Unspoken // Bakudeku

Chapter three

"I'm going to get something to drink," I say, turning around to walk away. I need to avoid party drama at all costs."Do you want me to come?" Todoroki asks, but I shake my head and make my way to the kitchen. I take one of the red cups on the counter and start sipping on it. I pull my phone out and see I have two missed calls in my inbox. I head outside to hear the voicemails properly when someone bumps into me."Fuck, I'm sorry, man, I didn't see you," the drunk guy says politely, to my surprise."It's okay, don't worry. Do you know where the bathroom is, though?" I ask him once I realize the red spot on my white shirt. "It's upstairs," he slurs before stumbling away.I sigh and head up the stairs, weaving through the crowd. I find the bathroom and step inside, locking the door behind me. I pull off my shirt and try to wash the stain out in the sink, hoping it doesn't set. While I'm scrubbing at the spot, I hear a knock at the door."Occupied!" I call out, but the knocking persists. Irritated, I unlock and open the door, only to find Bakugou standing there."What do you want?" I snap, still holding my stained shirt.He doesn't respond immediately, just looks at me with an unreadable expression. "You always run away, Deku?" he finally says, his voice softer than usual."I'm not running away. I'm just trying to clean my shirt," I retort, turning back to the sink."Look, I didn't know you'd be here tonight," he says, almost apologetically."Well, I didn't plan on seeing you either," I reply, the words sharper than I intended. The tension between us is palpable, a mix of unresolved anger and something else I can't quite place.Bakugou steps inside the bathroom and closes the door behind him. "We need to talk.""About what? How much you hated me back then? Or how you made my life miserable?" I say, the bitterness evident in my voice.He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not that guy anymore, Deku. I've changed.""Yeah, well, it's a bit late for that, don't you think?" I respond, my tone icy.There's a moment of silence before I break it again. "Just let me enjoy my night, Bakugou."I stop scrubbing my shirt and look at him. For the first time, I see genuine remorse in his eyes. It catches me off guard, and I don't know how to respond.I push my way past him as I walk back to the couches and sit on Shinsou's lap. I need to get my mind off Bakugou, and at this moment, Shinsou is the best help to do so."You good?" he asks, pulling me to look at him. I look at him and just hug him. It feels nice."Yeah, I'm good," I reply, smiling at him. He hugs me back, and we stay like that for a moment, a small comfort in the chaos of the party.I hear someone click their tongue and look in the direction. It's Bakugou. Why the fuck is he looking at us like that? He looks like he could kill us. His glare is intense, filled with a mix of emotions I can't quite decipher—anger, jealousy, maybe even hurt."What's his problem?" Shinsou mutters, following my gaze."Ignore him," I say, trying to brush it off, but the tension in the room is palpable. I can feel Bakugou's eyes boring into us, and it's making it hard to relax.Kirishima notices the tension and tries to lighten the mood. "Hey, how about we play a different game? Maybe something less intense?"Everyone agrees, and the group starts discussing options, but I can't shake the feeling of Bakugou's stare. Shinsou rubs my back soothingly, and I try to focus on him, but my mind keeps drifting back to Bakugou's apology and the unresolved feelings it stirred up."Let's just have fun," Shinsou says, kissing my temple softly. "You deserve it."I nod, trying to push Bakugou out of my mind and enjoy the night.We played some games such as suck & blow and spin the bottle. The party went on, the music loud and the laughter louder, but as the clock struck 1 a.m., I decided it was time to go home. Kirishima offered to drive, and to my luck—or misfortune—Bakugou had to tag along.The ride was silent, an awkward silence that filled the car like a dense fog. Kirishima tried to make small talk, but it quickly fizzled out. Bakugou stared out the window, and I kept my eyes on my phone, pretending to be engrossed in messages that didn't exist.As soon as Kirishima parked the car, I rushed to our room, desperate to escape the tension. I quickly changed clothes and slipped into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts—the way he looked at Shinsou and me, and the unresolved feelings that seemed to have resurfaced.I closed my eyes, willing sleep to come. The room was quiet except for the muffled sounds of the party still going on in the distance. I focused on my breathing, trying to calm the storm inside my head. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and I drifted off into a restless sleep, thoughts of Bakugou lingering in the corners of my mind.The week goes by quietly. I spend most of my time studying, planning, and reading. The routine is comforting, a stark contrast to the chaos of the party. Mornings are filled with lectures and afternoons in the library, where I can lose myself in the world of books and notes.Kirishima is surprisingly studious too, and we often study together in our room. His energy and positivity are infectious, and it's nice to have someone around who doesn't bring up the awkwardness of that night.Shinsou and I text a bit, and we meet for coffee once. It's nice, easy, but I can't help but feel the weight of Bakugou's presence even when he's not around. His lingering gaze, the unspoken words between us—they all gnaw at the back of my mind.Bakugou, for his part, keeps his distance. We pass each other in the halls sometimes, but he doesn't acknowledge me, and I do the same. It's like an unspoken agreement to pretend that nothing happened, that we are just strangers.I focus on my classes and assignments, diving deep into my studies. It's a distraction, a way to keep my mind occupied. But at night, when everything is quiet, my thoughts wander back to Bakugou and the complicated history we share. The unresolved tension, the what-ifs—they all come rushing back. By the end of the week, I'm exhausted, but I've managed to keep the peace, both externally and internally. For now, that's enough.

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