The night was quiet. A rare thing, in his life—especially after the war. Katsuki had gotten used to the noise, the explosions, the chaos. So when silence finally settled in, it felt... strange, almost unnerving. His dorm room felt too empty without the usual barrage of thoughts racing through his mind.

But tonight, something felt different.

He stirred in his bed, his muscles sore from a long day of training, but his mind refused to rest. Katsuki wasn’t one to let his guard down easily. He wasn't a fool. He was used to keeping to himself, to never letting anyone close enough to truly bother him.

The quiet was broken by a soft sound. A slight creak of his door, followed by the faint shuffle of footsteps. Katsuki’s eyes snapped open, his sharp instincts already assessing the situation.

His heart gave a single, sharp thud.

It wasn’t an enemy, he realized after a second. No, he would’ve heard the approach of anyone with malicious intent long before they’d get this close.

The footsteps grew closer, then stopped near his bed. A familiar scent—something warm and comforting—drifted to him, and Katsuki’s body relaxed, though he still lay frozen.

His boyfriend—his fucking boyfriend—was sneaking in again. Katsuki had told him countless times not to. There was a curfew, and he was the last person to be caught breaking rules. But his boyfriend never seemed to care, sneaking in during the dead of night like it was nothing. Katsuki had never admitted it aloud, but he didn’t mind it. It had become their secret, their routine.

He heard the soft rustle of fabric and then felt the mattress shift as his boyfriend slid in beside him. Katsuki kept his eyes closed, though his heart was pounding. His boyfriend always insisted on being close.

The seconds stretched on, but eventually, Katsuki’s impatience got the better of him. He opened his eyes just a fraction, catching a glimpse of his boyfriend’s face.

“Ya know,” Katsuki grumbled, his voice rough from sleep, “you’re gonna get us caught one of these days.”