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The two red lines glared back at her. She didn’t expect it to work, buying the test was just on a whim.
She actually felt different the past couple of weeks: Less snippy, more hungry. Her body felt heavier and rustier and even sleeping became a daunting task because of her achy joints. But she didn't expect it to be true.
She couldn't even bring herself to be mad. She did it with her own hands. She kept chasing a pipe dream and here she is paying the price of her delusions.
She blinked once. Twice. Then she took out her phone and dialed her mother's number.
It rang twice before a growl sounded from the opposite line: “ Brat. What got your sorry ass to call after weeks? Or are you TOO fucking busy for your parents? Have all the fame and nosy paparazzi gotten to...”
-“ I am pregnant.” She cut her off sharply.
The line went silent.
Then she heard shuffling and clinging.
Her parents made it to her apartment almost 15 minutes later. They found her still staring at the offensive stick.
Mitsuki took the stick out of her hand and silently guided her to sit on the couch.
-“ Who?” Masaru gritted out. His usually soft and kind exterior cracked through his gritted teeth and clenched fists.
Really, nothing is scarier than a father whose daughter had been scorned.
But Katsuki didn't respond. She kept looking down at her feet, completely passive to the discovery.
-“ You're not going to say who it is, are you?” Katsuki nodded and they didn't take it any further.
Her father was clearly unhappy about the whole deal. All he wanted right now is to sock the fucker in the face.
-“ You are still young and your career is still in full bloom so if you want I could find you...”
-“ No, I am keeping it.” She snapped at the suggestion right away. “This is my mistake and my responsibility. Like hell I am going to kill an innocent unborn life because I fucked up.” She didn't look up, but she knew her parents weren't pleased by her decision. “ I am keeping him.”
Mitsuki says: “ At least you are behaving like an adult. Keep it and we will help you do it.” Katsuki jolted.
She finally looked up to face her mother's sympathetic eyes: “ We won't leave you alone in this. We are a family after all.”
And like the shattering of a dam, Katsuki finally broke.
She cried in her mother's arms. All she wanted was to curl up into a ball and just sleep.
The first few weeks after the discovery was weird. Her entire diet and regime got flipped on its head. The morning nausea was horrible and the insomnia was annoying.
Her perfect lifelong schedule changed drastically in a matter of days to accommodate the small being growing inside her.
Her mother told her to cut short on the extra spicy food, which proved to be easy since all she craved were sweets and tooth-rotting hard candy; it wasn't weird to see her unwrapping a giant chocolate tablet or sucking on a candy cane nowadays. She was hungry all the time and weirdly calmer than the usual Bakugou Katsuki.
Kirishima was the first one to notice her change. They were patrolling together in the Kyoto Shopping District when Katsuki asked for them to take a detour to... A bakery?
The redhead gaped watching her buy the fruit cake on the display, and gobble the whole thing up in large bites.
-“ Bakugou, are you okay?”
-“ Mmh?” She looked at him with her cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk with cream and venoise.
-“ You are eating a cake. A really sweet one at that.” He stared at the glossy strawberries and the buttery frosting. The Bakugou he knew would've scowled at such cavity-inducing food. “ like are you...?”
-“ I am fine. I just want to indulge a little. Don't put much thought into it.” she cut him off immediately.
He didn't push it any further. After all, she would tell him and the squad if something was happening, won't she?
The next ones to notice were Yaoyorozu and Todoroki. They were fighting a villain following a building collapse. Creati was working on supporting the wreckage long enough for the others to evacuate the premise while Shoto and DynaMight neutralized the villain. He had a tentacle quirk that annoyed the hell out of Katsuki. Shoto tried to imprison him with his ice but he always managed to escape. At that point, Katsuki just wanted to asshole to fuck off.
-“ Halfie,...” She called out for the other hero. “ On my mark, aim your flames his way.”
Shoto nodded and Katsuki lounged at the villain. Masterfully dodging the tentacles and attacks he ailed her way, she got to the proximity she planned.
As she was about to advance her plan however, the dirty little asshole managed one last act to drive her away. With a tentacle firmly set in the floor, he threw a piece of concrete her way, hitting her straight to the lower abdomen.
Katsuki gasped at the shock but she didn’t waver. Bring the inside of her cheeks, she set her feet firm and with a right swing, threw one of her gauntlets his way.
-“ NOW HALFIE.” Shoto unleashed his flames at the gauntlet, the nitroglycerin stored in the gauntlet imploding at a great force and to the villain’s face.
The villain fell down, singed and unconscious.
-“ Shoto, DynaMight.” Creati called out for her friends, seeing as the villain was stopped. She walked up to them: “ Deku and the rescue team are currently evacuating the civilians. Good job on keeping the villain in check.”
-“ Yeah, but I wouldn't have made it without Baku...” the man choked on his words, seeing as his partner wasn't moving from her position on the floor. She was curled up on the floor, whimpering in pain and clutching her abdomen for dear life.
-“ Bakugou-san.” Momo rushed up to her, Todoroki following too. He saw her get hit by the piece of debris but she still continued with her plan. Could it have been that she got critically injured and just pushed on to stop the villain?
But... It didn't sit with him. This was... Bakugou. Fucking Queen Explodokills, he wouldn't 've given a weak villain injury the light of day, and show her weakness in front of others, much less him.
So it must be bad. So bad.
Momo crouched by the blond and looked over her body. They were no superficial injury or gashes.
However, she still saw... Blood. Pooling around the blond, the girl kept inspecting looking for the source of the bleeding.
-“ OMG, Bakugou-san you are bleeding from between your legs.” The everything hero cried in shock, staring at the angry patch on the front of Bakugou's trousers. “ Why is that? Did the villain punch you or cause ligament tear or...” she stopped when a hand came to clutch desperately at her shirt.
-“ Please, it hurts so much... Make it stop... It hurts so much... Help me. Please.” She pathetically whimpered clearly in horrible pain.
In a rush, Shoto carried her in his hands and they both rushed her to the closest ambulance.
Katsuki woke up on the hospital bed with no recollection of what happened after she exploded that villain with halfn'half. She was in too much pain she couldn't focus.
For I shit you not, that pain was even worst than having broken all her arm bones once. The feeling of having your insides pulled out of you slowly and inside out.
Staring at her IV and the devices around her, she wonders if she had already lost him.
As if to respond to her inquiry, the door opened for the doctor to enter: “ Miss Bakugou, I see you have woken up.” He smiles at her and takes his seat by her side flipping through his clipboard.
She was about to ask him if she had had a miscarriage but he beat her to it: “ Fortunately, it seems even after the severe internal injury you sustained around the Hypogastric-Pelvic region, the fetus didn't get affected.” He informed her. She let out a sigh of relief. “ I assume you already know of it then.” The doctor looked at her in the eyes.
She nodded.
-“ In that case, I am acquired to suggest a few precautions you have to take. I suggest that you try to avoid as many unneeded ligament tears, brushing, and wounds for the time being. You are about 6 weeks in, which means you are still in the critical stage. There is no knowing when a miscarriage might occur especially with the nature of your job.”
-“ What are you telling me to do then? Quit my work as a hero?” she growled at him. Like hell she was.
-“ I didn't say that. You could just lay low for a while until you are at least 13-14 weeks in. Be more careful with your training and diet. And stay away from the battlefield as much as possible. I know it sounds unreasonable but if you are planning on keeping the baby alive and yourself healthy, you need to follow my words” he told her.
Fuck, she couldn't find a sliver of bullshit in his words. She clicked her tongue and agreed to follow his chart of dos and don'ts for the time being.
-“ For now, and for precautions, we will need to have an ultrasound of the baby to follow his progress.” He said as a nurse drove a trolley inside the room and beside him. “ Would you please lay down?” she did as she was told.
Riding up her hospital gown, the cold gel being applied to her still defined, plat abs, she felt the need to ask.
-“ Did anyone ask for what happened to me? I mean the people that brought me here? Did you tell them about my condition”
Pressing the probe over her belly and massaging it, he kept his eyes on the screen as he said: “ The heroes were the ones to bring you here in a state of spasms. We had taken you immediately to the ER to see what happened. Hero Deku was particularly assertive in demanding answers but since none of them identified as family, we kept our discretion.” He informed her.
She felt strangely relieved that her little secret wasn't revealed.
-“ There it is.” The doctor cried. Katsuki strained to look at the screen.
In the sea of darkness, a small white palping spot showed to Katsuki.
She was mesmerized. So it was real. Inside her, there was a life, a beating heart growing in her. It was so small and fragile.
Like a dot but it was alive. It wouldn't be beating if it wasn't. Katsuki almost teared up.
-“ Looks like a healthy fetus developing at a steady rate too. If you want, I can print you the echography and we could plan further check-ups to follow the progress of the baby.” She mindlessly nodded, watching the little thing fidget in her.
When her parents came to visit, she showed them the echo. They both teared up in joy.
Katsuki then became more careful about her body and her missions. Bluntly lounging at villains was a big no-no and neither was going mad at stuff. There was a thousand and one way of her losing the child, and she carefully tiptoed around all of them.
She avoided Deku of course, the last thing she needed right now was a mental breakdown.
8 weeks in, it got even harder to hide the bump in her stomach. The defined abs and hard lines were gone, to leave place for a small protrusion on her torso.
From afar, you could say that she was simply bloated but her friends would find her right away with that lie.
She stared at her reflection on the body-length mirror, it was slight but visible, as much as her thick thighs and swollen feet. God, she looked like a plain housewife.
She sighed. Thank God for the adjustments she made to accommodate the new changes in her body. Baggier clothes that hid her body changes. She can at least keep going before it became unbearable to move with a pregnancy belly.
She still did her hero duties and kicked ass. However, she knew that she will have to retreat from the public eye very soon.
She will need to go into a hiatus. Far away from Japan. Far away from Deku.
She is 12 weeks pregnant when the number 9 Hero DynaMight took an indefinite leave and announced her temporary move to South Korea.
The media went wild with rumors and speculations of why the brazen female hero was suddenly leaving the field. Analysts; who followed her progress and fights for a previous couple of months have started to point out how slow and careful the hero had been.
Talk of the possibility of an illness or some crippling injury beginning to go around.
Kirishima and the rest of the idiot squad barge into her office just as she starts to pack her things.
She is thankful for the cold weather, for she has an excuse to wear an oversized sweater.
-“ Bro, Katsuki. What was that all of a sudden? You are just going to drop your career just like that? How did you come with that statement? Since did you have this planned?” Kirishima was the one to speak to her, worry etched on every inch of his face.
She wishes she could tell them, but she knows she really can’t possibly do something that selfish right now.
She steels her face and looks up at her friends, one brow cocked upwards: “ I was planning for this for a while now. It isn’t something that I didn’t prepare for. It’s just... I need some space. From everything.” She lies through her teeth, keeping a firm stare on her friends.
Mina pushes past Kirishima, walking up to her best friend and holding her hands in a firm hold: “ Katsuki, baby. You haven’t been yourself these past few weeks. We didn’t want to interfere, but... If you need any kind of support, please...” She squeezes tighter. “ Trust us, okay?”
She knew this. She knew; even though, they were a group of dimwits, her group of friends were reliable, she trusted them with her back before. More time than she could count.
But this... this was her heart. And she could only trust her feelings with one person. And she couldn’t count on that now.
She put her hand on her friends in an assuring gesture: “ Don’t worry. I am okay for now. I am at a good place.” She whispers into the space between them, her friend’s eyes still looking unconvinced.
She gives them a soft smile: “ Take care, you idiots. Don’t slack off while I am not around. I will return and when that time comes,..” She looks over her shoulder at them, her heart beating in tandem with the little vibrations in her belly: “ Better see y’all have made it big.” She smiles before walking out.
She was having a warm cup of camomile on her love seat when her balcony door flew off its hinges.
Her body was too heavy and her feet hurt like a bitch, so she just sighed and set her mug to the side, already aware of the identity of the intruder.
Sitting back on the headrest, she felt two strong arms snake around her shoulders from behind.
-“ Shitty Deku, there is the door you know.” She says as she feels the hold of those arms tighten around her.
-“ I couldn’t care less about courtesy.” He fists at the collar of her dress. “ The public announcement... is it true?”
-“ Yes. I have decided to take a break from the hero world. I will be taking a short leave until I can...”
-“ NO.” He growls into her ear, bringing her chin up to look at him.
His scarred face looked grim. Eyes rimmed red and remnant of OFA still crackling around him, she could even feel the pressure of Fa jin, like a halo of power radiating off his body.
Ah, he is frustrated.
-“ Why would you do that, Kacchan? Why now of all times? Now that you are already top 10, a great Hero. A pioneer. The Kacchan I know would never give up her dream for just a break.” He grits his teeth, but his touch on her face was ever so gentle, caressing her jaw and down her neck.
He was always gentle to her, even when she was the biggest bitch in the entire world.
Even when she screamed her fears at him.
Even when their bond was at an odd standstill due to her figuring out herself.
Even when they were at the bottom of despair, and she finally returned the favor of reaching out to him.
He was so kind, so accepting, so loving. That is why she can’t afford to tether him.
-“ Kacchan... is there something wrong with you? Did a villain hurt you? Did you get critically injured? Are you in pain?” He mutters into her ear, securing her safely with his hulking strength.
She closes her eyes; she should’ve expected such a thing to come soon. The confrontation was inevitable.
She slowly pries his hands off her shoulders and she turns to look him in the face: “ I am alright, shitty nerd. I am just thinking of moving things around.”
-“ What do you mean? Kacchan, you are hiding something from me. You think I didn’t notice...” he holds her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. “ I noticed how cautious you started fighting. Your stance has gotten lower and you seem to avoid getting hurt. That is not the wild Kacchan I know. Please, trust me. Tell me what is it. Please... I-I thought we were over this.” He hangs his head down.
She bites her lower lip. Shit.
They were over this, a long time ago actually. A lot has happened since the war against AFO and the League. Deku changed, she changed and they have reached a common standing in each other’s lives.
They had both come to the conclusion that she did in fact need Deku in her life, and that Deku definitely needed her in his as well.
In what way? They haven’t reached that answer yet, but...
She pulls on the hem of her cardigan and over her bum. ( The action doesn’t go unnoticed.)
-“ Izuku,...” She speaks his first name, which means that she is serious. “ I am alright, you really don’t have to worry. I just need to rest, some time off. Away from everything. I ...”
-“ LIES!!!” He cries in her face, taking the hand crumpling her clothes and bringing it to his lips, planting a firm kiss on her knuckles. “ You are not even looking at me in the eyes. You haven’t screamed at me since I walked in with my boots over your favorite carpet. That is all the proof I need to know you are hiding something from me.” His shoulders drop and his features soften, and he drops to one knee.
-“ Please Kacchan, you can tell me anything. I will always be here to accept your feelings.”
Katsuki freezes in place. Her mind goes blank for a moment, failing to process what she just heard.
Why though? This wasn’t the first time Deku said such a thing. He always assured her to always accept her and be by her side, so why did her heart flatline and her hair stand on its end at the admittance.
Streaks of moisture start running down her face unaware, and she was shaking too. What the fuck?
Shitty hormones.
Izuku stands back in surprise and hurriedly rushes to her side, supporting her by the waist as her knees grow weaker with each sob.
He flinches suddenly, his palms tightening around her now plump sides.
-“ Kacchan...” he murmurs, running his thumbs a little to her stomach.
His eyes widen when he feels the bump.
-“ I am sorry.” She shakily admits, her vision blurred and wails echoing in her apartment.
She collapses in his hold and fists at the fabric of his suit.
-“ I am so sorry, Izuku. I really didn’t know it could happen. It was my mistake, my fault for never knowing when to stop.” She is crying hard, tears and snot running down her face as Deku didn’t make even the slightest move since he realized it.
What?
Who? Dumb question.
Then how?
When?
.
.
.
Oh
OOOOOH
Izuku jumps out of his stance and his reaction is to just hug her tightly, supporting her as she cries into his shoulder.
He holds her until she passes out from exhaustion in his arm.
-“ Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
-“ Because I can’t. You heard it from All Might himself, OFA would end with you. You don’t need an heir to it.” She whispers
-“ Oh... Kacchan. What does that have to do with anything?” Izuku murmurs, one hand coming to her now revealed bump and slightly caressing it.
She flinches a little.
-“ IT FUCKING DOES.” She cries her frustrations. “ We are heroes, Deku. Famous heroes who fought for the good of humanity against the greatest threat. We are not allowed to be weak. Not in the least. Something like this, I can not allow it. I will NOT allow it.” He can feel her frame shacking again. “ I want him to have a happy, simple life. I don’t want him to be suffocated by expectations, to be put under a magnifying glass by everyone. I don’t want his life to be in danger because a shitty villain decided to want revenge on either of us. I want... I want... I want our son to be loved and happy.”
Deku choked up a breath, tears stinging his eyes. He understood. Oh he very much understood.
He couldn’t even begin to imagine it without getting extremely furious about it. The mere idea of his duties, putting his child in danger. The image of some lowly villain laying his clammy hands on his baby’s undoubtedly blonde locks, made him want to vomit.
He refused to think of this, it hurt so much.
Is this what his mom felt all those years?
He tightens his hold: “ I would never allow it. Even if I die, I would never allow it. He would live a peaceful life. With or without a quirk, he would be the happiest child alive, I promise, Kacchan. I fucking promise.”
-“ Good Morning, Kacchan!”
-“ Ah, why are you still here?” She groaned into the plush pillow, refusing to move from her bundle on the bed.
Go figures, having a mental breakdown and crying while pregnant was a horrible idea. She felt like she had someone kick her ass all over the gym floor mat before hitting her head with a baseball bat.
Everything hurt.
Izuku chuckles, walking to the bedside table with a tray of French Toast, fruit, and tea.
-“ You made that?” she whispers, staring at the beautifully arranged plate of sweet bread.
-“ It took a lot of attempts and more google searching than I expected, but I think this is okay? It has all the nutritional value for a growing baby especially the berries and the herbal tea. Also, many articles stated that vitamins and fibers are very important to avoid possible post-partum issues and ease the delivery. I tried to make your coffee but soon realized that was very stupid of me since coffee is one of the biggest no-nos for pregnant women. And I searched for some recipes and I...”
-“ Shut uuuuup.” She whined, raising from under the covers, making grabby hands at the tray.
Deku smiles widely as he hands her the food and sit by her side, watching her slowly munch on the food like a little chipmunk.
It was honestly adorable how round and soft Kacchan looks right now: Her cheeks are fuller, her lips are plumper and more rosy and her skin looks so clear.
He read online that it was the influx of hormones that did its magic, that pregnant women look their best at this stage.
-“ What the fuck are you staring at, Shitty Izuku?” She pouts at him, a bit of the soft cream he whipped stuck to the corner of her lips.
He smirks slyly, raising a scarred hand to wipe the cream off her face, and holds her chin in his hand: “ Nothing. I was just admiring the beautiful mother of my child and wondering when I will get to put a ring on her.” He can only laugh when she screamed in indignation, explosions popping out of her hand at the implication.
He waited for the right moment for so long, might as well just get with it.
-“ I had the ring in my house for 3 months now. Todoroki and Kirishima helped me choose it.”
-“ You fucking idiot. You ABSOLUTE FUCKING DUMBASS.”
He embraces his future fiancée with a kiss on her forehead and a huge smile on his face.
-“ We are going to be okay, Kacchan. All three of us.”