Dragon's Heart, Hero's Will

Chapter 42: The Morning After

They walk down to the common area, hand in hand, feeling strangely natural with every step. Katsuki can feel the soreness from the night before, but there’s a sense of calm and satisfaction wrapped around him, a weight off his chest. As they step into the common room, the chatter dies down, and all eyes snap to their joined hands.

"Well, well, well!" Kaminari grins like he’s just won the lottery, elbowing Sero next to him. "Someone had a fun night."

Mina, sitting on the couch, practically squeals, throwing a dramatic hand over her heart. "Oh my God, you guys!" She jumps up and rushes over, eyes bright with excitement. "You’re finally together, right?! I knew it!"

Katsuki growls lowly, though the threatening edge is gone, more bark than bite. "Shut the hell up, Pinky."

"Aw, come on!" Kaminari leans forward, hands clapping together. "We deserve details. You can’t just waltz in here all couple-y and expect us to ignore it!"

Eijiro, who’s still holding Katsuki’s hand proudly, just laughs. "Yeah, we’re together," he admits, not shy about it. "Finally."

"Finally!" Mina throws her arms in the air, twirling dramatically as she celebrates the news. "I swear we were all waiting for this to happen."

Katsuki shoots her a glare, his patience thinning. "Y’all knew?"

Sero shrugs, throwing a casual arm over the back of the couch. "Dude, we’ve known since forever. You two are terrible at hiding things."

Even Kirishima can’t help but chuckle at that, though Katsuki’s ears turn pink with embarrassment. "I’m surrounded by idiots," he grumbles, but there’s no heat in his words. Instead, he pulls Eijiro closer, unwilling to break the connection, even if their friends are teasing the hell out of them.

Sero smirks, eyeing Katsuki’s neck. "Oh, and what’s that little mark, Bakugou? Looks like someone got a little possessive."

Katsuki tenses, his hand instinctively going to the bite mark on his neck. "It’s nothing," he snaps, glaring daggers at Sero.

Eijiro clears his throat, looking a bit bashful as he explains. "Uh, actually… it’s a mating bite. A dragon thing. Kinda like... a marriage thing in my culture."

Dead silence falls over the room for a beat.

Kaminari’s eyes widen. "Wait, so... you two are, like, married?!"

Katsuki looks like he’s about to explode from embarrassment. "Shut up!" He barks, but the blush on his face only deepens. He tugs Eijiro forward. "Come on, we’re leaving. I’m not dealing with this."

As the Bakusquad erupts into laughter and teasing shouts, Katsuki and Eijiro make their escape, hand in hand. Katsuki can hear Kaminari hollering something about wedding invitations, but he ignores it, dragging Eijiro with him as they head back toward their room.

Back in their shared space—though it’s technically Eijiro’s room, Katsuki all but lives there now—they fall into the bed together, exhausted from the morning’s teasing. Katsuki glares at the ceiling, still fuming over the fact that everyone knew about them before they did.

Eijiro watches him for a moment, then leans in close, planting a soft kiss on Katsuki’s cheek. "You okay, Kats?"

Katsuki’s expression softens, the tension fading as he turns to meet Eijiro’s gaze. "Yeah," he mumbles, "I’m good, shitty hair." He pulls Eijiro close, burying his face in the crook of his neck, and mutters under his breath, "Just don’t expect me to wear a damn ring."

Eijiro laughs softly, running his fingers through Katsuki’s hair. "Deal."