Unveiled Winds || Katsuki Bakugou x Reader

Chapter 21 - Unspoken Tension

As the ground approached, Bakugou's grip tightened, his explosions slowing your descent until you landed safely on a nearby rooftop. He didn't let go immediately, his arm lingering around your waist as if reluctant to break the connection. You gazed up at him, your breath coming in short, excited bursts.

For a moment, the two of you just stood there, the adrenaline coursing through your veins and the closeness between you making your heart pound even harder. Breaking the silence, you smiled widely and pulled away, ignoring the heat rising in your cheeks.

"This is why I became a hero!" you yelled, ripping off your wig and letting your hair fall freely. The sense of freedom and exhilaration washed over you, your chest heaving with each breath.

Bakugou rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Would you keep it down? We're still in enemy territory," he retorted, his tone dripping with mock exasperation. "And what's with the dramatic declaration? Think you're in some kind of action movie or what?"

You couldn't help but laugh, the tension of the evening releasing in a wave of relief and amusement. "Oh, come on, Ren," you teased, using his alias with a grin. "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that just a little."

He smirked, his usual confident, slightly cocky demeanor shining through. "Maybe a bit," he admitted grudgingly. "But don't get used to it, Sora. We've got work to do."

Before he could take off again, you leaned back on the ledge of the building, catching your breath. "Hey, let's take a breather for a bit."

Bakugou frowned, clearly impatient. "We need to get back with the intel."

"We've already got out with the intel, dude," you said, pointing to your ear piece. "And plus, it was all recorded on these, right?"

He crossed his arms, still looking skeptical but less tense. "Fine. Five minutes, and then we move."

You took a deep breath, enjoying the brief moment of calm. "You know," you began, your tone more serious, "we've been through a lot together. I've seen sides of you that most people don't. You're not just the angry, explosive guy everyone thinks you are."

Bakugou's eyes narrowed slightly, his guard still up. "What's your point?"

"I guess I just want to say that I appreciate you," you said, meeting his gaze. "You've got this drive, this fire that keeps you going no matter what. It's inspiring. And... it's nice to know there's more to you than what you show the world."

He looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the compliment. "Tch. Don't get all sappy on me."

You laughed softly. "I'm serious, Bakugou. You're a great hero and an even better partner. I just thought you should know."

For a moment, he was silent, his expression unreadable. Then, he muttered, "You're not so bad yourself. Just... keep pulling your weight, and we'll be fine."

You took a deep breath, feeling the weight of what you were about to say. "I also wanted to thank you for last week. You were right, I've been ignoring every problem that comes my way, just bottling things up and hoping they'd go away on their own. But they don't, and you made me see that."

Bakugou's gaze softened, though he didn't say anything.

"When we first met," you continued, "I was actually kind of relieved that you didn't know anything about me. Everyone else had these opinions, these expectations. It was like they'd already decided who I was before I even had a chance to show them. But with you, it was different. You didn't care about what anyone else thought. You saw me for who I was, not who they wanted me to be."