Shopping

The girls giggled as the otherworldly female drowned in her misery in the corner of the room, a black cloud floating over her head. Katsuki had mentioned the fact Estelle had never gotten to experience the mall properly and grew furious when he realised the girls had planned to take her out as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Hell no! I was going to take her! Not you extra's!"

"You always get to hang out with her! Let us have Estelle for once!"

Groaning loudly, Estelle's head was beginning to hurt from swivelling back and forth throughout their disagreement. The blonde was seemingly adamant that he would do it, but with how relentless the whole class could be in these moments, Estelle knew it would be never-ending if it continued.

"For the love of gods, please just shut up and make a decision!"

Scowling, the ruby-eyed male hissed under his breath before shooting the girls a stare that promised death upon them. Clenching his jaw, Katsuki struggled to allow the words through his mouth. "Fine, whatever. They can take you this time."

The male didn't stick around to hear the female's cheer in the background. His eyes focused on the ground as his feet slammed against the floorboards with each step. Unfurling her mouth to hopefully ease his vexation, Estelle didn't get the chance to say a single word before the door bashed shut behind him.

Pursing her lips, Estelle's eyes remained on the door whilst the girls crowded around her excitedly. There were too many voices to determine what they were saying, but shopping and clothes were clearly the topics of conversation.

As their tone began to get more exuberant the more they communicated, Estelle internally slumped at the eager students. She couldn't help but trail her gaze back to the exit, her mind already regretting the blondes leaving. She would never admit that she had imagined him walking through the door to rescue her from this situation, but it was too good to be true.

She was already getting hauled out the door.

It didn't take long for Estelle to be tugged into a clothing shop, and she was barely given a chance to look before clothes were lobbed at her, and she was carried to the changing room.

The girls eagerly spoke to one another as they lingered for Estelle to change, and when she vacated the cubicle to stare into all their eyes, she was disgruntled with the fact they hated the outfit.

So she changed again.

And again.

And again.

Forced to change repeatedly for the girl's gratification, Estelle was on her fourteenth outfit before her body leaned against the wall, and she realised that she hated the mall.

As she stood there, half naked from stopping mid-change, Estelle couldn't help but wonder if her opinion would have been different if she had come with Katsuki. He always managed to make mundane things more interesting. Hell, the first night they spent together was watching cooking shows. Estelle never cared for them; why would she? But watching them with Katsuki was like watching a completely different show simply because of his commentary.

Now that she was thinking about it, why on earth was he watching nature shows with her? It just seemed so unlike him to enjoy them, yet he did not comment about disliking them. Was she just making him suffer through stuff he didn't like? Maybe she should be more considerate and allow him to watch things he enjoyed a little more often.

'Hold on, why do I even care?'Estelle could only hiss in her mind, a heat in her stomach that made her feel bizarre, becoming a further nuisance in her skull. Shaking her head to rid herself of her jumping thoughts, Estelle focused on the dress thrown on top of the door. Snarling, Estelle clasped onto the thin piece of cloth before blasting the door open.

The girls winces clearly indicated that they knew precisely why Estelle was unhappy, and it was only when Estelle raised the dress with a fury that they shuffled in their seats with feeble smiles. Estelle grunted, darkly staring at the dress, "I am not your doll."

Whining at her argument, Ashido leapt out of her chair and exclaimed, "But you just look so pretty!"

"I do not care; when will I ever wear this useless material!? Am I going to fight in this strapless dress?! Don't be ridiculous!" Estelle snapped back, waving the cloth as if it were the last thing she would ever wear on earth.

"Yeah, she's right," Ochako murmured bashfully as she leaned toward her other classmates.

'Finally, a voice of reason,'Estelle thanked the heavens. Her body began to unwind now that someone was thinking with their brains and listening to her.

The changing room quickly filled with an awkward silence as nobody knew what to say. Flicking their eyes to one another and back to Estelle, the girls slowly discovered that Estelle didn't seem to be enjoying their outing as much as they had initially hoped.

"You really hate this, huh?" Momo questioned softly, a guilty expression on her face as she stared at the female.

Feeling a tug within her heart at the disappointed expressions around the room, Estelle knew that if she tried, she could fake her delight. But that wasn't her. She can't pretend to like things simply to prevent them from feeling a certain way, and she also doesn't want them to get the idea that they are closer than they actually were.

Still, their downturned lips unnerved her, and she could only shrug as she tried to explain. "I've never worn these outlandish garments in my life. I tried to do it for Shoto, and it felt wrong."

"So, how about we look at things that feel right?" Jiro asked gently, her eyes holding more understanding than Estelle could fathom. Slackening under the question, Estelle took a moment to register the words.

Observing the room and how the girls nodded eagerly to the question before turning back to Estelle, the female struggled to compute that they were again accommodating to her more than she had ever envisioned. These kids were more than Estelle could have ever comprehended was possible. How did they always seem to find the right words to say? Be so kind and considerate no matter how brusque she was to them? Yet, still, try their best to spend more time with her?

Her classmates were too good to her.

Noticing how Estelle seemed lost for words, the girls grinned as they turned back to Jiro. "I guess you can relate, considering your response during I-Expo!"

Remembering how Jiro had felt uncomfortable in her dress during that trip, Estelle relaxed to the idea that the female understood where she was coming from and was grateful for her suggestion.

Smiling scarcely at their attempts, Estelle bobbed her head before turning to the pile they had created and dumping it into the corner. Overlooking Hagakure's stutters of dismay, Estelle strutted out of the room as her mind binged with an idea. Now that she had been given the go-ahead to buy what she wanted, she wasn't holding back.

Practically storming past a few shops, her classmates followed behind quickly, their eyes watching her in amazement as smoke formed behind her steps. Staggered, they had never seen Estelle move that quickly before. Stuttering at the fact she had already disappeared inside a shop, the girls hurried inside only to find Estelle holding two items of clothing up to her face and a gleeful smile on her lips.

Flabbergasted by the excitement within her eyes, the females stopped to stare in awe. Turning around and holding up the pieces for them to see, Estelle held a quiet question within her gaze as she scanned the group. Nudging the items forward again as if silently asking for their approval, the girls took a moment to understand what was happening and if it was real.

Her demeanour change was a stark difference from the Estelle they had encountered for the last hour. It was so different, in fact, that they wondered if it was an entirely another person. Not wanting to leave her waiting for too long since they began to see the hesitancy within her eyes, the girls leapt forward as they pointed to the shirt in her right hand.

They didn't even care that it wasn't their style; Estelle's smile made it worth it.

Stepping forward with a thoughtful look, Momo turned towards a pair of flared trousers. "What about this?"

Nodding thoughtfully, Estelle answered, "Yes, put it in the pile."

Now that she was cooperating, the girls rushed through the shop, holding up various clothing items with inquisitive looks and broad smiles. Their victory jumps were evident when Estelle approved, and the otherworldly female couldn't help but beam back at their outward happiness.

Estelle couldn't deny that she was enjoying this too; the clothes seemed reasonable, and even though she knew she wasn't staying here long, the encased environment made her want to buy more than required.

Estelle stood in the stall voluntarily this time. With an edgy look, she opened the door. Standing with twitching fingers, Estelle fixed her suit coat as she stood in front of the others.

Her anxiety eased when she saw the expression on their faces, a slow burn of giddiness beginning to rise in her veins when she realised they liked it. Relaxing in her outfit, Estelle opened her arms as if to say, 'Well, what do you think?'

"How do you seem to look hotter?!" They whined loudly, causing her confidence to increase at their reactions.

Estelle smirked, feeling powerful and wholly in her element as she wore the outfit. Assertive, like a boss ready to take on the world. She never knew clothes could change how a person felt, but as she stood there, Estelle desired to feel this way all the time. It suddenly made sense why girls would spend so much time getting ready or why they conversed with each other about outfits so much. If wearing a skirt made them feel that way, then Estelle was all for it.

Her heart warmed at the genuine excitement they held for her. Grinning, Estelle swivelled on her two feet and did a complete turn. Unable to hold back her laugh, she observed the females in front of her slump in shock, their hands on each other as if bracing themselves.

They had never seen Estelle like this before, and they could have cried with how delighted she looked. She tried to hide it, but the skip in her step made it apparent that she adored every moment she had on the suit.

They wished they would have many more days like this with her. Estelle was a solid presence in their lives, even with how busy she was. The girls knew they didn't converse as much as they hoped, but it didn't matter because the gap was too evident when she wasn't present.

It finally felt like she was one with them, and their hearts almost couldn't take it. It felt good; it felt right. And they never wanted it to end.

"You should try the suit with this shirt!" Ashido beamed out, causing Estelle to look over in curiosity.

"Orange?" She wondered why that colour had been chosen out of everything else. The colour tugged in her brain, but she didn't have time to think about it as she eyed the other girls. She could see the sly grins on their faces as they looked at one another and narrowed her own in suspicion. "Why orange?" she questioned again.

"It'll make your eyes pop! Go on! Try it!" Jiro waved off, her smile too big for her face.

Shrugging, Estelle agreed before heading back into the stall and getting changed. Her apprehension only rose as she heard giggling between the girls behind the door, her sights scanning the shirt for the reasoning behind their decision. The colour was familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Placing it over her head and putting her suit coat back on, Estelle exited the door, only to be met with multiple squeals around the room.

"Oh my god! It looks amazing! I can't wait for him to-!"

"Hagakure!" The girls hissed back aggressively, warning the female to shut her mouth.

Tilting her head, Estelle furrowed her brows as her mind whirled on the invisible girl's words. And suddenly...

She was dipped into an inferno.

"Wha-? You guys!" Estelle sputtered, her eyes widening as it finally clicked in her mind. Rapidly switching to each head, Estelle wanted the world to swallow her whole as she recognised that every part of her body felt hot. "Why have you chosen Ruby's orange!?"

"So cute!"

"I-I'm changing!" She called, her feet already moving to get out of the situation as soon as possible.

"Come on, Estelle! I think he'll love it!"

"I'm not dressing up for him! The hell has gotten into you all?!" Estelle barked sternly, her red face betraying her emotions. Their gleeful expressions worsened, and Estelle groaned as she struggled to grasp herself.

"Nooo! Just trust us! Get the black and the orange shirt! If you never wear the orange one, then fine! But, we think you should get it!"

Still frazzled, Estelle stopped her steps as disarray riddled her brain. "But why? I don't understand."

Flicking their eyes at each other, the girls held knowing smiles on their faces as they regarded her. They knew Estelle had no idea what was going on between them, but from the outside, it was clear as day.

They hoped they were right and she would get the chance to wear it. And the red flush across her cheeks gave them the inclination that it may actually happen.

"Trust us, get the orange too."

"I-Okay," Estelle mustered out, still internally recovering from the whole situation. As she ambled back into the changing room, the female froze in her tracks when a voice slipped through the cracks.

"I told you she has a crush on him!"

"Shhh! She'll hear us! You know how she is; she needs privacy and patience!" Momo whispered back sternly.

As they quietened behind the door, Estelle stared at her hand thoughtfully as the conversation rang out in her brain. It was like everything had come to a standstill for a moment, a haze of emotions Estelle failed to label.

'What's a crush? I have one?... On Katsuki?'

After dinner, consisting of pizza, they finally returned to Heights Alliance, feeling fuller than ever before, with Estelle by their side. The side comments and puns she was making were like she was finally letting loose for once.

Estelle was immediately welcomed by Katsuki once her feet stepped past the entrance. Opening her mouth to greet him, she was interrupted by the blonde removing the bags from her hands, his head gesturing for her to follow. "Come on," He grunted impatiently.

Turning briefly towards the sounds of loud nudging behind her, Estelle narrowed her eyes at the bodies instantly stilling and the faux innocence on her classmate's faces. Rolling her globes, her feet began to patter lightly behind the harsh thuds in front of her.

"See you later, Estelle!"

"Bye."

Reaching Ruby's side, Estelle was taken aback by the smirk on his face. "You look like you had fun."

Estelle shook her head, "Hmpt, it was manageable."

"Tch, you liar."

"Hmpt."

Walking through her doors, Estelle was startled when Katsuki headed for her bed and poured out her new clothes. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think!? I'm helping you sort out your closet?!"

Taking his explanation as a cue to remove the grey package lying on the bed, Estelle was swift to place it in her closet at the bottom. Ignoring his inquiring look, Katsuki was forced to outwardly question his curiosity. "What is that!? Put it with the rest of the stuff!"

Estelle's mind stilled as she shook her head rapidly, a mutter on her lips that he nearly missed. "No, that's just for me."

Squinting his ruby eyes, Katsuki soon gave up when he acknowledged she wasn't going to budge and focused back on the clothes scattered in front of him.

"Not bad," He commented, his sights gazing over a few garments in appreciation.

"Huh? Really? Mr Fashion?"

"Tch, shut up! You look good in everything, but it doesn't mean it suits your personality. This fits you. I'm surprised they let you buy half this stuff," he added, his vision staring at the leather jacket with approval.

Shrugging, Estelle answered coyly, "Well, they tried to..."

Grinning, Katsuki responded, "Atta girl."

Letting out a light blush from the words, Estelle quickly rotated around to conceal the redness of her cheeks. Scratching the top of her head, she suddenly felt tongue-tied as she reigned her emotions back in. Unfortunately, in her silence, the blonde had taken the initiative to walk to the side so he could catch her face. Biting back his smirk as he observed her pull herself back together, he snorted, "You done?"

Jumping from the interruption, Estelle let out a frown as she turned around, leaving the blonde facing her back again. Hearing a grunt of disapproval behind her, Estelle felt the vibrations of his footsteps before he stopped. Unsure what the male was planning, Estelle moved to create her bubble but was halted by his arms wrapping around her waist.

Estelle's blush which had dissipated, returned with frenzy as Estelle computed that he was embracing her from behind. Feeling a weight on her shoulder, she instantly knew that his ruby eyes were watching her intently. "What's got you hiding your face, hah?"

"Pfft, nothing! No reason."

"Then why are you blushing?"

"I am not-!"

"What's got you all red then?"

"I...don't know," Estelle snipped, frustration and perplexity lining her tone as she still couldn't understand what was causing this. Why was it only around him?! If this unrecognisable emotion was a person, Estelle would have already beaten it to hell and back for being such a nuisance.

Leaning back from her shoulder to gaze at her with furrowed brows, Katsuki was suddenly reminded of their conversation during their last argument. Knowing that Estelle found this situation between them disorienting, he hoped he could push her in the right direction without scaring her away. "You don't know? That's disappointing," He sighed innocently, his head slanted down to keep his gaze on her features.

"How so?" The female answered back, her head tilting up in inquisitiveness. Unfortunately, the blonde didn't care to answer, his hand suddenly slotting in hers as he pulled her towards the bed.

"Sit on my lap," Katsuki reverberated once he sat. It was only when Estelle turned around that he spoke up again. "No, facing me."

Anchoring on his lap, Estelle bit her lips as the blonde tugged her forward, adjusting her thighs, so they were on either side of him. Unsure of where he was going with this, the female bit back a squeak when he bucked her forward again, his hands landing on her butt as he did so.

He watched her intently like a man on a mission. His eyes splayed across her cheeks as his hands glided over her hips. The pair's closeness was also causing his cheeks to redden, but he didn't care about that.

Unsure where to place her hands, Estelle resorted to playing with the hairs on the back of his neck. Since the duo was already so compact, it only furthered the lack of distance between the two. Her mind focused on her hands to avoid the intense gaze in front of her. When she tried to get a peak, it was as if her insides turned into a cooker.

Katsuki bit his lips from her hand movements and softened slightly under her ministrations. He couldn't deny the fact that if he could have Estelle play with his hair all day, he would cherish every moment of heaven. Though he could not take his eyes off her face, the bloom slowly trailed down her neck, capturing all of his attention.

"Do you know what's got you blushing now?" he questioned, eyes still not leaving her pretty pink neck.

Groaning lightly at the fact he hadn't given up the topic like she thought he did, Estelle felt the grip on her hips tighten slightly from her response. Turning her head away to hide her body's reactions, she was quickly redirected back to him with a hand on her chin. "That's the third time you've tried to hide your pretty face. Stop that, and answer the question."

Flushing pinker, Estelle bit her lip as she tried to figure out the crux of her emotion. Why was she reddening around him? Groaning again, her head landed on his shoulder as she mumbled. "I don't know. It's confusing."

"What's confusing ya, idiot? Was it something I said?" He prodded, hoping it would help her realise what those feelings were.

He knew that it began to click into place when she explained there was something different about them. The questions about what a date was, the old fashion term used for courting, and her history. When in the world would she have thought about liking someone else?

He also knew that if he sat back and did nothing, letting it fester, Estelle would just leave the situation as it was. Why would she think about it when the whole thing frightened her? And how the hell was he going to help her realise there was more between them without spooking her away? He had spent too many nights thinking about it, and it was getting on his nerves. It wasn't her fault, but maybe if she realised that it was him causing her to redden, she was compelled to examine it more.

He had also spent many nights coming to terms with his emotions surrounding the otherworldy girl. The number of times he had determined to himself not to pursue things further, and the thought disappeared every time he walked into the living room to witness her using a pillow as a substitute until he arrived. Katsuki was strong, yet whenever he was around her, he found himself weakening for her and feeling the most powerful he had ever felt. It was a conundrum that Katsuki cared less about daily, his resolve growing as he realised he wasn't prepared to let her go in any sense of the word.

"Ruby, I told you before that you were different-"

'Fucking hell, please don't start talking about ending it again,'The blonde could only whine, wondering if his mission was already a complete fucking failure. He was thinking about keeping her forever, and here she was, stuck on their previous argument.

"-So, I can't explain what's making me weird. I just know that it's because of you. That's all."

"Tch, you just answered the question. Plus, it's not weird."

"Huh?"

"It's because of me."

"Oh," Estelle replied dumbly, her mind whirring on the answer as the quiet kicked in.

"So why the hell are you hiding it, hah!?" Katsuki abruptly barked, feeling her jerk in surprise from the sudden yell.

"Wha-?"

"If I caused you to be all cute and blushy, don't I get the right to see it?!"

"Ruby..." Estelle sighed, her eyes on his flustered expression as he made such a petty argument.

Dialling back on his shout, Katsuki quickly turned a little more severe as he reassured her. "Don't overthink it. It'll come to you eventually."

"What? My sanity? Seems to be long gone."

"Hah! You really are something else."

"Wanna help me look for it? It must have been scared away by your horrid personality."

"You brat! Your sanity disappeared long before you even met me!" Ruby rebuked, his hand instantly going to her cheeks and squeezing.

"Hey! You said it yourself! Don't harm the pretty face!"

"Nah, it's only making you more adorable!"

"Wha-! Ow!"