It’s dark. No, not dark—just... heavy. His eyelids feel like they’re made of stone, weighted down. Bakugo’s mind is slow to catch up, fragmented thoughts floating around like loose scraps. A dull pain throbs deep in his chest.

He’s somewhere warm. It’s strange, but the quiet here is peaceful. The sounds are muffled. As if the whole world is stuck in the background, distant, irrelevant. That’s when he realizes—there's a warmth beside him.

He’s been here before—lying, half-asleep, half-dreaming. It doesn’t take long for his senses to come back. That smell. The one that always calms him. The sound of breathing.

Then it clicks.

The memories flood him like a dam breaking. The final war. The chaos. The pain. The blood. His body in pieces, shattered more than he thought possible. How he tried to hang on to whatever scrap of life was left.

His body feels heavy, but there’s that presence by his side. That’s when his eyes finally open. It’s blurry at first, everything a haze, but then—then he sees it.

Him.

He doesn’t need to make a sound. His boyfriend, the person who’s been there from the start, the one who stood by him even when Bakugo didn't deserve it, is by his side.

Bakugo’s vision is still blurry, but he can make him out. Tears streak down his face, and his hand trembles as it holds Bakugo’s. His eyes are wide, the emotion on his face rawer that Bakugo has ever seen.

“I thought I lost you,” his boyfriend whispers, voice breaking.

Bakugo’s heart tightens. His body feels heavy. He opens his mouth, but the words come out painful, raspy.

“S’op… cryin’…,” he croaks.

His boyfriend wipes his eyes but the tears don’t stop. “I didn’t know if I’d see you again. After everything...”

Bakugo squeezes his hand, unable to move much more. He’s breathing hard, mind spinning.

His boyfriend clutches his hand tight. “I don’t ever want to lose you.”

Bakugo’s chest tightens, but he manages a, “Y’ not gettin’… rid o’ me… tha’ easy.”

And for once, Bakugo allows himself to believe it. They’ve made it through. Together.