Bakugo's eyes flew open, and he was met with darkness. Pitch black, absolute darkness. The first thing he was aware of was a hand tightly clasping his. The ground he laid upon was cold, but not really. It didn't quite feel like anything. The room was strangely humid, and it made his skin feel sticky.

"Bakugo?" he heard Nakano timidly whisper. Her hand, holding his, shifted slightly as she presumably sat up.

"Yeah?" he replied, uprighting himself as well.

"I can't see a thing."

"Me neither." He started to his feet, momentarily releasing Nakano's hand.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, grabbing him again. He looked in her direction, even though he couldn't see her. "I don't want to lose you."

"Uh… huh." Bakugo's face heated in embarrassment at the possible implications of her statement, but he begrudgingly obliged, squeezing her hand to indicate his compliance. He felt awkward holding her hand, but it was necessary. He pushed down the feelings of childlike anxiety to prepare for the grim task at hand.

"Sorry," Nakano said quietly, standing up. "I feel awkward too, but it wouldn't be smart to get separated here."

"It's fine, Bunny," Bakugo said hoarsely.

Neither of them moved, standing stalk still in the complete darkness, hand in hand. Nakano's skin was soft, Bakugo noted, but her hand was rigid and clammy, indicating her stress level. He understood why, considering they were in enemy territory. Plus, the enemy in question had directly disturbed Nakano's peaceful life twice now. He clenched his empty hand into a fist. They were finally going to set things right. Nakano would absolve herself of the trauma set forth by the vigilantes' actions, and Bakugo would make up for his previous failure to capture them. He wouldn't disappoint her again.

"Is it just me…" Nakano said, interrupting Bakugo's quick mental tangent. "Or are we not wearing our hero costumes any more?"

Bakugo hadn't noticed it at first, but she was right. His gauntlets weren't on him anymore, and his costume had been replaced with different clothes. He touched the fabric of the shirt he had on with his fingertips. The material felt familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

"It must be something to do with the dreamscape," he said. "Did you find out anything about changing clothes during your extra investigation?"

Bakugo had nearly forgotten about Nakano's extensive research unrelated to their agency work and wished he had read more of her notes. He would have to rely heavily on her guidance if he didn't want to get in the way.

"Yes, actually. If Hayami wants to, she can change our clothes and the terrain," Kuri whispered. "Speaking of which, be careful where you walk, as the dreamscape is highly unpredicta—"

Suddenly, overhead fluorescent lights turned on, illuminating the room. Bakugo squinted against the harsh brightness, searching for threats. Nakano retracted her hand from his, and when he glanced at her, he realized they were wearing their P.E. uniforms. They both scanned their surroundings. The room looked strikingly similar to Gym Gamma at UA in that it was an empty training room. However, there was something a bit off about the way it looked. As if the area had been misremembered. The windows showed an outside devoid of light, displaying an inky sky on the other side.

The doors to the gym burst open with a bang, and Bakugo and Nakano pivoted, automatically shifting into defensive stances. Nakano leaped to the opposite side of the room from him, likely so they could corner the newcomer.

Nana Sakamoto, clad in her old hero costume—equipped with blood bags around her waist—and a threatening amount of bladed weapons strapped onto her various appendages, stepped into the room. She held out her arms, a grin on her face.

"Kuri! Finally, we meet again!" Nana said excitedly, taking a few steps inside. Her tone of voice was welcoming, making the situation all the more eerie. The doors slammed shut behind her, and only then did she seem to notice Bakugo. She eyed him disdainfully. "It seems Hayami made a mistake…"

Bakugo clenched his fists. He was raring to fight her already. How dare she act familiar with Nakano after upsetting her to such a degree? He couldn't wait to defeat those two and give Nakano some opportunity to cheer up. It was the least he could do for her.

"Why are we here?" Nakano asked icily. Her voice was no longer quiet and shy as it had been with Bakugo moments before. Nana's sudden appearance had changed the situation drastically. She had likely known, as did Bakugo, of the storm approaching them the moment Hayami popped up, and yet in that brief beginning, it was as if she had forgotten. Bakugo had nearly forgotten as well. Something about the dreamscape was manipulating their minds. Bakugo wished he knew what it was.

"So we can check up on you, of course," Nana said, falling back and landing on a plushy, red couch that manifested behind her. "How've you been? Noticed when your tattoo disappeared because the tracker stopped working. How's it feel to be free?"

Bakugo looked at Nakano in the corner of his eye as she stood in silence. Her hands had begun to shake, and she returned Nana's stare with stony hatred.

"I'm not interested in talking to you," she finally replied. Nana laughed loudly but humorlessly.

"Can't believe how ungrateful you are," Nana said, crossing her arms. Her smug grin was unfaltering. Bakugo wanted to punch it right off her face. "And after all we did for you, too. Do you have someone else you want me to get rid of?"

"You're out of your fucking mind," Bakugo said. He glanced at Nakano again. Her figure was fixed in a tense position, and she seemed to be barely breathing. Her eyes glazed over in a cold fury.

"We're here to arrest you," Nakano said calmly. Bakugo swelled with pride for her. Hell yeah, they were here to arrest Nana. And they were gonna beat her ass.

Nana's smile slipped for a moment and revealed a more sinister expression. She cocked her head to the side.

"You know," Nana said, slowly turning her head toward Bakugo. "You're really starting to get on my nerves."

I could say the same thing…

"Why do you insist on stopping the fulfillment of justice?" Nana asked rhetorically, rising from her seat and taking a few steps forward. Bakugo adjusted his stance ever-so-slightly in preparation to attack or counter at any moment. "Might just have to kill you. Then you'd be out of the way, right?"

Bakugo bristled at her brazen statement. He chuckled angrily.

"Nothing about what you do is just," Bakugo said sneeringly, returning Nana's cutting glare. "You're just a fucking murderer."

Nana scoffed and crossed her arms petulantly. She continued to stare daggers at Bakugo.

"You're tainting Kuri's convictions. We're the real heroes here," Nana said, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. "We actually get things done. Right, Kuri?"

She turned her head back to Nakano expectantly. Something akin to a smile rested on Nana's face. Bakugo glanced at Nakano from the corner of his eye, finding her inexplicably smirking back.

"It's not the job of a hero to be an executioner."

Nana's eyes widened in outrage as her cool and calculated facade crumbled away. Her chest heaved as she failed to keep her breathing level and present an unbothered exterior. Bakugo unclenched his hands, leaving his palms uncovered and ready to fire off an explosion.

"I didn't want to do this…" Nana said, using what seemed like her last shred of restraint to keep her voice down. "But you leave me no choice."

In an instant, Nana had her hands on a throwing knife and the fight began. The silver blades launched towards Bakugo's face, but he dodged with precision, jumping to the side. His landing was wobbly, however, as the ground beneath him began to quiver then shake violently as if they were in an earthquake. Bakugo nearly fell to the ground and fired off a large explosion at the floor as a visual cover. Even if he had to stumble around on all fours, Nana wouldn't have such an easy time locating him through all the smoke and dust.

As the floor surged and rolled like a vengeful sea, Bakugo searched for Nakano in the swirling smoke. He spotted her not far from him, teetering as she tried to keep her balance on the shifting ground. Their eyes met, and she ran to him, nearly tripping and falling on the way. Bakugo caught her in his arms when she was close enough. Together, they withstood the erratic landscape changes. Bakugo could hear Nana shouting and advancing on them from a distance. The blast must have sent her backward.

The room began to crumple inwards rapidly as the smoke dissipated, leaving them in plain sight and on a smaller playing field. Nakano looked frantically in Nana's direction as she charged toward them, wielding two large daggers. Bakugo gripped Nakano's arms reassuringly, causing her to look back at him.

"Hey, we're doing this together," he reminded her hurriedly. "I'll blow her away before she even has the chance to touch us. After that, I'll follow your lead."

She nodded quickly, returning to a combat position beside him.

"Wait until the room has almost completely shrunk," she said. "Destroying this area will get us to a different place. It's a gamble, but maybe we'll end up somewhere easier for me to fight in."

They watched as Nana advanced, her small, lithe body darting across the unreliable landscape with unexpected grace. The room decreased exponentially; the windows and doors receded into the concrete walls, which now crinkled and compressed like paper. Bakugo steadily built up the spark for an explosion—one that would be much more devastating than the first.

When there were practically only nine square meters of floor left, Nana sprung at them, knives glinting under the beam of the last overhead light. Bakugo took aim and fired, blowing the room apart with the explosion. The shock sent Nana flying, and the walls and floor crumbled to bits.

For a moment, they were free-falling, and Bakugo heard a surprised yelp from Nakano. All light disappeared again, then immediately the area relit, and they were in a new place. The ground was solid again, though Bakugo sensed a strange instability in the floorboards.

Bakugo examined his surroundings, confused to find himself in an opulent bedroom. The decor indicated it was a child's room, yet clearly belonged to an upper-class home. Every furnishing was comically large, making it seem like Bakugo had shrunk. He turned to Nakano and nearly stumbled back in shock. She returned his look of surprise. They both looked down at their own clothes. He seemed to be in a butler's attire, considering that Nakano was in a traditional maid outfit. They looked back up at each other, then Nakano scanned the room again anxiously.

"Where's Nana?" she asked frantically.

As if on cue, Bakugo heard a muffled commotion from the bed. He ripped off the stifling coat he wore in preparation for continued battle. Bakugo's palms crackled as he turned to look. He glared up at the figure emerging from the sheets, disgruntled and covered in soot from the explosion.

"You little fucker!" Nana shouted, throwing the sheets to the side in frustration. Her outfit had remained the same. "Why the fuck are you destroying everything?!" Nana let out a cry of distress, closing her eyes in a look of pain. She stroked the bedsheets slowly, whispering to herself. "You're hurting her…"

Bakugo, though confused, was on the verge of deploying another explosion when he saw Nakano zipping across his line of sight. He paused, watching as she landed on the bed in front of Nana, her long skirt flaring from the gust of air. The vigilante's eyes flew open, and before she could react, Nakano kicked her in the stomach. Violently.

Nana's limp frame jetted across the room and through one of the large windows. Bakugo gaped at Nakano in shock. As Nana's body hit and shattered the glass, he caught a glimpse of Nakano's expression. Her eyes, the windows to her kind soul, gleamed with malice never before present. It scared him.

After that, the terrain changed voluntarily, and they were in another new place with another new outfit. Nakano continued in combat with Nana, though it was mostly one-sided. Nana was hardly allowed room to breathe as Nakano hit her with continuous attacks. Bakugo served as support, firing off an explosion now and then when Nana neared him. Totally not his normal style, but he couldn't help it.

Nakano's face in that moment had sent him into a state of shock. And her continued actions were filling him with dread. The girl he knew would never be so cruel. She hated hurting people. Something was wrong, and Bakugo needed to act before Nakano did something she would regret.

And more importantly, he wanted to keep her from getting hurt. With each passing minute, Nana grew more enraged, and no matter what Nakano did, Nana refused to stay down. He needed to help her do something instead of blasting around helplessly, unable to attack Nana without hurting Nakano.

Bakugo observed Nakano for a moment, his eyes lingering on her face. The look in her eyes… She was going berserk. It reminded Bakugo of himself. Had he made her like this? No, he couldn't think about that right now. Bakugo would be the stable one on her behalf.

Since the first bloodthirsty kick, Bakugo had been racking his brain for a way to stop Nakano's rampage and take down Nana himself. But no matter what he did or said, Nakano did not seem to notice him, so he couldn't signal her to fall back and let him attack. And if he decided to just fire off an explosion at both of them, Nakano would get hurt, which wouldn't be good for his conscience or their odds of winning the battle.

The dreamscape changed again, elevating Nana and giving her the high ground. It made no difference, as Nakano immediately jumped to her. However, the sudden change reminded Bakugo of Nana's earlier breakdown. She had mumbled something about hurting the room after bombing it, which made sense since it was likely connected to Hayami. There had to be a physical limit. Additionally, Nakano had said that destroying the area transported them to a new place. So, the best way to distract Nana would be to explode the dreamscape each time it regenerated. Nana would be agonizing and let her guard down again, and with any luck, Hayami would terminate the dreamscape in self-preservation, booting them all out and allowing for an easy arrest.

Bakugo concentrated, tracking the two fighting above as he brewed a large explosion. The dreamscape was not as active as it had been in the first room. The ground no longer quaked, only releasing an occasional, uncertain rumble. Bakugo grimaced and aimed at the rocky ground. He wouldn't let these two assholes torment Nakano any longer. It was time for action.

Bakugo fired at the ground, sending up a cloud of smoke and dust. He heard Nana scream in the distance. The room crumbled apart once more, and for a moment, Bakugo felt weightless. Then, he was on solid ground again. Bakugo did not wait another second before he took aim and fired again. For the next area, the one after that, and the one after that, Bakugo continued to fire at the ground. For each explosion, Nana's screams began to turn more desperate.

As Bakugo charged up another explosion, he felt the dreamscape tremble and tilt. It seemed to be near the brink. He heard Nana commanding him to stop, then a terrified gasp from Nakano. Bakugo turned his head to see the commotion just as a thin blade sliced across his cheek. Nana grinned wildly.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, instinctively putting a hand to the wound. It came back bloody. The important thing was that Nakano was fine. She'd only been scared for him.

He fired at the ground again, and the ground reluctantly gave way. It went dark again, but it took longer than usual for things to boot back up.

At first, no lights came on, so the first indication to Bakugo that the terrain had changed was the sudden sensation of fluid encompassing his legs. He took a step forward, feeling the substance slosh around him. Judging by the viscosity, it was just water but had about 60 centimeters of depth. The ground underneath his feet was smooth like concrete. He heard splashing and shouting in the distance and waded forward a few steps.

"Hayami!" Nana screamed. "Turn the lights on!" It remained pitch black. Bakugo began to move toward where Nana's voice was coming from. "Hayami?" Nana called again, this time a worried tone creeping in.

Then, a light flickered on. A big, bright moon hung in the sky, dimly illuminating the dreamscape. They were knee-deep in a vast expanse of water stretching to the horizon. Nakano was about 50 meters away from Bakugo, as was Nana. He squinted, confusion hitting him as he realized what Nakano was wearing. It was the same clothes she had on the mission when they'd first encountered the vigilantes. Bakugo looked down at his own clothes, finding that he also was wearing the same outfit from that day.

Immediately, Nakano resumed her fight with Nana. Itching to assist her, Bakugo charged up another explosion to propel himself to Nakano but felt a tingling in his arms. Those rapid-fire, large explosions earlier had strained him. He would need to lay off for a few minutes to recuperate, which meant he would have to slosh his way to the other two instead of blasting over.

Bakugo ran through the water as fast as he could, though his soaked jeans were weighing him down. Taking off his shoes had a minimal effect on his mobility and, if anything, made him more prone to slipping. His eyes stuck to Nakano helplessly. She was losing herself to her rage. Bakugo needed to get to her as fast as he could. He took a deep breath and trudged on.


Kuri had no plan. Each of her moves was guided by instinct and logic. And maybe a bit of recklessness, which had cost her a few minor injuries. But what mattered was she always came out on top unless she intended otherwise. She wouldn't lose to Nana. She couldn't. At that point, it was a matter of principle that Kuri defeated her, even though she couldn't quite recall why she wanted revenge so badly. Maybe there was never a reason. Just unexpressed, unfocused angst and anger that required Kuri to point the finger at someone. But screw that, Nana had threatened her life and was a wanted criminal. Kuri wouldn't just let her off. She was a hero, after all. Even if she hadn't chosen to be one.

Kuri was surprisingly level-headed for someone engaged in an active battle. It kind of felt like she was watching herself do everything without thinking about it. The only mental energy she expended was to recall her research and apply the knowledge accordingly.

The new terrain slowed her jumping considerably, her waterlogged shoes like wet bricks. Luckily, Nana wasn't doing too well. She was staggering from Kuri's repeated kicks, and she had few throwing knives left. The only current weapon Nana wielded was a single dagger. She'd lost the other one a while back.

Nana panted heavily, and her pink bangs hung limp against her forehead. Her lips were twisted into a grotesque scowl. She glared at Kuri, who returned the look with a blank, unfeeling face. Though Kuri felt herself boiling with resentment for Nana, she couldn't convey that with her face. There was a strange disconnect between her brain and the rest of her body.

Then, Nana turned and started running away. Her pace was slow, the water doing all it could to limit her strides. Kuri couldn't help thinking how dumb of a move she was taking. Then again, the dreamscape was known to make inhabitants confused. It wasn't a place one would want to linger in.

In the back of her mind, Kuri wondered how Bakugo was doing. He'd been absent from the action besides a few explosions. She could hear movement in the water somewhere behind her, so she guessed he was making his way over. Kuri was strangely indifferent to the knowledge that Bakugo was approaching. She knew she wanted to care, yet her body was channeled only towards defeating Nana.

Just as she was about to force her body to glance back at him, Kuri noticed a glint in the water. She glanced up to check on Nana, who was still running to who knew where, then looked down. There, lying on the ground underwater, was Nana's lost dagger. Kuri hadn't remembered her dropping it there. Nonetheless, she plunged her hand into the cool liquid and pulled out the weapon.

She examined the blade for a moment. It was sharp and clean, and one edge was serrated. Without thinking, Kuri gripped the dagger tighter. She looked to Nana determinedly. She moved slowly and was not far off, her bright pink hair swishing back and forth as she staggered through the water. Kuri quickly adjusted her stance and leapt at Nana. It was like she was on autopilot.

Time slowed as Nana turned back, eyes wide. They shone with betrayal Kuri had not expected. She poised the dagger to slash at Nana's throat. A quick, but messy cut. Kuri wanted blood. As she stared into Nana's pathetically terrified eyes, Kuri saw herself reflected upon the faintly glistening surface. How frightening.

"KURI!"

Her name, feeling as if it had been shouted across all of time and space, rang in her ears. Surprised to hear Bakugo suddenly call to her, and with such an anguished inflection, she halted. Kuri abruptly snapped back into herself, and her body went stiff. She and Nana stared each other down, but Kuri broke contact to glance at the dagger she wielded. It pressed ever-so-slightly against Nana's throat. A few droplets of blood dribbled onto the blade. With her other hand, Kuri had a firm grip on Nana's wrist, in which the vigilante held her own dagger. Nana didn't struggle against her.

"Well? Aren't you going to kill me?" Nana asked, raising an eyebrow tauntingly.

"No, of course not." Kuri frowned, unsure of herself. What the hell was she doing?! Had she been that close to killing Nana? Kuri had never hated her that much, had she? To the point where she would betray her morals? The dreamscape was doing a number on her psyche, and Kuri wanted out.

"Yet you're holding a knife to my neck," Nana said, grinning smugly. "Real heroic." Kuri glared at Nana, unwilling to give her the satisfaction of being right by showing doubt in her eyes. Kuri knew that she was no hero, but she didn't have to accept it when a stupid murderer said it.

"You have no place to talk about heroism," Kuri said. "Step down already." She could hear Bakugo running to them, gradually getting closer. Nana glanced over Kuri's shoulder without moving her head.

"Seems like your little boyfriend is coming to help you," Nana said, rolling her eyes. Kuri reddened, tightening her grip on the dagger. She glanced away from Nana, somehow finding it in herself to be embarrassed.

"He's not—"

With precision, Nana's free hand grabbed Kuri's hand which held the knife and twisted her wrist away violently. Kuri lost hold of the dagger and released Nana's wrist, stumbling back as she suppressed a shriek of pain for her sprained wrist. She brought her leg up to counter with a kick, but as she did, Nana fluidly sliced one of her blood bags with her knife. Seeing what was coming but having no time to pull away, Kuri followed through with her kick, and Nana slid the bloodied blade through the exposed flesh of Kuri's calf as the force of the blow sent her back.

Kuri released a shrill, pained scream as Nana soared through the air and hit the water somewhere far off. Kuri spared a quick look for her calf, which was in excruciating pain. The cut was deep, with blood spilling out and staining the water. Kuri turned her head up and watched disorientedly as Nana arduously rose to her feet. She heard a loud boom, and in an instant, Bakugo landed nearby with a splash. The dreamscape shuddered, and the light of the moon flickered.

Kuri wobbled on her feet. Nana's quirk was beginning to take effect. She wouldn't have much time before she became a drunken mess. Kuri helplessly watched Nana from a distance. The vigilante looked to the sky as the terrain faltered. Then, a white door appeared in the middle of the water, and Nana slunk through. As it latched behind her, the gateway vanished, leaving only empty air.

Kuri suddenly felt lightheaded, going to clutch her injured leg and collapsing into the water. Bakugo, now beside her, lifted Kuri's head up quickly and brought her back to the surface. He held her in his arms tightly. Kuri looked up at him languidly as water dripped down her face and into her eyes, stinging them. He was saying something, but she couldn't quite hear him. Her brain felt fuzzy. Like there was nothing up there but television static. Her eyelids began to droop, but she held her gaze on Bakugo for as long as she could. A small smile rested on Kuri's face as her eyes fell shut. He was warm.


Bakugo touched down on the water's surface, sending up a wave around him. He turned to Kuri, who was a mere two meters away from him, and scrambled to her. Kuri wavered slightly, her head bobbing side to side as she stared into the distance. Just as he was about to grab her shoulder, Kuri fell backward, out of his grasp. Her body sunk into the water, her loose hair flowing elegantly around her face in spite of the situation. Panicked, Bakugo dove for her, scooping her up in his arms. He knelt in the water and lifted her to the surface so she could breathe.

Bakugo glanced at Kuri's injury distressedly, stiffening at the sight of her wound. Blood ran down her leg and into the water, making a small cloud of red. He drew his attention back to her face, hoping he would find it reassuring.

"Kuri!" Bakugo exclaimed. He looked into her lethargic eyes, concerningly finding her to be unresponsive. He gripped her tighter. "Kuri, please, are you alright? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I should've done more, but—I don't know." Why hadn't he just sacrificed his stupid arms? He would've prevented her pain if he had just intervened. He wanted to smack himself in the face for his stupidity but suppressed the urge to keep hold of Kuri. "Just… you'll be fine, Kuri, you'll be—"

Wait… Kuri?

Since when had he been calling her Kuri?

In his state of disarray, Bakugo must have slipped up. He had never called her Kuri. Not since the day they met. He wasn't sure of the reason behind the sudden change, but that didn't bother him too much. In fact, he kind of liked calling her Kuri. It was a cute name, just like her. That thought bounced around his head for a moment. Oh, crap. Was this another symptom of having a crush? He was having great difficulty finding another reason for it.

Kuri's head lolled to the side, landing against Bakugo's chest and breaking him from his trance. With that mental break to ponder her name for a moment, Bakugo was able to steel himself and internalize some of his concern. Kuri's eyes had shut, and Bakugo looked down at her with a frown.

Bakugo scanned the dreamscape, which seemed to be shutting down again. The moon faded from view, plunging them back into complete darkness. He felt the water surrounding him recede, and Bakugo stood, holding Kuri's still body. The room relit, and they were in a new place.

There were no lights, only a faint glow emanating from the white walls, floor, and ceiling. It appeared to be a long, spotless hallway lined with several doors. With a quick glance, Bakugo confirmed that there were no threats and laid Kuri down to tend to her wound.

Their clothes had returned to their hero costumes, which meant Bakugo had access to some first aid supplies. He threw off his clunky gauntlets and dug into his pockets, pulling out gauze and antiseptic. Blood had already started soaking into Kuri's pant leg, which he cut away to access the wound. As he began dressing her injury, Kuri stirred in her presumable sleep. Bakaugo watched as she slowly blinked her eyes open and gazed up at him. A big, dopey grin spread across her face.

"Hi, Katsuki," Kuri said sweetly. She batted her lashes at him, her proceeding sentence slightly slurred. "What brings you around these parts?"

Oh god, she's drunk.

Bakugo turned his attention back to her injury, hoping to fix her up quickly in case she started being difficult. Kuri began to paw at his arm.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked impatiently. "Where's kisses?"

"HUH?!" Bakugo accidentally blurted, looking at her in confusion. Then, he turned away again, reminding himself that Kuri was out of it and just saying random shit. She would recover from Nana's quirk soon enough, assuming Kuri wasn't a lightweight. He felt her eyes on him as he bandaged her.

"Hm… want ice cream," Kuri mumbled, rolling on her side. She scrunched herself up, scooting closer and trying to wrap around Bakugo's waist with her arms.

"After we're out of here," Bakugo muttered back, pushing Kuri's hands away and returning her to a flat position. He tied up the loose ends of gauze and admired his handiwork. Not too bad, though Kuri would definitely need professional treatment soon. Bakugo sighed, studying Kuri's silly face despite the gruesome laceration on her leg. "Doesn't your calf hurt?"

Kuri's face contorted from a smile into a deep, pained frown as if just then noticing her injury.

"Yes, yes, it hurts," she cried, wrapping her arms around him again as she blubbered about the pain. Bakugo raised his arms away from his body in a wooden fashion and gaped at Kuri, his face flushing. Kuri smothered her face in his shirt as she clung to him. He released some of the tension in his shoulders and patted her head clunkily. It wasn't like this was the first time they hugged, but it felt awkward considering Kuri was stripped of her inhibitions and acting on impulse.

She really likes me, doesn't she?

For a minute, Bakugo allowed Kuri to remain in that position while she cried. He could feel her tears making his shirt damp, but he didn't care. Kuri needed him, and he was more than happy to be there for her. Even if it meant sitting there until the end of time, Bakugo would do it for her. Nevertheless, knowing they still had a job to do, Bakugo reluctantly prompted Kuri to get going.

"Kuri, can you try sitting up?" he asked, nudging her shoulder. Kuri retracted her arms, using them to push herself up. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy from crying, and she still looked upset. Kuri's bangs had stuck to her forehead after pressing her face against his stomach for so long. Bakugo instinctively brushed them away and gave her a small smile, hoping she would calm down so they could look for Nana. "Let's get up now, oka—"

He was cut off as Kuri locked her arms around him again. Her head rested on his shoulder.

"I wanna go home," Kuri said quietly. She sniffled and gripped the fabric of his shirt tighter. Bakugo sat there with his arms limp. Kuri likely wouldn't be mad if he hugged her back. But was hugging Kuri what he wanted to do?

For months, Bakugo had denied the idea of himself having feelings for her. And yet he found Kuri cute. And yet he was so desperate to protect her. And yet he was letting her hug him now. And yet he would do anything for her. Under no circumstances would he have acted this way less than a year ago. Something had changed. And he was beginning to understand what it was.

Bakugo tentatively drew his arms up and held Kuri in a gentle embrace. She softened as he returned her hug. She was warm.

"I'll take you there," Bakugo replied. His face heated in embarrassment as the hug continued on and he thought more about his cheesy statement. "Now, we really have to go. Even if you're drunk, we need to find Nana and get outta here."

Bakugo released Kuri, who hesitantly peeled her arms off of him. Still, she remained close. Kuri planted her hands on the ground by his legs, leaning in close to his face. She stared into his eyes longingly, her pupils dilating dramatically. A smile graced her face.

"Uh, what is it…?" Bakugo asked, tensing up. Though every part of him was screaming to back away, he remained transfixed, staring back at a perplexing yet entrancing version of Kuri.

"You look so pretty up close…" Kuri whispered, studying his face. She inched closer, and Bakugo gasped quietly. He caught a mischievous glint behind her half-lidded eyes. Internally, Bakugo was screaming at the top of his lungs.

What the fuck is happening?! Holy fucking shit, she's so close. Why won't I move?! She's so pretty. Should I do nothing? No, I need to push her away. For her own good. Right?! I don't know, oh fuck, I don't know!

"Kuri…" he breathed, inexplicably frozen in place. Why wouldn't he just move? What did he want?

Kuri's face was mere centimeters from his, and Bakugo felt as if he were about to explode. He held her yearnful gaze, returning it. Bakugo mentally prepared himself for what was about to happen. Then, he noticed a flash of recognition in Kuri's eyes. She hesitated for a split second, then drifted forward again. Bakugo closed his eyes as their lips collided.