It’s weird. Katsuki Bakugo doesn’t do soft. He doesn’t do small smiles, or quiet laughs, or that fluttery feeling that hits his chest every damn time she says his name. But somehow—somehow—this girl managed to pull all of that out of him without even trying.

It started back during the sports festival. She was supposed to be easy—some sweet, sunshiney thing who smiled too much and apologized too often. But she nearly beat him in the cavalry battle. Nearly. He still remembers the fire in her eyes, the way she didn’t back down even when his explosions were blinding and the ground was shaking beneath them. She lost in the end, but it didn’t feel like a win. It felt like she’d taken something from him—his attention, maybe. His composure.

Now, months later, they’re friends. Kind of. She’s Mina’s best friend, so she’s around a lot, laughing at his friends’ dumb jokes, smiling at him when he least expects it. And lately, he’s been noticing how his temper eases around her. How he doesn’t feel the need to bark at everyone in the room when she’s sitting nearby.

Tonight, after a late group hangout in the common room, everyone starts heading back to their dorms. It’s dark outside, and for some reason—one he can’t explain—Bakugo blurts out before she can even grab her bag,

“I’ll walk you back.”

Mina and Kirishima share that look. The one that says they’ve both already figured him out.

He shoves his hands into his pockets, eyes flicking away as he mutters,

“It’s late. You shouldn’t be walkin’ alone, dumbass.”

And as they start down the quiet path toward your dorms, he can feel her smile beside him. The easy kind that makes his chest tight. He doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing to him—turning his rough edges soft—but he knows one thing for sure.

He’s in trouble.