be a good idea to—"
"To use a power you know nothing about, out in the open by yourselves?" he interjected. "And without a teacher present? You thought it would be smart to just play with this unknown aspect of your quirk that you almost died using the first time?"
She felt taken aback. "It wasn't like that, sir! I wasn't thinking that at all. We just thought it would be a good idea to learn how it works…"
Her teacher sighed. It looked like he wanted to lash out further, but forcibly restrained his frustration. When he spoke again, it was slightly softer and less like Aisla was another factor that made him want to quit his job. "Miss Haru, when you have a new power you don't know how to control, the best option is to seek help from a teacher, not your friends. If something had gone wrong out there, no one would have been able to help you in time. You could have injured yourself or your fellow classmates."
Aisla slumped. She'd never been scolded so harshly by a teacher before. She honestly hadn't thought there was any harm in trying to learn more about her quirk, but he was right—it was foolish to try to use it when she knew nothing about it. When Shoto threw that fire at Katsuki, he could have been seriously hurt if she hadn't been able to activate her quirk in time. If she'd been just a second too late, he could have been badly burned.
"I'm sorry, sir," she said sincerely. "You're absolutely right. It won't happen again."
"Good." He nodded and Aisla thought this lecture was over, but when she dared to look up at his rigid face, she could tell he wasn't done yet. His arms crossed over his chest and dark eyes narrowed. "Now, tell me where you've been the last three hours."
She stiffened. Right. He would want to know why I'm the only person out past curfew…
"Umm…" she trailed off, unable to come up with a decent excuse. She felt tears threatening to form in her suddenly itchy eyes. She wasn't sure she'd ever disappointed Mr. Aizawa, Eraser Head, before. And the knowledge that her favorite hero was glaring down at her disapprovingly was almost enough to make her want to drop out of UA or at least go hide under her bed for the rest of her life.
"It was my fault, Mr. Aizawa." Shoto spoke up for the first time. She'd forgotten he was there and was grateful he hadn't taken off with the rest of their classmates, who she suspected were listening from around the corners. "I told her to meet me in the forest for training and we lost track of time."
Mr. Aizawa frowned at them, the expression clearly letting them know he didn't believe that for a minute. "I see…" He didn't speak for a long moment, those dark eyes calculating as they flicked between the two students' faces. It was obvious that he was debating how lenient he wanted to be. He'd made it clear from the beginning that he has a no-tolerance rule for curfew breaking, and he'd already put Midoriya and Katsuki on house arrest only a few weeks ago for similarly leaving the dorm at night to battle. At last, he closed his eyes and breathed a long breath through his nose before speaking. "Well, try not to miss curfew from now on or the next time I won't be so forgiving. Todoroki, Miss Haru, get to your rooms."
"Yes, sir!" they agreed in unison, then fled to the stairs before he could change his mind about the act of mercy.
"You didn't have to do that," she told Shoto as they hurried up the staircase.
He shrugged. "I didn't want you to have to explain what you were actually doing. I figured you've had a bad enough day already."
She gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you. You're kind of amazing, you know that?"
He smiled warmly, then gave her a salute before disappearing into his own room.
Aisla laughed softly to herself as she closed her own door. She leaned against it for a moment as the brief happy daze fell away in a manner of moments, like melting snow off a slanted roof. She stood there for a long time, wondering what to do now.
Katsuki had kissed her during the sunset. Katsuki had also abandoned her without a word. Katsuki saved her life and cried over her one minute, then rejected her and avoided her the next.
Aisla sighed and let her back slide down to the floor. She wrapped her arms around her legs, cheek resting against her knees. She felt so lost and confused about her relationship with Katsuki Bakugo. What did he want from her? What did she want from him? Did she want him to be this "knight in shining armor" type? Or did she want the brash boy who sometimes treated her like an annoying fly he wanted to brush off his shoulder?
I just want Katsuki, she decided. In any way he'll allow it. I'll be his best friend, or I'll be something more. It's your move now, Katsuki Bakugo.
Katsuki was laying on his bed early the next morning, staring up at the ceiling unblinkingly. He'd been in this position for almost two hours already, unable to convince himself to get out of bed and start the day. It was Saturday but he wasn't motivated enough to go to get up. He just wanted to lie in bed and feel like the total shithead he was.
I'm such a fucking coward, he thought bitterly as he watched the ceiling fan spin slowly.
He'd never be able to take back the horrible thing he'd done now. Aisla was probably in her room crying to that dumbass "Todo" about how terrible Katsuki was. Or throwing darts at a picture of his face as revenge. Actually probably not that last one—he'd witnessed her dart-throwing skills firsthand already and they weren't great.
When a knock sounded on his door, he had a brief moment where he thought maybe Icy Hot had come to beat his ass for making his best friend cry, but it was only Kirishima.
"Hey, Bakugo!" the familiar voice called through the locked door. "Thought I'd check on you since you didn't come down for breakfast! You doin' alright in there, bro?"
"I'M SICK, OKAY? GO AWAY!" he shouted in return.
"Alright, guess I'll see you later, then…" Kirishima agreed uneasily, but it was clear he didn't believe him.
I can't see her face right now.
He heard his friend's footsteps fading down the hall and turned onto his side, feeling pretty damn sorry for himself. Katsuki was moping. He was moping because he was a coward. He couldn't show his face after what he'd done. Besides that, he couldn't stop replaying in his mind what happened, every time he closed his eyes. Aisla's lips, her eyes, her smile. The way she gripped his shirt and pulled him close.
Why did it make him so angry to think about?! Why had he done something so stupid? And why had he just left her there afterward? He was such an idiot! What was she thinking right now? Should he go look for her? What if she was still out there, in the middle of the woods all alone? Because of him? What if she'd stayed there all night, freezing to death because he'd hurt her so badly?
"Fuck me," he muttered.
He flung his legs off the bed and threw open the door. He stopped in his tracks before barreling through the open doorway because someone already occupied the space, standing there with a fist raised to knock, eyes wide in surprise.
There she was. Blonde hair and blue-eyed and why was she here? Had Kirishima run off and immediately blabbered his stupid big mouth to her?
"Aisla—" he started, but she cut him off before he could…what? Apologize?
"I'm sorry, Bakugo," she blurted, letting the hand drop. She held onto it with her other hand as if trying to hold herself back from using it. But whether she wanted to touch him or hit him, he couldn't say. If he was in her place, he'd probably punch him. "I'm sorry I've been so pushy with you these last few weeks. I know you said you don't like me and that I'm stupid and you'll never—"
He grabbed her arm and yanked her into his room, slamming the door shut and then pinning her against it. Her sharp intake of breath was almost too much for him to handle. It was too reminiscent of what happened last night when he kissed her and she gasped into his mouth…
"Shut up, okay?" he said as softly as his voice could allow at the moment. "I'm the one who's stupid, not you, so stop beating yourself up."
She bit her lip and looked away from him. He could see how red her eyes were from all the crying she'd done and felt guilt slice through him like a knife. "I don't think you're stupid, Bakugo."
Why did he hate it when she used his surname like that? Why did it feel like a slap to the face?
"I just came by to apologize and let you know that I won't be obnoxious anymore," she continued, anxiously tugging at her hair now. "I wanted to let you know that I won't force anything on you, okay? I know I can be a little…forward."
"I kissed your dumb ass, didn't I? So don't act like you're the only one who does anything!" He practically shouted at her, his words coming out like accusations to hide the fear he felt inside. He couldn't say the things he really wanted to, but he hoped what he did say would be enough to earn her forgiveness, or at least make her stop punishing herself for his actions.
She stared at him in disbelief for a long moment before a sly smile stretched across her lips. "Oh, I see. You want some credit, too." Her tone was teasing. "Because you meant to kiss me."
His face took on some color and he glanced away. "No," he mumbled, and he hated how petulant the word sounded when he forced it out. Of course, I meant to—I mean didn't mean to—I wasn't thinking—I was thinking—
"Katsuki…" she whispered his name. He looked down at her. Her hands slid up his chest slowly, gaze fixed on his as if asking for permission. Permission to touch him more? He didn't stop her, even as her hands traveled higher, up and around his neck and into his hair, playing with the spiky strands. He'd never had someone else's hands in his hair before, not like this. It felt…It was like… Okay, so maybe it was…kind of nice.
She refused to break eye contact as she pulled his head down until their lips were so close that he thought he felt static sparking between them. She hesitated here, fingers still threaded through his hair and hot breath brushing the sensitive skin of his trembling lips. She waited, glass-clear eyes flitting back and forth between his as she gave him one last chance to stop her if that was what he wanted. But…he didn't want that. He didn't want to run away this time. So, with his heart pounding in his ears and his skin blistering and his tongue sparking like a live wire, he gave her the softest of nudges. Just a tiny motion of his head, something like a nod, barely enough to let his bottom lip brush against hers.
She sighed, and it sounded both pleased and relieved, leaving him with the distinct sensation of pride, as though he'd finally done something right this time. Then, she kissed him. He let her kiss him with those soft, sure lips. He let himself kiss her back. He allowed this one moment of indulgence, where he wasn't pushing her away or pretending not to care. For just a moment, he let go.
A/N: Hello, friends! I'm back with another chapter for you all! I hope you've enjoyed this week's installment of Don't Deny Me. They finally had their first kiss. Let me know your thoughts on that! And Katsuki's finally starting to open up a bit, so that's good for our Aisla. Also, those of you who've previously read In Denial, you'll notice similarities in the kiss scenes. They would have been in part two or three, I believe. I tweaked it here and there, my editor tweaked it there and here, and so it's a little different and a lot better! So even if you've already read it, I hope you still enjoyed it even more this time! What are we hoping to see next for these two? Where do they go from here? Will Katsuki stop being stubborn and embrace his feelings? Or do you think he'll do something else? Leave your thoughts below!
Reviews:
That horse girl luka: So happy to see that you're enjoying the story! There's much more to come so I hope you'll stick around! I don't think you'll be disappointed. Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! You're so sweet and it means a lot to me that you are excited to read. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
LilFoxDemon666: Oh thank you so much! I hope this lived up to any expectations! I was so excited to bring you all this chapter. I've been eagerly awaiting their first kiss scene, so I hope it did not disappoint! I'm so happy to hear that you love the story. Thank you for the review and the kind words. I also love stubborn Katsuki Bakugo. Despite his flaws, he's just too cute for words. Aisla is a lucky girl! XD
Beta: yellowchikadee
Test Audience: yellowchikadee; Ashteriax
Thank you for the love and support! I am forever grateful for every comma, suggestion, and witty quip.