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You were pacing back and forth in the hospital hallway, biting your nails.

It was a habit you'd long since kicked but now couldn't control. The sterile scent of the place and the bright fluorescent lights did nothing to calm your nerves. Your heart pounded in your chest, echoing the scene that kept playing in your mind over and over again.

It had been a standard training exercise outside school grounds, one that you, and the rest of Class 1-A and Class 1-B had been through many times before. Everything was going smoothly until some villain had to show up and use his simulacrum's quirk, which caught Bakugou off guard out of all people.

An explosion knocked him into a wall with a sickening thud. You had called out to him, rushing over, but by the time you reached his side, he was already unconscious, blood dripping from a gash on his forehead and his arm twisted at an awkward angle.

"Bakugou...you idiot," you muttered under your breath, feeling a mix of fear and frustration bubbling up inside you. Why did he always push himself to the limit? Why did he always act like he could handle everything by himself?

A hand on your shoulder startled you out of your thoughts. You turned to see Kirishima standing there, his face a mirror of your concern. "He's tough. He'll be okay," Kirishima said, though there was a hint of doubt in his voice.

You nodded, but your throat felt tight. "I know. It's just... seeing him like that."

Kirishima's grip on your shoulder tightened in reassurance before he stepped back. "We all feel the same. But Bakubro's as tough as they come. He'll pull through."

You appreciated his words, but they did little to ease the twisting in your stomach. It wasn't until the door to the hospital room opened, and Recovery Girl stepped out, that you finally felt a shred of hope.

"He's awake," she said, her tone professional but soft. "You can go see him now. Just don't excite him too much. He needs to rest."

You didn't need to be told twice. Practically sprinting down the hallway, you made it to Bakugou's room, pausing for just a moment outside the door to collect yourself. You didn't want him to see how worried you were, he hated that.

Opening the door slowly, you stepped inside. Bakugou was lying on the bed, his head wrapped in bandages, and his arm in a sling. His face was paler than usual, but those fiery red eyes of his still burned with intensity, even from under heavy eyelids.

"Oi, what took you so long?" he grumbled, his voice hoarse but still full of his usual bravado.

"Shut up, Kat'ski," you shot back, though the relief in your voice was undeniable as you made your way to his bedside. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

He huffed, trying to sit up straighter, but winced as pain shot through his side. You immediately reached out, gently pushing him back down. "Don't even think about it. You need to rest."

"Tch, I'm fine," Bakugou muttered, though his body betrayed him by staying still. His eyes flicked to your hand resting on his chest, and for a moment, something soft and unspoken passed between you.

You couldn't help but laugh softly. "Yeah, you look real fine. Just took a little nap in the middle of training, huh?"

"Don't be a smartass," he snapped, though the corners of his lips twitched upwards slightly. "It was nothing. I've had worse."

Your chest tightened at that. You knew Bakugou was used to getting hurt, he was always at the front lines, pushing himself harder than anyone else. But seeing him like this, bruised and bandaged, made your heart ache in ways you couldn't quite put into words.

"Kat'ski, you've gotta stop doing this to yourself," you said softly, pulling up a chair beside his bed. "You can't always be the one throwing yourself into danger."

He rolled his eyes, but there was a flicker of something behind them, something vulnerable, something only you ever got to see. "It's my job. I'm not gonna sit back and let someone else get hurt when I can handle it."

"But what about you?" you pressed, your voice quieter now. "You're always so focused on protecting everyone else. Who's gonna protect you?"

Bakugou's gaze softened, just for a moment. "That's your job, isn't it?"

The words caught you off guard, and for a second, all you could do was stare at him. The vulnerability in his voice was rare, and it made your heart ache even more.

"I guess it is," you whispered, reaching out to take his uninjured hand in yours. "But I can't do my job if you keep throwing yourself in harm's way."

For a long moment, Bakugou didn't say anything. His thumb gently brushed over the back of your hand, and you could feel the warmth of his touch even through the weight of your worry.

"I'll be more careful," he muttered, the words coming out like a reluctant admission. "Just... don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" you asked, tilting your head.

"Like you're about to cry or some shit," he grumbled, his eyes avoiding yours. "I hate it."

You blinked, surprised by the admission. You hadn't even realized you were on the verge of tears, but the concern and fear had been building up inside you since the moment you saw him fall. Bakugou hated seeing weakness in others, but you'd learned long ago that his definition of weakness wasn't the same as everyone else's. It wasn't that he hated emotions, he just didn't know how to deal with it.

"I'm not crying," you said, your voice a little steadier now. "But if you ever scare me like that again, I swear I'll-"

"What? Punch me in the other arm?" Bakugou interrupted with a smirk, his usual cockiness creeping back into his voice.

You narrowed your eyes at him, though you couldn't help the small smile that tugged at your lips. "I'll do worse than that."

"Yeah, right," he scoffed, but the teasing lilt in his voice told you he wasn't taking your threat seriously. He squeezed your hand a little tighter, his way of letting you know he was okay.

The two of you fell into a comfortable silence after that, with Bakugou's hand still holding yours, his touch grounding you. You knew he'd heal, he always did. But you couldn't shake the fear that came with seeing him hurt like this.

"Just promise me you'll be more careful," you whispered, your voice barely above a breath.

Bakugou didn't answer right away, but when he did, his voice was soft, almost gentle. "Yeah. I promise."

For Bakugou, those words were as close to an apology as you'd ever get, but that was enough. He didn't need to say more. The fact that he'd promised meant everything.

You stayed by his side for the rest of the night, talking about everything and nothing, until his eyes grew heavy with exhaustion. As he drifted off to sleep, still holding your hand, you couldn't help but smile softly.

Even though Bakugou was always the one trying to protect you, in moments like this, you realized just how much he needed someone to watch over him too. And you'd always be there to do just that.