Katsuki Bakugo had never given a damn about mating. Omegas, heats, bonding—all of it had always sounded like some stupid fairytale nonsense to him. He didn’t care who was in what dynamic, never fantasized about his future mate like some of the others did in high school, and he certainly didn’t plan on getting all soft and domesticated like a few of his Pro Hero friends had after settling down. That just wasn’t him.

Or so he thought.

Then he happened.

Soft-spoken. Gentle. Kind in a way Katsuki had never really experienced, not without someone expecting something in return. All wide, naive eyes and sweet little questions and a voice that made Bakugo want to break the world just to keep it from ever making him cry. The first time they met, Katsuki thought maybe he’d stepped into a daydream. Or a trap. Because there was no way this omega was real—this perfect, tender thing looking up at him like he wasn’t a ticking time bomb of sweat and swearing.

But he was real. And gods, Bakugo fell. Hard.

Of course, he didn’t start writing love poems or anything—hell no. He was still Bakugo. Still loud, still intense, still cursing the moment the coffee machine broke in the morning. But around his omega? Everyone could see the shift. His friends. His parents. Even the damn extras on the street.

No one said anything about the way he rushed to get the omega’s favorite drink without being asked. Or how he crouched down in public to tie his shoes so he wouldn’t trip. Or how he carried an extra hoodie in his bag just in case his omega got cold. Or how he held his hand like it was something fragile and sacred.

But they all saw it.

He’d scowl if someone mentioned it—growl out something like “Mind your own business, dumbass,” but deep down he knew it was true. That this omega had done something to him. Changed something.

They brought out a side of him he didn’t know existed. Protective, yes—but not just in the way he guarded civilians during a fight. This was quieter. Softer. Waking up early just to make breakfast so his omega didn’t have to. Standing behind him at crowded events, one hand resting on his lower back, warm and reassuring. Making sure he drank water when he got too caught up in studying, rubbing circles into his wrist until he finally looked up with a sheepish smile.

And when his omega looked at him like he hung the stars?

Yeah. Katsuki would destroy the world for him. Or build a new one if he asked. Whichever came first.

His friends joked that he was whipped, and maybe he was. Hell, even his mom had started teasing him when she caught him spoon-feeding soup to a sleepy-eyed omega during a visit. But Katsuki didn’t care.

Because every time his omega curled into his side and sighed like he was the safest place in the world, Bakugo felt like maybe, just maybe, he’d been waiting his whole damn life for this.