(DISCONTINUED) You Love Me, Don't You?

Chapter 14: What Now?

"Mom, are you gonna make cupcakes?"
"Mhm...would you like to help?"
"Yes! I'm gonna get to taste-test them, right?"
"Hmm...no."
"Aww! Why not? I'm helping! I should get to try my fruits of labor!"
"...Yes, Y/N, you can. Jeez!"
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It's been 3 months since my step father died. His funeral was held 2 weeks after his death. His family and my mother's family were there to mourn. My mother had taken it the hardest. She hadn't been the same since then. Sure, she still joked around here and there, but she just wasn't...alright.
I can remember how she acted during the day of the funeral almost clearly.

"Today, we're here to mourn Pete Michaels, whom died at the age of 37 years old. His death was abrupt and brutal. His life was taken too early from he and his family. If anyone would like to speak about him in his life, please come up" the pastor spoke. I looked to the left of me, seeing my brother wipe the tears that poured from his eyes. I peer at my right to see my mother doing the same. Yet I felt nothing come out of mine. My uncle from my stepfather's side rose up from his seat, walking towards the pastor and the deceased man's casket.
"Pete was my brother. He was a good man, and a good father. I knew he was living the right way the moment he brought his beautiful family home that one summer evening. It's sad to see him go like this...I just wish I could tell him one more time...how proud I was of him. Even after all the mistakes he's made in the past, he still pushed through for his family, and I respect that. Thank you."
He walked down, his eyes reddened, with tears threatening to leave them. Next, my aunt helped push my grandmother up the chancel. Her wheelchair squeaked in the silence. Her face was stained with her salty tears, and she broke into sobs. I couldn't bear to look at her. Her pain was too much for me. My heart ached. "Ugh...h-he was my son...my beloved son! I-I'm so sorry I tr-treated you so bad! I love you, Pete! I l-loved y-you so much! Agh!" My grandmother couldn't speak anymore. My aunt lead her back down, trying to comfort her on the way to their seats. My aunt's face was no different from everyone else's. My mother turned to my brother, signaling him to go next. "B-but... I don't want to..." he stuttered. My mother gave him a begging look. Giving in to pressure, he walked up to his father's casket, standing awkwardly in his striped shirt and jeans. "M-my dad was a good d-dad. H-he would play with m-m-me and h-he'd buy me my favorite f-food...and..." my brother's nervousness was evident. His tears continued to pour as he struggled to speak. My sisterly instincts kicked in, and I felt the need to comfort him. I got up from my seat, clad in a newly bought black gown, and walked up to my brother. I gently touched his shoulder, trying to give the most comfort my teenage pride would allow. "Hey, you don't have to talk anymore if you don't want to. Go sit down and relax, okay? You'll be fine" I whispered. He seemed to have understood, and slowly walked back to where my mother sat. Now, that left me in an awkward position. My family stared at me, wondering what words would come out of my mouth. Their eyes glared into my soul, trying to search for a hint of emotion. "I-I don't think I should say anything..." I spoke calmly. I started to retreat from the chancel, my heart racing from the sudden attention. My mother got up once I sat down to give her final piece. She wore a stunning burgundy dress that stopped at her knees, and black heels that were high enough to be comfortable to walk in. She peered at the body of her husband before speaking. "Pete...I loved him...with all my heart." My mother paused, trying to compose herself. "He gave me my handsome son...and he accepted my beautiful daughter...he was there when I didn't know what choices to make. He was there to love me, to laugh with me and my children. H-he...was everything to me." My mother's tears were endless as she tried to wipe them off her face. A few tears trickled down my own, seeing her like this. But, I couldn't help but snicker at her speech. He never loved us. He only loved himself and the whores that gave him their body. The irony of it all was amusing. A dead man was now suddenly loved by his entire family. Had mother forgotten about what he'd done to us? How much suffering he put her through? How much suffering he put us through? My tears of empathy soon turned to tears of frustration and anger. Frustrated at the fact that I couldn't tell him how much I hated him. How much I loathed his entire existence. How happy I was to see him dead. I gripped the end of my dress, trying to contain my growls of anger. To everyone else, I appeared to be crying due to sadness. But, in reality, I was beyond angry. My mother slowly walked back to her seat, while the pastor waited to see if anyone else wanted to speak their mind. My mother's side sat in silence, choosing to shed their tears, rather than speak their sadness. No one else wanted to speak.
"Now, let's hold our heads down in silence for a moment."
As everyone hung their head low, I disrespected this man once more, by refusing to look down. I scoffed, looking out the church window. The clouds hid the sun quite well that day.
"Now, let us say our goodbyes to Pete Michaels. Go ahead, now." The pastor spoke, gesturing towards the filled casket. Everyone walked up to the dead body, that was as clean as the mortician could get it. You couldn't quite see his stab wounds, since they were covered with the suit they put on his body. However, there was a gash evident on his neck. Damn, Bakugo really got him good. I stared at the body a little longer, taking in every detail. Feeling a bit disgusted with myself for staring for so long, I turned away from the body and the rest of my family. Staring back at me was the one who put Pete Michaels in that coffin. He stuck closely to me ever since that day. It was...kind of overwhelming. He'd go on about me being incapable of taking care of myself, saying things like, "You can't live without me. You need me by your side. You should just let me do everything for you." It was strange hearing these phrases on repeat, especially from him but it hadn't bothered me too much. After all, I was starting to believe him. He tucked a loose hair behind my ear, looking at me with what seemed to be adoration. The look was foreign to me, causing me to flinch. He didn't speak, knowing that he could now be heard, even if no one but me saw him. I turned away from him, giving him a look that said "I'm sorry." Everyone began to exit the church, getting ready to witness the burial. I walked alongside my mother, trying to convey the words "I'm here for you" just through my closeness. As the funeral home staff prepared the coffin-lowering device to lower my stepfather into the ground, everyone remained silent. Their eyes were swollen, still managing to push out tears. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve the right to be mourned for. "Goodbye...Pete." My mother spoke. Shortly after, everyone have another quick goodbye to the bastard that lay in the coffin. See you in hell, fucker. I bid my most sincerest farewell to the man that claimed to love anyone. The coffin began to lower, and as soon as it was placed into the ground, the caretakers proceeded to fill the hole with dirt again. Family spoke to one another, and some hugged each other in silence. I stood there, unsure with what to do. I looked to my grandmother from my stepfather's side, and decided to hug her. I awkwardly walked up to her, holding my hands out, seeking permission to embrace her. My aunt nodded at me for her, since she was still sobbing. I hugged her, and she hugged back just as tightly. My tears were only out of feeling sad seeing my family be so sad. I could care less about my stepfather being dead.
The funeral was coming to an end, seeing that people were wanting some space to mourn on their own. I said my goodbyes to my stepfather's side of the family, while my mother's side stayed behind. My mother had discussed staying with my grandmother for a while, at least until our home was "cleaned." So, we went home with my grandmother that day. On the way to my grandma's house, my mother stayed silent the entire drive. She had looked lost in thought, staring into the empty space in front of her. She really did concern me. Bakugo sat beside me, wrapping an arm around me. He looked...content. I didn't remove his arm from me. His touch was comforting and gentle, two feelings I rarely received from anyone. I lay my head against the car window, closing my eyes for a moment, and let myself drift off to sleep.
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Present day now, I was helping my mother bake strawberry cupcakes in our now clean home. I felt like I needed to be with her. If I wasn't there at her side, I felt like she'd feel lonely. I didn't want that. "Y/N, could you take the eggs out of the fridge, please?"
"Yes, mother."
"Wanna mix the ingredients once I'm done putting them in?"
"Yes, yes I do."
I helped her mix the eggs with the box cake powder, forming a gooey, pink substance inside the bowl. "Alright, get to pouring! Here's the cupcake wrappers" my mother handed over cupcake holders with a confetti pattern on them. I tried my best not to complain. I didn't want to upset her. So, I poured in the amount of cake better she told me I should put in, preparing a dozen cupcakes ready to be baked. "Here, they're ready, mom." My mother opened the oven that had been preheated to 350•F and placed the cupcake sheet inside. She set the timer to 15 minutes. "Mmm, they smelled good already, and they haven't even baked yet!" My stomach growled, and I drooled at the thought of seeping my teeth in delicious, cakey, strawberry-flavored goodness. "Well, all we have to do now is wait!" My mother gleamed. She gave a slight smile. Her smile wasn't as bright as it would've been; it almost seemed forced somehow. It saddened me, but I chose to smile either way. Bakugo leaned against the kitchen counter, looking at the ingredients that we used. He didn't speak, but I know that the way he looked at the ingredients was that of disgust. "Why are you putting this junk in your body? It's gross." I could almost hear him say. Ignoring him, I chose to start a conversation with my mother. "Mom, what's your favorite cake flavor?" It's an innocent question that could lead to a deadly debate.
"Hmm...my favorite cake flavor, huh...? I'd have to say...chocolate. It's just really good!"
"I think my favorite is (preferred flavor) too. But, I really like (second preferred flavor)! It's so hard to choose! Aghhhhh!" I exaggerated. My mother laughed at my silliness. After a while of random conversation, 15 minutes passed, and the kitchen started to smell like artificial strawberries.
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP!
"Alright, alright, jeez! I'll get the cupcakes out!" My mother opened the oven, and using her oven mitt, she pulled out the sheet of cupcakes. Their sweet aroma was enough to make me salivate. "Ooh~ They smell so good!~" I moaned.
"Let's wait a few minutes before we start eating them. So, no touching for 5 minutes, okay? Again, don't try eating them right now!" My mother repeated.
"Alright, alright, I get it. I'll wait! Let's put a show on while we wait, though" I suggested. So, grabbing the living room's TV remote, I switched on a drama, reality TV show that my mom enjoyed watching. I too found myself entertained by the genre. I mean, it's about people who create drama for no reason, and it's funny. What's not to like?
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5 minutes later.
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I pulled a cupcake out of the sheet, gently unwrapping it from its confetti-themed wrapper. Slowly, I took a tiny bite from the pink cake that I held in my right hand. A burst of sugary, strawberry flavors reached my tastebuds, and I could feel it giving my brain a rush of dopamine. I happily swallowed my chewed piece, and continued to swallow the entire mini cake piece by piece. "Ah, this is so good!" My mother exclaimed, also enjoying the sweet treat as much as I was. I could feel Bakugo staring at me, although I didn't know if it was because he wanted a cupcake, or he just...wanted to stare at me? I gestured towards the cupcake sheet, looking at it, then looking back at him. He shook his head aggressively. "No, I don't want that crap!" I could hear. I shrugged, finishing the rest of my cupcake and throwing away the wrapper. "Mom, should we put them away yet?"
"No, leave them out. You're brother will want one too. By one, I mean 2 or more. Maybe all of them."
"Well, I'm going to go chill in my room for a bit. Yell for me if you need me" I let my mother know that I'm willing to come to her aid, whenever. Bakugo followed me immediately as soon as I started walking towards my bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he gasped, as if he was holding his breathe underwater for too long, finally taking in a breath of air. "Y/N, you're always doing this. You just don't want to hear me speak to ya, huh?! This is getting annoying!" He exclaimed.
"I don't do this on purpose! I just want to be with my mom...that's all. Calm down, Bakugo. It's not like it's the end of the world" I spoke casually. "Oh yeah? Well, it pisses me off! You're talking to your mom too much. You should be talking to me more."
"But I do talk to you! Every day!"
"Not enough. Just talking to you in your room isn't enough. I want more. Talk to me more, Y/N" Bakugo grumbled, pulling me in a tight embrace. The movement was subtle, which caused me to flinch. The feeling of his body against mine...it felt so warm, so comforting. "A-ah, um...I mean, what do we even talk about...?" I stuttered. My face is literally being shoved against his man-titty, making it harder to speak.
"Anything. All I need is to hear you. Even if you say stupid things, as long as your words are for me, that's all I need" Bakugo responded. His words almost seemed oddly romantic, in a way. His words made my heart feel warm, and filled my stomach with butterflies. It felt overwhelming. He tightened his hold on me. I returned his embrace, hugging almost just as tightly as he was, or at least trying to. Is this how you hug someone you like? It feels...very strong.
"Bakugo...is it okay if I ask you something?"
"...Sure."
"...What was it like...when you..."
"...Y/N. If you really want to know, it felt fucking amazing."
"...Oh."
I held back any more questions I wanted to ask him regarding that time. He finally let go of me, after what felt like 5 minutes of a spine-crushing bear hug. 
"Y/N...you're mine, you know? I love you, I love you so, so much..." Bakugo breathed out. It felt like my face was burning with embarrassment. "Oh-ah-um I-I l-l-love you too-" before I could even comprehend the words that came out of my mouth, he pulled my face towards his, giving me an aggressive, yet passionate kiss. If my face wasn't hot before, it definitely was now. My heart was racing, and my palms were sweaty. Bakugo held me firmly in place, refusing to let go of me, not even for a second. Soon, I was finding it hard to breathe. He eventually released me, and I immediately gasped for air afterward. "HUUUUUUH! Oh my god! Are you trying to kill me!? I felt like I was gonna pass out..."
"Hmph...maybe you should learn how to kiss right. Maybe then I wouldn't have to constantly fix your lips onto mine."
"Bakugo-! I-I've never done that with anyone before! I've never been with anyone before...you're the first person I've ever done that with."
As I struggled to regain my composure, Bakugo stared at me. His face held that of one with pride, and...

...Lust?

                                 Author's Note:
      I'm sorry for the sudden perspective change! I     just feel like this will make the story more immersive this way. Also, I hope this chapter is long enough to make up for the lack of updates. I'll try my best to update more frequently. Thank you for those of you who've stuck around! I'm going to go sleep now.