✰

The mission had been more brutal than anyone expected. By the time the team stumbled back into the dorms, exhaustion and minor injuries painted their every movement. Aizawa had lectured them about taking unnecessary risks before begrudgingly allowing them some rest.

For Y/N, the effects of the mission didn't fully hit until the next morning. She woke up feeling like her entire body had been hit by a freight train. Her head throbbed, her muscles ached, and her skin was unnaturally warm.

Dragging herself out of bed, Y/N shuffled toward the bathroom, but as soon as she stood, the room spun violently. She barely made it to her desk chair before collapsing back into it.

"Great," she muttered to herself, her voice hoarse. "This is just what I needed."

Meanwhile, downstairs, the rest of the team was enjoying a lazy breakfast. Mina and Kirishima were recounting highlights from the mission, their animated voices filling the air. Bakugo sat in his usual corner, half-listening as he shoveled scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"Where's Y/N?" Mina asked suddenly, looking around.

"She's usually up by now," Kirishima added. "You don't think she's still sleeping, do you?"

Bakugo scowled but said nothing.

Mina tilted her head, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Bakugo, why don't you go check on her? You're the loudest one here—if anyone can wake her up, it's you."

"Tch. Not my problem," he snapped, standing to take his plate to the sink.

"Come on, man," Kirishima said, nudging him with an elbow. "She might be sick or something. Don't you care about your teammates?"

Bakugo growled under his breath, his irritation bubbling to the surface. "Fine. If it'll shut you extras up, I'll check."

When Bakugo reached Y/N's room, he knocked once, sharply. "Hey, idiot! You alive in there?"

There was no response.

He frowned, knocking again, harder this time. "Y/N, I swear if you're just ignoring me—"

The faint sound of coughing interrupted him. His hand hovered over the doorknob for a moment before he sighed and pushed the door open.

The sight that greeted him made his stomach twist uncomfortably. Y/N was slumped in her chair, her face pale except for the flush of fever on her cheeks. Her usually bright eyes were dull, and her hair was messily thrown into a loose bun.

"Oi," he said, stepping closer. "You look like crap."

"Thanks," she croaked, her voice barely audible.

Bakugo crossed his arms, his sharp gaze scanning her for signs of serious injury. "You didn't get hit during the mission, did you?"

"No," she mumbled, rubbing her forehead. "It's just a fever or something. I'll be fine."

"You're not fine," he muttered, reaching out to place a hand on her forehead before she could protest. The heat radiating from her skin made him frown.

Without a word, Bakugo turned and marched out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Y/N called weakly.

"Shut up and stay put," he barked over his shoulder.

A few minutes later, he returned with a glass of water, a wet cloth, and a bottle of medicine. He set everything down on her desk with a loud clink.

"Drink this," he ordered, handing her the water and medicine.

"I can take care of myself, you know," she muttered, though she obediently swallowed the pills.

"Yeah, clearly," he said sarcastically, grabbing the wet cloth and pressing it to her forehead. She flinched at the cold but didn't pull away.

For a moment, the room was silent except for the faint hum of the fan in the corner. Bakugo's usual scowl had softened into something almost unreadable as he adjusted the cloth on her forehead.

"You're too reckless," he muttered after a while, his voice unusually quiet.

"What?"

"You push yourself too hard," he said, his crimson eyes meeting hers. "You're gonna get yourself killed if you don't stop trying to do everything on your own."

Y/N blinked, caught off guard by the uncharacteristic concern in his tone. "I wasn't trying to—"

"Save it," he interrupted, looking away. "Just... stop being an idiot, alright?"

She smiled faintly, the corners of her lips tugging upward despite her exhaustion. "Are you... worried about me, Bakugo?"

His face turned bright red, and he immediately stood up, crossing his arms defensively. "Tch. Don't flatter yourself."

But as he turned to leave, she called out to him softly. "Bakugo... thanks."

He paused in the doorway, his hand on the frame. Without turning around, he replied, "Just get better, dumbass."

As the door closed behind him, Y/N couldn't help but smile, her heart feeling a little lighter despite her fever.

By the time the sun began to set, Y/N was feeling slightly better. She was still weak, but the fever had broken thanks to Bakugo's unspoken care.

She was dozing off when a quiet knock sounded at her door. Before she could respond, Mina peeked her head in.

"Hey, babe. How're you feeling?"

"Better," Y/N replied, sitting up slightly.

Mina stepped inside, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "So... I heard a certain someone was playing nurse for you earlier."

Y/N groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Please don't start."

"I'm just saying," Mina said, plopping onto the edge of the bed. "Bakugo doesn't exactly do this kind of thing for just anyone."

"He was just being a good teammate," Y/N insisted, though her cheeks betrayed her with a deep blush.

"Uh-huh," Mina said, clearly unconvinced.

As Mina continued to tease her, Y/N's thoughts drifted back to Bakugo's fleeting moments of kindness. Maybe there was more to him than the harsh, explosive exterior he always wore.

And maybe, just maybe, she was starting to see him in a different light too.