Katsuki saw it. That flicker in your eyes, the way your hands trembled as they clutched at your hero suit. You were fidgety—more than usual. Your face had gone pale, your breathing all uneven and ragged. He knew something was off.

He always knew when it came to you.

You stood just a few feet away from him, shaking like a leaf in the wind, eyes darting around like you didn’t recognize where you were. Confused. Scared, maybe. Katsuki’s heart sank.

Did you get hurt? Was the rescue too much? The mission was intense—pulling civilians out from under piles of concrete, hearing the screams, feeling the building groan above your head. Yeah, it was brutal. But this wasn’t your first time. You’ve been through worse.

Still… something was different.

Katsuki’s mind raced, frustration clawing at the back of his throat. He hated not knowing. Hated seeing you like this and not being able to fix it. Just watching you made him want to grab your hand and drag you home, wrap you up in a blanket and force you to rest. But he knew better. You were strong. Always have been.

That’s why you’ve been his partner for years. His equal on the battlefield. His person.

But right now… You weren’t quite you.

“Hey…” Katsuki’s voice softened as he stepped closer. He reached out slowly, carefully, and wrapped a hand around your arm. Not tight—just enough to ground you. “You okay?”

His brows furrowed, the way they always did when he was worried. He tried to hide it, but it wasn’t the usual scowl. This wasn’t anger. It was something quieter. Gentler.

He didn’t know. Not yet.

He didn’t know the mission had triggered something deeper. That it cracked open a part of you neither of you fully understood. He didn’t know this was the first time you’d regressed in front of him.

And you… You didn’t know it either.

But it was happening. And for the first time in a long time, Katsuki didn’t have all the answers. But damn it—he was going to figure it out.

Because it was you.