Chapter Twenty-Six: Jealousy

Katsuki was currently engaged in a one-on-one sword battle in Sword Gale Online with Aisla. Her avatar looked similar to her own body except with long dark hair, and eyes like molten honey. She was taller than her normal body as well but just as slim and agile. She moved as gracefully as a fairy but with the strike of a deadly samurai warrior.

She's so powerful in this world, he thought as the tip of her sword nearly penetrated his armor. The slash she landed was fierce and dropped his HP down to the yellow. Even in-game he was heaving for breath and his avatar mimicked his clenched teeth.

Stupid VR game, he silently snarled as he ran at her with another attack, sword pointed right at her throat. Her HP was still fully in the green since he hadn't landed a single hit. Her face wasn't smug, however, it was hard and determined.

Her character is a higher level than mine, he reasoned. He'd chosen this one because it looked tall and beefy, with black hair and eyes. He looked like a badass warrior, but his stats were low since he hadn't spent much time playing yet. He'd tried to level up in the days since Aisla had asked him to play—the day in the clearing when his real self had nearly paralyzed her—but he wasn't very strong in-game. His character was only at level ten whereas Aisla… He didn't even know what her level was. Judging by the effortless way she wielded her sword, it was probably up in the twenties or thirties, at least.

"Come on, Bakugo!" Kirishima hollered from the real world. They were immersed in VR but were still able to hear their classmates as they cheered them on from outside. "You're about to lose the duel, man!"

"You've got this, Aisla!" Uraraka cheered.

"Yeah, you're kicking butt, girl!" Ashido agreed.

"Bakugo's avatar looks just as mean as he is," Kaminari snickered.

Said avatar, he'd dubbed "Lord Explosion Murder" growled and blocked Aisla's next attack. She was quick with another one though, sending out a three-hit combo he couldn't help but envy. He was barely able to block two of them, putting his HP in the red zone.

"Aisla's going to win!" Hagakure cried out.

"She's so cool," Kirishima commented.

"I don't understand video games," Kanzashi sighed.

"What?" Kirishima sounded offended. "But they're so awesome! You should play with me sometime!"

"Not happening, little second year," she said.

"How about it?" Aisla asked in-game, ignoring the others. "Are you ready to resign yet, Explosion Murder?"

He tensed. "Not gonna happen. I've still got a chance at beating you!"

Then he ran toward her with more speed than he ever had before, sword raised and glowing with a skill he hadn't yet mastered but knew could do the trick. It was powerful enough to shatter her flimsy sword into a million tiny pieces! His longsword was stronger and heavier than her slender rapier. All he had to do was pack enough force into the attack and she'd be done for.

"Aahh!" He roared as his sword swung out toward her. He watched its path in slow motion, the way the sword skill activated and turned the blackened blade bright blue. It was going to hit her right through the chest, and then her avatar would turn to nothing but pixels. His lips curled into a smile of victory as her honey-colored eyes widened. He slashed with his sword as hard as he could.

"Yeah!" Their group cheered loudly as the blade struck and turned the avatar into dust. It disappeared and was replaced by a banner reading: "WINNER: Reflectra!"

"GODDAMMIT!" Katsuki snarled as he threw the headset across the room. It hit Kirishima in the chest and he grunted in pain.

"Watch it, dude!"

"That's what you get for provoking him," Kanzashi chastised mildly, because for some damn reason Rainbow-Hair Chick kept hanging around at Heights Alliance now as if she didn't have a hero support dorm of her own.

"HOW THE HELL DID I LOSE?!" Katsuki yelled.

Aisla pulled her headset off as well and placed it on the table in front of her. She was grinning smugly at him as the others congratulated her on her win.

"That's four-nothing, Aisla!" Kaminari clicked his tongue and gave her a thumbs-up.

Katsuki growled. "YOU COULDN'T HAVE BLOCKED THAT, DAMMIT!"

Aisla gave an unconcerned shrug. "I told you, Katsuki, I'm a master swordswoman."

Everyone laughed, except for Katsuki who was seething in his seat. A hand slid into his and gave a light squeeze. He glanced down at the slender fingers with the pink painted nails, so different from her avatar's. How was she so good at a game like that? And how was he so bad at it when he was so skilled in real-life combat? It didn't even make sense!

He yanked his hand free and grumbled, "I told you not to do that in public." He was being petty, he knew that. After all, people had seen them holding hands for weeks now and everyone knew they were dating. Still…frustration over his defeat made him testier than usual.

"Ooh, so she can only hold your hand in private, is that right, Bakugo?" Kirishima snickered and Katsuki turned around so fast the other boy had to stumble out of range and hide behind his girlfriend like a wimp. "Save me, Hana! Lord Explosion Murder is going to kill me!"

Kanzashi swatted at him and moved out of the way. "I told you not to call me that in public!" she chided him.

Kirishima pouted. "Aww, come on. You're just like Bakugo."

Aisla giggled and a couple of the other girls joined in. Katsuki didn't know whether they were laughing at him or Kirishima, but either way…

"DON'T COMPARE ME TO THAT RAINBOW-HAIRED WEIRDO!" he yelled.

"I don't appreciate being likened to you much either," Kanzashi added defensively.

"Well, I think you're both great!" Kirishima and Aisla said in unison.

"THAT'S BECAUSE YOU TWO ARE JUST ALIKE!" Katsuki snapped.

Katsuki hadn't spent much time considering the similarities between his relationship with Aisla and Kirishima's relationship with Kanzashi because why the hell would he? It was none of his business and he didn't give a shit but, now that it was brought up… Kirishima and Aisla did have a lot in common. They were goody-two-shoes emotional masochists who were clingier than plastic wrap. And if he was being totally honest, Ice-Rapunzel Kanzashi was about as mean as Katsuki could be.

"Aisla's probably not as embarrassing," Kanzashi muttered, her cheeks rosy as she looked in the direction of Katsuki's idiot best friend.

"Oh, she definitely is," Katsuki protested, just as annoyed.

Arms wrapped around his back from behind. "Oh, come on! You know I'm a great girlfriend!"

He immediately tensed and felt his whole face grow hot. "WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT BEING A GIRLFRIEND?!"

"Just accept it, man," Kaminari told him with a pat on the shoulder. "If you're lucky, she might even let you marry her one day." He winked then jumped out of the way when Katsuki swung a fist.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Yaoyorozu and Uraraka sighed heavily.

"I wish there was someone who wanted to fight over me," Uraraka complained.

Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of fighting!" Ashido suddenly gasped. "We should all have a VR duel! We can take turns fighting the winner of each match and whoever ends up on top gets to pick the movie tonight!"

Aisla slumped. "I would, but I really have to study tonight!" She looked so disappointed that Katsuki almost offered to help her, but he was still mad that she'd beaten him four times in a row.

"Me too," Kanzashi agreed in defeat.

"I'll help you study, ladies," Kirishima offered with a suggestive wink. "We can all study in my room. Promise to be on my best behavior!"

"THE HELL YOU WILL!" Katsuki snarled before grabbing Aisla by the wrist and dragging her upstairs at the same time Kanzashi smacked Kirishima in the back of the head.

"Wait, Katsuki!" Aisla tried to protest as he pulled her behind him.

"We're gonna go study," he stated. "I'm an excellent tutor."

"Um…" she said doubtfully, "Kirishima kind of suggested the opposite…"

He turned on her. "What the hell did he say?!"

"That you were the worst tutor he's ever had," Aisla told him honestly, the faintest trace of a smile on her lips. "He also said that if you hadn't been so horrible to him, he probably never would have met Kanzashi."

"Well, there you have it. I'm fucking awesome!"

Aisla laughed. "Alright then, let's get to it!"

An hour passed and Katsuki felt like he was the one who needed tutoring. Aisla didn't need his help at all, so how the hell was she ranked dead last in their class?!

"Is this part of your damn quirk too?" he demanded when she'd finished an entire sheet of homework before he'd even gotten past the first five questions.

She looked over at him in confusion. "Is what part of my quirk?"

"That!" He gestured at the homework sheet.

"Oh." Realization shined in her eyes. "No, of course not! I just study a lot."

"Then, why the hell did you ask for my help?" he grumbled under his breath.

"I never asked for your help," she pointed out.

"How the hell are you in last place in our academic assessment tests?" he couldn't help but ask. "Did you fail on purpose, like that one anime about the really smart guy who purposely puts himself in the middle of everyone so no one suspects him?"

Aisla laughed. "Katsuki, I wasn't here for those tests, remember? My grades didn't transfer from Shiketsu. I was automatically placed at the bottom, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"No one said you were!" he snapped.

"Good!" She grinned over at him."I'm glad we're in agreement!"

"Gah. This is getting so boring," Katsuki complained after another hour had gone by. He could hear the sounds of his friends downstairs, talking and laughing, probably playing that game while he was stuck up here studying. He could always leave, but…

"I'll help you study, Aisla…" Kirishima's voice rang out in his head and made him groan.

"You know, you're welcome to leave at any time," Aisla said with the faintest note of impatience. He couldn't remember her ever being irritated with him. He was sure it had happened before but usually she was more patient. Maybe she took studying too seriously.

"I never said I wanted to leave," he muttered. "Just thought we could take a break for some snacks or something."

Her eyes lit up, all traces of irritation gone. "That's a great idea! Want me to go get something from downstairs?"

Kirishima could be downstairs… and Icy Hot… and Midoriya… even Kaminari and Mineta would love to get their grimy hands all over her. Fuck.

"You don't know what I want!" he yelled and left the room before she could object.

He found pretty much everyone, save Kirishima and Kanzashi, right where he'd left them, all piled around the small TV set battling each other in SGO. Right now, it looked like a match between Jiro and Kaminari was underway.

"Who's winning?" Katsuki asked, coming to stand behind the sofa.

"Jiro," said Uraraka. "She's already won three matches! You wanna take her on next?"

"Hell no!" Katsuki grumbled. "I just came for some snacks."

"Better take care of your girl, Bakugo," Mineta lisped from behind him. "Or you might lose her to someone else." His waggling eyebrows suggested he wanted to be that someone. Katsuki swung out a leg and kicked the little imp across the room before making his way into the kitchen without another word.

I take care of her, he inwardly grumbled. I'm a damn good boyfriend! But… I don't know what she likes to eat, he realized with horror when he stepped into the kitchen. He knew what he liked to snack on, but he was pretty sure he'd never seen her eat anything other than regular meals. He didn't think she was the type to be picky about food, but what if he chose the wrong thing and upset her?

"Looking for a snack?"

Katsuki looked back to see Todo standing there with arms crossed over his chest, looking as calm and collected as ever. "The hell do you care?" he mumbled before turning back to the pantry.

"Aisla likes fruit," Icy Hot said casually. "But not bananas. And she likes granola bars, but nothing with peanuts. She's also a fan of anything white cheddar flavored or spicy."

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I NEED YOUR ADVICE?!" he roared. Todoroki shrugged and left the room. Katsuki tch'd and pulled open the fridge. There was an array of fruit there so he grabbed two apples, some grapes, then found a few granola bars in the pantry.

Fucking Icy Hot, showing me up with my own girlfriend. How does he keep one-upping me?!

He brought the haul back upstairs and deposited everything on his bedside table.

"There, pick something and eat it!" If he acted like he didn't care, then maybe he could pretend he wasn't disappointed when she refused to eat any of it.

Aisla inspected the food. "Thanks, I love apples! Ooh, how'd you know red grapes are my favorite?" She jumped up from the floor and hugged him. "You're so thoughtful!"

Katsuki couldn't even feel proud that he'd brought her something she liked because that damn Icy Hot had been the one to suggest everything. Although, he'd been the one to choose the red grapes, so he supposed he still earned the hug.

As they sat on the floor together, Katsuki opened his laptop to watch an anime while they ate. He insisted she watch the show about the genius sociopath and she didn't offer up any arguments, so he assumed it was fine. She was gasping in awe during the first episode which helped mend his wounded pride a bit.

"I never suspected that would happen!" she exclaimed at the end. They'd finished their snack and had moved onto the bed when Aisla complained about her back hurting. He had to oblige her since he was the reason she was still in pain. He still felt guilty for flinging her into that tree. "They're only allotted points depending on how well they do in their academics? What if that's how real life was?! What if we only got money based on how smart we are?!"

"That's pretty much how it works anyway," he pointed out. Not that it mattered for him, he was so smart he was certain he'd be rolling in points.

"Those students who spent all their points in the first month are going to struggle so hard now!" She seemed too upset about fictitious people. Katsuki thought it was kind of adorable how invested she was just from the first episode.

"Yeah, well if they hadn't been so damn stupid and frivolous then they'd still have money, wouldn't they?" he retorted with an eye roll.

"Can we watch one more?" she pleaded, eyelashes batting and lip pouting. "I have to know what happens next!"

"Fine, dammit! You don't have to whine!" He played the next episode, secretly smiling to himself that she liked something he enjoyed so much.

"Katsuki?" she asked softly as the opening song played. "Can I lay on your chest? My head hurts."

She was using that annoying tone again. He could hear her eyes batting this time. He chose not to say anything at all, but after a moment she scooted closer and let her head rest against his chest.

Bad idea, he thought when his heart started hammering. She'd have a headache for sure with that slamming into her skull.

"I…have aspirin," he said awkwardly, trying to loosen his tense muscles.

"No, this is better." She moved closer and draped an arm across his torso. "Unless… Do you want me to move? Am I making you uncomfortable?" She started to pull away but his arm reached out of its own volition and forced her back down. His heart beat even harder but he pretended not to notice.

"Do whatever you want." He tried for a nonchalant tone, but the words came out hoarse and wavered slightly.

He felt her lips curl into a smile against his chest. "Thank you, Katsuki," she whispered.

They watched the show in silence for a while, other than the occasional gasp of surprise on Aisla's part. They were on episode four when he started to feel himself drifting off. His head jerked back and he had to keep forcing it to stay upright. He couldn't fall asleep with her in here, not again. Besides, it felt nice to hang out with her like this. He was enjoying a relaxing evening with her. They didn't normally do things like this. Most of their encounters were spent fighting, not…what was this? Snuggling?

The room grew darker by the minute, though, making it increasingly more difficult to keep his eyes open. Finally, he couldn't take it another moment and let his lids close, only for a second. As soon as the episode was over, he would open them. He just needed a minute to let his eyes rest. He'd seen the show before anyway, so it wasn't like he'd miss anything.

He listened to the sound of the show playing in the background, felt the soft beating of Aisla's heart against his side, and the way her hand had been lazily gliding across his chest for the past several minutes. She touched him in such a natural way that he didn't even notice she was doing it, at first. By the time he did, he was too content to make any complaints. He decided to let it go for now and let her continue the soothing motions of her hand on the outside of his shirt.

After a while, his breathing evened out and he thought he might actually fall asleep. He was too tired to stop it now—between the dark room, the soft droning of the show, and Aisla's gentle touch. As soon as he thought that, he felt something feather-light against his lips. He parted them in anticipation and the something pulled his bottom lip sharply. He let out a surprised breath, eyes popping open. Aisla's face hovered above his, ocean blue eyes somehow blazing like fire.

What does she want now? he wondered, though he suspected he already knew.

A second later he got his answer. Her lips pressed down lightly and the hand that had been touching him before now slid up his shirt to caress bare skin. His eyes closed again but this time it wasn't from exhaustion. She kissed him fiercely and dragged her nails down his chest.

"Aisla," he murmured into her mouth, and she shuddered at the sound of her name. His hands went around her and pulled her on top of him, then took their own journey across the plane of her back and into her long hair, which cascaded around them now like a veil.

This was a new position for them and he hated to admit how aroused it made him to have her body on his while her lips continued their assault. He didn't stop his hands from gliding through her hair to the hem of her shirt. His fingers tugged at the bottom as if deciding whether or not to just pull the thing clean off.

Instead, he moved them so they were both on their sides, then wrapped his arms around her tightly. Hers went around too, and she didn't hesitate to explore the muscles of his back. He refused to break their kiss as he returned the action in kind, delicately charting the soft, porcelain skin that belonged to this exquisite creature.

Her soft sigh of pleasure was intoxicating and he couldn't resist deepening the kiss and sliding his tongue inside. He liked the way her lips and tongue tasted—a little like the fruit from earlier—and the way her skin felt on his fingertips. He liked the way she said his name, and when she moaned into his mouth. Never had he felt this way about anyone. He wasn't always sure what to say or how to act but in times like these, it was easy to get lost in the moment, at least for a little while. It was easy to let his body speak for him.

His hand glided across her skin and around to her stomach which twitched under his touch. His lips fell to her neck, and this time he teased the skin with his teeth. She gave an excited gasp and dug her nails into his back. He growled and gave a hard suck to the skin. He was suddenly desperate to see what else she liked. How hard did she want to be bitten? How long could she endure the bruising of her skin under his lips? He had to know. Had to hear more of those gasps, sighs, and moans. Moans…like the one that had barely breached her lips before it was abruptly cut short by the sudden loud slam of his door against the wall.

"BAKUGO!" A deadman hollered.

Katsuki growled, this time angrily, and turned toward the intruder with flashing red eyes. He flinched under Katsuki's gaze then took in the scene of Aisla now cowering behind her hands.

He jumped from the bed, tossed Aisla the blanket he kept at the end, then gripped his friend by the shirt collar.

"THOUGHT WE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT KNOCKING," Katsuki snarled in a sinister tone that even the brave Red Riot had the good sense to be wary of.

He gave an embarrassed laugh. "Well, you see, Katsuki…I just really needed to talk to you." His eyes traveled back to Aisla, and Katsuki gave him a rough shake.

"DON'T LOOK AT HER, YOU PERVERTED BOULDER! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!"

"Remember that one day?" Kirishima asked.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "The day I murdered you for not fucking knocking?"

"No," Kirishima shook his head. "The day you promised you'd always be there for me, no matter what it was I needed, whenever I needed you…"

"SHUT THE HELL UP, I NEVER SAID SOMETHING SO STUPID!"

Kirishima gave a dejected sigh. "I know you were half asleep, but it still kinda hurts that you don't remember… I thought we had a moment there."

Aisla stifled a giggle.

"If you're trying to hide from Rainbow Hair then you can go somewhere else," Katsuki snapped. "We're studying."

Kirishima arched an eyebrow. "Oh, well pardon my interruption of your—what is it? Anatomy homework?"

"KIRISHIMA," Katsuki warned.

"Okay, okay," he said in a placating tone. "I just needed your advice on something. When you're done…studying," a quick glance at Aisla who scowled just as hard as Katsuki, "then come find me in my room, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever. If I feel like it. Now, get the hell out." He shoved Kirishima through the door and slammed it right in his face.

"Oh my god," Aisla moaned mournfully. She had the blanket pulled up over her head now and Katsuki kind of wanted to hide there as well for the rest of eternity. He only hoped Kirishima would keep his big mouth shut and not tell the whole damn class about what he saw.

Every time I let this happen something goes wrong, he thought with frustration.

"I should go," Aisla said, throwing the blanket off and getting to her feet. Katsuki still hovered near the door and watched as she gathered up her things and avoided eye contact with him. She was upset with him now…because his dumbass friend had walked in on them. He watched the way Aisla kept her eyes downcast as if she couldn't even look at him, and how she didn't say another word to him as she made her way to his door.

"Wait." He pushed his hand against the wood to hold it shut before she could escape. She turned back to face him, eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "Talk to me, Aisla. Please? You don't have to run away."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she answered softly, "that you'll run away again."

Oh. The tears aren't about her at all. As always, Aisla had to put her guard up the moment Katsuku's fur got rubbed the wrong way, afraid that he'd lash out or dive into a hole and hide.

He pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I'm not," he promised.

She searched his gaze. "You won't avoid me tomorrow out of embarrassment?"

He sighed. "No. I won't avoid you. But…no promises I won't be embarrassed!" Though, he suspected that the shame he felt would be easily cured with a good old fashioned pummeling to Kirishima's stupid, inconsiderate face.

She gave him a small smile. "Fair enough. See you tomorrow?"

He nodded, returning a smile that didn't feel forced for once. "See you tomorrow, Aisla."

A/N: Good morning! Another Friday, another update! I hope you all enjoy this one. I thought it was a good one so go easy on me if you hated it! I like Katsuki and Aisla hanging out together, playing games and watching anime. The show in question is an actual anime that I highly recommend. It's called "Classroom of the Elite" and it's AWESOME. Now that Aisla and Katsuki have spoiled some of the plot for you (insert sweatdrop emoji).

Reviews:

MeMyselfAndI82907: Bakugo is something else, but he's a lovable boy anyway for some reason!

blasttyrant: Lol, I'll get you some milk, girl! XD How about this one? Should I send a whole gallon yet? At least Aisla survived this time! And if you're wondering, the reference Katsuki was talking about was from The Ribbon (or The Ribbon Untied, I don't remember now), when he walked in on Kirishima and Hana. It was a sort of payback for Katsuki not knocking. Though technically, the scene mentioned would happen later on in her story. Our timelines are kinda iffy lol.

Beta: yellowchikadee