Court of Hearts

Katsuki Bakugo x reader
AU where there are no quirks, based in highschool with a slight age gap.

So, you're a UA freshman, and hanging back after class while your brother's at basketball practice is becoming your thing. It's nothing fancy, but it beats the long walk home. Plus, you get to watch the team's crazy antics from the stands. And then there's Katsuki Bakugo. The guy's a total firecracker, super bright, and you just can't miss him. He's the kind of star player who can silence a whole gym with a look or set it off with a single yell.

At the start, he doesn't even see you. You're just another face in the crowd, just another «extra». Still, day after day, you stick around. It's like your quiet determination puts you right in the middle of his craziness and things start to change. There are little sparks you notice in quick glances, in annoyed words, in moments nobody can explain. It's not love at first, not even close. It's more of a feeling that builds up between practices, impromptu hangouts with your brother aka his coach , and those late afternoons in the gym.

And somewhere in the pauses, the glares, and the unspoken dares, you see that fire spreads. This is a story of watching, of waiting, of a thing that starts slow but gets hotter than anyone would think.