— ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪꜱ ᴄʀᴜᴇʟ, ʙᴜᴛ ꜰᴀᴛᴇ ɪꜱ ᴄʀᴜᴇʟᴇʀ | ᴋᴀᴛꜱᴜᴋɪ ʙᴀᴋᴜɢᴏᴜ ⨾ 爆豪 勝己
"You knew what you were doing, and you knew it would hurt me, but somehow, that didn't stop you."
- unknown
ଳ summary: When his relationship became dull, Katsuki sought a thrilling relationship and cheated on his significant other. However, one day, he felt a spark from his significant other again and wanted to start again. Still, fate has never been kind to anyone. Not even to the number two hero.
ଳ genre: angst, cheating, tragic romance
ଳ pairing: katsuki bakugou x f!reader
ଳ word count: 2k~
It never occurred to him that you were beautiful.
At least not in the way it should have.
In the beginning, you were everything—his everything. You were the prettiest girl in the world and made him the happiest man alive. Whenever he was down, your smile was all he needed to feel better. There was nothing in the world that could compare to the way you made him feel.
But then, he should have seen it coming. He should've known that comfortability was a thief—one that would steal the wonder and dull the moment. He should have known and fought against it, but instead, he let it breed into indifference. And by the time he noticed it, your beauty was no longer as beautiful as he remembered it. It was just simply there, for you were always there—always the same.
Then his eyes wandered.
A passing glance at another woman. A moment of temptation. A fleeting glance at something new. And when you didn't bother to notice—when you smiled at him with your trust fully engraved in him, he grew bolder. He grew confident.
Too confident that he didn't care if you noticed because you won't. At least not when you're still gazing up at him like he is still your entire world.
So one glance turned into two, and two turned into lingering stares. Before he knew it, his lips were pressed against another pair of lips. Then, in the privacy of his office, perfumes that weren't yours lingered on his skin, and a body that wasn't yours was touched by him ever so gently.
It was at that moment when Katsuki realized he was starving—that didn’t know he was craving for something until he tasted her lips.
Perhaps it was the rush of adrenaline, the way her touch was so unfamiliar, so exciting, so new and thrilling. Or maybe it was the way she looked at him—not with innocent eyes, but with hunger. With desire like she, too, had been craving for him. Whatever it was, it made him feel alive. So alive that he felt like a God.
But he told himself it was just one time. Except, he should have stopped then and there. He should have reconsidered his choices, but he didn't. He didn't because he knew one time was not enough.
Never.
He wanted more.
So, nights in his office quickly turned into nights in hotel rooms. And all of a sudden, he was wrapped in sheets that didn't smell like you and tangled with a body that wasn't yours.
But Katsuki didn't care.
For the first time in a while, he felt alive—so alive that he chased this feeling like a man who was no longer sane.
And the worst part?
He convinced himself that it was you who changed him—that it was all your fault. That your relationship had become dull and boring because of you. Because you were always in your t-shirt and jeans, and if not that, then your silly little nurse uniform.
So he did it again. And again.
For a year, he lived a life that he once claimed he'd never live. By day, he was your devoted lover, your hero who cared about the world and would never wrong anyone. But during the night, he was hers. His body, his time, and his passion were poured onto her like a waterfall with no ending.
And you made it so easy for him that he didn't care if he was indifferent. You were always busy, always working late into the night, and whenever you were home, you were always exhausted. You never questioned his loyalty, but that was because you were understanding—too understanding of his work as a hero that you didn't care to question it.
At least, not until today.
You had come home that afternoon with shopping bags in your hand, your cheeks flushed with excitement. You had finally gone out and spoiled yourself for the first time in a while. You had finally gone out with your friends as Katsuki was too exhausted from work. But of course, you didn't mind it.
You never did.
So, happily, you pulled a dress from the shopping bag and quickly changed into it before running to him who was sitting on the couch with his phone in hand. You demanded his attention as you twirled in front of him with a shy and hopeful smile.
And it was then that he remembered.
He remembered that you were beautiful. That you were utterly breathtaking.
Then, for the first time in a while, the sight of you made his stomach twisted into something ugly and sharp. Something that made his stomach churn like being thrown in a whirlpool. And when you continued to smile at him like he was your entire world, his heart clenched.
Memories flooded his mind, and he remembered. He remembered that once upon a time, he had sworn to protect that smile. To cherish it. To never be the reason it faltered.
And then it fucking hit him.
Gods, he was an idiot.
"Kats?" You called out to him, your voice as soft as he remembered it. "Is something wrong? Do I look ugly?" You pouted as your brows knitted together, and it was then that he wanted to scream. He wanted to hit himself. He wanted to take your hands and beg for forgiveness.
But he didn't.
Instead, he swallowed the lump in his throat before managing a "no" as he forced his voice to steady. "You look…" He swallowed another lump. "Beautiful." He almost whispered. "So beautiful."
Your face immediately brightened up at that, your smile widening like an innocent child. And for the first time, he couldn't bear to look into your innocent eyes. Katsuki quickly diverted his gaze as his chest tightened. He’s done it many times before, but today in particular, he couldn't bear to lie when you're smiling at him like a hero.
And then it dawned on him. The reason why you were always in your T-shirt and jeans. The reason you were always lazing around the apartment with him. The reason things had become stagnant.
It was wasn’t you.
It was him.
It was because he had grown comfortable. Too comfortable that he stopped trying. That he stopped making an effort to make you the happiest girl alive. And foolishly enough, he had put the blame on you, the only person trying to fix this relationship all along.
It never occurred to him until now. The plans you've made, but he was too exhausted for. The nights you initiated first but it wasn't exciting enough. The movies you wanted to watch but he wasn't in the mood for. The recipes you've tried, but he wasn't hungry.
All along, he was the problem—never you.
It would never be you.
And selfishly enough, he decided then and there—he wanted to fix this. He wanted to start over and forget everything that happened. He wanted to go back to being yours—wholly, completely, honestly, and this time, he swore he wouldn't let his gaze wander again.
"Let's go out tonight." The words slipped out before he could stop himself, and your eyes widened in surprise. "For real?" You asked, hopeful as you tilted your head slightly.
And when he saw your hopeful expression, it felt like a punch to his gut.
You had waited.
All this time, you had waited for him to love you again. To be the Katsuki that he used to be. To be the Katsuki that you fell in love with, yet you've never complained.
"For real." He smiled, and for the first time, it was genuine.
Tonight, he thought to himself. Tonight, he would end it—all of this. The lies, the deceit, the betraying, and maybe, if he didn't speak of his sins, he could still be your hero, your Katsuki.
But Katsuki should have known. He should have seen it coming. He should have known it would eventually catch up to him because though time was cruel, fate was worse than time.
You sat on the couch, humming as you scrolled through your phone. You were dressed in your little dress as you waited for him to get ready. Then his phone lit up.
But you didn't even care. You never did.
Instead, you wanted to go to him, to see if he was ready. So you placed your phone on the coffee table, wanting to head to your shared bedroom, except your eyes landed on his phone. On the message that had lit up his screen.
You never made it to your shared bedroom.
'I miss you, Katsuki. Can you come over tonight?'
You read the message over and over again, afraid that you've mistaken it. Perhaps you were sleep-deprived, or your eyes were messing with you. Yet every moment your eyes scanned the message, it remained the same—unchanging and hurtful.
Although they were merely words, it felt as though an arrow had shot through your chest. And if it wasn't enough, someone was twisting that arrow as your chest tightened for a breath of air. And all of a sudden, your living room had turned frigid as a shiver crawled through your body.
Your hands quickly seek the comfort of your dress, fingers clenching the fabric as your stomach twists. You wanted to push away every thought that consumed your mind. You wanted to tell yourself that it was a lie. Perhaps someone was using their quirk on you, or maybe it was the wrong number.
But you knew when he walked in and your head perked up to meet his gaze. You knew that something was wrong, so awfully wrong, and you feared the worst.
You didn't want to believe this was true. You wanted this to be a lie, a dream. But your eyes grew blurry when his trembling gaze drifted to the glowing screen.
You didn't have to ask. You didn't have to unlock it. You didn't have to dig for proof. It was written all over his face as he paled, and his lips parted without a sound.
He was no longer yours.
The very man that is standing in front of you was gone a long time ago.
And you should've gotten up and left, but instead, you stayed. You continued to look into those eyes of a traitor as you blinked your tears away.
"Who…" Your voice is barely above a whisper. "Who is she?" Your breath trembled as you forced the words out.
Silence.
A breath. A hesitation.
"Katsuki." His name trembled on your lips as you slowly stood.
But he didn't speak. Didn't deny it. Didn't try to lie.
Instead, he stood with his jaw clenched and his gaze full of guilt. He didn't try to explain himself. He didn't rush to your side. He didn't utter a single word. Not even an apology in that agonizing, deafening silence, and you were shattered.
You were broken into a thousand pieces as you stood there, facing the monster you loved so loyally, like a dog to its owner. And in that moment, you felt nothing but pity for yourself as you let out laughed—hollow and broken.
It all made sense now.
The late nights. The missed calls. The weekends he was on "missions." The growing distance. The way he hadn't touched you in over a year. The way he looked at you and saw nothing.
"So much for being a righteous hero." You wanted to snap at him, but all that came out was the tremble of your voice—oh, how betrayed you were at that moment.
But Katsuki didn't care, and if he did, he didn't show it. Instead, he remained still with his jaw clenched and his throat bobbing as if he wanted to speak, but he didn't say a word in the end.
For, in the end, you weren't even worth an explanation for his betrayal.
And just like that, you got up and left. You didn't bother packing your bags. You didn't bother bringing anything with you. All you knew was that you wanted out right there and then, and even when you left, he never chased you.
Yet foolishly enough, Katsuki's tears cascaded down his face the moment you left before he laughed at himself—bitter and hollow.
How dare he cry when he was the one setting himself on fire.