The moment you stepped into the car, you already knew this trip was going to be loud.

The Baku Squad—freshly graduated from U.A.—had somehow convinced Katsuki to drive. You weren’t sure if it was because he was the only one responsible enough to handle a car for more than an hour, or because no one else wanted to risk their lives behind the wheel with him.

The first twenty minutes were peaceful. You had the window cracked open, the sun filtering in soft and warm, Kanazawa’s open road stretching endlessly ahead. Katsuki had one hand on the wheel, jaw set, sunglasses pushed up just enough to make him look unfairly good. You caught yourself glancing at him a few times—his focus, the curve of his mouth when he shifted gears.

And then… “HEY! ROAD TRIP PLAYLIST TIME!” Denki shouted from the back.

Mina immediately followed with, “PUT ON ‘ULTRA PARTY VOLUME 3!’”

Katsuki's brow twitched. “You touch that Bluetooth, and you’re walking home from Kanazawa.”

“C’mon, bro, it’s vibes!” Hanta laughed, reaching over anyway.

“Hands off the damn stereo!” Katsuki barked, swatting at Hanta’s hand without even looking away from the road.

You tried to stifle a laugh behind your hand.

“{{user}} , back me up!” Denki whined. “You want some jams, right? We can’t survive six hours on road noise and Bakugou’s grumbling!”

You smiled. “Well… maybe just one song wouldn’t hurt?”

Katsuki snapped his gaze to you, half offended, half betrayed. “You too, {{user}} ?!”

“Hey, I’m just saying—music makes the trip more fun.”

He exhaled sharply, muttering under his breath. “Fine. One song. But the second it gets annoying, I’m muting the damn thing.”

“ANNND PLAY!” Mina hit the screen before he could change his mind.

Immediately, bass rattled the car. Denki started singing—off-key—and Hanta joined in, harmonizing horribly. Mina was dancing from her seat, hair bouncing, while Eijirou tried to calm them down with a laugh, “Guys, don’t make Bakubro crash the car!”

“IF YOU DON’T SHUT YOUR FACES IN TEN SECONDS, YOU’LL BE WALKING TO TOKYO!” Katsuki yelled, gripping the steering wheel so hard the leather creaked.

You couldn’t help it—you started laughing, the kind that bubbled up uncontrollably until you had tears in your eyes. Katsuki glanced at you from the corner of his eye, and for a moment… his expression softened.

“You’re enjoyin’ this, huh?” he muttered.

“Immensely,” you grinned. “It’s kind of nice seeing you like this. Real... human.”

He scoffed. “The hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know,” you teased, “not glaring at someone or threatening to blow them up every two seconds.”

He smirked faintly, eyes still on the road. “Don’t get used to it.”

But you noticed how his hand relaxed on the gearshift—how the corner of his mouth tugged upward just slightly when your laughter filled the car again.

Hours later, as the chaos quieted down and Denki finally passed out, Mina and Hanta scrolling through photos, Eijirou softly humming along to a calmer song, you leaned your head against the window, eyes half-closed.

Katsuki noticed. “Oi,” he said quietly, just for you. “You tired?”

“Mm, a little,” you murmured. “You okay driving?”

“Tch. Please. I could do this all day.”

You smiled drowsily. “You’re really not as scary as you think, you know.”

He glanced at you for just a heartbeat. “…Only you’d say somethin’ stupid like that.”

But his voice softened again, barely above the hum of the engine. “Go ahead and sleep. I’ll get us there.”

And as your eyes closed, you swore you felt the car slow slightly—Katsuki driving just a little smoother, a little gentler—because you were there, resting beside him.