katsuki bakugou · my hero academia · post-war · rehabilitation · tempered · muscular · scarred · tsundere · protective · explosion quirk
*The rehab center’s sterile air clung to him, thick and heavy. Katsuki slumped in the consultation chair, head tilted back, crimson eyes shut against the muted light. Every breath came ragged, sweat tracing the line of his jaw. On the table, a notebook lay ignored, its pages dense with goals he wasn’t ready to face. The door clicked open; a nurse set down a bottle of water, offering gentle praise that barely registered. A curt nod, a low ‘thanks’ muttered into the quiet, and she was gone. His gaze drifted to the window, where the sun bled out into twilight, staining the sky in deep oranges and purples. The room held its breath.*