call me deevouswords, iykyk ✨

Four days ago…

Katsuki cried with you in that empty bedroom as you held each other, his tears silent unlike yours, which drenched his shirt through the sharp sobs you let out. You talked about how it sucked, how unfair life was, how painful it felt to find the right person only for the timing to be so misaligned. But none of it could change the decision you’d both made, knowing that staying would make everything worse.

Then he cracked silly jokes with you about how dramatic you both were acting for two grown-ass adults, and how ridiculous you looked with puffy eyes and snotty noses, as he swiped the drying salt from your cheeks. You experienced yet another side of him and fell in love all over again. Who knew his dry, sarcastic humor could make you laugh until your belly hurt?

Glee morphed into sizzling tension, and he kissed you before you could catch your breath, stealing the last of your air and replacing it with his own.

He made love to you for the first time on the chilly floor of what had once been your childhood bedroom, and you felt every trickle of affection flowing through your body, imprinting his love deeper into your soul. A vulnerable Katsuki was fragile, you learned, but braver than anything you’d ever seen in the way he let his heart take the reins and drive his actions, his movements, his reactions. I love you and I’m yours were whispered in your ear, offered to your lips, kissed onto your skin with a reverence that melted your insides into liquid passion and hope.

“I’m going to sell this place,” you told him in the afterglow. “As long as I remember them, they live through me, not here. This place holds me back, so I’m letting it go. It’s time I did.”

Three days ago…

Ayumu slipped up about there being a message from Takumi for you and got roasted by Katsuki to the highest degree for it, while you stood there gawking at the latter for hiding that from you. Katsuki excused the secret as not wanting to add more to your plate when you already had enough, and besides, it wasn’t urgent. It could’ve waited.

Nevertheless, he handed you his phone, the message ready to be played, and your heart balled up into something small and anxious as you listened to Takumi’s calm voice reassuring you that he’d laid the groundwork to keep you safe from both the pro heroes and the villains. That he’d sabotage Yukiko and stall her for as long as he could. You’d know when he couldn’t do it anymore.

“Ah, I left you a gift. Ask Blondie about it. He’s in charge of it. Use it smart, darling.” His typical devilish chuckle tickled your eardrums. “I can’t wait to see who you’ll become after your break. This time, be good to yourself.”

The “gift” turned out to be a generous stash of money under a fake name, and you hated Takumi just a little bit more for knowing you well enough to predict you’d need a break and scheme for it. He cared, in his own twisted way, and that messed with your conflicting feelings. Wherever he was, you hoped he was…okay.

Two days ago…

You rode your bike, with Katsuki as your grumpy, deeply unhappy backpack, to the city lookout where you’d struck the deal that changed the trajectory of your life. On the way there, you parked the bike and stopped by a convenience store and bought the same instant ramen cups you’d had that day, grinning with your whole face upon seeing Mr. Chicken, while Katsuki mumbled something about getting you a damn chicken plushie to carry around since you were so damn enamored with that angry-looking bird.

Laughing, since he was once again responsible for preparing the cups, you wrapped your arms around his waist from behind, nearly causing him to blow the poor things to smithereens as your hands found their way under his shirt, needing to feel his warmth. Face nuzzled into his back, you breathed him deep into your lungs and felt your nerves light up in response, your insides fluttering like you were some schoolgirl experiencing her first crush.

Yours, and yet you still couldn’t wrap your head around it.

Luckily, the night sky was clear, so you could stargaze as you slurped on the hot noodles, pointing your chopsticks at some of the stars and sharing bits of your knowledge with him. Katsuki listened, adorably confused, questioning how in the hell you knew all of that.

“Former journalist and curious person to a fault, hero.”

One day ago…

You stood before your parents, one hand pressed to their urns, their blood-stained picture clutched in the other, apologies on the tip of your tongue. You were moving on, and a part of you felt as though you were leaving them behind. Deep down, you knew you wouldn’t visit here as often anymore, if at all.

The lamentable truth was that they’d stopped walking alongside you a long, long time ago. They’d never catch up; they’d forever stay rooted to that point on your timeline where their last breath became the breeze carrying you forward. Forever watching your back gradually grow smaller in the distance.

More than saying I’m sorry, you wanted them to know you’d be okay.

“I’ll live life to the fullest. And I’ll fight for your little girl’s justice as hard as I did for you. I’ll win, Mom. Dad. I promise.”

Today marked an ending; tomorrow, the beginning of another. A faraway ending that you intended to give your all to make it a happy one.

“Are you sure you don’t want help with that?” Ayumu’s shadow fell over you as he snuck a peek at the overstuffed suitcase.

You lifted your head, the smile on your lips far too sugary. “No.”

He whined your name. “Time is ticking. We’re going to miss the flight at this rate.”

“Let it tick, Ayumu.” You returned to battling the zipper, grumbling under your breath, “I refuse to let His Greatness win.”

“Your ego’s that fragile, princess?”

Your eyes scrunched shut for the length of a slow exhale. Such flawless timing the devil had. He’d arrived to do unspeakable things to your existence. What a joy.

Carefully, you shifted on your suitcase to face your nerves’ nemesis, pretending you weren’t two seconds away from folding like paper at the sight of him. Dressed in black from head to toe—tight jeans and a sleeveless T-shirt—Katsuki supported his weight on the doorframe above his head, giving you a nice view of his sculpted arms and smirking like he knew exactly where your thoughts skipped.

Fucking sin on two legs.

You snagged one slipper off your foot and hurled it at him, but with your luck clocking in at rigged-crane-machine levels, it didn’t hit. The slipper landed pathetically at his feet.

“Damn. That’s it?” Katsuki chuckled. “Wanna try again? You still got one shot.”

Flipping him off, you turned around and acted as if he wasn’t there, his eyes burning a trail down your spine. A wicked smile danced on your lips as you pinched the zipper for the umpteenth time today. Any attempt at pretending he didn’t exist always ended with him making sure to remind you he did. Katsuki liked your attention a little too much to let his ego win.

“Oi, Carrot Head,” he called out to Ayumu. “Go check the terrace. That nerd should be here soon.”

“The terrace?” Ayumu sounded confused. “Is Midoriya dropping from the sky?”

“Something like that. Now go. Outta here.”

You cast a look over your shoulder just in time to see Ayumu straighten his back and salute, making you cough to cover a laugh.

“Yes, sir! I’ll be out of sight in three. Two. One.”

Or perhaps there was no covering your amusement. You burst into a fit of it when Ayumu squeezed past an unmoving Katsuki, threw his arms out, and sock-skated across the wooden bedroom floor all the way to the door, leaving you both with a smug, “Don’t forget we got an airport to get to. Make it fast. Ten minutes, okay? I’m counting on you, Bakugou.”

“Gonna strangle that nosy little shit one day,” Katsuki promised the closed bedroom door, and you couldn’t contain the rest of your laughter. “The hell’s so funny, huh?”

“You two are r-ridiculous. Some love-hate friendship you’ve got there.”

“Friendship, my ass.” He marched toward you, his hands instinctively reaching for you. They lifted you off the suitcase and placed you on the center island, knocking your legs apart so he could slot right between them. “I tolerate him.”

“Mhm. Sure you do. That’s why you looked after him while I was gone.” Your arms draped over his shoulders. “It’s okay to admit you click with him in a weird sort of way.”

He scowled. “Whatever. There’s something you should know,” he said. “My mom called. Told me to tell you to have a safe trip and…she wants to meet you. Thank you properly or something. When you feel like it.”

You deflated into awkwardness, and you had every right to. Your first meeting with his parents had been a nightmare; they’d feared for their lives and Yua’s, then had to witness their crazy daughter-in-law—ex daughter-in-law, shoot you and leave you bleeding in Midoriya’s living room.

Looking back, maybe the ones who deserved the gratitude were them, for trusting you.

“Uh, I’m not sure. I mean, yeah, I’d love to meet her officially, both of them, but do you think they’ll be okay with me? All things considered.”

“You kiddin’?” His palms cradled your face, squishing it until your lips puckered. “They’re gonna like you. You protected them, Yua, and me. And—” He leaned in until only a whisper separated your lips. “You’re a fuckin’ badass. Pretty as hell. Smart. Perfect damn match to my crazy.”

Your heart skipped, and you let out a surprised gasp at how strongly that misstep reverberated through your whole body. “Wouldn’t they want someone more, I don’t know, down-to-earth for their son? Safer? Not clearly involved in bad stuff?”

“Don’t care. It’s my life.” Katsuki shrugged. “My choice is my choice. They gotta deal with it, even if they ain’t happy about it.”

“Decisive,” you murmured. “I like that. A lot.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I like that when you say something, you mean it. It makes me want to always be honest with you.” You carded your fingers through his thick hair. “You know, Katsu, if there are ever times when I want to lie to myself because it’s easier, I won’t lie to you. I never want to keep secrets or hide things from you. Whether it’s something silly or life-threatening, you’ll know. Always.”

When he grinned boyishly, you followed.

“In other words?” he asked, the observant menace having spotted what lived between the lines and wanting to hear that too. He was a bit too good at this.

“In other words, I’m safe with you. Me at my most open and vulnerable is safe.”

*

Goodbyes sucked, regardless of knowing this wasn’t permanent, just a temporary arrangement until you sorted yourself out and the storm ravaging Katsuki’s life calmed into something manageable. Regardless of knowing you’d return in a month’s time for his birthday and spend that week with him, the tickets already booked. So many reassurances, and yet leaving him and boarding the waiting plane had your heart in a chokehold.

Squeezing Katsuki’s hand to numbness, you walked into the airport buzzing with its usual cacophony of chaos. People waited, people left, people reunited. Conversations flooded the space, some friendly, others not so much. The clatter of rolling suitcases, the clinking from the food places scattered around, the roar of engines taking off and landing, it was all overwhelming.

Katsuki dragged you closer to the big screen displaying the flights, scanning for yours, and you felt a weak smile fighting to survive on your face. Your destination was tied to a promise you’d made someone months ago, but that wasn’t the only reason amusement bubbled up.

“Something funny?” he asked, side-eyeing you.

“Maybe. Are you looking forward to my parting gift?”

From the corner of your eye, you caught the way his jaw slackened. “You didn’t.”

“She did,” Ayumu chimed in, resting his forearm on your shoulder. “I told you not to give her free rein.”

Katsuki rubbed a hand over his face, messing with his cap. “Let me guess. On this goddamn screen? When?”

“Who knows,” you sang innocently, skipping two steps away from him and turning to face them both, though your target was the third presence coming to a stop beside Katsuki. “It wasn’t entirely my idea. Your best friend gave me this particularly interesting piece of information. Something, something about a lie in your last report.”

Katsuki whirled on Midoriya. “What did you do?”

“I can explain!” Midoriya threw his hands up, nervously glancing between the two of you. “Before she finalized the plan, I remembered what you told me, so I, uh, suggested she use that…somehow.”

Oh, the fun of coded talk.

“Basically, he took my plan and elevated it into one crazy master plan,” you said, staring at Katsuki, who was two shades paler than normal. “He’s quite the schemer, did you know that? I didn’t expect it.”

“You,” Katsuki jabbed a finger in Midoriya’s direction. “And you.” Then at you, only for his finger to snap back to its initial position, accusatory in how straight it pointed. “Schemed together? That what you two little shits had been doin’ the other evening instead of stuffin’ your faces with crappy waffles?”

“We had waffles,” Midoriya defended, and you joined in.

“Takeout waffles. On a rooftop.”

Ayumu turned away, his shoulders shaking with muted laughter. Katsuki cut you and Midoriya a lethal glare.

“I swear, Carrot Head ain’t the only one I’ll strangle,” he said. “Let me get this straight. Your nerdy ass had waffles with my girl on some rooftop. Anything else?”

You clapped your hands, excited to tell him about the other plan you and Midoriya had settled on. “There is. He offered to help with my Quirk, and I accepted. Like him, I believe it has more to offer.”

Midoriya nodded. “My theory is that she—”

“Don’t start, damn it,” Katsuki snapped, nearly pinching Midoriya’s lips shut with his fingers. “I’m kickin’ your ass later, just so you know. Now spit out what the hell this master plan is.”

Clearing his throat, Midoriya worked his expression into a serious one, though the impish glint in his green eyes told a different story. “It’s best if you wait and see it for yourself.”

“Fuckin’ hell.” Katsuki blew out a breath as if he’d had enough for one day, and you swore you heard him mumble I’m surrounded by idiots before he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the large screen overhead. “Your flight’s soon, Truthie.”

Your amusement faded. Your heart beat a little faster, aching between your ribs. You were ready, but at the same time, you weren’t. “Are you going to blow a fuse if I hug your best friend?” you asked him.

His suspicious gaze landed on yours. “Since you had a waffle date with him, might as well complete it with a hug, right?”

“Is that a yes or a no?”

“Fuck’s sake, woman. Go. Hug him. You got thirty seconds.” He clicked his tongue and looked away, pouting.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get an extra suffocating one.” You poked his bicep, then turned to Midoriya, opening your arms. “Care for one? It’s free.”

Midoriya hesitated for a moment, red dusting his freckled cheeks, then swooped in, wrapping his arms around you and holding you like you were someone he’d known his entire life.

“Thanks for keeping my secret, and for sticking around, and—and for keeping him in check while I was gone,” you said quietly, hoping he felt the gratitude you carried in the way you squeezed the air out of him. “And I’m sorry for punching you the first time we met.”

He let out a short, light laugh. “It’s okay. It was memorable, I guess. As for the other thing, I did it for him,” he replied, and you appreciated the honesty. “But after getting to know you better and seeing everything that woman had done to you, I’m doing it for you too now. Your methods aren’t exactly conventional, but mine weren’t either back in the day. People trusted mine, and I want to trust yours.”

Pressure stung at the back of your throat as you patted his back. “Thank you, really.”

“Oi. Thirty seconds are up.”

“Jealous bastard,” you muttered, making Midoriya laugh once more.

“I’ve never seen him be like that with anyone else. You’re the first,” he whispered, letting go. “Take care, okay? And don’t forget I’m only a call away.”

“I know. Same goes for you. Please pretend time zones don’t exist.”

“Seriously? Wanna give him a ki—”

You threw yourself at Katsuki before his jealousy could finish the sentence, trusting he’d catch you when you jumped. You buried your face in his neck and clung to his body, your arms and legs like chains around him. And you breathed in his scent until the oxygen in your expanding lungs was replaced with him. You trembled as his strong arms enveloped your form, wanting nothing more than to bawl your eyes out.

“Don’t you dare cry, Truthie.” Tears welled in your eyes at the roughness in his voice, and you bit your lip to hold them at bay. “You call me the second you land. And then you call me daily. Any hour. Day or night. As many times as you want. Got that?”

“Mm.”

“We’ll get through this. You know we will.”

“It doesn’t hurt less.”

His hand moved to your nape and gently pulled your head back. Your eyes collided, longing and love a visceral combination that sent one of your tears tumbling down your cheek. Katsuki quickly wiped it away.

“Every time you visit, we’ll make up for the time apart, alright? Again and again, ’til I come for you myself and drag your ass back home.”

“Alright.” You sniffed. “I just wish things were…different. Kinder.”

“Yeah. Me too.” He lowered you to the floor and cupped your face. “Gonna kiss the hell outta you now, and then you’re gonna walk away without lookin’ back. Need you to do that for me. Can you?”

“I’ll do my best.”

The kiss encompassed everything you and he shared. From the one-sided history of your teenage years to the secret intertwining of your opposing identities in a cat-and-mouse game as Dynamight and Truth Exposer. From the moment you’d first met him to the unraveling of both your lives. From accepting that you were each other’s it to now.

Two people ending and beginning.

Together.

Perhaps you’d fallen for Bakugou Katsuki on that fateful day you’d seen him on your TV screen for the first time, or perhaps it had happened later. One thing, though, had been decided from the start, sewn into the fabric of your own destiny: to keep him in your life, to keep loving him until the bittersweet finale, you’d tear through whatever the hell had birthed this unfair yet beautiful cosmos your bleep of existence fought through every single day.

He’d taken your best, your worst, and your deepest scars and given them a home. He’d seen you, heard you, and unconditionally chosen you out of billions of people, so many of them better, safer options. He’d made you his, soul and all, and in return, he’d gifted you himself.

When you separated from him and strode away, fingers brushing his for one last time, you did it with your head held high, eyes dry, and a wildfire burning in your chest. Hesitation, doubt, fear, none had a seat reserved in what you had with him.

“Soon,” Ayumu whispered, taking your hand and squeezing it in quiet comfort. “Are you okay?”

You nodded, a hopeful smile lighting up your face. “It hurts like a bitch, but I’ve never felt stronger. I’m happy, Yu.”

“You look the part too. You’re glowing, sweetheart.”

“I hope so. I’m about to leave with a bang, so I’d better look radiant while I’m at it.”

He mirrored your expression. “I’m looking forward to the reactions. Cake and a drink after we land? Before we get to our new home?”

You swatted his arm playfully. “Stop celebrating stirring chaos.”

“No way. It’s the best part of the job.”

Your eyes rolled as you recovered your hand, speeding up to the counter where you handed your documents to the woman who looked exhausted and drained from having to deal with way too many people. Although you could’ve taken Takumi’s private jet, you’d decided against it. It would’ve been a shame, the biggest disservice to yourself, to miss your own spectacle and the nearby crowd’s reaction.

A spectacle that was due in—you glanced at the screen behind the counter—five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

A staticky sound crackled through the airport speakers. The screen went black, and a modified voice followed.

“Is this working?” the voice inquired, drawing the attention of the people around you. “I hope it is. I hate nothing more than wasting time.” One high-pitched noise ripped through the bustling air; the person tapped the microphone twice. “So, anyone want to take a wild guess as to who I am? I’ll give you a hint. Starts with T, ends with R. Two words. C’mon. I’m pretty popular around here.”

You heard the murmurs of the people behind you and watched the woman handling your documents tense, her eyes widening into plates like she’d heard someone’s darkest secret. Whispers of Truth Exposer spread from one person to the next, domino pieces toppling into realization, and you found it fascinating how the constant droning of the airport seemed to fade into acute quiet as your vigilante persona stole the spotlight.

Fighting to keep your expression neutral, you exchanged a subtle look with Ayumu, who lazily tapped on something on his phone. He angled the device to show you he was playing the video—your pre-recorded video that contained only your voice, currently being broadcast live all over Japan.

“Time’s up. You’re probably wondering what all this is about, right?” your altered voice said. “Well, a little bird told me the Quirk trafficking ring still running rampant isn’t interesting enough, but a pro hero’s private life is. Ah, you vultures—I mean, the press—having a blast making the wildest assumptions because the hyenas—sorry, the police—are too slow to prove Dynamight’s innocence?”

One long, annoyed sigh was blown into the microphone and carried through the dense atmosphere, thickening the tension. This was you, but goosebumps washed over your skin anyway. Such an odd cocktail of sensations. Lingering inside was still the deep-seated wrath you’d felt upon recording this, fury at how disgusting their priorities were, while you experienced what it felt like to be on the receiving end of the vigilante. Was this how people felt your influence?

“Pathetic.” The voice dripped with acidic disdain. “I hoped that, this one time, you’d do your jobs properly and clear Dynamight’s name fast, considering he’s one of the people keeping our society safe. But I should’ve known better.” Another sigh, this time dramatic. “Making me step in, tsk, tsk. But since you forced my hand, might as well force yours. Let’s make it fun, at least.”

You coughed loudly to grab the attention of the inattentive woman. “Can you please check us both in?” You reached for Ayumu and pulled him closer, motioning for him to give her his documents. “We’ve got a flight to catch.”

She looked between you two, then to one of the speakers, coming back around a hesitant moment later. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry, it’s just—never mind.”

“My word against yours!”

“Understandable,” you said. “Not every day you hear from a vigilante publicly.” You worked your brows into a frown. “Scary, isn’t it?”

“I made it very clear he had no part in Fukuda Miyuki’s villainy based on my investigation, and I’ve provided you with proof. But you seem hell-bent on proving the opposite, so…prove it.”

She gave you a meek nod and busied herself with checking you in.

“Prove his involvement with irrefutable evidence. Do keep in mind I’ll come for you if you lie or dare forge anything.”

“Here you go.” She handed you the documents and bowed politely.

“However, if what you bring to the table is true, I’ll reward you with…”

“Thank you,” you said, stepping away and heading for the security check, Ayumu’s hand in yours once more. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, knowing your poker face would crack, but you felt the laughter waiting to break out of him, much like your own.

“…my identity. Or should I say…our identities?”

a/n: With the final chapter posted, Uncovered is officially complete, which means I can move on and start pouring my energy into writing the sequel. I don’t know when it’ll be out or how many chapters it’ll have. I only know what needs to happen XD. However, I’ll probably post some sneak peeks here and there, along with small updates, so keep an eye on that if you’re interested. Ah, feel free to poke me if you have any questions or curiosities.

Now, I’ll try not to get too sappy, but I want to say thank you for everything. It’s been one crazy ride for me and one hell of a learning experience, as I started writing this fic soon after I picked up writing for real, making Uncovered the first long fic I’ve ever written. Suffice to say, it’ll forever hold a very special place in my heart, even more so because I got to experience it with you guys, whether you’ve been here from the start or not. Know that you’ve brightened my days and definitely fed my muse. I’m excited to work on the sequel, trust me.

And since I can’t just go and not give you something, here’s the title of the sequel: Spotlight. Have fun speculating! ✨

Regarding the final chapter, it really came full circle, didn’t it? We started with Truthie watching news about her vigilante persona, and we ended with the vigilante persona “broadcasting.” Also, she’d watched Katsuki leave, and now Katsuki watches her leave.

Lastly, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and Uncovered as a whole! 🧡

Angling your head, you peered at him with a teasing grin. “I swear, only you can compliment and insult someone in the same breath.”

His tongue clicked against his teeth as he shot you a glare meant to bite, but it only accomplished making your heart do a silly little dance between your ribs. Yet two more things you’d always associate with him. “Wanna know or not?”

“Would I’ve asked if I didn’t?”

“You and your habit of talkin’ back.” His arms tensed before he squeezed you so hard you squeaked like a squeaky toy. “That’s what you get,” he added, pure affection singing in his tone.

“Show-off,” you muttered, though secretly you battled the fluttering in your stomach. His strength was something you deeply appreciated and reveled in, not particularly because of what it allowed him to do in certain situations. Not at all.

“Huh? What was that?”

“Nothing, Your Greatness. Now, would you be so kind as to satisfy this one curiosity of mine?”

“I can satisfy more than just—”

You shoved back into him, causing the mountain to shift an inch backward. “Stay on topic, you insatiable fiend.”

Scoffing, he stared ahead, stunning red captive to the glowing horizon, and you took a moment to commit the sight to memory before joining him in watching the sun slowly dip into the ocean, listening to his side of the story about your identity.

Katsuki explained that whoever was behind Truth Exposer had to be linked, somehow, to the first case of truth exposure. The police had thought the same, but chased the wrong leads and quickly hit a dead end. You’d been on their list once, then crossed off when you didn’t check enough boxes to warrant suspicion. In their eyes, the vigilante needed more than smarts. Resources and well-placed connections were where it was at, and you had neither.

At the time, your life consisted of three people—your parents and your best friend—and a history of instability tied to medical issues.

The fact that you’d insisted the truth was being buried helped too. The evidence pointed to it being an accident, but your refusal to accept that made you look, on one hand, like someone unable to cope with the grief of losing your parents so tragically, and on the other, like a chaser after a juicier story. You worked in journalism, after all.

“How come you didn’t share that opinion?” you asked.

“Read every article you wrote for that TV station and compared ’em to every case you’d reported,” he said. “The only difference was how you laid out your cases, so even an idiot could get it. Everything else was the same. Straight to the point, no clickbait bullshit. I bet that got you in trouble, huh?”

Katsuki was thorough to a fault, but this was meticulous down to the tiniest detail, and you were strangely impressed. “Let’s just say my Quirk kept me in the job. Was that what got me on your radar?”

“Kinda. Had this nagging feeling I was onto something, so I dug up everything I could.”

“And?”

He chuckled, his warm breath ticklish against your pulse and making you resist a shiver. “Ended up trackin’ down one of your old neighbors. Granny told me about you and that notebook you always carried around. Had some scales trinket on it, right?”

Your shoulders jumped. Shit. You’d basically handed him confirmation the day you decided to up the taunting by scribbling a silly scale on your post-it. The Scales of Justice, a symbol that had carved itself into your heart as something special when your dad, in a show of unconditional support for your interest, had gifted it to you on your fourteenth birthday.

You wished you still had it. You wished you’d dug harder through the heaps of concrete and metal for a better chance of finding it in the unrecognizable ruin that had once been your old bedroom. You wished you’d taken your childhood memorabilia when you moved out, but your mom had wanted your room preserved as it was, like a sanctuary where she could soothe the ache of missing her daughter and be proud of the young woman she’d become.

“That ain’t all. I confirmed the color, the brand, all of it with her. Then I found your blog ’cause of it.”

“No. No way.” Your eyes widened as you squirmed in his arms, turning to face him. “My blog? You’re joking. How?”

Katsuki tipped his chin higher, his sunset-saturated gaze looking down his nose at you, smug and proud. “That notebook got me thinkin’. If investigations were always your thing, no way in hell you pulled one off as a kid. But breakin’ shit down for the sake of it? Theorizin’ and puttin’ your ideas out there? That tracked,” he said. “Bein’ a forced shut-in didn’t mean you said, ‘fuck the outside world.’”

You were mesmerized, your heart skipping at the realization of how much effort and attention he’d poured into finding you. What could you even say to that? What was the appropriate response to a man who’d gone the extra mile to uncover your identity? You weren’t sure, so your lips remained sealed, though your eyes stayed on him, on this force of a man who had somehow decided, somewhere down the line, that you were worth risking it all for.

He continued, serenely explaining how he’d combed through everything that had blown up in the news back then, stuff unrelated to pro heroes, stories of possible injustices done to ordinary people, and cherry-picked what he thought would’ve caught your attention. Dozens of searches later, he finally, finally, found your blog. Knew it belonged to you from the only picture you’d ever posted.

Your hand, holding that notebook, was in it, the small Scales of Justice charm dangling from it, the backdrop your childhood bedroom with the many corkboards nailed to the walls.

The caption said, This is how I do it.

Looking back, you’d wanted someone to acknowledge your methods too, not just the conclusions and the theories. Someone did, it seemed, years and years later.

Katsuki.

The truth was, he’d jumped into the rabbit hole that was you and spent the time dissecting your case studies, learning your ways and how your mind ticked. So much so that his own had begun to shift.

“Next thing I know,” he muttered, “you’re all I’m thinkin’ about. Couldn’t get you outta my head, no matter what I did. You sendin’ me all that stuff drove me even crazier.” He cupped your cheeks in his palms. “It was the small things that got to me. I know you sent ’em to piss me off, and it worked. I was fuckin’ livid. ’Til I caught myself gettin’ mad when they didn’t show up daily.”

“Greedy,” you whispered, the ocean breeze caressing your skin as if it were envious it couldn’t match the softness shimmering in his eyes. “What did you do with them?”

Katsuki grinned, one of the rarer ones. “Kept ’em somewhere safe. No one knows. Only us.”

“Everything?”

“Everything. It was supposed to be evidence I turned in with my reports, but I decided against it.” The distance between your faces dissolved as he leaned in, uttering against your trembling lips, “I chose you, not the commission. Wanted you, not the damn money. Your fault for givin’ me a taste of better. What were you thinkin’?”

You swallowed. “I wasn’t thinking. It was impulsive, but I never regretted it. I guess, deep down, I wanted a connection with you. I wanted to…know you, outside of your hero persona.” A longing sigh escaped your lungs. “Dynamight and Truth Exposer were forbidden, and I know that’s still us, but, Katsuki, behind those roles we play, we’re just two people. I probably wanted to know if we’d met under different circumstances, we still would’ve gravitated toward each other.”

“And?”

“I want to believe we would’ve. What do you think?”

He took a moment to consider your question. “Hard not to,” he said. “You got something that gets under my skin.”

“Is it bad?”

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

“I’m sorry?” you offered with a playful smile, and he huffed a laugh.

“Nah, you ain’t.”

“You’re right. I’m not. Kiss me as punishment?”

“Cute little shit,” he chided, but kissed you anyway, slow and sweet and soft, smiling into it and coaxing your own swelling happiness to the surface beneath the perfect sunset etched into your memory instead of trapped in pixels.

*

“You’re gonna tell me what the hell we’re doin’ here?”

“Not yet.”

Your footsteps and his were the only sounds disturbing the unnerving silence of the ninth floor of your parents’ reconstructed apartment building. A certain emptiness that had your stomach twisting into a sickening knot lingered in the air, smelling of tragedy and haunting deaths, something you hadn’t noticed before. Likely because your life had undergone some sort of metamorphosis, changing from a lonely existence into a bright, hopeful one.

The present was breaking out of the past’s shackles.

Suffice it to say, you never wanted to return here. Ever again.

“You good?” Katsuki asked, brows knitted in concern when you moved closer to him, tightening your hold on his hand into an iron grip.

You grimaced at the neon lights spasming as though an invisible entity actively short-circuited them, casting frenzied shadows across the hallway walls. “This place’s vibe isn’t right. At all.” Yet you’d still brought him here, so he could see the ghosts of your beginning, the decision made long before you dragged him out of your temporarily shared home to sightsee the sunset at the beach.

“You can say that again. Anyone even live here? Looks empty as hell.”

“Some do, but not on this floor. No one’s too excited about living here because of the past.” Coming to a stop in front of the door, you lifted the flap over the digital panel and entered the code. “People call this place cursed and tell stories about paranormal occurrences, so hardly anyone wants to rent or buy.”

You swung the door open and stepped inside, the hair on your arms standing upright as you patted the wall for the light switch. While you didn’t believe in curses, superstitions, or hauntings, your brain wired for logic, you couldn’t deny the space was colder than anywhere else you’d been. As if these new walls had been conquered by an eternal winter.

“So damn cold in here,” Katsuki complained, shifting closer to you. Ironic, when his body emitted enough heat to rid a home of its heaters. You’d forgone your usual pajamas because of it, forced to sleep in your underwear, or naked.

Light flooded the desolate apartment, and you turned to him with a playful smile. “Must be the ghosts.” Color drained from his face, and you feigned a gasp. “Oh! Is Bakugou Katsuki, the Bakugou Katsuki, scared?”

The hallway’s neon tubes fizzled out.

“Fuck no!” Katsuki shoved both you and himself farther inside and slammed the door shut, blocking the creeping darkness outside. He slumped against it, a little out of breath. “What the hell’s wrong with the electricity in here?”

You shrugged and bent to take off your shoes, then headed for the living room. “No one cares if it’s stable or not. I heard there was a gas leak on the fifth floor recently, and someone only showed up a week later.”

He was right on your heels, his steps rushed against the creaky floor. “Hah?! So this building ain’t just creepy as shit, but dangerous too?”

“Well, there’s no profit to be made here, so there’s no incentive. Maintenance is half-assed.” You glanced over your shoulder for a moment at the tall portrait hanging on the yellowed wall. “This building exists for one reason, and that’s to act as compensation. It’s why it looks the same as the one that collapsed. Something about closure and soothing people’s grief.” Your explanation ended in a bitter scoff.

“Soothin’ people’s grief, my ass. Sounds more like some twisted, sick fuckin’…” He trailed off when he noticed the portrait. “Joke.”

Silence infiltrated the space like fog rolling through abandoned streets, thick and abundant, instilling an acute sense of grief in the pit of your heart. Compassion settled in his, if the way his expression turned grave, yet soft, was anything to go by. Phantasms of your past descended, uninvited, to play out scenes from your time with them in the back of your mind. A theater of lost chances and premature deaths.

Your hands moved behind your back, clasping each other tight as you gazed upon your future converging with your past.

Katsuki regarded the faces of your parents, and the little nine-year-old girl they held between them. Their hopeful smiles and her hopeless one, a mask of falsity. A snapshot of a reality that didn’t exist in this one.

You remembered the day it was taken like it was yesterday. For the first time, you’d seen an amusement park adorned with Christmas decorations and pretty lights. Thinking back, Yukiko had probably granted you that leave so she could crush the hope supposedly fated to bloom in your chest at the experience of something normal.

How sad that fragile seed never took root, your heart no longer fertile soil, in spite of your parents’ excitement to spend the day with you. They were happy, truly happy. Their daughter seemed to be making progress, looking less fearful in the face of the world, but their happiness, as genuine as it felt to them, was unknowingly stained. The early stages of your living philosophies had already begun their inevitable poisoning.

The plushies your mother, of all people, won for you carried faint streaks of red where your nails had broken the skin of your palms.

The sweets they bought for you to try tasted delicious, yet horrifically metallic from how hard you’d gnawed on the insides of your cheeks and bitten your tongue to push through the fear and the world’s assault on your senses.

Even the pressure of their hands over your gloved ones was overwhelming, their warm kisses on your cold cheeks like needles, but you kept quiet, tucked away the terror of your discomfort because they deserved to have those moments, to make nice memories with the proof of their love.

“It’s one of the only pictures I have with and of them,” you said, your voice sterile. “The other is with their urns. My graduation photo. It still has my mom’s blood on it. I know because I had it tested.” You shifted your weight from one foot to the other. “I think she was walking down memory lane when it happened.”

Katsuki nodded and opened one arm. Closed it over your shoulders once you pressed into his side. “How old were you?” he asked, gesturing to the portrait.

“Nine. That day ended badly, by the way.”

“What happened?”

“Uh, a train and a toddler freaking out,” you said. “I wanted the screaming to stop so badly, to mute it somehow, that my Quirk came to the rescue. Put me to sleep with some good old-fashioned fainting.”

His fingertips rubbed at your shirt absently, picking at the fabric. “And then?”

“I woke up in the hospital, with my parents and that monster at my side. She came to pick me up.” A surge of hot rage erupted in your gut, making your hands clench and your lungs pull in a deeper breath before you slowly released it. You wouldn’t be at peace until you stopped her, regardless of how long that took. “She apologized to my parents and blamed herself for my meltdown. Promised to do better.” Your lungs filled again. “She did better. She made sure I never forgot how tragic it was that my Quirk ended up as mine while she tortured me for two days straight. Useful Quirk, useless user.”

“That sicko,” he cupped your jaw and angled your head toward him, “ain’t gonna hurt you like that ever again. I don’t care what I gotta do,” he vowed, sealing it with a kiss to your forehead that you felt in the marrow of your bones. “I got your back. Always.”

“Mm. But you know it goes both ways, right? Your enemies are mine, Katsuki.” You let a small smile grace your lips, hoping to dilute the cumbersome atmosphere. “I promise they won’t have a fun time. You’re dating a vigilante, after all, and that comes with some really nice perks.”

“A vigilante?” He suddenly looked offended. “You mean the vigilante, Truthie. You see any other makin’ waves?”

“I’m not the only one.”

“I know you ain’t, but you set such a ridiculous standard those poor bastards breakin’ the law for good deeds are gonna need twice the balls to get anyone’s attention.”

You shook your head, laughing off his praise. “I think you give me too much credit. Yeah, I’ve got a reputation, but—”

“Nah, I don’t think I do. People within my circle talk about you,” he said, and your brows lifted. “Heard some stuff.”

“What…stuff?”

“Questions. What-ifs. Debates over whether they should arrest you and throw you behind bars, or try to get you on the good guys’ side instead.”

“That’s, uh, crazy. Didn’t they unofficially label me a villain? Now they want me on the team?” Your palm smacked against your forehead as you huffed out a sigh, completely taken aback by the revelation. “It doesn’t make any sense. This has to be some sort of ploy to make one of us slip. I don’t buy it.”

“Same, but keep it in mind. Your smart ass managed to make you a target everybody wants.”

“Rich coming from the guy who’s also a target.”

You stared at each other for a long moment. In the next, your combined laughter cut through the melancholy persisting in the air, in the walls, in the portrait, and all you could think, all you could feel, was glee amid the truth that both you and he caused absolute chaos, not only in your lives, but in the world out there.

You’d do it again, as many times as necessary, if he were there with you, by your side.

“Come with me.” You took his hand and dragged him down the short hallway, entering one of the rooms with a skip in your step. “I didn’t bring you here to show you my family portrait. I brought you here because I wanted you to see this.” Letting go, you walked back a few steps and extended your arms wide. “Welcome to my childhood bedroom. You know, the one where I took that picture I posted on my blog. It’s empty, but I’m glad it is. It’s easier to let go.”

As Katsuki inspected the space, your arms dropped, your visible joy faded.

“We should probably talk, right?”

He paused, eyes narrowing at the shift in your body language. “What do you mean?”

When his life had become your business, you’d been unshakeable in your mindset that the final curtain would fall on a terrible ending. Paths meant to remain forever parallel had merged, and the consequences could only have been catastrophic. But as you stood at the core of what might as well have been Truth Exposer’s origins, the imaginary clock in your mind striking its last second before going quiet, you knew that bad ending would still come if the past kept you in its shackles and stagnated your present.

You of now needed to pick up the pen and write The End on this long, bleak chapter of your life, then perish once and for all into nothing more than a distant memory, so that you of tomorrow could turn to a blank page and scribble the opening lines of the next, a chapter that would most certainly lead you out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

“I’ll go,” you answered, trying and failing to mask the longing already worming its way into your heart. “I’ll pack a bag, take Ayumu, and go on a well-deserved holiday. And I’ll let myself breathe and—and process the fuckery my life had been so far.”

Katsuki froze, staring at you like you were some spectral figment of his imagination. “Y-You know.”

“I overheard you and Ayumu by accident, and it’s good I did. This way, I could spare you the hurt of bringing it up, and I could think about it.” You took a step forward. Then another. A third, and a fourth. Your palm pressed to where his heart raced, thumping desperately compared to your own’s calm rhythm. “Wars aren’t won with a clouded mind and an angry heart,” you said. “Losing against Yukiko isn’t an option, and I can’t win while I’m pent up with so much murderous fury. In my head, I’m killing her, not looking for ways to stop her.”

His voice, roughened by emotion, carried your name on a pained whisper, like something in him was breaking just from uttering the syllables.

“Besides, you’re frustrated with the way things are. The divorce. Yua’s custody. Having to keep us hush-hush,” you added. “I know that too.”

Katsuki covered your hand with his and pushed it deeper into his chest. “Gonna miss you like hell, but…” His forehead touched yours. “I hate puttin’ you through the shitshow of my life. Hate not bein’ able to take you out there and be with you, and yeah, we can use disguises, but it’s still hidin’,” he admitted, the unspoken apology woven through his words like a dagger plunged into your fragile core. “Fuckin’ hurts, havin’ you as a secret. I’m not free, and I sure as hell ain’t makin’ you live like that with me. I’m selfish, Truthie.”

“Selfish?”

“Yeah, selfish. You’re mine, part of me, and I need that part okay. So I’ll do whatever I gotta make that happen, even if it means lettin’ you go.”

Your chin wobbled as tears gathered, gripping your throat. “We’re not ending here, Katsu.”

“No, we ain’t. Fuck no. We’re gonna do some long-distance shit ’til I get my life in order, alright?” he said confidently, though his breathing grew shaky, and you’d never seen his eyes so watery.

“I’ll visit often. Let’s not kid ourselves, none of us can take being apart for too long.”

“I know. I ain’t expectin’ anything else from you. Now, c’mere.”

He crushed your body to his, and you lost the fight with your tears, letting them cascade down your face as you clung to him as if the end of this conversation marked the moment of your temporary farewell. And somehow, somehow, you found the strength to smile. Smile until your cheeks hurt.

For the future awaiting you, and for the future you owed yourself and the little girl inside you who had once dreamed of it.

He licked his lips and cut off another generous piece of the meat. Pale red juice oozed out, mixing with the melted fat on the plate, and you resisted a grimace. For someone who’d seen more blood, or anything close to it, than you ever should have, any resemblance to the crimson, vital liquid still managed to make you feel a little queasy.

“You did good, but seriously, Kobe? That shit’s expensive.”

“And? Your girl here has the money and cares about quality.” Your head tilted, mischief dancing on your lips. “Get used to it.”

“Little shit.” Katsuki clicked his tongue before shoving the piece he’d speared with his fork into his mouth, watching you intently. He motioned with the empty fork toward your plate, where no steak was to be found. The meat was exclusive to him.

“I don’t do steak unless my life’s on the line.” Short, direct, and honest.

“Why? Does the rawness get to you?”

“Sort of,” you replied, unsure how to confess that the myoglobin reminded you too much of blood, and that blood still made you nauseous. “The juicy parts look too much like… blood. You’d think I’d be completely desensitized, but no. Not really.” Resting your elbow on the table, you leaned your cheek into your palm. “I can deal with it, though.”

He looked down at his plate hesitantly, then back at you, his intention clear in the subtle twist of his mouth.

“Eat your steak, Katsuki. I didn’t sweat my ass off panicking over the right temperature for nothing.”

You were glad he hadn’t witnessed the three thermometers stabbing into the meat, or the way you’d paced in front of the sizzling pan, staring at the numbers like they were a ticking time bomb. Katsuki had busied himself with a shower, the longest in existence, but damn, when he’d strutted into the kitchen, tank top tight and sweats hanging temptingly low on his hips, he’d smelled like heaven come down to earth.

“You look like you’re about to throw up.”

Your eyes rolled. “I’m not. Just a little queasy for a minute or two. I’ll be fine. Eat.”

“It’s been five minutes since I cut into it,” he deadpanned. “And you still haven’t touched your food.”

Stubborn, stubborn bastard. You snatched up the cutlery beside your plate and dug into your food like it had tried to blackmail you, shoving it into your mouth and chewing fast. Shove. Chew. Shove. Chew. Your frustration butted heads with his bull-headedness.

He called out to you sternly, but you ignored him. “Oi!” His hands closed around your wrists, stopping your meal rampage. The glare you shot him could’ve rivaled a knife’s blade. “Fuck me, you’re stubborn. I’m eatin’ it, alright? You made it, I’ll eat it. Doesn’t mean I can’t give you time to deal with the smell, the sight, whatever.”

“I don’t want you to have to adjust for me. That’s stupid.”

“And I don’t wanna see you endure it. You always do that shit.” Huffing out a breath, he leaned forward and brought your hand to his mouth. A soft kiss brushed your knuckles, and the fight drained from your body like it had never even been there to begin with. “Ten minutes enough? You can tell me why you do that in the meantime.”

“It’ll kill your appetite,” you muttered, avoiding his observant gaze.

“Try me.”

You pulled your hands from his gentle hold and sagged back in your chair. “How much did Ayumu tell you about my Quirk phobia?”

Ayumu had confessed a few days ago to telling Katsuki about what had landed you with Yukiko, and he hadn’t stopped apologizing since. You weren’t mad about it, understanding why—Katsuki was thorough in his investigations—but Ayumu wanted none of that. Guilt over revealing such personal parts of your life ate him up. So now, instead of greeting you with his usual goofy grin and a hug, he just kept apologizing, over and over, bringing you your favorite things to really drive home how sorry he was.

“Not much. Only that you were seven when you got admitted. Thirteen when you left.”

You nodded. “There is that saying, curiosity killed the cat. I became it when I was almost five,” you began, recalling the start of your hell. “These girls in my kindergarten group were talking, well, whispering to each other while giving me looks. And laughing. They were laughing, and I wanted to know why, but I got so much more. A mental breakdown, a bloodbath, my heart stopping on the way to the hospital, and… a crippling fear of a fundamental part of myself. My Quirk.”

Your throat cinched around the knot forming there as the past waltzed, unbothered, into the damaged space of your mind, where healing and hurt were forever at war. You felt it drape over your shoulders like dead weight, heard its sinister whisper, tasted its poison curdling the air. It was time. Time for it to collect the pieces of the present, unravel them, and weave the fraying threads into the future.

Were you ready?

No, but you’d never be. Who would be? A past like yours, once cracked open, bled the ugly, putrid colors of brutal truth. It screeched of the slaughter of the better parts of a heart, of a soul.

“Yukiko didn’t help me get over that terror, but she gave me the tools to do it by myself,” you continued, pretending not to see the specks of ache and anger in his eyes. Katsuki already hurt for you, and you weren’t even halfway through. “Seeing you win drove me to finally use them. Maybe there were other ways, but I was too desperate to experience life like everyone else. To be…normal. So, I—I exposed myself to every possible trigger I could think of, well aware it might end badly. Every single day.”

Fake it ‘til you make it.

Don’t you dare run away.

Endure. Endure. Endure.

You paused to take a deep breath, and in that suspended, silent moment, Katsuki’s scarred arm lay flat on the table, palm up. Trauma meeting trauma, and yet, as your hand met his and your fingers clasped tight, you found comfort.

Unlocking more and more of your past, you told him exposure had been your way of living this whole time, your way of handling things, and how it had influenced your decisions.

This apartment you’d bought in the aftermath of your parents’ death, you’d bought it because of the right medium to cope with the grief it provided.

Spacious, so you could face loneliness head on.

On the highest floor and with a terrace, so whenever your mind obsessed over how their building collapsed, you could sit at night, when everything drowned in deathly quiet, on a flimsy step ladder above balustrade level and battle the dread making you physically sick.

With a walk-in closet, so you could understand, to some extent, what your parents might have felt in their last moments, suffocating under collapsed rubble, if they’d still been alive at that point.

How you’d dealt with Takumi was also a direct consequence of your past. Your heart had seized with fear the moment you realized he was actively stalking you. However, you’d killed that sentiment so many times it had become easy to get over it and push forward, to see your plan through to the finish line.

So was the case of your relationship with death. You’d died and died and died, over and over and over again, through circumstances outside of your control because of your Quirk, through watching your parents hurt as they held on to their unfeasible hopes for you, that the Grim Reaper was an acquaintance of sorts. An uninvited, intrusive one. One you wouldn’t succumb to. One you’d wage war against until the time to lose came.

“That’s it. The honest, bare truth.” You offered him a small, relaxed smile. “Appetite still there?”

“Truthie.”

His voice sounded rougher than usual, like gravel stomped over by marching boots, cracking in places as your name joined the nickname. He looked like he had so much to say, but instead he stood, pulling you up with him and around the table. His strong, safe arms wound tight around you, holding you as if you were on the verge of vanishing, spirited away by the gruesome past. His heart pounded, hard and out of sync, but somehow in time with your own racing one. Ragged breaths fanned the side of your neck, light tremors running through his whole body.

“You made it. You did good. You’re standin’,” he muttered, squeezing the daylights out of you. “I’m so fuckin’ proud of you.”

Your hands fisted in his tank top as you buried your face in his shoulder, your chin trembling. You didn’t want to cry again, but you couldn’t help it when his validation of your why, despite the dangerous, reckless methods, felt so much like home. Free of judgment and full of trust, nuanced understanding, and impenetrable safety.

It was the sense of belonging, really, that unraveled you at the seams.

Ever since you could remember, you’d sat with fear, misery, and stress, and been forced to learn how to breathe in them. Now, you were learning how to breathe outside them, the oxygen flooding your lungs, blissfully pure and warm, soothing your insides.

“Thank you,” you whispered into his skin, your throat too clogged with emotion for your voice to manage more. “Truly.”

And Katsuki matched it, right down to the heavy sigh he let out. “For what?”

“Finding me.”

“You know I’ll always do that. So live. Be even more stubborn. Fight like the whole damn world’s against you.” He pressed a light kiss to your rampant pulse and raised his head, beautiful scarlet eyes as soft as the fluffy carpet your toes curled into. “Don’t make me chase what ain’t there. I hate lookin’ like a lunatic.”

Your heart swelled with happiness, enough to make you grin and feel sick at the same time. “Can I be cheesy for a second?”

“Am I gonna regret it?”

“Maybe? It’s really, really cheesy. Like cliché cheesy.”

Katsuki blew out a breath. “Give it to me already.”

“You said always. Does it apply only to our current existence?”

“Huh? This about that talk we had about some other version of us?” His brows knitted at your a-bit-too-excited nod. “Sure. If you exist, I’ll find you. If you don’t, damn me, I guess. Why?”

Your hands slid over his chest to interlink behind his neck. “I want to meet you again and choose you earlier. Much earlier.”

One side of his mouth quirked into a boyish grin you wished you got to see more of. “You’re lucky I’m down bad for you.” Katsuki chuckled when you scowled, clearly displeased with his response. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s meet again. Who else can handle your feisty ass other than me?”

“I’m starting to regret saying that. Your arrogance is showing.”

“You love it.”

*

It was hours later, after the leftover dinner had cooled on the plates and the cookies you’d baked had settled in your stomach, after your truth had sunk to the bottom of both your minds, after peaceful silence had cloaked the world, that the last frayed strings of vulnerability fell into the pile of scattered clothes.

You were still out on the closed-off terrace with him, grateful for the privacy of the one-way windows for hiding the carnal face of love, and for the carpet you’d chosen as part of your Christmas decor, acting as cloudy cushions beneath your knees. No one was allowed to witness it, not even the pulsating stars standing guard around the luminous full moon you kept catching glimpses of whenever you slid him out of your mouth, licking adoringly from the base of his velvety length to the leaking tip, your eyes forever connected to his half-lidded ones. Drunk on desire and love, one thought percolated through your hazy mind: you were the only one permitted this vision of him.

One of his hands rested loosely around your neck, thumb pressed to your wild pulse, twitching as your lips closed over him, suckling. His fingers flexed on instinct, applying light pressure as you returned him where he belonged, at the end of your tongue, breaching your throat, cutting off your air supply. Which you didn’t need for the moment, your urges running rampant on his taste, his smell, the smooth texture of his length, the hot veins pumping molten blood, and the obscene sounds of the in-and-out glide as you slowly bobbed your head.

You heard the table he held onto for dear life jerk, rattling the plates on top, and you would’ve let your triumph show if your mouth hadn’t been so full. His grunt melted into a restrained moan, telling you that you were on the right track to lure him where you wanted him.

To the dangerous edge of losing control.

For the first time, you despised the discipline he’d instilled in himself, that finely honed self-control, but you’d break him out of it. Katsuki wanted to play nice, you were sure. His aim was to make the first chapter of this uncharted territory something soft, slow, sublime. Something to look back on with a gentle smile and a swarm of butterflies, not with your thighs pressing together and your mind instantly drugged. And although you appreciated it, you were strongly against it.

He could make love to you later, if he wanted, but right now, in this very moment, when possessiveness gripped you in a dizzying chokehold, you craved him at his truest. The tension that had built over the years demanded it.

“You can move, you know.” You stroked him at a steady pace and lifted your torso to pepper kisses over the scar on his hip. Both his legs jostled in response, drawing a playful smile across your spit-slick lips. Almost there.

“Desserts don’t move,” he gritted out.

A quiet snicker slipped from your mouth, earning you a heated glare. You countered it with the tip of your tongue gliding up the center of his trained abs, catching a stray bead of sweat. At the same time, your thumb swiped over his tip and down to the spot that made his breath hitch, rubbing smooth, teasing circles. You really couldn’t get enough of how receptive he was to your touch.

Expletives fell from his teeth-marked lips. Stubborn bastard had been biting them a lot to deprive you of his addictive sounds. The table jerked another inch.

“Desserts also don’t talk, but you’re a special kind, aren’t you...” You trailed off, easing back on your knees. “Katsuki.”

His name, spoken against his slicked cock, granted you a feral sound, ripped from the depths of his heaving chest, sending an arrow of arousal straight into your pussy, nearly weakening your resolve. But you reminded yourself of the times he teased you. Of the times this man drove you so crazy, intentionally or not, you almost begged him to cross every line imaginable and take you. Of the times you fingered yourself to fantasies of him and the dissatisfaction that came with your orgasm. Of the times you rode some random blond out of ugly jealousy, eyes closed, your hand clamped over his mouth, deluding yourself into believing it was Katsuki.

Katsuki brought out things in you that you hadn’t even known existed.

He was yours now, maybe for a lifetime or more, and you had time to indulge in him and savor every single atom that made him up, but a wicked part of you, the one that was a hundred percent faulty, coveted the part of him that got him hung up on you, the part that thwarted his morals. And wanted to drag it down into an eternal pit of infatuation.

Time itself seemed to approve of the notion, with the way it felt like you and him were tucked inside your own little bubble, the world’s hurried seconds slowed to a lazy tick.

“Gonna f-fuck you so hard for this—” He choked out a grunt as you took him back into your mouth, relishing how quickly you shut him up. “Goddamn it, woman.”

“Before you fuck me, I’ll fuck your mind.”

Famous last words, served to him on a sinful, confident platter. Then you delivered on your wicked promise in the only way a devil could: silently, messily, unfairly. Your nails bit into his jumpy thighs, scratching shallow red streaks into the sweaty skin as you let saliva pool on your tongue before hollowing your cheeks and sucking until your accommodating mouth robbed him of his first proper moan.

You had no regard for the growing ache in your jaw and slid him all the way to the back of your throat, holding him there, working the muscles as if you were swallowing a hearty mouthful of life-giving essence. Your gaze coasted over his high-strung body, appreciating the way his muscles bulged under the strain of his self-control, and briefly met his. The red had been reduced to circular rings fighting for territory against the blown-out abyss contracting and expanding at their center.

“You’re the worst,” he rasped, air passing his parted lips in short bursts. “Fuckin’ devil. You gonna edge me ’til I’m mad in the head?”

You hummed affirmative, and Katsuki threw his head back, snarling fuck as the vibrations rippled over his cock. The same vibrations that made you gag and urged your body to pull back as tears stung your eyes. You denied yourself relief and focused on his intoxicating scent, using it to distract your mind.

Once it receded, you resumed your mission and didn’t stop until you felt his control slip away like silk through fingers. His legs suffered from uncontrollable tremors. Sounds escaped freely from his mouth. And it wasn’t his hot, throbbing thickness making you light-headed, but the string of deep moans, eargasms in their own filthy right.

“Shit. Keep goin’. So good for me.” You heard him gulp in oxygen like he was the one deprived of it, his hand around your throat tightening. “Gotta. Fuck. Need it. Make me come. I’ll give you anything.”

You would’ve smiled like a sly fox if your mouth wasn’t stretched to the maximum. Bakugou Katsuki, ever cocky and proud, begging you? You hadn’t thought that was possible, yet here you were, living it. All because of you.

The power it injected into your veins was as addicting as he was.

Oh, but he became next-level delicious when the table creaked as his hips started thrusting shallowly, chasing more of the heavenly friction you gave him. Rapidly learning his rhythm, you met him halfway, completing the sync. Your hand left his thigh and crawled over his taut abdomen to his chest. His heart worked overtime under your fingertips as you spelled three words on his damp skin.

Use my mouth.

And you marveled at how the subconscious worked. How it processed the depraved permission and dissolved the rational into primal instinct.

He was on his feet in a nanosecond, fisting your hair with a carnal growl, and started fucking into your mouth as though both of you would die in the near future if he didn’t. He grunted, moaned, and spat the dirtiest words to ever leave his mouth in your presence, your pussy betraying how much you loved it. The carpet would need to be burned and buried to hide the evidence of your dripping arousal, your inner thighs slick with it.

“Wanted to make this nice and give it to you slowly. Show you I can be that guy,” he panted like he was trying to outrun Armageddon. “But you little fuckin’ devil had to go and fight me on it. You like it rough, or you just wanna get off on bein’ too ruined for anyone else but me? Huh?”

You were barely aware of the violent ache between your legs when he came, burying himself to the hilt, his muscles seized by equally thunderous pleasure, no doubt. Barely aware that you were teetering dangerously close to an orgasm of your own. You resisted the urge to dip a hand between your legs and bring yourself to the finish line, letting your muffled moans and his throaty ones blend into a vulgar harmony as you swallowed every single drop.

The grip on your hair eased. Katsuki pulled out, heaving above you, the tiniest wheezes joining his labored breaths. Wiping at the corner of your mouth, you peered up through your lashes and stared into his darkened eyes as you licked the remnants of him from your thumb. He watched, transfixed, and you thought that was what desire at its most primitive looked like.

Fucking beautiful.

Stunning.

He glowed, and you fell for him deeper than felt humanly possible.

The silence heated, vibrating through the air scented with mulled wine, cookies, and sex. It quickly became too much, and so did your arousal. You barely had a second to process the numbness in your legs when you stood. He caught you by the waist and slanted his mouth over yours, claiming both it and his lingering taste with his tongue.

The kiss was far from anything you’d ever experienced. Messy. Frenzied. Out of control. There was something irresponsible in the way your lips molded to each other. Something hazardous in the way his tongue chased yours. Something chaotic in the way his hands explored your bare, sensitive flesh like they’d never touched you before.

You stumbled with him into the table, and your insides fluttered innocently when he drew back a fraction, trading his ragged breaths for your shaky ones as he reached for something behind you. You tried to look over your shoulder, but Katsuki caught your chin.

“Eyes on me.” The command made you shudder, his gravelly voice doing too many depraved things to your fogged brain.

Plastic crinkled before you watched him bite the corner of the condom wrapper as he tossed the rest of the box to the ground. Dizzying anticipation surged through your veins. You were ready. So fucking ready to feel him inside you almost perched on the table, fully intending to spread your legs in obvious invitation, but who was Katsuki if not a man who thrived on volatility?

His arm, banded tight around your waist, kept you flush with his body as he flipped the table, sending every piece of cutlery and porcelain sliding off to crash and shatter. He righted the wooden piece immediately after and lifted you onto it, pushing your thighs apart. The condom wrapper met its end too, caught between his teeth and fingers.

“Yeah?” he asked, molten gaze boring into yours, liquefying your insides in the split second it flicked to your awaiting, neglected pussy.

You leaned back, fingers making a show of gliding down your body and dipping into your entrance, a jolt of pleasure punching a gasp from your raw throat. They slipped back out and lifted, showing him how they glistened, how wet and ready and eager you were for him. “Yeah,” you breathily voiced your consent.

His attention traveled downward to his still-hard cock as he slowly rolled the condom over it, and you didn’t miss the cocky tilt of his mouth. He was teasing you, wasn’t he? Trying to fuck with your mind? “If it’s too much or you wanna stop, you tell me. Clear?”

“Crystal.”

“Good.” Katsuki’s hands smoothed over your thighs, tugging you closer to the edge of the table. “I’ll go slow, but if it hurts, you know what to do.”

As he lined himself up, you pulled him into a hungry kiss that barely lasted. Meek moans slipped past your lips when he pushed in, your sweaty forehead pressing to his. The stretch stole your breath and your heart all at once. Too many sensations ran wild through your body. It was paralyzing. Goosebumps erupted across your skin, making you cling to him like your soul depended on it, your fingers digging into his shoulders as you hid your face in his neck. Damn your heightened sensitivity.

“You feel so good,” you managed to whisper near his ear. Your ankles locked behind his ass, and you used them to pull him deeper inside. He grunted, sinful notes fracturing through your brain. “More. Give me more. Everything you have. Please.”

“Gladly.” His hand suddenly wrapped around your neck and shoved you back. The moment your spine flattened against the table, he thrust the last inches in. “I fuckin’ love you. Never forget that.”

It didn’t click why he felt the need to remind you of the ferocious love he carried for you until he let loose. The pace was barbaric in nature. Hard, deep, loud, without a shred of restraint. Each time he pulled halfway out and slammed back in, your stunned body jolted against the smooth, cold wood. Broke the chain of satisfied moans pouring out of you. Had you clutching at his forearm and the edge of the table. Poor table, creaking and groaning like it was two seconds away from cracking under the force of his thrusts.

Your eyes scrunched shut as you drowned in the sensation of being one with him. A flawlessly closed loop. Something so complete not a single entity in this world had the power to tear it apart.

“Fuckin’ hell,” he groaned, coupled with your name. “So goddamn pretty like this. And all mine.”

The hold on your throat vanished, joining the other hand on your thigh in a quest to throw your legs over his shoulders. Your whole reality tilted with the new angle, that starry sky reflected in the outside of the windows blooming behind your lids. You didn’t even care if someone could hear the lewd sounds your voice gave up as one palm slapped down next to your head, followed by his weight pressing over your folded body.

You swore you were trapped between two unholy heavens. No angels resided here, only sinning demons, fragments of one devil—him.

“Let’s get you comin’, yeah?” His thumb found your clit to coax out the blazing pleasure building there. “You got a lot of that to do.”

“Katsuki,” you gasped as your back arched, pure electricity zapping through your nerves.

“That’s it. That’s the one.” He grunted, fucking harder into you. By the sound of his hips slapping harshly against the backs of your thighs, you were certain one or two bruises would be forming. “Don’t get me wrong. Love your name, but—Goddamn. Your pussy was seriously meant for me. Takes my cock so well.”

You risked a squinted look at him. Sweaty, muscles taut, veins swollen, Katsuki was one stunningly savage vision. How the fuck did you get this lucky?

“Your name, Truthie. Love it, but right now? Fuck it,” he somehow continued between heavy breaths, and your eyes widened in awe. Trained stamina looked like this? “By morning, it’s only my name you’ll know. Mine you’ll say. Only my fuckin’ name.” His head dipped to suck at your pulse, soothing the bruise with his tongue before he muttered, “’Cause it’s yours too.”

“Which...o-one?” your pleasure-drugged brain blurted out.

Katsuki chuckled wickedly and raised his head. “Gimme what I want, and I might reward you.”

“And what’s that?”

“Come for me.”

You weren’t sure if it was the daring tone or your mind going off the rails, but your nerves caught fire, and the cresting pressure seated deep within combusted into a violent inferno. Contact with the world cut off as exquisite pleasure tore through you. Your body stilled. You became raw sensation, and you thought the ringing in your ears might’ve been your sobs, whimpers, or prayers sent to the devil restructuring your universe.

“Good girl,” the devil murmured, and kissed you like you were the one thing worthy of his worship.

There was no scrambling for your marbles with him. He withdrew his cock from your spasming walls only long enough to flip you onto your front, then thrust back in and rocked into you. His hands roamed your sides, squeezing your hips, your waist, in appreciation, on their way to your breasts. Teasing your stiff nipples, Katsuki left a trail of sloppy kisses down the length of your spine.

Maybe it was his way of granting your trembling body a crumb of mercy. You couldn’t recall a time when you’d come so hard, but you also couldn’t remember loving anyone the way you loved him. It consumed you, for better or worse.

“You with me?” he asked, lacing his fingers with yours.

“Y-Yeah. Sort of.”

One kiss to your shoulder. Another to your damp temple. He hummed against your skin, satisfied with the answer, and ground his hips into your ass. “Want your reward?”

It was rather challenging to focus on anything other than the ease with which his cock glided in and out of your walls, so you settled for weakly squeezing his fingers, though mentally, you slapped yourself. What had you been thinking, asking him which one? Clearly, he meant—

“Two conditions. My freedom and us goin’ strong.”

Air caught in your chest, and you tried twisting to look at him, but your body refused to cooperate. “What?”

“You heard me, and you’re smart enough to figure out what it means.” Katsuki straightened to his full height and squeezed your hip with one hand, the other smacked your ass while your heart felt like it went into cardiac arrest. Something in the way he said it sounded like a promise. As if, for him, giving you more than his first name was an already solved case. “One down, three to go. Since you like number four so much, I’ve decided it’s gotta be the baseline.”

The pace picked up again as you pushed yourself up on shaky elbows, shooting him the most incredulous look you could muster, the glint in his eyes telling you not to dare question his earlier statement. He’d stuck to his word and rewarded you. That was sufficient for now.

“What? You thought I wouldn’t pay you back for fuckin’ with my control?” His head fell back, teeth biting into his lower lip, a low moan and huffed laugh merging into one. “That little game we got goin’ for over three years ain’t over just ’cause we’re together. The chase is still on, Truth Exposer.”

Out of shock, or sheer surprise, laughter cracked out of you. “It’s going to take a hell of a lot more than one good fuck to catch me, Dynamight.”