The Asymmetry of Us

The command was harsh, but there was a strange, grudging patience underneath it. This wasn't Kacchan demanding weakness to exploit; this was Kacchan demanding intel on a malfunction. It was the closest thing to "I'm listening" he would ever get.

The words tumbled out in a miserable, quiet rush. "Uraraka... she said something. About my hair. She said she hopes it grows out. That it'll be a fresh start. And I know she didn't mean it badly, she's too nice for that, but... if she noticed it enough to say that, then it must look... bad. Wrong. Like a mistake everyone's just tolerating."

He finally chanced a look up. Bakugo's face was unreadable, a mask of simmering intensity. He wasn't laughing. He wasn't sneering. He was just... listening.