Growing together

They are both dumbasses

As the weeks wore on, the tension between Deku and me only seemed to intensify. We still hadn't talked about what had happened, let alone what we were feeling. Every time we crossed paths, whether in class or during training exercises, there was that familiar spark-a tension that hung in the air, thick and unspoken. But somehow, we kept things the same, as if pretending nothing had changed would make it easier.

We were now entering a new training cycle, one designed to push us even harder before we headed into the final stretch of the school year. But no matter how grueling the sessions were, nothing distracted me from the pull I felt toward Deku. It was maddening-this constant push and pull, the way he could make me feel calm one second and then light my emotions on fire the next. And the worst part was that it seemed like he was just as caught up in it as I was.

One afternoon, after an exhausting training exercise, we all gathered in the common room to decompress. Most of the class was sprawled out on the couches, barely keeping their eyes open after a long day. I sat across from Deku, trying to act normal, but my mind kept drifting back to the kiss we shared weeks ago-the one we never spoke about again.

I hadn't been the same since.

Mina plopped down next to me, a wide grin on her face as she glanced between Deku and me. "So, you guys planning on giving us another show in the next exercise?"

I shot her a glare, but she just laughed. "You know, with all that tension. You're practically stars of your own soap opera at this point."

"Shut it, Pinky," I muttered, though my face felt hot. Deku shifted uncomfortably in his seat, pretending to be invested in his notes, but the red creeping up his neck gave him away.

Denki, always ready to stir the pot, jumped in. "Come on, Bakugo! We're all just waiting for you to stop dragging this out. Seriously, it's been a year. Either you two are secretly dating or you're the most oblivious people alive."

"Denki, I swear-" I snapped, but Kirishima's chuckling didn't help. My hands itched to blast them all into silence, but I knew that would just make it worse.

"Guys, maybe we should leave them alone," Kirishima said, though there was a teasing grin on his face. "But seriously, you two are like magnets. Everyone's noticed."

"I think you're just seeing things," Deku finally spoke, his voice steady but his eyes avoiding mine. "Kacchan and I... we're just friends."

"Right," Mina said, drawing out the word like she didn't believe a second of it. "Sure, friends."

As the teasing died down, I stayed quiet, not trusting myself to say anything that wouldn't make this worse. The truth was, it was hard to deny the connection anymore, even if neither of us was willing to acknowledge it out loud.

A few days later, we had yet another quirk training exercise, and as fate would have it, Deku and I got paired together again. This time it was a rescue drill-one that required us to work together under pressure. Great. Like we needed any more fuel for whatever this thing between us was.

As the exercise began, we found ourselves navigating a simulated disaster zone, the rest of the class watching from the sidelines. We were supposed to find and rescue a mock victim, but the tension between us made it hard to focus on anything else.

Deku was giving instructions, but all I could think about was how close we were. His voice, his presence-it was overwhelming. Every time he spoke my name, every time we made brief eye contact, it felt like we were on the edge of something we couldn't control.

The moment came when we had to lift some debris together to get to the "victim." Our hands brushed as we worked, and it was like an electric current shot through me. Deku froze for a second, and I knew he felt it too. His green eyes flicked up to meet mine, and for a split second, the world around us faded.