✰

The next morning started with chaos, as it always did with the Baku Squad.

"Who ate my breakfast?" Bakugo's voice roared through the inn's kitchen, his usual fiery demeanor already at full throttle.

"It wasn't me!" Kaminari said, his hands raised in surrender.

"Relax, man," Kirishima said, stifling a laugh. "I made extra toast. Take mine."

Y/N wandered into the kitchen, still rubbing sleep from her eyes. The moment she saw Bakugo pacing like a caged animal, she smirked. "Let me guess—someone dared you to chill, and you took it as a personal attack?"

Bakugo shot her a glare. "Don't start with me, princess."

"Oh, so I'm a princess now?" Y/N teased, grabbing a plate of eggs and toast. "You were calling me repulsive yesterday. Make up your mind, will you?"

Kirishima's eyebrows shot up, and Mina stifled a giggle from across the room. It was clear that whatever had happened between Y/N and Bakugo the night before had left some unresolved tension.

The team packed up and loaded into the car for the next leg of the trip. This time, Y/N found herself sitting next to Bakugo—thanks to Mina's not-so-subtle seating arrangement.

"Oh no, I'm gonna get carsick if I sit in the back," Mina had said, shoving Y/N toward the middle seat.

"Same here," Kirishima had added, grinning. "Guess you're stuck, Bakugo."

"I'm not stuck anywhere," Bakugo grumbled, but there was no point arguing.

As the car rumbled down the road, the group quickly devolved into their usual antics. Kaminari and Kirishima were arm wrestling in the back, Mina was scrolling through Twitter on her phone, and Y/N was doing her best to keep her elbow from bumping Bakugo's.

"Stop fidgeting," Bakugo muttered, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

"I'm not fidgeting," she hissed back, turning to glare at him.

Their faces were closer than she expected, and for a moment, neither of them moved. The tension crackled like a live wire, and Y/N's heart skipped a beat when she saw the way Bakugo's eyes flicked down to her lips.

"Eyes on the road, lovebirds!" Kaminari called from the back, breaking the moment.

Bakugo jerked back as if he'd been burned, his expression twisting into a scowl. "Shut the hell up, Pikachu!"

A few hours into the drive, Mina suddenly gasped. "Guys, we have to stop here!"

The group looked out the window to see a quaint roadside diner with a large outdoor seating area.

"Why?" Y/N asked, squinting at the sign.

"They have the best milkshakes ever," Mina said, bouncing in her seat. "And I'm starving!"

Bakugo groaned. "We just ate two hours ago."

"Come on, Bakugo," Kirishima said, grinning. "Think of it as a team-bonding exercise."

Reluctantly, they pulled over. The group filed into the diner, and Mina immediately dragged Y/N to the counter to order.

While they waited, Mina leaned in close. "So, what's going on with you and Bakugo?"

Y/N blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb," Mina said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You two have been acting weird since last night. Spill."

"There's nothing to spill," Y/N said, though her cheeks betrayed her with a faint blush.

Mina smirked. "Sure. Keep telling yourself that."

Back at the table, the squad decided to play another game to pass the time. This time, it was a variation of Would You Rather, with Mina acting as the self-appointed host.

"Alright, Y/N," Mina said, grinning wickedly. "Would you rather wrestle Bakugo and lose or go on a date with him and have to say he's charming?"

The table erupted in laughter, and Y/N nearly choked on her milkshake.

"Why is that even a question?" she asked, her face burning.

"Answer the question," Kaminari said, his grin stretching ear to ear.

Bakugo crossed his arms, clearly irritated. "This is stupid."

"Wrestle him," Y/N said quickly, avoiding Bakugo's gaze. "Definitely wrestle."

"Interesting choice," Mina said, her tone dripping with fake analysis.

Kirishima clapped Bakugo on the back. "Don't take it personally, man."

"I don't care," Bakugo muttered, though his glare suggested otherwise.

After finishing their meal, the group decided to stretch their legs before getting back on the road. They wandered down a nearby trail, chatting and laughing as the sun began to set.

At some point, Y/N found herself walking a little behind the group with Bakugo. The quiet between them was oddly comfortable, though she could still feel the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air.

"Hey," she said finally, breaking the silence.

"What?"

"Thanks for last night," she said, glancing at him. "For, you know, not being a total jerk."

Bakugo's lips twitched like he wanted to smirk, but he didn't. "Don't get used to it."

She laughed softly. "Again, wouldn't dream of it."

The others called out for them to catch up, and Bakugo sighed. "Come on, princess. Let's get this over with."

Y/N rolled her eyes but followed, feeling her heart lighten just a little.

As the evening set in, the road ahead became darker, and the miles seemed endless. The Baku Squad, though full of energy just a few hours ago, was now quiet. The hum of the tires on the asphalt and the occasional snippets of conversation from the back seat were the only things breaking the silence.

Y/N leaned against the window, her gaze lost in the darkness outside. The glow of the passing streetlights created a flickering pattern on her face, and the soft glow reflected in her eyes, giving her an almost ethereal appearance.

She hadn't said much since their walk. Bakugo, on the other hand, had been his usual brooding self, though Y/N couldn't help but notice the subtle glances he kept stealing her way.

"You're being quiet," he said suddenly, his voice low and rough.

Y/N's head snapped towards him, blinking as if she'd been pulled out of a trance. "What?"

"I said, you're quiet. Not your usual self."

Her lips curled into a small, teasing smile. "Maybe I'm just enjoying the ride for once."

Bakugo's eyes flicked to the road, his hands tight on the steering wheel, though his jaw was clenched. "You're not one to just 'enjoy' anything."

The comment stung more than Y/N wanted to admit. Maybe she had always been someone who rushed through things, but lately, she felt a strange pull to slow down. To enjoy things that had once seemed trivial. Like the moments when Bakugo's gaze lingered on her, or when their conversations, even the snarky ones, felt like something deeper.

"Maybe I'm changing, Bakugo," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper as she turned her attention back to the road.

"What does that mean?"

Y/N was quiet for a moment before she spoke again, her voice steady. "I'm not the same person I was when I first met you."

Bakugo's grip on the wheel tightened, and for a second, he looked like he might say something. Then he sighed, shaking his head. "We're not the same people. I'm not gonna pretend like I haven't noticed. You've been different too, Y/N."

Y/N looked at him, searching his expression. His words were blunt, but they carried a weight she hadn't expected. Bakugo didn't do compliments. He didn't do emotional vulnerability. But this, this was as close as he would get.

Before she could respond, the back of the car erupted into noise.

"Oh-ho! Looks like Y/N and Bakugo are finally having a moment," Kaminari's voice cut through the air, breaking the tension.

Y/N's cheeks flushed, and she turned her face back toward the window, not trusting herself to meet Bakugo's eyes.

Kirishima chuckled from the back. "Come on, Bakugo, don't leave Y/N hanging. Spit it out!"

"What the hell are you idiots talking about?" Bakugo barked, his voice rougher than usual.

Mina, never one to miss an opportunity, grinned mischievously. "Oh, nothing. Just that it seems like the two of you are having some heart-to-heart, you know? A little quiet moment in the middle of nowhere."

Y/N rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "Please, don't listen to them, Bakugo. I wasn't saying anything important."

"Yeah, whatever," Bakugo muttered, though Y/N could tell he was slightly embarrassed. His cheeks were tinged with red, and he tried to hide it by focusing on the road, but his hands were still tense on the steering wheel.

The conversation turned to other topics as the group joked and bantered back and forth, but the quiet between Y/N and Bakugo remained. It was different now. Charged with something neither of them knew how to name, something that was only deepening as the miles ticked on.

By the time they stopped for gas and a quick break, the team was tired, but the trip had taken a fun turn, with a lightheartedness that hadn't been there earlier. They decided to stretch their legs and grab a snack from the convenience store, but Y/N found herself walking alone to the store.

Of course, Bakugo, ever the protective one, followed her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, glancing back at him.

"Making sure you don't get yourself into trouble," he grumbled, his usual scowl back in place.

Y/N raised an eyebrow. "Trouble? I think you're overestimating me."

Bakugo scoffed. "You say that now, but you've got a habit of getting yourself into weird situations."

Y/N laughed softly. "And you've got a habit of trying to save me from those situations, don't you?"

"Shut up," Bakugo grumbled. But this time, his tone wasn't harsh. It was softer. Almost... tender.

They entered the store, and as Y/N perused the aisles for snacks, Bakugo leaned against the counter, arms crossed. She couldn't help but notice the way his eyes followed her around the store, as if he was keeping watch.

Y/N's heart fluttered in her chest. She wasn't sure when things had shifted between them. Maybe it had been the subtle glances he'd been giving her. Maybe it had been the way he'd stayed close to her when the others had joked around. But there was no denying it. Something was changing.

"Get whatever you want," Bakugo said suddenly, his tone gruff. "I'm paying."

"Uh... thanks?"

He grunted and turned away, heading for the counter. "Just hurry up."

Y/N smiled to herself, grabbing a bag of chips and a soda, but the moment she turned back to the counter, she bumped into Bakugo. He didn't flinch. He just looked down at her, his gaze meeting hers, and for the briefest second, the world around them faded away.

She could feel the heat between them, the tension that had been building for days now, pushing them closer.

Bakugo was the first to break the silence. "You're lucky I'm not punching you right now."

Y/N tilted her head, smirking. "Lucky? Or maybe you're just used to having me around?"

Bakugo's eyes darkened, and for a second, Y/N thought he might lean in. But just as quickly, he pulled back. "Don't get ahead of yourself, princess."

But there was something in his voice. Something that said more than his words ever could.

As they left the store and got back into the car, Bakugo once again took the wheel, and Y/N settled into her seat beside him. There was a quiet understanding between them now—an understanding that was far from words but deeper than anything they had shared before.