Chapter Seventy-Two: Ready or Not

Aisla was on the beach, resting peacefully on an oversized towel with the sound of waves crashing gently against the shore and the smell of the salty breeze invading her nostrils. The sun was hot on her bare back as she hummed softly, relishing in the relaxing day she'd been craving for so long. Rough hands kneaded her back and shoulders as her toes curled in the warm sand. His touch was gentler than it usually was when he performed this action, but she didn't mind. She loved the feeling of his fingers ghosting up her bare back without the restraint of clothing, and the warm breath expelled onto her neck just before his lips pressed down there in a lingering kiss.

"Mm," she hummed as a pleasant warmth spread through her. The heat of the sun was nothing compared to the inferno of his lips. It spread through her like a wildfire, setting her whole body ablaze with it until she felt almost stiflingly hot. She suddenly wished the sun would move just a little so that her umbrella could offer her more shade—but the sun did not move. In fact, it only pressed more firmly against her exposed back and creeped along her torso, crawling up under the sand to ignite an even bigger fire within her.

"Too hot," she moaned as his hands continued to explore her back and shoulders, fingers leaving burning trails of lava in their wake until she couldn't take it another moment. She tried to sit up, to free herself from the intense heat, but she couldn't remember how to make her body move. She was suddenly paralyzed in the prison of an erupting volcano, and there was nothing she could do to stop it from consuming her.

"Aisla?" he called out to her, but his voice sounded farther away than it had a moment ago, and she could no longer feel his comforting touch on her skin, only the scalding embrace of ash.

Where did you go?

She tried to say his name, to bring him back to her, but her mouth wasn't obeying her commands to speak, and her body was still paralyzed. She felt alone and afraid, with nothing except the burning tendrils of sunlight searing her skin, and the loud crashing waves that drew closer and closer to where she lay.

"Aisla…" he called once more, though this time the voice was but a whisper on the wind. He was moving away from her, leaving her behind to burn in the molten lava of the volcano. Soon, she would be nothing but another flake of ash in the embers of a dying inferno.

"Come back, my love…" the voice crooned softly. "You're safe now…"

I'm not, she tried to argue, but again her voice betrayed her, refusing to be heard.

"Come to me, sweet Aisla~ It's time to get up now…"

I can't! she wanted to cry out. She was trying to get up, to escape the heat that was pressing down on her, but she couldn't make her body move!

"You can do it, baby," he soothed. His voice was closer now, and she could almost feel the brush of his fingers as they drifted over her skin. "Come back to me… Let me love you…"

That did it. That small, barely audible whisper breathed into her ear forced a gasp from her lips and a shudder through her body. Her eyes shot open at the same time, and bright morning light made them narrow into slits.

"There you are," he breathed against her neck. "I thought I'd lost you for a minute there."

Aisla turned around and found Katsuki propped up on one elbow with an amused smile touching his full lips. She reached out and brushed her fingers across his jaw and over his eyes, taking in the face she'd been seeking for what felt like an eternity. His eyes were brimming with affection and love, more so than they usually were, especially at this hour of the morning.

"I thought I lost you, too," she admitted through a hoarse whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I couldn't find you; I was worried."

He brushed a kiss over her forehead. "I told you I'd never leave you again, didn't I? Not even in a dream will I betray your trust, Aisla. I'll always find you…no matter what."

She smiled up at him and slid her hand down to his bare chest, wondering when he'd lost his shirt during the night. "You always take your shirt off when you're sleeping, don't you?" she teased.

Color touched his cheeks but he didn't avert his gaze in embarrassment as he sometimes did. He must have been in a really good mood this morning. "Sometimes," he agreed, "when a really hot girl won't stop feeling me up all night. It got hot."

Now, she blushed. "O-oh? Did I…do something weird?"

He shook his head. "Not weird at all," he disagreed. "I like it when you can't keep your hands off of me, even if your sleep…when you're sighing my name into my pillow…"

"S-stop!" she sputtered as her own embarrassment threatened to make her hide behind her hair.

"Don't even think about it," he murmured, pushing blonde strands behind her ear as if anticipating her next move. "Don't be ashamed, Aisla." His free hand went to her waist, then drifted under her shirt and up her back, scorching the skin there as he had in her dream. She closed her eyes and let the heat of his touch consume her, no longer afraid of its burning tendrils.

"What were you dreaming about?" he asked as his fingers continued their teasing dance.

"The beach," she answered without opening her eyes. "I was bathing in the hot sun and you were massaging my back…but then you disappeared and I couldn't reach you."

"I found you again," he whispered, lips brushing her neck. She felt the bed dip as he leaned closer and his heat enveloped her just like it had in her dream.

"Mm… You're right," she agreed, hands moving up to cup his face and bring his lips closer. "It was you all along," she breathed against his mouth, and felt his shaky sigh in response. "You were my sun, Katsuki, the heat that warmed my entire being. It was you…"

Then, she closed the last inch of space between them, barely more than a hair really, and sealed her mouth over his. He moaned, lips parting just enough with the sound to give her tongue access. She pushed inside without asking for permission, and felt a shudder pass between them.

"Aisla," he sighed as his tongue met hers and his body moved to hover over her. Aisla wrapped her legs around his back and urged him closer. With another quiet moan, he ground his hips against her and brought a similar sound from her own throat. Her hands wandered the expanse of his back, reveling in the way his muscles rippled beneath her touch like waves on the ocean.

I want him, she thought as a sudden need arose within her. She couldn't push it away now. She'd known it was a bad idea to sleep in his bed now that they'd finally crossed that final boundary with one another, but she hated staying away from him. She felt safer when she was wrapped in his embrace, even if it made her feel too—

"Hot," he finished the thought aloud as he pressed himself against her once more, bringing attention to his own growing desires. The action caused another whimper to escape her lips as her arms and legs tightened around him, and her hips began to writhe.

~I am in misery~

Katsuki and Aisla both gasped and broke apart at the sudden wailing from a cell phone. Aisla kind of wanted to just ignore the incessant ringing, but Katsuki groaned loudly, then started to push away from her. Her limbs were still wrapped around him, however, preventing him from leaving.

"It's my mother," he explained with an irritated expression. "Trust me, she won't stop calling if I don't answer."

She released her grip on him and he slipped from the bed, snatching the phone off the desk and tapping the screen before bringing it up to his ear.

"Mother?" he answered evenly. Aisla could tell he was trying hard not to shout at her and wondered how long that would last.

"KATSUKI BAKUGO, YOU BETTER NOT FORGET ABOUT DINNER TONIGHT!" His mother shouted, loud enough for even Aisla to her. Katsuki moved the phone away from his ear and winced at the volume. "I EXPECT YOU TO BE HERE BY FIVE!"

"I KNOW!" he yelled right back, apparently forgetting his own resolve not to raise his voice at her. Aisla stifled a giggle and sat up, smoothing down her hair as she listened. "I SAID I'D BE THERE!"

"YOU BETTER NOT BE LATE, KATSUKI!" she warned. "AND DON'T FORGET TO BRING AILEEN!"

"HER NAME IS AISLA, DAMMIT!" Katsuki bellowed. "IF YOU CANT EVEN GET HER NAME RIGHT, WHY SHOULD I BRING HER?!"

"YOU DO AS YOUR TOLD, BOY!" she shrieked. "BRING THAT GIRL WITH YOU OR NO ALLOWANCE FOR A MONTH!"

Katsuki took a deep breath and held it for a long time as his body shook from the effort, then finally released it in a heavy sigh. "Mom, " he said carefully, "I am not going to make Aisla come to dinner for money. If she doesn't want to come, then I won't make her. I don't care about your damn money."

"Oh, I know, son!" His mother agreed easily, quieter but still loud enough for her to hear the words. "I was just testing you." Katsuki growled. "Don't be like that, Katsuki! Anyway, bring that girl with you, okay? We want to meet her. Your grandfather is sending his Jag at four-thirty."

Another sigh. "Of course, he is."

"Katsuki, make sure you dress nicely!"

"I'm not dressing up for him!" Katsuki barked.

"Oh yes you are, Katsuki Bakugo!" she retorted. "Don't make me send you a suit again!"

"FINE, I'LL DRESS NICE! NOW LET ME HANG UP!"

Her next words were spoken softly now, and whatever she said made Katsuki grip the phone tighter as if in anger, though Aisla couldn't see his expression with his back to her. "Okay, Mother. I'll see you at five."

When he hung up, Aisla slid off the bed and made her way over to him, wrapping her arms around him as he turned to face her. His heart beat wildly inside his chest, slamming against her cheek but slowing as she embraced him. Finally, he relaxed his tense muscles and returned the hug, pulling her tightly against him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad."

"It's okay to be angry sometimes," she told him gently. "You don't have to be afraid of upsetting me."

"I don't want you to think I can't control my temper anymore…"

She pulled back to look up at him, but his gaze was fixed elsewhere. "Katsuki," she tried, cupping his face with her hands to bring his eyes back to hers. "I don't care about that, I never did. I love you, okay? I love all of you—the soft side…" a tender kiss to his jaw, "—the grumpy side…" she nipped his bottom lip, "—and the sexy side…" her tongue slid along his jawline, then down to his neck. "I love everything about you, Katsuki," she whispered, then gently bit down.

"God," he breathed, shuddering slightly. "How do you do that?" he asked when she lifted her head.

"Do what?"

His hands found her face and his eyes shone with wonder. "You always make me feel like I'm better than I am. You accept me, you love me, you cheer for me when I don't deserve it. Your words, your actions, they make me feel invincible."

Aisla blinked back tears. "Really? I do all of that?"

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. "You do so much more, my love."

Aisla was in her room, putting the finishing touches on her face and hair. She didn't usually wear makeup, but since she was meeting her boyfriend's parents for the first time, she thought a little mascara and some eyeshadow would boost her confidence. She didn't look that different, but the small additions did bring out the blue in her eyes, which made her feel pretty. Her hair was curled and hung loosely around her waist, with the sides held back by the black ribbon Katsuki had given her a lifetime ago. The silver 'A' winked back at her as it caught the light from above her vanity.

Now that she was done with those tasks, Aisla ventured into her room to find her dress. She'd been getting ready in her bra and panties since the heat from her curling iron always made her sweaty and she didn't want to get powder on the rose pink surface of her gown. She found it hanging in front of her closet on a velvet hanger, blocking the full-length mirror set into the door. She pulled it off and slipped it on, barely managing to pull up the zipper on its back.

It was an A-line style with a V-neck collar and a short skirt. This was her usual style, but the dress was one she'd purchased over summer break and hadn't had the chance to wear yet, so she hoped Katsuki would like it. The rose color complemented her skin tone more than she'd originally thought, and while the black ribbon didn't match, the silver charm bracelet hugging her left wrist was a perfect addition to the ensemble. She paired the dress with some ballet flats of the same color, then dubbed herself good to go.

She'd taken her time showering and getting ready, so she only had a few minutes before she was supposed to meet Katsuki. She'd told him they could meet downstairs in the common area, but he insisted on picking her up at her door "like a civilized boyfriend should".

It was just after four o'clock now, meaning he would be there to get her within the next ten minutes or so. That wasn't a lot of time to work with, so she just flounced into her desk chair with her phone and opened up her messaging app. She had three unread messages. One was from her father, who was gushing over the new sketch she'd sent him a picture of, and complaining that he hadn't seen her in "years." The next was from Shoto, who just sent her a bunch of pictures from an anime they sometimes watched together. The last one was from Shinso, whose number she'd only recently acquired.

"Mr. A. wants to know why you aren't at practice again."

Aisla rolled her eyes and typed out a reply. "Maybe because we never have extra training on Sundays. Besides, I already have plans."

It took less than a second for him to read the message, then the familiar ellipsis appeared as Shinso typed out a response. "He said he doesn't care about your plans and you should stick to your word. Also, his eyes are scary when they glow."

Aisla sighed and pursed her lips as she tried to decide what to say next. She didn't want to disappoint her mentor, but she also hadn't agreed to train with him today. She had promised to go with Katsuki to his family's home for dinner tonight, so she wouldn't go back on that.

"I'm sorry, but I already have plans tonight," she replied. "You'll just have to train without me this one time. I'll be there tomorrow for sure!"

Aisla felt only a little bad for declining. Normally, she wouldn't hesitate to take on an extra day of training, even at the risk of exhausting herself further. If Mr. Aizawa and Shinso were up to the challenge, then Aisla usually was as well. Tonight, however, she was going out with her boyfriend. Training could wait for one day.

Shinso's text came a moment later. "Pretty sure he's pouting now, but it's kind of hard to tell. Either way, he didn't say anything else."

"I think he misses his favorite student," he added with a laughing emoji, followed by one throwing up.

Aisla giggled just as a knock sounded on her door. She switched her cell to silent before dropping it into her bag and making her way over to the door. Katsuki stood on the other side, wearing dark wash jeans and a red t-shirt under a black jacket. He'd made no effort to comb his hair, which was fine with her; she liked the haphazard way his locks stuck up on his head. He also wore the black ring she'd given him, which gleamed under the bright lights in the hallway as he extended a hand toward her.

"Come to me, beautiful," he said in a low, un-Katsuki like tone that had her suddenly weak-kneed and unable to move. "Let me show you off to my family." The look of pride in his eyes combined with his obvious affection for her was so endearing, Aisla felt tears prick in her eyes. She had to blink several times to force them back, then offered him a smile and placed her hand in his.

"Lead the way, my handsome prince~" she replied with a sultry look that made his eyes darken slightly.

"Careful," he warned. "If you act like that, we might not make it to dinner."

A thrill spread through her at the idea, and she had half a mind to tell Katsuki they could go to dinner late or skip it entirely. The other, more reasonable half of her mind wouldn't allow her to show up late to an important event like this, however. She was about to meet Katsuki's parents for the first time, and showing up late made a bad first impression. She didn't want them thinking that she couldn't manage her time well, or that their company wasn't important enough for her to show up on time for.

"Let's go," she managed after a deep breath. He squeezed her hand and pulled her along with him as they made their way down the hall. They took the elevator this time—even though they usually took the shorter route with the stairs—then walked hand-in-hand through the common area and out to the front gates. They chatted casually as they neared the gate, but stopped abruptly when they recognized the sleek black Jag that sat out front.

"At least he didn't send the SUV," Katsuki deadpanned, though his expression said this ride was just as unwelcome.

The driver, Chris, if Aisla remembered correctly, leaned against the driver's side door in his pressed black suit jacket and tie, sunglasses adorned and his usual stoic expression. Aisla had only met the man once before, but she was pretty sure this was just how he was. He gave them a brief nod of greeting as they were allowed to pass through the gates, then pulled open the back door for them to enter. Aisla scooted in first, holding her dress down with one hand so her underwear wouldn't be seen. Katsuki followed a moment later and took up the seat next to her, eyes going wide at the otherwise empty car.

"Where's my grandfather?" he asked when Chris slid into the driver's seat and buckled. He put the car into drive and the engine purred as it moved forward.

"He didn't want to disturb your ride," he explained in deadpan.

"Hasn't stopped him before," he muttered, so low she was probably the only one that heard the words.

"Is it a long drive to your house?" Aisla asked conversationally after a few minutes of silence.

Katsuki shrugged. "Not really."

"Then, do you go home often?"

He shook his head and frowned slightly like he was thinking intently about something.

"Do you think it will be cold tonight?" she wondered as she toyed with the end of her short skirt.

"Probably not," he replied.

Aisla nodded, unsure what else to say to his clipped responses. She wondered if she'd done something to upset him or if he was just anxious about going home. Katsuki's disapproving great-grandfather made visiting even less appealing to him than it normally would be, so she wouldn't be surprised if that thought was consuming his mind right now. However, she couldn't help but fear that maybe she was the problem and that was why he wouldn't talk to her.

Either way, she kept her spirits high as they drove in silence for a while longer. She twisted a curled strand of hair between her fingers as boredom threatened, trying to decide how best to approach this meeting. Aisla wasn't often introduced to new people outside of school, so she didn't have much experience to pull from, at least in recent years. The last time she'd met an elder, she'd been twelve and still proudly wore Ganriki Neko shirts. It didn't matter; respect had been grilled into both Aisla and her younger sister Airi since she could remember. Aisla knew how to act around elders, even if the meetings themselves made her anxious and uncomfortable. She would just grin and bear it, and hope no one noticed the trembling in her fingers.

"Aisla?" Katsuki whispered, so low she almost didn't catch the name. She turned to look at him but his eyes were still downcast and staring intently at his open palms like he was trying to decide what to do with them.

"What's wrong, Katsuki?" she asked just as softly. She slid a hand between his and he immediately clasped his own around hers. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes," he said with a nod, "but I have to ask you to do something for me."

She frowned and tilted her head slightly to try and peer at his face better. "What is it?"

He glanced over to where Chris sat in the front seat, then closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before finally turning to meet her gaze. "Aisla," he said more firmly. "I don't know how this dinner or whatever will go…but I want you to remember something." He leaned closer and cupped her face in his free hand, making her eyes widen slightly in surprise at the sudden intimate gesture. "No matter what happens tonight, and no matter how annoying my family is, or how cruel my grandfather may be…I want you to remember this." He leaned forward and brushed a tender kiss to her lips. She closed her eyes as he whispered against them. "I love you, Aisla, and I swear to you that nothing they say or do will change my mind about that, okay? I need you to believe me. I'm so sorry that I ruined that night with your parents, and I wish every day that I could take back everything I said and did, but I promise you nothing like that will ever happen again, especially tonight." He pulled back to look her in the eyes once more. "Aisla, I will accept anything you offer me this evening. Any gift, any words, any touch or embrace you want to give me, I'll take it. You don't have to be afraid of me rejecting you ever again. You have my word."

She slid a hand into his hair and pulled his mouth back to hers for another quick kiss. "I believe you, Katsuki. I trust you." His eyes searched hers, looking for any trace that she was uncertain. She kept her gaze firmly on his so he'd see the sincerity in her eyes. She wanted him to know that she meant her words just as much as he did. His expression softened and a smile touched the edges of his lips.

"You're so good to me," he whispered. "I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do," she disagreed fiercely. "You're amazing, Katsuki."

The car came to a stop and Aisla peered out the dark tinted windows. A large, single-family home rose up above her vantage point in the car, with various windows and some trees lining the outside wall. A balcony could just be seen on one side of the detached house, overlooking the front yard. Aisla's house didn't have a balcony, but she always sort of wished it did. She kind of hoped she'd have the chance to go up there during her visit so she could take in the surrounding scenery.

"It's not much…" Katsuki muttered, tone implying he was embarrassed by this fact. Aisla craned her neck to see the top of the building. The roof curved at a pleasing angle, giving the whole building an interesting and unique appearance.

Aisla turned a raised brow his way. "Are you kidding? This house is great, Katsuki! It's way bigger than most of the houses around here. Why were you freaking out so much about my house when you have this masterpiece?" She gestured behind her.

He gave her a deadpan expression. "Aisla. Your house is freaking huge, okay? Way bigger than mine, and way bigger than anyone else in our class except for Yaoyorozu."

Aisla blushed and twisted a strand of hair. "I mean… I don't know about that…"

Chris turned off the engine and stepped out of the car before walking over to Aisla's side of the vehicle, which was facing the house rather than the busy street. He pulled open the door. "Would you like help getting out of the car, Miss?" he asked politely but didn't offer her a hand.

She shook her head. "Oh, no thank you. I can get out just fine." She did her best to slide out of the car without letting her skirt ride up, then waited while Katsuki joined her a moment later, hand automatically sliding into her own.

"Ready?" he asked. His voice was clear and his expression composed, but the slight tremble in his hand indicated maybe he wasn't quite ready.

She squeezed his palm and offered him a reassuring smile. "It will be great," she murmured. Ready or not, there was no turning back now.

"Let's go," said Chris as he closed the car door and ushered them forward. Aisla heard the loud beep of the car being locked as they followed Chris up a short path leading to the house. She squeezed Katsuki's hand again and pushed down any lingering anxiety. He gave her a small smile, then shifted his gaze forward as Chris pulled open the door.

Ready or not, Aisla...

She stepped through the door.

A/N: I will respond individually after this, but as a general note regarding the Aizawa vampire story... Everyone seems pretty excited about it, which makes it all the more inspiring for me to continue it. I have 23 chapters for that story so far, so I HAVE been working on it and plan on wrapping it up pretty soon. My goal was three-five chapters... So a little more than I planned, but oh well! That's how it goes. It DEFINITELY won't be as long as DDM, though. I want to finish it within maybe 30-35 TOPS. And maybe less than that. It's right at the end. I don't want it to drag on for too long, but I also might be interested in a sequel, depending on how you guys like it and how I feel after it ends.

Now, about the story we're actually reading right now lol...

Katsuki's conversations with his mom always cracks me up for some reason and I hope you guys enjoy them too! But my favorite part of this chapter was probably Aisla's text exchange with Shinso. Aizawa pouting about her not being there is too funny to me! I really love the idea that Aisla and Shinso are his "favorite" students, but of course he'll never admit that to anyone ever. Not even to himself.

I also like that Katsuki is obviously trying really hard to show Aisla that he loves her and wants to be with her even when other people are around. I think that's extremely important for her to see after the disaster that happened on her birthday that caused their very long breakup.

It's also funny to me every time they mention how ugly Katsuki's grandfather's cat is. As a cat lover myself, I haven't seen very many cats that I think are ugly, but it's funny to me to think of this absolutely HIDEOUS creature to go along with an equally repulsive man. I just love that.

Reviews:

octoberbaby91: Awwww thank you so much! Complimenting writing style is such a huge honor as a writer! I really appreciate that! And I'm happy to hear you'd be interested! I was afraid no one would want to read something like that!

TheLoudShadow: The fact that you somehow guessed it would be an OC fic without me even mentioning it is so crazy to me. Are you reading my mind?! But seriously, I am SO RELIEVED to hear that, and really excited to share it now! I know people don't really care for OC fics, so reading your review made me so happy! I was actually debating changing the OC to someone in the MHA universe, so your words made me feel better about my first instinct to make an OC!

kibaschick: I'll bring you some coffee any time XD I always look for an excuse to get coffee! What is your drink of choice? But yes, Katsuki is doing his best! He's doing WAY better than he started out. Looking back to how he was at the beginning of the story is so crazy to me because he's changed so much. He's like a whole new person now! He's still Katsuki, but he definitely has some more attractive qualities now lol. As for the Aizawa fic: I am so excited by everyone's enthusiasm for it! I can't wait to share it with you all. I am a huge Aizawa fan, too. You have no idea. I have so many scenes you guys have never read and will probably never see the light of day. Good quality scenes though. HOWEVER, yes it should be a sexy fic indeed. At least I think it is!