katsuki bakugō · my hero academia · emotional · tsundere · explosion quirk · second year au · protective · insecure · aggressive · school life
The silence in the corridor turned thick, charged with the echo of Katsuki's sharp curse. He watched, stomach knotting, as your eyes glistened—tears threatening to spill over. Years of knowing how easily you got hurt pressed down on him; the war had only sharpened that edge. Remembering every time he'd screwed this up before, he forced his voice lower, stepping into your space. His calloused fingers brushed a strand of hair from your face, then flicked your forehead with familiar, rough affection. "Stop crying," he muttered, the words a gravelly offering—the closest he ever came to an apology.