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The sun was just beginning to rise, casting its warm golden hue over the city streets, a stark contrast to the ever-present tension of the world of heroes. The air was crisp, the morning light slicing through the cool breeze as the students of U.A. filed into the briefing room. Today was going to be different. Today was the day they were all headed on a mission together—a test of their teamwork, their capabilities, and more than anything, their ability to trust each other.

But as usual, Y/N felt a knot of unease settle in her stomach. Her instincts were rarely wrong, and they were screaming at her that something about today was going to change everything. She couldn't explain why—maybe it was the mission itself, or maybe it was the way her interactions with Bakugo had been subtly shifting over the last few weeks. No matter how much she tried to push those thoughts aside, there was an undeniable pull, a strange energy in the air whenever she was near him.

"Alright, everyone, gather up!" Aizawa's voice cut through the murmur of the room, his usual disheveled appearance barely hiding his ever-watchful gaze. His tone was stern, no-nonsense, as always, but there was an undercurrent of urgency that made everyone fall silent. "We've got a mission today. It's a simple operation, but the stakes are high. We need to intercept a shipment of illegal quirk-enhancing drugs being moved through an abandoned warehouse on the west side of the city."

The team fell into line as Aizawa continued briefing them, his words almost too routine to get a real rise out of the students. "You'll be operating in pairs for this mission. Kirishima and Mina, you'll be with me. Bakugo, you're with Y/N like usual."

Y/N froze for just a moment, her breath catching in her throat. Bakugo. Her partner. She knew she shouldn't be nervous; after all, they'd been on missions together before. But this time was different. There had been a subtle shift in their interactions lately—a tension, an undeniable magnetism that neither of them could ignore.

She glanced over at Bakugo. He was scowling, clearly not thrilled by the pairing. His fiery glare could burn through steel, and Y/N found herself wondering if it was directed at her or the mission. Maybe both.

"Got it," Bakugo grumbled, his voice dripping with disdain. "Don't screw up, you idiot."

Y/N didn't respond right away. She wasn't going to let him get under her skin today—she had to focus. She had no time for his usual taunts.

The briefing ended, and the team gathered their gear and headed for the transport vehicles. Y/N found herself walking alongside Bakugo, trying to ignore the tension between them. The longer she spent near him, the more she realized that she couldn't quite read him. He was a storm—intense, unpredictable—and she was just... trying to keep up.

As they arrived at the warehouse, the team immediately split up, following Aizawa's orders to take different positions around the building. The air was heavy with the scent of rust and age, the kind of place you'd expect shady dealings to take place. Y/N's heart pounded in her chest as she glanced around, her body instinctively going into alert mode.

"So," she began, attempting to break the silence that had formed between them, "any ideas on how we're going to approach this?"

Bakugo didn't even look at her. His voice was as sharp as ever, cutting through the air like a blade. "We're going in. I'll clear the way. You follow behind and stay out of my way."

Y/N's brow furrowed at his words. "You think I'm going to get in your way?" She couldn't help the slight edge in her voice. She wasn't about to let him dismiss her like that.

Bakugo grunted in response, his focus unwavering. "I don't need to babysit you, so don't make me."

Y/N bit her lip, holding back any sharp retorts. She knew how Bakugo was—he didn't mean half the stuff he said. At least, she hoped not. The mission was all that mattered right now. She had to focus on that.

"Let's just get this done," she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to him.

They made their way toward the entrance, cautiously moving through the shadows. The eerie silence of the warehouse felt stifling. It was as if the walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting for something to break the tension.

Y/N felt it before she saw it—a faint tremor in the air, like static building up before a storm. Something was wrong.

And then—an explosion rocked the ground beneath them.

The shockwave hit with force, throwing Y/N off balance. She stumbled, her feet giving way beneath her, but Bakugo was right there, his hand grabbing her wrist to steady her. His grip was firm, but she could feel the urgency in his touch, the tension in his body as he assessed the situation.

"What the hell was that?" Kirishima's voice crackled through their earpieces, loud with alarm.

"I don't know, but we're not going to wait around and find out," Bakugo growled. He tugged her toward the door, his other hand readying a grenade of explosive energy.

Y/N followed closely behind, her mind racing. She was just about to ask Bakugo what the plan was when they rounded the corner of the building, and there it was—dark figures, moving in and out of the shadows, their quirk-enhanced powers crackling in the air.

"You take left," Bakugo barked at her. "I'll handle right. Got it?"

Before she could respond, Bakugo had already dashed into the fray, his explosions lighting up the warehouse like fireworks. Y/N clenched her fists, activating her own quirk as she dove in after him.

The fight was chaos. Explosions, bursts of fire, and crackling energy filled the air, a dizzying display of power. Y/N fought with everything she had, using her agility and strength to dodge the attacks coming her way while keeping an eye on Bakugo. She could see him in the distance, his usual fury apparent as he took down opponents with precision, his quirk a relentless force.

But then, in the middle of the chaos, she saw something that made her heart skip a beat.

A figure—dark and powerful—lunged toward her from the shadows, its quirk pulling at the air around her. Before she could react, she felt a sharp tug at her side, and she was thrown to the ground, hard.

"Y/N!" Bakugo shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

He was already there, pulling her up with a strength that caught her off guard. His eyes were wide with something Y/N couldn't quite place—fear? Worry? No. It couldn't be. Not Bakugo.

"Stay down," he barked at her, his hand tightening around her wrist as he pulled her behind him. He shielded her with his body, readying himself for whatever came next. His entire stance was defensive, like he was protecting something precious.

Y/N couldn't help but feel a strange warmth spread through her chest at the realization. It wasn't just the physical protection he was offering—it was something deeper. Something more personal. Bakugo, who had never shown an ounce of vulnerability to anyone, was looking out for her.

The realization hit her like a tidal wave, and for a split second, everything else faded away. The fight, the mission—everything was secondary to this moment.

"Don't get in my way," he muttered under his breath, but there was something softer in his voice now. Something that told her he was beginning to trust her—just a little more.

As the fight continued to rage on around them, Bakugo fought with renewed intensity, his movements more deliberate and controlled. He was no longer just fighting for the mission. He was fighting for her, too.

"Not so fast," he muttered, launching an explosive blast that sent the villain reeling back. His eyes flickered to Y/N, and for a brief moment, their gazes locked. There was something unspoken between them—a shared understanding, a mutual respect that hadn't existed before.

The battle was far from over, but one thing was certain: things between them had shifted. And neither of them would ever be the same again.