Don't Deny Me

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Almost There

When Katsuki finally got back to his room after training, he immediately stripped out of his sweaty clothes and hopped in the shower. Fortunately, there was an adjoining bathroom in all the rooms so Katsuki wasn't forced to go downstairs and risk seeing his other classmates. He didn't feel like being harassed tonight, not after the day he'd been having. Seeing Deku, or god-forbid, Kaminari, would make him lose it. Even the thought of seeing that dumbass spark plug made his fists clench in anger. The way his filthy hands had laid out on Aisla's ass, fingers curling like he was trying to lay claim there...

I'll kill you... he promised as he rubbed some suds into his hair, flattening the spiky strands but doing nothing against the tangles. He spent five minutes picking through them until he could finally run his fingers through every piece. He didn't care much for how his hair looked, but he knew he'd gotten sweaty and gross during training, and he hadn't had a chance to shower after his pool date the day before.

Date... He scoffed at himself. Like Aisla would consider that a date. Katsuki didn't know anything about dating, but he was pretty sure it involved dinner or a movie or going out somewhere that wasn't a school sanctioned event. Not that there had been anyone else there, but... he still wasn't sure if it counted as a real date. If it had...then did Aisla also consider it to be one? Or maybe her standards were higher than a trip to a free pool on a summer afternoon.

She deserves more than that, he realized. Soap dripped into his eyes just then and he let out a curse before washing it out and rinsing his hair.

Once he'd finished showering, he dried off with a towel, then wrapped it around his waist to go in search of clothes. He wasn't sure what plan Aisla had in mind for tonight, but he didn't have many options as far as outfits went. So, he pulled on a plain black shirt and gray shorts before making his way back into the bathroom to brush his teeth and comb his hair. It was already tangled again and sticking up in some places, much to his dismay. He had just started to run the brush through the strands when a knock sounded on his door.

Dammit, he silently swore as he threw the brush onto the counter and went to answer the door. He pulled it open to reveal her. Blonde curls cascading down her back, held back by the black ribbon he'd gifted to her long ago. His gaze slid down the midnight blue blouse she wore over black shorts, all the way down slender legs, to the white painted toes fitted into black wedges. She looked so gorgeous just then—Katsuki had to resist the urge to pull her in for a kiss, knowing she wouldn't reciprocate his sudden affection.

"A-Aisla," he stammered lamely. "You look..." What the hell do I say? Every possible word he could think of was too...intimate. And they weren't a couple anymore. What platonic word was there in existence that could possibly come close to describing the way she looked to him?

A small smile touched her lips. "I like your shirt!" she offered, poking a finger into his chest. "Ready to go?"

His chest was burning where her finger had touched him; he was sure she'd left a singed hole there but was too stunned by her question to check. "Uh, go?"

Her smile widened. "Of course, silly! I thought we were hanging out?"

"Where are we going?" he asked as he closed the door and walked alongside her. He thought for a moment that she'd been expecting him to decide where they would be doing their...hangout or whatever, but within seconds it was clear that Aisla had a destination in mind.

"Bowling!" she exclaimed proudly, then peered up at him with sheepish eyes. "Or...I mean, we can do something else if you want?"

"I haven't been bowling in years," he mused. At her hopeful expression, he offered her a small smile. "It sounds fun. But I'm gonna kick your ass, you got that, Aisla?!"