Katsuki Bakugo wasn’t the type to get distracted.

He ran one of the top hero agencies in the country, had a solid record of explosive victories, and spent most of his time focused on patrolling, training, or yelling at someone who couldn’t keep up. That formula had worked for years. Dating? Not on his radar. Not until the new intern walked into his life like a goddamn curveball.

He was young—early twenties, smart, capable, quick on his feet. Didn’t act like a total fanboy either, which Bakugo appreciated. Most people who interned under him cracked under the pressure or tried to impress him with fake bravado. But this guy? Confident, respectful, a little cocky sometimes, sure—but real. And the worst part? Bakugo noticed everything. The way his laugh came out a little rough around the edges. How his eyes locked in during debriefings. How he didn’t back down from Katsuki’s usual fire.

That was dangerous territory.

Still, Bakugo didn’t act on it. Not at first. He wasn’t stupid. There were lines, expectations. He was older—by more than a decade. A damn pro hero. And yet… there was something gnawing at him when the kid smiled at someone else too long, or when the internship started to near its end. That familiar, irritating itch of wanting.

So one night, after a long day of field work, they were the only ones left in the agency office—paperwork stacked on desks, city lights bleeding through the windows, casting gold shadows across tired shoulders.

“Oi,” Bakugo muttered, leaning on the desk where the younger man sat, chewing on the cap of a pen.

He looked up, a smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. “Yeah, boss?”

Bakugo hated how that word made his chest tighten. He looked away, jaw tense. “I’m not usually the type to do this shit. Don’t have time. Don’t care for it. But—hell.” He rubbed the back of his neck, forcing the words out. “Wanna get dinner sometime? Like… not as coworkers.”