chapter 7: forced proximity
synopsis || the world has some interesting people, and y/n was made clear of that when she was assigned to aid the upcoming hero, dynamight, as her final project in order to complete her nursing degree. when katsuki bakugo and y/n are forced to become companions for the next few weeks, there’s no telling where this could go.
notes: MY LONGEST CHAPTER YETTT so get comfy. my personal fav as of rn 🙂↕️
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9:00 AM: hero commissions evaluation meeting.
you hated things like this.
the meeting room was too white and too clean, the type of clean that makes you feel like everything around you isn’t real. the white, bright lights shined down on you as your leg jittered with the nerves you tried to push down. the only sound that could be heard was the hum of the air conditioner, the silence in the room deafening despite there being three people in it.
you sat in the chair opposite the hero commission officer, your posture straight, your folder holding the personal copy of the reports you and bakugo had worked on for this meeting sitting perfectly aligned in front of you. you’d done everything right. you always did.
bakugo leaned against the back wall, arms crossed as he proceeded to say nothing. he had been required to attend the meeting as he was your hero partner, but so far, he had barely looked up and didn’t even give you a glance.
the officer adjusted his glasses. “miss l/n, your academic record is exceptional. you’ve been consistently ranked in the top percentile of your cohort, seeming to be third this year.”
you straightened slightly, a small smile forming on your face that you had to push down. “thank you, sir.”
“however,” he continued, “academics are only part of this review. fieldwork, especially at the level you’re working at, introduces factors that no amount of classroom excellence can compensate for.”
you nodded once, trying to stay composed. “i understand, sir. though, i feel the need to point out that my last three missions have all been marked as successful by my supervising heroes, along with my partner.”
“successful,” he repeated as if he were trying to process the word. “yes, in that no casualties were reported. but in terms of efficiency…” he turned the page, scanning something you couldn’t see. “there are notes about delayed on-site response times. hesitation under pressure.”
your pulse quickened at his words, but you kept a calm composure. “with all due respect, those delays were due to things that were out of my control. i was operating without assistance and i had to work around a situation that was completely unplanned for—“
he held up a hand, cutting you off. “miss l/n. please. i’m not questioning your efforts. but the reality is that our medics need to react instinctively. especially when paired with high-ranking, experienced heroes on the level of dynamight.”
you heard that slip of tone that pretended to be formal and peaceful, that small emphasis.
“and what does that mean exactly?” you asked, your voice weary as you looked at him with slightly furrowed brows.
he let out a deep sigh before his eyes finally lifted to meet yours. “you’re quirkless, are you not?”
your breath hitched, the air tightening around you. “i am,” you replied.
“then you must understand how that restricts your efficiency under live combat conditions,” he continued smoothly, as if there was nothing wrong with what he was saying. “our heroes need medics who can react on instinct, who can defend themselves if the situation escelates further than expected. it’s more than. just intelligence, it’s about capability.”
you felt your jaw tighten as he continued to speak. you couldn’t believe this was an actual conversation. “once again, with all respect, i’ve handled live extraction s and high-risk stabilizations without incident. my field record’s clean.”
he gave you a smile that felt everything but genuine. “yes. but those missions were under supervision, were they not? your success exists in controlled circumstances. in chaos, your lack of—enhancements could compromise more than just yourself.”
you froze. “you’re saying i’m a liability?”
“i’m saying,” he replied, voice dropping to a softness that felt purely condescending, “you can only go so far without what others were born with, and in this field, that’s something that you’ll need to face reality with sooner or later.”
you stared at him, your eyes wide with pure shock and anger as you tried to process the words coming out of the man’s mouth. your mouth went agape, as if you were trying to say something, but before you could even come up with your own thoughts, a forgotten voice cut through.
“you’re outta line,” bakugo spoke flatly, approaching the table from the wall he was resting on.
the officer blinked, his attention immediately turning to the hero. “excuse me?”
he leaned forward, elbows on the table as he stared at the officer. “she’s top three because she earned it. she’s on the field cause she earned that too. you don’t get to sit here and act like her being quirkiness means she doesn’t deserve to be when she’s proven herself plenty of times.”
the officer straightened, it was clear he wasn’t used to being called out and put on the spot like this. “dynamight, this discussion concerns her suitability—“
“yeah, and i’m telling you she’s more damn suitable than half the medical idiots you send out there with me that are certified and have quirks.” his voice didn’t rise, but the tension could be felt from even outside the room. “i built that damn report, and i’ve seen the shit she’s been able to pull off without any help or powers to back her up. and she did it without complaining once.”
the officer’s composure faltered at his words. “this isn’t about heroics—“
“no, it’s about you sitting in that chair deciding who’s worth respect.” bakugo’s tone dropped low. “you don’t know shit about what it takes to keep going when the world tells you you’re not built for it. if that report is approved by our supervising heroes and me, than that’s enough for you to clear her to continue.”
the officer stared at him for a moment, as if he was trying to collect himself before clearing his throat stiffly. “i think we’re done here.”
“yeah, we are,” bakugo muttered.
the moment the approval forms were signed and the meeting ended, you walked out of the room before anyone could say anything else, your folder clutched in your hand so tight that the edges dug into your palm.
the hallway was too bright and too quiet. your heartbeat echoed in your ears. you didn’t look back, but you could hear his voice call out to you from behind.
you didn’t stop, slightly increasing your speed as you kept walking forward. “don’t.”
he caught up to you in a few strides, grabbing your wrist just enough to make you stop. “the hell’s your problem?”
you turned around, ripping your arm away from his grip. “my problem? you just exploded in a commissions meeting!”
“cause he was spewing crap!”
“so what, you think saying the shit you did fixes it?” you snapped. “you think that helps me? now i look like i needed you to come save me!”
his eyes widened slightly, he hadn’t thought about it that way. he cursed under his breath, “look… that’s not what i was trying to do, i—“
“what? was that you supposed to be your attempt at defending me?’ you interrupted. “funny, coming from the guy who said i didn’t belong out there not even a week ago.”
his jaw flexed as his breath hitched. “that’s different.”
“no, it’s not. you and him are the exact same actually. you both look at me and see what i can’t do. you just hide it better.”
he took a small step forward, his voice frusturated. “i don’t—fucking hell, i don’t think that—“
“oh really? so you just completely changed over a few nights?” you shot back. “so was that back there guilt?”
he froze at your words, and just for a second, you saw it, a flicker of something his his face that almost looked like shame.
you laughed, bitter and quiet. “right. that’s what i thought,”
“you’re twisting it,” he muttered, but his voice had no bite.
“no,” you said, shaking your head. “i’m just seeing who you really are. you can’t stand the idea that you might’ve been wrong about me.”
he opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
you stepped back, your voice soft yet sharp. “figure yourself out without making me look like an idiot.”
you turned and walked away, but this time, he didn’t follow, standing right where you left him.
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