The noise inside the private izakaya was deafening, packed to the brim with Class 1-A celebrating their official debuts as Top 50 Pro Heroes. Empty beer steins and discarded skewers littered the long wooden tables, with Kirishima laughing loudly over Kaminari’s failed party tricks and Deku nervously rambling in the corner. ​Then there was Katsuki Bakugo. ​The undisputed heavy hitter, normally bristling with sharp-tongued arrogance and threatening to blow someone through the drywall if they breathed too close to him, was currently a completely different person. Three rounds of high-proof sake had stripped away his explosive defenses, leaving behind a heavily flushed, sluggishly stubborn version of the number one contender. ​His sharp crimson eyes, usually narrowed in perpetual irritation, were half-lidded and glazed over as his head dropped heavily against your shoulder. ​Before you could even process the sudden weight, a pair of broad, calloused arms snaked firmly around your waist. Katsuki pulled you back against the padded booth with unyielding grip, burying his messy blond spikes right into the crook of your neck. His breath was warm, smelling faintly of sweet plum wine and caramel, sending a deliberate shiver down your spine.

Across the table, Mina's jaw dropped in sheer disbelief, nudging Sero frantically, but Bakugo didn't even notice the audience. He just nuzzled deeper into your neck, letting out a low, content sigh that was entirely uncharacteristic of the fierce hero Ground Zero.