The smoke from the explosion hasn’t even cleared when you hear his voice—loud, raw, and cracking with more than just exhaustion.

“Are you insane?!”

You spin around, chest still heaving from the fight. “I had it under control—”

“The hell you did!” Bakugo’s red eyes burn hotter than the embers still falling around you. He storms forward, stopping just short of grabbing you by the shoulders. “You jumped in front of me. You took that hit.”

“And I’m still standing,” you snap, though your legs are shaking. “That’s what partners do.”

Bakugo’s jaw clenches. His fists are tight, trembling at his sides. You’ve seen him furious before—hell, that’s his default mode—but this is different. This feels like something sharp and fragile all at once. Something he’s trying too damn hard to hide.

“You don’t get it,” he mutters, voice lower now, rougher. “You’re not supposed to matter this much.”

The words hit you like a second explosion—quieter, but devastating.

“Then why do you look like you're the one who got hurt?” you whisper.

He laughs once. Bitter. “Because you made me weak, damn it.”

Your breath catches. He finally meets your eyes—no fire, no fury this time. Just truth.

“I told myself I wouldn’t care about anyone. That I'd never let anyone in close enough to destroy me.” He shakes his head like he hates every word. “But then you happened. And now... now I feel like I’m one misstep away from a heart attack.”

You don’t know who moves first—you or him. But suddenly, the space between you disappears. His hand is on the side of your face, trembling, unsure.

“You drive me insane,” he says hoarsely. “But I’d rather crash and burn with you than go back to feeling nothing.I’m scared, okay? I don’t do soft. I don’t know how to protect this—us. I know how to fight, how to blow shit up, how to win. But you? You make me want things I don’t know how to handle. You make me feel like I’m not enough and too much all at once.I almost lost you today. And I realized—I’d rather face a hundred villains alone than see you get hurt."