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“Slow down, would ya!” Bakugo called after her as she walked down the path ahead of him. She stopped walking and turned around at the sound of his irritated voice, grinning back at him.
“Why don’t you catch up, slowpoke?” She teased, sticking her tongue out at him.
“ I’m not a slowpoke! ” He seethed as he marched toward her down the snowy path.
She just chuckled in response and waited for him to reach her before she began walking again but she made sure to keep her pace the same as his.
“Why are we out here anyway?” He asked in a tone of mild irritation.
“I wanted to see the first real coating of snow over the woods,” She looked over at him with a happy smile, “And go to the little Christmas market on the way back home.”
“You had to drag me out into the cold to look at some snow,” He huffed in annoyance, his hot breath making a puff of steam in the chilly air, “You could have just looked out the window from the warmth of the apartment.”
“It’s not the same,” She directed a pout toward him, “You have to be outside to feel it and hear how the snow makes the world quiet.”
“All I’m feeling is cold,” He mumbled back, burying his face further into the scarf wrapped around his neck and the lower half of his face.
“Oh, come on. We’re almost where I wanted to go!” She grabbed onto his arm and pulled him forward.
“Hey! You don’t have to pull me!” He huffed and staggered along behind her. She only stopped when they made it to a small clearing in the woods. It seemed to be completely untouched by people. The fluffy white snow was undisturbed throughout most of the clearing and it came up to her knees. Surrounding the clearing were trees heavily coated in the fresh blanket of white. The branches were bowing at the weight of the collected snow. It framed the clearing in a delicate lattice of nature’s beauty.
Her gaze was so focused on the scene before her, that she did not notice his own expression of wonder at what he was seeing. He watched as the branches swayed with the wind but lost little of the snow coating them. It was a beautiful sight of nature in pure pristine white. His gaze shifted from that natural beauty to the one right beside him, the woman who had dragged him out into the cold snowy landscape. Immediately he was struck by just how stunning she was all over again. Her eyes sparkled with joy and admiration as she looked out over the clearing. A wide grin full of happiness spread across her face and he couldn’t help but think about how much he wanted to kiss her perfect lips. Her cheeks were flushed slightly from the cold, but it just made her even more beautiful. He was falling for her all over again and she was completely unaware.
After a moment, she turned to him with a look of excitement on her face but paused for a moment when she saw the look in his eyes and his gaze already on her.
“What’s with that look?” She asked.
“What do ya mean?” His look of adoration turned to a look of irritation and a slightly darker dusting of red spread across his cheeks and it wasn’t from the cold.
“Oh no! I didn’t mean anything bad,” She clarified with a warm smile, “You just looked so cute with such a warm look like that.” She brought a gloved hand up to cup his flushed cheek lightly, a form of affection and a way to keep him from turning away from her gaze.
“I’m not fucking cute,” He mumbled through gritted teeth and wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“I know you hate it, but that expression was adorable for lack of a better word,” Her smile grew so genuine and content that the outer corners of her eyes crinkled slightly.
“Yeah, whatever,” He grumbled finally looking back down at her face, “I just like seeing you happy.”
“You’re so sweet in your own way, Katsuki,” She beamed and cocked her head to the side before balancing on her toes to give him a quick peck on the lips.
“I’m tryin’ because it’s you,” He shot back without meeting her gaze, an obvious blush darkening his cheeks further.
“You’re doing amazing!” She grinned as she settled back down off her tiptoes and allowed her gloved hand to slip off his cheek.
“Yeah, of course, I am!” He almost growled in response averting his gaze from her smiling face once again, “What kind of hero would I be if I couldn’t make you happy?”
“Just being able to be with you makes me so happy, Katsuki,” She leaned up again to press another kiss to his flushed cheek. Before she could bounce back down off her toes, he stole her lips in a sweet and loving kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around her frame. Pulling away, he rested his forehead against hers and looked deeply into her eyes with his serious red gaze.
“I’m going to make sure you’re always this happy,” He breathed out in a whisper, his voice wavering with built-up emotion.
“I know you will and let me do the same for you,” She replied in a soft tone as she gazed up into his crimson eyes. After a moment, she tried to wiggle herself out of his grasp and he reluctantly let her go with an annoyed huff.
She ran out in front of him into the undisturbed snow of the clearing with a twirl and she had to grab her winter hat to keep it from flying off her head. She faced him with a smile while walking further back into the knee-deep snow of the clearing. She motioned for him to walk forward but he furrowed his brows and looked at her like she was crazy. She shook off the rejection and stuck her tongue out at him instead. He rolled his eyes at her while watching her antics with his arms crossed over his chest. With a grin spread across her face, she jumped back into the pristine snow with her arms and legs wide like a starfish. A childish giggle escaped her lips as the snow flew up around her in a puff. She stayed there in her person-shaped hole in the snow for a moment before moving her arms and legs to make a snow angel.
She got up and took time to dust herself off. Using her gloved hands, she did her best to brush off all the snow clinging to her jacket. Seeing her struggle, Bakugo beckoned her over with a motion of his head. She bounded over with a smile and he motioned for her to turn which she complied with easily. With gentle movements of his gloved hands, he wiped the white flakes of snow off her back. She thanked him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walked through the clearing again. Her attention pulled away from the man she loved by a cold winter breeze shifting the heavily snow burdened branches surrounding the couple. She reached out with slow delicate motions to touch a low-hanging branch while being careful not to disturb the snow too much from its delicate balance. She slowly walked the perimeter of the clearing with soft delicate steps, looking at the way the snow clung to the natural world around them. Eventually, she reached where Bakugo had been standing the whole time with his arms crossed over his chest. His red eyes had been watching her with a soft expression and a slight smile tugged at his lips. When she reached him again, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Are you done yet? It’s cold,” He grumbled as he hunched his shoulders down in an attempt to stay warm.
“I know the cold really isn't your thing, but I promise I'll make the good hot cocoa when we get back, okay?” She smiled up at him.
“I’ll hold you to it,” He grumbled, as he rubbed his arms in an attempt to regain some warmth, “But, you didn’t answer my question, dumbass.”
“Oh, yeah. I guess I am done,” She looked back over the clearing for a moment and then closed her eyes to take in the quiet atmosphere once more before looking back at him, “Okay, let’s head home.”
She rammed into his arm lightly with her shoulder before walking past him only to pause a few steps away and wait for him to follow her while looking back over her shoulder. He turned around to where they came from and started walking toward her while shoving his gloved hands in his pockets. He lightly shoved his shoulder into hers when he caught up and she chuckled. The two fell in step beside each other on the path. He stayed close to her as they walked, bumping his shoulder into hers lightly every once in a while. He relished every small reaction she gave him for the contact, a small smile here or a roll of her eyes there. His lips curled into something between a soft smile and a smirk. When he noticed they were heading in the direction of their apartment rather than the detour over to where the market was, he let out a sound of confusion and stopped walking after putting a hand out in front of her to halt her walk.
“I thought you wanted to go to the market,” He looked down at her with a question in his piercing red eyes.
“Yeah, but you’ve already been out in the cold for so long. I don’t want to force you to stay out and get any colder,” She shrugged.
“Nah, come on. We’re going,” He pulled his gloved hand out of his pocket and held it out, and waited for her to place her hand in his.
“But, you were saying you were cold,” She hesitated with her hand hovering in front of her.
“So what? I said I like seein’ you happy and this will make you happy,” He huffed.
“Katsuki, are you sure?” She asked with uncertainty in her voice.
“Do I look unsure?” He asked in a tone of pure annoyance, “Now, come on.”
“Thank you,” She beamed up at him, the tiniest spots of tears at the corners of her eyes. She placed her palm in his outstretched hand and he closed his fingers around it.
“Just shut up and start walking already,” He grumbled pulling her hand lightly towards himself.
“Yeah, of course,” She continued to smile as he led her towards the market. She brought her free hand up to wipe away the remnants of her happy tears from her eyes.
When they got to the market and turned the corner, she couldn’t help but gasp in awe. The whole center of town was decorated for the holidays. There were cute little stalls set up all over the square and their small roofs were covered with an even layer of snow. However, it didn’t obstruct the decorations draped along the outsides of each and every stall. Festive garlands and lights were strung up everywhere with ornaments and lighted stars hanging as far as the eye could see. A sense of cozy Christmas cheer surrounded everything and the glow of the lights made it feel warm and bright even though the sun still hung brightly in the sky. The storefronts surrounding the square were just as decorated as all the stalls in the little Christmas village. The most impressive thing was the centerpiece of the whole square, a giant Christmas tree covered in ornaments and lights that towered over the whole display of festive spirit.
Taking a deep breath, she could smell the warm alluring spice of warm gingerbread wafting through the air. Her eyes fell first to the stalls of mouth-watering baked goods and she could feel a pang of hunger in her stomach. It all looked so tasty and she knew she was going to have to hold herself back from buying too many baked goods, one of her weaknesses. She gazed over the other stalls, her eyes lingering on all the handmade ornaments and other items from stall to stall. There were so many things to look at, it was almost overwhelming. But, she was buzzing with excitement at the thought of seeing all of the handmade items up close. When she turned her head to gaze over the last few stalls she caught the delicious smell of sausages being cooked and she felt her stomach grumble hungrily. Maybe that would be dinner.
“Are you just gonna stand there starry-eyed, dumbass?” He grumbled from beside her, breaking her out of her revelry.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I just got distracted by how beautiful it looks,” She gave him a sheepish grin before she started walking still hand in hand with him.
“Where do you want to look first?” She asked as caught his gaze.
“I don’t care. Where do you wanna go?” He rolled his eyes but pulled her closer to him as some passersby jostled the two a bit.
“Hmm… Let’s look at the gifts and things first!” She smiled in excitement, “I want us to pick out an ornament together for the tree.”
“Yeah, alright,” He conceded easily, acting bored but she knew he wasn’t as annoyed as he seemed.
“Do you want to get one of those delicious smelling sausages for dinner?” She asked as she continued walking with a pep in her step, almost having to pull him along.
“Yeah, smelling them is making me so damn hungry,” He grumbled and she couldn’t help the laugh that left her mouth.
The two browsed the small stalls together with an easy calmness between them. She would show him something, and he would comment on it. Usually, she would end up putting the item back with a chuckle or a fake pout. He would pull her attention to an item or two, usually with a smirk on his face and she would bat at him with a gloved hand.
The two were able to decide on a little ornament for their tree, their first ornament bought together as a memento.
“How about this?” He asked, without the joking tone she had heard over and over. He reached over her head to pull down and ornament. It was an intricate snowflake ornament with details painted in blue and white.
“That’s gorgeous!” She beamed, delicately reaching out to hold the ornament and he placed it into her cupped hands.
“As a memory of that walk in the snow we just did,” He said in a low gruff voice and she looked up to see a deep flush across his cheeks.
“That’s so cute! Yes!” She couldn’t help her wide smile and he noted how it made the corners of her eyes crinkle. He couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his lips from her infectious happiness.
“Alright, let’s buy it then,” He huffed and rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t hide the smile. They bought the ornament together and she proceeded to give him another kiss on the cheek at just how sweet he was. She followed it with a second for finding the perfect ornament to commemorate their day together. They did a bit more shopping at the stalls and bought some presents for friends and family. Each snuck a present for the other while they were at it. With contented smiles, he pulled her toward the delicious smell of sausages for a well-deserved dinner. Once they had gorged themselves on the food on offer, she forced him over to look at the sweets. He moderated her sweet tooth, making sure she didn’t end up with more than she should. With happy smiles and full stomachs, the two of them headed toward their apartment as the sun was just making its last rays across the sky and painting the horizon in beautiful reds and oranges. She beamed at the market for one last time, glowing in its full glory against the darkened sky before she tore her gaze away with the promise of their warm apartment.
Once they stepped foot into the apartment, Bakugo sighed in relief at the warmth. She couldn’t help a giggle in response and he threw her a glare. They both removed their jackets, boots, and other winter apparel and changed into warm and cozy clothes to enjoy a nice relaxing night in. They put away the presents and treats they had bought as well. She made her way to the kitchen and started work on the special from scratch hot chocolate she had promised Bakugo. As she carefully watched the pot on the stove, he wrapped his arms around her frame and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. She smiled warmly, melting easily into his embrace.
She had to snake her way out of his embrace to finish making the hot chocolate, much to the dissatisfaction of both of them. But, once she was finished she beckoned him over to the couch with mugs in hand. She delicately placed them on the coffee table before relaxing onto the couch and pulling a warm blanket over herself. She patted the space next to her for Bakugo and he sat down next to her with a sigh.
“So, movie time?” She asked with a grin, reaching for the remote.
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” He nodded, leaning back on the couch with his hands in his pockets.
“Got a preference?” She asked, glancing toward him.
“Nah, you can pick,” He shrugged off in an uninterested manner. She shrugged as well and started looking for something she wanted to watch. It had to be a Christmas movie, obviously, but she wasn’t sure which one she was in the mood for. After scrolling and lingering on a few different titles, she noticed Bakugo getting annoyed out of the corner of her eye.
“At least you could pick a good Christmas movie,” He complained as he watched her scroll. He had picked up his cup of hot chocolate while she scrolled and was sipping it slowly.
“If you don’t like what I’m looking at, why don’t you pick something?” She huffed and held out the remote to him with a pointed look.
“Nah, you can choose something, just nothing too boring and cheesy, okay?” He sighed.
“Of course, a Christmas movie that’s just the right amount of cheesy,” She grinned as she went back to her scrolling. It took a few moments before she found the perfect one.
“This good with you?” She asked, turning to him with a small gleam of excitement in her otherwise sleepy eyes.
“Yeah, I think that’s good,” He gave her a hint of a smile.
“Alright then!” She cheered and stretched in triumph, ready to hit play before noticing Bakugo watching her with a questioning look in his crimson eyes.
“Aren't you gonna turn on the Christmas lights?” He asked, “You only spent half the day trying to make them perfect.”
“Oh yeah!” She beamed, “We need to turn them on!”
He pulled himself off the couch, placing his mug on the coffee table before approaching the lights and garland she had put up around their apartment with his help earlier that day. She wanted to make the whole apartment feel cozy and festive for the holidays.
“Do you want to do the honors?” He asked in his usual gruff annoyed sounding tone, holding out the cord towards her.
“Nah, you can do it,” She mumbled from her comfortable spot on the couch.
“Come here,” He motioned her over, “Let's both do it together.”
“That's sweet, yeah!” She hopped off the couch with a surprising burst of energy and made her way over to where he stood.
“Gimme your hand,” He ordered, but his gruff voice was softened slightly. She placed her hand into his outstretched palm and he gently pulled it over to where the end of the cord was and pushed the cord into the outlet with her hand under his own.
“You really are a big softie,” She grinned over at him.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He groaned.
“I’m saying I love you,” She grinned and surprised him with a quick peck on the cheek. His crimson eyes widened for a moment before he reached out with a hand and cupped her cheek, keeping her from pulling back.
“You know I love you too, dumbass,” His voice was quiet and laced with a laugh. He was smiling gently down at her and leaned in to place a soft and loving kiss on her lips. After a moment he pulled away and stared into her eyes with a look of happiness.
“Let’s get back to the couch and watch the movie,” He grumbled after a moment, “The hot chocolate is probably getting cold.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” She let out a light airy laugh and moved back toward the couch as soon as he removed his hand from her cheek. She let herself fall onto the plush cushions and patted the spot next to her as she got comfortable. He shook his head with a slight laugh at her display before sitting down beside her. She threw a cozy blanket over both and snuggled into Bakugo’s muscular side. He let out a sigh and pulled her close into his chest and settled with one hand holding her waist and keeping her pressed against him. The other hand was holding his hot chocolate as he slowly savored the drink she had made from scratch.
“Are you comfortable now?” He asked in his usual gruff tone.
“Yes, very,” She grinned and pressed the play button on the remote. The screen lit up and the movie began. Her attention was focused on the screen and she relaxed even further into Bakugo’s comforting embrace. As the movie continued on, she felt her eyes getting heavy. Her own exhaustion was quickly catching up with her, but she did her best to power through it and stay awake. The last time she had fallen asleep during a movie, Bakugo didn’t let her live it down for weeks, and as much as it was playful she didn’t want to give him more fuel for teasing.
He cuddled closer to her as the movie went on. Both of his hands pulled her close once his hot chocolate was finished and he had placed his cup back down on the coffee table. She hummed appreciatively at his warmth and how easily he could find a more comfortable position. He had shifted her in his lap with her shoulder against his chest so she was easily turned to still see the screen. Her legs were lazily bent at the knees and laying across the couch. His hands had shifted so one was still around her waist while the other had a firm grip on her thigh to keep her secure in his grasp. As the credits began to roll, she allowed her tired heavy eyelids to close for a moment.
“Don’t tell me you’re falling asleep on me,” He teased and she blinked a few times in an attempt to expel the tiredness from her eyes. She did her best to glare up at him and he just laughed.
“I’m not falling asleep,” She grumbled and shifted her body to look at him instead of the screen. He took the opportunity to grab the remote and turn the TV off completely.
“You look pretty tired to me, sweetheart,” He smirked down at her.
“I may be tired but I’m not falling asleep,” She huffed and he grinned devilishly at her.
“Well, then you won’t mind this,” He chuckled low and quickly brought his lips down for a sweet kiss. Her hand came up to cup his cheek as she relaxed into the kiss. After they parted for air, she pulled him in for another kiss. It was equally as slow and loving. They continued to shower each other with sweet loving kisses for a while.
“Merry Christmas Eve, Katsuki my love,” She murmured quietly while her lips were so close they were almost touching his.
“Merry Christmas Eve, sweetheart,” He smiled against her lips, “I hope you had a good day.”
“It was an amazing day,” She smiled and planted another quick peck to his lips before speaking again, “But, I think this is the best part.”
“Oh, really?” His voice was low and she saw him raise an eyebrow.
“Really,” She confirmed with a warm, tired smile.
“Well, I’m sure I can make it even better, sweetheart,” His smirk was back and she could see a feral gleam in his eyes as he captured her lips in a hot and passionate kiss. What a Christmas Eve it would be.