Chapter Thirty-One: In Sickness

Aisla shivered under her blankets as she decided what she should do about her current predicament. She'd awoken that morning feeling sick and worn out with no reason why. She'd spent a solid twenty minutes in the bathroom throwing up everything she'd eaten the day before, then found herself crawling back in there twice an hour to expel every ounce of stomach lining she had left. The dry heaving was the worst part and made her want to die.

Her head was pounding so hard she couldn't think straight, and her whole body felt like it was aching everywhere. Her room was as cold as a winter tundra, even under all her warm blankets, and she couldn't stop shaking.

She hadn't felt this bad in years. She didn't get sick often, but when she did it always hit her with enough force to take down a whole city. It was terrible.

It was breakfast time, which meant it was past when she needed to get up for school, but she couldn't seem to force herself to get out of bed except when her stomach tried to crawl out of her throat. She shivered again as tears spilled from her eyes. Maybe she should call the nurse to come check on her and let her decide if she was well enough to go to class. At least then the decision would be made for her and she wouldn't have to feel so guilty about it.

She sent a quick text to Uraraka, letting her know she was feeling sick and asked if she'd send a nurse for her.

Her reply was instantaneous.

Ochaco: Oh my gosh! Of course, I'll get the nurse for you! I'll let Mr. Aizawa and everyone know you're sick, okay? You can count on me! Feel better soon, Aisla! Text me if you need anything else!

Aisla felt better knowing that at least her teacher wouldn't count her as being a no-show. She wanted to go to class today, she just couldn't muster up the energy to move. Maybe the nurse would give her something to settle her stomach and she could at least make it in for a few hours.

"You are not leaving this bed!" Recovery Girl exclaimed. "Your face is pale, your temperature is outrageous, and you're sweating like you've been out in the desert! Why didn't you come to me sooner, child?"

Aisla felt guilty for putting the old woman out. "I'm sorry…I didn't start to feel bad until this morning, and then I was too sick to move."

"Well, of course you are!" she grumbled her agreement. "You look like death! Goodness, child, you should take better care of yourself." She shook her head in exasperation as she turned to her bag and rifled around inside. Aisla hoped there was a magical cure for dry heaving in there because one more session of that would surely kill her.

The nurse pulled out a white bandage with a blue jelly-like substance on the bottom. She peeled off the plastic then placed it on her forehead. Cool gel touched her skin and sent a shiver through her whole body. Then, she produced a bottle of creamy white liquid and placed it along with a measuring cup on Aisla's bedside table. "To help settle your stomach," she explained. "But you must eat something first or it'll have the opposite effect!"

Aisla groaned, feeling another bout of nausea start to make its presence known.

"You need to eat to get your strength back!" Recovery Girl scolded. "Now, I'll send my assistant up with some crackers and cold water. Make sure you eat them before I come back."

Then, she was gone, and Aisla felt no better than she had before the woman had come. She thought she might actually feel worse now because the cold head compress was making her body shake violently, which made her stomach twist.

It took only five minutes before she was back in the bathroom.

I'm miserable, she thought when she was able to lay back down. She pulled the blanket up over her head and curled up beneath its warmth. Her eyes closed and she prayed that she'd feel better soon.

She slept for an hour before someone came knocking on her door. They let themselves in and placed a tray next to her bed before giving her a swift bow. "Feel better!" a girl said, then scurried out the door. That poor girl was probably afraid to catch whatever Aisla was infected with.

She sat up in bed and placed the tray in her lap, only for the nausea to force her back into the bathroom—the smell of the food was too much for her to handle. The crackers would have to do for now.

She ate a few saltines as slowly as she could, taking sips of the cold water in between bites. It didn't ease her suffering much, but her stomach was a little less empty now.

Satisfied that she'd fulfilled her end of the bargain, she followed the instructions on the medicine bottle and tipped the cup into her mouth. The thick liquid slid down her throat slowly and made bile rise. She forced it down and chugged water, hoping she could hold it in until it was in her system.

After that, she lay back down and tried for another nap.

The rest of her day went by in a similar pattern: she'd nap, take a few bites of crackers, drink some water, occasionally run to the bathroom, until finally the sun began its descent. School would be out for the day and Aisla still felt miserable, though she'd been spending a lot less time throwing up since she started taking the medicine. Now, she was bored and kind of wished she could go downstairs and watch a movie.

Boredom and exhaustion eventually had her eyes drooping. She lay there in the fading light of the sun until someone came to bring her dinner. She didn't call out to them, knowing they would let themselves in anyway and then hurry off before her sickness infected them.

Except, when she heard the familiar thud of something being placed on her table, it wasn't accompanied by racing footsteps. Instead, she barely heard the soft padding of bare feet against the wood coming in her direction.

Probably Recovery Girl, she decided. She would yell at her to turn over if she really wanted her attention. If not, Aisla wanted to sleep this whole miserable day away.

"Aisla?"

Her eyes shot open at the sound of his voice. Slowly, so as not to aggravate her stomach again, she turned over. He was kneeling at her bedside, hair damp from a shower and hanging limply against his face, red eyes wide and filled with concern.

"Katsuki?" she spoke softly, unable to believe the fever dream that allowed him to be there. She had thought about him a lot that day and dreamed more than once that he would come to her room and hold her in his arms. "Why are you here?" she whispered, voice raspy from the sore throat that had spent all day vomiting.

"I've been worried about you," he said just as softly. He reached out and wiped sweaty strands of hair from her forehead, then leaned down and pressed his lips against it. "God, your skin's so hot right now. Are you okay?"

She breathed in his freshly clean scent and couldn't stop herself from reaching out to tangle her fingers in his hair. "I'm okay," she told him. "I think I'm on the mend."

He leaned away, as far as her grip in his hair would allow and studied her face for a long moment. "Aisla, you look terrible. I've never seen you like this before."

She placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm okay," she repeated. "It's nice that you're concerned for me, but you don't need to be. It's just the flu."

He dropped his head onto her chest and fisted her shirt in a tight grip. "Aisla…I really like you."

Surprise filled her but also a warmth that helped ease some of the chill she felt. "I know, Katsuki. I really like you, too." She combed through his hair with her fingers, relishing in the feeling of the still-damp strands. She didn't know why, but she liked his hair this way.

"You're my…girlfriend," he choked out in a barely audible whisper. "And I'm…your boyfriend…"

Aisla nearly stopped breathing at the words. He'd never actually said them aloud. At least, not like that. She assumed that was what they were, and he'd skirted around admitting it here and there. He just…usually didn't acknowledge exactly what their relationship was. They did plenty of kissing and sleeping in the same bed, but not a lot of talking about their official status.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked. Her heart was soaring, though it was kind of hard to tell if it was pounding hard because of Katsuki or because of her debilitating illness.

"Yes," he spoke without hesitation for once. "I need to say it out loud, so you know…"

She took his face in both of her hands and pulled him down so she could kiss his cheek. She liked the breath he let out at her intimate gesture. "Thank you for saying that," she whispered against his skin. "It means a lot. I like you so much, Katsuki, and I like hearing that you feel the same way."

He lifted his head slightly so he could look down at her, then moved to kiss her. A blush added to the heat on her already feverish skin as she held his face back.

"D-don't do that," she stammered. "I have puke breath. And I'm probably contagious!"

His look of adoration didn't falter for a second. "I don't care." Then, he pressed forward and sealed his mouth over hers. It wasn't one of the earth-shattering kisses they'd shared in the past, but it was powerful in its own right. It spoke words beyond what either of them could express. With that soft, gentle kiss, Katsuki promised to cherish her as his own, even while she was sick in bed, and Aisla promised right back.

It took her three days to fully recuperate from her flu, and another three days for Mr. Aizawa to allow her to come back to class. She tried to return that Friday, but he told her he didn't want to be anywhere near her or her illness until she had a signed note from Recovery Girl and at least two days without symptoms.

When Monday rolled around, Aisla was so bored from her weekend in bed that she was skipping toward class, eager to get some new surroundings. She was tired of her same four walls and needed a break from the monotony of being sick. She felt much better now and was more than ready to get back to her studies and training.

"Hey!" Aisla exclaimed aloud as she jumped on Katsuki's arm in the hallway.

He turned an annoyed glare her way. She pouted and earned a half-smile in return. "What do you want, weirdo? Aren't you supposed to be on death's door or something?"

She huffed indignantly. "Excuse you, but I happen to be all better now! And you of all people should know that, seeing as you were in my be—"

He clamped a hand over her mouth and looked around in alarm. "Shut up!" he hissed in her ear. "You can't just announce stuff like that to the whole world!"

She licked the palm of his hand and he yanked it back quickly before wiping it on his shirt. His expression was simultaneously offended and something she thought might be…interest.

"Don't. Do. That."

She winked, then took his hand in hers and pulled him into the classroom with her. "Come on, silly boy. Show me to my desk. It's been so long since I've come to class, I can't possibly remember where it is!"

He chuckled under his breath. "Whatever. You know perfectly well you sit right in front of me. You can find your own damn chair."

Despite his words, he kept a firm grip on her hand until they reached their assigned desks. Even then, he took an extra moment to squeeze her hand before letting it go and taking his own seat. She tried not to swoon in front of everyone.

"What a disgusting show of public affection," Mineta lisped.

Aisla turned right around in her seat and gave him her sweetest smile. "You know, Mineta, I heard Tondi was looking for you this weekend. She said something about snuggling under the stars and feeling your lips on her—"

"STOP!" he cried, eyes getting wider with each word. "I don't want to know what that spider freak had in mind!"

"Really?" Aisla asked, sugary sarcasm coating her words. "You mean you don't like when someone pokes fun at your personal life in front of the whole class? Gosh, I'm so sorry, Neta!"

The class snickered at her response.

He shuddered. "Don't call me that. That's what she calls me when we're alone."

"Looks like little Haru won that battle," Kirishima said with a wink in her direction.

"Looks like Small Fry is going to lose more than a word battle if he ever talks about us again!" Katsuki seethed.

"Alright, class," Mr. Aizawa spoke loudly as he entered the room. "Everyone should be in their seats, facing the front of the room with your mouths closed. The only person I want to hear speaking is myself. Is that clear?"

They all nodded vigorously.

"Good." He slammed a textbook onto his desk. "Everyone open your Hero History books to page two-hundred and forty-seven."

The next few hours were spent reading up on pro heroes from fifty years ago, and then writing up an outline for a history report that would be due the following week. Once they finished with that task, they were permitted to take a break for lunch. Mr. Aizawa seemed especially grateful for the break, even though he'd spent the entire class period curled up in his sleeping bag.

Aisla stood from her chair and stretched. "Yay! I'm so excited to eat real food again!"

"Yeah, well don't overdo it," Katsuki suggested, taking her hand and leading her from the room. "You'll get sick again."

"Will you take care of me on my deathbed, Katsuki?" she asked, blinking up at him with fluttering lashes.

He poked her with his thumb. "Shut up, I already did that. Now, it's your turn."

Her face lit up. "Really?! You're giving me permission to come into your room and take care of you?"

"Like you need permission!" he growled.

They reached the lunchroom and each got a bowl of steaming hot chili before choosing their usual table in the back corner. Aisla dug in, not even caring if the grease from the meat stained her lips. She was ravenous from living off of nothing but tofu and rice for days. She needed some real food, and she loved Lunch Rush's chili.

"Slow down!" Katsuki commanded. "Do you want to be sick again?"

She thought about it, recalled how she'd wished for death on more than one occasion, then decided to heed his word and eat slower.

"Good girl," he murmured.

"What?!" she squeaked, spoon halfway in her mouth. Had he really just said that?

He took a huge spoonful of food and chewed for a long time to avoid answering.

Aisla decided she'd definitely heard him wrong. Katsuki had never said anything like that before. That was something parents called their kids when they were five, or teachers called students when they were proud of their work, or…something a lover might say when they've been pleased.

She swallowed hard and choked on a piece of meat. Katsuki smacked her back to help get the chunk down, then offered her his carton of milk. She took a long chug, then sat it down and wiped her face with a napkin.

"I think I'm done for now," she said once the bowl was half empty.

"I told you not to overdo it," he reminded her.

"That's why I stopped!" she retorted.

He laughed and poked her nose. "You missed some."

Her eyes went wide. "What?! Where?!"

"Here." He leaned in and licked the side of her mouth, then dragged his tongue along her bottom lip before pulling back with a satisfied smirk. "I got it, don't worry."

Wow, she thought, feeling breathless. I never expected him to do that in public. Or at all, really. I guess he meant the whole boyfriend thing. He really wants to act like a real couple.

"How's it going, kids?" Kirishima sat down with his own bowl and started wolfing it down before he was even fully in his seat. "Man, this stuff is good!"

Katsuki glowered. "Cockblocker…" he muttered.

"What was that?" Kirishima asked through a mouthful of chili.

"Nothing! Get the hell away from my table!"

He gave them an offended look. "Why? Can't I sit next to my friends?"

"Yeah, why don't you go do that?"

Aisla elbowed him in the side. "You're always welcome, Kirishima!"

He gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Aisla! Hana's too busy to eat with me today," he complained with a pout.

"No one cares!" Katsuki snapped.

"Stop being so mean!" she chastised him. "You can always talk to us, Eijiro!"

"THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL—"

"Well, you see it's kind of like this," he started, completely cutting off Katsuki's angry response. "Sometimes when I do really sweet things, Hana kind of…avoids me for days."

Aisla thought she sounded a lot like a certain blond-haired stick of dynamite but chose not to say so aloud. "What happened?"

"All I did was send her a candy gram to her desk with her favorite candy inside and she went off on me!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up for emphasis. "She hasn't spoken to me for three days!"

"Why the hell would you do something so retarded?" Katsuki demanded.

Kirishima's lip jutted out. "Well, I thought it would be sweet with Valentine's Day and everything…"

"It's January, you stupid rock!"

"Exactly!" Kirishima cried. "I wanted it to be a surprise! It's not a surprise if it comes on Valentine's Day!"

Aisla stifled a laugh and cleared her throat to hide the sound. "Well, I think that was sweet of you!"

He turned big, doe eyes on her. "Really? Will you tell Hana that I'm sweet and not cringey?"

"The hell she will!" Katsuki burst out. "You got something to say in your defense, stop being a pussy and go tell Rainbow Hair yourself! Leave my girlfriend out of it!"

Kirishima's eyes went wide, and his lips pulled back to reveal a toothy grin. "Did my boy Katsuki really just use the G-word in public? Out loud?"

"He's come a long way!" Aisla cheered in agreement.

"I HATE BOTH OF YOU!" he raged.

"There's the Bakugo we both know and love!" Kirishima joked.

Red eyes blazed in his direction.

Kirishima went a little pale but chose to ignore the look in favor of stuffing his face.

"What kind of candy do you like, Katsuki?" Aisla asked innocently.

"Do I look like someone who eats candy?" he grumbled.

"Come on, there has to be something!" she insisted.

He chewed his lip in thought. "I guess…if I had to choose… I kind of like dark chocolate."

"Because it's bitter like you?" Kirishima guessed.

Katsuki turned on him. "SHUT THE HELL UP! I'M NOT BITTER!"

"What else?" Aisla pressed, ignoring their feud.

"Nothing!" he barked. "I don't eat candy!"

"Alright, I'll just guess then," she decided.

"I bet he likes those red hots," Kirishima stage-whispered into her ear. "Because they're explosive like him."

She stifled a giggle.

"I'M LEAVING!" he yelled. He stood from his chair before she could object and made his way to the tray disposal area.

Aisla sighed. "He's so unpredictable."

"Tell me about it," Kirishima agreed. "Hana is the same way. One day, she'll be all over me, and the next she's avoiding me."

Aisla offered a sympathetic smile. "I better go after him."

They said their goodbyes, and Aisla took her tray to be dumped as well. She had seen him leave the dining hall but wasn't sure where he'd gone after that. So, she walked hurriedly in the direction of the door and hoped that she could still catch him before—

"Oomph!" she cried out, but a hand muffled the sound. She looked up into mischievous red eyes.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

"I had to throw my tray," she explained, though she wasn't sure why she felt the need to defend herself.

"You should have made Kirishima do it," he said.

He was backing her into the wall by the door, a strange glint in his eyes. She wondered what he was thinking, but it was sometimes hard to guess when it came to this boy's emotions.

"So, you call my best friend by his first name now, do you?" he accused.

Her cheeks reddened. She hadn't even realized she'd done that. When she'd talked to Kirishima out in the clearing a while ago, he had offered for her to call him that. She hadn't thought much of it and certainly didn't make a habit of using his given name, but subconsciously she must have thought it was okay.

"Does it bother you?" she asked.

Her back hit the wall and his hands went to either side of her head, blocking her escape.

"Yes," he admitted. "It kind of does."

"Why?" she prodded. "Does it make you…jealous?"

He leaned in close, and she would have bet her life savings he was about to kiss her. Instead, he pressed his nose into her neck and breathed in deeply. "You have no idea how jealous I get of all the guys who have been after you…"

Why did that admission make her feel so hot? She suddenly felt like her clothes were constricting, her shirt too warm, her skirt too tight…

"N-no one wants me," she argued, though she honestly wasn't even sure she knew what they were talking about anymore.

"Trust me, they want you," he murmured. "Your beloved Todo… Kaminari… even Mineta. Some kid from 2-B…That meatball boy from your old school… They all want you, Aisla. And…" he slid a hand into her hair and tilted her head slightly. She let out an audible breath. "I want you most of all." His teeth grazed the surface of her neck, making a shudder reverberate through her body.

"I'm yours," she breathed.

"Good," he whispered, then pressed his lips to her neck. For a second, she was sure he would draw the tender skin into his mouth and suck. Her body braced in preparation—the moan perching itself on the tip of her tongue, ready to leap. But then…he pulled away abruptly and stepped back with a dramatic yawn. "Let's go."

She blinked in confusion, wondering what just happened. She stared dumbfoundedly for a long moment, unable to form a coherent thought.

"Go?" she repeated dumbly.

He grinned. "To class. Don't you wanna learn about quadratic equations?"

"No," she answered.

He arched an eyebrow. "Don't give me that look. I might get the wrong idea."

Oh, how she wished he would. Too bad for her they were in school, in the middle of the day, with students and faculty members walking around and waiting to pounce on anyone who even dared be tardy.

"Can I…come to your room later?" Her question was met with dark, hooded eyes and for a moment she thought he was going to accept. But then a devious smirk crossed his features, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets as he leaned back on his heels.

"I think it's better if you don't."

Disappointment made her pout.

He chuckled. "Come on, before we get into trouble for loitering."

"Might be worth it," she mumbled under her breath.

"I heard that," he informed her, but he didn't turn around or pause to wait for her.

She hurried to catch up and found a pleased smile on his face when he looked down at her.

"It's a nice day," she mused as they walked side-by-side to class.

"Yeah," he agreed easily. "It really is."

A/N: Good morning, everyone! So, poor Aisla really was sick… And some of you thought something nefarious was going on! XD Nope. It was a good setup, though. But moving on! Katsuki has (at last!) admitted aloud the status of their relationship. That should make my darling Aisla happy. I liked him coming to her while she was sick in bed to check on her. I thought that was super cute. He's a good boy. Little things like that really show how much you care about someone.

Chapter 32 next week, people! Any predictions? I'll give you a hint…it happens after Christmas~ Also, it will span three chapters total, so another mini-arc.

Reviews:

MeMyselfAndI82907: Poor Katsuki, only a dream. Play it off, buddy. Maybe she didn't notice your…sword XD. Poor Aisla, though, didn't understand why he booted her out. Girl, just let the boy have his pride. He still likes you, don't worry.

Blasttyrant: Hey look, more teenage hormones in this chapter. What a surprise! Lol. So…not sick, but who knows? Maybe she had some good dreams, too!

Beta: yellowchikadee