Silhouette ? (???)

For the first few minutes, Katsuki hung back, letting the sights and sounds of the gathering wash over him. Everyone seemed so... comfortable. It was strange, seeing people gathered not for someone else, but for him; especially with everything that had been going on in his life. He kept scanning the crowd, half-expecting his mother to show up, to ruin everything. But she wouldn’t. She couldn’t.

His boyfriend must’ve sensed the tension still coiled in him. With a gentle nudge, he broke Katsuki’s thoughts. “You good?” He asked, his voice quiet, soft enough for only Katsuki to hear.

Katsuki nodded. “Yeah, just...”

His boyfriend smiled, the kind of smile that made Katsuki feel a little more grounded. “Can you guess what I got you?"

It was a question that allowed him to draw focus away from the feels that were overwhelming him. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd be holding.

"Probably something stupid"

"Come on" His boyfriend said, grinning. "That's setting way too low of a bar"

Katsuki huffed a laugh and let himself be pulled toward the tables where a few of his friends were gathered. The conversations swirled around him, snippets of inside jokes and familiar voices. Everything felt... okay. It felt like things were falling into place, even if he didn’t quite know how to handle it.

The group laughed when they spotted him, offering a few playful teases. “Didn’t think you’d show, Purote” One of them joked.

"You'd be late to your own funeral" Another said with a grin.

“Yeah, yeah” Katsuki grumbled, but there was no bite to his words. He was far too used to their teasing.

As they reached the table, his boyfriend handed him a small plate with a box, the wrapping perfectly done. “You have no idea how much effort it took to wrap this” He whispered with a grin.

Katsuki stared at the box for a second. "You wrapped it? That too good for you"

"Have some faith! Just open it, I want my gift to be first"

Katsuki eyed the box with suspicion, his fingers lingering on the neat edges of the wrapping. "Fine, but if it’s something stupid, I’m kicking your ass later" The smirk on his face betrayed any real threat.

His boyfriend leaned in closer, excitement practically buzzing off him. "Trust me, you’re gonna love it"

Katsuki’s hands moved to tear away the wrapping, revealing a simple black box underneath. He lifted the lid carefully, his eyes narrowing slightly as he pulled out the gift. At first glance, it seemed like just a regular black sweatshirt, but when he unfolded it, his eyes caught the small details that made it so much more than that.

Printed down the sleeves in bold, white letters was the name Purote, his name, his real name. Katsuki’s chest tightened for a moment. He hadn’t expected that. And then, as he continued to examine it, he spotted a small symbol stitched at the bottom.

The Bats’ emblem, subtle but unmistakable.

Katsuki ran his thumb over the stitching, feeling the texture beneath his skin. His breath hitched for just a second. "You actually did something cool for once"

His boyfriend’s grin widened. "Told you! I knew you’d like it. Boss gave me permission to make it"

Katsuki’s eyes flickered between the sweatshirt and his boyfriend, trying to mask the deeper emotions stirring in his chest. It wasn’t just the gift itself; it was what it represented. It was something meaningful for him, something that connected him to both his identity and his place with the people who cared about him.

He was forever Purote, but... He was always a member of the Jade Bats. Regardless of what he'd done and gone through, he'd always be their phantom member.

He swallowed hard and, in his usual way of avoiding emotional overload, grumbled a quiet response. "It’s alright, I guess"

But his boyfriend knew what he meant. "I know, it’s perfect. I'm. A genius"

Katsuki looked up, a small, genuine smile playing on his lips. "Yeah... it’s perfect." He tugged the sweatshirt over his head, feeling the soft fabric settle against his skin. The sleeves fit just right, and the weight of the material felt like a protective layer, warm and reassuring.

A few of the neighborhood kids who had been watching the exchange cheered. "Lookin' good, Purote!" One of them called out.

Katsuki rolled his eyes at the attention but couldn’t stop the smile from creeping back onto his face. He had never thought a birthday gift could mean something like this.

But here he was.

Kaminari nudged him playfully. "See? I told you I know you better than you think"

Katsuki smirked, lightly shoving him back. "You got lucky"

They both knew it was more than that, but for now, Katsuki was content with the simple back-and-forth. The gift was perfect, and for the first time in years, so was the moment.

Boss dropped by long enough to give him a gift too. Blue was there with him, sporting a cheerful smile.

"Happy birthday kiddo!" His hair was ruffled by the doorman. "Soon you're gonna be an old man"

His glare was half-hearted and only served to make the man's grin widen. Boss swatted the man out of the way, who gracefully dodged, dashing towards one of the many tables of food. Laughs rang out from those who watched the exchange. He liked Blue.

"Not bad for a first birthday party, huh?"

Boss had his hands in his pockets, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips.

Katsuki huffed a small laugh, shaking his head. "Yeah, I guess it's alright"

Boss took the cigarette from his lips and twirled it between his fingers, his gaze fixed on the people still gathered around the tables. "Looks like your friends did good this time. You've got people around you now"

Katsuki glanced toward his friends, who were talking amongst the crowd. Ashido in particular was doing gymnastics with a girl he remembered had a elastic-type quirk. "Yeah... It's nice"

Boss nodded, his usual relaxed demeanor giving way to something more thoughtful. "You're doin' good kid"

Katsuki gave a small smile, tilting his head back to observe the man.

"Anyway, I just stopped by to give you a little something. Jesse wanted me to handle some newbie"

Boss then pulled something from deep in his jacket pocket, a small, metal key on a simple chain.

"Here" The man said, handing the key over. Katsuki blinked, staring at the key in his palm.

"What’s this for?" Katsuki asked, eyebrows raised.

Boss smirked, the corner of his mouth twitching up. "You’ll know what to do with it"

Katsuki glanced at the key again, running his thumb over the worn surface. A faint memory was brought to the front of his mind.

"Yeah" Katsuki then said, his voice steady and sure.

Boss gave a small nod, his eyes flickering with something that might have been a deep fondness. "You need it, you use it"

There was no further explanation and none was needed. The weight of the key in his hand felt heavy with meaning, but Katsuki could cherish it. He understood the gesture. It wasn’t just about what the key opened, it was about the freedom, the responsibility, the trust.

Katsuki pocketed the key, feeling its existence settle like it was always meant to be his. "Thanks"

Boss pulled him close, feeling as warm as always. "Happy birthday, kid"

As Boss walked away, Katsuki’s hand stayed in his pocket, fingers curled around the key. He doubted that he'd ever need to use it, but for now, just knowing it was his was enough.

Word Count: 1296

Dunno who remembers Blue, I mentioned him by name once.