AUSTIN BUTLER For Esquire - March 2024

gingerbread house

pairing: bakugou x reader summary: Delicate gingerbread and a hot temper? Katsuki’s in trouble.  wc: 1.2k event masterlist

You knew what you were getting yourself into when you agreed to date Katsuki Bakugou. 

He was loud and abrasive, barreling ahead when he thought he was right and even though he often was, he struggled in admitting when he was wrong. He could take things too far sometimes, biting words digging deeper than he had originally meant for them to, but he was working on getting better at expressing himself. 

He was working on it. Slowly.

“I’m gonna blow this shit up, I swear.” 

“Katsuki,” You groaned, grin toying at your lips as you watched your boyfriend’s frustration bubble up over something that was supposed to be fun. “It doesn’t have to be perfect.”

Not sparing you a glance, he let out a huff you knew meant he disagreed. 

If you had known he would have gotten so stressed over simply building a gingerbread house with you, you wouldn’t have suggested it. 

“You wanna do this? I’m gonna do it right, for you.” He grumbled, hands practically twitching as he struggled not to demolish the delicate gingerbread that seemed to be the source of all his frustration. 

“That’s actually romantic, Kats.” You teased, propping your chin on your hand to watch him work. The rest of the common area was surprisingly empty, everyone either lounging in their rooms or escaping Katsuki’s anger by running last minute errands. 

You couldn’t blame them. 

“Tch,” He kissed his teeth in annoyance, but you knew him well enough to realize he wasn’t annoyed with you. Now, the gingerbread house that kept falling apart each time he tried to get it to stick together wasn’t quite so lucky. “I’m always romantic.” 

And he was, in his own gruff way you adored, but the comment was downright laughable to an outside perspective—especially as he glared at the mess of a gingerbread house he couldn’t get to stand up on the table between the two of you. 

“It’d be so romantic of you to let me help you,” You flashed him a grin, trying to convince him to do something you knew he was too stubborn to do. And as expected, he let out a grunt of annoyance before pinning you with a glare.

“You saying I can’t do it?” His rough voice accused you of what was considered a deadly sin in your relationship—telling Katsuki he wasn’t able to do something. His hands left the three gingerbread walls he managed to prop up together to pin you with a glare, red eyes narrowed in your direction as if he was just waiting for you to doubt his ability. 

Slowly, the gingerbread house slid apart, dropping onto the plate with a thud that seemed so much louder than it really was. 

Slapping your hand over your mouth to keep from laughing, but the damage was already done. Katsuki’s jaw clenched so hard you could have sworn you heard his teeth crack, face turning red with anger. He always made a conscious effort not to yell at you, but you could see just how thin the control on his temper was getting. 

“Don’t say a word.” He grit out through his teeth, and though your hand was still clamped over your mouth to keep from laughing at the horrible timing of the gingerbread house collapsing, you nodded your head. 

His hands were gripping the edges of the table as he alternated his glare between the uncooperative gingerbread house and where you sat beside him. Deciding the biggest risk of you laughing had passed, you moved the hand from over your mouth to grab Katuski’s wrist. You felt how tense he was, and part of you distantly worried about the possibility of him setting off his quirk and damaging the table. 

Mr. Aizawa would kill you. 

“I’m not going to say anything,” You started, still unable to smooth your lips into a flat line and erase your amused smile. Katsuki was frustrated, and you laughing about his struggle—with a gingerbread house—wasn’t going to make things better. “But please let me help? They’re a pain, and this frosting is a little too runny. It makes it hard to stick.”

He was silent, at first. Blowing out a puff of air and turning his head to the side so that you couldn’t see his face. Under your touch, you felt the tension in his wrist increase slightly. 

“Wanted to make it for you,” He grumbled out, voice low. If you hadn’t been waiting for him to say anything, you would have missed it. “You know, impress you, and shit.” 

You couldn’t help it anymore. You let out a quiet laugh. 

Katsuki snapped his head in your direction so fast you laughed again, and suddenly the gingerbread house was forgotten and you were the source of all his ire. And though you knew exactly what he was capable of, you met his glare with a bright smile. 

“What’s so funny?” He demanded, clearly grump, and you leaned closer in an attempt to get in his space and try to improve his mood. And maybe tease him a little bit, if you were being honest. 

“You’re trying to impress me?” You asked, smirking. He rolled his eyes, turning away from you again. Laughing softly, you sat up a bit straighter so you could reach his face and turn him by the jaw back to you. “First off, we’ve been dating long enough that you don’t need to do that.”

He scoffed, clearly in disagreement. He really was a romantic. 

“Secondly, you think a gingerbread house is the way to go about impressing me?” You were teasing, but Katsuki’s face tinged the slightest shade of red as he refused to meet your eye. Pushing yourself forward, you kissed him sweetly in an apology for your words. Grinning, you watched as his blush only darkened with your show of affection. 

“Hold the sides,” He ordered and you knew what he meant. Never one to waste time on too many words, Katsuki had a habit of giving the bare minimum of information before launching into a task. 

Following his directions, you held two sides of the gingerbread house upright while Katsuki used the frosting to stick it together. It took a while, but eventually you got all four sides and the roof in place. Sitting back to let the frosting harden, you grinned at the masterpiece you had briefly thought would never have been finished. 

“I’m impressed,” You admitted, snorting a laugh when Katsuki rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “I didn’t think it would make it through your anger.” 

“Brat,” He fired back, though you could see the trace of a smile on the corner of his lips. Grinning, you set your hand over his arm and squeezed it once to placate him. “Said I would build it for you, didn’t I?” 

You hummed, acknowledging that he had kept his word and built the gingerbread house for you. Eyeing the bare cookie walls, you knew what the next step was. And you also knew the gingerbread was far from safe.

“Ready to decorate now?”

For a moment, you thought he wouldn’t answer.

“Give me the damn candy.” 

Remember kids! NEVER save left-over antibiotics! You should never have leftover antibiotics, because you have to finish the whole course! Not doing so, or giving your antibiotics to someone else who hasn’t been prescribed them is how we got superbugs, that are resistant to antibiotics! 

ALWAYS finish your antibiotics, even if you don’t think you’re sick anymore! NEVER give your antibiotics to other people, there is no guaruntee they will have any effect, or the same effect, and without a full course, will not help them even if it is the right medicine for the job. 

BOTH cases result in resistant superbugs, which are dangerous to everyone, and hurt everyone. You might think you’re helping your poorer friends who cannot afford an antibiotic/to be seen by a doctor, but you’re not. You’re just hurting everyone. 

i love my husband

This had to have been the cutest thing I’ve ever read

happiness flipped on its head

synopsis: a glimpse into a lighthearted evening with katsuki and your son.

pairing: timeskip!bakugou katsuki x f!reader

you walk through the door after a long day, the sound of your son’s high-pitched laughter and your husband’s grumbling filling the house.

it’s a sound you’ve grown used to, but every time you hear it, your heart still does a little flip. you know what you're walking into, but it never gets old.

as you step into the living room, the scene before you is exactly what you expected—and yet, it still makes your heart swell.

katsuki, still in his hero suit—his jacket unzipped, the fabric slightly crumpled, and his messy blond hair falling over his forehead—is holding your son upside down by his ankle.

your son is kicking his legs wildly in the air, his small face lit up with pure joy, as if he’s having the time of his life.

"oi, stop moving around so much!" katsuki warns, his voice rough, yet there's a protective edge to it as he tries to steady s/n.

your son squirms, clearly enjoying every second of his father’s “toughening up” session.

you can't help but smile, leaning against the doorframe with a raised eyebrow, your voice teasing as you watch the scene unfold.

“katsuki,” you say, a playful lilt in your tone, “are you sure that’s safe?”

he shoots you a side glance, but his lips twitch up despite himself. “he’s fine,” he mutters, looking back down at s/n. “I’m makin’ him tough.”

your son giggles loudly, completely ignoring the position he is. he’s in his element, having the time of his life.

“more, dad!” s/n calls out, his little face flushed with excitement, his hands waving in the air like he could take flight.

katsuki raises an eyebrow.

“you’re a little monster, aren’t you?” he asks, but there’s a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. he lets your s/n squirm for a moment before lifting him even higher into the air.

s/n lets out a delighted shriek, his tiny hands stretching out, as if he’s about to grab the clouds. his little voice fills the room with energy, and you can’t help but laugh.

“that enough?” katsuki groans as if exasperated, but the pride in his voice is undeniable. he lifts s/n even higher, causing him to laugh even harder.

the room is filled with the sound of your son's giddy shrieks and katsuki’s grumbling, but it’s clear your son wouldn’t have it any other way.

then, without missing a beat, your s/n’s small hand reaches out toward you. “mama!” he calls out, his voice tinged with desperation, though it’s clear he still wants to play.

you smile warmly, walking over and holding your arms out. katsuki looks at you, an eyebrow raised as he steps back, but there’s a soft smile hidden beneath his usual scowl.

s/n melts into your arms as soon as you scoop him up, his small head resting comfortably against your shoulder. “missed you!” he grins, finally finding his comfort zone.

you kiss the top of his head gently, enjoying the warmth of his tiny form pressed against you.

"now, now, kid," katsuki mutters as he steps closer, crossing his arms.

his usual scowl is still there, but his eyes are soft as he looks at you and your son. “that’s my wife, not yours.”

you smile up at him.

"well, husband, I think you’ve done enough training for today,” you reply softly, holding s/n son with one arm while reaching out to touch his hand with the other. “let’s give him a break, yeah?”

katsuki looks down at you for a moment, his expression unreadable, but his eyes soften ever so slightly.

without saying a word, he steps closer, his fingers brushing against yours before he pulls you into a quick, tender kiss on the forehead.

“fine, you win,” he mutters, but his voice is laced with warmth. you can feel it in the way his hand lingers on your arm, like he’s not quite ready to let go.

but just as you start to relax, you feel a sudden surge of movement. before you can react, katsuki sweeps you up, pulling you off the couch in one smooth motion.

“katsuki!” you laugh, startled, but it’s no use. he’s already got both you and your son in his arms. “what are you—?” you start to say, but katsuki is grinning like a man on a mission.

“time for some fun,” he grins, effortlessly tossing both you and your son onto the bed with a playful, mischievous glint in his eyes.

you squeal as you bounce on the soft mattress, s/n giggling uncontrollably as he lands beside you, his little arms flailing as he falls.

“katsuki!” you protest, but you can’t keep the smile off your face as s/n’s laughter fills the room. you know you’ve lost this battle.

he stands at the edge of the bed, arms crossed, watching the two of you with an amused smirk. “told you I’m the one in charge around here,” he says, his voice light as he watches his family.

you laugh, shaking your head, even though you're still trying to catch your breath from the surprise.

your son, ever the protector, crawls over to you with determination, his tiny hands pushing against the mattress as he tries to get between you and katsuki, his little face furrowed in concentration.

“stop!” he cries, as if his small body can somehow shield you from your husband’s playful advances.

katsuki, however, isn’t phased in the slightest. he watches his son with a chuckle, leaning down just enough to tickle his sides.

s/n bursts into peals of laughter, his chubby legs kicking in the air, clearly unable to escape his father’s grip. “ahh! no!” your son giggles, trying to squirm away, but the tickling continues relentlessly.

you can’t help but laugh too, your heart swelling with affection for both of them as you watch the playful scene unfold.

but before you can fully enjoy the moment, katsuki suddenly stops, his smirk widening. “you think you can protect her?” he taunts, his tone teasing.

he continues to tickle your son with a bit more vigor, making him roll off the bed in a heap of giggles.

your son’s laughter continues to echo through the room as he tumbles off the side, landing with a soft thud on the floor, still giggling like nothing happened.

“katsuki!” you exclaim, half-exasperated and half-amused, but there’s no real anger in your voice.

katsuki, meanwhile, doesn’t miss a beat. with one swift motion, he crawls onto the bed, his body hovering over yours.

“now you’re mine,” your husband says, but s/n doesn’t let him revel in the victory for long, as he hangs onto katsuki for dear life, letting out his own series of war cries.

kofi — navigation — masterlist

do not copy, translate, or plagarize

there is a huge difference between criticizing an institution and criticizing individual behavior. i can criticize the makeup industry without criticizing the 14 year old girl who uses concealer because she’s self-conscious about her acne; i can criticize the plastic surgery industry without vilifying the woman who decided to get a nose job after two decades of pointed comments and bullying. it is intellectually dishonest to respond to an institutional criticism as if it were a personal attack; on the flip side, it is cruel and unnecessary to leverage personal attacks in the name of institutional criticism

if i see one (1) more person respond to a perfectly reasonable beauty-industry-critical sentiment with “but i personally enjoy eyeshadow. why are you attacking people who like eyeshadow :(” or “exactly, all women who wear makeup are miserable and brainwashed” i am going to climb a tree and bite the top of it

😍😍

Austin Butler as Benny in THE BIKERIDERS (2024) dir. Jeff Nichols

I don’t write I just fantasize about it and then read fics

:)

Asking for permission

"Can I hold your hand?"

"Is it okay to kiss you?"

"Can I hug you?"

"Can I call you later?"

"Is it okay if I sleep here tonight?"

"Can I touch your hair?"

"I would love to spoil you, can I do this for you?"

"Can I tell people about us?"

"Would you allow me to walk you home?"

"Is it okay to randomly text you?"

"Can I take a picture of you?"

"Can I use a picture of you as my background?"

"Is it okay if we cuddled while watching the movie?"

"Would you let me take care of this for you?"

"Are you okay with me calling you my girl/boyfriend?"

once again why did we let masquerade balls and handwritten letters and heart lockets and daggers strapped to thighs go out of fashion

Me in my notes app