✰

The following days after their conversation had been filled with tension—yet another layer added to the growing complexity of their interactions. Neither Y/N nor Bakugo had mentioned the conversation again, but they both carried the weight of it like an invisible thread binding them closer.

It was as if the conversation had opened a door neither of them was ready to walk through. The air between them had grown thick with unsaid words, and the unspoken feelings hovered over every interaction, a constant undercurrent that neither of them wanted to acknowledge.

Y/N tried to brush it off, to pretend that everything was normal, but it wasn't. It was impossible to ignore the fact that something had changed. The way Bakugo had looked at her in that moment, vulnerable yet guarded, had carved its way into her thoughts, leaving her unable to shake the sense of connection between them.

But Bakugo... Bakugo was different. He acted as though nothing had shifted. He was still the same, gruff, abrasive Bakugo, with no room for softness or emotional displays. He kept his distance, as he always did, though his eyes—every now and then—betrayed the war he was fighting inside himself.

It had started to bother Y/N more than she cared to admit. She had always prided herself on understanding people, on being able to read the subtle shifts in their moods, their glances, the unspoken words. But Bakugo was a different puzzle—one she couldn't quite figure out.

The team had gathered at U.A. for a mission debrief, and the atmosphere in the room was buzzing with excitement. Everyone was chatting, catching up on their tasks, and discussing the mission's outcome. But despite the camaraderie surrounding her, Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that Bakugo was avoiding her.

He stood at the other end of the room, speaking to Kirishima in a low voice, his usual confidence in place. Y/N, however, couldn't help but notice the distance he had put between them.

Was it intentional? Was he trying to shut her out again?

Her mind raced, and before she could stop herself, her gaze drifted toward him. Their eyes met for a split second, and something flickered in his expression—something that resembled the beginning of a thought, but he quickly masked it with that usual, irritated glare.

Y/N tried to look away, but it was too late. The moment lingered in the air between them.

"Stop staring at him like that," Mina's voice broke through the haze of her thoughts. She was standing beside her, a playful grin on her face. "It's obvious, you know."

Y/N blinked, startled by Mina's sudden remark. "What are you talking about?"

Mina raised an eyebrow, leaning in closer. "Come on, don't act like you don't know. You've been spending more time with Bakugo than the rest of us. Something's up. You guys keep looking at each other like you're ready to bite each other's heads off, but there's this weird... tension."

Y/N's cheeks flushed slightly at the mention of the "tension" between her and Bakugo. She wasn't sure if she was more embarrassed by the idea of it being so obvious or by the fact that Mina was right. Something was definitely there—something neither of them wanted to acknowledge, but that neither could avoid.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Y/N muttered, trying to dismiss it with a shrug. But even she knew it wasn't working. She couldn't lie to Mina, especially when it came to Bakugo. Not anymore.

Mina chuckled, nudging Y/N with her elbow. "Oh, please. Don't act like I'm the only one who's noticed. Bakugo's been acting different too. Trust me, he's just as conflicted as you are."

Y/N frowned, trying to ignore the way her heart skipped at the thought of Bakugo feeling the same way she did. "I don't know," she said quietly. "Maybe we're just..." She trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.

Mina's grin widened, mischief glinting in her eyes. "You're just what? Denying it?" she teased.

Before Y/N could respond, the sound of Bakugo's voice cut through the conversation. "Oi, are you two done gossiping yet? Some of us actually have things to do."

Y/N glanced at Bakugo, who was glaring in their direction. His tone was just as rough as always, but there was something in his eyes—a flicker of something softer. It was the same thing she had seen in their earlier conversation, the vulnerability he so desperately tried to hide.

But instead of acknowledging it, she quickly looked away, focusing on Mina instead. "I should go," she said, though her voice sounded distant even to her.

"Yeah, yeah," Mina replied, her grin still in place. "But don't think I'm going to let this go. You two are too obvious."

Y/N just rolled her eyes, not trusting herself to say anything else. She wasn't ready to admit anything, not even to herself. And certainly not to Mina, who seemed to see everything.

As Y/N made her way to her desk, she caught sight of Bakugo once more. He was standing near the window, his arms crossed as he stared out into the distance. There was something oddly compelling about the way he held himself, something that made Y/N's chest tighten.

She had spent so long avoiding this feeling—this pull toward him, the way he seemed to get under her skin in a way no one else did.

But here it was, undeniable.

Her footsteps were quiet as she moved toward the desk, but the closer she got to Bakugo, the more she could feel her heart racing. She hesitated, unsure of what to do next. Should she say something? Should she just leave him alone?

Before she could make a decision, Bakugo turned slightly, his sharp gaze landing on her. For a moment, neither of them spoke. It felt like time had stopped, and yet, it was painfully clear that they were both stuck in the same moment.

Y/N finally found her voice. "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you actually going to do something?"

Bakugo's eyes narrowed, and a smirk appeared on his lips. "I could say the same about you. What, are you just going to stare at me all day?"

Her heart skipped, and she felt a surge of warmth flood her cheeks. "I wasn't staring," she muttered, trying to sound unaffected.

Bakugo took a step closer to her, his presence suddenly overwhelming. "You sure about that?"

The challenge in his voice made her pulse quicken, and before she could stop herself, she found herself smiling in spite of everything. "You're insufferable," she replied, though there was no malice in her tone—only a strange warmth.

Bakugo's smirk softened, his eyes locking with hers in a way that made her feel like the world had narrowed to just the two of them. For a second, the tension between them was palpable—almost electric.

Then, in a rare moment of vulnerability, Bakugo spoke, his voice quieter than usual. "You know, it's not easy for me either."

Y/N blinked in surprise. "What?"

Bakugo looked away, his usual bravado slipping for a moment. "You think I'm just some tough guy who doesn't care? It's not that simple." He shook his head, exhaling sharply. "I'm not good at... this."

Y/N's heart softened at his words. "I know."

The moment lingered, hanging between them like a fragile thread.

Bakugo seemed to wrestle with his emotions for a moment longer before he turned away, his usual harshness returning. "Whatever," he muttered, though there was less bite to his tone than usual. "Don't make it a thing, okay?"

Y/N watched him walk away, her thoughts swirling as she realized one thing: the more they tried to deny it, the more undeniable their feelings became.

They were both on the edge of something. And neither of them knew how to take the first step.
✰

The days following that quiet exchange between Y/N and Bakugo felt like walking on eggshells. There was a shift between them, one that neither was brave enough to confront head-on. They continued their interactions as if everything was normal, but the air between them had changed. Every glance, every brief exchange, felt charged with something unsaid.

Y/N found herself thinking about it constantly—about what Bakugo had said, how his walls seemed to come down for just a moment. It was as if he had opened a door, but before she could walk through it, he had slammed it shut again. But why? Was he afraid of the same feelings she was? Or was it something deeper, something more complex?

It was late afternoon when Y/N found herself walking through the halls of U.A. alone. She had just finished training, and most of her classmates were scattered, either relaxing or in the middle of their own activities. She had been trying to focus on her work, but every time she thought about Bakugo, her mind would wander to their previous conversations, the way he had looked at her just before he turned away.

She let out a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering tension. Why did it have to be so complicated?

As she rounded a corner, she was startled to see Bakugo standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, as if waiting for something—or someone. His usual scowl was in place, but there was something different in his stance. It wasn't aggressive, not like his usual posture. It was more... hesitant.

Y/N's heart skipped a beat. This was the first time they had been alone together since their brief conversation earlier in the week. She wasn't sure what to say, but she couldn't just walk away either. She wasn't going to keep avoiding this.

"Hey," she said, her voice steady despite the nervous flutter in her chest.

Bakugo's eyes flicked toward her, his gaze softening for the briefest of moments. It was so quick, but it didn't escape her notice. "What's up?" he muttered, though his tone was more neutral than usual.

Y/N hesitated, unsure of what to say next. There were a thousand things she could ask, a hundred things she could say to break the silence, but nothing felt right. Instead, she took a step closer, her gaze meeting his without flinching.

"You know," she started, her voice quieter than usual. "You don't have to pretend with me."

Bakugo's eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched for a second. He looked away, trying to hide whatever he was feeling, but Y/N could see the flicker of hesitation in his movements. It was as if he didn't want to face what was right in front of him—what was right between them.

"I'm not pretending," he muttered, though the words were sharp, as if trying to push her away. "It's not like that."

Y/N smiled softly, her eyes softening. She knew he was lying, but she wasn't going to call him out on it. Not right now, anyway. She had learned long ago that pushing Bakugo too hard only made him retreat further into his shell. Instead, she leaned against the wall next to him, her shoulder brushing his in the process.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The silence stretched between them, almost suffocating in its intensity. Y/N's heart raced as she tried to read the thoughts hidden behind Bakugo's deflective demeanor. What was he thinking? Did he feel the same things she did?

"You know," she began again, her voice softer this time. "I'm not going to make it harder for you. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. But I think we both know something's changed."

Bakugo's eyes flickered to hers for a moment before he quickly looked away, his expression hardening. "There's nothing to talk about," he growled, his voice rough. "You're overthinking it."

Y/N could feel the frustration building within her, but she refused to let it show. She wasn't going to back down this time. She had spent too long trying to pretend that everything between them was fine, that there was nothing more to it.

"Then why do I keep feeling like you're hiding something from me?" Y/N asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Bakugo's eyes widened slightly, and for the briefest of moments, she saw something flicker in his expression—something vulnerable, something real. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, but it left a lingering impression.

"Stop," he muttered, his voice low, almost desperate. "I'm not hiding anything."

But Y/N didn't believe him. The way he reacted—so defensive, so unwilling to acknowledge what was right in front of them—only confirmed what she had known all along: he cared, but he didn't know how to deal with it.

"You're lying to yourself," she said quietly, her gaze never leaving his. "But I get it. I do."

Bakugo's breath hitched, and for a moment, he looked as though he were about to say something—anything—but the words seemed to catch in his throat. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Instead, he clenched his fists, clearly frustrated with the situation, with himself.

Y/N didn't know what came over her, but something pushed her to move closer to him. She stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest as she reached out, placing her hand gently on his arm. For a moment, Bakugo stiffened, but he didn't pull away. His gaze flickered to her hand, and the brief moment of vulnerability from earlier seemed to return, like a crack in the armor he had worked so hard to build.

"I don't need you to be perfect, Bakugo," she said softly, her voice steady. "I just need you to be real with me."

Bakugo remained silent, his jaw clenched tightly as if trying to hold himself back from saying something—anything—that would break the fragile silence between them. Y/N's hand remained on his arm, and for the first time, she allowed herself to let her guard down. She wasn't going to run away from this anymore.

Bakugo finally exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing just slightly. "I'm not perfect, okay?" he muttered, his voice low, but for once, the harshness wasn't there. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing. This... whatever this is, it's not easy for me."

Y/N felt a warmth spread through her chest at his admission. It wasn't much, but it was enough. For once, he was letting her in. And that was all she needed to know that things between them could change.

"You don't have to know," she said quietly. "Just take it one step at a time."

Bakugo looked at her for a long moment, and for the first time in a long while, Y/N saw something other than the usual fire in his eyes. It was soft, almost vulnerable. But before she could process it, he shook his head, breaking the moment.

"Whatever," he muttered, turning his head slightly. "You're too damn persistent, you know that?"

Y/N smiled, her heart beating a little faster in her chest. "Maybe, but you're not getting rid of me that easily."

Bakugo scoffed, but there was no heat behind it. In fact, Y/N could have sworn that, for the briefest of moments, there was something that almost resembled a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You're a pain in the ass," he grumbled, but this time, there was no real anger in his voice.

Y/N's smile widened as she stepped back. "Yeah, but you like it."

Bakugo's eyes narrowed, but the warmth that lingered in his gaze was undeniable. "Don't get too cocky."

But for the first time in a long while, Y/N didn't feel the need to push him. She just stayed there, letting the silence speak louder than words ever could. There was something shifting between them—something real, something raw. And though neither of them had the courage to speak it aloud yet, they both knew it was there.