Chapter Text
The steam curled upward in a gentle dance as the kettle whistled sharply across the silent kitchen. Katsuki turned it off and poured the hot water over the chamomile tea leaves while looking back at the couch in the living room, where Shouto was sitting with one pale hand resting lightly on his stomach and a blanket bunched over his lap.
Four months.
It's been four months since the doctor confirmed it. Everything changed four months ago when Katsuki looked in shock at a thin piece of white paper. And it still didn't feel real in some way.
Katsuki grunted as he walked over and set the mug on the coffee table, saying, "You better drink this before it gets cold." He initially sat next to Shouto, letting their knees brush but not touching.
Katsuki's heart ached as Shouto looked up, exhausted but radiant. His voice was hoarse from sleep as he said, "Thanks."
“I added honey. Said it helps with the nausea, right?”
“It does,” Shouto smiled faintly. “You remembered.”
“Tch. Course I did. You think I’m not paying attention?” Katsuki ran a hand through his hair, still messy from the morning patrol.
There was a pause. The quiet they had both come to accept.
Then, “Did you mean it?”
Katsuki looked at him. “Mean what?”
“That you’re… happy. About all of this.”
The question was loaded. Particularly at this moment, Shouto didn't ask questions lightly. Instead of yelling something defensive, Bakugou simply sighed and leaned over, placing his hand on Shouto's—the one that was resting over the barely noticeable swelling of his stomach.
“I’m scared shitless, I won’t lie,” he muttered. “But yeah. I’m happy. With you. With… him. Or her. Hell, I’ll be happy even if it comes out with icy hair and explosions.”
With a quiet puff of breath, Shouto laughed. He then put his head on Bakugou's shoulder and leaned in.
“I’m scared too,” he whispered.
Katsuki squeezed his hand. “Good. Means we give a damn.”
And in their tiny apartment's dim firelight, it seemed as though the world might be willing to give them this, if only briefly.
The darkness enveloped them like a heavy, shielding blanket. Through their high-rise windows, they could see the faint buzz of the city outside, with lights glittering and sirens far away. With his head resting on Katsuki’s shoulder and his breath even and warm against Katsuki's neck, Shouto had fallen asleep once again.
Katsuki remained motionless. Not just yet.
Rather, he observed Shouto's chest slowly rising and falling. He was still unable to fully understand it. How he was here now, holding peace in his arms, despite having been born into chaos and destruction.
Gently, he ran a hand over Shouto's stomach, where the swelling was just beginning to show through the soft cotton of his sleep shirt. It was real. It was happening. This was what they were doing.
But the more dreadful ideas followed that reality. the ones he hadn't spoken out loud.
What happens if I make a mistake?
What happens if I am unable to keep them safe?
Shouto whispered, barely conscious, "Stop thinking so loudly."
Katsuki gave a small start. "How the hell did you know?"
"I could sense it." When you spiral, your jaw clenches.”
"Tch." He muttered, "I'm not spiraling," but his body betrayed him by gripping the edge of the couch cushion so tightly.
Shouto winced and shifted, pushing himself up a bit. "I am aware of your fear. I agree. But Katsuki, you won't make a mess of this.”
Katsuki looked at him, taken aback—not by what he had said, but by the fact that Shouto had taken them seriously, had faith in him.
"You say that like it’s that simple."
His fingers met Shouto's. "It's not. However, we are not our parents.”
Katsuki casted a downward glance. "No. We're not. Shouto's eyes narrowed slightly after a beat of silence. "Also, did you make the promised call to the maternity specialist?"
Katsuki became rigid. "I was going to,"
"Katsuki."
"I was! But then that villain gang tried to bomb the Iida Tech Expo and, I had to—“
Shouto's eyebrow went up. "You can't keep avoiding this."
Katsuki let out a sigh. "All right. Tomorrow, I'll give her a call. Promise.”
"You'd better. She makes reservations weeks in advance.”
That spark of domestic absurdity that would have made Bakugou snort in shock in high school was back. Somehow, arguing with his pregnant boyfriend about prenatal appointments felt scarier than fighting a Nomu.
However, the weight in his chest slightly decreased when Shouto leaned in, kissed his cheek, and muttered a gentle "Thank you."
Later that night. As usual, the nightmares showed up in the silence.
Before his brain even caught up, Katsuki woke up at around three in the morning, his hands clenched into fists and his breath ragged. Fire. Screams. Blood. The same old picture of everything going wrong, of returning home to discover everything he has ever loved gone.
However, he sensed arms surrounding him this time. Be calm. steady. At first, Shouto remained silent. simply held him, placing a hand over Katsuki's pounding heart.
Eventually, he said in that sluggish, low voice, "You're not alone." "You will never be again."
Katsuki believed it this time.