Your lover's voice, although comforting and familiar, still startled you out of your intense focus enough to make you jump in shock. Looking up at Bakugou as he stood beside you, his eyes only narrowed at your reaction to his question, only further proving to him that you had indeed been nervous. Had you really been that lost in your own thoughts that you had let your hidden worries slip? Now what should you do? You knew that he wasn't going to let up if he felt like something wasn't right, and much to your misfortune, he could see through your lies now without even having to try. Was there really a point anymore?

Shifting nervously in your seat, you placed the piece of parchment you had been holding down on the table in front of you, carefully smoothing it out as you had accidentally crumpled it in your shock. "What do you mean…? I seem nervous?"

"You do." Bakugou sat down beside you, pulling the document towards him a bit to look it over. "Is it something specific about this one? Or is there something you're trying to hide?"

Falling silent, you fiddled with your nails nervously as you avoided looking at him, trying to think of anything at all that you could say instead of the truth. How could you possibly find it within yourself to explain to him that you would be able to tell when he was going to die? That you knew the exact circumstances that led to the entire clan being wiped from history? It was already difficult enough for that burden to be kept on your shoulders, so you knew that pushing it onto him would only increase the weight of your guilt.

Yet, at the same time, you wanted to tell him. You wanted him to know, so that maybe you could work together to change what would happen. There wasn't a question in your mind that he wouldn't want to try, but what if it caused him difficulty mentally? What if he completely broke down just by knowing what you did? He could overreact and jump immediately into action instead of waiting, scaring everyone and possibly getting you both banished. That was a bit of an extreme circumstance, you knew that, but you had to consider every possibility before telling him the truth.

You already had. Over the course of the past seven months you had been with him so intimately, you had thought over and over about what could happen versus what would happen if you stayed silent. If you held back what you knew, then they would die. There was no question, no other possible outcome, as it had already been written in history. You were the only thing that made a difference to this era, now. So, it had to come down to your courage to make a decision, though it was something that should have been done a long time ago.

He had to know.

Letting out a trembling breath, you turned more to face your husband, tenderly taking one of his hands in yours. "Katsuki… There is something, it's just… It's so hard for me to talk about." Already, you could feel your throat constricting, your eyes beginning to tear up. "I… I'm really scared…"

Giving your hand a comforting squeeze, Bakugou was silent as he allowed you a moment to gather yourself. You could see from a momentary glance up at his face that he was both worried and intensely interested, but not at all angry or frustrated with you, which gave you the strength to continue. "I've been… overly observant of the things you ask me to look over because I'm… I'm looking for certain clues."

"Clues?"

"Yes… Because I… Katsuki, there is something horrible that's going to happen. I just don't know when… All I know is the circumstances that led up to it. So, I'm watching out for those in hopes that I can… That I can save everyone."

Bakugou's brow furrowed, his head tilting to the side a bit in confusion. "'Save everyone'? What is it you know?"

"Everyone… This clan, our friends… You. Everyone dies in one large attack… But not out on a battlefield or anything, it's here. This entire palace is destroyed by a fire. It's so intense that… even in my time, there isn't a trace left of this place except for some documents that survived and the remains of the stone wall. There n-nothing… no one–" It was then that you lost control of your emotions, hiccupping as the tears escaped you. Bringing a hand up to your lips, you covered your mouth as you gave a shake of your head, feeling ashamed that you couldn't stay strong enough to tell him without crying. "I'm sorry…"

There was silence between you for a moment with nothing but your soft hiccups displacing the air. But, when Bakugou finally spoke, it was in such a calm voice that your worries were soothed for the time being.

"[F/N]… In this time of war, everyone in this palace who is here to serve our Lord is prepared to die at any moment. We know what we are doing and the dangers that it puts us in. Even if this is something that we could stop, it would still come about a different way eventually. I've accepted what my fate could eventually be." Placing his free hand tenderly against your cheek, he wiped the burning tears away with his thumb. "But you aren't something that I had planned… I wish you would have told me sooner."

"I just couldn't…"

"That's because you have a good heart. You've tried to carry the burden of everyone's lives on your shoulders since you first arrived here. You don't have to do that anymore. I'm here now. And I'll be here until I draw my last breath. You should know damn well that you can depend on me." Bakugou slipped his hand around to caress the back of your neck, kissing your forehead softly. "I'm your husband, now. All the worries should fall on me."

Shifting closer to him, you rested against his side. "I couldn't do that to you, Katsuki. We should do it together. Like we always have…"

"We will, then. When the time comes, just let me know as soon as you notice anything."

Giving a small nod, you wiped your face of the remaining tears before gently tapping your finger against the document still sitting on the table. "Everything is good in this one… I have no input on it."

"Good. Now that is over with, I want to take you into town." After folding up the document, Bakugou stood, securing the paper in a cabinet. A bit confused, you stood as well, flattening out your clothing along your thighs a bit.

"Into town? What for?" You took his hand as he approached you, softly trailing your fingers along his skin until your arm was hooked with his. "Something important?"

"Ah, not necessarily, but I wanted to have you pick out something before they're all gone."

"'Something'? You won't tell me?" Narrowing your eyes at him, you leaned over a bit to try and catch his gaze, curious as to why he was keeping it a secret. "Why not?"

With a small click of his tongue, Bakugou nudged you gently with his elbow, glowering down at you in obvious annoyance of your prying. "It won't be a surprise if I tell you!"

"You never try to surprise me, though! I'm nervous now!"

"Excuse me?! I always try to surprise you! You just find out shit before I can! I hate how you can see through me, but not this time!"

Giggling, you rested your head on his shoulder, looking out into one of the many palace gardens as you walked past. "Okay, okay! I'll let you surprise me this time."

The quick horse ride was pleasant, with the quiet and calming sounds of nature surrounding you. Though, even to this day, you were wary of strangers on the road, refusing to speak or hardly look at anyone that was traveling alone. Bakugou was doubly as protective as he had always been, and just his presence was enough to make people avoid the both of you as much as they could. Although you felt bad at first for making people uncomfortable, you soon grew to accept it and actually welcome the comfort his aggressive presence seemed to bring you.

Leaving Yonaka at the stables as you normally did, it was a simple walk through the busy town, going down different small roads and alleyways that you had never taken before. Before you could really question where Bakugou was taking you, he came to a stop next to a small home. You could immediately tell that it was a poorer family that resided there, and though Lord Yagi was more generous than most when it came to collecting taxes, there were still those that struggled to make an easy living.

Right as you both approached the house, the front door slid open, revealing a small child. The instant he laid eyes on Bakugou, a smile broke her face, bouncing in her spot as she called back into the house. "Mama, that man is here!"

"Oh, is he?" A frail woman approached the door, giving a deep bow as she placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders to keep her from bouncing. "My Lord, thank you for coming."

"I said I would. You still have them?"

"Yes, of course! Please, come in."

You were silent during the entire exchange, glancing between Bakugou and this woman curiously. For some reason, the image of a drug exchange flashed into your mind, like he was here to pick up something extremely illegal. Still, you followed him inside as Bakugou made his way in, both of you leaving your shoes at the entrance. Just like the outside, the inside of the home was worn down, and it was clear that this family all lived in this one small room. There were three futons in total, a small fire pit in the middle and a couple of pieces of furniture. You couldn't help but feel bad for them, wishing that you could do something to help, but you had no power in that regard.

Suddenly, a small sound caught your attention. At first, you thought it was the squeaking of the tatami mats beneath your feet, until you heard it during the middle of a moment of silence. A small meow, followed by another. Somewhere in this tiny house, there were kittens, and your heart immediately lifted at the thought of tiny fuzzy babies.

A hand on your back, Bakugou led you over towards the corner of the room, where a wooden basket sat. "I saw this family trying to rehome them yesterday when I was in town. I asked them to wait until I returned with you… Pick one."

Feeling your face flush, you squatted down beside the basket, unable to resist your smile as all the little bodies turned their attention to you. "Oh, my goodness… Hello there, little babies. Aren't you all just so adorable!" Reaching in, you softly stroked the top of an orange kitten's head, who instantly began to purr at your touch. As you continued to pet them as they demanded attention, you turned your gaze up to Bakugou, smiling from ear to ear. "Really, Katsuki?"

Bakugou nodded, waiting patiently beside you. "Go on. Take your time."

If you were honest, the choice wasn't hard. There was one particular kitten, who seemed a bit quiet compared to the rest, but was decently healthy and loved your attention. What kept you going back to them was their fur pattern and colors, which was nearly identical to your cat that you had back home. In the end, you couldn't leave that kitten behind, and you stood with it cradled in your arms. "This one…"

With a nod, Bakugou pulled out his money pouch, looking at the woman who had welcomed you both into her home. "Here," after digging his fingers in the pouch for a moment, he pulled forth a few coins, dropping them into the hands of the woman, who stared at the money with wide eyes. "As promised, payment for keeping them until now."

"A-ah, My Lord, t-this is so much more than what I was expecting–!" Clutching the money to her chest, she moved to sit on her knees, bowing deeply. "Thank you for your generosity!"

"Use it well. Winter will be coming soon. [F/N]," With the sound of your name, you looked up at Bakugou, who gestured for you to follow him out of the home. As you walked past her, you took a moment to squat down next to the woman, touching her softly on the shoulder to pull her up out of her bowing position.

Smiling softly, you gave your own small bow to her. "Thank you. I truly can't express how much this means to me."

"M-My Lady–"

"I hope that you find good homes for the rest of them." Standing as the woman merely went back into her bowing position, you gave a small wave to the child before leaving the home with Bakugou. Keeping the kitten close to your chest, you looked up at your husband, feeling your blush spread across your cheeks just from his gaze. "Katsuki, this is so sweet of you!"

"You're happy?"

"Of course!" Able to hold the kitten with one arm, you hooked your other with his, resting your cheek on his shoulder. "Thank you… This is more special to me than you know."

"How so?" Bakugou reached over with his free hand, lightly stroking the top of the kitten's head as it stayed snuggled into your clothes. You still couldn't believe how closely this kitten looked to your lost friend, and although you didn't want it to, it brought a sense of sadness into your excitement.

"This kitten looks just like my cat I lost back in my time… It's uncanny. I'm just so in love already, and it makes me feel like… Like I have a little bit of that life back. At least, something that I've missed the most."

"I was hoping you would feel that way. I had thought about just bringing one home with me yesterday, but I figured you'd like to pick one out instead."

"Is there a reason?"

"Hm, well…" Bakugou looked away, as if he were embarrassed at the question. "I had wanted to get you a cat, but I just hadn't been able to find any… And I know that you get lonely when I leave. It was damn perfect timing… I'll be gone again starting tomorrow for a few weeks. I hope that having the kitten will help keep you company."

Since you were in the privacy of a back alley, you used only a gentle tug to get Bakugou to stop, before pushing yourself up on your toes to kiss him softly. Bakugou was quick to return the affection, his hands resting on your hips to pull you in close. If you were in the privacy of your chambers, you could easily see the passion escalating, your love for him only further fueled by the thoughtful gesture. But, you were forced to part at the sound of people nearby, though Bakugou did finish off with a final kiss to your forehead.

"Thank you so much, Katsuki. The kitten will be perfect company."

"Sure, [F/N]. How about we grab some of that delicious pork noodles and head on home? I'm fucking starving."

"I'd like that, love. As long as little [Name] can have some, too."

"Ooh, so that cat will be eating like royalty, eh? Sure, I bet some chicken would do it good."