Emote: Bakugo x OC Reader

Chapter 51

I could feel the road rash along the side of my body that had smashed against the ground before I began tumbling through the exit gate. I know that it had been a reckless move and honestly I wasn't sure my timing was going to work but it felt like the only way to evade Mr. Aizawa's impeding attack while also achieving my goal of successfully escaping. In a last ditch effort to escape, I had also tried to focus all of my attention on projecting pain onto him. It was hard to say if it had actually worked, seeing as my entire body would be in pain either way, and the effects of the final exam were becoming more and more apparent as the agonizing pain struck with each slight move I made.

"You fractured your wrist, but beyond that we're looking at some nasty bumps and bruises." Recovery Girl explained as she examined me. "This should do the trick."

She puckered up and gave me a sloppy kiss on the forehead. It was to be expected given her healing quirk, but I never ceased to feel horrified each time those elderly lips closed in on me. My wrist, which had previously been throbbing with pain, felt immediate relief and I watched in amazement as the swelling went down and my bruises began fading away. Despite watching my body heal right before my eyes, there was still an uncomfortable sensation buzzing through me and I suddenly was overcome with fatigue. 

"Now don't you worry about anything else for the rest of the day besides resting up while the others finish their exams." Recovery Girl ordered.

I nodded as she left the room and the silence that followed overwhelmed me. Even my thoughts were quiet and as I stared at the sterile white ceiling above me, I finally felt the weight of my accomplishment sink in. The doubt had almost taken over at the beginning of the exam. Our goal had been to rely on the strength of Todoroki's quirk while using me as his eyes but the plan had fallen apart fairly quickly and I had been the one to execute the end goal of escaping.

Me. I thought, as my chest swelled with pride. I was the one who crossed the finish line.

The silence I lay in was destroyed as the door swung open and crashed against the wall, following by a sound of exasperation. "Why the hell is this door so damn light?"

The voice that I had come to recognize, despite it's harsh tone, made me feel giddy and excited as I sat up quickly. A throbbing pain in my head made me immediately regret the action and I laid back down, using a hand to cover my face. There was a wetness on my cheeks that I noticed right away and I realized that I must have been crying. I roughly scrubbed my hands along my cheeks to wipe the tears away as I heard him approach.

"Well lookie what I found," Bakugo said, coming to stand by my cot. "I was just trying to find a bathroom in this joint but I found a cry baby instead."

As my hands still covered my face, a full, hearty laugh burst from my lips. It felt uncontrollable, in the way that it does when you are so tired that even the most minute thing is funny and you laugh until you can't breath and your stomach aches. Catching glimpses of his face, aggravated and confused, only made me laugh more.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He barked.

"You're such," I stopped to take a shaky breath and wipe new tears from my eyes. "You're such a bad liar."

His glare was enough to make a living plant curl up and lose it's will to live but it only made me giggle once more. He looked like he was going to turn and leave, so I impulsively reached out and grabbed his hand. The skin of his hand was rough but warm and I found myself holding on tightly. He looked panicked for a moment until I spoke.

"Thank you," I said and his expression shifted. There was that vulnerable look in his eyes that flashed for the briefest moment and it pushed me to continue speaking. "For training with me and not giving up on me. I was so worried about failing. I questioned if I was good enough and I didn't think that I was going to make it at times..."

"Tch," He turned away as he scoffed and pulled his hand out of mine, but without much force. "You're an idiot."

I laced my fingers together in front of me as his insult bounced off of me. The memory of passing the final exam flashed through my mind once again and I smiled as I felt the tightness in my chest come back. This time I felt the tears well in my eyes and it was the first time in a long time that I remember them coming at a time of happiness.

"I just can't believe I did it." I said, letting the tears fall without shame. "Me."

He looked at me then, his expression unreadable. "Again, you're an idiot."

"Is that the only insult you're gonna hurl at me today, or what?" I asked.

He sighed and sat on the edge of the cot, the weight of his body causing a dip in the cushion and forcing my body to shift slightly towards him. With his hands on his knees, he stared at the ground as he spoke. "You're an idiot because you don't see your own strength. It pisses me off when you talk about thinking you're not good enough. You're not as good as me, obviously."

At this, he shot me a smirk before continuing. "But obviously you were going to pass. With or without that Icy Hot bastard."

I reacted to his words without thinking. My hand reached out to rest on his forearm and he flinched at the contact but didn't pull away. The warmth of his skin felt like a drug, sending energy coursing through my fingertips. I was surprised when he let me keep my hand there and I closed my eyes, savoring the moment. Neither of us spoke for a few minutes and I felt sleep begin to fall over me like a warm blanket.

I felt his calloused, warm hand close in over my own and heard him say, "I'm glad you're okay," but I wasn't sure if I was dreaming already as I stopped wrestling to stay awake and gave in, falling into a deep sleep.