✰

The night had fallen with a quiet calm that seemed to hold its breath. Y/N and Bakugo were sitting on a rooftop, their usual place of solitude after particularly grueling missions. The stars above were a faint shimmer in the sky, the city lights below casting an amber glow, and for the first time in a while, everything felt still. But the air between them was anything but. There was an undeniable tension—something raw and unresolved that neither of them knew how to address.

Bakugo, as usual, was the first to break the silence.

"You're quiet," he muttered, his voice gruff but not unkind.

Y/N smiled faintly, her eyes tracing the horizon. "Just thinking," she said softly, her voice almost lost in the breeze. It was a gentle evening, but the thoughts swirling in her head were anything but gentle. Her feelings for him had been growing, undeniable now, and yet, she still couldn't bring herself to say it.

The mission they had just completed had been a difficult one—high stakes, high emotions. But it wasn't just the mission that had her on edge; it was everything that had been building between them over the past few weeks. The playful teasing, the quiet moments, the way he'd started looking at her like he was seeing her for the first time, and how her heart seemed to skip every time their eyes met.

Bakugo shifted next to her, his body language tense, though he was trying to mask it. "What are you thinking about?" he asked again, his voice tinged with something close to curiosity, but still laced with his usual irritation.

Y/N hesitated, not wanting to let him see the turmoil she felt inside. But she knew that the distance between them had already shrunk to the point where lying was becoming impossible. She bit her lip, unsure how to phrase it. "I'm thinking about how things have changed," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

Bakugo shot her a glance, his brows furrowed in that familiar scowl. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Y/N laughed lightly, but there was a nervous edge to it. "Nothing really. Just... I don't know. You and me, we're not like we used to be."

Bakugo's gaze turned away, his fingers tapping nervously on the roof's edge. "Yeah, no kidding. You've been acting all weird lately, like... like you're not the same person. Always so damn... soft." He shook his head, almost as if trying to dismiss his own words, but they hung there in the air between them, more vulnerable than he realized.

It hurt a little to hear him say that, but she understood what he meant. She had been acting differently. She had been feeling differently. Every time she looked at him now, it was harder to pretend that it was just irritation or annoyance, like it used to be. It was more. There was something else in his eyes that had her heart racing. But she didn't want to push him. Not now. Not when everything was still so uncertain.

"I don't know what you mean," she replied, her voice quieter than before. She shifted slightly, her knees pulled up against her chest as she rested her chin on them, her eyes avoiding his.

Bakugo let out a breath, clearly frustrated. "Don't play dumb with me," he snapped, though it was softer this time, not with the usual edge. He was irritated, yes, but there was something else there. A crack in the walls he always put up. "I've noticed. I've been... noticing things."

Y/N looked up at him then, surprised by the vulnerability in his voice. "What kind of things?" she asked cautiously.

Bakugo shifted uncomfortably, but he didn't look away. "Like how you... how you look at me now," he said quietly. "And how I can't stop thinking about you." His voice dropped even lower, barely a murmur, but it hit her like a punch to the gut. "I hate it."

Y/N's breath caught in her throat. The air between them felt heavier now, more charged than it ever had before. Her chest tightened as she met his gaze, seeing the rawness in his eyes—the struggle in them. He was trying to fight it. Trying to push it away like he always did with everything else. But she saw through it.

"Bakugo," she whispered, her voice softer now, trembling slightly. She didn't know what to say. Didn't know how to respond to this. It felt like too much—too fast. But at the same time, she couldn't deny that she felt the same.

He was already moving before she could think, turning to face her completely now, his body close, but the space between them still felt like an insurmountable gap. He didn't speak for a long moment, but his breathing was heavier now. "I don't know what to do with this," he admitted, voice rough. "I don't know what to do with... you."

Her heart pounded in her chest, the words she wanted to say getting caught in her throat. She wanted to reach for him, to close that space between them, but she was paralyzed by the fear of what it would mean. What would happen if she let herself feel this? What if it ruined everything?

"I don't either," she admitted, almost whispering the words, her breath shaky. "But I can't just ignore it anymore. I can't pretend that nothing's changed."

Bakugo's jaw clenched, his hands gripping the edge of the roof as though he was trying to steady himself. "Then don't," he said, his voice almost a growl. His gaze flickered from her eyes to her lips and back again, as if he was torn between holding back and giving in. The tension was unbearable, both of them caught in the storm of emotions that neither of them was prepared to face.

Y/N was breathing hard now, her pulse racing. "What are we doing, Bakugo?" she asked, her voice barely above a breath. "I don't know how to... I don't know what this is."

The question hung in the air, unanswered. But it didn't need an answer, not yet. The silence stretched, and then, without warning, Bakugo leaned in. It was abrupt, almost as if he couldn't stop himself anymore. He cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing against her cheek in a way that was both tender and desperate.

The space between them closed with a force that neither of them had expected. His lips met hers in a kiss that was raw, unrestrained—full of all the emotions they had kept buried for so long. Y/N's breath caught in her throat as the world seemed to stop around them, everything fading into the background. The only thing that mattered was this kiss—this moment.

It wasn't just a kiss. It was everything they had been trying to deny. Every word left unsaid, every look that had lingered too long. It was the culmination of weeks, maybe even months, of building tension, and the world tilted on its axis as their lips moved together, desperately, recklessly.

Y/N's hands found their way to his chest, pulling him closer, and Bakugo responded, his arms wrapping around her waist as if he was afraid she might slip away. The kiss deepened, urgent, heated—each movement of their lips a declaration, a release of everything they had been holding back.

For a moment, everything felt perfectly right.

The world felt suspended in that kiss—like time itself had paused just for them. Y/N's mind was a blur of emotions, every thought melting away except for Bakugo's touch and the way his lips moved against hers. It was as though a dam had broken, and everything she had kept hidden for so long was flooding to the surface.

Her heart raced as she felt the intensity of his grip on her, pulling her closer. The heat between them was undeniable, burning through any doubt or hesitation. His body was tense, but there was something in his touch that felt both desperate and tender, as if he, too, was surrendering to whatever this was.

Y/N's hands, which had been gripping the fabric of his shirt, slowly slid upward to the back of his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as she deepened the kiss. She could feel his pulse against her fingertips, and it made her heart race even faster. Every second felt like it stretched on forever, yet at the same time, she never wanted it to end.

But Bakugo pulled back suddenly, just enough to catch his breath. His forehead rested against hers, his breathing heavy. He didn't let go of her, though, his arms still holding her tightly, as if he was afraid that if he did, she would disappear. His red-amber eyes were darker now, filled with an intensity that made Y/N's stomach flutter.

"What the hell is this?" he muttered, his voice rough, barely above a whisper. His grip on her loosened just slightly, but his hands still lingered on her hips, his thumb grazing the fabric of her shirt.

Y/N swallowed, her own breath uneven. She couldn't even begin to process the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. "I... I don't know," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I don't know what we're doing."

He looked at her with a mixture of confusion and frustration, his brows furrowing as he stepped back slightly, still keeping her close. "Then why the hell did you kiss me like that?" he snapped, though there was no malice in his words. It was a question that carried all the confusion and uncertainty he was feeling.

"I—I didn't mean to," she stammered, her heart pounding in her chest. "But... I couldn't stop myself."

For a moment, they just stared at each other, both unsure of what to say or do. The silence was deafening, but neither of them seemed ready to break it. They were both caught in the aftermath of something that neither of them had anticipated, and neither of them knew how to handle it.

Bakugo exhaled sharply, running a hand through his spiky hair. His eyes flickered away from hers, his usual bravado and arrogance replaced by something more vulnerable. "I don't get it," he muttered, his voice low. "I don't get what's happening with me. With us."

Y/N's heart ached at his words. She could see the inner conflict on his face, the struggle between the part of him that wanted to fight this, to pretend that nothing had changed, and the part of him that was already so far gone, he didn't know how to pull back. It was exactly how she felt.

"I don't get it either," she admitted softly. "I'm scared too, Bakugo. But... I don't want to run away from it. Not anymore."

He looked at her, his gaze searching hers as if trying to find something—an answer, a reason, a way out. But in that moment, there was nothing to find. There was no clear path forward, only the uncertainty of what came next. And yet, despite everything, Y/N felt something shifting between them—a growing understanding, an unspoken acknowledgment of the bond they shared.

"Why did you kiss me?" Bakugo asked again, but this time his tone was softer, almost pained. His gaze softened, and Y/N felt her heart twist at the vulnerability he was showing.

Y/N let out a shaky breath, her fingers still tangled in his hair, not wanting to let go of him, even though everything felt so overwhelming. "Because I couldn't ignore it anymore," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've been feeling this for so long, and I just... couldn't stop it."

For a long moment, there was silence again. Bakugo seemed to be processing her words, his intense gaze fixed on her. Then, with a grunt, he pulled her close again, this time with a fiercer urgency. His lips crashed into hers once more, more desperate than before, as if he was trying to force all the things he couldn't say into that kiss.

Y/N's heart leaped in her chest as she melted into him, their bodies pressing together as the kiss deepened. There was no hesitation this time, no second-guessing. They were lost in each other, in the heat of the moment. Her hands roamed to his back, pulling him closer as she felt his arms wrap around her tightly, almost possessively. His lips were demanding, but there was a tenderness behind them that caught her off guard.

The world outside of them ceased to exist. There was only the two of them, and in that kiss, everything else faded away. All the confusion, all the fear—they didn't matter. Not right now. Right now, it was just them.

Bakugo's grip tightened, his hands sliding up her sides, pulling her closer until there was no space between them. Y/N's breath hitched as she felt the heat of his body, the way his chest rose and fell with each ragged breath. The kiss was no longer just a kiss. It was something more, something deeper—a release of everything they had been holding back for so long.

Y/N responded eagerly, her hands moving to his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath her fingers. She could feel the weight of his emotions, the way he was giving into this moment, just as much as she was. His touch was both gentle and intense, like he was afraid to break her, but at the same time, he didn't want to let go.

When they finally pulled back, breathless and flushed, Y/N's mind was racing. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but she knew that something had shifted between them—something that could never go back to the way it was before.

Bakugo's eyes were dark, pupils dilated, and he looked at her with an intensity that made her heart race. He didn't speak at first, his chest still heaving with each breath. Then, finally, he let out a soft, almost hesitant sigh. "This is... insane," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Y/N's lips tingled from the kiss, her mind struggling to catch up with her emotions. "Yeah," she said softly. "But I don't regret it."

Bakugo looked at her for a long moment, his gaze unreadable, before he gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "Me neither," he murmured, his voice low and rough.

And with that, they sat in silence once more, the world still spinning around them, but for the first time in what felt like forever, neither of them felt the need to move. They were exactly where they needed to be.