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DAYS MELTED TOGETHER FOR Y/N IN A HAZE OF NUMBNESS. Since quitting her job as Todoroki's assistant, she'd felt like a stranger in her own life. Each morning, she'd wake up to an emptiness that had taken residence inside her chest, a dull ache that wouldn't go away.
Her once-busy routine, filled with checklists, schedules, and tasks, had been replaced by a series of hours spent in front of the TV, half-watching shows she barely even processed. Most days, her meals consisted of little more than instant noodles or takeout she barely had the energy to reheat.
It wasn't the job she missed exactly. It was the purpose, the sense of knowing she was needed, valued—especially by Todoroki. But now, every time she thought about him, his sharp words echoed in her mind like a wound that refused to heal.
"Maybe you should reconsider if this job is right for you."
Those words cut deeper than she wanted to admit. All her sacrifices, her long hours, the emotional and physical toll—it felt like it had been meaningless in his eyes. After everything she'd gone through to support him, especially the trauma of being kidnapped and the painful recovery that followed, he had dismissed her as though she were nothing more than a disposable tool.
One dreary afternoon, as she was curled up on the couch with a half-finished bowl of instant ramen on the table in front of her, there was a loud, insistent knock on her door. She considered ignoring it, her mind still foggy from another sleepless night. But the knocking didn't stop, and with a reluctant sigh, she pushed herself up, dragging herself to the door.
When she opened it, Bakugo stood there, his arms crossed and an expression of annoyance mixed with something softer—a hint of worry she wasn't used to seeing on him. His eyes swept over her, taking in her tired face, the baggy clothes she'd thrown on, and the general disarray of her apartment.
"Took you long enough to answer," he muttered, but his voice was uncharacteristically gentle. "You've been holed up here for days. Thought you might've... I don't know, died or something."
Y/N let out a half-hearted laugh, stepping aside to let him in. "Not dead, just... I don't know. I've been better."
Bakugo glanced around, his gaze landing on the pile of empty takeout containers, the cluttered coffee table, and the abandoned blankets crumpled on the couch. His brow furrowed as he looked back at her. "Yeah, no kidding. You look like you're going through it."
