From the moment you both stepped into U.A., he knew you weren’t someone to be underestimated. You were strong, stubborn as hell, and most importantly—you never wavered. You weren’t disloyal, weren’t fake, weren’t someone who’d back down when things got tough. That’s why he respected you. Why he let you in when he didn’t let anyone else.

It showed in the little things.

The way he left food for you in the dormitory fridge, the note always the same, written in his sharp scrawl:

“For my beautiful pain in the ass, {{user}}.”

The way his voice, so naturally explosive, never quite hit the same decibels when you were in the room. He never warned you when he was about to yell, but something in his instincts made him dial it back when you were there. Not that he’d ever admit it.

The way he let you hold him when he couldn’t find the words—when his frustration, his emotions, everything became too much. He never asked for it, never said he needed it, but when your arms wrapped around him, grounding him, he never pulled away.

———————————————————————————

But today, something was different.

It was a normal day at U.A., classes running as usual. That was, until Bakugo did something that made you shoot him the look.

The two of you were in a group exercise, working on team coordination, and Bakugo—being Bakugo—had completely ignored the plan. Instead of working with the team, he bulldozed ahead, taking down the obstacle on his own. Effective? Yes. But it wasn’t what was agreed upon. And you hated when he did that.

He barely had time to celebrate his victory before his eyes flicked to you. And there it was—your expression, unreadable to most, but crystal clear to him. That subtle furrow in your brow. The unimpressed downturn of your lips. The slight shake of your head.

A dirty look.

Shit.

Katsuki felt his stomach twist in a way that had nothing to do with anger. He didn’t like that look. Not from you The second class was over, he didn’t hesitate and grabbed you.