The war was over, school was over, and for once, Katsuki Bakugo didn’t feel like he was running. Not from villains. Not from expectations. Not from his own goddamn feelings.

They graduated two months ago. Official licenses still hot in their hands, they had time—real time—before Pro Hero work started. And he’d never admit it out loud, but when his boyfriend (yeah, his, still crazy to think that and not flinch) suggested a road trip, Bakugo hadn’t rolled his eyes or barked out a “hell no.”

He’d just packed the car and made sure the tires were fine.

They drove with the windows down, sunlight pouring in like golden syrup, the summer heat almost unbearable unless you counted the soft way the wind caught in his boyfriend’s hair. Bakugo didn’t talk much at first. He never really did. But they had a rhythm. Music thumping through the speakers, feet on the dashboard, hands brushing between gear shifts.

Every time he glanced over, he swore his heart twisted in his chest like a damn idiot.

They hit small towns, coastal cities, stopped at those weird roadside diners with neon signs that flickered even in daylight. They got caught in a thunderstorm in some sleepy mountain village, and Bakugo still remembered the way they’d run through the rain, laughing like kids again, soaked to the bone. The villagers had stared. He’d scowled.

But his boyfriend had leaned in under the covered porch, grabbed the front of his hoodie, and kissed him hard—like it was the only thing that mattered.

And shit, maybe it was.

At night, when they camped out under stars, Bakugo would lie awake longer than he needed to, arm slung lazily around his boyfriend’s waist. It was quiet, but not lonely. He could hear breathing, feel warmth, count heartbeats.

“Never thought I’d get this,” he muttered one night, voice low.

His boyfriend stirred beside him, voice sleep-rough. “Get what?”

Bakugo swallowed, eyes still on the sky. “Peace. You. Us.”

A pause. Then warm fingers tangled with his, squeezing once. “You deserve it, Katsu.”

He didn’t cry. Not really. Just blinked a few times too fast.