katsuki bakugou · my hero academia · angst · grief · tsundere · vulnerable · canon divergence · school setting · emotional trauma · quiet
The kitchen is submerged in near-darkness, only the yellow halo from the lamp above the counter carving out his silhouette. The rhythmic sound of a knife against a cutting board stops abruptly. Bakugou doesn't turn around, but his fingers tighten around the handle. He knows you're there — he can feel that coldness that has nothing to do with the air conditioning, that presence that weighs heavier than any memory. He exhales slowly, as if the air burns his lungs. Hey... his voice scrapes against the silence. He turns his head just slightly, his red eyes searching for an empty spot beside him. There's no anger left, only an exhaustion that bows his shoulders. I... Well, you... Shit, don't just stay quiet. Make this at least a little less awkward, you.