The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating. The quiet hum of the car engine did nothing to ease the storm brewing inside me. My mind raced, tangled up in questions I didn't have answers to, emotions I couldn't untangle. It had been like this since I'd come face-to-face with Bakugo again. The memories—the fragments—were there, lurking just beneath the surface, but I couldn't reach them. It was like trying to grasp smoke.

But there was something between us. Something I couldn't ignore any longer.

I glanced over at Bakugo, his strong hands gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. He wasn't looking at me, but I could feel the tension radiating off him. His jaw was clenched, his eyes locked on the road ahead, but I knew him well enough now to recognize the unease. Bakugo wasn't the type to show weakness, but there was something in his silence that spoke louder than words.

I didn't know how to start this. I didn't even know what I wanted to ask, not really. But I needed to know. I needed answers. And Bakugo was the only one who could give them to me.

Me: Kacchan,....

 I started, the name slipping out before I could stop myself. It felt... right, but wrong at the same time. Like my mouth remembered something my brain didn't. Bakugo's grip on the wheel tightened for just a second, his eyes flickering to me, but he didn't respond. I swallowed, gathering the courage to keep going. 

Me: I need to know the truth.

His jaw twitched, but he kept his gaze forward. 

Bakugo: The truth about what, Deku?

Hearing that name again—Deku—hit me harder than I expected. It stirred something deep inside, a connection that I couldn't quite grasp. It wasn't just a nickname. It was more than that. It was a lifeline to the part of me that was missing.

I took a breath, trying to steady myself. 

Me: About... us. About what happened when we were kids.

Bakugo's expression didn't change, but I saw the flicker of something in his eyes. Pain. Guilt. He sighed, his voice quieter than I expected. 

Bakugo: What do you want to know, Deku?

Me: I don't remember, Kacchan,.......

 I admitted, my voice shaking slightly. 

Me: I don't remember you, or your family. I barely remember my own. But I know there's something between us. Something I can't shake. And it's driving me crazy not knowing what it is.

Bakugo's silence stretched out, and for a moment, I thought he wasn't going to answer. His eyes were still locked on the road, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his grip on the wheel had loosened slightly, like he was struggling to find the words.

Bakuo: You saved me,....When we were kids. You... you saved my life.

I blinked, my heart skipping a beat.

Me: I did?

Bakugo nodded, his eyes darkening with the weight of the memory. 

Bakugo: Yeah. There was a fire. I got trapped. And you—....

 He paused, like the memory was too painful to say out loud. 

Bakugo: You pulled me out. Got yourself hurt pretty bad doing it.

That sounded familiar. My mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of that day. I could remember the fire, the heat, the panic. I could remember feeling like I had to save someone. But the details were blurry. Everything after that was... blank.

Me: But that's not all, is it? There's more.....

Bakugo's jaw clenched again, and he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, his expression hardening. 

Bakugo: Yeah, there's more. After the fire, you were sent to live with a foster family since your mother saved us both back then.... but we couldn't save her. My family... we thought you'd be safe there.

The word safe hung in the air like a bitter joke. My chest tightened, and a bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. 

Me: Safe? You thought I'd be safe?

Bakugo flinched, but he didn't say anything. He didn't deny it. He just sat there, silent, and that silence spoke volumes. My hands curled into fists on my lap, the memories of that hellish house flooding back. The beatings. The cold, cruel words. The hands that wandered where they shouldn't.

I could feel my pulse in my ears, a dull throb of anger and pain. 

Me: I wasn't safe, Kacchan. I was anything but safe.

Bakugo: I know,....

 Bakugo muttered, his voice low and pained. 

Bakugo: I found out too late.

I turned to him, my heart hammering in my chest. 

Me: Why didn't you do anything? Why didn't anyone help me?

Bakugo's eyes finally met mine, and the raw emotion in them caught me off guard. 

Bakugo: Because I didn't fucking know, Deku!....

he snapped, but there was no anger in his voice—just guilt. 

Bakugo: I didn't know until you were already gone. My family... we didn't know what was happening to you. By the time we found out, you'd already run away.

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I could feel the tears burning behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. 

Me: You could've come for me,....You could've tried to find me.

Bakugo: I did,....I looked for you. But you were gone. You were so damn good at disappearing, Deku.

The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken pain. I wanted to be angry at him. I wanted to blame him for everything I went through. But I couldn't. Not when he looked at me like that. Not when I could see the guilt eating away at him.

Me: So that's it? I was just a mistake? A kid you lost track of?

Bakugo shook his head, his expression hardening. 

Bakugo: You were never a mistake, Deku. Not to me. You were...

 He trailed off, his eyes searching mine, trying to find the right words. 

Bakugo: You were everything. My best friend. My...

 He swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Bakugo: You were the only person who ever gave a shit about me.

His words took the air out of my lungs, leaving me speechless. I didn't know what to say, what to think. I had spent so long hating that part of my past, burying it so deep that I thought I'd never have to face it again. But now, hearing Bakugo say those words, it all came rushing back—the pain, the confusion, and the connection I couldn't deny.

Me: I just want to understand,.....I want to know why I feel this way. Why being around you makes me feel... connected...safe and.... secure. Like I belong here. Like we belong together.

Bakugo reached out, his hand resting on my arm, his touch warm and grounding. 

Bakugo: You do belong here, Deku. You always have. And I'm gonna make sure you never forget that again.