Chapter Seven: Namine`'s Fall
I chased the sun like everyone else!
And like everyone else…
I got burnt.
The sun is alone, too,
But it still shines…
… The ride back was a quiet one. Katsuki made sure to keep at least one arm around Namine` at all times because he felt as if she would shatter like glass. He guided her off the train and out of the station. When they made to their usual parting roads, and he turned back to Namine` with a serious look on his face.
Tonight was the night he was going to confess his feelings to her. He had been keeping it hidden from her ever since she got hurt in the classroom. He knew he probably wouldn't be right for her, but he HAD to let her know. Even if she didn't return his feelings, he had to tell her – tonight.
"I'm staying with you tonight, Needy." He said in a final tone; gripping Namine`'s hand tightly in his own.
Namine` blinked in surprise. "I thought that was the plan from the start, Katsuki." She said in a blunt tone; tilting her head to the side with a confused look on her face.
"I'm just making sure you didn't forget." He replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
"But what about a change of clothes?! Or your homework?! I thought we could do our homework together!" Namine` protested in a nervous tone.
Katsuki sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I should still have some clothes from the last time I stayed the night, remember? Damn, you'd forget your head if it weren't attached, wouldn't you?" He complained in a weary tone; giving the girl a blunt stare.
Namine` gasped in shock. "Oh, that's right! Well, then let's get going before Hitori comes home." She challenged in playful tone; turning her back to him and started walking away.
Katsuki and Namine` made it to Namine`'s house on the outside of town. They went inside, and looked around to see a message on the answering machine on the family phone. Namine` listened to the message while Katsuki made his way over towards the kitchen table. It was Hitori. She had left a message for Namine` saying that she was working late that night and that the two shouldn't wait up for her.
"Well, I guess that means it's just the two of us tonight." Namine` said softly; erasing the message on the answering machine.
'Perfect! That gives me a chance to tell Namine` how I feel!' Katsuki thought with a slight smirk on his face.
Namine` placed one hand on the counter next to the phone and brought one leg up behind her, and stretched as much as she could. "Man, it feels so good to finally be free of those infernal crutches! I had almost forgotten what it was like to walk without them!" She said excitedly; smiling happily at herself while she switched legs and repeated the process.
Katsuki chuckled and slowly got up from his seat at the table. "I'm glad you're doing better now, Namine`…" He said in a contented tone; giving Namine` a warm smile as he started walking over towards her.
Namine` turned around in time to see Katsuki walk up to her, and rested his hands on the counter behind her. "Uh – Katsuki? What are you doing?" She asked in an unsure tone; not taking her eyes of his.
Katsuki blushed and looked down at his feet. "Listen, Namine`… I've got something I need to tell you…" He said in a forced tone; not really knowing how to put his thoughts into words.
Namine` tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Is something wrong, Katsuki? You know you can tell me anything… you know I won't judge you, so don't be afraid to tell me if something's wrong." She encouraged in a gentle tone; resting her hand on the boy's shoulder.
Katsuki shook his head at her. "You know I like you, right?" He asked in an inquiring tone; keeping his eyes trained on the floor.
Namine` nodded to him with a small smile. "I know that, Katsuki… you always say that I'm the only one in school that doesn't annoy you if I'm not mistaken. I'd like to think we're pretty good friends." She said in a joking tone; giving him a soft smile.
Katsuki shook his head and looked up at Namine` with a pleading expression on his eyes that made Namine`'s jaw slack slightly. "That's just it, though! Ever since I've started to hang out with you, I've wanted to be more than that with you!" He protested in a desperate tone; struggling to find the right words to make her understand his feelings.
Namine` looked down at herself as she thought about what he was trying to say. 'Is he trying to imply that he wants to be closer to me on a level that's stronger than friendship? Does he want me to be his partner or something? I can't deny that I've wanted something more with him, too, but given his personality and how he acts towards others, I'm not sure if he feels the same way I do or not.'
She shook her head clear of the thoughts going through her mind. "I know it must be hard for you to say what you need to say, Katsuki, but I can't understand what you're trying to tell me." She told him with an unsure tone.
Katsuki bit his lip with pressure building up in his chest. He closed his eyes tightly and took several breaths to try and calm his nerves. Namine` focused on Katsuki's face. She could tell he was having trouble with his words. But she didn't want to jump to conclusions. She wanted to be careful since she already knew he was trying to be serious.
An idea formed in her mind, and she leaned closer to him. "Why don't we go up to my room and relax for a bit. Maybe that will help." She suggested in a gentle tone; resting her hands on his biceps.
Katsuki sighed and pulled away from Namine` with a grateful smile. He nodded to her and allowed her to lead him up to her room. 'Now, I have a little more time to figure out how I'm going to tell her!' He thought excitedly; following her up the stairs.
Once Namine` opened the door to her room; and let Katsuki walk in first. She closed the door, and turned over towards him. She watched him walk over towards the window and lean his weight onto the window sill.
"Okay, Katsuki," she spoke in a quiet tone; slowly walking over towards him, "pick up where you left off in the kitchen."
Katsuki kept his back turned to her. "Okay… but first, tell me what you think about me…" He said in a quiet tone.
Namine` thought for a minute and leaned into the sill in front of her. "Well, I think you're rash, hot headed AT TIMES, arrogant, self-centered, egotistical…" She answered in an honest tone; looking out into the empty streets with a faint smile on her face.
Katsuki snorted in response. He was about to say something, but Namine` cut him off by shaking her head and holding her hand up to stop him.
"However, despite all that, I think you are very strong, brave, and protective. You have a good heart and you're not afraid to go after what you want. No matter what anyone does or says, you always keep your focus, wait for your chance and take it without any hesitation. I guess, in a way, I'm jealous of you." She finished in a thoughtful tone; lifting her eyes up towards the sky.
Katsuki blinked in surprise. "What? YOU? Jealous of ME? Why would you be jealous of me?" He asked in a shocked tone; watching Namine`'s face closely.
"I heard from Ikuzu that you two were childhood friends and he once told me that you always got praise from people. Weather it was about your looks, your quirk, your strength – it didn't matter. No one ever told you that you wouldn't be able to reach your dreams. That's the reason behind your arrogant behavior – because people haven't told you that you that you're not good enough. Not that it's a bad thing. AND I find it very lucky if you ask me." She explained in a lazy tone; shrugging her shoulders. "Me? I wasn't so lucky… Everyone I've ever known has always told me that I wouldn't be worth anything to anybody. Even Hitori didn't believe that I would ever get to walk again. I slowly became invisible – a nobody. Nobody wanted me and nobody cared… And yet, here you are: someone who saw me and PROVED that I was actually SOMEBODY. And I can't thank you enough for that, Katsuki. I truly feel like you've given me a second chance."
Katsuki gripped the window sill tightly and tried his best to control his temper. He knew people haven't treated Namine` fairly her entire life, but hearing it all over again made his blood boil. However, he quickly calmed down when Namine` leaned against him and pulled her arm around his waist; giving him a tight squeeze. He sighed and wrapped his own arm around her waist; returning the hug and resting his head against hers.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, Namine` pulled slightly away from him with a soft smile. "Now, I want you tell me how YOU feel about ME. I've told you my honest feelings, so it's only right that you tell me yours."
Katsuki took a deep breath and looked down at Namine`. "You wanna know the truth? Okay, well here it is." He started to say; closing his eyes and opening them. "I've already told you that you're the only kid in school that doesn't piss me off, right? And I've told you back in the kitchen that I wanted more than that with you, remember? Well, you may have been told all that shit about how you're a nobody or whatever, but you are SOMEBODY. At least, you're somebody to me. You're… special. I feel like I can tell you ANYTHING and you won't judge me, and you always seem know how to make me feel better on a really shitty day. And it's because of that – that-that… I-I Iloveyou!"
He wasn't even thinking about his actions when he reached out and grabbed the bony girl, and crushed her against his body. He didn't give her time to react and pinned her arms to her sides while he held her tightly. He pushed his face against her neck; losing himself in the rainy scent of her hair that he had grown so addicted to. He didn't want to scare her, but he couldn't hold his feelings in any longer. It was driving him crazy not being able to voice them to the object of his affections, and now that he finally got to tell her how he felt, he was scared.
He was actually scared that she wouldn't return his feelings and hid his face in her neck. He had never been as scared as he was now. He didn't think he'd be able to handle her rejections. He wouldn't know what to do!
However, he was not one to force his feelings on someone. Namine` showed him that he shouldn't do that. So, he prepared himself quickly. If she didn't return his feelings; then he would gladly leave her alone. He just hoped it wouldn't come to that…
"Katsuki…" Namine` trailed off in a shocked tone; feeling him trembled against her body.
Katsuki nuzzled his face against her skin. "I don't give a damn if you don't like me back, but please… Just-just let me hold you – just this once – just for a few more seconds." He mumbled against her skin; his hot breath tickling her flesh. "I'll be fine if you can at least give me that… I promise I'll leave you alone after this…"
Namine` took a deep breath and sighed in response. "You're such a fool, Katsuki…" She whispered in a quiet tone; closing her eyes.
Katsuki lifted his head off her shoulder and gave her a stunned look. "WHAT?! HOW AM I A FOOL?!" He asked in a shocked tone; raising his voice before he could stop himself.
"You think that after all the time you've spent with me – getting to know each other that I wouldn't feel even the slightest bit of attraction for you? Please, Katsuki, give me a little more credit than that!" She joked in a lightened tone; giving him a warm smile and leaning closer to him. "And I'm going to prove it…"
She didn't the explosion expert any time to react when she pressed herself against him, and tilted her head slightly; pressing her lips to his in a needing kiss.
Katsuki was slightly shocked at the sudden action, but he quickly recovered and kissed her back; closing his eyes at the intense feelings that was flowing wildly through his body. He finally got to confess his feeling to the girl of his dreams and it felt like just that – a dream. It was a dream come true and he didn't feel like waking up from it.
He pulled her as close to him as he could, and put a little more force in the kiss. He rolled them around so he was leaning against the sill. He had no clue if he was doing anything right, but the little moan he heard from the girl in his arms was a good indication that he was doing something right.
After a few moments, they pulled away from each other so they could catch their breath. He slowly opened his eyes half-way, and saw that Namine` still had her eyes closes, but she was mouthing words over and over again. He knew he wasn't the best at reading lips, but it wasn't hard to figure out what she was trying to say in between pants. She was saying, "I love you" over and over again; making his heart fly right out the window behind him.
"Say it…" He whispered in a quiet tone; running his hands up her arms, and on either side of her neck. "I need to hear you say it… please, Needy. I won't let you go until I hear those words…"
Namine` opened her eyes half way; still in a daze at the first mind-blowing kiss they had just shared. "…I love you, too…" She whispered; barely above a whisper.
Katsuki leaned closer and kept his lips a few centimeters over hers. "Louder…" He said in a husky tone; making sure his lips brushed against hers with each syllable he spoke.
Namine`'s eyes closed again. "I love you, too, Bakugou Katsuki… Now, kiss me." She said in a breathless tone; bringing her hands to rest on his chest.
Katsuki didn't bother denying her of her command, and gladly complied. He pulled her head closer to his and pressed his lips back on hers; giving her the best mind-numbing kiss he was capable of.
He moaned quietly into the kiss, and pushed her slightly away from him; making sure to keep their lips locked. He gently nudged her over towards the bed and eased her down onto the mattress; gently guiding her backwards and following her shortly after. He made sure not to take their kiss too far, but he wanted to prove how much she meant to him.
They pulled away for a second time, and Katsuki rolled off of Namine`'s prone form; both panting heavily and struggled to catch their breath. He looked over at her with sparkling eyes.
"Are you okay? Was it too much too soon?" He asked in a worried tone; turning on his side and propping himself up on his elbow to lean over her. "I didn't hurt you, did I? I didn't literally take your breath away, did I?" He couldn't stop the questions from ripping out of his throat.
Namine` kept her eyes closed, but shook her head. "No… it was… it was… wow…" She stuttered in a winded tone; rolling over on her side and facing him with a dazed smile.
She moved closer to the boy sitting next to her, and slid her hand into his. He smiled back at her, and pulled his own arm around the small of her back; pulling her closer to him as he cradled her closer to his frame; resting his head on top of hers.
"I could get used to this…" He mumbled in a dreamy tone; running his fingers in her hair. "This feels too damn good… you belong to me now… and I'm never letting you go…"
Namine` sighed and rubbed her thumb over his knuckles. "This feels right…" She whispered in a husky tone; looking up at him with half-lidded eyes.
Katsuki pulled his hand out of Namine`'s grasp, and rolled them over so she was resting her upper torso on top of him. He brought the hand she was previously holding up to bury itself in her hair and started rubbing her scalp gently.
He sighed at the soft texture of her hair, and closed his eyes. "I love you, Needy… you have no idea how fucking happy I am to finally have you… but uh- well, um…" He trailed off in an unsure tone; opening his eyes to look into her duel-colored eyes.
Namine` lifted her head up to look down at the boy holding her so possessively in his arms. "What is it, Katsuki?" She asked in a slightly worried tone; her voice was barely above a whisper.
Katsuki blushed when he discovered that he couldn't look away from her eyes. He took a deep breath and let it out; blowing some of Namine`'s bangs out of her face with his hot breath.
"Um… I don't really know how to ask you this… So, I'm just gonna come out and say it: Will you… be my… girlfriend?" He asked in a slightly worried tone; turning his head away from her.
Namine` grinned wickedly at him and inched her face closer to his. "What do you think?" She asked as she placed her lips against his in a searing kiss.
Katsuki smirked into the kiss and rolled Namine` off of him; landing on top of her in another make-out session. Now, it was official: the girl of his dreams was finally his. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her as long as he was alive. He would always protect her from anyone who wanted to hurt her. He was her hero, and that was all that mattered to him now...
He slid his hands down her body and placed them on her hips; slipping them just under her shirt but not going any higher. There would be plenty of time for that in the future. Right now, he just wanted to kiss her senseless. He felt his ego soar up to the ceiling when he felt her hands tangle themselves in his hair as she tried to push him even closer to her. He moaned in bliss when she trailed her hands down his arms and encased him in a tight embrace. If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up!
When they pulled away from each other, Katsuki rested his forehead against hers. "Damn, Needy, I never knew you could kiss like that!" He said in a joking tone; bringing his hands out from under her shirt and using them to push himself off of her.
Namine` shrugged her shoulders in response, and braced herself up on her elbows. "It was instincts, I guess." She responded in a modest tone; a hot blush painting her face.
Katsuki chuckled and brought his hand up to rest on her cheek. "I'm not complaining…" he said in a husky tone; giving her a playful smirk.
Namine` giggled at him and pushed herself up on her elbows. "And what about you?! You weren't half bad either, firecracker!" She said with a laugh.
Katsuki smirked and leaned over to give her a short kiss. "I guess you're not the only one with instincts…" He teased her.
Namine` shook her head and pushed herself in a sitting position. "I've got to get up and take a breathing treatment…" She muttered to herself.
"Do you want some help?" He offered in a concerned tone; sitting up with her.
Namine` shook her head in response. "No, I can do it. Hey, how about we go down to the living room and watch some movies or something when I'm done?" She suggested with a faint smile. "It won't take long."
Katsuki chuckled and stood up from his place on the bed. "Fine, but I get to hold you while we watch movies!" He said with a smile; holding his hands out to her.
Namine` giggled and took her hand. An idea popped inside Katsuki's head, and he used a little strength to pull her straight into his arms. He buried his face into her neck as he wrapped his arms around her.
He moaned into her skin, and gave her a few tiny kisses on the exposed flesh. "You smell so good… you know that, right?" He asked in a husky tone; rocking her back and forth as if they were dancing to a song. "I wish I could stay like this with you forever."
Namine` giggled at his words, and pushed Katsuki away. "Oh, I'm sure, firecracker! Now, let me go! I have to do my breathing treatment before I go into an asthma attack!"
Katsuki chuckled and let her go; following her out of the room, and down the hall. He made sure to keep an arm around her waist and only let her go when she went into the bathroom. Though, she didn't close the door, followed her into the bathroom, and leaned against the sink while he watched her get the machine ready. He had to admit that he never got to see what she did when she had to have a breathing treatment, so he thought this was an opportune moment to see what it was like.
"Can I ask how you got asthma to start with? I mean, was it genetic or something?" He asked as he watched get the medicine out of the cupboard.
Namine` sighed and pulled the vials out of the cupboard, and ripped the end off. "Remember when I told you that mom wouldn't even bathe me when I was small?" She asked as she looked over at him; seeing him nod. "Well, no one knew that the room she kept me in had mold in the vents. And my crib was right under them. So, I was exposed to it for a few weeks after I was born and BOOM! Instant asthma! I've been taking breathing treatments and inhalers since I was able to walk."
"Damn! That sucks… but how did anyone know if you had asthma if you couldn't tell them anything? I mean, unless someone heard you wheezing, right?" He pressed in a baffled tone; watching her pour the clear liquid into a container that was hooked up to the machine in front of her.
Namine` turned on the machine and waited for the medicine to start evaporating before she put the mouth piece in her mouth and inhaled the vapor.
"I don't really remember what happened – I WAS a baby after all. But Hitori once told me that I stopped breathing one time when she came over to check on me. She said that she performed CPR on me and I started to breathe again, but she heard me wheezing, and took me to the clinic to have some tests run on me. And sure enough, the tests came back positive for asthma." She explained in a careful tone; taking another deep breath of the vapor.
"How bad can your asthma get? I mean, when's the worst time you've had an asthma attack?" Katsuki asked in a worried tone; leaning closer to her.
Namine` pulled the mouth piece out of her mouth and exhaled all the vapor and oxygen from her lungs. "Let me put it to you this way," she started, "the average human's oxygen level is around 95-100, right? Well, whenever I have a real bad asthma attack, MY oxygen level can and will drop to around 15 or 20. And by that time, I will pass out, my lungs will scar up, and my lung capacity will decrease greatly."
"Has it ever got that bad before?" Katsuki asked as he watched her take another breath of the vapor.
Namine` nodded and exhaled once again. "I remember this one time, I forgot to bring my inhaler with me when I was playing outside and the pollen count was incredibly high that summer. My mom got mad at me for some reason – I forgot why, and she chased me around the grounds. I went into an attack and my oxygen level dropped so much that I passed out and because she just left me there outside for who knows how long, my lungs were scarred so much that I can't take a deep breath like you can anymore."
Katsuki looked down at himself. He didn't mean to bring up a dark memory like that – he just wanted to know about her asthma. He looked over at Namine` and noticed that she was finished with her breathing treatment and was now cleaning the compartment where the liquid was once sitting.
He waited until she was finished putting the machine away; before he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against his body. "I'm sorry I made you remember something as fucked up as that, Namine`… I-I wish I was around so I could've protected you back then…" He whispered in her shoulder; hugging her closer to his body.
Namine` smiled warmly at Katsuki, and wrapped her own arms around his frame. "It's okay, Katsuki. As long as it's just me that suffers like that; then I'll accept it..." She muttered to him in a gentle tone; rubbing his back in soothing circles. "I may not be able to be a hero like you, but if I can do at least this much so no one else would have to go through what I had to; then that will be good enough for me."
He shook his head and pulled away from her. "No, it's not okay! That sick bitch shouldn't be allowed to even look at you for all the shit she did to you! It's not fair!" He cried out in panic as he shoulders shook violently; tears forming in his eyes. "Why do you have to be the one to suffer like that?! Who said you have to go through that bullshit?! It's not fair! It's not fair… It's not…"
Namine` cooed at the boy and wrapped her own arms around him. "I can't justify mom's actions – and quite frankly, I'm GLAD she abused me all those years." She said in a final tone; making Katsuki look up at her with a stunning look on his face.
She quickly covered his mouth with her hand and gave him a brave smile. "If she hadn't abused me; then I probably wouldn't have got to meet you. So, I guess, in some sick – twisted way, I'm glad she did what she did." She clarified in a logical tone; bringing his face down to her level and placing a loving kiss to the side of his lips.
She then pulled out of his arms, and walked out of the bathroom. Katsuki watched her leave a moment and let her words sink into his mind. He hated to admit that she had a point, but that didn't change his feelings about her mother.
He shook his head to clear his mind of all the negative thoughts, and followed Namine` into the living room. He watched as she pick out a movie for them to watch. It was called, "The Grudge". It was one of his favorite movies to watch with her.
Once the movie was in and Namine` pressed play and took her seat next to Katsuki on the sectional couch. Katsuki kept his promise and held Namine` as close to his body as he could. However, he had his own idea on how he was going to hold her this time. He held her in the most intimate way he could possibly manage without scaring her.
He was seated sideways in the corner of the couch, and pulled Namine` to rest between his legs. She had her back to his chest and one of his arms was wrapped around her shoulders and the other was lying loosely across her stomach; his hand resting lazily on her hip. He used the arm that was lying on her stomach and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, and threw it over Namine`'s body.
"This is more like it…" he mumbled in a rough tone; pulling Namine` closer to his body and snuggling into the couch to get more comfortable. "Have I ever told you that I like holding you?" He whispered in her ear.
Namine` sighed and shifted closer to Katsuki's body. "No, but I got the impression since you've hadn't went a whole 5 minutes without touching me I hope you can restrain yourself when we have class." She replied in a playful tone; looking up at him with a dreamy smile.
Katsuki shrugged and placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "What can I say? I know what I like. And I like holding you." He replied as he started to rub her bare shoulder with his thumb as he started watching the movie.
Namine` fell asleep towards the end of the movie, but Katsuki was still awake. He had stopped watching the movie once he realized she had fallen asleep in his arms. He couldn't stop thinking about everything she had ever told him from the time she first transferred to his school – until today. He knew he loved her, and he still held a great deal of hatred for her mother, but for Namine`'s sake, he wouldn't go after her. So, he settled on staying with the girl of his dreams and protect her with every fiber in his being. He promised – more to himself than to Namine` – that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her, and with that thought in mind, he nestled further into the back of the couch, and pulled the blanket to wrap around her bony shoulders; enjoying the feeling of her sleeping with him.
His last thoughts were, 'I'll never let you go…' before he followed her into sleep 'you're mine now and I won't let anyone take what's mine…'