| CHAPTER ELEVEN |

🎵 losing control by russ
🎵 goosebumps by travis scott
***

BAKUGO DRAGGED YOU TO A NEARBY BEACH. you were sitting on the soft warm sand, with your hands behind you as leverage and knees bent. a comfortable silence engulfing the two of as a small breeze blew through your hair.

the ocean almost matched the blue of the sky if it wasn't for the sparkling reflection of the sun, glittering its surface. every small wave seemed to be eager to kiss the shore, but somehow would shy away the last minute.

they reminded you of you. maybe another shore they used to crash against didn't return their love so they traveled around the world, to find another one that would do. but even though they had found another, they lost their courage once they got close enough, worried to be rejected once again. you wondered if they reminded bakugou of him too.

hades' barks pulled you out of your rather depressing thoughts. he was running around the shore, stepping into the water every now and then, being his usual playful self. for a patrol half wolf dog, he was a big softie.

they say dogs take after their owners. and with bakugou's recent behavior, you couldn't help but think that under his tough guy act, he was also a big softie. cause even warriors take their armors off every once in a while.

you didn't realize you were staring at him until he turned his head to face you, raising a brow in question. "what?" he asked rather annoyed.

the sun shone on his figure, emphasizing every line and shadow, showing off his muscles. you looked away, shying under his red eyes.

"thank you." you muttered, barely above a whisper. your hands grabbed at the sand beneath you nervously, letting the white grains slip through your fingers until your nails dug into your palms.

bakugou didn't miss your small anxious movements, so though seemingly unimpressed, he softened his tone a bit before asking "for what?"

"for earlier. shindo is way stronger than me and if you and hades weren't passing by, i don't know..."

bakugou rolled his eyes. you were underestimating your strength and it annoyed the shit out of him. if you could make him pass out on the couch like that first night, then that shit for brains extra was no match for you. "you could've just used your quirk, idiot."

"but he's a pro-hero now. he graduated last year. if he wanted to lie and turn this around on me, get me in trouble, he totally could have."

"i was a witness there. plus i bet he's just a sidekick. and stop worrying about him. he's not here anymore. he can't do shit."

you hummed in agreement. "so what's your story bakugou?"

"huh?"

"you know. i don't think you avoid relationships just because they're distracting. i'm sure you could manage if you really wanted to. so there has to be more to it."

"it's none of your god damn business."

"oh, come on. i told you my story." you looked back at him with a smile.

"no you didn't." he argued.

"well you heard it anyways. back then. now it's your turn." you lightly nudged his side with your elbow "can tell me. i won't judge."

he let out a loud sigh and reluctantly explained "if you must know, i did date. briefly. during my second year. and it was a mistake."

"why? did they cheat too, like shindo? you dated someone at ua? wait, are they in our class? who was it?"

"will you shut up? it's none of your business. and none of that matters anymore. i'm just not... fit for relationships." he mumbled the last part under his breath. but you still heard him.

"katsuki bakugou." you shoved a finger in his chest "i don't know who you've dated, but they have to be really stupid to let you go. you're an onion! who lets an onion go?"

"what the hell? Who the fuck are you calling an onion? you tryna die?"

"huh? oh, i mean you might have your angry tantrums and tough guy act scaring others. but if they get to know you, all the different layers of you, deep deep deep down, deep deep, very very deep-"

"i get it, it's fucking deep!"

you giggled "once they get to know all the layers, they get to the core. and then they will only see a true hero." you said as you gave him your biggest smile.

he looked at you wide eyed. he wasn't sure what he expected you to say but it wasn't that. his surprise was short lived though. that famous scowl of his crawled its way back up between his brows in a matter of milliseconds "you know, onions make you cry too."

"not a sweet caramelized onion like you." you shot him a playful wink that forced a small blush out of him.

"tch. whatever, dumbass. i didn't ask for your opinion now, did i?" bakugou folded his arms over his chest and looked away, trying to hide the pink on his cheeks.

"you're right. but i gave it to you for free anyways. you're welcome." you replied with an amused smile.

"you're so fucking annoying."

"you like it though." you wiggled your eyebrows playfully.

there was almost a smile on his lips too before he pushed your head down into the sand. "nah." he matched your playful tone.

"hey! what the hell?"

soon you were wrestling in the sand, with bakugou using his bigger figure and heavier weight to overpower you for the most part. but you finally heard him laugh.

you always thought of laughs as a noise coming from the mouth. but his laugh wasn't just that. his laugh was in his ruby eyes, in the way his face changed to portray his relaxed joy and unrestrained mirth. it was a laugh from within. from his core, deep deep deep down under the layers.

it boomed through the air, loud and clear. and it was the most beautiful sound you'd heard. your new favorite melody. and you wanted to hear it over and over again.

snapping out of your thoughts, you miraculously got out of his hard grip and started running around the beach, trying to get away from bakugou.

he was hot on your heels as hades joined the chase too. you screamed and threw some sand in bakugou's face right when he was about to reach you.

"you're dead once i catch you, idiot. c'mere."

and he laughed. again.

***
Where words fail, music speaks
-Hans Christian Andersen