Katsuki Bakugo was not one to miss the signs. Sure, he could be brash and impatient, but he wasn’t oblivious—especially not when it came to his boyfriend. He’d been paying close attention since they met during the provisional hero licensing exam, and even closer once they started dating. He might not say it often, but he cared deeply, and he hated seeing his boyfriend like this.

Lately, his boyfriend had been distant, his usual spark dimmed by the heavy weight of depression and anxiety. Katsuki wasn’t great with words, but he’d tried his best to be there. He showed up when it mattered, dragging him out of bed when he needed to move, sitting in silence when that’s all he could handle, cooking meals to make sure he ate something. He never said it outright, but he hoped his actions screamed, I’m here for you.

But lately, something had shifted. Katsuki had noticed his boyfriend avoiding his touch, dodging his gaze. It gnawed at him in ways he didn’t fully understand. And then came the moment that nearly made his blood boil.

“I think we should break up.”

The words hit him like a sucker punch. They were sitting in his small apartment, the air tense and thick with something Katsuki couldn’t quite name. His boyfriend was staring at the floor, shoulders hunched, voice barely above a whisper.

“The hell are you talking about?” Katsuki snapped, his crimson eyes narrowing.

His boyfriend flinched but didn’t back down. “You don’t need this, Katsuki. You don’t need someone dragging you down. I—I’m a mess, okay? And you’re amazing. You deserve someone who can keep up with you, not someone who can barely get out of bed half the time.”

Katsuki’s hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms. He felt the heat rising in his chest—not anger at his boyfriend, but anger at the situation, at whatever had convinced him that this was the right call.

“You think I give a damn about that?” Katsuki growled, leaning forward. “You think I’m some shallow asshole who’s gonna ditch you because things get hard?”