His crimson eyes flicked to her, and for a moment, she swore she saw something unreadable in his gaze. "Fine. The second one."

Y/N raised an eyebrow. "You'd rather carry me?"

"Yeah. At least then you'd shut up."

The van roared with laughter, and Y/N couldn't help but smile. "Good to know where I stand."

A few more rounds passed before Mina struck again.

"Y/N," she said, leaning forward with a wicked grin. "Would you rather let Bakugo pick your outfit for a week or—"

"That's easy," Y/N said, cutting her off. "I'll take my chances with the outfit."

"Don't be so sure," Bakugo muttered, smirking.

"Oh?" she said, tilting her head. "What would you pick for me, then?"

His smirk widened, and there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Something that wouldn't make my eyes bleed."

Her jaw dropped, and the van erupted into laughter again.

"You're such a jerk!" she said, smacking his arm.

"You asked," he said, clearly enjoying her reaction.

Mina wiped a tear from her eye. "I can't. You two are hilarious."

The tension only grew when the questions turned more personal.

"Y/N," Denki said, his grin almost predatory. "What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?"

"Oh, no," she groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"Come on, spill!" Mina said, nudging her.

"Fine," Y/N said, her cheeks flushing. "It was during training. I tripped during a sparring match, and I accidentally grabbed Bakugo's arm to catch myself. But instead of, you know, falling normally, I kind of... dragged him down with me."

The van went silent for a moment before erupting into laughter.

"That's amazing," Sero said, wheezing.

"Not for me," Y/N said, covering her face. "He was so mad."

"Damn right, I was," Bakugo muttered, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Wait, wait," Mina said, holding up a hand. "Didn't you also land on top of him?"

Y/N groaned. "Yes. Can we not relive this?"

Bakugo smirked. "You're lucky I didn't blow you up."

"You wouldn't dare," she shot back, her eyes narrowing.

"Try me."

Their playful banter earned more laughs from the squad, but there was an undeniable tension between them that no one could ignore.

As the van rolled along the quiet highway, the energy began to shift. The laughter and teasing had simmered into a more subdued atmosphere, and the Baku Squad sprawled across their seats, clearly tiring from the long ride.

"Alright," Mina said, refusing to let the lull take over. "One last round of 20 Questions before we call it quits."

"Please no," Bakugo groaned, tipping his head back against the seat.

"Oh, come on, you're secretly having fun," Mina teased.

"Like hell I am," he muttered, crossing his arms.

Y/N smirked, leaning slightly toward him. "What's the matter, Bakugo? Afraid someone's going to ask something you can't handle?"

His crimson eyes snapped to hers, and the corner of his mouth twitched into what could almost be called a smile. "You think I can't handle it?"

"Prove me wrong," she shot back, her tone playful but challenging.

Mina's eyes sparkled. "Alright, I've got one for Bakugo." She leaned forward, her grin practically wicked. "Would you rather admit you were wrong in front of everyone here, or... let Y/N sit on your lap for the rest of the ride?"

The van went silent.

"What the hell kind of question is that?" Bakugo snapped, his cheeks dusting with red.

"You gotta pick!" Denki crowed, grinning like he'd just won the lottery.

Y/N's face flushed, and she waved her hands. "Okay, this is ridiculous. Let's just skip—"

"I'd admit I was wrong," Bakugo bit out, cutting her off.

"Really?" Kirishima asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, because I'm not letting her anywhere near me."

The sharp tone of his voice stung more than Y/N expected, and she leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. "Wow, don't hold back or anything."

Bakugo glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "You're the one who wanted to play."

Mina shot Y/N a sympathetic look but didn't push the game any further. Instead, she pulled out her phone. "Let's take a break and check Twitter. Anyone want to see what kind of memes people are making about us?"

"God, no," Bakugo muttered, turning toward the window.

The van eventually stopped at a rest area, and everyone spilled out to stretch their legs. Y/N wandered toward a vending machine, grateful for a moment of peace away from the group's antics.

"Oi."

She turned to see Bakugo walking up behind her, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"What?" she asked, her tone sharper than intended.

He frowned but didn't snap back, which surprised her. "You seriously mad about that stupid question?"

"I'm not mad," she said, crossing her arms.

"You're a bad liar," he said, stepping closer.

Y/N sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "It's not a big deal. Let's just drop it."

But Bakugo didn't move. His gaze bore into hers, and she felt the air between them shift.

"You're not... repulsive to be around, you know," he said finally, his voice low.

Y/N blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"I'm just saying..." He looked away, clearly uncomfortable. "You're not. So don't get all in your head about dumb crap like that."

Her heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to smile. "Wow, Bakugo, that almost sounded like a compliment."

"Don't push your luck," he muttered, turning to walk away.

"Wait," she called after him, taking a step forward.

He stopped but didn't turn around.

"Thanks," she said softly.

He gave a small nod, then continued walking back toward the van.

Back on the road, the tension between them was palpable, but Y/N couldn't stop replaying his words in her head.

Mina leaned over to her, whispering, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Y/N said, smiling faintly. "Just tired, I guess."

Mina didn't look convinced but didn't push further.

By the time they reached their destination—a small inn where they'd be staying overnight—everyone was ready to collapse. But Bakugo caught Y/N's arm as she was heading inside.

"Hey."

She looked up at him, her pulse quickening. "What?"

"Don't make this weird, but..." He glanced away, his usual scowl softening. "You did good today. On the mission, I mean."

Y/N's breath caught. "Thanks, Bakugo."

He didn't say anything else, but the way he lingered for a moment longer than necessary made her wonder if maybe—just maybe—there was more to him than she thought.

As she walked inside, she couldn't help but smile to herself, her heart racing.

The evening at the inn was supposed to be uneventful—a chance to rest after hours of driving and prepare for the mission the next day. But with the Baku Squad, things never stayed quiet for long.

"Alright, guys," Mina declared as she bounded into the common area, where everyone had gathered after dinner. "It's time for Truth or Dare."

"Oh no," Y/N groaned, leaning back against the couch.

"Absolutely not," Bakugo said from his corner, where he was perched on a chair with his arms crossed.

"Oh, come on," Kirishima said, grinning. "It's a classic. What's the worst that could happen?"

Bakugo shot him a glare that could have melted steel. "Plenty."

"Exactly why we're doing it!" Mina chirped, plopping down beside Y/N. "Y/N's in. Aren't you, Y/N?"

"Do I have a choice?" Y/N asked, already knowing the answer.

"Nope," Mina said cheerfully. "Okay, rules are simple. No skipping your turn. If you pick dare, you have to do it, no chickening out."

"Fine," Y/N said, shooting a sidelong glance at Bakugo. "But only if Bakugo plays too."

His eyes snapped to hers, narrowing dangerously. "What the hell?"

"Fair's fair," Y/N said, smirking.

The group erupted into laughter and cheers as Mina quickly added, "Looks like Bakugo's in!"

"Over my dead body," he muttered, but the squad ignored him.

The game started harmlessly enough. Kaminari ended up doing a handstand while chugging a bottle of water, and Mina had to text something embarrassing to Kirishima's phone as a dare. But things took a turn when it was Y/N's turn, and Mina's mischievous grin widened.

"Truth or dare?" Mina asked, her voice dripping with anticipation.

Y/N hesitated. "Dare."

Mina clapped her hands together. "Perfect. I dare you to sit on Bakugo's lap for the rest of the round."

The room exploded with laughter, and Y/N's face turned bright red. "Mina, what—"

"You heard the rules," Mina said, clearly delighted with herself.

Bakugo's expression darkened, his crimson eyes glaring daggers at Mina. "I'm not doing this."

"It's not your dare," Mina shot back. "It's Y/N's. She's the one who has to decide if she's brave enough."

Y/N glanced at Bakugo, whose jaw was clenched so tightly she thought it might snap. Part of her wanted to refuse outright, but another part—the one that enjoyed pushing his buttons—couldn't resist.

"Fine," she said, standing up.

The room went silent as she walked over to him, her heart pounding in her chest. Bakugo leaned back slightly, his eyes locked on hers.

"You don't have to," he muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible.

"Oh, now you're being considerate?" she teased, lowering herself onto his lap.

The moment her weight settled against him, she felt his muscles tense beneath her. His arms hovered awkwardly at his sides, like he didn't know where to put them.

"Relax," she whispered, unable to resist poking fun at him.

"Shut up," he hissed, his face turning red.

The squad, meanwhile, was in hysterics. Kaminari was doubled over with laughter, and Mina was practically bouncing with excitement.

"How's it feel, Bakugo?" Kirishima asked, grinning.

"Like I'm gonna kill you all," Bakugo growled, his voice low and dangerous.

But despite his threats, he didn't push Y/N off. Instead, his hands eventually found a resting place on the armrests of the chair, his grip tight enough to leave indentations in the fabric.

Y/N couldn't help but notice the heat radiating from him, or the way his chest rose and fell a little faster than usual. She leaned back slightly, just to see how far she could push him.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she whispered, her voice laced with teasing.

Bakugo's eyes flicked to hers, and for a split second, something intense and unreadable flashed across his face. "You wish."

The dare ended mercifully quickly, but the tension lingered long after Y/N had returned to her seat. Bakugo avoided her gaze for the rest of the game, and she couldn't tell if he was angry or just flustered.

When the game finally wound down, everyone drifted off to their respective rooms. Y/N was about to head to hers when she felt a hand on her wrist.

She turned to see Bakugo, his expression unreadable.

"Can we talk?" he asked gruffly.

"Uh, sure," she said, following him down the hall to a quiet corner of the inn.

He leaned against the wall, running a hand through his hair. "Look, about earlier..."

"If you're gonna yell at me, don't bother," she said, crossing her arms.

"I'm not gonna yell," he said, his tone softer than she expected. "I just—" He hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I didn't hate it, okay?"

Y/N blinked, stunned. "What?"

"You heard me," he muttered, his ears turning red.

She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. The vulnerability in his voice was so unexpected, so unlike him, that it left her speechless.

"Don't make it weird," he said quickly, his usual scowl returning.

"Right," she said, smiling despite herself. "Wouldn't dream of it."

For a moment, they just stood there, the silence stretching between them. And then, without another word, Bakugo turned and walked away, leaving Y/N alone with her racing thoughts and the faintest flutter of hope in her chest.