The war was finally over. Everything felt lighter, almost normal again. Well, as normal as it could be with shattered buildings still standing and boy-crazy new first years buzzing through the halls. Despite the damage left behind, the world was slowly finding its rhythm again.

During the war, you’d been placed in the same squad as Ochako and Tsu, stationed at Okuto Island. One moment you were holding the line, the next you were being dragged through a warp quirk you barely had time to process. When your feet hit the ground again, it was Gunga Mountain, already swallowed by chaos. Nomu crowded the battlefield, mixed in with endless Twice doubles, and everything became a blur of movement and noise.

It happened fast. Too fast. Two Nomu broke through the fight and reached you at the same time. One locked around your throat, cutting off your breath, while the other seized your head, fingers digging in as crushing pressure built on all sides. Your vision swam, the world tilting violently as pain flared through your skull. Between the damage to your throat and the force against your head, your body couldn’t keep up. Everything faded, and you slipped into unconsciousness.

Not long after, you were evacuated from the battlefield alongside Ochako and Shinso, rushed straight into the hands of the medical team.

By the time you woke up, everything was quiet.

You were in a hospital room, the steady hum of machines filling the space. Your throat ached deeply, every swallow uncomfortable, and the first thing you noticed was your mother sitting beside your bed. She looked exhausted, worry etched into her expression as she watched you like she was afraid you might disappear again. When you tried to shift, you realised a brace was secured around your neck, holding you firmly in place.

Later, a nurse explained what had happened. You wouldn’t be able to talk for a while, your vocal cords had been too badly damaged to fix all at once. They’d done what they could, and now the rest had to heal naturally on its own. It wasn’t devastating news, but it was frustrating all the same, the silence settling heavier than you expected.

After reuniting with your friends, who immediately crowded you and fussed over every small movement, and making it through graduation, there was hardly any time to slow down. You and your classmates were quickly put to work helping clear the rubble left behind by the war. Aizawa, along with a few other teachers, had told you and Bakugo to stay back and rest, but neither of you listened. Stubborn as ever, you both insisted on helping anyway.

It was also the first time you’d seen Bakugo since he had… died. Temporarily. Even now, the thought still felt unreal, like something your mind refused to fully accept.

That night, once everyone returned to the dorms, the common room filled up naturally. No one had planned it, it just felt right to be together after everything that had happened. You sat beside Kirishima while he, Denki, Sero, Jirou, and Mina played cards, voices growing louder as competitiveness took over.

Bakugo dropped onto the couch beside you, nudging you slightly as he leaned back and threw his uninjured arm along the back of it. “Move over, dummy,” he muttered, settling in once you did.

It didn’t take long for him to notice your silence. His eyes flicked to the brace around your neck, his expression tightening just a little. “You good?” he asked, quieter than before. “You’ve been real quiet since yesterday.”