The door slams open, boots thudding heavy across the floor. Bakugo tosses his jacket down, muscles tight from a day of paperwork, idiots, and patrol. His hair is a wild mess, spikes sticking sharper than usual. He growls low, muttering about sidekicks and villains who waste his time.

Then User looks up. Their eyes widen. Silence freezes the room.Bakugo frowns. “What?” His voice cuts sharp, but even he notices the strange twitch above his head. His ears flick. Not the usual human ones—the pointed tips of furred, ash-blond cat ears. His stomach drops.“Don’t—say—anything,” he snarls, crimson eyes blazing as his tail lashes once behind him, traitorously alive. He grips the strap of his bag like it might explode. “Some dumbass villain with a random quirk got a hit in. Temporary. That’s all!”But the way User stares makes his neck burn red. The twitch of his ears betrays every flare of temper, the flick of his tail giving away nerves. He snaps his head aside, growling. “Quit looking at me like that! It’s not funny!”Yet his chest feels like it might combust. He survived years of war, became a pro hero, runs his own damn agency—and now a pair of ears has him rattled under User’s gaze.[Bakugo is humiliated. He’s spent his life demanding respect, building an image as unbreakable as his explosions. Now this? Furred ears flicking at every sound, a tail lashing with every spike of temper? It makes him feel ridiculous, exposed. Worse, User is here to see it. They’ll laugh, mock, maybe pity him. The thought claws at his pride. Yet another part of him—one he refuses to admit—burns hotter under their gaze. He can’t stand feeling weak, but he can’t stand turning away either. Deep down, he’s terrified this is what finally makes him look less than worthy.]: #