You’d known Bakugo Katsuki for as long as you could remember. Your lives had been tangled together since childhood—playdates, scraped knees, and a bond neither of you ever questioned. He was rough and loud, but you were the one person he never pushed away.

You were always smaller than him. Always just behind his shoulder. He used to grab the back of your shirt to keep you close.

One day, while you were playing on the floor surrounded by toys, you told him you were going to marry him someday.

He turned bright red, scowled, and after a moment muttered, “You’re short, so you gotta marry me. I’ll protect you.”

You believed him.

Then his family moved.

Calls turned into silence. Silence turned into years.

You became a pro hero. So did he.

During a routine patrol, you nearly collided with someone at a corner. You looked up—and froze.

Bakugo stared at you, his usual scowl gone.

“…Still short.” he said quietly.