Chapter Text
epilogue
< ᛏᛖᛀ >
several months later
“Land down there, please.”
Down there? What for?
“What for?” Bakugou echoes Kirishima’s question skeptically. He’s been basking in the feeling of Shouto’s warmth at his back for the past ten minutes, and the last thing he wants to do is land.
“I see people. I want to talk to them.” Shouto points at the smoke of a traveling caravan’s fire. “It’s only been a few months since I got back, Katsuki. It’s nice to talk to people that I don’t already know.”
Bakugou sighs through his teeth. He’s become embarrassingly possessive lately, mostly because Shouto is the densest person alive and thinks everyone wants to be his friend. Of course, Shouto monopolizes him equally as much, so Bakugou can’t feel too bad about wanting to spend every second of every day with him.
They’re engaged, so it’s normal to want to keep Shouto to himself. But he’ll pout if Bakugou ignores his request, so he pats Kirishima on the shoulder. “Go ahead and land, I guess.”
Kirishima huffs in agreement and circles over the clearing closest to the caravan. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to scare the shit out of them by landing in their camp. Although it’s been several months since the dragons came back, people are still getting used to them.
Bakugou helps Shouto down from Kirishima’s back, giving him a warning look. “Keep your guard up. These people could be dangerous.”
“Okay,” Shouto says, only half-listening to him as always. He cuts through the trees, the usual stupidly oblivious look on his face. He really is a dense bastard. Why is Bakugou in love with him, again?
“Katsuki, hurry up.” Shouto doubles back to take his hand, pulling him ahead after flashing a small, warm, heart-stopping smile.
Oh, yeah: that’s why.
When they approach the caravan, several men break away from the cluster of carriages to approach them. Bakugou keeps a hand on his sword, but Shouto gives a clumsy bow and calls out a greeting. “Hello! We’re from a village a few miles away.”
Luckily, the caravan members seem friendly. Or, at least, not homicidal. One of them—a tall blond—steps forward to offer a return greeting. “We’re from very far to the west of here. You said you two are locals?”
Shouto gives Bakugou a look that says ‘see, they’re nice’ before nodding to the man. “We are. I’m Shouto.” They shake hands. Shouto elbows Bakugou in the side until he does the same.
“Bakugou Katsuki.”
“I’m Mirio Togata.” He gestures to the dark-haired man on his left. “This is Tamaki, and that’s Nejire over there.” A silver-haired woman waves from where she’s writing in a leather-bound journal. Mirio flashes a friendly smile that somehow puts Bakugou at ease, as much as he tries to fight it. “What are you two doing wandering around in the forest?”
“We got lost,” Bakugou lies offhandedly, shooting Shouto a ‘you better go along with this’ look. “We were just about to find our way when we saw your camp.”
“That’s right,” Shouto agrees quickly, listening to him for once in their lives. “Did you travel far to get here? What part of the west did you come from?” If there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s changing the subject.
“We came from across the Hakone Sea,” Mirio replies without hesitation. He might be as dumbly trusting as Shouto, if not more so.
“Really? How do you like the south so far?”
“It’s interesting.” Mirio frowns. “Although, it’s strange here. There are dragons, but they don’t seem to interact much with humans. We heard that in the east, humans and dragons are essentially one and the same. Is that not true of all parts of this continent?”
Shouto and Bakugou share a confused look. “In the east, you said?” Bakugou asks skeptically. He supposes the east did remain mainly unharmed through both of the wars with the dragons, but… it surely couldn’t be possible that they’ve been living in peace with the dragons. Surely word would’ve gotten out.
Although, apparently, it did. Just not to them.
“We heard it on the ship over,” Mirio explains. “I’m guessing it’s not a trait shared by the south?”
Shouto looks back through the trees, then at Bakugou. “No,” he says quietly, “it isn’t.”
* * * * *
“Why are you pissed at me? It’s not like I knew this either.” Bakugou pauses with a sigh when Shouto continues to ignore him and keep piling clothes on Bakugou’s bed. “What are you doing? Fuck. Just talk to me.”
“I’m not angry.” Shouto pauses to look at him, his eyes shining. “I’m excited. I want to go there. To the east, I mean.”
“What?” Bakugou shakes his head. “Wait. Just wait a second, Shouto. You want to go, and you’re packing… right now?”
“Yes. And you have to come too.”
“Shouto. Did you forget about what’s happening next week?”
Shouto pauses, and a look of realization crosses his face. Dumbass. “Oh. Right. I’m sorry. It’s just, I’m so used to being together that it feels like we’re already mated.” He pauses. “Married. Sorry.”
Bakugou doesn’t let his embarrassment overshadow his annoyance. “Well, we can’t pack up and leave while we’re in the middle of planning the ceremony. Not only that, but do you know how long it will take to cross the ocean? Kirishima would need to rest for at least several days before flying so far.”
Shouto deflates a bit. “I… I suppose you’re right.” He sighs and reaches for Bakugou’s hand, giving it a tight squeeze. “And I’m excited, Katsuki. Truly, I am. But it’s different for dragons, you know? We mate for life. As soon as I kissed you, I claimed you as my one and only forever. To me, it’s already done.”
“...You’re too much.” Bakugou takes a deep breath to keep from overheating, but it doesn’t work very well. He runs a hand over his face with a sigh of defeat. “Okay. I’ll make you a deal, alright? Wait until after the ceremony, and then we’ll go.”
“Can we move up the ceremony, then? I don’t want to wait for a week.”
“You really are too much.” Bakugou rolls his eyes—but Shouto is his only weakness, and the bastard knows it. “Fine. I’ll move it to two days from now, and we can head east on Saturday. Is that soon enough for you, asshole?”
Shouto smiles at him in answer, and Bakugou punches him on the shoulder. “Stop looking at me like that before I hit you.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“What? Who fucking says?”
“I do.” Shouto pulls him into a kiss that demolishes Bakugou’s scowl in an instant. When he pulls away, he’s smiling again. “You wouldn’t, because you like this better.”
“Fuck you,“ Bakugou manages without much feeling. He takes a breath to recover and pushes Shouto toward the bed. “Put your clothes back, dumbass. I have to go to a meeting.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“Shut up.” Bakugou growls on his way out, stalling with his hand on the doorknob. “Ugh. Fuck. Okay, I love you, too.”
Bakugou is a bit embarrassed by how soft he’s become recently. Thank god Kaminari, Deku, and the other morons haven’t figured it out yet. Ashido and Sero are getting close: Shouto hangs out with the two of them a lot. Luckily, Bakugou is usually elsewhere dealing with chiefly business.
Today, he’s got a meeting about forming a treaty with a western nation, and then one about the upcoming wedding ceremony with Nezu, where Bakugou will have to tell him that they’ll need to be ready in two days. Great.
* * * * *
Speeding up things goes better than expected. Nezu is good at getting people to get things done quickly, so the ceremony preparations seem to be finished in no time. Bakugou was a bit wary of having a large ceremony in the first place, but the elders insisted that the wedding of the chief was meant to be a joy shared among the people.
Deku is especially, annoyingly cheerful—and he can’t stop crying. Shinsou has to keep handing him his handkerchief. Kirishima is emotional, too. He hasn’t cried yet, but it’s only a matter of time. It pisses Bakugou off a little, but it’s kind of nice to see his friends so happy for him. Not that he’ll ever tell them that, of course.
“Kacchan, we’ll be starting soon.” Deku appears in the doorway of Masaru’s—now Bakugou’s—study. “Everything is ready.”
“Got it.” Bakugou takes the time to readjust his ceremonial cape. It’s itchy beyond belief, but it’s an ancient woven tapestry that’s supposed to bring good fortune and prosperity to a union, and apparently a wedding is impossible without it.
“Are you nervous?” Deku flinches when Bakugou glares at him. “I… I mean, of course you aren’t. But are you?”
“Moron.” Bakugou runs a hand through his hair, hoping it will stop the shaking. “I’m not nervous.” He’s nervous. “Let’s go.” He’s really nervous.
“Okay.” Deku holds up his hands defensively, waiting for Bakugou to storm past him before closing the door.
Fuck, he feels like he might pass out. Why is he suddenly freaking out so much? They’ve been living together for several months: it’s not as if being married is going to change all that much. Well… There’s one thing they haven’t done yet, but Bakugou definitely can’t handle thinking about that right now.
He hasn’t seen Shouto all day. It’s customary to stay separate on your wedding day, apparently. So many rules. Bakugou supposes it’s fine: he gets to see him now. He’ll be waiting in the square, along with everyone else. Bakugou tries to picture it on the way, but his mind doesn’t do it justice.
Dusk has just begun to paint the sky in soft, bleeding shades of red and gold. The sun illuminates Shouto from behind, casting a halo around his face. He’s dressed all in white—his own version of ceremonial clothing—with a gold-embroidered cape that makes his slender shoulders almost disappear.
Bakugou’s throat goes dry. His heart slams against his chest in slow motion. Even when he stops in front of Shouto, he feels like he’s still moving. He’s been caught up in Shouto’s rhythm more and more lately, like a leaf in a strong river current. But somehow, he doesn’t mind.
Shit. He can’t hear a word Nezu is saying. Something about their happiness and prosperity. The only question that matters is the last one. “Do you, Katsuki of the clan Bakugou, accept this soul to be joined with yours in eternal matrimony?”
Bakugou somehow manages not to choke on his words. “I do.” He takes the garland of white lily Elder Yagi hands him and puts it over Shouto’s head. Nezu repeats the question to Shouto, and the process is repeated.
“I now pronounce you joined in the eyes of the Great Spirits. May your union flourish like the fruits of spring.” Nezu bows his head, and a deafening cheer goes up. The villagers toss up their handfuls of white petals, which shower over their heads as Bakugou pulls Shouto into a kiss.
Despite the rushed ceremony, everything is more perfect than he ever could’ve imagined.
* * * * *
“Do you really have to carry me all the way there?”
“Obviously I do.” Bakugou nudges open the front door and kicks it closed behind them, heading for the stairs. “It’s not like you’re heavy.”
“Wait. Put me down for a second so I can take this cape off.”
Bakugou obeys, but as soon as Shouto’s feet hit the floor, he scoops Bakugou over his shoulder. “Oi, Shouto, you ass— What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!”
“It’s only fair that we both do it halfway, right?” Shouto scales the stairs easily, setting Bakugou safely on his bed when they reach the top. He’s smiling, this asshole. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to be mad at him when they’re married now. Bakugou is still struggling to let that sink in.
He reaches out and slides his hand down Shouto’s waist, wrapping fingers around the sharp edge of his hip bone. “I was wondering, what do dragons do after mating? Is it different than this?”
“That depends.” Shouto straddles his hips, his eyes suddenly full of something quite different than their usual obliviousness. It’s easier to see the draconic parts of him in times like these, when his eyes are dark and wild and magnetic. “What do humans usually do?”
Bakugou kisses him in answer, pushing his hands up Shouto’s back, knocking the ceremonial cape off his shoulders. What he was too shy to think of before is now taking up all of his headspace. He might be part dragon, too: he feels like he’s going crazy, turning into something fierce and hungry and uncontrollable.
Shouto’s hands pull at his clothes, pushing Bakugou’s back into the mattress with a surprising amount of force. It might be Bakugou’s imagination, but it looks like his pupils have dilated. His hands are touching Bakugou’s chest, sliding down his stomach in a way that sends a shiver up his spine.
Normally, he’d try to take control of the situation, but he doubts he’ll be able to stop Shouto in his current state. He’s a bit scared, honestly, but in a very good way. Shouto is kissing him with such ferocity, it’s as if all of his thoughts are being sucked away along with his breath. All of him is being taken, but he doesn’t care.
Shouto pushes the cape off Bakugou’s shoulders, kissing the skin over his collarbone in a way that’s both inpatient and incredibly gentle. His lips trail up Bakugou’s neck, then back across his shoulder. Bakugou is dizzy with the pleasure of it until Shouto’s teeth dig into his skin.
“Ow.” He flinches, pushing Shouto back by the chest. He’s a bit embarrassed by how out of breath he is. “What the fuck was that for?”
“Sorry.” Shouto covers his mouth, a flush creeping up his neck. “It’s… it’s a territorial thing,” he murmurs, eyes reverting to normal, despite flitting across Bakugou’s body impatiently. “You’re supposed to make it scar so everyone can see.”
Jesus, what kind of masochistic culture do the dragons have?
Bakugou touches the bite with a soft sigh. “It’s fine.” Shouto is already touching him again, so it’s pointless to fight about it. “Just don’t do it again.”
“You can bite me, too.” Shouto pulls off his shirt, exposing the snowy, perfect expanse of his chest. “It’s our custom.”
“What? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It won’t hurt me. I promise.” Shouto tilts his head. “Go ahead.”
It’s easier to just do it and move on. But he’s definitely not excited about it. At all.
Bakugou takes a deep breath and wraps a hand around Shouto’s bare shoulder, pulling him into mouth range. He sets his mouth against the space just above Shouto’s collarbone and bites down, just hard enough that he’s sure the mark will be permanent.
Shouto’s breath ghosts against his cheek, and he arches his back a bit. When he pulls his head back, his eyes are even more intense than before.
Bakugou swallows thickly. He gets the feeling he’s really in for it now.
* * * * *
“Did you finish preparing yet?”
“Almost. Just be patient.” When Shouto disappears with a frown, Bakugou turns back to Kirishima with an exasperated sigh. “How did you live alone with him for so long? Is there a secret? I need to hear it.”
You’ve been married for less than three days and you’re already this frustrated? Kirishima puffs steam through his nostrils in amusement. I don’t buy it. I can see that Shouto already bit you, so things must be going well.
“Hey!” Bakugou covers his neck self consciously. “I swear… You dragons are such creeps.”
We’re just territorial by nature, Kirishima dismisses with a fluttering of his wings. He was territorial of you from the start, actually: even before his memories came back. You probably didn’t notice.
He’s right: Bakugou definitely didn’t notice. He was too busy being ecstatic that Shouto had returned. “It’s still creepy,” he grumbles, securing the final pack on Kirishima’s back.
It’s not for us. We stay together for life, so after finding your mate, it’s normal to want to claim them. But right after that happens, it’s straight into the honeymoon phase.
“The honeymoon phase?” Bakugou repeats skeptically. “The dragons have that saying too?”
Kirishima claws the ground in agreement. Shouto will be very attached to you now. And I do mean very.
As if summoned, Shouto’s arms wrap around Bakugou from behind, and cool breath gusts over the back of his neck. “Can we leave now?”
Bakugou instinctively looks around for Deku or one of the other morons who love to lurk around at the worst times. When he doesn’t spot any of them, he relaxes into the embrace. “Yes, you impatient moron, we can leave now.”
He’s already told the elders about their trip, under the guise of exploring new trade routes. While technically not a lie, it gives them the freedom to be gone for up to three weeks, which is plenty of time to discover the mysteries of the east.
Shouto accepts Bakugou’s leg up, leaning against him after he hops up. He really is clingier. Not that it’s a bad thing.
“Are you ready?” Bakugou asks, waiting for Kirishima’s agreement before giving him the okay to take off.
Once they’re above the clouds, Shouto’s grip relaxes and he rests his head against Bakugou’s shoulder. “I wonder if the rumors about the east are true. Humans and dragons coexisting? What do you think?”
“I’m honestly not sure.” Bakugou takes the hands that are around his waist and squeezes them gently. The air is cold at such a high altitude, but the pressure of Shouto against his back feels warmer than the sun. “But we’re about to find out, aren’t we?”