✰

The air between them had never felt heavier. After the kiss, Y/N and Bakugo both found themselves retreating into their own heads, trying to process what had happened and failing miserably.

Bakugo walked ahead of her on the way back to the dorms, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Y/N trailed behind, her arms crossed as if trying to shield herself from the storm of emotions swirling inside her.

Neither of them spoke.

When they finally reached the dorms, Y/N hesitated at the entrance, unsure of what to say. Bakugo stopped too, glancing over his shoulder. His crimson eyes met hers briefly before darting away, as if the weight of her gaze was too much to handle.

"You're not going to say anything, are you?" Y/N asked, breaking the silence. Her voice was sharper than she intended, her frustration bubbling to the surface.

"What do you want me to say?" Bakugo muttered, his tone defensive.

"I don't know," she admitted, her arms dropping to her sides. "Something. Anything. You can't just act like nothing happened."

Bakugo turned to face her fully, his expression guarded. "What do you want me to say, Y/N? That it was a mistake? Fine. It was a mistake."

Her chest tightened at his words, but she refused to let him see how much they hurt. "A mistake," she repeated, her voice low. "Is that really how you feel?"

"What else am I supposed to feel?" he snapped, running a hand through his hair. "It's not like this is some... normal thing."

"Right," she said, nodding slowly. "Because admitting you actually feel something is too much for you, isn't it?"

"Don't start with me," he warned, his tone sharp but not as biting as usual.

"Why not?" Y/N shot back, stepping closer. "You're the one who kissed me, Bakugo. Don't stand there and act like I'm the problem."

He opened his mouth to argue but stopped, his jaw clenching as he struggled to find the right words.

"That's what I thought," she said, turning away. "Forget it."

"Wait."

The word was soft, almost hesitant, but it made her stop in her tracks. She didn't turn around, but she didn't walk away either.

"What?" she asked, her voice quieter now.

Bakugo hesitated, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it?" she asked, finally turning to face him.

He looked at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of frustration and something else—something she couldn't quite place. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Y/N's expression softened at his vulnerability, but she didn't let her guard down completely. "Bakugo, we can't just pretend it didn't happen."

"I'm not pretending," he said quickly, his eyes narrowing. "I just... I don't know what to do with this, okay?"

"This?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Us," he said, the word slipping out before he could stop it. His cheeks flushed slightly, but he didn't backtrack.

Y/N's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her expression neutral. "Maybe we don't have to figure it out right now. Maybe we just... take it one step at a time."

Bakugo looked at her for a long moment, his gaze intense. Finally, he nodded, though his expression remained conflicted.

"Fine," he said gruffly.

Y/N couldn't help but smile, a small laugh escaping her lips.

As she walked past him to head to her room, she felt a flicker of hope amidst the uncertainty.

Bakugo watched her go, his hands back in his pockets and his mind racing. He didn't know what was happening between them, but one thing was clear: things were changing, whether he liked it or not.