Don't Deny Me

Chapter Sixty-Six: Let Me Love You

"I want to spend the night with you..." Aisla whispered, hoping he understood the hidden meaning behind her words. Please, Katsuki, I want to be complete with you... I'm ready.

He swallowed hard, then gave a shaky nod. "Okay."

Taking that as acceptance, Aisla let her towel fall from her body, leaving her completely exposed before him. His eyes drank her in hungrily from the top of her head all the way down to her white painted toes, lingering on her most private areas. She ignored the butterflies beating their way out of her stomach and let him map out her body with his eyes.

"Y-you—you are—that is, I'm, uh..." He fell over his words as his gaze flicked all over her as if trying to decide where it should stay. He'd seen her naked in the shower, but maybe he hadn't really allowed his eyes to travel fully over her exposed body until just now.

"You and I," she said, taking a step closer and swallowing down her pride and embarrassment, "are going to spend the night together. In whatever way you want."

She took another step, then another, until there was no more space between them. He breathed in slow and deep but didn't release the breath he was holding. His eyes gleamed like a wild fire as they fixed onto hers as though unable to tear them away.

Her lips curled and her lashes fluttered lazily against her cheeks. Her hands came to rest on his torso, which made him twitch and forced the breath out of him in a series of small gasps. She let her hands travel up and down his stomach and chest, feeling the hot, naked skin without reservation. She loved the feel of his bare skin under her hands. She'd felt it a hundred times before when they would lie together in bed, but somehow this felt different. More real.

Katsuki kept a firm grip on the towel around his waist, which she found both endearing and adorable. She loved when he was shy, but she also really liked when he was bold, however rare an occasion that may be.

"You can keep the towel on if you want," she assured him. "And if you lend me some clothes..."

"I don't have any," he choked out in a gasp. "Clothes, that is. There aren't any clean ones. For you. Sorry."

Her grin widened as the true meaning of his words sank in. She hoped she was reading the words correctly. To her, it sounded as if he didn't want her to wear anything. "That's too bad. I guess you can warm me up then." The words slipped past her lips with ease, coming out strong and confident. Inside, she was shaking and afraid. Not of Katsuki himself, but of being rejected for her boldness.

To hide her anxiety, she turned and crawled up onto the bed and lay down against a pillow. She was sure her face was blushing crimson and hoped he couldn't see it clearly in the dimly lit room. She was acting much bolder than she actually felt. She wasn't a very self-assured person by nature, but Katsuki was even less confident than she was. She wanted to make him feel comfortable, to let him know it was okay to feel/do/say whatever he wanted.

You can be yourself with me, Katsuki. Whoever you want to be, I will love wholeheartedly.

Katsuki's expression was indecisive. She thought he was trying to choose between letting go of all reservations now and getting into bed with her, or making a biting remark and kicking her out. With Katsuki, it was impossible to say which option was more likely. She wouldn't blame him if he asked her to leave. If he wasn't ready for this, then she would wait, too. She wanted to be with him badly, but that didn't mean it had to be tonight.

She watched his eyes flicking all over her body, and even through the muted light of the room, she still felt embarrassed. She made an effort not to cover herself up just yet, though. She wanted to be with him, or she at least wanted to try. Maybe they wouldn't go all the way this time, but she'd be more than happy to just lie in his arms or even just in the same bed.