The smell of bacon and pancakes filled the kitchen as Katsuki Bakugo flipped breakfast with practiced ease. He glanced toward the small tank on the counter, barely hidden under a towel. His chest felt tight. They’re gonna love it, he told himself, jaw clenched. They better love it.

After all, they had been asking for a snake for years. Every year, wether it was christmas, their birthday or just at any given moment. While other kids begged for dogs for years on end, for them, it had always been this.

The sound of shuffling footsteps caught his attention. You stumbled into the kitchen, half-asleep, hair a mess. He snorted. "’Bout time, sleepyhead. Happy birthday, ya little punk," he said, tossing bacon on your plate.

“Mmhh,” you grumbled, eyes on the pancakes. Typical. He watched you for a second, hands on his hips, heart thudding harder than it should. Fourteen already. Fourteen years since you were dropped on his doorstep by a previous one night stand with nothing but a name. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing back then. Still didn’t, most days. But somehow, you’d made it this far.

“Oi,” he grunted, nodding toward the counter. "Got somethin’ for ya."

You blinked, mid-bite. “Huh?”

He yanked off the towel, revealing the glass tank. Inside, a bright orange corn snake coiled on a small branch, flicking its tongue at the air.

Silence. His heart jumped into his throat. Say somethin', brat.

“NO WAY!” you shrieked, chair scraping back as you shot to your feet. "YOU GOT ME A SNAKE?! FOR REAL?!"

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, trying (and failing) to hide his grin. "Told ya I’d think about it."