Review: To Stand by Your Side
Alright, this is a LONG one. Thatās what I get for waiting until Iām 22 chapters into a story to review it. LOL Well, here we go.Ā
Completely opposite of the last review I posted, we haveĀ To Stand by Your Side by aeronines. This time itās 16-year-old UA student Bakugou Katsuki and 19-year-old Pro Hero Midoriya Izuku.
Chapter 1
The story starts off with a twist on the sledge-villain attack, hinting at Izukuās canonical attempt at saving Junior high student Kastuki. But as a Pro Hero the monster is no challenge. In this telling Izukuās hero name isĀ āValiantā and Katsuki later gives him the nickname āDekuā after meeting him in the hospital post-villain attack. In his traumatized state, Katsuki makes a promise that heāll one day be strong and stand side-by-side with Valiant as a hero.
Chapters 2 - 3
Katsuki's now a UA high student and getting settled into his new routine. He's still fanboying a bit about Valiant under the guise of Valiant being his inspiration. And then his class has special group battle training and against three Pro Heroes that happen to include Valiant. Katsuki's pride gets the better of him and he goes rogue against his group mates to try and prove how strong he is. He ends up really injured after going toe-to-toe with Valiant. Valiant gets out of hand playing the role of villain and hurts Katsuki way more than he meant to and is almost blocked from returning to UA as a trainer/mentor. Izuku never understands his own strength. Katsuki was totally embarrassed. He let his team down, they lost and (he thought) that he looked like a fool to Valiant. After some tears and a heart-to-heart talk he was reminded that Valiant/Izuku never looked down on him. That he's a supporter that wants to see Katsuki grow and get stronger.
Chapters 4 - 7
Izuku has a domination kink and wakes up from a wet dream about Katsuki.Ā That totally freaks him out because he doesnāt want to think about Katsuki that way. The annual Sports festival comes up and he attends with Ochako and Kirishima and heās Katsukiās biggest fan. Izuku does have a moment of disgust and frustration as he becomes sexually around during he festival. At the same time that Izuku is battling these thoughts,Ā Katsuki is becoming more attracted to him. Seeing him as more than justĀ āhis hero.ā Camie recognizes whatās going on and gives him a Valiant themed dildo as a gift for the sports festival. Horrifying!! LOL
Chapter 8
Itās final time and the scene is reminiscent of the the canon final of Deku and Bakugo against All Might. Valiant (like All Might) against Todoroki and Momo. The finaI was on Izukuās birthday and I felt really bad about Ochaco and Kirishima forgetting Izuku's birthday. I've been there. His best friends should have known and not have to be reminded. Izuku's been working himself too hard. So hard that Katsuki can tell just by looking at media coverage. He gave Izuku a very thoughtful and personal birthday present (spa coupons andĀ note with his phone number). After thanking Katsuki with a hug, Izuku starts to realizes that he's in love with him.
Chapters 9 - 12
Izuku gets injured in the line of duty due to him overworking himself. There were casualties that he blames himself for but thereās no real way of knowing if they were caused by his actions or if they died coincidentally while he was hurt. Either way, the downtime forces him into counseling and into confronting his depression that existed before the accident. And into repairing his friendships that fell to the wayside. And to develop a friendship with Katsuki as they text everyday and talk on the phone almost as much. Also, the two are awkward and ridiculous with flirting. I laughed so hard when Izuku dropped his phone and screamed when Katsuki sent him a heart emoji. LOL
Chapters 13 - 14
Ok, these dorks and their non-dates/dates. LOL
The Culture Festival! First, I donāt know how ANY classes can come to a consenus and pick an event theme. Itās always chaos and this description killed me.Ā āYaoyorozu looked dead tired, and Todoroki, dead inside.ā LMAO Poor Todoroki. And I laughed out loud when Izuku called Katsuki and he flew up the dorm stairs to take the call from his room. These cinnamon rolls are so adorable and ridiculous.Ā
Katsuki is a ballsy one, though. Planning aĀ ānot-dateā to take izuku around during the Culture Festival. But first he had to make it through prepping the desserts for their festival bakery and Iām with his classmates, what the hell did he mean?Ā āSomeone competent better get me the very basic stuff Iām asking for, before someone loses all their basics!ā LMAOĀ āAnd of course Iāll be able to get this all done. Look at these little shits. Fuckinā gorgeous. You better sell āem all.ā GUFFAW!!! Each interaction between Katsuki and Izuku that morning was embarassing and awkward and so damn funny. I had to take my glasses off and put my head in my hands when Katsukiās brain shorted out and he asked Izuku if his outfit made him look hot. The tears. All the tears!!! LOL And bless Camieās heart. She is Katsukiās ride or die wingman. Where would be without her?! Her theory, though, about them going to a haunted house and Izuku being afraid saying āOh Kacchan, youāre so amazing!ā tickled me. I loveĀ aeroninesā allusions to canon actions and the fact that it was the total OPPOSITE inside the haunted house. Poor Katsuki and his pride, trying to not be scared when he knew that didnāt like scary stuff.
Training on the beach. Izuku was SUPPOSED to be coaching Katsuki through his training but Katsuki was so blatant in his attempts to show off his body.Ā Kacchan, Iām gonna die if you keep trying to show off your tits. *snort* Katsuki was so FLIRTY!
And we get to Christmas. Katsuki asked to meet Izuku toĀ āhang out.ā Not a date. LOL I was so happy for these that they were able to carve out a little time together even though Izuku already had plans. Izuku is head over heels and GONE! Already planning out how to interact with Katsuki even though they werenāt dating.Ā āIā¦ I wonāt push for anything right now. I canāt. Even if he wants itā¦ no kissing till heās seventeen. And if we even get that far, no sex til heās eighteen.āĀ And like the bulldozer that he is, Katsuki ended their non-date by kissing Izuku on the cheek. Izukuās gonna have a heart attack dealing with that one. LOL
Chapter 15
Just one thought, upgraded dildo. LMAO
Chapter 16
Katsuki turns 17! Theyāve definitely gotten closer and feel comfortable now with hugs. After training Izuku invites him over for a birthday dinner and Katsukiās overactive brain kept thinking about wanting to live with him in the future. Katsuki got the best gift ever. Mindblowing kisses from Izuku. Confirmation that he wanted him, too. It made my heart flutter!
Chapters 17 - 19
Now, this damn chapter! I was all in my feelings with this chapter all the way to chapter 19. Izuku and Katsuki had JUST made progress. Literally only a few hours before Izuku had to abruptly leave for an emergency. Hours away with no cell service. Hours away dealing with death and destruction. Hours away not knowing when heād be able to come back home. It tore Izuku apart, threatened to unravel all of the progress heād made in therapy dealing with his depression and anxiety. And poor Katsuki struggling to get information, any information at all to know how Izuku was doing. My heart hurt so much. Finally, finally Izuku gets to go home. On his 21st birthday. After the fiasco a year before, this would be a birthday that he would never forget. Kirishima and Ochako made sure that he was cleaned up and had a small get together at his place with their friends. And theĀ piece de resistance was Katsuki making a surprise appearance. And Katsuki asked him out. To be official! And Katsuki stayed the night with the agreement that there would be NO sexual activity. We have lift off ladies and gentlemen. LOL
Chapter 20
MAKE OUT CENTRAL! If they werenāt making out they were eating. if they werenāt eating they were making out. Katsuki and Izuku spent the whole day otherĀ āsucking faceā and it was so cute and fuzzy. Katsuki did have a little stumbling block where he had to process the fact they he and Izuku wouldnāt be able to be in public together as a couple in any near future. One Katsuki is still a high school student, even though heās a second year by this time, and two because Izuku keeps his life very private and his hero persona is a single man who has no intentions of being in a relationship. Heroing comes first.
Chapter 21
An incognito date! Camie came up with a brilliant idea that Izuku and Katsuki could have a public date if they disguised it as Izuku chaperoning Katsuki, Momo and Camie. Game on. It went well until izuku and Katsuki were almost caught making out in the bathroom. That put a damper on he enthusiasm. And an interaction with an overeagerĀ āfanā set my teeth on edge. I actually tweeted Aeronines after I read the chapter and said that I was very suspicious of thisĀ āfan.ā LOL
Chapter 22
This was a hard chapter. I was right about theĀ āfan.ā He was in fact a villain who had been watching Valiant/Izuku and learned that he was close to Katsuki. He used his chameleon quirk to hide and sneak attack Katsuki while he was patrolling during his internship. He left him with severe injuries and taunted Katsuki (and later Valiant) with his knowledge of their relationship. Of course, Katsuki took this very hard. He never wanted to be Izukuās weak spot. He always wanted to be strong enough to protect himself and not have to make Izuku worry. His pride was on the line and he didnāt feel like Izuku believed in him. They fought and Katsuki left. The poor babies. :( How will the next chapter go? Iām interested but also apprehensive about finding out.
