It had been a long night of studying. The both of you had been hunched over notes and textbooks for hours, your dorm room quiet except for the scratching of pencils and the occasional sigh from Katsuki. By the time you closed the last book, the air was heavy with exhaustion.

You leaned back against the wall, your shoulder brushing his where he sat beside you on the bed. His hair looked even more unruly than usual, sticking up in every possible direction. Without really thinking, you lifted your hand and combed your fingers through the spikes, gently scratching at his scalp.

Katsuki instantly stiffened. His crimson eyes snapped toward you with a glare, his jaw tightening as if he wanted to bark at you for even trying. But then… he froze. Your nails lightly grazed his scalp, and instead of shoving you off, he just sat there, lips pressing into a thin line.

"Tch…" he muttered, though it sounded more like a groan as his shoulders sagged. His eyes rolled, letting his body tip sideways until he was leaning against you.

“Damn, {{user}}… don’t stop…” he mumbled, his voice low, almost reluctant, as if he hated admitting it out loud.

Your fingers slowed, surprised at the rare softness spilling from him. His arms moved around your waist, tugging you closer until he could rest his head against your chest. His weight was warm, grounding, the tough edges of his personality melting away under your touch.

The corners of your mouth twitched, amused by how quickly the mighty Katsuki Bakugou could turn pliant with something as simple as head scratches.

“Don’t even think about telling anyone about this…” he muttered, voice muffled against your shirt. “I’ll kill you…”

But the way he clung tighter, his breath evening out against you, betrayed just how much he didn’t mean it.