Serendipity [Bakukami]

Chapter 15

"Don't you think you're being a bit too much now?" Denki yells at Katsuki from one end of the hallway.

Denki could say it was nearing dinner time with how hungry and empty his tummy felt, and he couldn't thank the gods enough that his mother wasn't in the castle. He didn't want anything about Midoriya or Todoroki to get out.

He knows that the maids and workers wouldn't dare open their mouth infront of the queen.

Katsuki stops dead in his tracks but doesn't turn around. Denki easily catches up with him. And sees the last thing he expected on Katsuki - his eyes are glazed.

"Bakugo..." Denki whispers mostly to himself in utter disbelief. He tries to reach out to Katsuki's cheeks, but stops himself when he starts speaking. 

"He lied to me," Katsuki says, angrily gritting his teeth. He continues walking, albeit a little slower, letting Denki catch up to him. Denki could notice his demeanour change, he was pissed. But Denki couldn't help but feel the need to defend Midoriya and Todoroki. 

"To protect himself and his boyfriend," Denki retorts, but doesn't miss the way Katsuki gulps and stomps when he hears the word 'boyfriend'. 

Denki doesn't believe Katsuki was homophobic by choice. Having brought up in an extremely homophobic and religious kingdom, where boys or girls holding hands and walking together was considered suspicious, Denki isn't surprised. 

He knows Katsuki must have had a superstitious and internalised homophobia. Maybe his parents screwed it into his brain. Forcing him to believe it was wrong and that it was considered a sin. 

However, Denki couldn't help but want to help him out of it. Accept others and himself for who they are. 

"Bakugo. That's your childhood best friend. You're hurting him. You can't ignore him for the rest of your life simply because his way of living is different. Or because he has unique preferences." Denki continues, almost rambling to himself. "He's just as normal and sane as you are. As we all are." 

"You think I want to?" Katsuki glares at him. Denki silently gapes when he notices the tears streaking down his cheeks. "Do you really think I want to ignore my best friend? You actually did, didn't you? How presumptuous." Katsuki scoffs, walking away again, before Denki could stop him. 

"Bakugo, that's no way to talk to your-" Denki starts, but gets cut off. Katsuki wasn't really in the mindset to hear Denki out. 

Katsuki hated homosexual people. What they did was wrong and against the nature. But he wasn't a monster. He wouldn't kill them like the Queen would. But he wouldn't support them either, is all. 

He just couldn't digest the fact that Midoriya, his best friend since childhood, someone he owes everything to, would turn out to be someone like that. He just can't take it. Were women not enough for him?

His mind ran places. 

And oh lord, 6 years are no joke. He lied to him for 6 years. Was it because he didn't trust him? Was it because they thought he would act like the Queen? What were they thinking?

"I always knew. Of course I did. I made sure they never got caught doing whatever they were doing because in the back of my mind, I always trusted him. I trusted him to know what he was doing. I trusted him to tell me the truth. And then-" Katsuki scoffs through his tears, aggressively wiping them. 

"I just need time, alright?" Katsuki grits out, forcing himself to hold his tears and not lock eyes with Denki. 

He needed time to accept it. To forgive him. To process everything that he saw and heard that night. It was too much for him.

"We don't have time." Denki interrupts him. 

Denki doesn't mean anything ill with that statement, however to Katsuki, it felt like everything was against him. He felt defensive. 

Things were not okay in the kingdom. A few people, though they were against homosexuality, often never complain to the authorities about homosexual people. Because they know the torture, they've seen it, heard the screams.

No one was heartless like the queen, that was a known fact, however, things were stricter than ever. People don't seem to realise it yet.

The queen wanted to bring a new reign and destroy people's individuality. She wanted them to listen to her - worship her.

The prospect of having to hand over the kingdom to Denki wasn't helping either. She was seething.

If Midoriya and Todoroki got caught today, there was almost no guarantee that they wouldn't get caught tomorrow. To their unfortunate fate, it may also be the queen catching them.

God knows what happens after that.

They really don't have time. They need to act as quickly as possible.

"What do you mean 'we don't have time'? They had 6 years! I need a couple days, why can't I have that?" Katsuki yells, scaring a few maids who were walking past them after finishing Denki's laundry. 

"Don't make this about yourself. They had their own reasons." Denki scoffs, ushering the poor maids away who were scared to move a single muscle. 

The maids scurry off, whispering to themselves.

"'Make this about myself'? Is that what you think I'm doing? Do you hear yourself?! I'm allowed to do this, don't ruin this for me- I'm allowed to think and digest. You're simply supporting them!" Katsuki screams back, having completely forgotten the respect he owed the royalty. 

"Because they deserve the support," Denki replies back, in a strange and threateningly low tone. 

"And I don't?!" Katsuki questions,  "Is that what you mean? It's almost as if you're one of them." He ends the conversation with a disgusted expression, looking away from Denki. 

"And if I was?" Denki asks slowly, almost as if he didn't want to cry. 

Katsuki immediately walks away without a word. For a second Denki wonders if he heard him,  but decides not to expose himself again.

After all, everything would make sense the next day.