The sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden light over the trail as Katsuki and Rosie rode side by side. Rosie, slumped in her saddle, was clearly suffering from the aftermath of their night in the tavern. Her face was pale, her movements sluggish, and, for once, she was silent. No humming, no giggling, no talking—just the soft, labored sound of her breathing.

Katsuki glanced at her, frowning. She looked miserable, her usually vibrant energy replaced with exhaustion. Her smile, though still present, was weak, and her posture was that of someone barely holding on.

"Idiot," he muttered to himself. She was clearly in no shape to continue, but she was too stubborn to ask for a break. As much as it irritated him to stop when they had ground to cover, letting her collapse off the horse would be an even bigger hassle.

Katsuki clicked his tongue, pulling on his reins and slowing his horse to a stop. Rosie blinked, confused, but didn't object as he dismounted.

"We're stopping," he grunted, his voice sharp but not unkind.

Rosie looked down at him, her eyes dull with fatigue. "I'm fine, really—"

"Shut up," Katsuki interrupted, already grabbing the reins of her horse. "You're not fine. You look like you're about to fall off. Get down."

She blinked again, hesitating, but then slowly dismounted, her movements clumsy and tired. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she wobbled slightly, and Katsuki reached out instinctively to steady her.

"Idiot," he muttered again, more to himself than to her.

He led her over to a shady spot near a cluster of trees and practically forced her to sit down. She sank onto the grass with a sigh, leaning back against one of the trees, her eyes half-closed.

"Just… need a minute," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, yeah," Katsuki grumbled, already moving to set up camp. He wasn't much of a cook, but he knew she needed something in her stomach. While she rested, he rummaged through his supplies and pulled out what little food they had left—some bread, dried meat, and a few vegetables he had picked up from the last town. It wasn't much, but it would do.

As he worked, his mind wandered back to the events of last night. Despite how much Rosie annoyed him at times, there was something about her that made it hard for him to walk away. She was stubborn, cheerful to a fault, and way too kind for her own good. But she was also the first person in a long time who didn't treat him like a monster. That thought alone was enough to keep him by her side, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Katsuki stirred the small pot over the fire, watching the food cook slowly. He wasn't exactly the nurturing type, but taking care of Rosie felt strangely…natural. He'd never say it out loud, though.

Just as the stew was starting to bubble, a loud crash echoed through the trees, startling both of them. Katsuki immediately jumped to his feet, hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to attack.

"What the—" Katsuki's words were cut off as something—or rather,someone—came crashing through the foliage, landing with a thud in the middle of their small clearing.

It was a young man, disheveled and clearly injured. His green hair was matted with dirt and blood, and his clothes were torn and ragged. He groaned in pain, struggling to push himself up from the ground.

Rosie, despite her own exhaustion, gasped and immediately pushed herself to her feet. "Oh no!" she cried, rushing over to the injured stranger. "Are you alright?"

Katsuki scowled, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the man. "Deku?" he growled under his breath. Of all the people to stumble into their camp, it had to behim.

Deku looked up weakly, his face pale from blood loss. "K-Kacchan…?" he muttered, clearly dazed.

Rosie knelt beside him, already pulling out a small pouch of herbs and bandages from her pack. "You're hurt badly," she said, her voice soft but urgent. "Let me help."

Katsuki crossed his arms, glaring at the scene before him. "Tch. Leave him. He's tough enough to heal on his own."

"Katsuki!" Rosie snapped, her voice sharper than he'd ever heard it. She glared up at him, her eyes blazing with determination despite her fatigue. "He's hurt. I'm not just going to leave him like this."

Katsuki clenched his jaw, his hands tightening into fists. It wasn't that he didn't care—hedidcare, more than he'd ever admit—but Rosie was in no condition to be playing nursemaid to anyone, let alone Deku. She could barely stand on her own, and here she was, tending to someone else like it was her responsibility.

"You're not even feeling good yourself," he muttered, his voice low. "You should be resting, not wasting energy on this idiot."

Rosie didn't answer him. She was too focused on Deku, her hands moving with surprising precision as she cleaned his wounds and applied herbs to the worst of them. Deku winced but didn't protest, his eyes fluttering shut as he let Rosie work.

Katsuki scowled, feeling a strange knot of frustration tighten in his chest. He didn't understand why it bothered him so much to see her taking care of Deku, especially when she was the one who needed care. He hated the way it made him feel—this mix of anger and… something else. Something he couldn't name.

But despite his irritation, he didn't stop her. He couldn't. Instead, he turned back to the fire, stirring the pot with more force than necessary, his jaw clenched.

After what felt like an eternity, Rosie finally sat back, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. "There," she said softly, her voice tired but satisfied. "That should help. He needs rest, though. Lots of it."

Katsuki let out a low growl, still refusing to look at her. "You're the one who needs rest," he muttered under his breath.

Rosie smiled faintly, her eyes softening as she glanced at him. "I'll rest soon, I promise," she said, her voice gentle. "But I couldn't just leave him like that."

Katsuki didn't respond. He didn't know how to. Instead, he just focused on the stew, ladling some into a bowl and shoving it into her hands. "Eat," he ordered, his tone rough but filled with a silent concern.

Rosie blinked, surprised by the sudden gesture, but smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Katsuki."

Katsuki's eyes flicked over to where Deku lay, catching the way Rosie was smiling at him. His stomach churned with an unfamiliar tightness. His jaw clenched as Rosie returned Deku's smile, oblivious to the slight tension that rippled through Katsuki.

"Thank you, miss, for helping me," Deku said softly, his face pale but his eyes still warm and grateful. "My name is Izuku."

Rosie smiled warmly, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten as she leaned forward. "I'm Rosie," she said, her voice soft. "It's no trouble at all. I couldn't just leave you like that."

Deku shifted slightly, wincing as he tried to sit up straighter. "I really appreciate it. You're very kind."

Katsuki growled under his breath, the words scraping the back of his throat. "Tch. Stop thanking her like you're some helpless idiot."

Rosie blinked, turning to Katsuki with a curious look. "Do you two know each other?"

At that question, Katsuki's entire body went rigid. He could practically feel the blood drain from his face, though he did his best to keep his expression neutral. His mind raced, a small flicker of panic igniting in his chest.

Rosie tilted her head, waiting for an answer, and Katsuki's brain screamed at him to come up with something,anything. He cleared his throat, doing his best to sound nonchalant. "Yeah, we, uh... we worked a job together. Couple years back," he grumbled, waving his hand as if it was no big deal. "That's all."

Rosie's eyes widened slightly, curiosity flashing across her face. "Oh? What kind of job?" she asked, her voice light and casual, though there was clear interest in her tone.

Katsuki opened his mouth, trying to come up with something, but before he could speak, Deku chimed in, clearly picking up on Katsuki's discomfort.

"Yeah, it was just a small job," Deku said quickly, his voice calm and smooth, playing along with Katsuki's story. "A simple monster-hunting contract. We didn't really spend much time together, just worked together briefly. Since then we have run into one another every couple of months."

Katsuki shot Deku a sharp glance, silently warning him to keep it vague. Deku, in turn, gave him a small, reassuring smile.

Rosie looked between the two of them, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I see," she said slowly. "Well, it's good that you had each other to work with."

Katsuki let out a quiet breath of relief, though his shoulders remained tense. He didn't want to get into the messy details of his past with Deku. Their history was complicated, and the last thing he wanted was to open up old wounds—especially not in front of Rosie.

Rosie, thankfully, didn't push the matter further. Instead, she turned her attention back to Deku, her voice gentle. "So, what happened to you? You looked like you were in pretty bad shape when you fell into our camp."

Deku sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "I, uh… I ran into a bit of trouble with some bandits. Tried to help a caravan that was being attacked, but they had more men than I anticipated. I managed to fight them off, but… well, you can see how that went."

Rosie frowned in concern, her hands moving instinctively to check his bandages. "You're lucky you made it out alive," she said softly, her voice laced with worry.

Deku chuckled weakly. "Yeah, I suppose so. I'm just grateful I found you two when I did."

Katsuki, who had been watching the exchange with narrowed eyes, finally stood up, brushing the dirt from his pants. "Tch. Enough with the sappy crap," he grumbled. "You're patched up now. You'll be fine."

Rosie shot him a disapproving look, but Katsuki ignored it, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He didn't like how easily Deku had slipped into their camp, how quickly Rosie had gone from taking care of herself to fussing over someone else. It irritated him, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the way Deku had smiled at her, or the way Rosie had been so quick to help him, even when she herself was barely standing.

Still, he couldn't say anything. Deku had played along with his story, and for that, Katsuki was grudgingly grateful. As much as it annoyed him to have Deku there, it was better than Rosie knowing the real history between them.

Rosie finished checking Deku's bandages and sat back on her heels, her gaze still filled with concern. "You should rest some more," she said softly. "We'll keep an eye on you until you're strong enough to move."

Deku nodded, smiling gratefully. "Thank you, Rosie. You're too kind."

Katsuki scoffed, turning away from the two of them. "Tch. Don't get used to it, Deku," he muttered under his breath, though there was no real malice in his voice.

As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting a golden hue over the forested landscape, Katsuki crouched beside the dwindling fire, stuffing the last of their things into his pack. His jaw was clenched, and his movements were curt, frustration bubbling under the surface. He could hear Rosie chatting lightly with Deku behind him, and the sound grated on his nerves for reasons he couldn't quite explain.