Chapter Text
The steam curled lazily through the cool mountain air, stars just starting to peek through the dusky sky above. The private hot spring was quiet, surrounded by pine trees and distant cicada hums — far from the city, far from the noise. Just you and Bakugou.
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And tension so thick you could cut it with his damn quirk.
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You slid deeper into the warm water with a content sigh, eyes closing briefly. A part of you couldn’t believe this trip was even happening — a break from hero work, a quiet inn that had somehow only had one open-air bath available.
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He insisted it was fine. You agreed. But now, with nothing but a thin stone divider separating you in the water? Yeah. Nerve-wracking didn’t begin to cover it.
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“Don’t pass out over there,” Bakugou grumbled from the other side, voice gruff but closer than you expected.
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You chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, Katsuki. I can handle hot water.” Silence. Then, a splash — and suddenly, he was in your side of the spring. You turned your head sharply. “What the hell—?!”
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He met your eyes, cheeks slightly pink — maybe from the heat. Maybe not. “It’s a private spring. You think I give a damn about rules?”
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Your heart stuttered. He was bare from the shoulders up, wet hair sticking to his forehead, skin glistening with steam. You looked away before your brain short-circuited. “You’re unbelievable.”
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“Tch. You’re not complaining.” You weren’t. That was the problem.
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He settled beside you, not touching, but close. Too close. You could feel the warmth of him more than the water, the electric pull that had been building between you for months. He leaned back on his arms, eyes half-lidded, watching the stars. “Y’know... this is kinda nice.”
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You blinked. Bakugou admitting something was nice? He noticed your look and scowled a little. “Shut up. I mean it. It’s quiet. No reporters. No damn Deku. Just you.” Your breath caught. “Just me?”
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He looked at you, and for once, there was no wall between you — no scowl hiding soft truth.
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“I don’t get to have a lot of quiet moments,” he said, voice low. “But I want more of ‘em. With you.”
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The silence that followed wasn’t awkward. It buzzed with something fragile and real. You turned toward him, heart hammering. “I want that too.” He shifted closer. “Then come here.”
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You hesitated only a second before moving into the space between his arms. His hand slid to your waist underwater, grounding you. When your foreheads touched, eyes fluttering closed, it wasn’t rushed. Just soft. Honest.
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“I’ve been thinkin’ about this,” he whispered. “You. Us. For a long time.”
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“Me too.”
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And under the stars, with steam curling around your skin and the smell of pine in the air, he kissed you — slow and warm and everything you'd been waiting for.
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♡