Bare With Me - [MHA Boys/OC x Female Reader]

Chapter 36 - Debriefs Over Coffee

Jude's eyes almost immediately met yours. They were filled with confusion, as if he'd been lost not just physically, but mentally. "Oh—" he hesitated, his usual confidence absent, eyes darting to you for an explanation that didn't come. His hand instinctively rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit you'd seen before, but his silence felt heavier now.

He hadn't replied to your message from last night, which was slightly off to you. Jude's confusion was unmistakable, his gaze flickering between you and Bakugo as if trying to piece together something unsaid.

Bakugo scoffed quietly upon seeing Jude.

"I didn't know you... or you were awake," Jude commented in a slightly quieter tone.

You awkwardly smiled and greeted him with a slight wave. "Morning," was the only word your mouth allowed to escape.

Bakugo's scowl deepened, his sharp eyes flickering with impatience. His arms were stuffed in his pockets, irritation clear in his tense posture. "Can I get the hell out of here already?" he growled, his voice cutting through the awkward silence like a blade. The way he glared between you and Jude, it was as if he wanted to be anywhere else but trapped in this weird, loaded moment.

You assumed he had only stood here for as long as he did because he was too tired to argue or fight—which was extremely out of character for him.

The next thirty seconds of silence felt like hours. You felt your heart sink heavier into your chest. Jude's confusion mirrored your own growing discomfort, and Bakugo's scowl didn't help. You could feel the tension pulling at the edges of the room like an invisible line was drawn between the three of you, and you were smack in the middle, unsure of which side to stand on.

You finally felt a jumble of words leave your mouth, cutting through the silence. "You never replied to my text,"

Jude's eyes trailed over to you, still awkwardly standing in the doorway. "My bad—I fell asleep early." he excused as if it was nothing. It wasn't like Jude to be this hesitant, but something about Bakugo's presence seemed to throw him off. You understood why, mainly because of their past, but this seemed fresh.

"Didn't realize we were waiting on you to start our day," Bakugo grumbled, shifting his weight like he was ready to bolt out the door any second. His irritation crackled in the air, but there was something else in the way he stood—like he wasn't just impatient, but uncomfortable. "If you two are gonna ramble on about dumb crap—do it. I'm outta here."

Bakugo casually walked out of the room, his back still hunched with his hands resting in his pockets. His arm lightly brushed against Jude, who was watching him leave.

Your body turned in Jude's direction, gently holding the edges of the counter at this point. "Didn't know you and Bakugo were friends now," he 'joked' with an awkward laugh. You felt chills be sent down your spine at how awkward this felt. Way more than it should've.

Your eyes began to drift around the kitchen, avoiding his. "We're not friends," you replied almost immediately, careful not to seem hesitant. Jude slowly nodded, unsure of what to say.

"I just bumped into him when I was coming downstairs to get a cup of water, that's all. I'm pretty sure he just got back from the hospital, so.." you added, knowing he probably wouldn't have said anything after what you'd said before.

You noticed something off about his energy. It wasn't his usual 'confident and funny' demeanor, rather reserved and tense. You couldn't exactly tell if it was because of everything that's been happening lately that was most likely just catching up to him, or if it was because of something else.

Your thoughts were quite literally lost at sea in this moment, very disoriented and disorganized, that was for sure.

You didn't exactly want to question why Jude was acting odd, because what if you were just overthinking? Jumping to conclusions is something you've always been great at.