When the Strong are Weak [Bakugo x Reader]

4

"I didn't know," Bakugo knelt beside you. You were on your knees in front of your mother's grave. You visited her every Thursday after school.

"How could you?" You sighed quietly. "We don't know each other."

"What happened?"

You took a deep breath. "I don't remember a time when she wasn't sick. The doctors tried for a couple of years to figure out what was wrong with her. I remember she kept getting worse though. They thought it was cancer with the symptoms she had but her tests came back clear." You clenched your fists on your knees and took a steadying breath. "I tried. I tried for months. Everyday, every chance I had. I had an idea of how my quirk worked but I wasn't - I couldn't save her." Your tears fell unchecked.

Bakugo was quite a moment before pulling the old flowers from the vase beside the gravestone and replacing them with the fresh ones. He noted the year your mother passed. "I'm sure you did everything you could've. You were still young and developing your power."

"She could still be here," you insisted with a sob. "If I had been a little stronger, she'd be here."

"You don't know that, Y/N," Bakugo's tone was light and caring. You frowned at him angrily but nodded.

"I know," you admitted, dropping your chin against your chest again. "She would want me to be move on."

"She would want you to be happy," Bakugo corrected. "Moving on implies you'll forget her. She wouldn't want that."

You nodded, your eyes still on the ground before you. After a moment you dragged your sleeve across you eyes. "I'm sorry," you sighed and started to you feet. "I should let you get home."

"Don't worry about it Y/N," Bakugo followed you to his feet. "I'm still walking you home." You gave him a half smile and nodded. "Tell me about her," he insisted as the two of you walked to your place.

"I used to go with her to the market all the time before she got too sick to go," you started. "She would let me help pick things out. That's how I know so many of the vendors and where everything is at. When she got worse and couldn't go out anymore that's when I started going by myself. My dad picked up a second job to help with the medical bills. That's what he's doing this weekend and why the girls are all coming over," you lifted your groceries in emphasis. "She was a nurse actually, at the same hospital that tried to treat her. I've always found it kind of funny that while she was quirkless I have a quirk like I do."

"What about your dad?"

"He's quirkless too. It was a learning experience for all of us. But sometimes my mom would take me to work with her on the weekends and if she had some patients with minor injuries I would practice," you smiled at the memories. "She was incredibly selfless and always wanted to help people. Everything she did was for the benefit of others. Even though she was quirkless she was a hero in my eyes." Bakugo nodded quietly unsure of what to say. "I just want to make her proud," you finalized. "If that means being someone's sidekick then I'll be someone's sidekick. I don't care as long as I can help people."

"You knew you weren't going to get any combat points during the entrance exam," Bakugo realized.

"I was able to keep you guys going longer by healing you as you fought," you nodded. "And then Uraraka's leg got caught by that debris and Midoriya went to save her."

"Stupid Deku."

"He embodied a true hero with his actions. And I was able to heal him as much as I could before I started having dizzy spells."

"That's the setback of overusing your quirk?"

"I'll usually stop when my eyes start hurting, that's the first sign. If I keep going then I get dizzy spells. I haven't used it passed that point so I'm not sure what happens after that."

"Hmf," he snorted. "I wear gloves so my hands don't get burned by my blasts."

"That makes sense," you mused. "Kevlar I assume?"

"Yeah, it works best."

You nodded quietly and looked down the street. "I'm not much further," you told him pointing. "The buildings there are where I live."

"Huh, you aren't far from me."

"Yeah? Weird."

"What do you mean?"

"I've never seen you walking to or from school."

"So?"

"So I find it weird is all, geez."

"Whatever."

You smiled as you rolled your eyes. "Would you mind doing something for me?" You wondered.

"What do you want?"

"Will you text me when you get home? So I know you made it safely," you added quickly.

"That's stupid."

"Right, sorry. Forget it," you forced a smile and pushed open the gate beside you.

Bakugo clicked his tongue in annoyance before snagging your sleeve. "Give me your number," he sighed angrily.

"I thought you said it was stupid," you said without turning.

"Do you want me to let you know when I'm home or not?"

"Okay, fine," you pulled a pen from your bag. "Calm down ya damn hedgehog." You took his hand in yours turning it over to write your number on the back of it.

"Most people would write it on the palm," Bakugo mentioned.

"Yeah, well most people don't sweat nitroglycerin from their palms. Furthermore, I'm not most people." You taped the back of his hand with your pen in satisfaction. "There."

"This is still stupid."

"Shut up and get home. And I know you said you didn't want any but I'm bringing you curry tomorrow anyway so you better be hungry come lunch."

"Whatever hummingbird, get inside. It's starting to get dark."