Sin título

“baby. go,” you hum, dragging your slippered feet across your floor.

you tuck your body between his open legs, putting down your bottle and snacks to lightly tickle under his chin. you receive the harshest glare you’ve ever experienced from him, though it’s still miles below the ones he gives at work. 

calloused hands find the bare backs of your soft thighs and lightly, he squeezes.

“you fuckin’ hate me,” he huffs, but his pout comes through. all his features softening under your attention, minus the twist in his brows. “gettin’ rid of me like this.”

you don’t miss the hickies on his neck, two maroon bruises because all you’ve done together these past few days is kiss, cuddle, eat and have sex. since bakugou became your boyfriend, he often forgets about his own apartment. his home is much larger, much more luxurious with built in speakers in the ceilings and a double headed shower. but he always lingers in yours, though he never outstays his welcome. even now.

“i don’t want you to leave but you need to pack for your mission tomorrow,” you smile, taller than him as he sits.

he feels delirious when he stuffs his face in your cotton soft stomach. you smell freshly showered, clean, cosy and like home. bakugou feels like his heart has been stabbed with a fork. he already misses you and you’re right in front of him.

it’s like he’s fighting the devil on his shoulder, to just stay over again tonight and get up early tomorrow. he can grab his shit from home and go straight there. he knows that plan will throw his whole day off tomorrow. also you hate waking up early.

he blinks at you slowly, like a cat that loves what he sees.

for you, it’s easy to get hot from his touch alone and that stare makes you nudge in closer to him. you want to sit on his lap, kiss down his neck again, despite being all over him an hour ago.

“you want me to piss off so you can watch love island,” he breathes, looking up at you with the sweetest ruby puppy dog eyes. there’s a scratchy tone to his voice, sleepiness clearly taking over though he fights it to spend a second longer with you.

you know for a fact you’re the only person in this universe that has seen katsuki like this. that thought alone makes you want to call up his job and say he can’t come in tomorrow. say he’s sick so you can cuddle his big head in your lap. who would you even call? the hero commission? his sidekicks? he is his own boss.

“i do have a load of episodes to catch up on since you’ve been here,” you say sweetly and he eyes your snacks, then your water bottle placed on the shelf beside him.

he’s a grumpy baby in a twenty seven year old, muscled man’s body. he scrunches his nose at the mention of that show. he hates all reality tv, so he says, even though he ends up asking you for details throughout every episode.

“just say you hate me,” he grunts, tilting his head up for a kiss.

you don’t give in just yet.

“i love you but you’ve gotta go. you’ll be even grumpier without sleep in the morning,” you smile.

he rolls his eyes. ever the dramatic one. “yeah, yeah. i get it. love you too.”

you stand there for a few moments. his grip on your thighs getting tighter, his chin in your stomach. he rubs his cheek against your palm, his stubble prickling against you with every move.

“you need to put your shoes on—,”

“you look so pretty like this,” he murmurs, even biting down on his bottom lip.

you narrow your eyes at him. you know exactly what he’s doing and it usually has a hundred percent success ratio.

he pulls off you, keeping his hands on your thighs to look down your body. stupidly, it causes you to look down at yourself too.

your soft pastel pink  boy shorts because you get hot at night. your comfy low cut navy strappy top, that has seen better days but you have no need to replace yet. your nipples poke through the fabric and you don’t miss bakugou’s gaze wafting over them with his tongue poking his cheek.

he looks as if he’s about to moan or take a bite out of you. you can’t tell yet. you don’t mind either.

“katsuki, stop it. you were supposed to leave an hour ago,” you look to your clock beside your front door. “an hour and a half ago.”

bakugou grits his teeth then relaxes by kissing the strip of your stomach between your vest and shorts. he releases the quietest whine.

“i wanna stay here with you.”

even though he’s being dramatic, you’ll see him in less than a week, every word releases tingles down your spine.

you press a kiss to his lips, to which he eagerly pushes back. his hands sneak up to your waist holding you with purpose. it’s only a peck but everything he’s feeling is translated through.

“you’re killin’ me,” he says onto your lips.

“it’s not me, baby. you have the world to save tomorrow. you can make love to your girlfriend when you get back,” you say tenderly, brushing your thumb over his cheek.

“i’m givin’ you a good fuckin’ when i see you again.”

“you always do,” you shrug playfully and bakugou chuckles, shaking his head in resignation.

“fuck. fuck my life,” he grunts to himself, pulling his slides off your shoe rack and shoving them onto his feet.

“it feels like you’re obsessed with me, kats,” you giggle to yourself, stepping back so he has space to stand up and sling his duffle over his shoulder.

he raises one eyebrow, a huffy laugh releasing from his throat.

“hm? you think?” he takes his hand through his hair, a light pink blush on his cheeks from your attention. “‘course i fuckin’ am. i’m comin’ right back to get you when i’m done.”

you lift up on your tiptoes, hands on his pectorals, “if you say so.”

“i do say so. i am sayin’ that,” he mumbles, hands finding your ass to lift you with ease.

you wrap your legs around his waist so he doesn’t have to bend to kiss you.

“next thursday, okay?” he kisses the corner of your lips, feeling your cheeks rise. “and still text me. i’ll have my phone on me in the evenings.”

you smooth down his eyebrows with your thumbs.

“yes, dynamight sir,” you drawl, but you lean in to peck him, a noisy kiss that has him chasing after you. he moans softly.

“another.” he whispers.

with your arms wrapped around his neck, you give his bottom lip a nibble, one that causes an exasperated groan. then you slot your lips over his, pushing your tongue into his mouth to tangle against his. it’s long, wet and pulses throughout your body.

you push your chest against his as if you’re trying to merge into one, bakugou’s fingertips sinking into your ass cheeks.

it’s you that pulls away, landing two kisses on his lips for good measure.

“baby, no.” he complains.

since you’re the only one with self control here, you tap his shoulder.

“put me down now. you’ve got to go.” you say controlled and bakugou throws his head back in annoyance, “need you wide awake on the field so you don’t get hurt. i don’t wanna see a scratch on your pretty face when you come back.”

that gets him putting you down, your feet finding the floor. since getting with you, he’s much more mindful of his recklessness and getting hurt. bakugou doesn’t want to scare or upset you. you’ve become his beacon of light, his conscience and answer.

“my pretty face?” he grips the handle to his bag, a smirk rising. he’s still taking in his last few seconds.

you nod, “yes. come home safe to me.”

“i always do. don’t have to doubt me, princess.”

the pet name gets you rolling your eyes to hide how it makes your stomach do flips. he undoes both your door locks and slowly opens it with his shoulder like it weighs a tonne.

as if it’s becoming real all of a sudden, you throw yourself into his chest, wrapping your arms around him in a cuddle under his hoodie. you feel complete once you stuff your cheek between his pectorals and you squeeze him tight as thick arms cradle you in. katsuki’s always warm and toasty, a tall standing mattress for you to fall asleep on.

despite you urging him to leave, it doesn’t mean your heart doesn’t ache.

“i’ll miss you,” you say, eyes squeezed shut.

you’re just as dramatic as him, you just hide it better. you’ll see him next week.

“i’ll miss you. gonna think about you when i’m on the camp site shittin’ in the woods.”

your laugh makes bakugou’s chest swell.

“you’re so annoying.”

he shrugs.

with all the power he’s ever possessed in one single time, bakugou lets you untangle from him.

“i’m gonna go now.” he looks down your empty corridor, “i could stay over tonight and leave in the mornin’—.”

“you’re not waking me up at three.”

he turns to you with a frown.

“fine. another kiss, to wish me well,” he demands.

that you can do.

a smush of your lips, you gripping his tee as his hand cups your chin.

“another. for good luck.”

you huff playfully but still you give him another kiss. one that has you opening your mouth and letting him slot his tongue in between. it goes on longer than you mean, with you dragging him closer and his hands land back on your hips.

it’s when he groans without realising, a hardening bump in his waistband pressing against your stomach.

“go now!” you say, pushing him off you and bakugou drags a palm down his face.

“fuck,” he breathes, shaking the horny off his body. not the time. “i’ll see you next week. lock the door behind me. all of them.”

“i always do!”

he flickers down your body, one step into the corridor. 

bakugou bites down on his bottom lip, “i love you. can’t wait to see you again.”

you awe, gripping the door and peeking out, “i love you too. i’ll keep you updated. even send you some selfies.”

bakugou nods rapidly, “please. i won’t be able to reply quickly but i will.”

“okay, i’ll see you later.”

he’s about to step away, he swears he is though he looks back at you peeping at him.

“one last kiss then i’m outta your sight,” he promises.

you eagerly pull out from behind the door, “last one! then you have to go!”

“yeah, yeah, yeah—,” he’s rough in the way you love, placing a palm flat on your back to pull you into him. you practically fall into his arms but quickly you’re up on your tiptoes.

it’s a kiss with the energy that it could be the last one you ever have. a hero going off on a mission and leaving his beautiful girl back home. though this isn’t one of his high risk ones, heck he’s going on his own because he’s so capable. yet still the day he returns feels like forever away.

you practically eat each other's faces, unable to stay appropriate down to your last moments together. you twist to the left as he goes right, holding the back of his head so he stays close. he’s not shy to push his cock into you, letting you know all the ways he will miss you.

it’s loud and messy. it’s trying to remember every inch of him so you can recall it in your nights alone. it’s bakugou groping every part of you he can get his hands on so he can mark you as his.

your blonde sucks on your tongue and you don’t mean to palm him but he ruts into you at the contact. you moan as pleasure sparks beneath your skin, the length of him growing cupped in your palm. you’re wondering if there’s time for another session even though he was meant to leave two hours ago.

the kiss only ends because you’re both breathless, using your last breaths to connect with the other. there’s giggles from you and three extra pecks before you force yourself to step away, using your front door as a shield from your riled up boyfriend.

you watch as he adjusts himself, rolls back his shoulders in a stretch and tries to screw his head on straight.

“goodbye now. for real, kats.”

he nods sharply, stretching his jaw side to side. “bye baby. i’m hard now.”

“that’s your own fault for begging for more kisses,” you grin.

he pouts, “how couldn’t i when you look like—,”

“bye katsuki. my tv is calling me!”

“fuck,” he groans, holding onto his bag strap and throwing his head back, “bye princess.”

that is, until he met you. well, he was still as bad at flirting as always, and as unwilling to try it, but he regretted not having tried to date more. because now he has you, this beautiful woman, that loves him in a way he thinks he's never been loved before, and he doesn't know what to do.

of course he's not stupid. he knows how you're supposed treat a woman, especially one like you. but he couldn't give you everything tou deserved. it's not that he didn't want to, he did, so much, he simply wasn't capable of it.

he doesn't think he could've been, even in his prime. when he was younger and healthy and, well, he might even say nice looking. at least he thought if he had been able to keep his quirk, keep working, he'd be a better match for you. he could at least be a hero for you. not for anyone else, no.

now he just teaches. he doesn't do what he once did. he doesn't look like he once did, nor does he feel like it. he's stuck with this body in this state of mind and he can't escape it. he can't make himself do better, not even for you. and that's driving him crazy.

"hey, what are you doing up so late, hm?" he hears your soft voice behind him, and snaps out of his thoughts for a second.

he looks up to the screen of his laptop. 2:02. he sighs.

"did i wake you?" he asks lowly, bringing one hand over yours where it rests on his shoulder.

"no. don't worry. i got up for a glass of water." you mutter lazily and lean over his back, trying to see what he was doing on the laptop. you already knew, but you still check. "still working, love? you should come to bed with me."

"i know. just gotta finish this." shota's voice is as unemotional as ever, but you're a bit bothered by it. something sounds off. maybe it's just your brain, coated in a sleep haze. but maybe it's not so you squeeze his shoulder. "really."

"oh, really?" you scoff a bit and roll your eyes. it's never just one thingt with him, and you know that.

though he's not even looking at you, he knows you're rolling your eyes. he knows he's annoying you, because you hate falling asleep with him beside you, and waking up to an empty bed. even more if it's in the middle of the night. he feels bad, he truly does, and he feels like it's one of the things that he should've known. he should've finished work earlier, so he could now just be beside the beautiful woman that he loves, in bed.

but it's not that simple. he's not that simple.

your hand stretches out from behind him and reaches to close the laptop. he holds your wrist and tries to look at you, but he can't see your face too well in the poorly lit living room.

"finish this, tomorrow, shota. it's too late." your voice is stern enough that it makes him let go of you.

"i need to do this now."

"no, you don't. you can do it in the morning."

he sighs and closes his eye. he knows where this is going. and it's impossible that his mind doesn't sneak once again to that place.

he's not a good boyfriend. he should be doing what you're telling him, cause you're right. he can do that in the morning. he doesn't have to be here right now with the bright light of the laptop screen burning his good eye. but he is. he can't sleep, and he can't do anything else, so he just does this.

you close the laptop and you two stand in the dark for a few seconds. your hand slides back to his shoulder, and this time you pull him back on his chair. "bed, shota."

he shivers. cause your voice is so soft, and so loving, and so caring. he doesn't want to say no to that. but he can't say yes. you'll fall asleep in a second and he'll be stuck thinking all kinds of (horrible) things beside you all night.

he turns around on the rolling chair easily and stares at you, though it's dark and he can barely see your face. he can see your eyes. the soft glow the moon casts on your skin through the open window.

"i'm not really tired." he mutters tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair as a distraction.

you trace the bags under his eyes, dark and deep, though you they don't mean much. he always has them, even after a night of sleep. he's not wearing his eye patch, which is rare these days, even at home. you don't linger too much on his left side, knowing he doesn't like being reminded of what's not there anymore.

"i don't care. just want you beside me." you shrug with a small playful smile before bending down to look into his eye. he doesn't like that. he tenses up and stares at you the same way he does when he scolds a student. "don't give me this."

"i'm not giving you anything, really." he mutters and you feel like he means that in some other way. you want to press, but you've been with shota long enough to know that pushing him never works.

so, instead, you sigh deeply and sit on his lap. he adjusts quickly to the new comforting weight on his legs, and his cold, always cold, hands sneak under your over sized shirt and rest against your skin. your calf touches te freezing metal of his prosthetic leg. you shiver, but you don't complain.

"you're right. you're not giving me much. i don't like it when you're playing the 'one sentence guy' part." you raise your brows and wrap one arm around his neck, body melting against his.

"i don't have much to say." he replies after a couple silent moments. not because he wants to, he doesn't. but he feels like he should. like you're expecting something from him. and he never wants to leave you hanging, though he feels like he already is. "i'm just tired."

"you always are. but you're not always like this." you shrug and rest your head against his. he squeezes your waist.

"i guess."

and then you two are silent again. he hates it, cause it gives him time to think. and he doesn't want to think, he wants to be something different. he wants to shut his brain up. he can't help but remember that once he would've picked you up and taken you to bed with him. and he no longer could. how he once knew he could protect you from almost anything. and how he now can't. he can't do anything these days.

"you know i love you, right?" you say after a while and he tenses even more at that. you feel him nodding against you, but he doesn't say anything. "i love you."

"i know." his voice comes much later and so low you barely hear it. he wants to say it back. but his throat feels like it's closing up on itself, and he doesn't want to risk it.

"so why are you acting like you don't?"

this time he furrows his brows and shifts underneath you. "i'm sorry."

"so, you know what i'm talking about?" you lean back to get a better look on his face, and he stares back at you.

"i could guess." he shrugs. you nod and squeeze his shoulder, waiting for an elaboration, he knows. "i'm-" he starts and stops, taking a deep breath and looking away from you. he's usually very straightforward, but this is wearing him down. he feels like he's stripped bare and you're analyzing every inch of his useless limp body.

"i'm old. and i'm tired. i feel like i can't keep up with you, sometimes. i can't give you what you want." he doesn't look at you when he says it, because he knows the face you're gonna look at him with.

"and what do i want?" you answer so quickly he barely has time to suppress his shock. "how do you know what i want? you didn't ask."

"some things don't have to be said." he shrugs as if it's obvious. as if it's clear that whatever he gives you is not what you want. not what you need. "i'm not like i used to be."

"yeah, that's right, you're not." you narrow your eyes at him and don't look away. you need him to get you. "but why is that a bad thing?"

he scoffs almost immediately and rolls his eye. he misses when he could do it with both. he feels like it would make more of an effect right now. "oh, is it a good one, then? that i'm old and with one less leg and eye? that an upgrade?"

"would you stop saying it like that, shota?" you complain lowly before closing your eyes. his hands are still squeezing your waist and it feels like he's holding onto you. like he's trying not to be taken away.

"but it's true."

"it happened, it doesn't mean you're less of a person, though." you scoff a little annoyed now. because it seems like he really wants to argue. he looks at you with his jaw tight, his open eye staring at you intently. "i don't feel any differently about you now than i did before."

"i do." he simply says, refusing to look away from you until you got it. until you read his mind so he wouldn't have to say it out loud.

"shota..." you mutter and close your eyes, leaning your face forward until your forehead meets his. you can't see, but you feel the soft breath he lets out against your lips.

"i don't want to be the one that holds you back." he mutters so lowly you barely even hear it. it's like he doesn't really want you to. you keep your eyes closed, you know he'll feel better if you aren't looking. you brush your noses together softly and hear him let out a low groan.

"you're not. i'm exactly where i want to be." you lean in to leave a soft kiss against his lips. he lets it linger and takes in a sharp breath. his whole body relaxes against you, and you feel so good knowing you can still do that to him.

"are you? really?" he scoffs, but his voice sounds much less tense now. your hand slides up his neck and to his chin, feeling the stubble growing there. "do you want to be up at two in the morning calming down your boyfriend as if he's a toddler in distress?"

you roll your eyes before opening them, and give him a small smile. he doesn't smile back, but you know he wants to. "yeah, that's right where i wanna be. anywhere you are is where i wanna be."

"sounds unlikely."

"i don't care what you think. it doesn't matter. i've changed, too. do i bring you down?" you ask, scratching his chin softly. you can swear you hear him purr like a cat.

"you try sometimes." he shrugs and gives you a small lopsided grin, and you can't help but smile back.

"oh, so funny." you mutter, biting your lower lip. your eyes are so full of love he can practically see it coming in waves off of you. "if i ever think you're bringing me down, considering i don't wanna be brought down by you, i'll just break up with you. ok?"

"reassuring." he nods softly, but he likes hearing you say that. you always know what to tell him. and though that makes him feel a bit bad now, because he doesn't always know what to tell you, at least it seems like you don't mind.

"it's supposed to be." you smile and lean in again to kiss his soft lips. you make sure it lasts longer now. you let your mouth open slightly and you feel his tongue against yours, warm, wet and soft. you melt against each other, while his hands climb up your back, making you arch forward.

"i know you love me. you let me do this." he mutters against your lips when you stop kissing for just a second and you can't help but laugh lowly.

"yeah, and you love me too, right?" you ask, biting his lip playfully. you know this doesn't solve all of his problems. you know it's not a permanent answer and you know that what he's feeling tonight has been there for long, and it won't just disappear. but, for now, you two can kiss softly and enjoy the moment. because you love each other and sometimes that's enough.

"always will." he says before kissing you again.

he rolled his sore shoulders as he stepped inside, boots thudding against the hardwood floor before he kicked them off by the entrance of your shared penthouse. every muscle in his body ached. another twelve-hour shift. another villain that refused to stay down. another stack of paperwork and meetings waiting for him tomorrow morning.

"...i'm home." he said, grunting and making his way inside.

usually, he'd be greeted by the smell of dinner, your voice from the living room or even the sound of your singing.

however, today..nothing. this silence was heavy.

too heavy, for him, after his shift.

katsuki frowned, as he spoke out your name.

"...y/n?"

you emerged from the living room a second later. arms folded tightly across your chest. still wearing your work top.

your expression alone told him everything. that you had been waiting for him.

"...you're late." you muttered, making your way to the kitchen.

he glanced at the clock hung on the wall.

11:37 p.m.

"...yeah." he muttered, stepping fully into the kitchen-living room area.

"you said you'd be home by eight." you told him, as calm as possible.

"something came up." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"katsuki, there is always something coming up with you, doesnt it?"

he sighed. "please, i'm tired."

"so am i."

you didn't raise your voice. but his tone somehow made it worse.

"...i'm exhausted too, katsuki."

he dropped his duffel bag onto the floor.

"it's hero work, you know that fully well, its a part of my job that stuff can just randomly come up without my control."

"i know it's hero work." you said, rolling your eyes, and dropping your arms by your side.

"then what's the problem?"

your laugh was quiet. disbelieving.

"...you really don't see it?"

he stayed silent.

you shook your head.

"of course you don't." you walked past him toward the kitchen. the dinner you'd made hours ago still sat untouched. cold. you hadn't eaten either.

"...i kept waiting, katsuki. i always do," you began, looking towards the dinner table, his eyes followed that trail, then back at you. "i didnt want to eat without you, and i didnt want to leave you hungry."

you spoke without meeting his gaze. "then eight became nine, then ten, and then i realized for the first time in days that i dont even know why i bothered, bothered waiting."

your fingers tightened around the edge of the counter.

katsuki rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "i texted you."

"once."

"i was busy."

"you've been 'busy' for three weeks, straight, are there no other heros around or something?"

he felt irritation beginning to crawl beneath his skin.

"what excatly do you want me to do?"

your eyes snapped to his.

"i dont know, maybe be here, for me, for yourself and us, you know? maybe not get consumed by your job, i havent seen you properly for the last week."

silence from his end.

your voice cracked. "just-, just be here."

"i am here."

"yeah, now. after nearly midnight, after another cancelled dinner, date, promise. another promise you couldnt keep. i know your job, i understand that you have responsibilities,"

he clicked his tongue.

"but you cannot make time for your personal life when i have asked you multiple times?" you ended your statement.

"i can't just leave in the middle of a mission."

"i'm not asking you to."

"then what are you asking?"

"i'm asking you to stop acting like this job is the only thing in your life!"

the words echoed through the apartment.

katsuki stared at you.

"careful."

"no." you took a shaky breath. "i'm tired of being careful, or that i am okay with this, and everyday i wonder if you are going to come home."

he lowered his gaze for a bit, clearly thinking about what you said.

"every time my phone rings late at night, my heart drops, i gotta check every news report, every channel, every log, every emergency alert. do you know what that feels like."

your eyes had started to water.

"and then you finally come home, when i can finally be selfish and have you to myself, you are here already thinking about tomorrow,"

he looked away. "it's my job, you knew that before we got together."

"i know." you whispered to him.

"people need me."

"i know." you repeated.

"i can't just stop."

"i know!" your voice finally broke.

"i know all of that, katsuki."

"...but what about us?" silence. long and painful.

he didn't have an answer. because there wasn't one.

"i- i am trying, okay?" he finally muttered.

"are you?"you asked quietly.

"or are you just surviving until the next mission?" something inside him snapped.

"the hell do you want from me?!"

you flinched.

he noticed immediately. and hated himself for it.

but the words were already out.

"i break my damn back every day, i'm out there risking my life, and i come home just to get yelled at?" he snapped.

your shoulders slowly slumped. "that's not what i'm doing."

"isn't it?" you looked at him for what felt like forever.

then, you nodded once. it was almost to yourself. "i think we both need to cool off."

you grabbed your jacket from the chair. katsuki frowned.

"where are you going?" he asked, his shoulders relaxing.

"out." you stated plainly.

"it's almost midnight."

"i know."

"y/n."

"i'm not breaking up with you."

you slipped your shoes on. "i just don't want us to say something we'll regret." your hand rested on the doorknob. "i'll come back later."

the door opened. cool night air drifted inside. "i love you." those three words came quietly. almost hopefully.

katsuki being his usual stubborn self, he looked away, still too angry. "yeah."

you laughed to yourself at that, it wasn't the answer you wanted. it wasn't the answer he wanted either.

but the door had clicked shut. and the apartment became painfully, unbearably quiet.

for the next 30 minutes, the apartment remained silent. it felt like forever.

katsuki sat exactly where you had left him.

"tch" he dragged a hand down his face before letting out a slow breath. "that woman" he muttered under his breath.

he wanted to call you. he really did. but the argument still lingered in his chest. the irritation. the frustration. the confusion. his love for you. the feeling that no matter what he said, it would've been the wrong thing.

instead, he made himself dinner. he was starving.

or rather, he reheated the dinner you'd made hours ago. the microwave hummed quietly.

he looked down at the dinner table to notice the two plates, from when you had set the table. forks, glasses, even his favorite soda and hot sauce bottle were placed where he always reached for it.

you'd really expected him home. he swallowed the lump in his throat.

after eating, he decided to take a shower, to feel anew, after his shift and his talk. showering worked like magic for him, rinsing the grim and guilt off of him.

he showered. hot water beat against sore muscles. he washed his hair, rinsed, then foamed his hair again, then rinsed, then he scrubbed his arms, chest and back. his mind refused to shut up.

"just be here.", "what about us?" , "i love you."

"...fuck." he braced both hands against the shower wall. why hadn't he just answered?

it would've taken two damn seconds.

"i love you too." he'd thought it.

he just hadn't said it.

five minutes later, he stopped out wearing nothing more than sweatpants and a black t-shirt.

his hair was still damp. he grabbed his phone from the kitchen counter.

no new messages from you.

he frowned. fair enough. he'd deserved that. he unlocked his phone.

typed your name in the message app.

me: come home.

he stared. deleted it. typed again.

me: let's talk when you get back.

deleted that too.

"dammit."

why was talking with you harder than fighting villains?

the television switched on mostly to drown out the silence.

some late-night variety show played in the background while he absent-mindedly dried his hair with a towel. he barely paid attention.

until the screen suddenly changed.

bright red banners flashed across the bottom.

BREAKING NEWS

the television presenter spoke quickly.

"we're interrupting our scheduled programming due to reports of a large-scale villain attack in central musutafu."

katsuki looked up immediately.

camera footage filled the screen. smoke. sirens. people running.

flames climbing the sides of buildings. the firefighters trying to shut down the fire.

the reporter continued.

"the villain attack appears to have begun inside the city's largest shopping district. multiple buildings have suffered severe structural damage, including the central shopping mall. now currently reporting 2 dead and 9 injured."

katsuki's stomach dropped.

footage of the mall. that was only fifteen minutes from your office.

his phone vibrated. once. twice. three times.

he grabbed it.

new notifications:

red riot

icy hot

pinky

another vibration. another. another.

one from his sidekick, one from midoriya, and one from his assistant.

he barely glanced at them. his eyes caught something else.

your name.

his breathing stopped. he opened it immediately.

y/n ❤️: katsuki.

please answer.

i'm inside the mall.

i can't get out.

his heart slammed against his ribs. he started to panic. then another message came in.

part of the ceiling collapsed.

there are so many people that are trapped.

there's smoke everywhere.

i can't find the exit anymore. its too dark, i cant see anything.

another message.

please.

please come find me.

"...no." he muttered to himself, in disbelief.

another emergency alert echoed through the apartment. his agency.

all available heroes immediately respond. he was already moving.

boots. gauntlets. hero costume. the whole pack.

everything happened on instinct.

his hands shook so violently he almost dropped one of his grenade bracers.

"...please..."

he didn't even realize he'd said it aloud.

"...please be okay."

the apartment door slammed behind him hard enough to rattle the walls.

he'd never moved so fast in his life.

the closer he got, the worse it became.

entire streets had been evacuated. ambulances lined every corner. taking in injured, so far 20 injured and 4 dead, he had overheard. firefighters taking out as many fires as they can can.

police barricades, blocking the street from every way, evacuating who can be evacuated.

smoke blackened the night sky. the heat from the burning mall could be felt from across the street. chunks of concrete still crashed from the upper floors every few seconds.

people screamed names. looking for family. friends. children.

heroes sprinted in every direction.

katsuki's eyes searched frantically.

not for villains, not for casualties, for you.

"bakugou!"

kirishima grabbed his shoulder the second he arrived.

"dude! where the hell have you been?"

"kirishima, she's in there." he whispered, pointing at the building.

kirishima froze.

"who is?" he questioned loudly.

"y/n."

everything on kirishima's face changed.

"shit, man go, GO! me and todoroki will deal with this bullshit."

"kirishima, im counting on you"

katsuki didn't wait. he shoved past the barricade. a police officer shouted after him.

another hero reached for his arm.

he blasted the pavement beneath his feet.

the explosion launched him over the line of emergency crews. straight toward the collapsing mall. he didn't care who yelled after him.

he didn't care about protocol. he didn't care about the orders. the only thing repeating inside his head was your last message.

"please come find me."

he blasted himself in the air, didnt even bother landing, he then blasted through a shattered second-floor window instead, glass scattering around him as smoke immediately filled his lungs. he lowered his eyemask.

he looked outside, and spotted Mina ashido.

he yelled her name from the second floor, she quickly looked up, that was her sign to follow him up. she hopped on some of the nearby broken down cars and made her way to him.

katsuki looked around. the mall barely resembled the place he'd walked through hundreds of times before. storefronts had been reduced to twisted metal. mannequins lay broken across the floor. sprinklers rained endlessly from the damaged ceiling, mixing with ash until the ground became slick beneath his boots.

every few seconds, another section of the building groaned.the sound made his stomach twist. it wasn't going to stay standing much longer.

"mina.." he muttered. she looked up at him.

"shes here, we need to act fast."

she nodded, melting the first barrier of rocks.

they quickly escaped, his voice echoed through the empty corridors, yelling your name. mina quickly running behind him.

nothing.

only the crackling of flames answered him.

he forced himself forward. he handed the hero behind him a mask.

another explosion somewhere deeper inside shook the entire structure. dust rained from above. a support beam crashed down behind him, blocking the hallway he'd just come through.

"dammit."

mina found people first, an elderly couple trapped beneath a display shelf, a teenager with a broken arm, a little girl crying for her mother.

every instinct he'd trained for years screamed at him to stop, to help save them, to prioritize whoever he could reach first. that is his job as a hero.

and he did.

he pulled debris away, as mina helped the elderly couple out of the rubble.

"mina.. take the kid and the mom" she nodded, caring the kid on her back, and the mom in her arms as she quickly ran back where she came from and hopped down effortlessly, like a hero should and delivered them to an empty ambulance.

katsuki quickly following behind, landing safely on the ground with the elderly woman in his arm and the teenager on his back. then the pink hero hopped in one again to save the man left.

quickly, after they had guided survivors, they went back in.

every second felt stolen. every second felt like it belonged to you instead. they continued their run. both screaming your name.

"hero!" someone grabbed his arm, "please save me" a kid said, from under the rubble.

he pulled free. "mina, handle him, ill find her myself."

she nodded, carrying the kid in her arms and running towards the broken window.

his phone buzzed. barely any signal. one new message.

his hands shook as he opened it.

y/n ❤️: i can hear people outside.

i don't know where i am.

it's getting harder to breathe.

timestamp:

six minutes ago.

his voice cracked. "just hold on." he launched himself over another collapsed escalator. the lower floor had taken the worst of it. concrete pillars leaned at impossible angles. the emergency lights flickered weakly before dying altogether. darkness swallowed everything.

you were right, it was hard as fuck to see.

"y/n!" he shouted again. louder this time. his heart pounded. "answer me!"

nothing.

"please" his voice sounded unfamiliar. small and desperate.

"answer me."

then a very faint sound was heard from a far.

very faintly

"katsuki?"

he froze. his head snapped toward the sound.

"y/n?!"

"i'm here" it came again. weaker. but definitely yours.

relief hit him so hard his knees almost gave out. "keep talking!"

"babe, i can't see anything, its really scary."

his chest tightened painfully. "don't move." he followed your voice until the hallway ended.

a collapsed support wall blocked the entire passage. massive slabs of concrete had folded in on themselves, sealing off whatever was on the other side.

"dammit!" he pressed both hands against the rubble.

"y/n! can you hear me?"

"yeah" you answered weakly.

"are you hurt?" there was a pause. "i don't think so"

another tremor ran through the building. pieces of concrete shifted overhead. you whimpered. "katsuki"

"hey."

he forced his voice to stay steady. "look at me, babe"

"i can't" you answered, but it was no time for jokes.

"then listen to me."

he rested one hand against the cracked wall between you. "i'm getting you out." "okay?"

"okay"

he examined the debris. too unstable to climb. too thick to move by hand. there was only one option.

and he hated it.

"y/n."

"yeah?"

"i need you to back up as far as you can."

"why?"

"i'm blasting through."

"will it work?"

"yeah."

he lied without hesitation.

"i promise, i promise im getting you out."

you trusted him.

he heard you slowly shuffle backwards over broken concrete.

"is this enough?" you yelled with all of your remaining abilities.

"a little more, my love."

another few steps.

"now?"

"yeah." he raised one gauntlet. his breathing slowed.

just enough force to break the barrier. not enough to bring the whole ceiling down. he'd done calculations like this a thousand times before. he has done this before. he could do this. he had to.

"cover your head, do not panic"

"okay."

"...ready?"

"ready?" he swallowed.

"i'm coming." the explosion tore through the corridor. the wall fractured. chunks of concrete burst apart. dust exploded into the air.

for one brief, shining moment, some light steamed through the opening from the broken windows.

he could see you. covered in dust. alive. your eyes found his immediately.

"katsuki"

relief flooded your face.

his own expression softened. "i got you."

he took one step forward.

then the building groaned once more, not from his blast, from somewhere deep beneath the foundation of the building.

his smile disappeared. "NO!" he yelled.

the floor lurched beneath him. everything shifted at once. the ceiling began to collapse on the both of you.

"y/n!" he yelled on the top of his lungs, he threw himself toward you without thinking. he reached, ALMOST, he was so close.

so close enough that his fingertips brushed yours.

then, everything vanished beneath a deafening roar.

"y/n!" he screamed your name until his throat burned. again. and again.

he quickly got up digging frantically through the rubble with bleeding hands. calling for you.

he was searching for anything. any answer, breath, any sign that you were alive, under all this rubble. fuck, if he came a little bit earlier. if he didnt waste time to rescue the other people.

all he was met with was silence.

he began heaving, his breathing came in short, ragged even. his heart hammered so hard. "Y/N! please! just anything, im sorry." he began crying, tears spilling fast from his eyes.

even though he was still digging, creating small explosions. till he found some pieces covered in blood, "no- no, no..no no no..NO! y/n im sorry, im sorry"

his hands were bloody, his skin was pulled, ripped and bleeding, he kept on clawing and clawing.

his hands clawed at the mattress before he realized where he was.

the bedroom. your bedroom. your apartment. your shared penthouse.

dark. quiet. safe.

a light flicked on outside. the bathroom door creaked open.

you stepped into the hallway in one of his oversized t-shirts, still rubbing sleep from your eyes after getting a drink of water.

"katsuki?" your voice was hoarse with sleep.

"you okay?, i heard some-"

before you could finish, he was already out of bed. crossing the room in three hurried strides. his arms wrapped around you so tightly that the breath left your lungs.

"ah! fuc- k-katsuki?"

he buried his face against your shoulder. you could feel him shaking.

not slightly but violently. almost terrified.

"babe? im here" you whispered, one hand slowly finding the back of his neck.

"what happened?" he couldn't answer. he was just sobbing into your shoulder.

because he still wasn't entirely convinced he had actually woken up.

he just held you tighter. as if letting go might make the nightmare start all over again.

you instinctively wrapped your arms around his waist.

"katsuki?" your voice was barely above a whisper now.

the panic in his breathing, the way his hands trembled against your back, you started to piece things together, he was most likely having a bad dream.

your fingers slowly threaded through the damp strands of his hair.

"look at me."

he couldn't, he was too scared, the last time he looked at you, was when you were eaten by the concrete roof that fell on you, crushing your body.

"i thought, i- i couldnt..get you in time..and i-" he swallowed hard.

you frowned softly.

"what?"

"babe i-i had this, shit fucked up dream, that you had left after we got- got into some fuckass argument.."

he let out a shaky breath. "then there was an attack and you were trapped.." his grip tightened again.

"and i was too late, too late to get you"

your heart ached.

"im so glad it isnt real.." he barely whispered.

you cupped his face between your hands. forcing him to look at you. his crimson eyes were glassy. red and around the edges. there were tears sitting there.

"katsuki." you smiled at him, "im right here"

his eyes searched yours. making sure.

your skin was warm beneath his fingertips, comforting, your heartbeat steady against him, you were alive and breathing.

"yeah, you are.."

you guided him back toward the bed. neither of you said much. there wasnt much to say.

you climbed back beneath the blankets first before gently patting the empty space beside you.

"come here."

for once, he didn't argue. immediately reaching for your hand beneath the duvet. his thumb brushing across your knuckles. just to feel you there.

"i'm sorry, im such a dumbass." the words surprised even him.

you looked over. "what for, baby?"

"i've been gone too much, i dont prioritise you, ive been an idiot."

you smiled weakly. "well, thats not exactly breaking news."

the smallest laugh escaped him.

"dont get cocky one me, now" he laughed.

"dont lie, you loved it"

"yeah." this time, there wasn't a second of hesitation.

"i love you," his voice was quiet. steady.

"and i don't think i say it enough, im sorry."

your eyes softened. "come here."

you scooted closer until your head rested on his shoulder, hand in hand.

"i love you too."

"you are so great to me, i know im a pro-hero, but- from now you are my priority, im sorry if i made you feel abandoned."

the bedroom fell quiet again. only the rain tapping softly against the windows filled the silence. after a few minutes, you noticed he still wasn't asleep.

"you're still thinking about it."

"maybe."

you squeezed his hand.

"you know" he started, "if we ever get into an argument,"

you looked at him.

"none of us is leaving or sleeping angry."

he looked at you.

"even if one of us needs space, we will be saying 'i love you' first" he said, eyes threatening to spill again, "deal?"

you nodded, as you smiled at him. "deal."

he stared at your intertwined hands for a long moment. then nodded once.

"good."

another few minutes passed. your breathing slowly evened out. you layed down as sleep began pulling at your eyelids.

just before you drifted off, you felt something warm press gently against your forehead. a kiss, on your cheek.

a careful one.

like he was grateful you were still there to kiss at all. then one to your lips.

"goodnight." he whispered as he layed down as well.

he could finally half relax, you were here, the nightmare wasnt real, the apartment is still standing, nobody is injured.

because you were here.

because the nightmare wasn't.

because the apartment was still standing.

he slipped his fingers between yours one last time before closing his eyes.

then sleep came peacefully.

.

Even through your narrowed eyes you scanned his body seeing no wounds or marks that were concerning. He smiled as he watched what your eyes checking him out, “Yeah sweetheart everything’s ok,” he tilts his head to the side a little, “You should be asleep though,” 

“Sleeps just a mindset”

“Stubbornness is too” 

You scoff which earns a breathy laugh from him. He presses a soft quick kiss to your forehead before he stands up and makes his way to the bathroom to change. 

Touya thinks about his patrol earlier as he gets ready for bed. Sliding off his hero uniform, he stands in the shower. The water runs hot as it goes over his body, his hair seeping wet. He holds one hand against the cold tiles, running his other through his snow white hair. His muscles hold tension from the day’s work, his mind running around in circles. From paperwork to patrolling to the marvelous phone call he received from his dad earlier. 

Right that phone call.  

“Hello?” 

“Son.” Endeavors rough voice crackles through the speaker, “Nice speech. It seems the public took a liking to it.” 

Well, that was a relief. In all honesty, Touya went up there completely unprepared. The only thing he thought of was protecting you. He couldn’t help but feel some sort of pride knowing that his dad thought he did good. 

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he sought for his dad’s approval more than he should. The only person who knows that is the only person he can let himself be vulnerable with: you. 

“Glad you approve,” his tone is sarcastic, but he’s glad his father isn’t ripping his head off or anything like that. 

“I’ll cut to the chase then, you and your girlfriend will be coming over this Friday for dinner,” 

Touya blinks, once, twice, processing the fact that his father asked--no stated dinner plans. 

“Hell no!” Touya was firm and set with his response, “I’m not having you guys scare her off!” 

“Don’t be dramatic, we won’t scare her off,” Endeavor scoffed on the other side of the phone, “We just want to meet the girl that managed to steal the heart of our hot-headed son is all,” 

“You’re disgusting,” 

“You’re being silly, it’s just a dinner what could possibly go wrong,” 

“Better question, what won’t,” 

He then heard murmurs of voices behind Endeavor which is what he presumes the rest of his family. He can imagine Fuyumi and Natsuo huddling over the speaker, his Mom and Shoto on the other end of the couch listening intently. 

“Touya? It’s Mom,” 

He relaxed a little at the sound of his mothers delicate and soft-spoken voice, but still he was not budging one bit.

“Hi Mom,” His tone usually softens when he’s speaking to his mom, she was always patient with him and never yelled at him even when he deserved it. Quite the opposite of how he usually speaks to his dad. They usually meet their tempers eye to eye. 

“Touya, honey why don’t you invite the girl over for dinner,” His mom lightly suggests, “What was her name again?” 

Touya sighs and says your name, his heart fluttering remembering that you’re probably home doing some leisurely activity. Gosh he couldn’t wait to hold you and shower you with kisses. He shakes his hand before he tumbles down a road of fantasyland and focuses back to the conversation at hand, “And the answer is still no,” 

“PLEASE! WE WANNA MEET HER!” He almost jumps hearing his sister’s insistence booming through the speaker loud and clear, but just as quickly as it came the speaker cuts muffled again which what he assumes is Natsuo stealing the phone from Fuyumi, “Fuyumi shush, dude you’re so secretive about your life how come you didn’t tell us you had a girlfriend,” 

“So I could avoid this conversation,” 

“Ah that didn’t go so well when you shamelessly kissed her in public, now did it? Very reckless of you big bro!” 

“You little--”

“Enough!” Endeavor scolds, taking back his phone from Natsuo’s hand. He clears his throat, lowering his voice back down in a respectable manner, the voice Touya knows too well. The one that means Touya had no room to argue and that this dinner was happening no matter how much he protested. “Touya we’ll see you here, Friday at 7:00pm got it?” 

Touya pinches the bridge of his nose, breathing in the nature around him so that he doesn’t lose his temper, “Fine,” he mutters through clenched teeth, “See you then, but I swear the second you start grilling her or making her uncomfortable I won’t hesitate to--” 

“Awwww he’s so protective over her, I never thought I’d see the day my big brother was in love,” Fuyumi interrupts squealing on the other side, enjoying seeing Touya’s usually reserved nature care for someone. 

The tips of Touya’s ears turn pink, he bites his tongue holding back from saying some very colorful words due to the fact that he can imagine his parents right there. “Fuyumi” he practically growls, warning her not to start something. 

The call cuts before Touya starts going off about what a nosy annoying brat she is. He looks down at his phone, his reflection looking back at him through the black screen. He sighs running a hand over his face when he realizes that he has to sprout these new plans onto you. 

Which brings him back to the present, he finished getting ready for bed. Wearing a black shirt that hugs his muscles just right, and grey sweatpants that hung a little low around his waist. He climbs into bed next to you, wrapping a strong arm around your waist and pulling you closer. Your back fits against his chest just right, as if you were made to be there. He thinks about how he should tell you the news. 

The thing is he knows you, you’re an anxious people pleaser to put it gently. You hate being a burden to people, even with the smallest things. And he loves that about you but that at the same time he hates it. He wants you to understand that you’re never anything below perfect to him no matter what you do. 

He can already imagine your reaction to hearing that his family wants to meet you, you’re going to spiral in a never ending panic. From wondering what you should wear to whether they’d hate you. And he knows his family would love you, who wouldn’t you’re easy to love. But you’ll stress more and more as the days approach, his goal is to get you to understand he’ll be by your side through it all. And that no matter what happens he’s never leaving you. 

He buries his face against your hair smelling the strawberry coconut shampoo you use, his favorite. He presses a small kiss to the top of your head hesitating a little, “Hey baby, you awake?” He whispers quietly enough he didn’t want to be heard, hoping he wasn’t heard because then he wouldn’t have to ask the question. 

But you, being the observant little being you are, heard and gave a small hum in response. 

“How would you feel about dinner with my family this Friday,” he mutters against your temple, tilting his head watching your expression. There was really no other way to say it but straight. 

Your eyes immediately widen as you fully process what he just asked, the sleep in your body leaving immediately. You immediately turn around in his grip, his hand resting lightly on your waist keeping you close, “Dinner…with your family…this Friday?” You repeat slowly making sure you understand every word. Your breathing comes in a little quick as you start thinking of different scenarios to come. 

Touya smirks watching your flabbergasted expression, he predicted this exactly “That’s what I said yes,” He holds back a laugh as he watches you take in what he dropped on you. 

“You tell me this now!? That’s not enough time!” your voice goes up a couple octaves making Touya laugh involuntarily. You sit up on both your elbows making a mental checklist for yourself, “Should I bring something? I don’t have any clothes, do I wear a sweater? Is your--” 

“Baby, baby,” Touya shushes you up by covering your mouth with the palm of his hand, the smell of his soap, which smelled very masculine and like the forest, filling your senses. “Shut up for a second, yeah? Take a breather.” 

He inhales and exhales guiding you to do the same, he holds himself up on his elbow watching you take a deep breath before speaking again, “They just wanna see the girl who managed to see past all my bullshit,” His voice softens, his eyes full of amusement as he watches you come slightly down from the high of emotions you were on. 

Even with his reassurance you couldn’t calm down though, I mean this is Touya’s family we’re talking about, you’re so in love with him you have to make a good impression. And it doesn’t help that his dad used to be the number one pro hero! That makes it even more intimidating! 

You huff mocking him, “‘Take a breather’ oh please easy for you to say this is your family we’re talking about! What if they think I’m not good enough for you?” You look up at him, a hint of insecurity in your glittery eyes. He takes notice of the way your eyes glisten; he brushes his thumb over the small plump of your bottom lip. 

“Fuck them then,” he says firmly, his smirk never unwavering. Your head snaps towards him with confused, wide eyes making his amusement grow even more. Gosh, you couldn’t even know how gone he is for you. “You’re more than enough for me, I love you just as you are. My family’s opinion doesn’t change that.” 

The way his words hit you is an indescribable feeling. Your chest tightens, your big eyes widening slightly immediately captivates his attention. He kisses your forehead, gently guiding you to lay back down next to him. “We’ll talk more in the morning, ok? For now, just get some sleep princess,”

His eyes drift shut locking away his turquoise irises, his arm wraps around your waist pulling you closer than you were before. Your head rests under his chin, smooshed against his firm hard chest. His smell is the only thing grounding you from the different trains of thought running through your mind. 

The only thing you know about the Todoroki’s is whatever’s on the news and the stories Touya tells you. You wonder what they were like in person though. 

Should I bring them flowers or chocolate? What do I talk about? What questions are they gonna ask me? What if they hate me? 

Your thoughts get interrupted by Touya gently squeezing your waist, his hand moving gently to the small of your back. He rubs his fingers up and down your spine gently, as if he could coax the overthinking out of your head. He presses his lips to the top of your head, his voice warm and quiet, “Baby, I can practically hear you thinking,” his touch lulls you, your eyelids feel heavy. 

“You expect me to sleep when I just found out I’m meeting my boyfriend’s parents on Friday? Today’s Wednesday, by the way, gives me no time to mentally prepare!” You whine, you’re unable to stay still and get comfortable. 

He can sense the anxiety this is giving you and mentally curses himself for not waiting until the morning to tell you. But then you’d be mad he didn’t tell you as early as he could so there was no winning for him to begin with. 

“I can cancel if you really feel uncomfortable,” he combs through the silky strands of your hair with his fingers, “Don’t feel pressured baby, I don’t wanna put you under any pressure.” 

You canceling would save me a lot of trouble, he thinks to himself. 

“No! Absolutely not!” You insisted, looking at him like he was the one insane. As if you didn’t just worry yourself for the past ten minutes. 

He pulls back, enough so he could look at your face with confusion etched all over. His eyebrows scrunch together, he opens his mouth and closes it, “What? Did you say no? Babe you’ve literally been freaking out.” 

You roll your eyes as if he was the incompetent one, “We can’t just cancel on them, they’re gonna think that I’m hiding something or that I don’t want to meet them, which isn’t true I do want to meet them I’m just scared they won’t like me,” The idea of Touya’s family not liking you frightens you more than anything, if they don’t approve of you it feels like you’re not worthy of him. 

Touya sighs and rolls his eyes this time, “You inconsistent worrywat” he pulls your head back against his chest with a muffled “hey” coming from you. “You’re gonna do great, and I’ll be with you every step of the way,” 

“Besides, if we need escape options I’m not above setting the table on fire,” he adds trying to lighten the mood, his eyes darted down watching your reaction. You couldn’t help but let out a soft giggle at that, it’s so typical of your boyfriend to light something on fire in your honor. He’s a bit of a pyromanic that way. 

“My hero” 

“Damn straight,” he smiles at your natural sarcasm, pressing his cheek against the top of your head. Both his arms wrap around you, one hand cradling the back of your head and the other snaking around your waist gently holding you. The two of you are silent, the only sounds in the room being the AC and your breathing. 

Today’s events catch up to Touya, his eye movement growing slower and slower. He feels the sleep coming over him. The mixture of warmth from his body heat and the fluff of the blanket make you feel toasty, you shut your eyes for a second. 

What was only just a second turned out to be hours because you woke up to sunlight shining on your face through the window blinds. The early morning light makes you groan into your pillow, rubbing your eyes with one hand, you use your free one to reach to the other side of the bed. 

You're met with an empty side feeling the softness of the bedsheet and not your boyfriend. You turn your head and see the spot where Touya was now vacant. You groan into your hands not wanting to get up, “Touya?” your voice called out, tired and sleepy. 

He doesn’t have patrol or anything today, you push yourself off the bed, swinging your legs over the edge of the bed. Your feet are met with the cold wood floor, you look at your surroundings: the walls, the door to the main room are all blurry due to the way your eyes haven’t fully opened yet. 

You walk out of the bedroom, your pajamas rumpled from sleep and your hair in a slight frizz. You’re met with the smell of pancakes floating through the air mixed with the sweet smell of strawberries and syrup. 

Touya had woken up before you, he felt bad about sprouting his family dinner on you last night causing you a wave of anxiety to wash over. So, he’s trying to make it up to you in everyone’s favorite love language: breakfast in bed. 

But, of course you had to wake up before he could present you his course. He heard the soft patter of your footsteps and turned around. His expression softened at how adorable you look with a bedhead and a sleepy expression plastered on your face. You walked over to him leaning against his arm, watching as the waffle batter sizzled on a hot pan. He smiles looking down at you, “Hey sweetheart, you sleep okay?” Touya pressed a brief kiss to the top of your head before going back to flipping the pancakes. 

You nod letting a small yawn escape you, “What time did you wake up?” you sighed, closing your eyes against his arm. Your eyes look up at him, admiring the side of his face. Gosh he always had such a great side profile. The sharp side of his jaw, the way his white locks fall over his eyes just barely, pieces of his hair sticking up in different places. His sweatpants hung low around his wait, his shirt doing nothing to conceal the hard muscles that lie underneath. 

He noticed how relaxed you are which was weird considering how much you were freaking out last night. Then it realized that it probably hadn’t hit you yet. 

Touya looks up at the ceiling recalling when he’d waken up, the sun hadn’t risen yet the orange hues were just at the border bleeding through the sky, “Maybe an hour ago,” He scoops the pancake off the pan, delicate placing it on the plate in front of you. 

“Sit down, I’ll bring you them,” He wraps his hand on your hip, turning you around and ushering you to one of the chairs by the table. You let yourself be guided by him letting out a small ‘oof’. Your brain was still a bit of a mush from post-wake up. The sound of the kitchen items clanking together, the stove fire making sharp sounds through the air. 

He places the plate in front of you, the smell of the freshly hot pancakes blessing your sense of smell. You immediately smile, your eyes brightening---you look up at him and he’s already looking down at you admiring your reaction. He sits down next to you with his own plate in front of him. The syrup placed in the middle of you, glasses of orange juice on the side of your plates. Usually, he doesn’t do these grand gestures unless something is up. 

“I was planning on making you breakfast in bed, why’d you have to ruin my plan and wake up you little brat,” he teases, squeezing your cheek between the knuckle of his pointer and thumb. 

You laugh, the sound of your joy filling the air making his chest tighten and a smirk appear on his face. He leans on his elbow, tilting his head and resting his cheek against the palm of his hand. He felt like a high school boy admiring the girl he likes. 

The rise of a faint pink colors your cheeks under the heat of his gaze, “You’re being awfully sweet this morning,” your voice was light and teasing with an undertone of suspicion. You definitely didn’t mind how affectionate he was being yet you can’t help but question it. “Did you do something you weren’t supposed to or…” 

Touya laughs at your suspicious tone, his voice was low and his smirk never wavered, “I can be sweet when I want to be. Although, it seems I have to do it more often if you’re gonna keep questioning me like this,” 

“I wouldn’t mind that,” You didn’t miss a beat, your smile was innocent while his was flirty and dangerous. 

“Hmm no doubt,” he leans forward a little, pressing his lips to yours in a slow kiss. He feels how you melt against him and his lips form a smile against yours. He pulls back slightly, watching your expression through half-lidded eyes. 

He presses a quick kiss to the tip of your nose and grabs the syrup pouring the sweet gooeyiness over his pancakes. You do the same grabbing your fork and knife cutting the softness into pieces. The fluffiness melting against your tongue instantly, you smile to yourself in content. Touya always made the best pancakes. 

The two of you sit in comfortable silence, the outside world awake now. The sun has fully risen now, people going to work, the sounds of birds chirping clear as day even through the windows. Just as when you thought it would be a peaceful morning, little did you know that that peace would not last forever. 

He watches you for a second, a slightly guilty expression washing over him before bringing up the inevitable, “So,” he puts his fork down, the metal clinking against the plate, he crosses his arms over the table, “About last night,” 

You pause mid-bite, the tips of the fork pressed against your bottom lip. Last night? 

Oh. 

Right.

Dinner. On Friday. 

Your smile falters when you recall last night’s surprise. 

“Right,” you continue chewing the pancake, slower this time. You thought the whole thing had been a dream. But no, reality is you’re meeting his family tomorrow. 

“Dinner with your parents this Friday?” There’s a slight shakiness in your voice giving away your nervousness. He takes your hand gently, as if it’s unreasonable not to give you comfort in some way. 

“They’re intimidating at first I’ll admit, but once you get to know them you’ll see how harmless they are,” he scrunches his nose thinking about how insane his family can be. To outside people, they might think that the Todoroki’s are intimidating and condescending but in reality they’re just people who happen to have powerful quirks, they have their good times and bad. But at this moment he’s trying to lighten it up. 

“I met your parents, how is this any different?” 

“How about because my family isn’t one of the most known in the country?” 

“Details,” he waved you off. It's funny how Touya forgets how well-known his family is, “Finish your pancakes, I can help you relax later if you want,” he winks, catching you off guard for a second. 

You narrow your eyes at his flirty tactics and swat him, “Now is not that time,” you scold although there was no heat behind it. He ruffles your hair in response, messing up your bedhead even more before smoothing out the strands. 

“Do they know anything about me,” you tentatively ask, big wide eyes staring up at him. 

Touya sighs, hesitating before responding. His family didn’t even know you existed till before the media. He doesn’t want you to think 

“They know that I’m protective of you,” he finally says. “Which to them means your worth something,” 

You don’t really know how to react to that, his family is meeting you without knowing anything about you. They don’t have any background knowledge on who is stepping into their home holding their eldest son’s hand. He notices the anxiety etched onto your face and his expression falters for a minute. He truly didn’t mean to offend you, it’s just when it comes to his personal life he tends to keep it to himself and far from his family because he doesn’t want them to ruin something good--especially his father. 

“Listen,” he starts, tilting his head to catch your eyes and make sure you’re listening to him. “I didn’t tell them because I’m embarrassed of you or anything like that--far from it actually. I just…” he trails off, his eyes darting to the side figuring out the best way to explain it. 

“I just didn’t want them to ruin something…good,” he finally says, “I didn’t want them to have a say in what I do for once,” From the times he had shown you a little bit of vulnerability, you knew he had a tendency to tend to his family’s wishes. You sympathize at the thought, putting a hand over his lightly. No matter how much of a rebellious persona he puts on, deep down he does care and doesn’t want to be a disappointment.

You press a light kiss to his cheek, lingering longer than you should. One that’s supposed to reassure him as if saying you love him for him. 

When you pull back you offer him a smile, one that always makes his heart beat faster. He brings his finger up to the corner of your smile pressing into it as if he could keep it there forever. It’s practically embedded into his brain now. 

“You’re gorgeous, you know that?” No matter how many times he compliments you, you’ll get caught off guard every time. And it’s amusing to him every time. 

“Shut up” that pulls a chuckle out of him, the warmth of his hand leaves your face cold when he lets you finish your breakfast.

“I have to go shopping,” you declare breaking whatever silence was lingering, you give him a look, “And you’re coming with,” 

He smiles because he knew he was going with you no matter what you say, “Yes ma’am,” 

You spent the rest of the day buying things in order to prepare for tomorrow. Touya, just like he promised, was by your side through it all. Through buying new clothes, deciding between flowers and chocolates (you ended up choosing chocolates because Touya revealed Fuyumi and Natsuo’s love for sweets). 

Now Touya is driving you both back home, the sun is hiding back under the horizon. Traffic is slow today, the drive calm despite the tension lingering underneath. 

“Don’t tell me you're still freaking out,” Touya breaks the silence, his eyes never leaving the road. One hand was on the wheel, the other gently resting on your thigh giving it a slight squeeze when he noticed the tension. 

“You’re gonna worry yourself to death babe,” He couldn’t help but let out a snicker. 

“I’ll stop worrying when it’s Saturday,” 

“You’re gonna lose your hair stressing yourself,” 

“Wait what?”

He lets out an unfiltered laugh at the way you paused. He can feel your eyes boring into the side of his head, “It’s true, the more you stress yourself the faster you lose your hair,” he absolutely loses it when he sees you clutching your hair immediately. 

He couldn’t help but tease you a bit, it was so funny seeing how flustered you get. “Where’d you read that?” You were astonished by this not so fun fact considering you tend to overthink the smallest things a lot. 

It was funny to Touya considering how you were more composed when you two were leaked to the public then meeting his parents. 

“Doesn’t matter, what matters is for you to get out of your head,” he says, tapping a finger to your forehead.

He smirks an idea popping into his head, “And if you can’t, I can always help you out with that,” his voice drops down to a seductive, sultry tone making your body heat up. As much as you’d love to give into his flirty antics…and help him relive you. You wouldn’t be able to think straight knowing that you’re meeting his parents tomorrow. 

Maybe later though…

The time had finally come, you were standing outside of his old house. Touya had already knocked on the door so the two of you were just standing next to each other waiting. You were wearing a dark blue sweater with light blue jeans that complimented your beautiful eyes. Your hair was down, the front two strands being pulled together by a bow. Touya was in a black button down shirt and jeans, his hand was around your hip, thumb rubbing circles against the fabric grounding you. 

You were holding your breath waiting for the door to inevitably open, he smirked giving you a side eye. “Breath sweetheart, don’t want you passing out before the door even opens,” he whispered to you. 

Despite his composed front, he couldn’t help the nerves that started to rise up. He checks his watch as a nervous tick, it reads 7:00 meaning you guys were right on time. He told himself he didn’t care about his family’s approval or anything, this was just a formality. It’s still true, he loves you to the moon and back but the thought of his family not liking you stung him more than he’d like to admit. 

You inhale and exhale, the time for the door to open feels like millions of years have gone by. It’s hard to tell whether you would rather they open the door or not. But alas the door opens with more force than intended by a very tall figure.

Enji Todoroki. 

His broad shoulders, rigid posture, spiky red hair and a scar that runs on one side of his face from his hair to past his eye. He wasn’t scowling but he wasn’t smiling either which made your heart beat faster. 

His gaze landed on Touya first. It lingered, heavy and unreadable, before shifting to you. 

For a moment, the silence stretched. 

Then--

“...You’re here,” was all he said. 

Not welcoming, but not unkind either. Just…acknowleding. Which made you want to run even faster. 

Touya clicked his tongue. “Yeah, that tends to happen when you invite people.” 

Enji shot a quick glare at his son for sarcasm before moving aside, “...Come in.” 

So ominous. 

The inside of the house was warmer than you expected--not just temperature, but feeling. Polished wood floors gleamed under soft lighting, the faint scent of simmering food drifting from deeper inside. It felt lived in, despite the tension that clung to it. 

You barely had a second to take it in before--

“Oh!” 

Soft footsteps approached quickly.A woman appeared from around the corner, her cheeks puffed out from how big she was smiling, her eyes lighting up the moment she saw you. 

You recognized the girl from some of the family photos you saw on Touya’s phone. 

Fuyumi. 

The way she didn’t hesitate had your nerves easing just a bit. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, her voice warm that reminded you of chocolate chip cookies for some reason. She reached out, gently taking your hands in hers like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I’m Fuyumi.” 

Her grip was soft, reassuring--not overwhelming, just…grounding. 

“It’s really nice to meet you,” you said, meaning it. 

“I was worried Touya would say something and scare you off before tonight.” 

“Hey--” 

You laugh at that, she tilts her head observing you but not in a way that makes you feel suffocated, “You look like someone who wouldn’t leave that easily,” she added, ignoring him completely. 

You blinked. “...I hope that’s a good thing.” 

She nods fast, “It is.” 

You looked past her shoulder where a quieter presence lingered. Which is when you saw a kid with half white and half red hair, standing near the hallways. Posture straight but relaxed, watching attentively. You could tell he was trying to get a feel for you. 

“...Hi,” he finally said, his voice didn’t waiver, and you could tell he definitely wasn’t shy, just quiet. 

“Hi,” you said back offering a warm smile. 

Touya stepped up ruffling the kids hair, “Don’t mind Shoto, it takes a bit for him to get used to people, then he’ll yap your ear off,” 

He looked at Touya with an unreadable expression, “I just didn’t think she was real,” 

“Why the hell wouldn’t she be real?” 

“I didn’t think you could talk to girls--” Touya cut him off with a small slap to the back of his head. Not enough to hurt, but enough to shut him up. He let out a small “ow” in return. 

“Yeah that’s enough out of you,” he scoffed but before he could straighten up another voice cut in. 

“Wow” This one was more casual. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed looking you up and down. 

Natsuo. 

He tilted his head slightly, studying you with a mix of curiosity and disbelief, “You’re actually real,” he said, one corner of his mouth lifting a bit. 

Touya groaned immediately. “Not you too,” 

“I didn’t say anything,” Natsuo laughed, pushing himself off the wall. He walked a little closer, not invading your space, but definitely looking at you. “I just didn’t think he’d actually bring someone home.” 

“That makes two of us,” you muttered without thinking. Your eyes widened slightly as the pause lingered. 

Then his mouth twitched and he let out a short laugh. 

“...Alright,” he said, still snickering despite Touya’s scowl towards him. “That was a good answer.” 

“Dinner’s ready.” 

You hadn’t even noticed her before. Seated at the table already, hands folded neatly, was a woman with soft grey eyes and a quiet presence that somehow filled the room more gently than anyone else. 

Rei. 

The food was already laid out, the house engulfed in the delicious smell. She looked up as you approached and she smiled. It wasn’t big and it wasn’t forced but the way her eyes softened when she saw you was a better reaction than anything else. 

She stood up and greeted you, “You must be Touya’s girlfriend,” she said gently. 

Your chest tightened a little at the tone alone. “Yes, ma’am--” 

“Rei is fine,” she said softly. 

“...Rei,” you corrected, a little shy now. “It’s really nice to meet you.” 

“I’m glad you came,” she said. 

And by how soft her tone was and the way her soft eyes were looking at you, you believed her completely. 

The table was set with careful precision. Plates aligned perfectly, chopsticks placed just right, the glasses catching the light. It felt less like a casual dinner and more like something that mattered.

Well to you this definitely did. 

Touya pulled your chair out and you paused looking at him. He avoided your eyes, “...Sit.” 

You smile a little as you take a seat, “You’re full of surprises tonight.” he pushed your chair while smiling a little. 

“Yeah well I don’t want my family to think I’m a complete dick to my girlfriend,” he teases, “Don’t get used to it,” 

Fuyumi took the seat beside Rei, immediately reaching to serve food. Natsuo dropped into his chair with a small sigh, stretching his arms before settling. Shoto sat across from you, posture straight, hands resting neatly. Enji sat at the head of the table, obviously. 

And Touya was sitting close enough that your shoulders brushed, which helped remind you that he was by your side no matter what. Whether things went south or not which he was anticipating in the back of his mind. 

For a moment, no one spoke, just the sound of the soft clink of dishes and the sound of people eating. 

“So,” Fuyumi started, as she settled in her seat, she looked at you with pure interest, “what do you like to do?” 

The question was simple but the way she asked it made it feel like she genuinely wanted to know. You answered, a little tentative at first, then more naturally as she listened, nodding along, asking follow-ups that made the conversation feel…normal. 

Rei joined in gently, asking quieter, more thoughtful ones. Shoto added small comments here and there which were precise but sincere, that made you smile. 

Natsuo leaned back, occasionally jumping in, “So you deal with him voluntarily?” he asked at one point, nodding toward Touya. 

Touya kicked his leg under the table which got him a glare from his father but Touya being Touya didn’t waiver, “Shut up,” 

You laughed softly. “It’s a challenge.” 

At some point during that moment, you realized Enji didn’t say anything which made you start to go into a mental spiral of whether your answers weren’t good enough. 

“You understand the attention this brings,” was the first thing he actually said that was directed to you. The air shifted immediately and you straightened up without thinking. 

His gaze was steady and heavy, “Touya’s speech was good for now but it won’t last long,” 

You felt Touya shift beside you moving closer. 

“The public scrutiny. The expectations. The consequences. Are you ready to deal with what comes with dating a pro hero,” 

You nod confident, “I am,” 

“Why?” 

The question was quick, Enji didn’t miss a beat especially when it came to his family. 

You hesitated for half a second and then reached under the table, your fingers brushing his. His pinky curled around yours, giving you a slight squeeze of reassurance. Even though the contact is small it gives you the same I love you, that’s all that matters.  “I’m not with the public, I’m with him. His opinion is all that matters to me,” your answer was short but it meant everything to Touya. 

For a moment, the room fell silent. Touya felt your pinky still hooked around his beneath the table, your hand warmer than before. His thumb brushed lightly against yours, the smallest gesture only you could feel. 

Enji studied you for several long seconds. 

“...I see.” 

His voice remained as unreadable as ever, but the intensity behind his gaze eased just enough. “You understand what you’re choosing,” he said. “That’s enough.” 

The knot that had been sitting in your chest since you walked through the front door loosened. Beside you, Touya let out a quiet breath through his nose. He hadn’t even realized he’d been holding it. 

Fuyumi clapped her hands together once, grinning. “Okay! That’s enough serious talk for one night.” She reached across the table toward the serving dishes. “Who wants dessert?” 

“Finally,” Natsuo sighed dramatically. “Dad was starting to sound like he was conducting a job interview.” 

“I was asking reasonable questions,” Enji replied through gritted teeth. 

“You were interrogating her.” 

“I was not.” 

“You absolutely were.” Touya snorted, lifting his glass to his lips. “She’s still here by the way,” You couldn’t help but laugh a little. 

Rei smiled softly as she stood, carrying a few empty plates toward the kitchen. 

“I made red velvet cake,” she said. “Touya used to steal pieces before dinner when he was little.” 

Touya nearly choked, “Mom.” 

Fuyumi gasped dramatically, whipping her head towards Touya, “I KNEW IT!” 

He shrugged meeting her glare, “I was hungry,” 

“You ate half the cake once!” Natsuo pointed accusingly. 

“It wasn’t half.” 

“It was definitely half.” 

“I was a growing kid.” 

“You were sixteen.” 

“I was still growing.” 

“...He still steals food.” Shoto quietly added. 

“I do not.” 

“You took one of my soba bowls the other day.” 

Touya waves his hand towards him, “I was taste-testing.”

“The entire bowl?” 

Touya rubbed a hand over his face leaning towards you, “Why’d I bring you here again?” 

That brought a laugh out of you--a real one. Because surprisingly, you found yourself comfortable here. The nervousness that had followed you all week slowly melted away, replaced by something warmer. 

You caught Rei watching everyone with the softest smile. When your eyes met, she smiled at you too. It felt…welcoming. 

Dinner lingered well past sunset. Conversations drifted from funny childhood stories to favorite foods, embarrassing memories and Fuyumi insisting on showing you every family photo album she could find (behind Touya’s back of course). 

By the time the dishes had been washed and the laughter finally settled, the house felt far less intimidating than it had only a few hours earlier. 

Deep into the evening, Touya steps outside onto his backyard, the grass had been recently mowed thankfully so the stems weren’t itching his ankles. The air was warm with a slight breeze to it as the night was approaching minute by minute. 

The evening's events replay in his head, he chuckles to himself thinking about how worried you were at first. Thinking his family wouldn’t like you or some nonsense like that, turns out you fit right in. 

He hears the back door open softly making him turn his head only to see you awkwardly lurking, he lets out a breathy laugh holding his hand out to you as a gesture for you to join him. “Hi baby, is it just you?” 

You nod, walking over and taking his hand letting him drag you closer to him. He settles you in front of him, your back against his chest. He wraps his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder breathing in your scent. The warmth of his breath hits your neck making you feel tingly inside. 

He looks up at your relaxed expression, contrasting your tense one from earlier. He rubs your sides with his hands, “My family didn’t scare you off, did they?” 

You immediately shake your head, “No, no nothing like that,” you laugh, “They surprised me actually,” 

He snickers, “Yeah? How so?” 

“I didn’t expect them to be so…” you trail off looking for the right words. “So accepting I guess? I thought I’d have to pass some written test to be able to step into the house,” He laughs at the insanity of that, the sound against your ear makes you smile bigger. “I’m serious! Just the front of the house was insanely intimidating!”

He comes back down from his laughing, catching his breath “Should’ve trusted me when I told you there was nothing to worry about,” he presses a kiss to your cheek “And you did great by the way,” 

He means it with all his heart too, the feeling he felt when watching you interact with his family like how you did was something nothing and no one else could recreate it. He knew that you were the one for him, but in that moment it truly sank in that he wanted nothing more than to be by your side forever. 

“Did you used to come out here a lot?” You ask, curious about what his childhood was like. He never talks about it much, it consists mainly of training and a little bit of resentment. “It’s really pretty,” 

The question threw him off guard, he was too busy thinking about how perfect you are here in his old house being held in his arms. “Yeah, just to think or secretly smoke,” he mutters thinking about how despite his loudmouthed nature, he finds comfort in the quiet. It gives him a break from everything. 

You give a breathy laugh at that, imagining a rebellious teenage Touya absolutely done with everything taking a smoke break. “Yeah I can imagine that,” 

He scrunches his eyebrows, giving your waist a slight squeeze, "What's that supposed to mean?” He's not offended, just mildly confused which makes you giggle. 

“I can imagine you being all ‘cliche rebellious teenager’, yet I think it’s cute how you look at the sky in your free time,” 

He scoffs, the tips of his ears turning pink, “Yeah, yeah laugh it up. Don’t expect me to start spouting shit about stars or something,” he mutters against the side of your head making you laugh a little harder. 

“Speaking of childhood, your mom showed me the family album,” You bite your tongue holding back a laugh when you feel Touya tense up behind you. 

Baby photos. Oh hell no. 

“You were such a cute kid!” You squeal, gushing over all the baby photos you saw. When he was born, one of him was fed by his mom, another of him riding a bike, taking a bath, playing with his siblings but your favorite definitely had to be… 

“My favorite was the one of you eating soba,” you chuckled as you thought of the photo. Little baby Touya with soba shoved in his mouth, the sauce coating his cute chubby cheeks. “You really were a soba addict from day one huh?” 

“It’s undeniably the best,” he pressed his lips against your shoulder making his words muffled. He was half hiding himself out of embarrassment, which made you laugh some more. 

You take your pointer finger and gently boop his nose, “Aww poor you, don't be so embarrassed,” you continue teasing him, the blush spread down to his cheeks. This was one of the rare times when Touya was the one getting flustered and not you. 

He narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, yeah keep laughing I dare you.” 

“I will.” 

“You’re awfully brave for someone standing in my arms.” 

“Oh yeah, what are you gonna do while we’re outside your parents place?”

He lets out a low chuckle, “Oh sweetheart, it’s cute that you think I care,” his mouth brushes your ear, “...you really wanna find out? I’d be more than happy to show you,” you can feel his sultry smile against your ear. 

You giggle, pink dusting your cheeks. “You looked adorable.” 

He rolls his eyes, “I looked ridiculous.” 

“You looked adorable!” 

“You still have those pictures memorized?” 

“Every single one.” A victorious smile takes over your face as he groans dramatically, letting his forehead fall against your shoulder. 

“Traitor.” 

“Your own mother showed me.” 

“She betrayed me.” 

“She loves you.” 

He clicked his tongue, “Don’t encourage her.”

“On the contrary, I might have her forward those photos to me,” You tease. 

His smirk turned wicked, voice deepened making you get this warm feeling in the bottom of your stomach “Oh yeah?” He starts to peck kisses to the side of your neck, whilst tickling your sides making your laugh boom across the air. 

“Wait! Mercy--mercy!” you breathe in between laughs as he continues to tickle you, he laughs at the sound of your joy. 

“Hell no, you started this!” 

From the inside, Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shoto have their faces pressed against the window watching the scene from inside the house. Endeavor and Rei cleaning up the kitchen, discussing with each other. 

“I’ve never seen this side of him,” Natsuo admires the way Touya cares for you, how he’s the one putting that huge smile on your face, how you’re bringing out a different side of him. “She really is different,” 

“I know!” Fuyumi squeals, her cheeks hurting from how big she’s smiling, “It’s like he’s a whole new person,” 

Shoto watches the scene, the corner of his lips turning up at his siblings' commentary and how playful Touya is being. He also knows that if Touya did catch them peeping, he’d beat all of their asses. 

“Do you think we should be stalking like this? It feels like intruding,” he quietly comments looking at his siblings. 

“Shhhh” Fuyumi and Natsuo simultaneously shut him up. 

Rei laughs at her children’s antics, Endeavor grunts in response. “She’s a sweet girl,” Rei states whilst washing the dishes, the soap suds clinging onto her hands. 

“Hmph, still can’t believe he hid it from us though,” Endeavor mumbles offendedly, he wants to be more involved in his son's life, “We had to find out through the damn media,” 

Rei sighs, she can’t but also feels a little disappointed by their son's secrecy. He’s the eldest, their firstborn. “He’s always been to himself, never truly let any of us in. But, with her he’s different. I can tell. He feels comfortable showing her all sides of him,” Rei smiles thinking about how protective he was over you earlier, how his eyes never left you making sure you were okay. 

Endeavor notices Rei’s soft expression, making him relax as well. “I see.” is all he says. He seems to also take a liking to your sweet, understanding nature. How you were able to cool Touya off with just a simple touch. He knows you’re exactly what his son needs. Someone understanding and kind. 

Touya had a rough childhood, and Endeavor definitely didn’t help with that. Touya inherited Endeavor’s stubbornness and would always push himself to be the best. He never let himself get too close to anyone, thinking that they would distract him from his long-term goal. The fact that you were able to push past his walls tells him there’s something about you that’s worth approving. 

“I hope they get married!” Fuyumi squeals from down the hall, it’s clear as day his siblings like you, especially Fuyumi. Natsuo lightly smacks the back of her head, “Hey!” 

“Cool it, it’ll happen when it happens,” But Natsuo can’t help but hope for the same thing. 

Oblivious to the commentary inside, you’re still laughing trying to escape Touya’s tickling frenzy. Touya holds you close, not letting you squirm. The night time air has gotten colder, but neither of you notice. Even if you did, Touya’s heat can keep the two of you warm.

“When we get home I have a surprise for you,” his lips were pressed to your ear, his tone dark and suggestive as if it’s a secret only between the two of you. 

Yeah, family dinner wasn’t too bad. 

taglist: @imjustawriter09 @catboygumi

a/n: i actually haven't written anything since may oh my gosh

sparkle and line dividers by @pixopix

bow divider by @cursed-carmine

A young Diluc is straightforward; when he likes something, he would acknowledge it, he would show it, and he would care for it, and suddenly the young version of you would suddenly spend years receiving books Diluc thinks you'll enjoy, flowers Diluc noticed when he was on a walk, and food Diluc thinks you'll love.

And the young master never found it unusual. He was young, after all; he did not know what love meant yet, and he only understood that this is simply what one does to a person they care for.

Crepus just grins knowingly.

The problem did not begin immediately; it was slow and deliberate—like a flower blooming under the sun's warm gaze. Diluc did not notice how fast the two of you were changing until one day he looked up and realized that you weren't a child anymore.

And so was he.

Suddenly, everything started becoming difficult because now he was more aware, more knowledgeable of his emotions—he realized everything when the attack happened, when he saw you hurt enough that the expression on your face twisted in pain and a sheen of sweat was glistening on your forehead.

The sight was enough to knock the air out of his lungs and make his blood grow cold.

Years after his departure (and Diluc convincing himself that you weren't in his thoughts all those years), he returns to find Mondstadt changed. Naturally, he expected many things to change. and that included the relationship you two had before the tragedy, before everything.

What he didn't expect was this: You turning your head towards his direction as if you had sensed his presence long before you saw him with your own eyes. His body stilled, red eyes staring at your figure—older, wiser, more beautiful than memory allowed, and devastatingly familiar enough to make the years collapse.

He felt like he was back to square one because he spent years telling himself that you were doing great without him by your side—as a friend, as someone who had known you almost all of your life.

The thing is, you met a lot of people who Diluc did not know of yet, which meant seeing you laughing (which was not unusual) beside someone and his day was ruined.

The problem with this man was that he would see one thing, reach a conclusion, and then torture himself with it. He would rather suffer internally than ask you who that mysterious person was. He was gone for years, so why wouldn't you have found someone?

Why would you wait? Why should you wait? The logic was so completely reasonable that it was impossible to argue against. Being Diluc, he immediately thought, That's good. You deserve happiness after all; he should be happy for you. He tried to convince himself that this is fine, and it looked like he was trying his hardest to convince himself and inevitably fail because none of these statements are true.

Diluc proceeded in becoming the most miserable man in Mondstadt. His mood somehow worsens, which was impressive considering his usual disposition, and every observation becomes another nail in the coffin because each one confirms the story Diluc has created in his head.

Eventually, you noticed his distance, how polite he was, as if he were treading carefully around you, and you felt frustrated because the two of you were fine before he left and after he came back—you both even shared grape juice together! Now he's being like this?

"Why are you avoiding me?" you asked, cornering him one evening with your arms crossed and your eyes narrowing at him in a way he had not seen for a while now. "I'm not," Diluc said immediately. "Did I do something?" you asked, and somehow that was worse because no, you didn't do anything, and that's one of the many problems that Diluc was facing. Diluc, turning his face away now, said, "Your partner might get the wrong idea." The moment the words left Diluc's lips, he regretted it because now you were not only standing in front of him—you were standing in front of him confused. You didn't know who Diluc meant, and the said man wanted to vanish spiritually and come back in three to five business days max. "Partner?" You repeated, stepping closer with an amused smile on your face and tilted your head. "You could have just asked." Diluc closed his eyes because, of course he could have. "And you're the record," you continued. "If I had a lover, I'd tell you."

Unfortunately for Diluc, you became unbearable after that. You had something to tease now, something to make him flustered.

One evening, you leaned against his desk and grinned. You decided to tease him again. "You looked very upset over my nonexistent lover. I'm starting to think you're secretly in love with me." Diluc froze. The room becomes strangely quiet, and you see Diluc carefully set his pen down and look up from his documents. You had an overwhelming feeling that perhaps you should retreat immediately, but damn your mouth. "Well?" Diluc continued to stare at you, which made you nervous all over, and out of nervousness, you started talking. "I mean, not that I'd mind—" You froze, your mind catching up, mouth still open, and eyes staring into Diluc's. Not that I'd mind. Not. that. I'd. mind. You saw Diluc blink once. "...You wouldn't?" You wish that the earth would open beneath you. That wasn't supposed to come out! It was supposed to stay in your mind for another few years or so! The room was quiet again, and Diluc looked at you with an expression you had never seen after a long, long time. It looked somewhere between hopeful, terrified, and very, very honest. "Good." You heard him say, "Because I don't think I could bear hearing any other answer."

His mom appeared from the kitchen like a storm front, wiping her hands on a towel. Her sharp eyes - identical to her son’s - widened when they landed on you, then narrowed at Katsuki.

“Katsuki! You bring your girlfriend home and don’t even text me first?! I look like I just crawled out of a villain fight!” She gestured at her casual house clothes, then turned to you with a bright, slightly frazzled smile. “You must be the one he’s been muttering about. Come in, come in! I’m Mitsuki. Ignore my idiot son’s lack of manners.”

Masaru waved at you from his place at the dining table, “Welcome. We’ve heard… bits and pieces.”

You bowed politely, cheeks warm, “It’s nice to meet you both. I’m sorry for the surprise visit-”

“Surprise?” Mitsuki cut in, rounding on Katsuki, “Someone has the audacity to drag his girlfriend over unannounced like I run a damn hotel! I haven’t even started dinner properly!”

Katsuki stepped in front of you slightly, bucking up to his mother out of habit, “For fuck’s sake, woman! I don’t bring her home, you get mad at me, and when I do you get mad too! Cut me some slack, you old hag-”

“Katsuki Bakugo.”

The whole room stilled in an instant with the snap of your voice - the only sounds coming from the worn A/C unit and the birds outside. Masaru hid a growing smile behind his cup of coffee. Mitsuki didn’t bother to mask the look on her face - first shock, to fondness when she looked at you, then an expectant look back at Katsuki.

Katsuki, for what it was worth, was stiff. Frozen in place - shoulders high and tense - looking like he’d rather be fighting All for One than turn to face you.

You gave him approximately two seconds before flipping him around yourself, one hand pointing a finger in his face, the other twisted in his shirt collar. “You will speak to your mother with grace, or so help me God I’ll make sure you have no choice but to crawl back home.”

His face twisted, “But, she-”

“No,” you spun him back around to face Mitsuki - who was sporting a small smirk, arms crossed, “Apologize.”

He gestured to Mitsuki, looking at you over his shoulder, “Babe, she knows I don’t mean it- Hey-!”

You stepped to his side, grabbed his ear, and pulled, voice laced with venom as you growled at him, “Apologize to her. Now.”

He clenched his jaw, but made no move out of your grasp - hunched over almost halfway. He glared at his mother, words coming through gritted teeth, with an edge of sarcasm you knew you could never fully sand away, “Sorry. Or whatever.”

Mitsuki opened her mouth to speak, but before she could you tightened your grip, making him wince, “Try again. Like you mean it.”

You heard him grumble under his breath, eyes squeezing shut in frustration for a moment before sighing deeply, “...I’m sorry, Mom.”

You beamed - kissing his cheek, smoothing his shirt and letting him go all at once, “See? That wasn’t so hard.”

Mitsuki burst out laughing, a loud, triumphant sound that filled the house, “Holy shit, she’s got you whipped already! I love her.” She wiped a tear from her eye, then pulled you into a fierce hug. “You’re staying for dinner. No arguments.”

Katsuki rubbed his ear, glaring daggers at the floor, “Tch. Whatever.”

You pinched his side lightly, “Watch your tone. That’s your mother you’re speaking to.”

He stiffened but bit back whatever retort was brewing. Masaru hid his grin behind his coffee mug.

The evening settled into a surprisingly warm rhythm. In the kitchen, Mitsuki kept up a steady stream of stories about Katsuki’s childhood while you helped chop vegetables. Every time Katsuki tried to snap at his mom - “Stop running your mouth, hag” - you’d shoot him a warning look or tug his sleeve.

“Try again,” you murmured the second time, voice low but firm.

He exhaled through his nose, jaw tight, “…Can you pass the salt. Please.”

Mitsuki’s eyebrows shot up, but she handed it over with a smirk, “Well damn. Miracles do happen.”

Dinner was lively. Katsuki sat glued to your side, his knee pressed against yours under the table like a silent claim. When he started to bark at his mother about her overcooked rice, you cleared your throat pointedly.

He caught himself, snapping his jaw shut mid-sentence, cheeks flushing. “It’s… fine,” he grumbled instead.

You smiled and squeezed his hand. His ears went red, but he didn’t pull away.

After the meal, while Mitsuki and Masaru cleared plates (insisting the ‘lovebirds’ relax), Katsuki hauled you upstairs to his room. The second the door clicked shut, he crowded you against it, forehead dropping to yours.

“You’re such a pain,” he muttered, but there was no real heat in it - only fond exasperation. “Making me act all polite like some damn extra.”

You cupped his face, thumbs brushing his cheeks, “She’s your mom, Katsuki. She deserves respect. I’m not letting you talk to her like that, not in front of me.”

He groaned but leaned into your touch, “Yeah, yeah. I get it.” His voice softened, almost shy, “…Thanks. For handling my dumb ass.”

You kissed him slow and sweet, feeling the tension melt from his shoulders. When you pulled back, he was smiling softly - a small, crooked thing meant only for you.

Downstairs, Mitsuki’s laughter echoed up the stairs. Katsuki rolled his eyes but laced his fingers with yours, “Guess you’re stuck with all of us now.”

he doesn't say anything but you can tell he understands your struggle now, wordlessly, he brings his right hand to your forehead and you immediately sigh in relief.

his hand is freezing cold, you're hot all over, you lean into him more, you sit like that for a few minutes before he pulls away, you whine and follow, dropping your head on his shoulder.

shoto removes his jacket, tossing it to the side and pulling you close again, hes in just a tank top, which gives you more access to his skin, he manhandles you into a better position, laying you on his chest while sitting infront of the ac.

"thank you.." You mumble quietly, giving his collarbone a soft peck.

he hums in response and bring his right hand up to run through your hair, instantly chilling your scalp.

he figures its gonna be a calm lazy night so he decides to order take out, he even grabbed some pillows to make it more comfortable so you can camp out in front of the ac until it was time for bed.