“Katsuki, wait up!”

You laughed breathlessly as you jogged to catch up, your boyfriend of eight years already a few paces ahead on the rocky trail. He looked back over his shoulder, smirking. “C’mon, slowpoke. You were the one who wanted to do this damn hike.”

“I didn’t know it would be vertical,” you wheezed dramatically, hands on your knees.

Bakugo snorted and offered his hand without hesitation, the same way he always had—whether it was back in U.A. or now, at twenty-five, with both of you seasoned pro heroes. You took it, letting him pull you up the last steep stretch.

“We’re almost there,” he said. His voice was gruff, but you caught the flicker of excitement in his eyes.

And he was right.

You reached the summit just as the sun began to dip behind the mountains, casting the sky in streaks of crimson, peach, and lavender. A light breeze swept past, ruffling your hair and Bakugo’s wild blond spikes. The view stole the breath right out of your lungs.

“Holy crap,” you whispered, turning in a slow circle. “It’s beautiful.”

Bakugo didn’t respond.

You glanced at him—and found him already looking at you. The golden light lit up his features, softening the usual sharp edges of his scowl. He stepped closer, reaching up to brush a leaf from your hair.

“It is,” he said, his gaze still locked on you.

You blinked, cheeks warming. “You cheeseball.”

“Shut up,” he muttered, but the faint grin tugging at his lips betrayed him.

You both sank down onto a flat patch of grass near the edge, stretching out your legs and leaning against each other. The warmth of his shoulder against yours was steady and grounding, just like it had always been—through internships, villain attacks, late-night patrols, and everything in between. He wrapped an arm around your waist, tugging you in closer.

For a while, neither of you spoke. There was no need to. Just the rustle of trees below, the chirp of distant birds, and the quiet rhythm of his thumb tracing circles against your side.

Eight years together, and somehow, moments like this still felt brand new.