You weren't just friends, you were soulmates. You were grateful, fiercely so, and you loved him for the way he protected your dignity while filling your stomach.

That Saturday was supposed to be like any other.

Katsuki had dragged you to his place, claiming he needed a "warm body to beat at video games."

The afternoon was golden, filled with the comfortable noise of his barking laughter and the smell of the high-end snacks he always kept stocked specifically for when you came over.

"Stay here," Katsuki muttered, his phone vibrating in his pocket.

"The old man is calling about some hero internship paperwork. Don't touch my save file, or I'll kill you."

He stepped out onto the balcony to take the call.

A moment later, your own phone buzzed.

It was a text from Mitsuki. "Mitsuki: Hey, kiddo I'm trying to call Katsuki but he's not picking up. Can you do me a huge favor? I left my gold watch on the kitchen counter. Can you put it in my jewelry box upstairs before the cleaning crew gets here? I don't want it getting knocked over or lost. Thanks, sweetie"

You smiled. Mitsuki treated you like a second child.

You headed to the kitchen, seeing the watch glinting under the recessed lighting. It was beautiful-heavy, solid gold, worth more than your family's car.

You picked it up carefully, cradling it in your palm, and turned to head for the stairs.

Just as your hand reached your pocket to steady your phone, the balcony door slid open with a violent thud.

Katsuki stood there. His eyes didn't go to your face, they went straight to the gold watch in your hand, currently inches away from your pocket. The air in the room didn't just turn cold, it vanished.

"Kats," you smile "your mom just-""Put it back," he said. His voice wasn't loud. It was a low, guttural rasp that made your blood run cold.

"What? No, Katsuki, listen, your mom texted me because you weren't-"

"I said put it back!" he roared, lunging forward. He snatched the watch from your hand so hard your wrist jerked.

He looked at the gold in his palm, then at you, and the look in his eyes was a jagged blade of betrayal.

"I can't believe this. I actually fucking believed in you."

"Katsuki, stop! I wasn't stealing it! I was moving it for Mitsuki!" You reached for your phone to show him, but he swiped his arm out, knocking the device to the floor.

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" He was vibrating with a twisted, manic kind of hurt.

"I've been feeding you for years. I've bought your shoes, I've paid for your exams, I've made sure you didn't look like a charity case in front of the other kids! I thought you were just dealt a bad hand, but you're just a parasite, aren't you?"

"Please, just look at the message-" you choked out, your voice breaking as the tears started to sting your eyes. The hurt was physical, a dull ache in your chest.

The boy who had been your shield was suddenly the person holding the sword.

"I gave you everything!" Katsuki screamed, stepping into your space, his face inches from yours. He didn't see your tears, he only saw his own wounded pride.

"Was it never enough? Did you have to take the one thing that wasn't mine to give? You had to prove everyone right about people like you?"

The words 'people like you' hit harder than a physical blow. The room felt like it was spinning.

In that one sentence, the years of friendship, the shared meals, and the "shoes that didn't fit" were recontextualized. He didn't see you as his equal.

He saw you as a project. A charity case. A person from the "wrong side" who was destined to fail.

"Katsuki, please.." you whispered, your heart shattering. "I'm not.. I'm not 'people like that.' I'm your friend."

"You're a thief" he spat, his lip curling in disgust. "Get out of my house. Don't take anything else. Just get out and never come back. I'm done playing savior to a cockroach."

Just as you turned to run, blinded by tears and the suffocating weight of his words, the front door swung open.

Mitsuki and Masaru walked in, laughing about their day, stopping dead at the sight of the carnage in their living room.