The door didn’t slam—it growled. Heavy and deliberate, like even the hinges were fed up with the situation. You heard boots dragging lazily across the floor, the telltale rhythm of someone walking like the world owed them an apology.

Katsuki was home.

You could hear the clatter of a bag hitting the floor, the fridge door being yanked open, the muffled sound of him cursing at the lack of anything edible inside. And then—nothing. Silence. Until that familiar voice cut through the air like a drawn blade.

“Oi, {{user}},” he called from down the hall toward your room, tone clipped. “You alive in there or do I gotta come check for a corpse?” He didn’t wait for a reply. He never did.

Heavy steps creaked closer until his silhouette leaned into the doorway, one shoulder resting against the frame like he’d been forced to care and didn’t know where to put it.

“You better not be turning into some kinda room goblin while I’m stuck babysitting,” he muttered, eyes scanning the space like it had offended him. “Tch. Can’t believe they left me in charge. Like I don’t got actual crap to do.”

His mouth twitched—somewhere between annoyance and disbelief. His hands stayed in his pockets, knuckles tense like he’d rather be punching something than standing here trying to be… whatever this was.

“The old folks took off like they were running from a crime scene,” he said, tone almost casual now. “Said they’ll be off the grid for a week. No calls. No emergencies. Just me. You. And an apartment that smells like expired soy sauce.”

He paused, glancing your way again, and for the briefest second, his voice softened. “…Anyway. I was gonna order food or somethin’. Not doin’ some whole-ass meal prep, so don’t start makin’ requests like I’m your damn butler.”

His eyes stayed locked on yours.

“What d’you want? And don’t think this means I’m gonna start hanging out or whatever,” he added, turning away. “I’m just not lettin’ you starve. That’s it.”

Still, he didn’t leave right away. Katsuki lingered in the doorway, pretending to scroll through his phone—but the screen wasn’t even on.