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The days following the mission felt different for Y/N. The adrenaline of battle had faded, replaced by the quiet hum of ordinary life at the dorms. But even amidst the routine, the atmosphere had changed, especially when it came to Bakugo.

She couldn't quite pinpoint when it happened, but their interactions had become... less clumsy, less filled with the usual tension. There was something unspoken between them, something that neither of them had acknowledged aloud, but it was there—an understanding. It was a shift that neither of them was ready to confront, but it was undeniable.

Y/N was sitting on the porch of the dorm building, the crisp morning air brushing her skin as she sipped on her coffee. It was one of those quiet mornings where the hustle of the usual training sessions hadn't yet begun, and the world outside felt calm. Her eyes lingered on the horizon, the first light of dawn breaking over the distant mountains.

She hadn't expected Bakugo to approach. Usually, he was in his own world—early to rise, to train, and to keep to himself. So when she felt the familiar presence behind her, she nearly choked on her sip of coffee, turning to see him standing a few feet away, arms crossed, glaring as always.

"What are you staring at?" His voice was blunt, but there was no edge to it today—just the usual raspy tone of irritation that had become so familiar.

Y/N couldn't help but smile. "Just watching the sunrise," she replied nonchalantly. "I guess you're not much for quiet mornings, huh?"

Bakugo huffed, but to her surprise, he didn't immediately dismiss her. Instead, he gave a small, almost imperceptible shrug. "I'm not a fan of early mornings," he muttered. "But it's better than being cooped up inside."

Y/N raised an eyebrow. "So, you came out here for the view?" she asked, teasing him lightly, but there was no mockery in her tone—just a gentle curiosity.

Bakugo didn't respond immediately, his gaze fixed on the sky as well. The awkward silence stretched between them, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. It felt... natural.

Finally, he shifted his weight, looking at her for a brief moment before speaking. "I didn't want to train. Thought I'd get some fresh air for a change." He seemed almost... hesitant.

Y/N's smile softened. This wasn't the Bakugo she was used to—the Bakugo who always brushed off any conversation, the one who kept his distance and kept his emotions under lock and key. This was something new, something more human.

"Fair enough," she said, her voice a little quieter. She glanced back at the horizon, then back to him. "I guess I don't blame you. A bit of peace and quiet is nice every once in a while, huh?"

"Yeah," he replied, his voice lower now. It was almost like he was thinking, trying to figure out what to say next. "Doesn't hurt."

They stood there in silence for a moment longer. Y/N wasn't sure what it was about the stillness between them, but there was a certain comfort in it. No words were needed. It was a rare moment of understanding, an acknowledgment of the shared experience of being heroes in a world that demanded so much from them.

Bakugo shifted again, finally breaking the silence. "I don't know what it is, but you've been a pain in the ass less lately," he said, the familiar bite of his words returning, but there was something softer beneath them. It was as if he had been holding back—unsure of how to voice the strange shift that had taken place.

Y/N chuckled, the sound light and easy. "You're not too bad yourself," she teased. "Though you're still a little too angry for my taste."

"Shut up, idiot," Bakugo muttered, though there was no real heat in his voice.

They both laughed, the sound of it hanging in the air between them. For a moment, it felt like old times—before any of the deeper emotions had come into play, before the complexity of their feelings had begun to cloud the air. But then, as their laughter faded, something shifted again.

Y/N felt her heart flutter in a way she couldn't quite explain. It was a simple moment, one that could easily be overlooked. But it wasn't. Not for her. Not anymore.

They were closer now than they had ever been. There was something undeniable in the way their words seemed to flow more easily, in the way their silences were no longer filled with tension but with understanding. And Y/N found herself wondering how much more this could grow.

But even as the thought crossed her mind, she pushed it away. She couldn't let herself go there. Not yet. They weren't ready for that, not with everything that still hung between them. Not with the way Bakugo still kept his distance, the way he masked everything with his usual bravado.

She didn't have to look at him to know that he was thinking something similar. She could feel it in the air around them, the quiet weight of things unsaid.

"Well, whatever," Bakugo said, his voice suddenly more matter-of-fact, as if trying to brush off the moment that had passed between them. "I'm gonna head to the training grounds. You coming or what?"

Y/N hesitated, then smiled at him. "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute."

Bakugo nodded and walked off without another word, but Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted again. Maybe it was just a small thing, something fleeting. But she knew, deep down, that it wasn't nothing. It was the beginning of something.

As the quiet morning gave way to the bustle of the day, Y/N let herself think about that—about the way Bakugo had looked at her, about the way their conversations had become so effortless. The bond they shared was growing, slowly, but steadily.

She didn't know what it meant, or where it was headed, but for once, she wasn't scared of it. She didn't need to have all the answers right now. Sometimes, the best things in life came when you least expected them.