Falling Out
Shinsou stepped through the door before holding it open for Estelle to stroll through. The purple-haired male had a grin on his lips as he stared down at the pouting woman. Shaking his head, Shinsou closed the door behind her as she strode further into the living room of Height's Alliance. "Just admit it, Kitten," He voiced, the smile evident in his tone.
Shaking her head resolutely, Estelle let out a scowl as she avoided responding to the cocky student. She was speechless at the audacity of his claims, and honestly, she was panicking a little inside. "Come on, you can't ignore me forever," Shinsou continued, placing his arm around her shoulder casually as he leaned down for a response.
"Yes, I can," Estelle grunted back, looking away whilst she revelled in her aggravation.
"Hitoshi?" A voice rang out, causing the two to stop their debate to face the new arrival.
Izuku stood in front of them with a confused smile and rumpled brows. The grinning male leaning against Estelle straightened up as he faced Izuku, a small smile on his face that looked more typical for the tired male. "Sup."
"What are you doing here?"
"I was just walking Estelle back; we were training together," He drawled, his hands moving to his pockets with a shrug. Estelle leaned back, hoping to make her escape whilst Shinsou was occupied, but the half-glare she received made her freeze in place.
"Oh, are you sticking around?" The shy male responded, his eyes flickering back and forth between the duo with curiosity.
"If Estelle wants me to?" Shinsou slyly asked with a tilt to his lips.
"Hmpt."
"Come on! You seriously can't still be annoyed with me?!" Shinsou moaned, stepping forward to gaze at her earnestly. Bringing his face closer to pop her bubble, his eyes were wide with faux-innocence as he peered at her, clearly hoping to gain some sort of reaction.
"Shut up."
"What happened?" Izuku questioned, his face moving to worry as he regarded the conversation.
Sighing, Estelle folded her arms with a pout as she turned her head away once again. Shinsou slowly grinned before opening his mouth to clarify, "So, we were training and-"
Snapping her eyes back to him with a glare, Estelle straightened up as she tried to mitigate the damage he was beginning to cause. "Shinsou decided to be an idiot-"
"And I ended up stuck on the ceiling, don't ask why, but I decided to-"
Trying to stop his talking, heat rushed to her face as she interrupted once again, "Be an idiot-"
"And tell her I was about to fall to my death-" He laughed back, humoured at the memory.
"Like an idiot-"
"So, Estelle panicked-"
"I did not-" Estelle tried to rebuke, the redness evident as she promised internal retribution.
"And tried to save me-" Shinsou practically sing-songed, eager to get to the point regardless of Estelle's wishes. He loved her reactions too much.
"Should have let you fall-"
"And now she still won't admit we are friends!" Shinsou finished with a beam.
"We are not-"
"Come on, admit it!" He fought, turning back to Estelle with an exaggerated swerve. His head slanted over her with a cocky smile. Growling in annoyance, Estelle ignored the male as he rambled on. "And, the other day, you got me food! You never get me food!"
"No-"
"You even knew what my favourite snack was-"
"Shut up. It was convenient!" Estelle barked, alarm flooding her veins at what he was trying to imply.
"You helped with my homework-" Shinsou persisted, ignoring her rebuttals.
"Because you wouldn't shut up about it!" She cried, frustrated that he was utterly disregarding her side of the debate.
"You offered to help! Just admit it, will you!? We are totally best friends!"
"Shinsou!" Estelle yelled, suddenly flinching when a loud slam sounded out in the room. Enlarging her eyes, she slowly turned to the entrance. She could see a glimpse of Izuku's expression, which reflected that of a dying whale. Estelle couldn't tell if it stemmed from the conversation or the male who had now stormed into the room.
The first thing she noticed was his ruby eyes, which generally would dance in mirth and aggression, were now pissed beyond compare. It put her on edge immediately as she had never seen him so livid, the deep scowl on his face seemingly unmovable as he stomped his way towards the trio. The crackle and pop of Bakugo's quirk rang out until it became muffled by his clenching fists.
Holding back her wince, Estelle could feel Shinsou's posture stand straight from the way his shoulder brushed up from hers, and all Estelle wanted to do was bury herself six feet under. She wasn't sure why she was feeling like she was caught doing something wrong because, in all honesty, it wasn't. But, the expression of the enraged male made her feel like she had committed a crime.
"Tch, I see you two having fun, training." He spoke, adding emphasis on the last word.
Estelle immediately understood why he was furious, but not to the level he was experiencing. She did tell him that the time she spent with Shinsou was just training, but the things they did together weren't planned; they just happened. But she could tell that they had given the wrong message.
"Of course we are. We are friends, you know?" Shinsou vocalised, a terse tone in his voice as he scanned the irritated male.
"Tch, is that so? Estelle doesn't seem to think so."
"Pfft, you know how she is", Shinsou smirked, seemingly upsetting the boy more. "But even if she won't admit it...She clearly likes spending time with me."
Estelle froze from the dark glare pronounced on Bakugo's face. The inner conflict rose as her innards curled in and flipped flopped simultaneously. The contrast between Shinsou's smirk and the death stare was like night and day, and the room was filled with a tenseness that felt like a heavy fog.
Ignoring Bakugo, Shinsou turned back to face Estelle with a smile. His voice was buttery smooth compared to his earlier words, "It seems like I'm not welcome here right now; it's alright. I'll just see you at our next session."
Giving a mute nod, Estelle watched as Shinsou turned around to leave. Guessing that was it, Estelle gradually relaxed as the fog slowly lifted. Unfortunately, it didn't last for long. "Ah, I forgot my hug."
Cursing the purple-haired male in her mind, Estelle let out another fierce glare as Shinsou stepped forward to wrap his arms around her. The easing air suddenly tautened again as Bakugo and Izuku watched Estelle encased in a tight hug. She couldn't see their faces, but she could hear Izuku's shocked squeak and Bakugo's muffled quirk for a moment before he finally let go. "I'll see you soon, kitten."
Seemingly lost for words, Estelle nodded once again before Shinsou finally left, the sound of a click bouncing off the room's quietness. She turned to face the two males, her eyes flickering back and forth between them as she waited for the next move. It almost felt like she was surrounded by water, the quiet room pushing back at her in waves. Izuku was the one who finally broke, stuttering as he rushed his way out of the room with frantic abandon. "I- I- I'm just gonna go!"
"Yeah, you better, ya nerd," Bakugo snarled, his eyes not leaving the females as they were finally left alone.
The room was silent as Estelle and Bakugo faced each other. She honestly had no idea what to say, but she figured it was best to let him start so she wouldn't enrage him further. The deep stare shot through her soul, and Estelle's heart dropped to her feet as an ache began in her chest. She didn't like how he was looking at her; it made her feel ways she despised. But, she was clueless about stopping it, and she could only bite her lip from the unease ripping through her.
The blonde's gaze redirected to the ground, clearly frustrated as he shifted his feet. The change in demeanour made Estelle's thoughts wild, and the discomfort within her deepened as time passed. She could have sagged in consolation when he finally spoke, "You told me it was just training. Sounds like a lot more than that."
"It isn't-"
"Bullshit!" Bakugo snapped before halting for a deep breath. Stomping his way up to the female, he growled, "Do you know how frustrating it is to hear that? To know that you have no issues being with him, but you have to fight me every step of the way? Especially since you've been ignoring me the last few days! What is it, Estelle, really?"
Estelle winced from his words, knowing she had been stonier to him recently. Ever since her breakdown from the interrogation at the police station, Estelle knew things were twisting between the pair. She woke up the following day like she had woken up from a long dream, and once reality sank in, Estelle scrambled in hopes of rewinding the change between them. So, she had purposefully avoided him whenever she could.
She knew it bothered him how she would leave the room quickly when he came in. He tried to speak to her a few times, but Estelle had simply stated that she was busy, albeit softly, so it wouldn't hurt him, but she knew it still did. And for some reason, she felt wounded knowing she was doing that to him. But she didn't know what else to do, and now this. Honestly, the ignoring thing was a perfectly valid thing to be mad about. This, however, didn't seem as reasonable.
Estelle opened her mouth to argue, but it was like the sound had withered in her throat. All that remained was silent stutters as she tried to explain to Bakugo her logic, but the frustrated movements of his body, the grit in his teeth and his trembling hands caught her off guard. He was holding himself back from exploding, the very definition of a ticking time bomb. Estelle could only wonder if she had been compromised in battle; there was no other way to describe the pain his demeanour had caused her. Letting out a brief noise to compensate for what she was feeling inside, it was eventually replaced by fury. She was finally allowed to speak, but no words could leave her lips when the time came.
Seemingly fed up with the fact that Estelle wasn't using the time to say something, anything that would show an ounce of effort for the pair. It paled in comparison to his own, and it only strengthened the idea that Estelle did not care for him as he did her, and it was clear as day at that moment for the blonde. Unable to stay in the room with that revelation, Bakugo swiftly turned to leave the room.
He didn't want her to see the damage she had caused him.
Estelle felt weird.
She felt bizarre as soon as the door connected shut, and she was left in the living room alone. A crushing weight she couldn't recognise filled every facet of her being as she stood there in the aftermath of Bakugo's words. The twisting and churning of guilt ravaged inside her, and she could only stand within it because she deserved to feel every ounce of the turmoil she was experiencing.
Estelle was confused.
It wasn't that her words seemed like a lie to him; she expected that to be the problem. But, in actuality, the issue was that Estelle seemed to accept Shinsou's invitations with less fight than Bakugo's. Why did she abide by Shinsou's company more than the blondes? She also couldn't discount the fact she hadn't treated him the best recently, but what else was she supposed to do?
Bakugo didn't come downstairs.
She had expected that, but she hadn't anticipated the insistent urge to fix the issue. Why was this bothering her so much? Was it because he didn't understand her reasoning? Was it because she looked like a hypocrite? Estelle had no idea, and it only helped to increase the everchanging emotions flickering through her.
Her eyes trailed over the television, but they weren't really watching as her thoughts continuously rolled into another. Her mind was too focused on the event earlier in the day. Hours went by, and Estelle pondered within her weary mind, hoping to come to some sort of answer on her own actions.
It was late when she acknowledged he was right; Estelle never really fought Shinsou when he invited her out on the pretence of training. She guessed it was because there was a reason for it, one that Estelle had willingly agreed to. It was easier that way, knowing the boundaries of that relationship and how it wouldn't go anywhere.
But, Bakugo was utterly different. There was no reason to spend time with him, yet she did every night. There is no cause behind it, so it shouldn't happen in Estelle's brain. Yet it happened anyway, and Estelle found it more challenging by the day to decline; it was unnerving. Something was different about the time she spent with the blonde, and she was pulling out straws, trying to figure out what the hell it was.
A large part of her didn't want to figure it out, yet her mind endeavoured to anyway. It was annoying and aggravating, and she instinctively pulled away from it because she knew it would change how things were, and Estelle was not prepared for that.
That sort of feeling intimidated her more than anything else. It was like a magnet that drew her back to Bakugo, and Estelle detested it. Why was he different? It was like a successive push and pull her body and soul were in, but she knew it was uncharted territory. Why would she do that to the two of them when she eventually leaves him? The only answer was to distance herself because his sweet words were becoming a blanket for her to lay in, and she knew she was becoming too attached.
There was no risk there with Shinsou. The teenager was truly kindhearted and persistent in being the best hero he could be, and Estelle was determined to help him get there. But, as much as Estelle knew she would miss him, she understood it would be painful yet manageable to leave him.
Bakugo, again, was unlike the others. Her growing attachment to him was apparent within her mind. As much as she abhorred to admit it, she knew it was prominent. She understood if she continued to remain by his side, leaving him would wreck her. She didn't see why it would, but some internal part of her recognised that it would be her future if she continued. Even though she knew she could do it, why would she bring them more pain? And why did his stubbornness come into the picture? Why did he have to show her what it was like with him around?
Maybe now was a good time for this to have happened, for their moment to end before things got worse. Estelle could suck it up until it was time to go home. Yeah, she could manage that.
The thought hit her like a crash landing, and a grimace landed on her face. Why did that thought trouble her so much? Gosh, it was so maddening. What the hell did he do to her?
As she sat in the dark, the television casting a dim light on her face, Estelle felt another wave of emotions. 'Am I...missing him? Maybe because it's the first night where he's never turned up?'
Estelle was used to being lonely; it was practically an old friend. But just like anything else with the obnoxious blonde, she was left feeling entirely different than she was used to. Maybe this was what she deserved; she knew she was always destined to be alone anyways. The pain would meld into the background, just like it always did.
Still, the tugging to find him and fix it never stopped.
Bakugo was furious.
He was infuriated when he walked into the room to find the two students looking as if they were closer than anybody else. The bubbling anger at the sight of the male leaning over her like Estelle was his made his eyes green. The instinct to get her the hell away from him was unmistakable.
Only when he heard the words they uttered to each other did the fury towards the long-legged idiot shift to the two of them. They were speaking as if they had known each other all their lives. They had already passed the hurdle Bakugo had tried so hard to cross.
Bakugo was hurt.
He had tried so hard with her, always. He knew body and soul that he wasn't the only one who wanted to be there. Estelle, in all truth, could have stopped every interaction if she had tried hard enough. But, she always accepted in the end. But why was it fair if he was the only one getting that treatment? It wasn't, and the knowledge pained him more than he cared to admit.
Estelle had gotten miles better with spending time with the rest of the class. With a grumble and a huff, she would join them for sugar-time; she would watch movies with the rest of the students. Hell, she even offered to train everyone without any prodding. That was miles away from the Estelle they had initially met, a colossal facade at the beginning of the year. When they all finally moved in together, it was evident that the Estelle they all knew was a cold, hard, fake exterior.
They were all finally getting to know the real her, the one that wasn't hidden behind wise words, strong body and mind. The teen behind the mask that she tried to hold together all by herself. They were all finally getting to know Estelle.
But, still, why did she continue to fight only him?
Why couldn't she just simply agree as she does with everyone else? Why would she try so hard to distance herself from him? Why did she ignore him? Did she just not want to spend time with him? Or was it entirely different? It was so fucking frustrating, and as much as he wanted to go downstairs and talk it out, he just couldn't look into her eyes right now.
Granted, maybe he was being too harsh on her. But, every time they had an argument, it was up to Bakugo to fix it. It was always up to Bakugo to get her out of her phases of ignoring him. Estelle's walls still couldn't admit that she wanted to spend time with him. So, he knew she would most likely accept the new change in stride and keep moving on.
Bakugo was jealous.
He knew that; he knew it was a part of why he was so mad. Estelle's sheer willingness the other day to join Shinsou's training made his stomach flip. He was jealous of the fact she said yes so quickly. She said yes to that nerd, but she had never readily agreed with him.
He couldn't discount that they were so much closer than he could have imagined. Estelle knew his favourite fucking snacks? Did she even know his? Why did he care so much? Bakugo knew why, but again he refused to admit it to himself. He couldn't, not until there was a sign that he wasn't being royally screwed over. But, still, it didn't stop the fact that his heartbeat tripled when she was around.
It bothered him so much.
The fact she so willingly spent so much time with Shinsou and her pride would probably never allow her to take the first step with him. The fact that Estelle huddled into him every night yet jerked away from him the following day. The fact that he had to force her to spend time with him just because she wouldn't allow herself to just say yes. The fact that it made him doubt himself sometimes if he was doing the right thing by continuously making himself present in her life.
Bakugo knew he was being hypocritical since he had always told her he wasn't going anywhere. But this hurt, dammit. He just wants a sign that this wouldn't be a complete fucking trainwreck. This was her problem to fix, and as much as Bakugo twisted and turned at the thought that she never would, he knew he had to keep his resolve. Otherwise, he would feel stuck like the end goal was never achievable. Bakugo needed something, anything to hold onto because if the way he was feeling was any indicator, he had to know before he fell deeper.
Bakugo stayed up that night, staring at his bedroom roof with a glower. He hoped she was awake right now, too, thinking about him. 'Tch, what am I thinking? She's probably fast asleep right now without a care in the world.'
Estelle skipped breakfast, lunch, and dinner the next day to avoid the blonde. Honestly, she didn't want to deal with the awkwardness of thanking the male for her food after the argument they both endured. Still, she ate her meals by stopping at the grocery store for sandwiches.
As she slowly ate them outside on the bench, Estelle was suddenly reminded of the time he had fed her them the other day. Slouching, a frown on her face from the short memory, Estelle glared at the food before taking another bite. "It doesn't compare to his food," She whispered before snapping herself out of her sombre thoughts.
Hit with another wave of emotions, Estelle stared down at her food again with a thoughtful expression. The argument had barely left her mind, and the frustration blossomed within her. Why couldn't she just move on as she did with everything else?
Sitting on the bench by herself, she thought about the times she ate meals with the class. How the noise that used to aggravate her now melded into the background of normality. It was then her body froze from realisation.
She felt lonely.
The next day, Estelle could tell her classmates could feel the tension within the room when she arrived back later in the evening. She had not been around since the argument, mainly because Bakugo's bad attitude made her feel worse whenever she had briefly been in his presence. The venom in his gaze made her want to turn tail, and it was exactly what she did.
Stepping through the door, Estelle bit back her hiss of annoyance when her eyes immediately met Bakugo's in the room. Turning away quickly, Estelle shuffled further into Height's Alliance in hopes of making it to her dorm. If she had kept her eyes on him, she would have noticed that he had done the same.
Swinging their gazes back and forth, the students were beginning to get annoyed at their avoidance of each other. Estelle and Bakugo were starting to become a duo they were accustomed to seeing, and the sudden stop concerned them. They knew how well they balanced each other out, and when Bakugo became snappier than usual, they instantly understood something had happened.
It was like he had reverted back to the first day of school, and Estelle's disappearance the last few days was like they had accomplished nothing. It was like progress never existed, and they discovered how close the duo had gotten with each other without even realising it.
They had tried to question Bakugo yesterday, hoping to understand what had happened and maybe even help recover what was lost. It felt wrong otherwise, the back and forth of their conversations no longer there. They hadn't even realised how much they were together until they weren't. They also couldn't remove themselves from the fact that Bakugo was always within five feet of her since the incident at the movie theatre. It was like whiplash from the change that had so quickly happened.
Their questioning did not go well at all. Bakugo's only response was, "How should I know where she is?! Good riddance!"
But, they finally got their answer from a stuttering Izuku later in the day. The class could only guess if the falling out was due to Shinosu, but they had a feeling there was something more to it. Nevertheless, this argument was ridiculous. Watching as they avoided looking at each other, Estelle was stopped before she reached the exit by Iida. "Alright! That is enough!"
Bewildered by the yelling, Estelle looked up to the tall teenager as he continued to speak. "We have waited for two whole days for you to sort out this mess! You can't keep ignoring each other forever! We are all classmates; we are all a team! Discourse within the class will affect us all if you keep this up! As the class rep, I demand that the two of you talk it out! Now!"
Stunned by his intervention, Bakugo's face was dark as he barked back, "The hell! It's none of your business, four-eyes!"
"It is our business when it affects the whole class! So sort it out before I bring Mr Aizawa in!" Iida butted in, his hand swinging whilst he made his demands.
Estelle was exasperated by the loud clangour and slouched as she snapped, "Sheeesh! Alright, alright! I get it! Come on, Bakugo."
Walking away without turning back to see if he was following, Estelle heard his low mutter before footsteps pattered behind her. "Tch, whatever."
The duo stilted in complete quietness as Estelle marched up to her room, Bakugo's shadow clearly showing he wasn't going anywhere. The action surprised Estelle since she had expected him to break for it as soon as they were out of the class's eyeshot. Estelle let out another tired sigh and knew she would have to fix this; the whole argument was messing with her mind.
Stepping into her room, Estelle held the door open for him and observed as he made a beeline for her bed. Holding his glare, Bakugo watched as Estelle closed the door and slumped her shoulders. He was waiting for her to finally say something but was taken aback when she instead trailed over to her desk.
The anticipation was killing him as he eyed her grab a bag. Why wasn't she speaking? Did he make the wrong choice by following her? The obscure and frenzied thoughts continued to run through his head as he doubted his own actions. Scolding himself for being too easy, Bakugo's ire continued to rise, and he was well aware he was about to blow. Estelle noticed his body twitching, but she was clearly overlooking him as she raked through this bag that she deemed more important than him.
It was then that his breath halted in his throat. His eyes widened as the blood rushed to the tips of his ears from the sight before him. His eyes must be fooling him; they had to be. The scene of Estelle lightly blushing as she held the item up was too precious, and his heart squeezed to such a degree that he thought he would need to call an ambulance.
"I...bought this the same time I bought Shinsou's sweets."
In her hand were Bakugo's favourite spicy chips.
Gaping in disbelief, Bakugo did everything to hold back the flooding emotions rushing through his body. Forcing himself to breathe, he slowly sobered up as he grunted, "Why do you still have them, then?"
Shrugging, Estelle's demeanour was considerably softer as she stared at the packet. Her lips were pursed, a thoughtful expression on her face as her fingers twitched, crinkling into the package lightly as she squirmed under his gaze. "I don't know; it just felt weird giving them to you," She muttered. "I eventually decided that I wouldn't."
Scowling, Bakugo couldn't help the snort that immediately left his lips. "But, you felt okay giving them to Shinsou. I get the hint."
Snapping her head up with perplexed eyes, Estelle suddenly let out a glower as she gritted her teeth. The words left her lips instantly from his response, annoyance filling her gut. "No, you don't get it at all."
The immediate refutal hit Bakugo square in the stomach as he straightened up from the bed. Striding his way to her, his face was directly in front of her as he demanded, "Explain!"
Irritated by his blunt phrase, Estelle simmered in the aggravation she had suffered through the last few days. The turmoil he and her thoughts caused left her to blurt out the sentence before she realised them. The intensity of her tone matched him as she snarled, "I don't know, okay! All I know is that you terrify me!"
Taking a step back from the blow, Bakugo leaned away, his head low as a cold wash flooded through him. She was scared of him? The absolute harshness of the revelation settled in his bones, and his throat tightened from the agony it had caused that he could only croak out a low, "What?"
Not noticing how the remark had unsettled him, Estelle fell into a ramble as she vented out her frustrations. "That's why you're different! You crashed yourself into my life and refused to leave! You spent way more time with me than you should have! You should have left me alone because now I'm here wondering why you aren't the same as everyone else! Why couldn't I find it within myself to give it to you?! Why couldn't I get this whole argument out of my head?! Why are you different?! You shouldn't be anywhere near me!"
"Why am I different?" Bakugo reiterated softly, almost as if he was snapping himself out of a daze. Bakugo could give doubled over in relief at that moment, knowing that he had taken her words the wrong way. Reprieved that she wasn't actually frightened by him, Bakugo returned to reality as her words finally sunk into his brain. Squaring his shoulders, his eyes bright as he leaned forward, Bakugo repeated the question again. "Why am I different?"
"I don't know! But, it should stop!" Estelle snapped back, still rambling on about how she should stay away from him. Bakugo disregarded every word, a spark blooming within his stomach as he repeated the question in his mind like a broken loop.
Quickly placing his hands on her shoulders, Bakugo stared into Estelle's anguished eyes as he tried to get through to her and understand what she was trying to say. "No fucking way!" Bakugo growled, shaking the female's shoulders to the point she came to an immediate stop. "Why am I different, Estelle?!"
'Why does he keep asking me that?!' Estelle snarled to herself, enraged he didn't understand the point of what she was trying to tell him. "I told you, I don't fucking know! All I know is that whatever this is, isn't normal!"
The hands resting on her shoulders quickly shifted to the sides of her neck, his fingers landing on each side of her jaw as he forced Estelle to look at him. "Are you telling me you've been ignoring me because you don't understand what's happening?!"
"I don't understand it! But I also know it shouldn't be happening whatever it is!" Estelle retorted, a meek tone to her voice as she tried to get him to finally comprehend the premise of the conversation, "So, just listen to me! We can just stop it, right here, right now. I didn't want to leave it on bad terms, so-"
"Shut up."
"Just listen-"
"I have, and I think you're talkin' stupid. Do you really think after all this, I'm just gonna accept that?!"
"It's better this way-"
"Godammit, Estelle! Just stop it!" Bakugo snapped, immediately grabbing hold of the girl and lifting her off the ground.
"What? Hey! What the hell are you doing? Put me down!"
"Shut up," Bakugo muttered softly, a sharp contrast from his words just a moment ago. Kicking off his shoes, Estelle was startled as she was swiftly flung onto the bed. Opening her mouth to argue, her momentum was cut off by his body landing on hers. Sliding his arms around Estelle, Bakugo laid on her chest, his legs between hers in a bear hug.
Utterly bewildered at the sudden development, Estelle sagged under him. Using the last of her energy and fight, she opened her mouth.
"Don't. Shut up. I missed you."
Feeling those words hit her gut, Estelle flopped down onto the bed wide-eyed as she stared at the ceiling. This was the last thing the otherworldly girl had predicted from the conversation. Estelle had riled herself up, determined to be a big girl and retreat back into isolation, where she should be. But instead, Estelle was left with the blonde hugging her like she was a teddy bear. With her rational words about ending things, the female had envisioned that he would finally understand her point of view and part ways amicably. It was a perfect way to stop the storm before it hit them and a method for Estelle's peace of mind for the remaining days she had with the class.
Softening under his embrace, Estelle knew she had no fight within her right now. Trailing her hands up to Bakugo's back, Estelle lightly traced shapes onto his spine as her legs instinctively cured around him. Feeling the heat on her collarbone, Estelle's breath hitched once she discovered he had placed a puff of a kiss that left a tingle in her toes. Feeling her cheeks flush, Estelle turned her head away and tried to hide that she was drinking in the moment.
Feeling her eyes close, Estelle realised this was the most peaceful she had felt in the last two days.
Bakugo's remained open, his mind whirring at the revelation that had occurred today. His emotions caused his fingers to clench onto her tightly, his jaw tight as he drowned in the mixture of hope, anger, and understanding. She had denied him so much because he was different. He wasn't the same as the class or Shinsou. She actively curled away from him because she knew there was a difference between him and the others. She just didn't understand what it was, and it terrified her.
It wasn't that Shinsou was unique because Estelle accepted his requests, but Bakugo was because she actively denied them.
She felt something for him. Her rambles confirmed it today in some shape or form, and she tried to end it. He could understand why; he wasn't an idiot. He could comprehend Estelle's points in removing herself from the situation. But, the thought of her leaving made Bakugo's innards curl in and his fists clench. He couldn't let go of her, and now that he knew there was actually hope, he wouldn't.
He just needed her to see it, to see him. And maybe, just maybe, it could work out.
Gosh, he hoped it would.