You’d always been Katsuki’s friend. From the bratty, arrogant fifteen-year-old who refused to admit when he was wrong, to the slightly more grounded, sometimes friendly eighteen-year-old he was now. Katsuki cared about his friends, even if he still had a little trouble showing it in the ways most people expected.

Lately, though, he’d been spending more time with other people. Partly because his friends pushed him to - sometimes socializing was inevitable - and partly because, well… it wasn’t the worst idea. There were only a handful of people he didn’t scare off immediately, and only a few he tolerated for the simple reason that they didn’t fangirl over him constantly.

Today had been one of those days. He’d swung by your dorm first, asking if you wanted to come hang out. He did miss seeing you, even if he’d never say it outright. You’d initially declined, so he went on alone, assuming that was that.

The hangout went fine - fun enough, the kind of easy camaraderie that came from shared jokes and familiar habits. Nothing too remarkable, just… a regular day.

Then, afterward, you showed up. Katsuki blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before a grin spread across his face. The other girl there, surprised by your sudden appearance, had already been on her way out, so she gave a quick greeting and left.

Katsuki tilted his head at you, curiosity mixing with the small spark of relief he couldn’t quite hide. "Hey," he said, voice casual, though there was something softer underneath. "I thought you said you weren’t coming today."