Speak (Bakugou Katsuki x Reader)

[5; the person before me]

The trial of battle ended in your victory.

You weren't there to see exactly what happened, but you could hear the deafening explosions and most importantly, Izuku's attack—that which had nearly ripped the building in half and shattered all the windows. He'd directed a swing at full power up through the roof, and it had given you the opportunity to activate your light-speed and retrieve the weapon from Iida. When you'd scrambled down the stairs, Izuku was already being pulled out on a stretcher; his arm had been mangled and broken and his body was littered with burns and bruises. You were worried about him, of course, but there was really only one thing that had been running through your mind.

Namely, your first words to Bakugou.

It was obvious that he knew, with the way his expression had faltered and he'd called out to you even in the heat of battle. You'd finally spoken to him, and he was now aware of the fact that the two of you were soulmates. Which was a good thing, right? It had taken all your courage, but you'd finally managed to muster up the resolve and accept him—from here on out, the two of you would only be getting closer; you'd actually be able to look at one another without the rift that had been there before. It was a good thing, you told yourself, and you were already determined to speak to him a second time. But when you caught sight of him in the ruins of the building, you realized that wouldn't be possible.

Now, you didn't know much about Bakugou—other than the fact that he was impulsive, violent, and just overall seemed to look down on others, but you knew for a fact that he was strong. That's why, when you saw his expression, your heart nearly sank.

Right now, he didn't look anything like the strong, ruthless person you'd made him out to be. Bakugou's crimson eyes, which normally burned with the vigor of a thousand flames, were so subdued and vacant that they almost didn't look like his own. His skin was so pale that he looked like he'd seen a ghost, and his bottom lip was quivering uncontrollably. From where you were standing, you could hear the shallow, uneven breaths he was taking in a fit of near-hysteria. He just looked so completely and utterly broken, and you couldn't understand why.

Immediately, your chest filled with guilt.

Is it my fault? Because I threw him off by speaking for the first time, and he lost the battle because he was distracted...? Is that why he looks so shattered?

You didn't know much about Bakugou. But for the first time, you realized that you wanted to.

"Now, now," All Might chided, gently placing his hand on Bakugou's shoulder. "No matter whether you won or lost, you need to take a look and reflect on this experience, and then move on with your life. Let's all head back for our critique, young ones!"

He waved the group over towards the monitor room, where you'd all collected to go through with the first evaluation. A dark-haired girl with a ponytail raised her hand and began commenting on how each and every one of you had performed in the trial. Izuku was being carried off to the infirmary, so he wasn't present, but she confidently declared that the best for the match was Iida anyways. She mentioned something about the fact that you'd put in a good effort, but you faltered on many occasions and didn't act as quickly as you should've. Well, that much was a given, since you'd been so focused on your words to Bakugou.

You knew that you should've been focusing on reviewing the details of your battle, but all you could do was keep glancing over in Bakugou's direction. His head was slumped forward, eyes trailing listlessly across the ground. The mark above your hip would throb ever so often; it seemed to hurt more every time he trembled.

It was almost as though you could feel his pain.

—