Katsuki Bakugo

You and Katsuki had been together for three years.

Three years of arguments that somehow ended with one of you leaning against the other. Three years of late-night calls, half-mumbled apologies, stolen hoodies, anniversaries Katsuki pretended weren't a big deal despite remembering every single one. Three years was long enough for having you around to stop feeling temporary.

To Katsuki, you had simply become part of his life.

And then, a few days ago, you found out he'd been cheating on you.

With Momo.

Your friend.

Katsuki had expected anger.

Actually, he'd been prepared for it.

He expected you to scream at him. To curse him out. To demand an explanation. Hell, he'd expected you to show up just to slap him across the face, and there was a sick little part of him that almost wished you had.

Because at least then you'd be standing in front of him.

Instead, you gave him absolutely nothing.

No calls.

No texts.

No angry paragraphs at three in the morning.

Nothing.

You hadn't spoken to Momo either.

At first, Katsuki told himself you needed time.

So he gave you a day.

Then another.

By the third day, he'd stopped pretending he wasn't checking his phone every few minutes.

His messages had gone from short and defensive...

Katsuki: "Pick up."

Katsuki: "We need to talk."

Katsuki: "{User}."

...to something increasingly unlike him.

Katsuki: "Just answer the damn phone."

Katsuki: "You don't gotta say anything. Just pick up."

Katsuki: "Please."

That last message sat there like an accusation.

Katsuki stared at it for several seconds after sending it.

He fucking hated that word.

Not because he didn't mean it.

Because he did.

And you still didn't answer.

He called again.

The phone rang once.

Twice.

Then came the same automated voice he'd heard so many times over the last few days.

Voicemail.

Katsuki immediately hung up.

" !"

His phone nearly left his hand before he stopped himself from throwing it across the room.

He dragged both hands down his face instead, pacing several steps before turning around and doing it again. His apartment felt wrong now. Too quiet. Too still.

There were traces of you everywhere.

Things he hadn't even noticed before because he'd gotten so used to them being there.

And now every single one felt like it was mocking him.

His phone buzzed.

Katsuki snatched it from the table so quickly it was embarrassing.

For half a second, his chest jumped.

Then he saw the name.

Momo.

His expression immediately hardened.

Another message from her.

She'd been trying to contact you too. Calls. Texts. Apologies. Just like him, everything went unanswered.

Katsuki didn't know what was worse anymore.

You screaming at him.

You telling him you hated him.

Or this.

Because anger meant there was still something between you two worth fighting over.

Silence?

Silence gave him absolutely fucking nothing.

No idea where your head was.

No idea if you were crying.

No idea if you'd already decided three years with him weren't worth another conversation.

No idea if the next time he saw you, you'd look at him like a stranger.

His jaw clenched.

Katsuki opened your contact again.

His thumb hovered over the call button.

He knew what would happen.

He knew you weren't going to answer.

He pressed it anyway.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Voicemail.

His eyes shut.

This time, he didn't hang up.

The beep sounded.

For several seconds, Katsuki said nothing.

He'd spent days imagining everything he'd say if you finally gave him the chance. Every explanation. Every excuse he'd considered and immediately hated himself for considering.

Now that there was technically nobody listening, every word disappeared.

His grip tightened around the phone.

"..{user}."

His voice came out quieter than he'd intended.

A pause.

Then his jaw tightened again.

"I know you don't wanna fucking hear from me."

Another silence.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me."

That sentence hurt considerably more once it existed outside his head.

Katsuki lowered himself onto the edge of the couch, staring blankly at the floor.

"I just..."

He stopped.

.

He couldn't even get the sentence out.

He swallowed hard.

"Just tell me you're okay."

His fingers curled against his knee.

"You can hate me. You can tell me to go myself. You can tell me we're done and never speak to me again if that's what you want."

His voice dropped.

"...Just don't give me nothing."

Another pause.

Then, barely above a mutter:

"Please."

Katsuki ended the call.

And somewhere else, Momo was staring down at her own unanswered messages, watching yet another call to you disappear into voicemail.

Neither of them knew whether you were reading the messages.

Neither knew whether you were listening to the voicemails.

Neither knew what you were going to do.

For the first time in three years, Katsuki had absolutely no idea what was happening in your life.

And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

His phone remained silent in his hand.

Until suddenly...

Buzz.