Chapter Eighteen: Possession

The next month went by in a blur. Aisla spent most of her time with school and training, but in her free time, she liked to hang out with Katsuki. He didn't avoid her anymore or pretend not to know her, and even went so far as to go to her first, something he'd never done before. She was feeling a lot better about their relationship now. Katsuki was more confident in himself thanks to the provisional license training they'd been doing, and that translated to him feeling more confident with her as well. He wasn't as agitated as he normally was, which made him more willing to treat her like his girlfriend.

The most surprising thing of all was the fact that he hadn't been pushing her away when she tried to get close to him. He didn't initiate things, and he still had moments where he acted embarrassed or angry when she tried to hold his hand in public, but there were a lot of times when he didn't even seem to notice those intimate gestures. She'd cling to his shirt-sleeve a little when they walked side by side, or brush ash off his cheek after training, and he wouldn't even flinch. It was as if casual touches were becoming second nature to him.

Today was a Thursday afternoon and the lunch bell had just rung. Aisla swiveled around in her seat and offered Katsuki a smile. He didn't glare in return as he might have a couple of months ago. In fact, he even attempted to return the expression, but then remembered their other classmates were around them and pressed his mouth into a thin line instead.

Aisla rolled her eyes. "No one is looking at you, Katsuki," she told him. "No one would care if you smiled, though. You have a nice smile."

His cheeks took on some color. "Shut up, I don't smile."

"Yes, you do," she disagreed, amusement in her tone. "I like your smile. Please smile for me, Katsuki~"

He looked up at her and studied her hopeful expression for a long moment before finally leaning forward on his desk with his elbows. She waited for the smile or maybe a whispered word. Instead, he carefully mouthed the word, "No," then sat back down in his seat with a smug grin.

Aisla sighed and turned back around in her own chair, then stood up and stretched her aching muscles brought on from sitting for long. Her stomach grumbled, making her cheeks blush from embarrassment. She hated when it did that so loudly. She glanced around to see if anyone else noticed and found Shoto staring right at her with an amused expression like he knew what she was worried about. She stuck her tongue out at him and he gave her a look of mock offense in return, earning a giggle.

"Hey, Haru." Mineta was suddenly standing before her and giving her one of his failed attempts at a flirtatious smile. He had to have known that girls were repulsed by that…right? "You wanna have lunch with me today instead of that jerk over there?" He gestured with his head toward Katsuki's desk. "I'll keep you company."

Aisla thought about it. She would rather have lunch with Katsuki or Shoto—or anyone else for that matter—but she also felt bad rejecting someone who had the courage to make such a request. She didn't want to turn him down if she didn't technically have other plans, but…

An idea came to mind, making a sly smile cross her features. "But Mineta," she said sweetly, "aren't you supposed to have lunch with Tondi today?"

Recently, Mineta had become the object of affection of a second-year support course student with a spider quirk. Which…was exactly as grotesque as it sounded.

His eyes widened. "Oh, n-no! I'm not supposed to have lunch with anyone!"

"Oh, I think you are~" Kaminari sang as he joined them from Aisla's left. He dropped an arm across her shoulders like they were best pals. She arched an eyebrow at the touch but he was still looking down at Mineta. "I heard she's waiting for you right now. Better go see her before she comes looking. You don't want to make her mad, dude. You know what female spiders do to their mates, right? Stand her up and you're gonna end up wrapped in a gross sac with your guts sucked out."

Mineta shivered. "Oh god… Haru, please have lunch with me! Tondi is a frigging nightmare!"

"Take a hike, imp," Kaminari tightened his arm around Aisla's shoulders. "Don't worry, I'll take sweet Aisla here to lunch for you so she's not lonely. You'd like that, wouldn't you, sweet thing?" He winked at her then waggled his brows.

"Um…"

"HEY!" Katsuki suddenly ripped Kaminari's arm from around her and shoved him in the opposite direction. He yanked her backward so she stumbled into him, then started walking toward the classroom door. "Fucking Sparkplug," he grumbled under his breath.

"Possessive much, Bakugo? Geez," Kaminari mumbled behind them.

Beside her, Katsuki growled and picked up his pace.

"Yeah," Mineta agreed. "And greedy, too."

"I wouldn't let you two hang around with my girlfriend, either!" Kirishima commented. "Seriously, you are the biggest perverts! That behavior is so not manly!"

"Shut up, Kirishima! You don't even have…" The rest of Mineta's words faded as Aisla was pulled forcibly from the room and into the hall.

"Um… Katsuki?" she asked tentatively. "Where are we—?"

Suddenly, she found herself pushed against the wall in the small space between lockers. Before she had the chance to so much as blink, his lips pressed against hers, hard and possessive. The sheer force of his mouth pried her lips apart and—for a brief moment—Aisla was sure he was going to slip his tongue behind her teeth. She could feel the unbridled passion in his tense body and the harsh motions of his mouth. It was over as quickly as it started, though, leaving her breathless and confused when he pulled away and gave her a wild-eyed look.

"Sorry," he breathed. "I hate it when those guys talk to you."

Then he stood up straight, gripped her hand in his once more, and continued tugging her along beside him.

Aisla was too stunned to ask questions. She allowed herself to be led down the now crowded halls, wondering what the impromptu kiss was about. He'd never kissed her like that in public. In fact, he'd never kissed her like that at all. She could count on one hand the number of times he'd kissed her in general. So, what was that one about?

Katsuki led her into the lunchroom, and it wasn't until they'd been standing in line for a good five minutes that she finally came back to herself. She shook off the confusion, glanced down at their still linked hands, then back up to his face. He was looking stonily ahead, refusing to meet her gaze.

Katsuki had kissed her in the hallway. Katsuki was holding her hand even though they were in front of all of their classmates. Was he suddenly possessed? That was the only explanation for his sudden change in behavior.

"Katsuki?" she asked carefully.

"Yeah?"

"Are you upset about something?"

He stiffened beside her. "No."

"Okay…are you sure?"

His expression shifted, the fuse that Katsuki Bakugo always kept at bay suddenly igniting and turning his expression livid. "Sometimes, I just—"

"Yo, Bakugo!" Kirishima hollered from across the room. He waved frantically as he made his way over to them. "Bakugo! I need your advice, man!"

Katsuki growled under his breath again. "What the hell do you want?!" he demanded when Kirishima got in line with them. A few other students grumbled behind them but neither boy seemed to notice.

"Hey, I need your help with something," Kirishima repeated. "Can you come by my room later?"

"Hell no," Katsuki said with finality. "Not happening."

Kirishima pouted. "Aw, come on! You're the only bro I have with a girlfriend! Help me out, man!"

"I DON'T HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!" Katsuki shouted, but clutched Aisla's hand even tighter as if afraid she'd try and snatch it away. "Go ask someone else." Okay, so Katsuki was still having some issues in the denial department when it came to their relationship—at least insofar as their classmates were concerned.

"I can't!" Kirishima whined. "It has to be you, man." He glanced at Aisla as if just noticing her for the first time. "Oh, what's up, Aisla?" Then he glanced down at their clasped hands and his eyes widened. "That's what I mean!" He gestured wildly between them. "You gotta come over and tell me how you did it!"

"Did what?" Katsuki snapped.

"How you got a girl to fall in love with you, duh!"

Aisla and Katsuki both stiffened at the word "love." She wasn't sure if her feelings had gotten that deep yet…

"Kirishima…" Katsuki warned. He turned a sneer over his shoulder. "Shut the hell up."

The redhead slumped in defeat. "Can I borrow Aisla then?" he begged. "I need someone with personal experience!"

"HELL NO!" Katsuki yelled. "We're busy tonight."

"We are?" she asked hopefully.

"I JUST SAID WE WERE, DAMMIT!"

"What are we doing?" she pressed, wondering if this was just an excuse to get rid of his friend.

"Something that doesn't involve Kirishima or his baggage!"

Kirishima slumped. "Fine… I just thought you'd be a bro…"

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Stop acting like a damn chick already!"

"Yeah," Kirishima deflated. "You're right. I'm gonna go take a walk."

Aisla watched him walk away in disbelief, then turned on Katsuki and smacked him in the shoulder. His eyes went wide as he stared down at her in shock, one hand rubbing the spot she'd struck as if she'd actually hurt him.

"What the hell was—"

"That was really mean of you, Katsuki Bakugo!" she chided him. "You saw his face, he really needed someone to talk to and you just blew him off. You're his best friend, Katsuki. You should go talk to him."

Katsuki grumbled unintelligibly under his breath.

"Bakugo," she warned, purposely using his surname to get his attention.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved her off as they neared the front of the line. "I'll talk to him, okay? But no promises I'll be nice about it!"

"That's fair," she allowed. "And Katsuki?"

"What?"

"Are we really doing something tonight? Like, together?" She hoped the eagerness in her tone wasn't too obvious. She didn't want him to take back his words just because she annoyed him.

"Well, duh," he answered with an eye roll. Hope sprang up inside of her. "We're discussing the school festival, aren't we?"

She blew out an annoyed breath and decided she had no response to that. Of course, he'd meant that. She'd completely forgotten that was the plan for tonight. The whole class had agreed to get together and talk about their roles for the upcoming festival. She hadn't thought Katsuki was going to join them, however. When he'd mentioned they were "busy" that night, her assumption had been that the 'we' meant Katsuki and Aisla, not their whole class.

The disappointment hit her like a block of Cementoss's concrete. Suddenly, she felt like a deflated balloon. She wanted to spend time with him, but he was completely oblivious. That, or he didn't want to be alone with her. Either way, something in her chest ached and she had to fight the sudden urge to cry.

"I'm not really hungry anymore," she said quietly when they reached the front of the line.

Katsuki already had a tray in hand and looked over at her in surprise. "Why not? It's sushi day. Everyone loves sushi day." He looked so adorably confused that she almost forgave him, but she wasn't in the mood to deal with his inability to pick up on social cues. He had no idea she wanted to spend time with him alone—that wasn't his fault. She was just moody for no reason. She needed to go get some air and clear her head.

"I'm just not feeling very well all of a sudden," she explained and offered him a forced smile. "I'm going to go get some air. I'll see you in class."

Aisla turned on her heel and left without another word, ignoring the hurt look he gave her as she hurried out the door. She needed a moment to be alone and think. If she stayed in that room any longer, she'd definitely lash out and say something she'd regret later. And Katsuki did enough of that for the both of them.

She pushed through the doors leading to the courtyard and took a huge gulp of the fresh Autumn air. Immediately, her mind began to feel clearer. Sometimes being around Katsuki's warring emotions was just too much for her fifteen-year-old heart to bear.

"What did Mr. Lord Explosion Murder do this time?"

Aisla turned around so fast she stumbled forward, right into someone's waiting arms.

"You're clumsy as ever, Ru."

"Roki!" she exclaimed as she righted herself and brushed off her skirt. "What are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Following you because I have nothing better to do."

She gave him a blank look. "Gee, thanks for the support."

He chuckled. "I always support you, Ru. You can talk to me if you want to. Or we can just go somewhere and sit for a while"

Aisla considered his offer for a moment. It would be nice to have someone to talk to about her problems, but at the same time, she knew her friend didn't really want to hear about her boyfriend drama.

She forced herself to smile once more. "Oh, you know how it is! Katsuki's just being Katsuki." She passed it off with a shrug, hoping to mask her emotions which she knew were probably irrational.

Shoto raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. "Aisla Haru, do I look like I was born yesterday?"

"In fact, you do," she retorted, straight-faced.

He rolled his eyes. "Aisla, if that asshole did something—"

"He didn't!" She quickly cut him off. "I swear. He's just being his usual hot and cold self. That's all."

He didn't look convinced. "Hot and cold is my schtick," he said. "And, if he hurt your feelings again, then I don't mind beating the shit out of him."

Aisla sighed. "No, thank you. He's just confusing and sometimes it's really upsetting and he's too stupid to see it!"

Shoto arched an eyebrow. "Stupid, huh? That's a little harsh."

Her lips twitched. "You boys are all stupid when it comes to what girls want," she argued.

He thought about it, then nodded. "Well, you've got me there. What did the idiot do this time? Forget to kiss you goodnight? Ignore your calls?"

"No…" She tried to decide exactly how much she wanted to share. Shoto was undoubtedly her best friend and she trusted him with probably way more than she should, but that didn't mean she told him everything about her relationship with Katsuki.

"Nothing bad happened," she finally admitted. "We just had a misunderstanding. I thought we were going to hang out tonight—like, just the two of us—but he had other plans."

"Isn't everyone getting together to discuss the festival tonight?"

Aisla scowled. "Well, yeah, but he made it sound like we were going to be alone!"

"What exactly did he say?" Shoto prompted.

"He said we were busy tonight…"

He gave her a knowing look.

"I told you it was stupid!" she exclaimed defensively.

He playfully punched her shoulder. "Oh, Ru. You're always so hard on yourself. Bakugo is a confusing guy and you have the patience of a saint. It's okay to feel overwhelmed now and then, I think. Hell, five minutes with that guy is enough to make me want to commit murder."

She laughed at his nonchalance. "I probably wouldn't admit that aloud to anyone else if I were you," she suggested with a grin.

He shrugged. "It's what we're all thinking. I'm just the only one brave enough to say it. And now I'm going to say this…" He looked at her seriously, dual-colored eyes as cold as the ice he was known for. "Bakugo is an asshole and he doesn't deserve you."

"Roki…" Aisla started but he held up a hand to silence her.

"I'm not finished." He gave her a serious look. "I know he's a dumbass who doesn't deserve you, but even I can see that he's doing his best. At least, he has been recently. I don't know the context of your situation and why you're so upset about it, but my advice to you would be to look back on it and think about why you're mad. Then, you can decide if you should avoid him for a while or apologize."

Aisla considered this. When Mineta and Kaminari had been all over her in the classroom, Katsuki had acted out of instinct and pulled her away from them. He'd taken her out into the hallway and kissed her without any hesitation. Then, he brought her to the cafeteria with him, something he rarely did. He wanted to have lunch with her, out in the open where everyone could see them. He'd held her hand in front of their peers.

She sighed and smacked herself in the forehead with her palm. "I'm the idiot this time," she concluded.

Her friend laughed and patted her on the shoulder before giving it a gentle squeeze. "You know what you have to do then, and hanging out with me probably isn't it."

She gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Roki."

She hurried back in the direction she'd come and hoped he'd still be there. He was a quick eater, but if she was lucky, then he'd still be lingering in the cafeteria. If she wasn't so lucky, then he might have taken his food to-go. She knew he did that a lot to avoid talking to anyone, and she wouldn't blame him after the stunt she'd pulled.

She reached the room in less than a minute and scanned the crowd for a spiky blond head. Her lips pulled back in a grin when she found him sitting in the back corner with Kaminari and Midoriya. Tokoyami was there too, chatting with Ojiro. It was a bigger crowd than Katsuki probably liked, but she couldn't see his face with his back to her so she couldn't tell whether he was upset or not.

Well, here goes nothing, she decided and made her way across the room.

Midoriya and Tokoyami glanced up at her approach but the other boys hadn't noticed her yet. Tokoyami gave her a brief nod in greeting, and Midoriya grinned his cheeky smile and waved politely. This gesture was what finally caught the others' attention. Even Katsuki turned around, red eyes widening slightly in surprise as if he really hadn't expected her to come back.

"Hi," she greeted shyly, suddenly embarrassed with witnesses present. "I, uh…" she stammered, suddenly unable to come up with a decent excuse for interrupting them.

"I think I just remembered I was supposed to talk with Yaoyorozu," Tokoyami mused aloud as he stood from his chair. He picked up his food tray and offered Aisla another nod. "I'll see you in class."

"I…actually promised to have lunch with Uraraka," Midoriya said with an obviously forced laugh before he too stood up.

"Well, I don't have anywhere to be," Kaminari grumbled and folded his arms firmly across his chest. Ojiro elbowed him when Katsuki wasn't looking. "Ow! Okay, you're right! I have to go… take a dump or something!"

"Kaminari!" Jiro called loudly from a few tables over. She waved at him with an expectant expression.

He let out an audible sigh. "I guess I'll go talk to Jiro…"

Once the table was empty, Aisla took up the seat nearest Katsuki and hoped she was giving him an apologetic smile and not just a lopsided grin.

"I'm sorry," they said in unison, then both stopped abruptly, staring at one another in surprise.

"I'll go first," Aisla suggested. "I need to apologize—"

"No." He shook his head adamantly and took her hand in both of his. He scooted his chair closer and leaned forward so they could speak easier in the loud room. "I'm sorry, okay, Aisla? I'm a fucking dumbass and I know it. I knew what you thought I meant when I told Kirishima that you and I were busy. Honestly… I would rather hang out with just you. It's…nice."

Her heart fluttered. "Really?"

He nodded. His face was set in a grimace but his eyes were soft. "Yeah, but don't you dare tell anyone I said that or I'll deny it!"

She grinned. "Cross my heart. But seriously Katsuki, I really am sorry for storming out like that. I shouldn't have assumed anything. I'm an idiot, too."

He brushed a hand along her jaw. "No, you're not an idiot at all. Let's do something soon, okay?"

"I'd like that," she whispered. "Hey Katsuki?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I kiss you right now?"

His cheeks turned an unnatural shade of red and he glanced around at all of the people in the cafeteria. "Do you wanna die today?"

She giggled. "Might be worth it."

"Don't even think about it," he warned as he pulled away from her at last. He pushed his food tray in her direction. "Got you some sushi. Better not waste it."

He got food for me even though I ditched him like a jerk…

She smiled appreciatively. "Thanks! See, I told you that you could be sweet sometimes!"

He groaned. "Oh, don't even start. Just eat your damn food before we have to get back to class. You're already skinny as a rail."

She ate quickly, feeling the happy buzz from this morning settle back into her body.

"You're a weird girl," he commented as she popped another bite of sushi into her mouth and chewed.

"Why?" she asked through a mouthful of food.

He gestured at her almost empty tray. "You don't even care that I'm watching you eat."

She shrugged, finished chewing, then swallowed before speaking. "Should I? I'm hungry! I don't care if you watch me or not. I think you're the weird one for staring at someone who's eating."

"You're just not like other girls I've met," he said. "I hate when girls are so afraid to eat in front of anyone that they'd rather starve. It's dumb."

Aisla giggled. "Don't worry, I don't care who sees me eat Lunch Rush's sushi! It's amazing!" She ate another bite and hummed happily.

Katsuki chuckled softly beside her. "I like that about you," he murmured, so softly she was sure she wasn't meant to have heard it. She decided to pretend that she hadn't, so he wouldn't get embarrassed and take it back.

She finished eating just as the bell rang for them to get back to class. She patted her stomach happily and grinned at Katsuki who now had an amused expression on his usually sardonic face. "I'm happy," she said.

"With…the food?" he clarified.

She grinned. "With more than the food, silly boy." She stood up and pecked his cheek before he could stop her. "Come on, Katsuki! Let's go see Ectoplasm!"

The reminder of their next class was enough to make him momentarily forget what she'd just done. He scowled in response and slumped in his chair. "I hate that damn class. I'm not going."

Aisla rolled her eyes. "Come on, Drama Boy. Let's just get it over with. The sooner we get through the day, the sooner we get to hang out with the whole class and talk about the school festival!"

He sank even lower into the chair. "I'm going to melt. I'm going to turn into a puddle of nothing right here in this cafeteria and never see anyone ever again."

Aisla giggled and grabbed the tray from the table. "Okay, if that's what you wanna do~ I'll just let Ectoplasm know about your little plan on my way—"

"SHUT THE HELL UP, I'M COMING!"

Aisla grinned triumphantly as she took the tray to the dirty bin and placed it on top.

"If you insist," she agreed casually. "Wanna hold my hand again~?" she trilled and held it out to him, fully expecting him to swat it away and yell at her for being an idiot. To her surprise, his hand slid into hers and he entwined their fingers together. When she glanced up, she found him staring straight ahead with a determined expression.

Shoto was right, Katsuki really was trying to be closer to her. It didn't seem like it on the surface, but even something small like holding her hand or having lunch with her in public was a huge step for someone like Katsuki Bakugo. Aisla felt pride and overall happiness radiating inside of her for how far they'd come since school began. She was hopeful for the future and what new adventures would be in store for them both.

I hope you're as serious about me as I am about you, she silently conveyed to him. Because if I'm being perfectly honest with myself, Katsuki… I'm falling hard for you, and I hope you feel the same about me.

"What are you thinking about right now?" she asked as they walked together through the halls.

"Honestly?" he said. "I'm thinking about that dumbass Kirishima."

Aisla nodded in understanding. A smile touched her lips. This was another prime example of Katsuki acting brash and mean, when the reality couldn't have been further from the truth. "Do you still feel bad for brushing him off?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, maybe. Kirishima is such a chick sometimes. I don't always know how to talk to him unless it's with my fists." His eyes lit up. "Wait, that's it!"

"You're going to beat up Kirishima…?" she asked uneasily.

"No! I'm gonna let him beat me up! He'll feel so much better after that." The look of pride on his face was almost comical had he not been dead serious. "I mean, I'll howitzer his ass right afterward, but I'll let him get a couple of good swings in!"

"Um, Katsuki? Maybe you should try talking first?" She suggested. "You know, before you pummel each other?"

He blinked down at her. "You think? That sounds like a pain in the ass…" he mumbled.

She sighed and shook her head. "I think that might be for the best in this situation. Sometimes, it's good to talk about our feelings, Katsuki." She gave him a wink.

"Fine," he groaned. "But if he cries I'm kicking his pansy ass straight into next week!"

Aisla didn't know what to say to that so she simply rolled her eyes and stayed silent for the rest of their walk to class.

He released her hand at the door, but not before offering her what she thought was supposed to be an encouraging smile. Or maybe he just had a twitch in his eye… Either way, she couldn't help her own answering smile. It was a roller coaster of emotions being with Katsuki, but moments like these made it all worthwhile.

A/N: Friday is once more upon us and that means Katsuki and Aisla are back for more entertainment! Also, the weekend has finally remembered to return after its very long absence (thank you, weekend). So now we get to, theoretically, sleep in and do the things we didn't have time for during the week! For me, that means shopping for winter clothes because I live in the DESERT and will soon be taking a not-so-enjoyable vacation somewhere cold! Who chooses to vacation somewhere COLD?! So yes, I will be going on a very short vacation, but I SHOULD still be able to post a chapter for you guys that Friday!

Thank you all for the follows, favorites, and reviews! You're all AWESOME and this story wouldn't be quite the same without all of you!

Reviews:

LilFoxDemon666: Aw thank you so much! I'm happy to make Friday's a little more bearable for you! And that's so sweet of you, but don't feel bad! I appreciate every review you've given me! I know what you mean with wanting to horde chapters for a while. I feel the same way when I'm reading or watching something and I wish I could binge the whole thing! But I also have little self-control when it comes to something I enjoy! It's a huge compliment hearing that you feel that way about something I've written. Thank you and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

MeMyselfAndI82907: Thank you! And I love theories and thoughts of any kind! It's always fun to hear what you guys think as you read, especially since the story is already so far ahead. We all know how stubborn Katsuki can be, but Aisla is doing her best to break through that hard-headedness and discover what's underneath!

Vosck: Thank you so much! That's so sweet!

Beta: yellowchikadee

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