ᴏɴᴇsʜᴏᴛs

Tempest in Flames 2

✰ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ : 4,742✰

The days following that kiss were charged with a different kind of energy. Bakugo and Todoroki still sparred, still challenged each other at every turn, but there was a new layer to their interactions—a subtle shift in the way they looked at each other, the way they spoke, the way they fought.

In the classroom, Bakugo found himself stealing glances at Todoroki, trying to decipher the calm exterior that had always infuriated him but now fascinated him in ways he couldn't explain. Todoroki, for his part, seemed just as composed as ever, but there were moments when Bakugo caught a glimpse of something more in his eyes—a flicker of warmth, a hint of a smile that was meant only for him.

Their classmates began to notice the change. Midoriya, ever observant, was the first to ask Bakugo about it.

"Bakugo, you and Todoroki seem... different lately," Midoriya said cautiously during a break between classes. "Did something happen?"

Bakugo scowled, crossing his arms defensively. "Mind your own business, Deku."

Midoriya raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm just worried about you two. I mean, you're not fighting as much, and when you do, it's like... I don't know, there's less anger?"

Bakugo grumbled under his breath, annoyed that even Deku had noticed the shift. "We're still rivals, got it? Nothing's changed."

But as the words left his mouth, Bakugo knew they weren't entirely true. Something had changed, something fundamental, and it gnawed at him in a way that no amount of training or yelling could fix.

That evening, Bakugo found himself wandering the halls of the dormitory, restless and irritated by the confusion swirling in his mind. He didn't know where he was going until he ended up outside Todoroki's door, his fist already halfway to knocking.

Before he could second-guess himself, the door swung open, revealing Todoroki standing there, looking surprised but not entirely unprepared.

"Bakugo?" Todoroki said, his voice steady but his eyes searching Bakugo's face for a reason for the visit. "Is everything okay?"

Bakugo hesitated, his usual bravado faltering in the face of Todoroki's calm gaze. "I... I don't know. I guess I just need to talk."

Todoroki stepped aside, silently inviting Bakugo in. The room was quiet, the only sound the soft rustle of the curtains in the evening breeze. Bakugo took a seat on Todoroki's bed, feeling uncharacteristically out of place.

Todoroki joined him, sitting close but not too close, his presence a comforting anchor amidst the storm of emotions swirling inside Bakugo.

"What's on your mind?" Todoroki asked, his voice gentle.

Bakugo's fists clenched on his lap as he struggled to put his thoughts into words. "I don't get it, Todoroki. I don't get what's happening between us. It's like... ever since that kiss, I can't stop thinking about you, about what this means. And it's pissing me off because I don't know what to do about it."

Todoroki's expression softened, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. "I know it's confusing, Bakugo. I'm confused too. But maybe we don't have to figure it all out right now. Maybe we just need to take it one step at a time."

Bakugo looked at him, searching for any sign of doubt in Todoroki's gaze but finding none. Instead, there was only sincerity, a quiet strength that Bakugo had come to admire—no, that he'd come to need.

"Why aren't you freaking out about this?" Bakugo asked, his voice low, almost vulnerable. "You're acting like it's no big deal, but this is a huge deal."