softie ᝰ katsuki bakugo ✓

thinking about last night

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the morning after the party felt quieter than usual, the distant hum of life on campus doing little to quiet the buzz still echoing in y/n's mind. she sat at a corner table in the familiar campus café, the soft murmur of students around her blending with the low hum of the espresso machine. the clinking of cups and the soft rustle of papers felt distant, almost muffled, as her thoughts drifted.

y/n absentmindedly stirred her coffee, glancing at her phone but not really processing the messages that popped up. she wasn't in the mood to respond, her mind more occupied with the events of the night before—the moments on the terrace with bakugo.

it had been so unexpected—so different from what she'd anticipated. the awkwardness that usually existed between them had melted away in the cool night air, replaced by something else, something... easier. the silence between them hadn't felt uncomfortable. instead, it had felt like an unspoken understanding, a moment where the distance they'd always maintained between them had closed, just for a little while.

her mind kept returning to how natural it had felt to lean against him, how his touch had been steady and calm despite his usual sharpness. she'd expected the usual distance from bakugo—cold, brash, guarded. but there, on the terrace, he'd been different. he'd pulled her closer without saying a word, just existing in the same space in a way that made her feel unexpectedly at ease. there was something in his presence that she couldn't ignore, and it had left her both confused and... intrigued.

"hey, you okay?" mina's voice broke through y/n's thoughts. she blinked, looking up to find her friend sliding into the seat across from her with a knowing grin plastered across her face. "you've been staring at that coffee for ages. what's going on in that head of yours?"

y/n's lips tugged into a small, involuntary smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. she looked down at her phone again, absently scrolling through her notifications, but the words on the screen didn't make sense. all she could think about was last night.

"i was just thinking... about last night," y/n said quietly, unsure whether she wanted to talk about it yet.

mina raised an eyebrow, leaning forward, her grin widening with interest. "ah, i see. about bakugo, huh? spill. what happened on that terrace?"

y/n let out a soft, half-hearted laugh, shaking her head as if trying to shrug off the thought. but her mind couldn't escape it. the terrace, the quiet moments between them, the way bakugo had let her lean into him without pushing her away. she could still feel the steady beat of his heart against her back, could still recall the low rumble of his voice when he spoke. she'd spent so much time around him, but that night had been... different. the way he'd held her, his arm around her, his fingers tracing small patterns on her wrist—it hadn't been aggressive or commanding like she would've expected. instead, it had felt... protective. in a way that surprised her.

"mina, i—" y/n stopped herself, unsure of how to put it into words. how could she explain the shift without sounding like she was reading too much into it? "i don't know. it just felt... different. in a good way. but also, i don't even know what to think about it."

mina's grin widened, clearly amused by y/n's indecision. "oh, i get it now. you've got a crush on him!" she teased, her eyes gleaming. "you like him. you were leaning into him, right?"

y/n groaned, her cheeks flushing at the idea. "it wasn't like that, mina! it was just... it felt comfortable. like we were just two people talking, not, you know, whatever you think it is."

mina raised an eyebrow knowingly, clearly not buying it. "uh-huh. sure. keep telling yourself that. but the way you're blushing? definitely means something more is going on in that head of yours."

y/n laughed nervously, shaking her head. "i swear, i'm not—"

but mina interrupted her, her grin widening even further. "come on, y/n. you can't fool me. i know how you get when you like someone. and trust me, it's clear something's happening with you and bakugo. and i'm here for it."

y/n hesitated, trying to think of something to say that would change the subject, but she couldn't deny it. her heart had quickened last night when she'd felt the weight of bakugo's presence behind her, when his voice had dropped low as he spoke to her. the way he'd held her, his arm around her waist... it was unlike anything she'd expected from him.

mina leaned back, satisfied with the reaction she'd gotten. "you should totally talk to him. or, you know, just keep spending time with him. see where it goes. you never know. maybe he's not as bad as you thought."

y/n opened her mouth to protest, but the words caught in her throat. maybe mina was right. maybe she was just overthinking it all, and she needed to stop questioning everything. she looked down at her phone, considering the idea. maybe it was time to stop worrying about the lines she'd always drawn between herself and bakugo. maybe she was ready to find out what was really going on between them.

with a sigh, she turned her attention back to mina. "i'll think about it. but i'm not making any promises."

mina laughed, clearly satisfied with the opening she'd created. "you better not keep me waiting too long, y/n. i want all the details!"

y/n couldn't help but laugh as well, shaking her head.