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It had been two weeks, two whole weeks since you and Bakugou had any real interaction. Sure, there had been a few brief texts, short messages exchanged in the middle of your hectic schedules, but they felt more like formalities than actual conversations.

Neither of you had been able to properly catch up or spend time together, and the silence between you was growing heavier with each passing day.

You sat at your desk, staring blankly at the mountain of research papers and hero project outlines in front of you. The deadline for your latest assignment loomed, and you could feel the pressure of your hero internship weighing down on your shoulders. The overwhelming workload had left you with little energy for anything else, especially socializing.

Bakugou was in the same boat. He had his own assignments, hero internships, and practical exams to deal with, which left him equally drained. Every day, it seemed like there was another reason why you couldn't meet up, either he was out on patrol or you were stuck in the library, finishing up a report.

Two weeks. And it wasn't just the lack of communication. It was something more. You could feel the distance between you widening, and it was starting to eat away at you.

Your phone buzzed on your desk, snapping you out of your thoughts. You picked it up, hoping it was Bakugou, but it was just a notification for a class update. You sighed, the small bit of hope that you'd been holding onto fading as quickly as it came.

When was the last time we really talked? you wondered, scrolling through your old messages with him. It felt like a different lifetime. You missed him, his voice, his touch, the way he would get irritated when you teased him. But now, it was like you were both living in completely different worlds.

The last message from him had been three days ago: "Can't talk. Training late. Don't wait up." That had been it. Before that, it was just as brief: "Busy. Catch you later."

You couldn't even remember the last time you saw him in person. The feeling of drifting apart was slowly becoming unbearable.

▬▬▬

The next day, you were sitting in the common room of the dorms, your mind preoccupied with thoughts of Bakugou. Your classmates were bustling around you, laughing and talking about their day. Mina and Kaminari were chatting about some new hero costume designs, but you couldn't focus on the conversation.

Kaminari noticed you staring blankly into space and nudged you gently. "Hey, you good? You've been kinda out of it lately."

You blinked and forced a smile. "Yeah, just tired, I guess. So much work lately."

Mina leaned in, her expression sympathetic. "Is it the projects or... something else?"

Your smile faltered for a moment, but you shrugged. "I don't know. Both, I guess."

Kaminari exchanged a glance with Mina before turning back to you. "Is it Bakugou? You two haven't been hanging out much lately, huh?"

The question hit a little too close to home, and you bit your lip, trying to keep your voice steady. "Yeah... it's been a while. We're both just... busy."

Mina's eyes softened. "You guys will figure it out. You've always been so close, I'm sure it's just the internships and everything."

You nodded, but inside, you weren't sure if it was that simple. The distance felt bigger than just a busy schedule, it felt like something was shifting, something you couldn't quite grasp.

▬▬▬

That night, you lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. The soft glow of your phone illuminated the room as you scrolled through old pictures of you and Bakugou. The two of you at the summer festival, laughing and teasing each other. The selfies he reluctantly let you take after one of your dates. The memories felt distant, like they belonged to someone else's life.

You hesitated, your finger hovering over his contact name in your phone. Should I call him? The question gnawed at you, but before you could decide, your phone buzzed.

It was Bakugou.

"We need to talk. Tomorrow."

The message was short, blunt, typical Bakugou. But it filled you with a mixture of relief and anxiety. Relief because you missed him, and anxiety because... what did he want to talk about?

You tried not to let your mind spiral, but the worry crept in anyway. What if he felt the same distance? What if he thought this wasn't working anymore?

▬▬▬

The next afternoon, you waited for him in the training grounds behind U.A., where he'd asked you to meet him. The cold breeze made you pull your jacket tighter around you as you paced nervously, trying to prepare yourself for whatever was about to happen.

Bakugou arrived a few minutes later, his usual intense expression softened by a tiredness you hadn't seen in him before. His eyes met yours, and for a moment, neither of you spoke.

Then he sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair. "We need to figure this out."

You swallowed, your heart pounding in your chest. "Yeah... we do."

He stepped closer, crossing his arms as if bracing himself for something difficult. "Look, I know we've both been busy, too busy. But this... whatever's been happening, it's not working."

You nodded, feeling a lump form in your throat. "I know. It's been hard. I barely see you anymore, and when I do, it's like... I don't know. We're both just exhausted."

Bakugou's jaw clenched, his frustration evident. "I hate it too. I didn't think it'd get this bad. But this hero crap, it takes everything out of me. Out of us."

There was a long pause as his words hung in the air. You knew he was right. This was the life you both had chosen, the life of a hero. But it came with sacrifices, ones that were starting to affect your relationship.

"I miss you," you finally whispered, your voice barely audible.

Bakugou's eyes softened, and he took a step closer, his usual harshness giving way to something more vulnerable. "I miss you too. A lot."

The honesty in his voice made your heart ache. You both stood there in the quiet of the training grounds, the wind rustling the leaves around you, but it felt like you were the only two people in the world.

"I don't want to drift apart," you said softly, looking up at him. "But it feels like we are."

Bakugou frowned, his eyes intense as he searched your face. "We won't. I'm not letting that happen. We're gonna make this work."

His words were so Bakugou, straightforward, determined, like everything could be solved with sheer willpower. And maybe it could. Maybe if you both tried harder, found time, even in the smallest moments, you could make it through this rough patch.

You took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. Let's figure it out."

Bakugou reached out and pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly. The weight of the past few weeks seemed to lift off your shoulders as you leaned into him, his familiar scent wavering through your nose, the warmth of his embrace reminding you of everything you'd missed.

Whatever challenges lay ahead, you knew one thing for certain: you and Bakugou weren't giving up on each other. Not now. Not ever.