Protecting You (Katsuki Bakugo x Reader)

Chapter 76- Drunken Love

This entire week was like living in a dream for you. Between the school festival, Katsuki and you finally 'bonding', and the news Hawks shared with you, you were on cloud nine. Endeavor picked you up after school most days so you could help him prepare the agency for the after-party to celebrate you, Hawks, and Endeavor being the 'Big Three' of Japan's heroes. It was extremely exclusive and as much as you wanted to invite your friends, only registered pro-heroes were invited to the event.

Regardless, you looked forward to an actual event celebrating a massive step in your career. All Might has been nothing short but proud of you, Mitsuki and Masaru called you to congratulate you, and you even received a letter from Best Jeanist (whose spot you overcame) saying how he was thankful for your presence in the hero world and he looked forward to seeing what else you could accomplish.

The amount of outpouring of love was overwhelming and extremely heartwarming.

But for some reason, Katsuki's mood only ever got worse.

In between classes when students would greet you to send you warm wishes, Katsuki's brows furrowed and his scarlet eyes narrowed. You wanted to bring it up, to ask him what was bothering him, but you were nervous about his response. After all, being a top-ranking hero was always his biggest dream...was he mad at you for being recognized before him? Was he upset that you were ahead of him? 

After that night...everything felt different between you two, and it was starting to ache in your heart.

Today was Friday, the day before the ranking ceremony, and Katsuki was feeling absolutely livid.

Not that it was a terribly unusual occurrence that his temper got the best of him, but he's been more pissed than usual after Hawks called you to tell you about your ranking. The fact you were the first hero in history to make the popularity ranking in the top three during your debut AND you didn't even graduate yet...it made headlines everywhere. They plastered the name Astral across the news agencies, drama channels, social media...a young and powerful female hero that partnered with the ever suave and handsome Hawks was something that everyone took an interest in.

And Katsuki's jealousy was overwhelming.

It wasn't either you or Hawks' fault. After all, most of your missions were committed under the table with just enough publicized ones to keep the media fed. The two of you were professional and of course you cared about the other, but it wasn't like Hawks was someone you hooked up with while away from home. You always came home to Katsuki. You made it clear to everyone that he was your number one priority. That didn't matter though. The media loved the fact you and Hawks worked together, calling the two of you Hero Sweethearts and using it as a way to draw attention from the growing number of villains post All Might's retirement. Endeavor welcomed the positive press, Hawks considered the media a joke and constantly made fun of them, and you were a rookie with no experience with it.

So when your friends gathered in the lounge to see the announcement of your upcoming reveal, Katsuki's heart filled with rage seeing you and Hawks posed together as teammates. Each day that inched closer to when you would parade yourself in front of the world as an official pro-hero...Katsuki felt the burn of the warning of the fortune-teller during the Summer festival. 

His jealousy was boiling...and it would only be a matter of time before it overflowed.

"Join us this Saturday at 8PM for the official Hero Billboard Awards and Rankings! This year features a NEW number one hero for the first time in over two decades along with the debut of a new hero! Will this be Japan's new sweetheart hero or will the pro-hero Hawks keep her to himself? More updates at nine tonight."