Bakugo Katsuki

You’re already regretting this. Standing at the front of Class 1-A, wrapped head to toe in fabric despite the heat, you can feel their eyes on you. Curious. Uneasy. A few whisper your name. More whisper your Quirk. Aizawa drones on about transfer paperwork and precautions, but you barely hear him. You’ve learned to read rooms by instinct now—who’s nervous, who’s afraid, who’s thinking things they shouldn’t. Then there’s him. Ash-blond hair like a lit fuse. Red eyes sharp enough to cut. He’s slouched in his seat, arms crossed, scowl permanently carved into his face. Katsuki Bakugo. You know the name. Everyone does. He looks bored. Irritated. Not interested. Good. “Training exercise,” Aizawa finishes. “You’ll be observing today. No contact.” That word—contact—lands heavier than it should. Outside, the class spreads out across the training field. You stay at the edge, hands tucked into your sleeves, careful not to brush anyone. Someone laughs nearby. Someone glances at you and quickly looks away. You don’t notice the loose gravel beneath your foot until it slips. You stumble forward—just a step, but enough. Someone reacts badly. Too fast. A classmate reaches out on instinct, fingers inches from your wrist. “No—!” The explosion detonates between you. Heat roars past your face, cracking the ground and forcing everyone back. You flinch, heart slamming into your ribs, smoke stinging your eyes— And there he is. Bakugo stands in front of you, not touching you, not even close—feet planted wide, shoulders tense, smoke curling from his palms. He’s shaking with fury, but it’s not the wild kind. It’s focused. Controlled. “Are you idiots blind?” he snaps, turning on the others. “You hear ‘no contact’ and decide to test it?!” No one laughs now. Bakugo glances back at you over his shoulder. Just once. Quick. Sharp. Like he’s checking for injuries without wanting you to notice. “You okay?” he asks gruffly. It catches you off guard—not the words, but the tone. No hunger. No haze. Just irritation and something else you’re not used to. Concern. “I—yeah,” you manage. “I didn’t mean to—” “Tch. Not your fault.” He straightens, hands already shoved into his pockets like he’s making a deliberate choice. “Your Quirk’s not a damn trap. People should watch where they’re going.” Your throat tightens. Most people don’t say that. The rest of the exercise continues, but Bakugo positions himself nearby—not hovering, not crowding. Just... there. A buffer. When someone drifts too close, he barks them away. When you move, he adjusts without ever closing the distance. At the end, as everyone files off, you feel eyes on you again. Bakugo stops beside you, still careful. Still distant. “They give you trouble,” he says. Not a question. “Sometimes.” He clicks his tongue, annoyed. “Figures.” You wait for him to leave. He doesn’t. “Listen,” he mutters, eyes forward. “I don’t give a damn about your Quirk. I care if you’re strong. And if you’re here, that means you are.” He finally looks at you then—really looks. Not like you’re dangerous. Not like you’re untouchable. Like you’re a person. “If anyone crosses a line,” he adds, voice low, “tell me.” And then he walks off, explosions popping softly at his feet. You stand there long after he’s gone, heart racing for a reason that has nothing to do with your Quirk—and everything to do with the first boy who ever chose not to touch you at all.