Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

It wasn’t very often that Kirishima was forced into official dress. And for those rare occasions when it was truly needed of him, he felt uncomfortable. It was mostly the jewellery that he was forced to wear that irritated him the most. He had to wear jewelled bands around his biceps, bracelets that were meant to match the heavy necklace around his neck and even a belt that was meant to hold the skirt he wore in place. It was all confining and he felt restricted in his movements because of it all. 

He was very much used to being topless as it was just easier to do with the summer heat that was a constant in his kingdom. Even the skirt he was forced to wear over his short pants was more bearable than all the other gaudy ornaments. 

Looking down at himself as he headed down to the ballroom with his sister beside him, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Bakugo would say when he saw him. Probably think he looks like a harlot or something. He would know in a matter of minutes however and he couldn’t wait to be able to see him again. 

The day of the ball in honour of the Sun and Moon Kingdoms had finally come and he couldn’t have been happier for it. He was standing just behind his parents waiting to be announced to the ballroom full of people. But only one person was on his mind right now though.

The moment Kirishima had heard that the king and queen of the Moon Kingdom would be accompanied by their eldest son, Katsuki Bakugo, the excitement had only gotten higher and more intense with every minute that went by. He couldn’t wait to see the blonde. It had been a long five years since they had last seen one another. 

When they had last met, Kirishima had just hit puberty so the only difference for him then was that he was a little taller than his soulmate. But gone now was the short black hair that had been worked into dreadlocks, gone were his human-like teeth and scrawny build. Now that he was fully grown, his hair had changed colour as it was meant to. Instead of long black dreadlocks cascading down his back, he sported long red ones the colour of garnet. With him achieving his physical maturity, his human-like teeth were gone and replaced with razor sharp ones that each ended in deadly points. 

Those weren’t the only changes that had happened to him once puberty had hit properly. He had shot up to an impressive height of six feet eight inches and had a build that was as impressive as his height was. 

His skin was littered here and there with scars from battles he had been forced to fight in, one of which was right above his eye and continued below it for about an inch. That one had caused his mother to faint when she had seen the wound. She had been so scared that he had lost his eye. 

He couldn’t help but fidget and try to reposition his arm bands and other adornments as they waited to be announced. His mother would smack his hands away each time she caught him playing with his clothing or jewels. 

“Stop that Eijiro.” She would scold him gently when she’d catch him doing it. 

“Sorry Mama.” He apologized. “I can’t help it. I’m nervous.” 

“What for? You’ve done this plenty of times before.” 

“This particular one is a little stressful for me.” He mumbled to himself. 

“It’s cause his boyfriend is here.” His younger sister teased as she jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

“His boyfriend? Akari, stop that now. Your brother has no such attachment.” 

“Then who is that blonde he's always sighing wistfully about?” 

It was Kirishima’s turn to jab his sister in the side. But it was thwarted by their father turning his head and giving them a look followed by a stern, “both of you, that is enough. Keep it up and you will be sent to watch over your other siblings who are too young to attend.” 

The two sighed and nodded their heads. And just in time because they were being announced into the room. 

It was time to face the music.

***** 

Bakugo had been half listening to something his mother was saying when the loud booming voice announced the arrival of the royal family of the Sun Kingdom. The breath in Bakugo’s throat caught as he heard his mates name being called. 

They were soulmates. They both knew this. However because of their familial and royal duties, they had spent the last five years not being able to communicate with one another or even catch a glimpse of the other. It was a long and tiring time for them. They had only seen each other last 5 years prior as their bodies had only just begun the maturing process. 

While Kirishima’s body had changed in very drastic ways, Bakugo’s changes were a little more subtle. Where Bakugo’s face as a child and even teenager had been rounded with baby fat, it was now slim with a defined jawline and high cheekbones. His eyes had gone from the blue of the sky to a deep red that could easily strike fear into anyone who crossed him. His hair had grown in length considerably as well and rested a few inches above his hips when left completely loose. 

When he was a child, he’d been on the chubby side, but as he grew taller and broader, his fat melted away, his body was slim and seemed devoid of muscle but he was surprisingly strong and his deceivingly slight appearance gave him an edge. He looked much weaker than he truly was and he liked it that way and he thrived on that fact. 

The second his eyes landed onto -was that red  hair?- his mate, his breath caught in his throat. Was this the same boy he had met as a child and then again five years ago? It couldn’t be. This man was nothing like how he remembered Kirishima -his Eijiro- looking when they had last met. 

He broke away from his mother and father and started making his way directly to the crowned prince of the Sun Kingdom. He had to make sure. His heart was telling him that this was his mate. That this mountain of a man was meant to be his until their dying breath and beyond. But his mind and eyes were telling him that there was just no way this was Eijiro Kirishima. 

He was glad that the king and queen had already wandered off somewhere else and that it was just Kirishima and some violet haired girl. Had the king and queen been there, what he was about to do would either go over with a laugh or they’d demand him to remove his hands from their son. 

“Eijiro?” He said and he stepped up to the man and set one hand on the man’s neck and the other over his heart. 

Kirishima looked down at him and the smile that spread across his face was as bright as the sun. That smile directed right at him had his mind settling instantly. There was no way this could be anyone other than his Eijiro. 

“Katsuki.” Kirishima said with a soft tone that matched the wonder in Bakugo’s. 

They stood there in silence for a few minutes simply staring at one another, their eyes communicating everything they couldn’t say out loud at that moment. The spell they’d been put under was broken by the girl beside them clearing her throat. 

“So Eiji…” she started. “You going to introduce me to our guest?” 

Bakugo looked over at the girl, she couldn’t be more than eighteen or nineteen years old. Bakugo instantly hated her. Who was she to be so familiar with his mate? A snarl started building up deep in his chest and his lips started to pull back from his teeth, effectively showing his sharp canines. 

Kirishima blinked as the daze crept away from him. He looked at Akari and nodded. “Yes. Sorry. Akari, meet the Crowned Prince of the Moon Kingdom. Katsuki, meet my little sister Akari.” 

The growl that had been rumbling in the blonde's chest came to a quick halt and had Akari smirking knowingly. Possessive much? She gave him a wide smile that was much the same as Kirishima’s own. No matter how angry you felt, having that smile aimed directly at you was enough to disarm you. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Your Highness.” She said with a smile and a small curtsy. 

“Likewise.” Bakugo said but his tone was not amused. 

“Well then. I’ll leave you two lovebirds to your business.” She said and squeezed Kirishima’s wrist with her considerably smaller hand. 

Kirishima smiled again at her but his cheeks were tinted red as he did. Why was he blushing? Bakugo looked from one sibling to the other and back again. Had Kirishima spoken of him to her? Did she know about them? 

“Make sure you do your rounds before doing anything Eiji.” She reminded him before walking off to their parents. 

“I will.” He said, his gaze already resting on Bakugo. 

He reached down and grabbed the blonde’s hands, pulled him close and wrapped his arms around him. The moment he felt Bakugo’s arms settle around his waist everything seemed to slip into place like two puzzle pieces. This is where he was meant to be; in this man's arms. He laid his head on top of the blonde’s and closed his eyes for a moment. He wanted to just relish in the fact that he finally felt whole again. 

His whole body seemed to sigh in happiness as he felt Bakugo rub his cheek against his chest. He didn’t want to be separated from him ever again. 

“How I’ve missed you Katsuki.” He said softly so only the blonde could hear him. 

“It hasn’t been easy staying away.” 

“Katsuki?” A woman’s voice sounded from behind them somewhere causing the blonde to stiffen in his arms. 

Kirishima lifted his head, eyes already narrowed and a low rumble working up his chest, much like it had with Bakugo not long before. The sound cut short as he noticed the Queen of the Moon Kingdom. He really didn’t want to offend the woman. She was a guest in his home and he didn’t think his parents would appreciate him being the cause of a rift forming between their two kingdoms. 

“Your Highness.” Kirishima reluctantly said, pulling away from his mate. He bowed to her and gave her a smile as he straightened up. “I was just about to come and greet you.” 

As Bakugo turned around to face his mother, the look on his face was murderous. He glared at her and as she was about to say something he cut her off. 

“What do you want?” he snarled. 

His tone was vicious and it surprised Kirishima. He had never heard that kind of tone come from someone when it was directed at their parents. He set a hand on Bakugo’s lower back and could feel his tension slipping away slowly. 

“I came to find you as the King and Queen wanted to say hello to you, you ungrateful shit.” she said. 

To say Kirishima didn’t approve of how they spoke to one another would be an understatement. He could feel his dragon begging to be let loose as they glared at one another. He wanted nothing more than to take Bakugo and lead him away from her and keep him safe. Protect him from her angry stares and hurtful words. 

“I will show him to my parents Your Majesty.” Kirishima said. “It was lovely to see you again after all this time.” 

Mitsuki, the queen, looked up at Kirishima and surprise coloured her features. Surely this wasn’t the short chubby black haired boy who had spent so much time with Katsuki during the last ball the two kingdoms had held a decade ago. 

“Eijiro?” She asked and the surprise was evident in her tone. 

Kirishima chuckled and nodded his head. He had to admit to himself that he enjoyed her astonishment. It made her forget entirely about her son. 

“I didn’t recognize you at first!” She said, “You certainly have changed haven’t you?” 

“It was bound to happen, Your Majesty.” He said with a smile. “Everyone in my family experiences drastic changes like this when we go through puberty. If you’ll excuse me. If you’ll excuse me, we must now go to my parents.” 

Bakugo stood there the whole time surprised at how the other man handled his mother. Never had it seemed so easy. He allowed Kirishima to take his arm and place it in the crook of his elbow as they made their escape. 

“I really hope I didn’t sound rude to her just now.” Kirishima said with a worried tone once they were well out of earshot of Bakugo’s mother. 

“Who cares?” Bakugo demanded and cleared his throat when he realized how harsh he sounded. 

Bakugo didn’t want to be his usual self toward Kirishima. He wasn’t just anyone, he was his mate. 

“Are you and your mother… always like this with each other?” Kirishima asked, hoping he wasn’t overstepping. 

“No,” Bakugo started. “We’re usually worse actually.” 

“Worse?” Kirishima asked incredulously as he turned wide eyes to him. 

“Yeah. We never really got along all that much. We’re too alike according to my father.” 

“Do you get along with him at least?” 

“We don’t really interact much outside of my duties as prince.” 

Kirishima left it at that. He didn’t want to ruin the night with what was obviously a tough subject for Bakugo to talk about. He did know that he would eventually press the prince about it. He just needed to put the compulsion aside and make sure that they had the most wonderful time getting reacquainted with one another and cement their bond even further. 

“Eijiro?” Bakugo said as they made their way to the front of the ballroom where the hosts were standing together with their daughter.

“Yeah?” he looked down at Bakugo and couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath. The angle and lighting made the other look ethereal and it was all Kirishima could do to keep himself from taking him into his arms and kissing him senseless. 

“What would you do if…” he started and stopped to take a deep breath. “What would you do if I wasn’t the same as I was when we first met?” 

“What do you mean? Neither of us are the same as we were when we were children…” Kirishima said. 

“I’m not as pleasant a person as you seem to remember me being.” 

“That’s okay.” Kirishima said with a soft smile for the other. “We’ll learn all about each other again. I’ll accept you no matter what kind of person you are.” 

Bakugo looked up at the other, surprise evident on his face. 

“We take each other as we are. Nothing can change how I feel about you now or how I felt about you when we were children. Your struggles and pain don’t make you a bad person.” Kirishima went on to say. “Nor do they define you.” 

Bakugo looked at him and could feel his heart speeding up in his chest. How could simple words have such an effect on him? He wasn’t really sure how they could, and he wasn’t entirely positive on the fact that he even wanted to know. 

Kirishima had always been like an entity of his own for Bakugo. As a child he had brightened up what he had been positive was going to be a very long and very boring night. He had taught him what a crush was. He would never admit to anyone that he had a crush on anyone ever, but he knew that the now redhead would always remember that night. Kirishima was also the one who had nursed him back to health when they had been teenagers and he’d been wounded by bandits. 

And now. As adults, he was accepting him for who he was no matter what? What kind of person was he? He didn’t know anything about his life past the moment they left each other in the woods at sixteen. For all Kirishima knew, Bakugo could have gone on a killing spree. 

“Mama. Papa.” Kirishima’s voice broke him out of his spiralling thoughts. “This is Katsuki Bakugo. prince and heir to the throne of the Moon Kingdom.” 

“It’s a pleasure to see you again your Highness's.” the blonde said bowing to them. “It has been quite a long time.” 

Kirishima looked at Bakugo and couldn’t stop the soft smile that was working across his face. He knew it wasn’t in the blonde’s usual habits to offer pleasantries or even make small talk for that matter. He was proud of him. He was trying. He knew it was also in part to do with himself being there. 

He shifted his face from the visiting prince to his parents and saw a look in his Papa’s eyes he couldn’t identify. It was a soft look. A knowing look. What did it mean? 

“Is this your boyfriend Eiji?” his little sister said, clearly unable to hold herself back. 

“Akari!” he hissed and couldn’t help looking at his parents then back to Bakugo. Their parents had no idea about his feelings for the prince. And he was positive that Bakugo didn’t want it being shouted out in the middle of a ballroom full of people. 

“Akari that is enough of that.” his mother said. “You will stop teasing your brother or you will go relieve the babysitter of your younger siblings.” 

“What? Why? It’s true! You should have seen them looking at each other before. You’d swear hearts were shooting out of their eyes.” 

Kirishima’s mouth was hanging open like a fish out of water. He looked pleadingly at his father, silently begging him to let him go and do his rounds of pleasantries to their guests. 

“I believe your Uncle Taishiro was looking for you Eijiro.” his papa came to his rescue at last, dismissing him. 

“I’ll go look for him then.” he said with a smile and led Bakugo away. 

“Gods I hate my sister sometimes.” he breathed out when they were a fair distance away from his family. “I’m sorry about her, Katsuki. I tried to get her to stop with that before we even came into the ballroom. Apparently being threatened with baby duty wasn’t enough.” 

“How many siblings do you have if they still need babysitters?” Bakugo asked curiously. 

“There’s myself and Akari, then after us there is…. Four others, but Mama is also expecting so there will be a total of seven once this one comes along.” Kirishima grinned. “Mama and Papa took a break after Akari was born. There were quite a few conflicts we had to take care of so Papa was gone quite a bit. How many siblings do you have?” 

“There’s me, my little sister you met all those years ago and one other. We’re a small family compared to yours.” he said. “I couldn’t imagine having that many siblings. I have enough trouble with my little sister and brother as it is.” 

“Some people prefer small families. Which is perfectly fine. I love big ones. I always imagined having a big family of my own once I married.” he said and looked over at Bakugo. “If my mate was okay with it, of course.” 

Bakugo felt his cheeks heating up as he felt Kirishima’s eyes on him. Clearly he was meaning them as a couple. He wasn’t sure how he felt about children if he was being honest. He knew that he had to produce at least one heir once he took over after his mother and father, but he was so far away from that point in his life. 

“You’re getting ahead of yourself a little there aren’t you Eiji?” Bakugo said after clearing his throat. “You need a wife first for that to happen.”

“I do need to marry first, yes.” Kirishima chuckled. “After I finish making my rounds and such, can we go outside to the gardens? I wish to spend time with you alone. I know you won’t be here for very long after the festivities end.” 

“As if you would need to ask, Shitty Hair.” he said with a grin, picking up the nickname from when they were teenagers alone in the woods. 

Kirishima grinned widely at him. He couldn’t get through his duties fast enough now. He made sure to go and see his Uncle Taishiro first though. He loved when the man would come to the castle and visit him. Especially now that his newest baby cousin had hatched. 

He hadn’t thought that Bakugo would stay with him while he went around to different people, but he was pleasantly surprised that he did. He stayed close and would snarl or glare at anyone who got too close to him for the blonde’s liking. It amused Kirishima quite a bit. It reminded him a little bit of the dogs they had roaming around the castle. They could be possessive and territorial at times and it seemed that so could Bakugo. Now that he thought about it, Bakugo had held onto him pretty tightly when they had embraced earlier and if he wasn’t mistaken, he had felt the other rubbing his cheek against his chest. It was almost as if he was scenting him. Did Bakugo know about how dragons scent one another and that he had just done it? Had he done it out of consideration of them being soulmates? 

He shook himself out of his thoughts and excused them from his last obligation. He was done playing nice with everyone in the ballroom. The dragon inside of him was begging to be able to keep hold of Bakugo and scent him as much as was humanly possible. 

About an hour later Kirishima led them away from the ballroom and to the gardens at the back of the castle. He knew they wouldn’t be disturbed back here. Most people only kept to the front gardens where the pond was located. It had the best views of the capital city below them and of the castle grounds. 

The back garden was for the family’s private use only. Kirishima didn’t care if Bakugo wasn’t family though. He was tied to him in the most intimate way possible. It was as good as being connected by blood to him. 

Once they were hidden amongst the bushes, flowers and trees, he stopped and pulled Bakugo into his arms. He needed to feel the other against him. He just wanted to be alone together with the quiet serenity of where they were, coupled with the feel of the blonde’s heartbeat against his chest. 

There was no hesitation in Bakugo this time. He wrapped his arms around Kirishima at the same moment the other's arms came around him. They stood there for long moments in complete silence, both with their eyes closed. 

A few moments later, Bakugo pulled back and reached up to set his hands on either side of Kirishima’s face. He stroked his thumb gently over the other’s cheekbone before pulling him down into a kiss they had both been desperately wanting since the moment they laid eyes on one another again. 

At first it was just a simple press of lips against lips, but soon they were pressing closer to one another and licking at the seams of each other’s mouths. Kirishima’s breath hitched as Bakugo’s tongue slid into his mouth and deepened their kiss. He brought his hands to rest at the blonde’s waist and he squeezed tighter as their kiss continued. 

His body was heating up the longer they stayed pressed close together. And wherever Bakugo’s hands touched his body was like a whole new fire igniting inside of him. 

When they pulled back from the kiss, Bakugo couldn’t stop a soft look from creeping into his eyes. This man was the one he was meant to be with. He believed that with his whole heart. And he didn’t want to lie to him anymore. He had to tell him how the rumours about his family were true and that they were in fact descendants of wolves who possessed the ability to shift from wolf form to human at will. 

He reached up, pulling Kirishima down to press their foreheads together and let his eyes shut. Simply collecting his thoughts for a few moments. 

“I wish we’d had more time together growing up.” Kirishima whispered as he brought one of his hands up to card through the long blonde hair cascading down Bakugo’s back. 

“I feel the same Eijiro.” Bakugo gave a sigh as he let himself momentarily get lost in the feel of Kirishima’s presence and touch. 

Slowly he pulled himself away and blinked his eyes open. “I need to come clean about something though.” 

Kirishima let him go, but his heart started racing in his chest at his words. Come clean about what? Was he engaged to someone already? Was all this for naught? Was he going to get this one night of pure bliss and then have to watch the love of his life marry someone else? 

“Hey, hey.” He felt his hands on his cheeks and then Bakugo’s face focused in front of him. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” 

“Am I only going to have tonight?” He asked in a tone that broke Bakugo’s heart. “Do I have to let you go after the ball ends?” 

“No.” Bakugo’s voice was firm and held no room for debate. “I will fight anyone who tries to tell me I have to leave you again. We are meant to be together, Eijiro. Forever. We’re soulmates.” 

Kirishima felt his panic ebbing the more Bakugo spoke. He didn’t know everything about Bakugo, but he knew that he would never lie to him. 

“I refuse to be separated from you for another five years.” Bakugo started again. “From here on out I want to be with you always. But I need you to know something before we pledge ourselves to one another. It might change how you feel about me.” 

“Know something about you?” Kirishima asked, confused. “What do you mean? Like a secret or something?”

Bakugo nodded his head and slowly took a few steps back. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before starting to let his magic spread through him and start to shift into his wolf form. He could feel his bones popping and changing and his spreading across his body and within seconds he was down on all fours looking up at the redhead. He really hoped that Kirishima didn’t think he was some kind of freak for being able to change his form to human or wolf at will. He hadn’t been expecting him to drop to his knees in front of him and gently run his fingers through his fur. 

Kirishima’s breath caught in his throat as he stared into those deep and soulful eyes of the Moon Kingdom’s prince. He smiled softly at the prince in his wolf form and rested his forehead against Bakugo’s for a moment. 

“I need to show you something as well if we’re coming clean.” he said and stood up, moving back enough so that when he shifted he didn’t land on the other. 

His heart was racing, and he could feel his nerves making him jittery. Hopefully his dragon form didn’t scare Bakugo. It would more than likely be devastating if he was. He took a deep breath and with a slight popping sound, he was no longer in his human form. He blinked his eyes open and saw the wolf’s mouth hanging open and eyes wide in shock. 

Bending his head down, Kirishima was careful not to let his horns hurt the other. He rubbed his face against the fluffy fur at Bakugo’s neck and gave a low rumbling sound. Bakugo thought it sounded somewhat like a purr, but not quite. 

Kirishima was… he could change into a dragon?! This was definitely not something he had been expecting, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it only excited him. He knew why the other had kept it a secret from him. It was the same reason that he had kept his wolf form from Kirishima. 

“You’re beautiful like this.” he heard in his mind more than heard it out loud. 

He pulled back to look up at the huge red and black dragon before him. To show that he felt the same as Kirishima, he stood up and licked the side of the dragon’s cheek. The scales protecting him felt smooth under his tongue and not rough as he had been expecting from how they looked in the light of the night sky.

Eventually they shifted back to their human forms and Bakugo couldn’t stop a grin from spreading across his face. The excitement over this was beyond anything he had expected, but definitely wasn’t complaining about. 

“So the legends are true!” he cried out happily. “You ARE descendants of the dragons!” 

“And you’re a descendant of wolves.” Kirishima said with a wide smile for the blonde. “Imagine how our people would react to that knowledge if we were to rule and come clean about it.” 

“We will rule together Eiji.” Bakugo said with a wicked grin as he reached up into his hair and took hold of one of the beads in his dreadlocks. “I will make sure of it.” 

“And how do you propose we do that Katsuki?” Kirishima said looking down at the blonde curiously. 

“By doing this,” he said, finally pulling the bead free from his braid and holding it in the palm of his hand towards the redhead. “Right here. Right now.” 

Kirishima looked from his hand to his face and back again a few times. “Kat…?” 

“I know that convincing our families of this won’t be the easiest thing in the world, but I want to marry you. I want to spend the remaining time I have left in this world with you and only you. I want to rule with you by my side as kings. You knew from the time we met as children that we were meant to be together. It took me a little longer, but I realized that you were right. And since then my feelings for you have only grown in leaps and bounds. I have loved you in my own way from the moment you ran over to me at ten years old. I want to spend the rest of our lives together. And I hope that you feel the same way and want to marry me as well.” 

Kirishima had always imagined that he would be the one to propose first. He pulled the blonde into his arms and hugged him close as he pressed their lips together in a searing kiss. 

“Yes,” he said softly as they pulled away. “Yes, I will marry you. I will do everything in my power to convince my parents to give us their blessing. And if they don’t, well there's plenty of territory that remains unclaimed that we can take as our own and build our own kingdom.” 

Bakugo couldn’t hold the laugh that escaped him at Kirishima’s declaration. “Good. I was hoping that you would say that. Now bend down so I can give you your token of engagement.” 

“Only if you let me give you one in return.” Kirishima said staying right where he was. 

“You have one for me too?” Bakugo asked, genuinely surprised. 

“Of course I do.” Kirishima said with a grin. “I had planned on asking you to become my mate for life tonight at some point. I came prepared.” 

“It’s not a ring is it?” Bakugo asked. He had never liked wearing rings of any kind. 

“No, it’s not. My family exchanges pieces of jewellery for the ear to show we are mated and married.” Kirishima said as he bent his head in order to pull off the cuff he had been wearing on his right ear. 

He held it in his hand for Bakugo to see. It was about a couple of centimetres in length that would hug the side of his ear easily and the details alone on it were enough to have the breath catch in his throat. It had a simple enough engraving on it to imitate dragon scales, but Bakugo knew that the black and red colouring of the cuff itself was to reflect the colours of Kirishima’s own dragon form, and the small dragon hanging from the side of it was meant to be a much smaller version of it. It was gorgeous and the blonde said as much. 

“I had it made special.” Kirishima said a little sheepishly. “I had been banking on you saying yes.” 

“Well put it on me already Eiji.” Bakugo laughed. “Don’t just stand there.” 

With a grin, Kirishima moved over to him and, making sure that his hair was out of the way, slipped the cuff onto his ear. Moving back, Kirishima admired how it looked on Bakugo. The paleness of Bakugo’s hair and skin contrasted beautifully with the black and red tones of the piece. The longer he looked at it, the giddier he felt. 

“You look amazing with that on.” Kirishima breathed out. “Now everyone will know that you and I are to be married.” 

“Not until you have this in your hair.” Bakugo said, holding up what he had taken out of his own hair a few minutes ago. 

Kirishima took the piece of metal from his mate’s hand and looked at it closer. It was beautiful. The top of it was carved to look like the head of a snarling wolf while the body and tail were twisted to hug the hair. And upon closer inspection, Kirishima noticed that the eyes had miniature garnet gemstones that matched the colour of Bakugo’s eyes. 

“Katsuki, it's beautiful.” He gushed and held it out for him to take back, eager for the other to put it in hair for him. 

Bakugo grinned and took the wolf back from him and taking a loose dreadlock between his fingers, started working the wolf onto it. 

“I’ll wear it proudly.” Kirishima said with a smile for the blonde as he finished. 

He cupped the back of his neck and pulled him into a soft, lingering kiss. When they pulled back, he rested his forehead against Bakugo’s. 

“My mate.” He said softly and felt the other shiver at his words. 

The sound of those two words resonated deeply within both men. This was it. This was what they had both dreamed about and wanted to happen. Now all they had to do was convince their families to allow it. They both knew that it wouldn’t be the easiest of tasks to achieve, but they’d be damned if they didn’t get their way. 

“I’ll never take your ear cu-” Bakugo started to say but cut himself off as he saw a deep crimson mark start to appear on the right side of Kirishima’s neck that was making its way down to his collarbone. “Holy shit!” 

Kirishima looked at him confused at the sudden surprised and excited tone. “Katsuki?” 

“You… your neck! It has claw marks on it!” Bakugo had read about some soulmates who had matching marks appear on their bodies once they had accepted one another. He hadn’t realized that it would actually be true. The book he’d found those stories in was from a couple of hundred years ago! He thought it was just a stupid story to romanticize soulmates even more than they already had been.

“Claw mar- our mark!” Kirishima cried out excited as realization hit him like a ton of bricks falling on him. “We have to find yours!” 

Not waiting for the blonde to say anything he started to move his shirt out of the way to inspect his neck and throat. He pouted when he found nothing, but soon smirked. “You’ll need to strip for me to look everywhere.”

Seeing the blonde blush and stutter had him laughing. He loved the look on Bakugo if he was being honest. He wanted to make him blush more often. 

“I just meant to take your jacket off so I can look at your arms and such Katsuki.” 

“Could’ve just said that idiot.” Bakugo grumbled and started undoing the buttons that held his jacket closed. 

Kirishima chuckled and watched him patiently. But the moment he got his first arm free he saw it. Wrapping around his left forearm was what could only be described as red claw marks. They wrapped around his arm in a band and the sight of them made the redhead grin widely. 

“Lets go speak with our parents now.” Kirishima said, his hold on Bakugo’s arm gentle as he gazed down at the claw marks on his skin. “They can’t say no to us now. This is our proof.” 

Bakugo stayed quiet as he stared down at his arm in wonder. He had the same mark on him that Kirishima did. It was there. It was real. He and Kirishima were truly bound to one another now. No one could deny the authenticity of their claim. 

“This is perfect Eiji.” He breathed out. “It’s like your dragon claws scratched all around my arm and left this in their wake.” z

“It’s breathtaking, isn't it?” 

“It is. I’ve never seen anything like it before.” 

Kirishima couldn’t hold in his excitement anymore. He grabbed hold of the blonde in his arms and lifted him off the ground. He spun him in a circle laughing all the while. This was some of the best news he could have asked for. Putting Bakugo back on his feet he stole a quick kiss from him. 

“Alright let’s go find our parents and talk to them about us getting married.” Bakugo said with a small smile on his face for the redhead. 

“We need to figure out how we’re going to do this though.” Kirishima said. “We can’t just go in unprepared.” 

Bakugo looked at him and couldn’t help but laugh a little. He sounded like he was preparing to go into battle or something. Not suggest to his parents that they merge their families by allowing them to get married and bond with one another. 

Now that he thought about it though, taking into consideration how his own mother was… he kind of understood the need. Kirishima didn’t really know how his mother could be all that well, but maybe one of his own parents were similar to his. 

“We go and see them together. First my parents and then yours.” Bakugo said eventually after thinking it over. “I figure my parents would be the more difficult ones to convince.” 

“I don’t know that we should talk to them together.” Kirishima said. “We would be less likely to go on the defensive for each other if our parents were to say something that upsets us.” 

“What do you mean less likely?” 

“If we were to go over to your parents together and say your mom said something to you or about you that I don’t particularly care for, it’s less likely that a scene would be caused if I were there going on the defensive and ruin any chances we did have of convincing them.” 

Bakugo had to admit that the other was right. His mother was likely to do something like that and make things worse. And from the stories about Kirishima that he had heard from people in his army or villagers when he’d been in the market held any truth to them, Kirishima would definitely say something at the very least in his defense. 

“You’re probably right…” 

“So we tackle them separately and then we bring them together to talk things out if need be. Right now our ultimate goal is to get them to agree to let us marry.” 

With their decision made, they started back towards the ballroom hand in hand. Both of them were nervous and you could tell from how warm and clammy their palms were. Everything was riding on being able to convince their families. 

Bakugo knew that if his parents said no, that he would still marry the dragon shifter. He would give up his position as heir to the throne and remain in the Sun Kingdom. 

Once they were outside a side entrance to the ballroom, Kirishima turned to the blonde and gave a smile. “We can do this Katsuki.” 

Bakugo nodded his head and squeezed the other’s hand. He took a deep breath and let his hold on Kirishima’s hand go. They could do this. They would get what they want. What they’d wanted for years now. 

“Once we’ve convinced them we bring them out here to finish discussing anything else that needs to be arranged. Then we announce it to the ballroom.” Kirishima said, looking down at Bakugo. “Agreed?” 

Bakugo nodded his head and followed him back into the ballroom. He couldn’t help the smile from spreading for a moment. He would do this. They were already engaged. They had already pledged themselves to one another. They wore the jewels that proved it. His parents would just have to learn to accept it. 

With that newfound self-assurance, Bakugo made his way to his parents. He held his head high with a smirk spreading quickly. He made sure that anyone who saw him, saw the dragon ear cuff on his ear. 

He could hear the whispers as more and more people took notice of the dragon hanging from his ear. He stopped in front of his parents and inclined his head to show his respect for them. 

“I have to talk to you both. Can we go sit somewhere away from people for a few minutes?” He said and saw the confusion spreading across their faces. 

He felt the second his mother spotted the cuff on his ear though. Her face went from confused to curious to apprehensive in seconds. They both nodded their heads and followed him as he headed to a much quieter spot in the ballroom. 

As he walked he saw Kirishima finally making his way to his parents. Their eyes met for a brief moment and it was all either of them needed to steel their nerves. 

“What have you done?” His mother demanded as soon as they were away from people. 

“What you’ve been nagging at me for months now to do.” He said evenly.  

She reached towards his ear as if to take the cuff off which earned her a growl from Bakugo. He narrowed his eyes and moved his head out of her reach. 

“Touch it and I will rip your fucking hand off.” He snarled. “It’s what was given to me to show I’m his and he has something from me to show he is mine.” 

“Katsuki, who are you talking about?” Masaru asked, wanting answers. 

“The prince of the Sun Kingdom, Eijiro Kirishima.” Bakugo said and both of his parents could hear the pride in his voice. “We’re engaged to be married.”

“You did what?!” Mitsuki yelled at him. “Katsuki do you ever think before you do anything?!” 

“You’ve courted him?” Masaru said much more calmly than his wife. 

“We have, in our own way.” 

“And it was enough to realize that you want to spend the rest of your lives together?” 

Masaru wasn’t doubting his son. He just wanted to understand what was going on. His son had never shown interest in anyone romantically so to suddenly hear that he was engaged to be married was shocking. 

He was watching his son closely for any indication that this wasn’t what he truly wanted when Bakugo started taking his jacket off. Watching him curiously now, Masaru stayed quiet until he saw a mark on his son's forearm and a gasp escaped him. 

“I’ve known for a long time that it was always supposed to be him.” Bakugo was saying. “But then tonight, when we finally accepted one another in the way we’ve always been meaning to… well this appeared on my arm. He now has a mark just like it down his neck.” 

Beside him, Mitsuki was seething. Her breathing was coming out ragged and he could feel the rage coming off of her in waves. But it came to a stop the second she saw the mark on their son's arm. 

“Katsuki is that…?” she demanded. 

“Yes. It’s our soulmark. Eijiro told me about soulmates back when we first met. And what having a crush on someone meant. It was always meant to be Eijiro for me. There’s never going to be anyone else. And nothing either of you say or do is going to change that.” 

Masaru closed the distance between himself and Bakugo and took his arm into his hand. He brought it up closer to his face to get a closer look and his breath hitched a little in his throat. 

“It almost looks as if dragon's claws did this.” he said more to himself than to anyone. 

Bakugo pulled his arm back from his father’s grip. “What did you say?” 

“Dragon claws?” Masaru said. “They look like the ones in the paintings in the throne room from the time of the first kings of our kingdom.” 

Breathing a little easier now that he knew his father didn’t actually know Kirishima’s secret, Bakugo looked at both of his parents. “I came to you with this to get your approval. I don’t want to be the cause of any issues between our kingdoms. But Eijiro is everything to me. I could have died had he not been the one to find me when I went after those bandits all those years ago. He accepts me for me and I him. So will you give us your blessing?” 

“And who exactly will be taking over when we step down if you’re off playing wife to the Sun Kingdom’s heir?” Mitsuki demanded. 

“You have two other children who can take over. It doesn’t need to be me.” Bakugo said evenly. “We don’t even know where we would stay anyways. Here or in our kingdom. It doesn’t have to be decided right this second. I just want to hear you say that we have your blessing.” 

“Of course you don’t!” Mitsuki snarled at the same time that Masaru said, “You have our blessing my boy.” 

The blonde woman turned her gaze to her husband as if demanding what his deal was. 

“Mitsuki, they’re soulmates.” Masaru said, setting a hand on her arm. “We can’t come in between something like that.” 

“Are you being serious?” Bakugo asked and they could both hear the excitement and hope in his voice.

It had been a very long time since either of them had heard that tone coming out of their oldest son. It gave them both pause and it was enough to sway Mitsuki. She heaved a heavy sigh and nodded her head. 

“Yes,” she said and nodded her head again. “You have our blessing.” 

The smile that spread across their son’s face at that was almost blinding. They had never seen a smile so wide or one with such unrestrained happiness in it on his face. However things turned out, they knew that they had to make sure that this marriage worked out between their son and Kirishima. 

Bakugo couldn’t wipe the grin off his face even if he tried to. Now he just had to wait and see what Kirishima’s parents said. He really hoped that things worked out and that they didn’t end up having to come to drastic measures. He took a deep breath and pushed all of the positive thoughts he could muster  to Kirishima. Anything to help them get what they wanted. 

“Eiji!” Kirishima’s mom said with a smile as she saw him approaching them. “We were just about to send out the search squad to look for you!” 

“No need Mama.” he said with a grin for her. “I’m right here. I need to speak with you and Papa though. Privately.” 

“Is everything alright son?” his papa asked, reaching a hand out to rest on his arm. “Nothing’s happened has it?” 

“Nothing bad if that’s what you mean.” 

Most of the tension that had built up in their shoulders seemed to melt away at his reply. He led his parents out of the ballroom by a back entrance. He needed to be able to calm his nerves. He was jittery and he knew it wouldn’t do anything to help him. He caught Bakugo’s eye as he was heading out and it did everything he needed it to. He gave a small smile to the blonde and held the door open for his parents to exit ahead of him. 

“Eijiro what’s that on your neck?” His mama asked when the door had closed and she caught sight of his neck.  

His papa approached him taking hold of his chin and gently turning his head to the side to better see what his wife was talking about. 

“You didn’t have that earlier tonight.” He said. 

“No, I didn’t. It showed up on my skin in the last half hour or so.” 

“Eijiro…” his mother said and he could hear the curiosity in her tone. “Who has the other one?” 

“My intended,” he started and couldn’t help the grin from spreading wide across his face. “Katsuki Bakugo.” 

“The prince?” 

“The one and only.” Kirishima said and took hold of his mother's hand. “It’s why I wanted to speak with you both.” 

“You want to marry this boy.” His father's voice cut through the half formed speech he’d come up with on his way to finding his parents. 

“Very much so.” He said, “I’ve known in some way that he and I were meant to be together since we first met at the last ball. And my feelings have only intensified and increased since then.” 

“You’ve only seen this boy twice though Eiji. You haven’t had enough time to court one another.” 

“Maybe not by normal standards Mama, but we have. Five years ago when I disappeared for a little more than a week? I was with Katsuki at the border of our kingdoms nursing him back to health as best as I could. And when I saw him again tonight well… it solidified everything. We want to bond and marry one another. Leave no room for anyone to doubt that we are one soul finally joined as intended.” 

“You don’t even have anything to give him to show an engagement has been struck.” His mother said. 

“I uh… the cuff I had on my ear earlier was made special for Katsuki. He’s already wearing it and speaking with his parents on the matter.” He replied and lifted the dreadlock that held the twisting wolf. “And this is my engagement gift from him.” 

His mother stepped a little closer to him and took the lock into her hand, bringing it closer to her face. Looking at the wolf and all the details in it, she couldn’t help but be impressed. The craftsmanship and care that went into the making of this was phenomenal. 

“That is a beautiful piece Eijiro.” His father said after he got a good look at it. 

“It is.” Eijiro said with a soft smile as he continued with, “It’s nearly as beautiful as Katsuki.” 

He was looking at the wolf in his hair with the same soft smile when he heard giggling. He looked up and saw that it was his mother who was giggling. 

“What is so funny?” 

“You baby boy.” She said and reached a hand up, cupping his face in her hand. “You may not have courted him in the traditional sense, but I can tell that you love him and that you truly want this.” 

“I do. I do love him and I do want to marry him.” He said meeting their eyes. “I just hope that you will say that you approve.” 

His parents shared a look as he stood there nervously awaiting their answer. He was nervous that they would say no despite knowing how he felt. He knew that his parent’s bond included being able to communicate in small bursts through their minds. He wouldn’t hear a word of their discussion about whether or not to allow him and Bakugo to marry one another. 

Eventually though, they turned to look at him both with slightly reserved looks on their faces. He could feel the butterflies in his stomach erupting frantically in his belly as he looked at them both. Were those looks a good or a bad thing?

“We have no issues with you marrying the Moon Kingdom’s prince Eijiro, but we have a concern.” his father started. 

“It’s heirs isn’t it?” he asked them and when they nodded at him he continued. “I’ll go and see the Witch. I will do what Uncle Taishiro did with his mate.” 

“It’s a painful process Eiji.” his mother said. “Not something to be taken lightly.” 

“I’ve been preparing myself for having to do it ever since I was sixteen Mama. I can and will handle it for our family and for the one I wish to make with Katsuki by doing this.”

“Then we give you our blessing Eiji.” His father said. “We will not stop you and the prince from marrying one another.” 

“Really?!” He asked as a huge grin looked like it was going to split his face open. 

They nodded their heads with a smile and laughed when he wrapped his arms around them both in a tight hug. They were still hugging when they heard footsteps approaching them. The king opened his eyes and saw the object of his son’s affections and his parents. 

“Thank you Mama. Thank you Papa.” Eijiro said, still grinning as he looked at them. 

“Looks like we’re going to have a wedding on our hands to plan.” Mitsuki's voice came from behind her son. 

Pulling away from his parents to look behind him, Eijiro grinned when he saw Katsuki standing there. His arms were crossed over his chest, soulmark proudly on display. He grinned, showing off all of his sharp teeth and rushed over to the blonde, easily taking him into his arms and swinging him around in a circle. Happy noises were escaping the dragon prince as he did. Were he in his dragon form, his tail would be thumping pretty quickly against the floor. 

He set Bakugo back on his feet on the floor and held his face in his hands. He ran his thumb over the scar that marred his skin before leaning down and pressing his lips against his now fiance’s. 

“That’s enough of that for now you two. We have an announcement to make to the ballroom at large I think no?” Kirishima’s father said chuckling and caused them to jump apart. “You can suck face in private after the ball is over.” 

“I’m guessing that the guest chambers we had prepared for you Katsuki will be useless. You’ll be staying with Eijiro throughout your time here I gather?” Kirishima’s mother stated rather than asked. She gave them both a little smile that could be passed as innocent, but was really anything but. 

Both Kirishima and Bakugo blushed crimson at her words, but neither of them said anything to prove her statement wrong. Bakugo tried to pull away entirely from Kirishima then, but the redhead reached for his hand and laced their fingers together, effectively keeping him right beside him. He looked down at his intended and gave him a bright smile. 

“We can do this,” he said squeezing Bakugo’s smaller hand in his own. 

A few minutes later they all walked back into the ballroom and had the music stopped. Kirishima and Bakugo stayed just behind the four monarchs. The announcement would need to come from the Kings and Queens despite them both wanting to scream it out loud on the rooftops. 

Kirishima knew that he should technically be paying attention to what his and Bakugo’s parents were saying to the room at large, but he just couldn’t find it in himself to bother. He was so excited over the fact that they all said that they approve of the match, that he could hardly contain himself. He looked down as he felt the hold on his hand tighten and saw Bakugo giving him a look. 

“Sorry,” he whispered. “Can’t help myself.” 

“We’ll pay attention Shitty Hair.” Bakugo whispered.  

Kirishima tried. He really did. But he was just so happy to be getting exactly what he’d wanted for years now. And having the object of his affections right there beside him, holding his hand? Well, it was the biggest distraction Kirishima had ever had in his life. 

The hand holding his suddenly went slack which caught his attention more than anything. He looked down at Bakugo curiously and saw his eyes wide open and his mouth hanging open. 

“What? What’s wrong?” Kirishima wanted to know. 

“They just said they’re giving us a castle of our own. One that… one that sits directly over the border of our two kingdoms. And a huge amount of land on either side of the borders.” 

Now usually Kirishima wasn’t the type who just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, this was pretty big news. Huge news for that matter. So he could be excused this one time right? 

“YOU’RE GIVING US WHAT?!”

~*~ fin ~*~