"We had some failures for the practical exam, but irregardless, we're bringing everyone along to the forest lodge. Prepare to work extra hard."

Not too long ago, Aizawa had surprised the entire class with his announcement. Even though you weren't the party concerned, it came as a relief to know that all of your friends would be able to join you on your trip. Kirishima was practically crying tears of joy.

Now, after school—

"We've gotta go shopping tomorrow!" Mina exclaimed. "We need to pick out clothes and supplies for the camp!"

"Oh, yeah. Do you mind if I join you?" Jirou asked. "There's actually some stuff I wanna get as well."

"Of course, girl! Come with!"

Izuku lifted his hand sheepishly. "Is it okay if I tag along...?"

"Duh!"

"Ah—I wanna come, too!"

"Same, same!"

"Count me in, guys!"

Before long, about half the class was talking about their shopping plans, including Uraraka. Kirishima looked back at you and Katsuki with a grin.

"What about you, [Name]-chan, Bakugou? Coming?"

The blonde's reply was dry and succinct. "Hell no."

"Awe, dude. Why are you always like this?"

"Coz I have better things to do than fuck around with you losers," he muttered, "no shit." Kirishima let out a sigh at Katsuki's hardheadedness, but the latter was now staring you down with a wary gaze. "Are you going?" he asked, earning a few blinks in return.

"Oh," you frowned. "I'm not sure yet."

"Don't," he said simply. "Hang out with me instead."

You parted your lips to speak, but quickly pressed them shut. You'd obviously spent time with him outside of school before, but it was rare for him to be so forthcoming. Especially when he'd just said he wasn't interested in meeting up with the others.

"Hey, what's up with that??" Kirishima whined, mirroring your very thoughts. "You just said you didn't want to do anything that day!"

"I meant with you, asshole! Why the fuck wouldn't I wanna be with my girlfriend, instead?!"

Your cheeks flushed, and Kirishima stared back at him stupidly. He lifted his index finger and wagged it back and forth between you and Katsuki.

"You guys...are dating now? Really? Since when? I mean, I knew you were soulmates but—"

"Piss off," Katsuki growled, shoving the redhead aside. "I don't owe you any goddamn explanations. I'm hanging out with [Name]—my decision is final." He hooked his arm around your waist, ignoring your squeals of protest. Technically, other than a select few people, none of your classmates really knew you were in a relationship now. Most of them probably didn't even know that you were soulmates, to begin with.

"Man, you're so secretive," Kirishima huffed. Katsuki merely flipped him off as he pushed you along and led you to the door. You realized you hadn't actually agreed to your little meet-up, but he wanted to spend time with you, and that much made you happy.

You waded through the cluster of students gathered in the hallways, and tried to fight off the heavy blush on your cheeks. Katsuki's hand was still resting snugly atop your hip.

—

Babe <3:

[6:47 PM]

Hi

What do you wanna do tomorrow

Me:

Heyyy :)

Is that still happening?

Babe <3:

Why the fuck wouldn't it be you loser

I always stay true to my word

Me:

You're right, mb

Also, guess what your name in my phone is :)

Babe <3:

Something stupid probably

Me:

:(

Babe <3:

Please tell me it's not "cutie" or some gross shit like that

Me:

It's "babe"! With a heart at the end <3

Hehe

Babe <3:

I think I just threw up a little

Me:

You're mean

Babe <3:

You love it

Me:

No

Yes

Babe <3:

You still didn't tell me what you wanted to do tomorrow

I honestly couldn't care less but keep in mind I'm not made of fuckin money

So yeah

Don't be a bitch about what you pick is what I'm saying

Me:

Damn so I guess we can't rent that yacht after all...

Babe <3:

Wow you're so funny I might've just pissed my pants laughing

Me:

Katsuki ew

Babe <3:

Shut the fuck upppp

If you don't pick I will and I know you'd never let me hear the end of that

Me:

Hmmm

Babe <3:

?

Me:

hmmmMMMM

Babe <3:

Fuck's sake

Me:

hmmMMMMhmmMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Babe <3:

Jesus christ

Are you tryna get blocked???

Me:

Ok. I wanna go swimming.

Babe <3:

Swimming?

Me:

Yeah it's hot out

Is that okay with you?

Babe <3:

Sure, I guess

They have an indoor pool close-ish to my place. We can go there if you want

Me:

Okay! Thank you :)

Babe <3:

Don't thank me for no reason

Also change my name to something less gross

Like "future number one hero" or smth

Me:

lol

Babe <3:

Fuck you

—

You fiddled with the strap of your [f/c] bikini, sliding it underneath your loose t-shirt. It was Saturday, lunch-time, and you were waiting to meet Katsuki at the designated spot. The ardent sun was blazing overhead, making beads of sweat pool at the back of your neck. Thank god you'd decided to go take a dip in the water.

A few minutes later, and he'd arrived, wearing a low-cut v-neck and shorts. He had a puka shell necklace dangling by his chest, which made you snort back a laugh. He looked good, but the whole outfit reeked of that stereotypical 'douchebag' vibe.

"Hey," he motioned casually, one hand down his pockets. "You been waiting a while?"

"Ah, no," you smiled, "hardly. It's really nice meeting up with you, Katsuki-kun. You're always on time."

He smirked. "No shit. You remember what I told you, right? I'm punctual as—"

"As fuck," you laughed, "I know."

"Good. Unless you wanted to stand around here longer, let's head in. It's too damn hot out."

You nodded, still smiling, and followed behind him as you made your way into the building. You paid at the reception, then shuffled off into your respective change-rooms to get undressed and lock up your stuff.

Just judging off the density of people in the change-room, you figured it shouldn't be too busy inside, which would be nice, having more space to yourselves. You breathed out, pulling off the last of your clothing and tucking it away in your locker. It was humid in the room, but you still shivered a bit at the feeling of having so much of your skin exposed. You tucked your chin and flashed a timid glance down towards your chest.

Since Katsuki had never seen you wearing so little before, you felt a bit insecure. You'd picked out your favorite, most flattering two-piece, and hoped to god that he would like it. Well, not that you were necessarily craving his approval, but—

No, scratch that. You were craving his approval, even if the thought made you flush red with embarrassment. It wasn't uncommon though, right? For a girl to want to impress her boyfriend?

I don't expect him to go crazy over it, but it'd be nice if he told me I looked good, or something...

You wanted to slap yourself for how silly you were being. Inhaling sharply, you waded through the change-room and headed for the pool entry. It was slightly less humid outside, though your nostrils burned with the smell of chlorine. Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Katsuki standing around.

Your stomach did a flip.

Good lord, he's HOT.

Sure, you were used to seeing him with his biceps exposed because of his hero costume, but you'd never actually seen him fully shirtless before. His arms were built, as you already knew, but your eyes were mostly adhered to the taut, rippling muscles of his abdomen. He shifted just slightly; the faintest motion made his muscles tense.

You'd been so focused on his difficult personality up until now that you'd forgotten just how attractive he was, and how lucky you were. You didn't even feel like calling out to him, out of embarrassment, since you probably didn't look anywhere near as good.

He still saw you, though.

"[Name]," Katsuki beckoned, making his way over to you. Your chest tightened, and you had the sudden urge to crawl up into a ball so that he couldn't get a good look at you. You barely even made eye-contact when he stopped in front of you.

"H-hi," you mumbled, cheeks burning. "We're s-swimming now, right?"

"In a minute, yeah. What the fuck's wrong with you right now? Why won't you look at me?"

He snapped up your wrist, tugging you forward so that you would be forced to look him in the eyes. You quivered slightly, still burning from the temples down. You'd unknowingly placed your other hand in front of your chest, somewhat obscuring the cleavage, but not really. You raised your head to look up at Katsuki—

Eh?

—and were surprised to find that he was blushing just as hard as you. Even though he still retained a tight grip on your wrist, you could see the way his crimson orbs would flicker past your expression, down your neck, and fall to your scantily-clad body. It looked like you weren't the only one who was flustered and having questionable thoughts.

You swallowed. "K-Katsuki—"

"That looks nice on you," he mumbled shyly. "The swimsuit, I mean. Uh, it's—yeah. Just looks n-nice."

In spite of your embarrassment, you managed a shaky smile. Even if it was rather clumsy, he'd told you the very words you'd been hoping to hear. Suddenly, you felt less tense and just more free. More confident.

"Thank you, Katsuki-kun. You look very nice, as well."

"Shut up," he grimaced. "Nobody says that shit to a guy."

"Why not? I like your red trunks."

"Goddammit, [Name]." He sighed as you giggled to yourself, then abruptly jerked you forward by the hand. "C'mon," he prodded, gesturing towards the pool. "We came here to actually get in the water, didn't we?"

"That's right."

He shifted his fingers down ever-so-slightly to interlink them with your own. You walked behind him, slowly, so as not to slip on the wet floors. Just like you'd predicted, it wasn't awfully busy inside, which was nice. You'd have a lot more leg-room to work with.

"C-c-cold," you shivered, teeth chattering as you slipped into the water. "Why do they always keep these pools so cold...?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes, stepping in just beside you. "Stop whining. Didn't you wanna go swimming so that you could cool off from the heat?"

"But, still..."

"Just start swimming, dum-dum." The blonde outstretched his arms and began wading into the deeper end. "The more you move around, the faster your body will warm up."

You nodded, following behind him as your teeth continued to chatter. Katsuki chuckled every now and then, amused by how ridiculous you looked with your arms clutching at the sides of your ribs.

Eventually, it started feeling less cold. You kicked out your legs to tread water, bobbing your arms around you. Thought it wasn't quite pleasant yet, it was slowly getting better.

"You still haven't dunked your head in," Katsuki remarked with a wry smile. "Need me to help you with that?"

You hastily jerked backwards. "N-no thank you. I can do that on my own..."

"Awe, c'mon. What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I didn't give you a hand every now and then?"

You could see the look of mischief in his eyes, and you squealed, trying to put some distance in between the two of you. Unfortunately, Katsuki was a man of many talents—swimming included. He was able to catch up to you almost immediately, and grappled you by your sides, lifting you up into the air as he grinned ear-to-ear.

"Please, don't!" you screamed. "Katsuki-kun, don't you dare—!"

Too late. You were dunked head-first into the water, cool liquid rushing into all your orifices. You'd made the mistake of having your eyes open underwater; they stung viciously from the chlorine. When you pulled up for air, you spluttered weakly, water streaming out of your nostrils.

"Pfft—" Katsuki clamped a hand over his mouth, stifling a laugh. "Nice face, [Name]."

You glared at him. "Die, you asshole."

"Stealing my catchphrase?"

"I said die."

He chuckled, still with that goofy, shit-eating grin on his face. "Nah, I'm good," he mused. "If I died right now, then I wouldn't be able to do this—!"

You squealed, his cold arms wrapping around your waist. You were certain that he would dunk you underwater, but instead, he kept you locked up against his body with one arm, and began mercilessly tickling your sides with his fingers.

What a little shit...!

You flailed, desperately trying to break free, but Katsuki wasn't one to be deterred. You could hear his deep, throaty chuckles by your ear as he continued his assault on your ribs. Tears were filling your eyes from laughing too hard; even your stomach was beginning to hurt.

"E-enough...!" you begged. "Katsuki-kun, I give, please!"

"Well, since you asked nicely." You let out a gasp of relief when he stopped tickling you, and instead brought you back flush up against his chest. Both of your bodies were slick with water, but it was somehow a warm, pleasant feeling being pressed up together. Katsuki blew his breath by your neck, and took advantage of your confusion to press a quick kiss to your cheek.

You flushed deeply. "Doing things like that in public is gonna embarrass me, you know?"

"What's the point in having a girlfriend if I can't kiss her whenever I want?"

You rolled your eyes jokingly, though you weren't really that opposed to it. If you had a bit more courage, you would've liked to go in for a kiss, as well...

"Hey, [Name], can I tell you a secret?" Katsuki whispered. You blinked, surprised, but hurriedly nodded your head and leaned in closer so that he could mumble by your ear. His grip on your waist tightened. "It...feels really good having your boobs push up against me like this."

"E-eh...??"

You pushed Katsuki back, only to find him stupidly grinning down at you with a red tint on his cheeks. Out of sheer instinct, you wrapped your arms around your chest and pouted.

"That's not something you say in public," you chastised, "good lord..."

"I meant it, though." He lurched forward in the water, grabbing you in by the arm. You stuck your tongue out at him, but you weren't really making much of an effort to resist. The water level was lower now. At some point, you'd waded back over towards the shallow end.

With most of your body no longer underwater, you felt a chill coming on again. Katsuki wrapped his arms around you to try and pool his body heat against your own. You would've immersed yourself back in again, but your eyes had unknowingly fallen to your hip. The fabric of your bikini bottom had loosened a bit from the water, revealing your soulmate tattoo.

Or rather, what was left of it.

Katsuki followed your gaze down towards your hip. You felt his hold on you tighten, as if in reassurance. It really had faded more; this time, you were sure of it.

"Relax," he mumbled, gently running his fingers down your jawline. "It's gonna be okay, alright? Don't get yourself worked up over this shit again."

"I-I know. It's just...the more I see it fade away, the more my heart aches..."

He slumped his brows, sharing in your dejection. "Don't be sad now. We've been having a great fucking day, haven't we? Whatever happens in the future, we'll deal with it. I promise."

You nodded. The thought of it disappearing completely still hurt, but it hurt less when you thought of how Katsuki would be here for you. He was right. There was certainly no way to predict the future, and no reason to bother trying. You would live in the present, and right now, the present was looking pretty damn good.

"Let's swim more," he suggested, making you bob your head in response. You plunged into the water, immersing yourself completely. You'd kept your eyes closed this time to avoid that nasty burning sensation, but it was pleasant, being able to get away from everything for a few moments. The darkness, the lack of sound, and just overall feeling like you were floating around...

Ah.

Did he just—?!

You burst up to the surface, swallowing a big gulp of air. It took a second to regain your bearings, but then you were glaring at Katsuki, who'd lifted his hands up as if to plead guilty.

"You just groped my butt, you perv."

He bit down on his lip to hold back a grin. "I did not."

"There's no one else around us right now."

"Fuck," he muttered, "there musts be ghosts in this pool."

"What kind of shitty excuse is that?!"

You cut the water with your palms, swimming towards him with all your might. Katsuki was laughing uncontrollably now; the rest of the people in the pool probably thought you guys were crazy.

What a great day.