Chapter 52 - First Kiss

Mina clapped her hands together with so much enthusiasm it practically echoed off the walls. "Okay, okay! First spin—Yuuki goes first!" she announced, pointing dramatically at the shy girl sitting beside Bakugo.

Yuuki jolted like someone had poked her with a needle. "W-Why me?! Why do I have to go first?" she whined, her cheeks burning as everyone in the circle turned to look at her with wide, expectant eyes.

"Because you're adorable when you're nervous," Mina teased, scooting closer to her with a grin. "And because it'll be fun!"

Uraraka nodded with a gentle but deeply persuasive smile. "Just one spin! You don't have to do anything you don't want to. We promise."

Yuuki swallowed, her fingers tightening around the hem of her pastel sweater. A dozen eyes were staring at her, waiting. Her heart thudded so loudly it felt like the whole room could hear it. Bakugo was right beside her, sitting cross-legged, one knee bouncing impatiently, arms crossed like he didn't care—but the slight tilt of his head toward her made it painfully obvious he was paying attention to every single breath she took.

Finally—after one more tiny whimper—Yuuki leaned forward and took the neck of the bottle between shaky fingers. Her entire body trembled as she placed it down on the floor in the middle of the circle.

"Alright..." she whispered, taking a deep breath.

The room fell completely silent, tension buzzing like electricity in the air. She gave the bottle a nervous little twist—

It spun. And spun. And spun.

Everyone leaned in. Kaminari held his breath. Sero covered his mouth. Mina was already squeezing Uraraka's arm in anticipation.

The bottle slowed... its wobbling turning into a soft glide...

Then it clicked to a stop. Pointing directly at Bakugo.

The room exploded.

"OH MY GOD—NO WAY!" Mina shrieked, bouncing up and down.

"Kiss him! Kiss him!" Jirou chanted instantly.

"Smooch! Smooch! Smooch!" Sero added.

Even Todoroki blinked with mild surprise. "Statistically unsurprising but still interesting."

Uraraka covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with excitement. "Yuuki... it landed on him..."

Yuuki stared at the bottle, her eyes huge, her face a brilliant shade of red that could rival Bakugo's explosions. She slowly turned her head toward him, and Bakugo raised an eyebrow, smug and waiting.

"You gotta kiss him!" Mina said, practically vibrating.

Yuuki shook her head so fast her hair bounced. "I—I can't! No! No no no, I can't do that! Not in front of everyone!"

A loud chorus of disappointed groans broke out. Mineta literally fell backward in despair. Kaminari flopped over dramatically.

"What?! Come onnnn!"

"BOOOO!"

"Lame!"

Before they could get more obnoxious, Bakugo snapped.

"HEY! ALL OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!"

The room instantly quieted, everyone freezing in place like kids caught misbehaving.

He shifted closer to Yuuki, his voice dropping into something sharp but protective. "She doesn't wanna kiss me in front of you extras, then she doesn't have to. Got it?"

Yuuki blinked, stunned, her blush deepening at the sudden defense.

Mina huffed. "Fine... but that was supposed to be the fun part!"

Bakugo ignored her, turning fully toward Yuuki now. His scarlet eyes softened just a fraction—barely visible to anyone except her. Then he smirked, leaning his elbow on his knee.

"Alright," he said in a low rumble, "you don't wanna kiss me? Then I'm giving you a dare instead."

Yuuki looked up nervously. "A... a dare?"

Bakugo nodded. "Yeah. Your dare is to pick the next person to spin the bottle."

Yuuki exhaled in relief, shoulders slumping. "O-Okay... that's fine..."

But Bakugo wasn't done.

He leaned closer, his voice dropping just for her, a teasing edge curling into every word.

"But let me make one thing clear."

Yuuki swallowed. The rest of the class leaned in.

Bakugo's smirk widened, smug and confident and absolutely trouble.

"When I spin that bottle..." he said slowly, his eyes locked with hers, "and it lands on you? All bets are off."

Yuuki froze.

Mina gasped dramatically.

Kirishima's jaw dropped.

Midoriya whispered, "K-Kacchan..."

Bakugo finished casually, "And I'm kissing you. No complaints."

Yuuki made a tiny squeak, burying her face in her hands as the room erupted again—this time even louder—with chaos, teasing, cheering, and delighted shrieks.

Spins went around again and again—Kaminari kissed Jirou on the cheek, Mina tackled Kirishima with glittery enthusiasm, Uraraka shyly pecked Midoriya's face, leaving him redder than humanly possible. Laughter filled the whole common room, snacks were spilled, pillows were tossed, and the atmosphere felt warm and alive.

But through all the noise, Bakugo kept glancing at Yuuki.

She sat rigidly beside him, hands in her lap, her cheeks still faintly pink, every spin making her squirm like she was sitting in the world's hottest spotlight. Every time someone else spun, Bakugo's foot tapped impatiently. Every time someone else had to kiss someone, the corner of his mouth twitched with annoyance.

Finally, it was his turn.

He rolled his shoulders back, placed a steady hand on the bottle, and spun it with confident force. The bottle whirled wildly—fast, sharp, decisive—like even it was afraid not to listen to him. Conversations stopped mid-word. Everyone leaned in with open anticipation.

Yuuki held her breath.

The bottle slowed... slowed... slowed... And then stopped pointing straight at her.

For a heartbeat, no one reacted. It was silent enough to hear the bottle's neck settle on the floor.

Then Mina shrieked so loudly Kaminari fell backward.

"Ohhhh my GOSH, he's kissing her! He's actually—"

But Yuuki didn't wait.

Her entire face ignited, and in a panicked, high-pitched squeak, she jumped to her feet. "N-NOPE! I... I can't— I'm not ready—!!"

And she ran. Or tried to.

She barely made it three steps before a loud crackling burst of heat exploded behind her. Bakugo shot forward with a small blast from his quirk, landing directly in front of her like he'd teleported. His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist, pulling her toward him in one smooth, unstoppable motion.

Yuuki gasped as Bakugo spun her around, catching her easily in his arms. Her heart pounded wildly, her hands pressed against his chest as she stared up at him with huge, panicked, shimmering eyes.

"B-Bakugo, wait—!"

"I ain't waiting," he said, voice low, rough, certain.

Then he kissed her.

Full, passionate, without hesitation—his lips pressing firmly to hers as though he'd been waiting for this exact moment for weeks. Yuuki froze completely, her breath stolen, her knees wobbling so hard she nearly collapsed if he hadn't been holding her so tightly.

The room erupted.

Screams. Cheers. Someone fell off the couch. Mina cried real tears. Kaminari's voice cracked from yelling. Kirishima was shouting "BROOOO!" while Midoriya looked like he might faint right along with Yuuki. Todoroki blinked twice, impressed.

But Bakugo didn't care.

He deepened the kiss just slightly before finally pulling back, breathing softly against her lips, his forehead nearly touching hers. Yuuki looked stunned—utterly, completely overwhelmed—her entire face burning bright red.

Then her eyes rolled back. And she fainted straight into Bakugo's arms.

He caught her instantly, swearing under his breath but holding her carefully, protectively, like she was made of glass. The class was still shrieking, Mina losing her mind on the floor.

"BAKUGOOO! YOU BROKE HER!"

Bakugo glared at everyone, though his ears were pink. "I didn't break her! She's just dramatic!"

Yuuki remained unconscious, limp in his arms, her bunny pajamas soft and pastel against his black shirt, her hair falling over her face, her expression peaceful and overheated.

And Bakugo, looking at her with a wild mix of pride and embarrassment, muttered under his breath: "Tch... figures she'd pass out from a kiss."

•••

Yuuki blinked herself awake slowly, her lashes fluttering in tiny, disoriented tremors. At first everything felt heavy and warm—her blanket tucked around her, her stuffed bunny pressed against her chest, her body still buzzing faintly from the emotional overload that had knocked her out. Her mind felt foggy, as if she'd been dreaming of fireworks and shouting and someone's arms wrapped very tightly around her...

Then her vision steadied.

And she froze.

Bakugo was sitting right beside her on the edge of her bed—arms crossed, gaze locked onto her with that intense crimson stare. He looked like he'd been there for a while. Maybe the entire time. His foot tapped once, impatiently, but his posture betrayed something different: tension, worry, and irritation all mixed together in that uniquely Bakugo blend that only Yuuki seemed to bring out of him.

Yuuki's eyes grew wide, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink as she realized what had happened. Her voice came out in a whisper, small and shaky. "Um... w-what... happened...?"

Bakugo immediately leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "What happened," he said, tone low and rough, "is that you fainted. Because of a kiss. My kiss."

Yuuki pulled her blanket higher, hiding half her face, and let out a tiny squeak. She wished the bed would swallow her whole. Her legs curled instinctively toward her chest, bunny still clutched tightly in her arms. "I-I didn't mean to! I just... and then... I got hot... and dizzy, and—"

Bakugo cut her off with a sharp glare, but not a cruel one—more like he was trying (and failing) not to let his concern show. "You scared the hell outta me," he muttered. "One second you were kissing me back, the next you're dropping like a damn rock. I had to carry your dumb, flustered ass all the way here."

Yuuki covered her face completely. "Oh no... everyone saw, didn't they?"

Bakugo's jaw clenched. "Yeah. And they wouldn't shut up about it. Mina was practically vibrating. Kaminari almost passed out laughing. And Dunce-Face Mineta—" Bakugo's eyebrow twitched dangerously, "—said he was jealous, which means I might blast him into orbit tomorrow."

Yuuki let out another quiet, embarrassed whimper.

Bakugo watched her for a moment. Even with her face hidden, he could see the tips of her ears burning pink. He sighed—a long, irritated, defeated breath—and then reached out, tugging the blanket gently away from her face just enough for her eyes to peek through.

"Hey," he said, voice softer than before. "Look at me."

Yuuki hesitated, then finally peeked up at him, her expression shy and vulnerable.

Bakugo held her gaze for a long, steady moment. "I'm not mad you fainted. I'm not mad you ran. And I'm not mad you get all flustered. That's just... you." His eyes softened almost imperceptibly. "And I like you. A lot. So get used to it."

Yuuki's face turned bright red again, but this time she didn't hide. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something—but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she whispered, "You... stayed with me?"

Bakugo snorted. "Of course I stayed. I wasn't gonna leave you alone after that. Someone had to make sure you didn't stop breathing from embarrassment."

Yuuki let out a tiny, mortified squeak again—but a small, shy smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

Bakugo shifted closer, resting a hand lightly on her blanket-covered knee. "You feeling okay now? No dizziness? No more fainting crap?"

She shook her head quickly. "I'm okay. Just... still really flustered."

Bakugo smirked, leaning back slightly with a triumphant look. "Good. Means my kiss worked."

Yuuki fell backward onto her pillow with a dramatic little groan, hiding her face with her bunny again.

Bakugo chuckled under his breath.

Bakugo leaned in slightly, his gaze locked onto hers with a heat that made her heart stutter. His voice dropped to something low, gravelly, intimate—something meant for her alone. "Oi. Look at me."

Yuuki swallowed hard, her lashes trembling.Bakugo smirked faintly. "Let's try that kiss one more time."

Yuuki's breath caught. Her cheeks flushing a deep pink that spread all the way to the tips of her ears. She opened her mouth—maybe to protest, maybe to squeak out something flustered—but she didn't get the chance.

Bakugo leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

It was nothing like the intense, sudden kiss during the game. This one was soft—slow, almost unbearably gentle, as if he was giving her the chance to pull away if she wanted to. Yuuki didn't pull away. Instead, she melted into it, her eyes fluttering shut as her hands loosened around her bunny and drifted upward, lightly clutching Bakugo's shirt.

Bakugo shifted closer, one hand sliding to her waist, the other bracing beside her on the bed as he deepened the kiss by just a fraction—still careful, still controlled. Yuuki felt her entire body warm from the inside out, her heart racing in a rhythm that made her feel dizzy, but not in the fainting way. More like she finally understood why everyone talked about kissing like it was some kind of magic.

When she kissed him back—shy and hesitant but undeniably there—it ignited something in him. Bakugo let out a quiet, barely-there growl of satisfaction and deepened the kiss again, his lips moving against hers with a confidence and heat that made Yuuki gasp softly.

She didn't faint this time.

Her fingers slid higher, curling around the fabric at his shoulders as Bakugo shifted one knee onto the bed for better balance, his body angled over hers but careful not to crowd her. His lips moved with more intensity now, each kiss growing warmer, more insistent, but still... gentle. Still mindful. Still him holding back for her.

When they finally parted—not because she pulled away but because Bakugo forced himself to—Yuuki's breath was shaky, her cheeks burning, her eyes glassy with emotion she didn't know how to hide. Bakugo stared at her chest rising and falling, then at her flushed face, and he smirked with a softness few ever got to see.

"See?" he murmured, brushing his thumb lightly along her lower lip. "Didn't even pass out this time."

Yuuki hid half her face with her hands, but she couldn't stop the tiny smile that tugged at her lips.