Hard to Handle [Bakugo x Reader]

twenty two

He looked at you, eyes low and unreadable, jaw tense, like he'd been sitting there long enough to lose the words he originally came with. The hallway light cast a golden haze over his hair, catching the flicker of something raw in his expression.

You stopped in your tracks, staring at him.

He didn't move.

And suddenly, the silence felt louder than any drumbeat ever could.

You stared down at him, heart hammering.

"What are you doing here, Bakugo?" you asked, voice flat.

He didn't answer right away. Just kept looking at you like he couldn't decide if he wanted to punch a wall or pull the words out of his own chest. When he finally stood up, you took a step back—not out of fear, but instinct. He was radiating something dangerous. Frustration. Fury. Something you couldn't name yet.

"You think that shit was funny?" he asked, voice low, sharp.

You blinked. "What?"

He stepped closer. "At the restaurant. Flirting with those two fucking losers. Letting them touch you. Letting them—fuckin' drool all over you while you giggled like it was cute."

Your jaw tightened. "Excuse me? What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem?" he barked. "My problem is you acting like a goddamn idiot, like I don't know what the fuck you're doing. You wanted a reaction, right? You wanted to see me pissed?"

"Well, congratulations," He snapped. "It worked. You could lose your job over this shit by the way."

"Because of you!" you shouted, stepping into him now, toe to toe. "You came to my work with that girl just to mess with me, and when it backfired, you snitched like a child."

"I didn't snitch—"

"You told my manager I was flirting with customers and giving out clock-out times!" you hissed, shoving your finger into his chest. "Do you even realise how insane that is?"

He grabbed your wrist, not hard, but fast. "Don't act like you're innocent in this."

You yanked your hand back. "And don't act like you're not jealous."

"I'm not jealous," he growled.

"Bullshit."

"I'm not—!" His voice cracked as it rose, echoing off the hallway walls. "I don't give a shit about who you flirt with!"

"Then why are you here, Bakugo?" you shouted.

He didn't answer. Just stood there, chest heaving, hands clenched so tight his knuckles had gone white. His eyes flicked toward the hallway as a door creaked open a few steps down.

An older man stepped into view, confused, half-asleep. "Hey, uh, everything okay out here—?"

"Mind your fuckin' business!" Bakugo snapped without missing a beat, eyes still locked on you.

The man blinked, held up his hands, and backed into his apartment without another word. The door clicked shut.

You crossed your arms. "You done?"

Bakugo's jaw ticked. His voice dropped lower, raspier now. "You made me look like a fuckin' idiot."

"Oh, you did that all on your own," you said coldly.

He ran a hand through his hair, breathing hard. "Why the hell do you make me like this?"

That stopped you.