To Stand by Your Side (DekuBaku)

Chapter 17: A Shakey Start

"And then, he asked if you wanted to come over so he could make you dinner?"

"Didn't you hear me the first time?"

"Ugh, just cooperate, 'kay?"

Camie rolled her eyes and leaned in close as Todoroki and Yaoyorozu sighed. Yeah, so maybe Katsuki wasn't the only one that'd been dragged into this whole thing.

"What'd he make for dinner?"

How much detail do you want? "...curry. Beef curry." He paused, swallowing. "I, uh. Helped out a bit. Deku doesn't know how to use a goddamn knife."

"Mm, that so, huh?" Camie noted. "Domestic. Curry takes a while, right? How'd you pass the time while it cooked?"

"How much more information do you need?" Katsuki groaned, and buried his head in his hands. "Just- what are you trying to get at? What do you want from me?"

"Wasn't that obvious?" She started. "Baku, you haven't looked this happy, like, ever. You should look in a mirror, babe. Everything about your face, your words... you're glowing. You two did something."

Oh, fuck you.

Katsuki's nails dug into his sweatpants, loose fabric bunched up between his fingers. "And if we did?"

"Then babe, I'd- I'd be so proud of you!" Her smile wobbled, and Katsuki could've sworn there was mist in her eyes. "I know we've got a lot of tactics to work on cause you still need a lot of practice, but if- if you did do something with him, then maybe you're better off than I thought."

"Better than you thought!?" Katsuki's mouth fell open, absolutely aghast. "Well, if making out counts as better than you thought, then yeah, maybe I am doing okay!"

The room fell silent, and it was only moments later that Katsuki realized what he'd blurted out. Hell, he'd hardly told Camie many details of what happened at their training sessions, much less about his forward action on Christmas. But this- shit, this-

"You kissed him!?"

For whatever reason, hearing someone else say it was more grounding than just thinking about it himself.

"I- I mean, yeah?!" Katsuki swallowed, but there was no prying the embarrassed smile from his face now. "Well, he kissed me first, but-"

He kissed me.

Every eye in the room was on him- shocked, amazed, astounded.

"You're- you're telling me that Pro Hero Valiant- that he kissed you?" Yaoyorozu started, floored. "Bakugou, oh... oh my god. You're serious, aren't you?"

"He's not a liar." Todoroki shrugged. "Congrats. That's what you've been wanting, right?"

Katsuki could only nod, fumbling with his fingers in his lap. "Yeah, it was... it was really nice."

He felt so good, so damn good, and I just... he just...

He made me feel so good, too.

And here he was, trying not to cry again at the thought that it had happened, that his feelings weren't so unrequited, that Deku felt the same way and wanted him just as bad. What he didn't notice, though, was that Camie had been frozen in place since her initial outburst.

Yaoyorozu seemed to be holding back tears too if the look on her face said anything. "He'll be good to you. I'm- that's really amazing, Bakugou."

"I mean, it's not like we've said we're dating or anything, but he did-"