Tethered by snow
Snow fell softly over the streets of Japan, dusting rooftops and sidewalks in a quiet, glimmering blanket. The city buzzed with Christmas lights, laughter, and the faint hum of holiday music, but you felt a little out of step with it all—carrying memories in the folds of your coat and the scarf wrapped tight around your neck.
Years had passed since you left, since you’d last seen him. And yet, somewhere beneath the rush of the crowd and the twinkle of the lights, a single thought lingered—I wonder if he’s still here.
A/N: I never truly intended on writing a Christmas Bakugo X Y/N fanfiction—But I did initially plan on writing an angst or at least another fluff, but with careful thought I came up with this on the spot, with one sitting I wrote this, with a combination of what I said above. I hope you enjoy this fic as much as I enjoyed and cried writing this! ^^.
A/N: Heavily inspired by the song "about you" by the 1975. Would be great if you listened to it while reading!
Life unfolded in each background—new beginnings, quiet endings, and everything in between. People grew older, moments were made and lost, and the world continued in its gentle rhythm, easing from sunlit days into winter nights. The world carries on in subtle ways, marked by growing years and changing airs, never stopping long enough for everyone to keep track.
Leaving Japan was supposed to be for the better. At least, that’s what you told yourself. Because what else were you supposed to do? After all, what else could you do? It hurt—didn’t it? It hurt—liking someone you could never have. Seeing them every day, knowing they would never be yours. It was the kind of pain that stayed quiet, because all you could do was dream and wish from a distance. And when you broke your own heart, who were you supposed to blame?
The two of you had something. You both knew it. Yet neither of you chose it. You were both chasing the same dream, aiming for the top, too willing to ignore what stirred beneath the surface. Loving each other would have been the most exquisite form of self-destruction—and you both knew it.
But it wasn’t the same for you.
You still wanted him, despite everything that had happened. Still, you couldn’t choose him if he was never willing to choose you in return. There was nothing more painful than trying to forget a love that refused to be forgotten.
So you left.
And now, after all this time, it finally felt like Japan was a place you could return to.
When you reached the outside of the airport, you remembered how cold Japan could be during the winter. Things had been so different since you returned. Time passed before you even knew it—just like when you left and came back, how the shimmering sun slowly transitioned into cold air.
Stepping outside, the cold hit you again, sharp and real. Things were different now that you were back. Time had passed so quickly for you, and before you knew it, the shimmering sun you’d grown used to in America had faded into Japan’s winter air. You felt free—but a part of you wasn’t. You let out a deep sigh, one you definitely needed before facing everything waiting for you here in Japan. Then you paused when you felt a small, cold lump brush against your arm.
You looked up and saw glistening flakes falling from the sky. It was snowing.
You looked around and saw people smiling, their eyes sparkling with excitement. Suddenly, everyone seemed happy—talking about Christmas, about presents, about decorating trees.
And somehow, it made you think about the promise Bakugo had made to you years ago.
"Hey," he called out to you.
The two of you just finished assisting a Pro Hero in a disrupting scene. Both, heavily injured but you just hummed in response.
It was always like that between you in Katsuki Bakugo. Whenever any hero action is needed, the two of you will respond as quickly as possible and no matter how different and how far the agency the two of you go, the two of you always ended up meeting each other—leaving to a joint mission between the Pro heroes, and somehow a joint mission between the two of you.
He pushed himself up from where he'd fallen, scowling through the blood and dirt. "You're stupid, you know that?" His voice was rough, but not angry. It was the familiar edge he always had when he cared more than he wanted to admit.
You raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine. You should be more worried about yourself."
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, brushing snow and dust from his shoulder. Then, without looking away, he stepped closer, grabbing your sleeve firm, insistent, yet careful. His usual scowl softened, just a fraction, enough to let you see the storm behind his eyes.
"Listen," he said quietly, voice low but steady. "No matter what happens, if we ever get separated, I'll find you again. Don't think you can get rid of me that easily. One day, we'll end up in the same place—just wait and see"
He released your sleeve before you could respond, turning back towards the site as if nothing had happened. It was always like that, always competing. His scowl was back, sharp and unyielding, but the weight of his words lingered in the air, your air—without even noticing what you are feeling inside, you watched him go, chest tight, and mind spinning. It was reckless, impossible, infuriating and yet somehow, utterly you.
Funny how you kept saying back then that you'll protect him.
You meant it too. Not in the way heroes protect civilians, but in the quiet way—by staying close, by watching his back, by being there when the world tried to break him. But somewhere along the way, you realized he was already protected. Not by you, not by anyone else—but by his dream.
Katsuki Bakugo was blinded by it. By the fire in his chest, by the need to be stronger, faster, better. To be a hero above anything else. And you loved him enough to see that clearly.
So you didn't stop him. You didn't ask him to chose. Because what kind of love asks someone to abandon the thing that makes them who they are? You let him chase his dream—and quietly, you chose to chase yours too. You stepped back, even when it hurt, even when every part of you wanted to stay. You told yourself it was the right thing to do. That loving someone sometimes meant letting them go.
And even now, years later, his words still clung to you.
I'll find you again.
Maybe that was why you left. And maybe that why, after all this time, you finally came back
Weeks passed and you walked through the busy streets of Japan, all cozied up in your thick coat and that familiar scarf—you still had it from your UA days, the same one that carried memories of him. The same scarf you and Katsuki Bakugo had shared, tangled in winter mornings and hurried goodbyes.
Snowflakes dusted your nose and eyelashes, and your cheeks flushed from the cold. You clutched the scarf tighter around you, holding your groceries, but also clinging to the warmth it carried. It was only after a moment that you realized a smile had crept onto your face.
Ahead, a crowd had gather around the big glimmering Christmas tree. Families, couples, and friends, all bundled against the cold, their laughter and chatter mingling with the soft music playing nearby. You vividly remembered that Hagakure will light up the tree today and she so pushed you to come and watch—along with a few UA students; but you weren't sure if you will ever show up, at least not that day—but here you are.
The lights twinkled off the snow, reflecting in everyone's eyes, and your heart stirred at the sight. After all, it was only a few hours before Christmas, and the city felt alive with the magic and anticipation.
You found yourself lingering, your gaze drifting to the tree, letting the warmth of the lights and the memory of him wrapped around you. Somewhere deep inside, the memory of his words—the promise he made, stubborn and unwavering, pulled at you like a thread tugging you.
And as if the world were listening to your thoughts, someone busy on the phone ran past you, causing you to stumble a few steps. "What do you means she's coming?!"
Your heart skipped. You knew that voice too well. It was sharp, commanding, unmistakable—Katsuki Bakugo. Even after all these years, even after all the distance, even through the chaos of you separate live, you could recognize him anywhere. The scowl in his tone, the edge in his words, the fire behind his anger—it was all him.
For a moment, the bustling street, the glittering Christmas tree, the laughter of the crowd around you—it all blurred. All the existed was the sound of his voice. Your grip on the scarf tighten instinctively.
For a moment, neither of you moved. He looked different, older, more grounded, but that familiar fire in his face was still there, sharp and unyielding. And yet, beneath it, there was something softer. Neither of you spoke. Neither of you needed to. The memory of the years, promises, the distance and the longing all hung between you like a fragile thread waiting to be picked up.
"Hey," he finally said, his voice softer than you remembered.
You blinked, unsure if your mind was playing tricks on you. The noise of the city—the chatter, the traffic, the laughter, seemed to melt away. All you could hear was him, standing there, eyes fixed on you, the fainted flicked of disbelief and relief crossing his face.
"Hey," you replied, your own voice barely above a whisper.
For a moment, you simply stood there, taking each other in. Years of distance, memories, promises and longing hung heavy between you. And yet, somehow, it felt familiar—like no time had passed at all.
He took a hesitant step close, snowflakes settling on his shoulder, and you felt it—the warmth of him, the pull of that stubborn, relentless Katsuki Bakugo who had never truly let you go.
"I didn't think I'd see you here," he said, voice low.
You swallowed, gripping your scarf a little higher. "Neither did I," you admitted softly, a small, nervous smile tugging at your lips.
And in that pause, that fragile, trembling moment, it was clear that the promise had never truly ended.
"Seems like you were looking for someone," You initiated.
"Yeah, Hagakure told me someone special will come here today." He replied. you laughed softly, a little breathless, thinking to yourself whether he was talking about you—or someone else entirely.
But then his eyes locked onto yours, and everything shifted. The bustling crowd, the glittering lights, even the falling snow—all of it seemed to fade away. That familiar scowl softened just enough, and in it, you saw something unmistakable: relief, recognition, and that stubborn intensity that had never left him.
Your chest tightened. Your heartbeat raced. It was you he had been looking for all along.
For a moment, neither of you moved, just standing there in the middle of the busy street, the city humming around you. He took a hesitant step closer as the snow settling on his shoulder started to melt in the warmth radiating from him. "Yeah," he murmured, almost to himself. "It's, It's you."
A soft laugh escaped you, nervous and full of disbelief. "I though it might have been someone else," you admitted, the corners of your lips twitching into a small smile.
His gaze bore into yours, unwavering and sharp, but beneath it, there was that softness, that quiet tenderness he rarely let anyone see. "No," he said firmly, almost gruffly. "It's always been you."
And in that moment, with the crowd and the city blurring around the edges, you realized: the promise, the years of waiting, the distance—it had all led to this.
He let out a small, frustrated sigh, shaking his head like he wasn’t sure what to do with this sudden reality. “So… uh,” he began, scratching the back of his neck, the scowl fading again into something almost human, “do you have… someone to spend Christmas with?”
You blinked, surprised by the question, and then laughed softly, a little nervous. “Haha, I don’t. You?”
His sharp gaze softened slightly, and he let out a short, humorless chuckle. “I, don’t either.”
The words hung between you, fragile and heavy, carrying years of distance, memories, and unspoken promises. The snow swirled around you both, the lights of the Christmas tree reflecting in his eyes—and in that moment, it felt like nothing had really changed, and yet, everything had.
"Wanna have Christmas together?"
You blinked, heart skipping at the sudden question, and a soft laugh escaped you, breath visible in the cold air. “…Yeah,” you said quietly, a small smile tugging at your lips. “I’d like that.”
Bakugo’s usual scowl lingered, but there was a softness in his eyes, something almost vulnerable. “Don’t get used to me being all… nice,” he muttered, though the corners of his lips threatened a smirk.
You chuckled, shaking your head. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
For a moment, you just stood there, letting the snow fall around you, the lights of the tree glimmering between the flakes. The bustling crowd and the hum of the city faded into the background. It was just the two of you, tethered by memories, promises, and the warmth of finally being near again.
Bakugo’s hand brushed against yours, almost by accident, and neither of you pulled away. His sharp gaze met yours again, steady and unwavering. “Then… let’s go,” he said, voice softer than before, carrying a hint of certainty that made your chest ache with relief and longing.
And as you walked side by side toward the Christmas tree, the world felt impossibly full—warm, bright, and right. For the first time in years, the distance, the waiting, the longing—it all melted away. And for the first time in a long time, you felt home.