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Katsuki can not stand her. Again, she is late, and she is laughing it off like some trifle matter. He had been given looks by other students, some who had backbones and stared while others cowered and looked away.
Worse, she chose the cheesiest spot to meet. Outside the school gates. Like some cliché romance manga. Who does she think he is?
“Don’t keep me waiting all day!!”
Camie Utsushimi giggles and lightly punches his stomach. “Aww, don't get salty, boo. I’m not that late…”
“I’ve been standing here for over an hour!”
“OMG, you’re like, the sweetest thing!”
God, she drives him up the wall. He loves her so goddamn much.
She smiles, her school hat snug on her head. She rode the train and walked all the way from Shiketsu to U.A. in her uniform. Katsuki’ll be damned if anything happened to her then. He decides he’ll meet her at Shiketsu from now on.
They have been a thing for two or three months, and they have only now started going on dates.
Camie tugs on his sleeve, pulling him along after he grabs his bags. “I, like, had a meet w/ my teach. That’s why I’m late, Katsukitty.”
The blonde yanks himself out of her grasp, glaring at her like mad, “I told you not to call me that in public, you ugly hag!”
Ugh. What would he do without her?
It is nearly impossible to keep watch for anyone who might recognize him. The last thing he wants is a bunch of idiots whining about his private life. Especially if... they find out. He wants to hurl at that thought.
Camie, on the other hand, does not seem to mind a little bit of popularity. She will sometimes start calling after them, sending Katsuki into a frantic jumble of sounds as he quickly escapes with her. Once they are safe, he yells and shouts to teach her a lesson.
“What’s the prob?” she asks. There is not a trace of mischief in her eyes; she is truly curious about this quandary. “Let’s just tell them we a thing, boo.”
“As if, ‘boo’! There is no way in hell I’m telling those idiots about you!!”
Her head tilts. “Why?”
Oh, god, she’s just so cute.
“Extras like you wouldn’t understand!”
“But I totes wanna meet your friends, Katsukitty!”
“Ghk!” A bright cherry flushes his features, “Shut up…! I’ll kill you, hag!”
“Sure~”
She will never shut her stupid, pretty lips, will she?
The two of them walk together side-by-side. Katsuki keeps on the lookout, while Camie scrolls through her phone, clutching her bags. She even hooks her arm around him and takes a surprise selfie, immediately saving it before Katsuki could grab her phone and delete it as fast as possible. No use, it is already hers.
“Hahaha! Chill, boo, I’ll dm it to you, too.”
“I’ll kill you!!”
Remind him to frame it.
As they walk, the blonde notices his girlfriend always taking glances at her bags and giggling. Brows furrowing, he turns his eyes to a suspicious shopping bag hanging off her arm.
“The hell do you have?”
“Hnn? Oooh, this! It's a surprise! I’ll show you when we get there! You’ll totes think it's lit!”
He says nothing and lets her be. The walk to the hiking trail is calmer than he expected. There is nobody from his class still hanging around the area. He would have thought Friday, today, would be hell.
Perhaps that hour long wait was not a waste of time, after all. Remind him to thank her.
Up ahead he sees a group of older men headed their way. Briskly, Katsuki meets his eyes with the one who has been looking at Camie for one second too long. The man glares into him, and Katsuki glares back.
Feral wolves fighting for territory.
They pass by each other with silence.
For the rest of their walk, Katsuki’s shoulder never left hers.
Here, the view is stunning.
Just like her.
Secluded on a bench atop a mountain on the outskirts of Musutafu, Katsuki and Camie sit quietly. The girl sits primly, placing her phone back into her little purse after whining about its drained battery. Then she bends forward to reach for the mysterious shopping bag she’d brought along.
Katsuki watches her dig around it. The ruffling of plastic hurts his ears as he stares.
“Close your eyes, boo,” she says.
“Hah? Why should I listen to you, cow?!”
She beams, “Pretty please?”
If looks could kill, he would have died a blissful death.
“Don’t tell me what to do!” yet he turns his face and shuts his eyes anyway. Camie giggles, the ruffling coming to a halt. Katsuki feels something being placed onto his head. Hold my hat, Camie says.
“Yanno, Katsukitty, I totes think you should tell others about us! I mean, like, what’s the worst that could happen? I don't get was’so bad about it.”
“You don't because you’re an idiot!! If you do so much as talk about this, I’ll kill you!!”
There is a pause.
“Oooohhh...yeah, about that…I already posted about it.”
“Haahhh?! You did what?!” Katsuki had never felt such horror before. That witch! Who does she think she is?!
“Oh, come on! Chill out, boo! There’s totes no one from U.A. who follows my page, ‘sides you, boo. Like, even that hunk, Todoroki, don’t even have social media. Only Shiketsu knows about us.”
Even with his eyes closed, Camie can conjure the fury in them when Katsuki shakes the ground with, “Those bastards don’t need to know!! Get that off your page, now!!”
“I can’t,” she replies casually, “my phone died.”
“Ghhk!”
She gives a playful shove and giggle. She tells him it is okay to open his eyes and look now, and he does so with such vexation he nearly cracks his own neck. His features go momentarily lax at the sight before they return to a confused scowl.
Camie has clothes in her lap.
Bright orange and gray.
She is grinning like she had just watched him open a gift.
“What the hell are those for?”
“You!” she cries, “I copped these for you! Don’t these look lit?”
She holds out the shirt for him to see. It looks like it’d fit him perfectly. The color matches the one on his hero costume, and there is still a price tag hanging off the back. It smells of perfume, probably from being around her too long.
It sickens him.
“I’m not wearing that!”
Camie snatches her hat back, “Whaddya mean? You are totes wearing this on our date tomorrow!”
“No I’m — hah? The hell you mean, tomorrow?!”
“I’ve decided we’re going on a date, and you’re wearing this, Katsukitty.” She says it with such a tone it would get her into deep trouble had this been any different.
Katsuki stares at her speechless, eyes fleeting from her to the clothing rapidly. He recoils at the sight of said clothing, literally scooting away from her. Again, he refuses to wear such a thing, going on about how ugly it looks.
“Pretty please? I, like, won’t ask for anything else!”
What is she, a child?
“I said no!! I am not wearing that, you uggo! Take it back!”
“Pleeasse?~ Just for tomorrow?”
“No!!”
“Don’t be so modest , Katsukitty!”
“I said—” he pauses mid-sentence when his eyes catch sight of the price tag once more.
8,000 yen.
...
...Just for a shirt?
…
…
In turmoil, Katsuki’s eyes shift from Camie’s doe ones to the shirt she is holding. She spent 8,000 yen on him? For an outfit? How ridiculously caring can she be? Not like he wants to wear it, anyway…
“...Fine..”
Camie’s eyes brighten like the sun. “For reals?!”
Katsuki harshly snatches the article away from her, taking the pants along with him. Stuffing it into his school bags, he shouts to her, “Don’t go spending that much money, you idiot!! What happened to your savings?!” He sits up, scooting closer while still yelling into her smiling face. “Pulling some cheap move like that!!”
The girl merely giggles and latches to his arm, “OMG, I’m like, so happy you like it! We’re totes going to have fun tomorrow, yanno? I decided we’re going to that discount café near the mall, aight? It’ll be totes rad.”
“Yeah, yeah, shut your trap already!!”
Camie sets her school hat to the side and relaxes against him, like he is her personal chair. He squirms uncomfortably under her until he finds a more bearable position with her on top of him. Gradually, he feels himself falling to the side. For the extra support, he wraps his arm around her waist.
He prefers to focus his eyes on the faraway city of Musutafu, while his other arm stuffs itself into his pockets.
“You’re nice when you’re quiet, Katsukitty.”
“Shut up!! I don’t need to hear that from you, hag!”
“Heehee. When do you wanna dip?”
The sun is starting to set.
“Just shut up!! Sit still, you impatient brat!”
Camie says nothing more.
The two of them sit in leisure, listening to the distant, bustling city. They watch cars trail down the roads and highways. From here, U.A. is somewhat visible.
Katsuki angrily tells Camie not to come to U.A. anymore, and that he will come to her from now on. She asks why, but he leaves her question hanging with a rebuttal. Had anything happened to her, he would be damned.
Camie thanks him for being concerned for her safety.
Time flows like water. Before they knew it, the moon was starting to peek out and the crickets were beginning to chirp. Camie had nearly fallen asleep up there on the bench with him before she suddenly remembered something.
“Aw, shoot,” she says, sitting up, “I told my mom I’d be back by eight. I totes forgot.”
“Keep track of the time!!”
Camie packs up her school bag and makes up an excuse for her poor memory. Stretching, she takes one more look at the view before asking her boyfriend to walk her home. We don’t have dorms, she says. He agrees in his passive aggressive tone.
Taking his own bags, he helps her down the mountain trail and catches her when she almost slips, angrily telling her it's her fault for not watching her step.
What would he do if she fell? He doesn’t even want to imagine it.
Back in town, Katsuki returns to his watchtower position, keeping Camie in close contact with him. He ignores her pouts about her battery-dead phone. The streets of the city are dark and isolated, perfect for any villain attacks or sketchy crimes. The alleyways brood with the hollow, forgotten emptiness.
A few streets are lightly populated. Food stalls that have an aroma of ramen beam with people laughing behind the cloths, somewhat lift their spirits. Drunk men and women stumble past them, a few catcalling Camie and receiving the death stare from Katsuki.
Neither of them knew just how different Musutafu could be at night. At the pace they are at, they both should luckily get back to their own places by curfew.
Katsuki remains vigilant with every step they take. Camie goes on a short sightseeing trip, admiring the lights and colors of the buildings among them. He has to yell at her when she suddenly gets the urge to shop, telling her it is too late for stupid things like that.
She has to get home safe and sound. He would be damned if anything would happen to her.
“Yo,” Camie suddenly says. There’s curiosity in her tone.
“What, hag.”
“Aren’t they, like, those guys we saw earlier?”
“Hah?”
He looks to where she is pointing and almost trips at the scene. Across the street outside a dive bar are the same group of men they had nearly run into earlier in the day. There are four of them, now that Katsuki has a better look. He does not stop watching them, not even at the crossroads.
They, too, are staring.
Suddenly they, too, are crossing the street.
“Hey…” Camie trembles, “...are they coming over here?”
“...Yeah.”
The light turns green.
“Let’s go.”
The explosive blonde literally latches his arm around her and pulls her close. He tries to keep his head straight, yet Camie is looking behind them every two seconds and it is making him uneasy. Of course he can hear the multiple footsteps behind them. He knows they are there.
Why the hell are they following them?
Camie mumbles, “Hey…”
“Ignore them,” he growls back.
“Yeah, but…”
“Ignore. Them.”
“...”
She is scared. His girlfriend is scared and he is not doing anything about. There are strangers following them and they are scaring the living daylights out of her. He can almost feel her shake against him, and the laughter of one of the four only makes her tension worse. Inaudible whispers reach a crescendo behind them.
Keep your cool. Ignore them, and they will go away.
...If only it were that easy.
“Nice ass,” one of them says, and that is when Katsuki grits his teeth so hard they nearly shatter. His heart picks up speed, and suddenly his arms start shaking. Tensing up like a stretched rubber band. He is almost at his limit to how much he can take. Two words. Two words and he has nearly lost it. How dare they say such a thing to her.
How dare they...!
The blonde shoves Camie behind him when he turns to face the group. She yelps, almost immediately telling him to calm down, but it is futile. The gears started turning and the wheels started rolling. Katsuki’s blood boils beneath his skin at the mere sight of these freaks. Fingers itching with the desire to blow, he enters fighting mode, getting into a stance and glowering into the faces of these weirdos.
“Leave us alone, or you’ll have hell to pay!!”
The group does not flinch at the warning explosion. One particular group member looks familiar to Katsuki, recognizing him as the freak who stared at his girlfriend. Said freak has the audacity to approach closer, ignoring yet another warning explosion.
“Try me, kid.”
“I’ll kill you!!”
“You wanna die?”
Katsuki’s retort, “I’ll blast you freaks all the way to—” is cut off by a fist suddenly colliding with his face. Reveling in his success, the man then grabs Katsuki by the—
…
What the?
Like a mirage, the hand heading to him glides through Katsuki’s body. The form swivels in the air in waves, slowly dissipating in the wind. Soon, the illusion disappears, leaving the man disoriented.
“What the fuck?”
The group look at each other, confused to see only Camie standing there with her bag. She has her lips pushed out in annoyance, brows pinched together like a disappointed mother.
“He said leave us alone. Don’t you dare try something like that again, neither to me, nor my boo.”
Her face becomes translucent as smoke emits from her evaporating body. The image of Camie Utsushimi’s rage slowly, yet surely, meets the same fate of Katsuki’s illusion. It is not long before she is gone, leaving the four to themselves.
Had anything happened to him, she would be damned.
Shouta Aizawa is beyond furious when Katsuki Bakugou arrives at Heights Alliance ridiculously late. Everyone had asked where he had been, why he, the top student, had nearly been out past curfew. All he says is that he had been doing some extra training alone.
“Bakugou,” says Aizawa-sensei. “May I speak with you? Alone?”
Outside the dorms, Aizawa meets him face to face.
“Tell me where you’ve been. This isn’t like you to be out this late. Don’t lie to me.”
The blonde can only avert his eyes when he hesitates to answer. There would be more trouble to come if he sticks with his fib. Honesty is his best option, but with his luck, Earlobes in there is probably eavesdropping on their every word. It is a risk either way.
…
...
...“I’m seeing someone.”
…
“Alright,” Aizawa sighs, “just don't let it bother your studies. I’ve expelled students whose grades drop because of others.”
Katsuki nods.
With that, he is let back inside and immediately shuffles up to the fourth floor. In his room he sets his belongings down, unpacking the outfit Camie had bought for him. Unfolded, he sees it is an orange shirt with an explosion design on the front.
…
No way a shirt so perfect could be without specifics. Camie definitely paid more than 8,000 yen to get this commissioned. The pants, too...his name is inscribed in small hiragana on the left pant leg.
…
Oh, man. There are no words to describe how much he loves her. She is everything to him. If he were to wear this, just for tomorrow, would that make her happy?
Like hell he would pass that up.
He is wearing this outfit and he is going to make her happy because of it.
Tomorrow is going to be the best Saturday of her life.
...Katsuki would have rather not paid extra for discount membership, but Camie insisted they both join to get it every time they come here. The café is not bad, he will admit that, but…
Did she really have to pick the outside seating area? He is in plain view, and worse, those idiots were going on a shopping trip to the mall, which means they will be coming this way.
Camie had said it would not be a problem, however, for this place is so crowded it would be impossible for anyone to notice them. With his clothes, too, he is definitely safe from prying eyes. Whatever, he thinks.
After Camie had gotten her beverage, she starts rambling like there is no tomorrow. Her lips just go and go, barely even taking a breath to stop. Katsuki listens to her as he scrolls through his phone. He glances up at her every once and a while.
...Although, he can not shake the feeling that there is a pair of eyes on him. He takes a glance toward the street and the building, yet sees nothing suspicious.
...Then for some reason Camie starts asking about his friends. He told her he does not have any, and she outright laughs at that statement. “Come on, Katsukitty, you can totally tell me! What about that hunk, Todoroki? Any juice on him?~”
“That Half ‘n Half bastard and I aren’t friends!! If you want to know, fine! There’s this one idiot who can’t control his Quirk!!”
His girlfriend stops for a second.
“Wait, seriously? That’s, like, totes embarrassing…”
Katsuki smirks. “Yeah. He fries his brain every time and becomes the biggest idiot you’ll ever see! He nearly walked off a roof after losing control!”
Camie’s smile grows—
“You know what he says!?”
She tries to stop herself—
—and completely loses it when Katsuki imitates something she had never seen out of him before. Rather, it was funny seeing him do it! She throws her head back, smacks the table, and covers her mouth to fruitlessly stifle her barks.
Katsuki revels in that pride of his. He just made his girlfriend laugh. He can die happy now. Camie says it was the funniest thing she had seen all week, and coming from him, that should be an accomplishment.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever! Let’s go, already! Didn’t you say you wanted to shop somewhere?!”
A hand covers her mouth. “O, M, G, you remembered!”
“Don’t take me lightly!!”
They pay the waitress and rise from their seats. Still conscious about being seen by those idiots, Katsuki tries to keep his head down as best as he can. If even a word gets out about his girlfriend, who knows what could happen?
“Follow me, Katsukitty!”
“I’m comin’!!”
Together, they walk downtown toward the nearest shopping district.
…
Still…something still feels slightly off. Why does he still feel like he was being watched…? Surely no one saw him, right? No one could have, right? The lot was crowded and packed, it would just be pure luck if anyone saw them…
...He would be damned if anyone did.