Mystic

Chapter 7

Bakugou spent the rest of the morning testing out his newly-repaired gauntlets. The firing adjustment Y/n had added worked even better than he expected; he had more control over the blasts, and the response time was quicker. He hated to admit it, but she'd done an impressive job.

Still, the thought of her staying up most of the night to finish it nagged at him. He remembered the tired look in her eyes and the way she'd brushed it off, laughing about it like it didn't matter. But to him, it did. It bothered him, and he hated that feeling. Finally, after training, he made up his mind.

He caught up with her in the common area later that day. She was sitting on the couch, scribbling something in her notebook, probably doing homework. Taking a breath, he walked over, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Oi, Y/n," he said, and she looked up, surprised to see him.

"Oh, hey, Bakugou," she smiled. "How's the gear working?"

He nodded, feeling a bit awkward under her gaze. "Works fine. But... that's not why I'm here."

She tilted her head, curious. "Oh? Then what's up?"

He glanced away, scratching the back of his neck. "You... stayed up all night to finish this, didn't you?"

Her smile faded, and she shrugged. "It's no big deal, really. I had fun working on it."

Bakugou let out a sigh, looking back at her seriously. "It's not about whether it was 'fun' or not. I didn't ask you to push yourself like that."

She blinked, taken aback by his tone. "Well, I wanted to make sure you had it by this morning. I know how important your training is."

He shook his head, his voice softer than usual. "You're an idiot for thinking like that."

She raised an eyebrow, a little amused. "Gee, thanks, Bakugou."

He clenched his fists, feeling his cheeks warm slightly. "What I mean is... you didn't have to do that. But since you did, I... guess I owe you one."

Her eyebrows rose, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

He huffed, trying to keep his composure. "Let me... take you out or something. As a thanks." He cleared his throat, looking away to hide the faint blush on his cheeks. "Just one time, so don't get used to it."

Her eyes lit up, a soft smile spreading across her face. "Bakugou... that's actually really sweet of you."

"Shut up," he mumbled, crossing his arms. "It's not 'sweet.' I just don't like owing people."

She chuckled, clearly amused by his discomfort. "Alright, alright. I'll let you take me out... but only if you promise not to look so grumpy about it."

He shot her a playful glare. "No promises."

"So... when were you thinking?" she asked, looking up at him with genuine excitement.

He hesitated, feeling more awkward by the second. "Tonight. Just be ready by six." He scowled, adding quickly, "And don't tell anyone. Got it?"

She grinned, giving him a mock salute. "Yes, sir. I'll keep it between us."

He rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help the small smirk tugging at his lips. "Good. And don't keep me waiting. I'm not gonna stand around like some idiot."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she replied with a playful wink.

As he walked away, he muttered to himself, "Damn idiot... making me go through all this just for fixing a stupid gauntlet." But deep down, he felt a flicker of excitement at the thought of the evening, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.

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The 'date' turned out to be a lot more fun than Bakugou had anticipated. He'd taken Y/n to a small but lively restaurant off-campus that was known for its spicy dishes, hoping that would be enough to impress her. To his surprise, she matched his enthusiasm for the heat, barely breaking a sweat through their meal, much to his approval. He couldn't help but crack a grin when she proudly held her ground, scooping up another spicy bite with a wink in his direction.

They talked about everything—from heroes they admired to funny stories about their classmates. For once, Bakugou wasn't on edge; he was laughing, actually laughing, without worrying about keeping up his usual tough demeanor. Y/n's laughter was contagious, filling the space around them, and her bright, bubbly energy was addicting. He couldn't get enough.

After dinner, they ended up walking around, talking and teasing each other lightly. She didn't push him too hard or tease him when he softened; she just accepted him as he was, allowing him to feel relaxed in her presence. For someone as fiery as Bakugou, it was almost shocking to feel this... calm.

He watched her as they strolled, the streetlights casting a soft glow on her face. She was smiling, her eyes sparkling as she laughed at something he said, and he felt that warmth in his chest grow.

"You know," she said suddenly, glancing up at him, "I didn't expect you to be so... fun on this 'date'."

His cheeks flushed a little, and he looked away, trying to act annoyed. "The hell's that supposed to mean? Think I'm some boring hardass?"

She laughed, nudging his shoulder lightly. "No, no! I just mean... you know, you're usually so intense. It's nice seeing you smile."

Bakugou scoffed, but a smirk tugged at his lips. "Yeah, well... you're not as annoying as I thought, either. So don't let it go to your head."

She laughed again, shaking her head, and he found himself smiling at the sound. It was like her laughter had some kind of pull on him, one he couldn't resist. When she looked up at him with that warm, gentle gaze, he felt something strange, like his heart skipped a beat.

"Bakugou," she said softly, breaking the silence. "Thanks for tonight. I really had a lot of fun."

He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward but not hating it. "Yeah, well... me too. Maybe I don't totally hate hanging out with you." He glanced down, and his voice softened, almost uncharacteristically.

A soft smile spread across her lips. "Well, I'll take that as a compliment."

"Tch," he muttered, cheeks burning as he looked away. "It wasn't... I just meant... whatever."

She laughed, her bubbly warmth drawing him in once again, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling. They walked in comfortable silence for a few more minutes, and he noticed she didn't tease him about the fact he'd been smiling the whole night. She just stayed by his side, quietly accepting his soft side.

As they arrived back at campus, Bakugou felt a strange pang, almost like he didn't want the night to end. He stopped, turning to face her. "You, uh... wanna do this again sometime?"

Her face lit up, a small, genuine smile forming as she nodded. "I'd love that, Bakugou."

He grinned, feeling a warmth in his chest he hadn't felt in a long time. "Good. Just don't get used to it," he added, trying to sound tough but failing as his smile slipped through.

She chuckled, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. "Whatever you say, Mr. Softy."

He huffed, rolling his eyes but unable to hide his grin as he watched her walk away, her laughter echoing in the night air. As he headed back to his own room, he couldn't shake the feeling that being around her was something he could get used to... maybe even something he needed.