Chapter Text
Izuku rode his horse as fast as he possibly could in this storm. He needed to make it to the faerie before it got too bad to travel overseas. The Todoroki kingdom was about a three days' ride away and he needed to save as much time as possible. He squeezed the map he was holding. Once the faerie got past the bridge and to the land, it was an easy trip where he had time to stop at one inn.
“Need help?”
Izuku remembered Shoto offering when he began to pack his things for his new life in the palace. As a prince.
“No, but I could use company.” Izuku smiled. Shoto sighed softly before walking over and patting him on the head with a scroll.
“What’s this?” Izuku questioned as he removed it out of Shoto’s hand.
“It’s a map from your kingdom to mine. If anything ever becomes too much with Bakugo or with anything else, you always have a place with me. In my home. You’re family to me, Midoriya. Closer than my own brothers. I’ll always be here for you no matter what, okay?” Shoto offered and Izuku’s eyes began to water.
“Please remember to write to me!” Izuku cried.
And write they did. Back and forth. Izuku enjoyed Shoto’s insight. He would have the simplest answers to what Izuku always thought were the most complicated problems.
I’m glad you’re adjusting well, send Bakugo my regards.
You know where to find me,
Shoto.
He signed every letter that way. Izuku never thought he would actually take him up on his offer. But he needed to get away and he needed somewhere to go that would be difficult for Katsuki or Toshinori to find him at. The Todoroki kingdom was notorious for their secrets. If Izuku needed somewhere to hide, that would be the best place to remain hidden. Even Katsuki wasn’t able to find the treasure he originally went there to hunt. He walked away with Shoto instead. Izuku just needed to get to that damn faerie.
Suddenly, his horse stopped and trotted back before neighing erratically.
“What’s wrong, Coconut?” Izuku questioned before noticing a man in the middle of the road groaning and holding his side which was bleeding profusely. “Sir! Are you okay?!” Izuku jumped off his horse who then made a break for it.
“COCONUT, WAIT!” Izuku called out when he suddenly felt the cold steel of a dagger against his throat.
“Well well, if it isn’t the Prince himself?”
Izuku felt shivers down his spine as a deep voice thundered in his ear. He carefully glanced at the man next to him who had a deformed face that shook him to his core.
“Who…are you?”
“It doesn’t matter my boy. What matters is, you’re about to die. So I suggest you choose your last words carefully. I’ll be sure to relay them to All Might.” The man laughed and Izuku tried to steady his breathing. He needed to calm down. He needed to not let fear take over.
“Here.”
He remembered the day Katsuki handed him a dagger. It was after the Sakuga town incident. The day after he warned him about bleeding out.
“What’s this?” Izuku asked him.
“You need to be able to fend yourself.” Katsuki had sighed. “I’m not always gonna be around to protect you. There could be a time when you or any of the others are gonna be held captive or something. I don’t want you to trip me up.”
“I don’t really know how to use it…” Izuku pouted.
“I don’t expect you to. I’ll show you how.” Katsuki then grabbed the dagger out of his hand and grabbed Izuku around the waist before pressing it to his throat. “First lesson, fear is your worst fucking enemy.”
“Ka..cchan…” Izuku’s heart raced and he began to sweat.
“What? You think I’m actually gonna kill ya? See, your logic is already leaving your fucking brain.” Katsuki pressed it a bit harder. “This is how they get ya. You have to push that instinct to say and do stupid shit down.”
Izuku reached his hands up toward Katsuki’s and tried to pull the dagger away from his throat.
“See? That shit is dumb. Your instinct tells you: blade, bad. Get it away. But you have to USE YOUR brain. I’m much stronger than you. Pulling my arm away isn’t gonna do shit.” He held Izuku tighter, and gripped the dagger harder making him whimper. “You have to push the part of you that’s giving in to fear down. Fearlessness throws people off. Doing the unexpected increases your chances of survival significantly. Life or Death, Deku.”
Izuku then turned up to look at him and swallowed the lump in his throat as he observed Katsuki’s serious gaze, inches from his own. He looked beautiful as he wore an unreadable expression. Izuku’s fear suddenly became pure adrenaline. He tiptoed and attempted to close the distance between their lips causing Katsuki’s eyes to widen as he dropped the dagger. Izuku then opted to lightly bite his nose making Katsuki blush furiously.
“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!”
Izuku giggled before he picked up the dagger off the floor.
“The unexpected.”
Izuku took a deep breath before chucking at the memory. “I do have last words, sir.” He informed the man.
“Do say them and don’t hold back!” He pushed the dagger harder against Izuku’s throat.
“I hope you don’t taste as bad as you reek…” Izuku said, puzzling the man before he leaned his head back quickly and bit the man’s hand that was holding the dagger.
“AHHH!” The man dropped it, giving Izuku an opening to grab it before guarding the wounded person on the road.
“You. You’re just like him. You have the chance to run but you pick the foolish route instead. Guarding a complete stranger!” He laughed maniacally.
“I protect my people!” Izuku shouted.
“But who protects YOU, Prince?” Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his side.
Izuku struggled to gasp for air when he turned back and noticed where it came from. The fallen man on the road who he was protecting stabbed him with a large sword.
“Y…”
“Yes. HIM.”
“I’m sorry your highness..” The man on the road cried before unveiling his cloak.
“Aoy…ama…kun?” Izuku struggled to speak.
“I’m sorry. I knew you were leaving today and I knew a shortcut.” Aoyama cried. “This man has my family captive. All Might couldn’t find or free them! This was the only way! I truly am sorry…”
Izuku struggled to breathe as the pain took over. The man laughed as he clapped before walking slowly toward Izuku, his large feet clopping in the rain.
“Now. Tell me! What are your REAL LAST WORDS? If you can utter them!”
Izuku wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating. But-
“Ka..cchan…”
“Kacchan?” The man questioned before his head was sliced clean off. Katsuki looming over him on top of his horse, his eyes absolutely feral.
“DEKU!” His voice cracked as he jumped off the horse.
Aoyama shrieked as the man’s body fell and ran as fast as he could.
“GET BACK HERE!” Katsuki demanded before Izuku’s knees gave out and he coughed out blood.
“IZUKU!” Katsuki turned around and rushed to his side, holding him as he tried to hang on to life.
“Ka...”
“Shh..Shh..Izuku baby hold on for me okay? Hold on...”
“I’m sorry..”
“Don’t apologize…Shh..you have nothing to apologize for…” Katsuki kissed his forehead, then his cheeks then his bloody mouth. “I should be the one who’s sorry. I’m sorry. I never believed you when you showed me how much you loved me! I was scared! I was scared you were using me.”
Izuku tried to take in his words as he shakily reached his hands and cupped Katsuki’s soft cheeks.
“My mother before she died, she told me nobody would love the real me. And I believed her! I foolishly believed her, but you proved to me time and time again that was all bullshit! You, who stuck by my side at my worst. You, who waited patiently to have quiet dinners with me! You, who had EVERYTHING but was content with nothing! I thought it was the opposite, Izuku!” Katsuki confessed. “I thought you had nothing and you were using me for everything…But that doesn’t excuse how I treated you! I was awful and I know it, but you loved me regardless. I didn’t get it until I found out you were the prince!” Katsuki cried.
“I…tried to..tell you…I didn’t want to hide it but…” Izuku smiled. “I also wanted to..marry you..You only wanted…to marry me because…I had nothing…so I..kept it to myself…” Izuku cried. “It was selfish..”
“No..no it wasn’t…” Katsuki kissed him again before lifting him and jumping on his horse and turning back to the castle. “I need you to stay with me…please..PLEASE!”
“I..loved watching you live your dream..” Izuku cried. “I don’t want you to give it up…”
“I can’t fulfill that unless you’re by my side. So stay with me, okay?! Stay with me or I’ll never be happy again.” Katsuki whispered in his ear as he kissed his head over and over.
“Kacchan…I love you…”
“I love YOU Izuku. I love you so much…” Katsuki whispered before humming the cherry tree song gently, soothingly. Izuku couldn’t help but feel content as he closed his eyes and the world went black.
“Who are you?”
Izuku woke up in a familiar place. The sun shone down in his hometown. A content little farm village. The grass felt new against his skin and the world was much bigger.
“Stop crying and tell me who you are already!” A tiny Kacchan demanded.
Izuku remembered this day..the best day of his life.
“I..Izuku..”
“I didn’t hear that!” The blonde tyke huffed.
“ITS IZUKU!” Izuku cried as he held his bleeding knees. A few of the bigger kids had pushed him off the swing he was happily swinging on and Katsuki had come over and ripped them a new one before throwing stones at their head.
“Huh? Deku?” Katsuki taunted.
“NO ITSIZUKU!”
“Okay Deku! How come I haven’t seen you round before!” Katsuki pouted.
“Mama was scared to let me outside..I have allegories.”
“You mean allergies?”
“Yeah!” Izuku nodded.
“So then how come you’re outside now?” Katsuki crossed his arms.
“I’m a REBEL!” Izuku balled his fists before sneezing, making Katsuki laugh.
“Okay Mr. Rebel. I’m Katsuki! Your new leader!” He jumped in the pile of leaves in front of Izuku, making his sneezing worse.
“KaTCHki?”
“Katsuki!” Katsuki said bitterly, making Izuku laugh.
“Kacchan!”
“Sure. Just go with that.” The little guy rolled his eyes. “Your SUPREME LEADER KACCHAN.” He then corrected.
“Okay Kacchan!” Izuku smiled. “Want to play?”
The two did all sorts of things that day. Izuku was absolutely enamored by the kid in front of him. He had a confidence that made Izuku want to follow him everywhere. He seemed to know everything even though his tiny self was probably just making it up.
“What’s THIS?” Izuku pointed to a caterpillar.
“THAT'S a worm monster! Be careful, it will implant itself in your brain and take over!” Katsuki informed him, making Izuku screech and hide behind him. “Don’t worry though. I’ll be here to protect you. Follow me, and you’ll have nothing to fear!”
“KATSUKI GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!” A shrill woman’s voice screamed, making Katsuki’s eyes widen in uncharacteristic fear.
“THAT'S THE OLD HAG! RUN DEKU!”
“Okay!”
And ran, they did. Izuku ran and ran laughing with all the joy he could muster.
The chill fall air made him wheeze while he ran but chasing after the boy in front of him made him feel weightless. A thrill he had never felt in his entire 4 year long life. He could chase Kacchan forever.
Look at me, I’m a cherry tree
“Wait Kacchan!” Izuku laughed.
The wind tries to blow and bury me
“I have to go, Deku…”
But my trunk is strong and my leaves are free
“Marry me!”
So the fruit I bear tastes heavenly
“I love you so much…”
Izuku gasped for air as he woke up in a hospital bed with his mother by his side crying and singing to him.
“Mama?” Izuku breathed heavily.
“MY IZUKUUU! YOU'RE AWAKE!” She wailed before holding him and sobbing, stroking his wet hair.
“Where…are we?”
“We’re in the palace infirmary my dear!” She planted a million little kisses on his head as Izuku held his side and registered everything that just happened.
“Where’s…Ka-”
“DEKU!” Rody ran in with a bouquet of flowers followed by Monoma who was also concerned.
“You’re awake, your highness!” Monoma sighed in relief. “I was afraid we’d lose you.”
“Don’t scare me like that again!” Rody scolded.
“I’m sorry…” Izuku laughed softly.
“I’m never doing you another favor you hear! When Coconut came back and not you, I freaked out!”
“If Rody hadn’t sent the royal nurses out to find you, you’d have for sure been a goner. You AND Bakugo.” Monoma informed him.
“Kacchan?! What’s wrong with Kacchan?!” Izuku began to panic.
“He’s alright dear. He’s alright. He just has a fever from the cold and rain.” Inko informed him as she stroked his hair. “He didn’t wear a riding cloak, you see, nothing to keep him from getting soaked. But the nurses expect him to make a full recovery.”
“I need to see him…” Izuku stood up before immediately collapsing back down.
“You'll be able to shortly. He’s just getting his bearings back now. He’s a strong one, that boy..” Toshinori’s voice startled everyone in the room who immediately stood up.
“Your highness.” Monoma bowed followed by Rody.
“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like a moment alone with him.”
“Of course!” Rody nodded as he and Monoma left the room.
“I’ll be right outside if you need anything my dear.” Inko kissed his head once more before leaving the room.
“Toshinori-Sama..I-” Izuku began to tear up. The older man wrapped his arms around Izuku before sighing.
“I was so worried about you!” All Might cried. “What were you thinking?! Taking off in the rain like that!”
“I…I was scared! I never wanted to be a prince.” Izuku admitted. “I just wanted to have cool adventures like you and be by Kacchan’s side! He’s worked his entire life for this, and he was willing to give it up, all for me! All so he can prove he loves me because I couldn’t accept it! And…I couldn’t let him do that!” Izuku cried.
“I understand young man.” Toshinori rubbed his hair gently. “But you must confront your fears head on. Not run away from them.” Toshinori pat Izuku’s head. “This wound of yours is my fault!” He gently touched his injury. “Young Aoyama is actually even braver than me. He purposefully hit you in a non-fatal spot. And he laced his weapon with an herbal medicine that slows bleeding! He likely didn’t have a choice. The man that young Bakugo killed was one of my biggest adversaries. I failed to kill him years ago! Keeping my pride that I would crush his goals while he lived to watch. But I should have ended it when I had the chance…Now look at you.” All Might sighed.
“I’m okay!” Izuku smiled.
“You don’t have to lie to him, Deku.” Katsuki’s voice interrupted them.
“Kacchan!” Izuku’s eyes watered.
“I will leave you to talk.” All Might stood up. As soon as he left the room and shut the door, Izuku stood up and Katsuki rushed to his side, sitting him gently on the bed.
“Hey! Don’t stand up, you need to-”
But he couldn’t finish that sentence as Izuku kissed him passionately, wrapping his arms around him tightly.
“Mm..Dek-” Katsuki tried to break away but Izuku couldn’t keep his lips off of him.
“He said talk not kiss…” Katsuki whispered hoarsely.
“Do you not wanna kiss me?”
“I wanna do much more than kiss you but we NEED to talk.” Katsuki chuckled.
Izuku sighed happily as he stared at Katsuki remembering what he told him when he was laying in his lap in the rain.
“I believe you…” Izuku whispered. “I feel it now! I felt it before too but I was too scared to embrace it!” He grabbed Katsuki’s hand and placed it on his heart. “You love me…” He teared up.
“I do.” Katsuki smiled before kissing Izuku’s forehead. “You kept sayin’ you didn’t know what you did to earn it, but you don’t have to EARN how I feel about you Izuku. I should have allowed myself to feel it the whole time ‘cause you’re…you’re the definition of what love is to me! No one else can make me feel the way you do. Just by smiling at me every day and continually seeing the best in me, even when I’m the worst…you…you’re IT Deku. Having you by my side is the only way I can keep living’!”
“Kacchan I-” Izuku couldn’t resist before kissing him again. “I’m sorry I almost left without giving you the chance to tell me how you feel! I got scared because I love YOU and I can’t have you giving up any part of who you are. Even the rough parts, so please…” Izuku crawled onto his lap before resting his head on Katsuki’s chest. “Please just keep being you and I’ll be there every step of the way…and if anything happens to me, keep living because I will always be right here, in your heart, cheering you on. I love you!” He kissed him.
“I love YOU, idiot!” Katsuki kissed him again.
“Can we…” Izuku kissed him once more. “Go back to our bedroom?”
“Nuh uh! You need rest!” Katsuki ordered.
“Which is WHY I want to go there.” Izuku pouted.
“You and I know damn well we’re not getting any rest in that room.”
All Might realized at that point he should definitely stop his eavesdropping as he walked into the hallway and spotted Inko nervously fiddling with her skirt.
“He’ll be alright.” Toshinori smiled at her before placing a hand on her shoulder.
“I know he will. My boy is strong!”
There was an awkward silence before Toshinori sighed. “You know he took her with him.”
“Huh?” Inko blinked at her husband, confused about what he was referring to.
“Young Bakugo. That necklace he wears has his mother’s ashes.”
“But, the grave!” Inko gasped.
“Is but a mere stone in her memory, the young man told me so.” Toshinori smiled as a flash of emotions flashed across Inko’s face.
“There is a room for you here my dear…I’m sure Izuku would be much happier that you are here and taken care of, and just a little less lonely.”
Toshinori held out his hand which had the necklace that Katsuki always wore around his neck. “He wanted you to have it on condition that you stay in the kingdom with Izuku. But I wouldn’t hold it against you if you took it and went back anyway.”
Inko gently touched it before she burst into tears remembering all the great memories with Mitsuki.
“I’m telling you, Inko-Chan. You need to marry someone RICH!” Mitsuki laughed.
“I want to marry someone I love…” Inko blushed at the woman’s bright smile.
“Love Shmove. I want only the best for you!” Mitsuki wrapped her arms around her as she traced her arm up and down sending goosebumps down Inko’s spine.
“But no one will compare to you, Mitsuki-Chan!” Inko said sweetly.
“EXACTLY” Mitsuki cheesed. “So just marry the person who’s gonna look out for ya when I’m gone.”
Inko put the necklace on and smiled at Toshinori.
“I’ll stay here. For Izuku. And-”
“Hm?” Toshinori raised his eyebrow.
“I hope to get to know you better too Toshinori.” She blushed.
“I’m glad to hear it!”
A couple of months passed and Katsuki geared up for his first big mission tracking Aoyama down and freeing his parents.
“Alright, no matter how scared the guy is, the Prince wants him ALIVE, got it?!” Katsuki ordered. “No killing him! But maybe a stab to the side won’t hurt.”
“SIR YES SIR!” The soldiers saluted him as they all went to find their individual horses.
“Look at you, Sir Kacchan!” Izuku teased as he wrapped his arms around his husband’s waist.
“How long were you standing there, squirt?” Katsuki ruffled his hair.
“Long enough to hear you DEFINITELY WON'T ALLOW ANYONE TO STAB AOYAMA IN THE SIDE.” Izuku said loudly.
“Yes, your highness…” All the soldiers groaned disappointed.
“Hm!” Katsuki pouted.
“I just came to give you this…” Izuku blushed as he pulled out a single chrysanthemum. “For good luck.” He blushed.
Katsuki recognized the flower from the bouquet Izuku had first tried to give him and his heart beat quickly knowing this beautiful man in front of him was willing to give him a second chance with his pure sensitive open heart. Katsuki laced the flower in his hand before kissing Izuku’s lips gently.
“Thank you.” He smiled at him. A genuine smile that showed his true emotions because he could trust Izuku with them.
“Come back safe, okay?” Izuku demanded.
“I will! See you at dinner?”
“See you at dinner!” Izuku smiled so brightly that Katsuki wanted to fall to his knees and hold onto him and never let him go. This man who loved him. The real him. Forever and always.