Rising Stronger [Sequel to When the Strong are Weak]

8

Bakugo

"I wasn't sure if you'd actually come," Bakugo sighed in relief when Y/N stepped into his parent's house.

"I almost didn't," she admitted, seemingly without care. "But I figured if you were asking to meet me here instead of simply at either of our rooms back at the dorm that it must be important."

"Can I get you anyt-"

"Can we not?" Y/N interjected with a pained look. "I'm sorry. I just - it doesn't have to be weird. Right? We're still friends, Bakugo."

"Friends that hardly talk to each other?" Bakugo couldn't help but to glare at her. "Do you know how stupid that sounds?"

"Don't pretend like your work study with Endeavor hasn't kept you just as busy as mine with Hawks has." Y/N moved through his living room comfortably. He watched as she took in the pictures on the mantel as if she hadn't seen them before. "I have been busy, you know? Not just with the work study itself. Hawks and Tokoyami are helping me with training outside of what I'm doing at school."

"When was the last time you got a full nights' sleep?"

Y/N shot him a look over her shoulder before she took a seat in the chair facing the door. "You sound like Hound Dog," she told him with a sigh. "I'm getting enough sleep."

Bakugo knew it wasn't the truth, the bags under her eyes told him that much. But it wasn't a lie either. She had never been able to lie well. Not to him. That said, she wasn't under performing in any capacity that he knew of. She was still ranked in the top five of the class and she appeared to be doing better with her quirk so her training must be paying off. Still, something was off.

"How is your work study going?"

Y/N sat forward with her elbows on her knees, her hands clasped under her chin in thought. "Why are you beating around the bush, Bakugo?" She wondered softly. "Ask me about what you really want to know."

"I miss you, Hummingbird," Bakugo knelt before her. He felt stupid and vulnerable but he pushed those feelings aside as best as he could. "I miss seeing the way your nose crinkles when you smile or the way your hand was always a little cold when you held mine. I miss going to the gaming cafe with you and getting destroyed at Mortal Kombat. I miss letting you win a race or two at Mario Kart-"

"Bakugo-"

"-I really miss getting flowers from you for no reason-"

"Stop."

"-I miss the way you would look at me as if seeing me for the first time every morning."

"I can't do this." Y/N shot up from the chair at the door before Bakugo could even blink.

"Y/N, wait!" Dammit!

"I'll see you after summer break," she threw over her shoulder before closing the door behind her.

Bakugo burst through the door quickly and snagged her wrist. "Wait. I'm sorry. Please. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Then talk to me, Bakugo." There was a sharp pain in his chest when he realized she was trying not to cry. And he was the reason for it. "But if you're just going to end up making me feel bad, you should just let me go."

There were a hundred other things he had wanted to say to her. He swallowed thickly. "Tell me about your work study," he decided to say.

"There isn't much to say," she shrugged. "I mean, it's just like Tokoyami told us, Hawks leaves us in the dust more often than not to deal with the aftermath and clean up his work."