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Chapter Text

The sun peeked in through Izuku’s window has he rolled over on his mat. His mother and him weren't poor, but they weren't too well off either. They had a small town house and some basic furniture but it was nothing fancy like the rich people in Ba Sing Se had. When he heard another shingle fall of the roof, he decided it was time to get up. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he really didn't want to re-shingle the house again. But if it needed to be done, it needed to be done. Izuku stood, rolling his pallet up and beginning his day.

He plodded into the the kitchen, finding his mother cooking some eggs.

“Morning Izuku!”

He smiled and watched her cook over the stove. “Good morning. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Inko hummed in thought. “Well, nothing breakfast wise, but can you run the stand for me today? I’m going to Kyoshi to catch up with Hizashi.”

Izuku smiled. “Tell Aizawa I said hi.” Hizashi and Aizawa used to be their neighbors a long time ago, but they both moved over to Kyoshi Island to get more business. After all, Kyoshi Island got way more visitors than their little town. Izuku supposed this was a good thing, considering that the Fire Nation would just love to conquer them. So the quieter the better… right?

Inko chuckled and took their eggs off the stove, nudging Izuku over to the low table. “Don't worry, I'll let them know you miss them. Let’s eat. When was the last time we ate breakfast together?”

He apologized for having to rush around in the mornings all the time as they began to dine and make small-talk. And soon enough, he found himself manning their fruit stand all by himself. Business was fairly slow for a market day, so Izuku guessed everyone just felt like being lazy today. He did get to catch some town gossip though, such as who was dating who, or who had the better watermelons this year, but he caught a snippet of a conversation between two older men that intrigued him.

“Yeah, didn't you hear? My cousin in one of the Fire Nation colonies says there's rumors that the own Fire Lord’s heir ran away a couple weeks ago!”

Izuku froze and strained to listen. He pretended rearrange the apples so he could lean closer. No one talks about the war around here. Since they're not in direct danger, it's just easier for everyone to not talk about it. That irritated Izuku; he wanted to help his country instead of just idly sitting by. But someone had to watch his mother and the fruit stand right? He couldn't leave...

“Really?” the second man laughed. “Wow, maybe that kid’s on our side, eh? Wouldn't he be useful to us?”

The other man shook his head. “Could be spying. Maybe it's all a ruse to gain our trust. He is Fire Nation after all, can't trust ‘em if you ask me.”

The two started walking to the other market stands, and Izuku continued leaning over the produce shelves until he nearly jumped out of his skin at a sudden hand on his shoulder. He steadied himself quickly, and whirled around to come nose to nose with sharp red eyes and ridiculously spiky red hair that clashed with his  mossy green robes. The boy’s grin revealed his dragon-like teeth.

“Who ya spyin’ on this time, Izu?”

Izuku hasilty picked up some of the apples he knocked over so he wouldn't have to meet Eijirou’s eyes. “Ah- it’s nothing, just some guys talking about a rumor.”

Eijirou put his hands on his hips and gave Izuku a stern look. “First off, it’s rude to eavesdrop. Second off, we have training remember? You don't have time to gossip if you want to beat me as the best earthbender in town!! You have a long way to go, young grasshopper, you can't sit around!”

Izuku sighed and faced Eijirou. “First off, didn't I tell you not to call me ‘young grasshopper’; we’re the same age!” this earned a playful huff from his teacher. “And second off, I’m sorry I can't train today. My mother went to Kyoshi Island to visit with some old friends, so I have to hold down the fort.”

Eijirou rolled his eyes. “Excuses, excuses. But you better be ready to work your butt off tomorrow!”

Izuku gave him a doubtful hum as Eijirou left to attend his other “grasshoppers”. Eijirou was the local earthbending master after most of the able-bodied men left for the war. So Eijirou took pride in teaching the local kids the earthbending basics. Since Izuku’s bending appeared only a few months prior, Eijirou went to special lengths to get Izuku up to speed with all of his other students. But for some odd reason, the ridiculous earthbender insisted  on calling all of his students “grasshoppers”. He liked calling Izuku “young grasshopper” since he was behind from everyone else. But despite his lack of knowledge in the field, Izuku was a surprisingly strong earthbender. The only issue was he lacked reflexes and control. He was definitely Eijirou’s favorite “grasshopper”.

Aside from the occasional checkup from his friend, Izuku’s day dragged on. He smiled and gave people the best fruit he had, but he was really just waiting for the day to be over so he could close up shop.

Finally once the sun had dipped down past the horizon, Izuku started piling up all the fruits he hadn't sold that day to take back to the house. As he was mentally cataloging which fruits hadn't sold, a stranger riding an ostrich-horse dismounted in front of the stand. Izuku didn't pay him a second mind, and simply said, “Sorry, sir. We’re closed for the-” He froze in his tracks once he felt a blade upon his neck.

“If you scream I'll slit your throat.” the stranger rasped behind him.

Izuku weighed his options momentarily as he raised his arms almost like he was surrendering. “Alright alright…” His attacker was about to say something else until Izuku acted on what little training he had. He swiftly grabbed the hand with the knife and pointed it down, while using his other arm to elbow the stranger in the gut sending him staggering backwards. Izuku tried to take the knife out of his hand but the attacker was able to keep a grip on it. The attacker jerked the knife back close to him, grazing Izuku’s right arm. The shaky earthbender pivoted to face his attacker and settled into his sparring stance. The attacker huffed and charged at him, but Izuku was able to send a wall of rock at him just before the knife reached his body. The wall hit the stranger in the jaw and sent him flying backwards where he hit his head on the hard earth. Izuku's blood ran cold. He didn't mean to kill anyone; he was just trying to defend himself!

“Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry I didn't mean to hit you that hard are you ok?” He approached the attacker only to find he was out cold. Izuku kneeled and pressed his ear against the stranger’s chest. Oh thank the spirits. He was still breathing. Izuku couldn't just leave this poor guy outside when it was getting late, could he? So he pulled the unconscious stranger onto his ostrich-horse and carried him back to the town house. There, he found some cushions and gently laid the stranger down on them.

Izuku dug around for their spark rocks and lit the stove, making some tea for the both of them. He glanced back over to the stranger who was still unconscious, and Izuku was finally able to get a good look at him. Red and white hair were mixed together from being jostled on the ostrich-horse, and he realized that not only was the stranger his age, but wasn’t he sort of…attractive? During their fight the stranger had worn a mask that covered his nose and mouth, apparently it had slid down to his neck at some point during the trip to the town house. Now he could see that his attacker was actually quite handsome. The curious earthbender noticed a red scar marring the strange boy’s face. He looked like he had been through some tough times. He was thin, but still really fit since it was hard for Izuku to attempt to restrain him. Izuku guessed he might have been trying to rob him for food... He frowned and wondered what this boy’s story could possibly be.

Before he could ponder anymore, the stranger’s eyes began to flutter open as he woke up. With a groan, the boy sat up and stretched before noticing he wasn’t alone. Izuku could see him tense up and prepare to fight again, so he put his hands up as a sign of peace. “Hey, hey,” he started calmly, “It’s ok, I don’t wanna fight you again.”

The boy eyed his new host, but then relaxed slightly.

Izuku took that as a sign of trust. He brought over the pot of tea and two cups and sat across from the stranger. While he was pouring them tea, Izuku took note of the stranger’s dual-colored eyes. Very interesting indeed. After they both drank they tea in silence for a few moments, Izuku tried to get some answers out of him.

“So do you have a name-”

“You're bleeding.” The stranger cut him off in a flat tone, gazing at Izuku's right arm.

“... Excuse me…?” The complete disregard of the question threw Izuku so much that he didn't even register what the boy had said.

“You're bleeding. Your right arm.”

Izuku snapped out of it and checked his arm. Sure enough there was a long scrape that was beginning to drip and stain his clothes. How did he not notice? He set down his tea and muttered a thanks to the stranger. He excused himself to the kitchen to retrieve bandages that they had in one of the cabinets.

After the bandaged himself up, he brought the roll of bandages back with him to the living room.

“What about you, huh? I hit you harder than I meant to. I’m sorry.”

The stranger shook his head; Izuku made a mental note of a purple and blue spot forming on the boy’s chin. “Never apologize for that much strength. It was a stupid move, I could have slit your throat right there if I wanted to. It was stupid move, but a strong one I’ll give you that.”

The earthbender wasn't sure whether that was a compliment or not. “Uh… Thank you…?”

The stranger nodded. “Also… why did you help me…? I just tried to rob you,” the stranger commented, taking another sip of his tea. “I've never met someone stupid enough to let an attacker in their house and serve them tea.”

Izuku laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I knocked you out, and I was afraid I killed you.” The earthbender looked down at his tea. “I couldn't just leave you there…”

The stranger gazed at him. “You let in someone that you don't even know the first thing about…?”

Izuku felt like he was a child being scolded. “I asked your name, but you cut me off…”

“You were bleeding.”

The earthbender opened his mouth to argue but he couldn't find anything to say to that. “Touché… But you never answered me.”

“Hm?”

“Your name.”

The stranger squinted at him. “So you don't recognize me in the slightest?”

Izuku quirked an eyebrow. “Should I…?”

After a tense moment the stranger spoke up again. “Forget I said that… The name’s Lee.”

Based on the last question Izuku bet that wasn't his real name, but he went with it anyway. “Ok, I’m Izuku. Nice to meet you, Lee.” He gave him a small bow and the stranger returned it. “I haven't seen you around here before, where are you from?”

Lee hesitated. “Kyoshi Island, I’m headed to Ba Sing Se.”

Izuku hummed and continued to play along with Lee’s lie. Izuku knew or had seen almost everyone on Kyoshi Island. If Lee was really from Kyoshi, Izuku would have seen him before. He also remembered that the stranger had ridden into town, if he was coming from Kyoshi he would have been on a boat. But all the same Izuku smiled and pressed further, trying to see how long the stranger would keep up his act. “Wow, that's a long journey. Do you have family there?”

Lee glanced at the ground for a moment. “Just… Distant relatives…”

Izuku hummed, noting that Lee had started shifting uncomfortably. He poured the boy another cup of tea. “You know that's so funny, because my mom’s at Kyoshi right now. She's actually visiting our old neighbors Aizawa and Hizashi. Do know them by any chance? Kyoshi’s a small island.” Lee glared at him, but the tenacious earthbender kept going. “My mom and I go to Kyoshi all the time. It's weird that I've never run into you before-”

“Ok stop.” Izuku fell silent and waited for him to continue. “Alright alright, you got me. My name isn't Lee and I’m not from Kyoshi Island.”

He could almost smirk. “I figured… So who are and where are you from, really?”

“And why do you wanna know?”

Izuku shrugged. “We don't get a lot of action around here. Just curious I guess.”

The stranger eyed Izuku up and down. “I'll tell you what, you tell me about yourself and I'll think it over. But I'm sure you'd rather not know.”

Izuku watched the boy before him, a scowl plastered on his face. Izuku wondered who would want to go unnoticed. All kinds of criminals and fugitives, sure. But did this boy really look like a criminal…? Yes he tried to rob Izuku, but he felt different from other criminals. Izuku had to tell the boy about himself or he wouldn't get any information, so he gazed down at the ground and wondered where to begin. “Well, I’m a late-bloomer earthbender. All the other kids’ bending appeared around age three and mine only appeared a few months ago. I've been taking special lessons though, so I’m almost caught up! My mom and I run a fruit stand together after my dad left for the war. He and most of the men of the village left when I was about six. We haven't heard from any of them since…” The earthbender trailed off as he started fiddling with his hands.

“I'm sorry to hear that.”

Izuku's head shot up to meet the stranger's dual-colored eyes. Earnest, and caring. That was definitely something Izuku hadn't seen coming.

“I know what it's like to lose a parent. My father sent my mother away when I was just barely five years old. To this day, I don't know whether she’s dead or alive, I just know she's out here somewhere.”

Izuku could feel himself growing more curious. “So you left to go find her?”

“Sure… Let's go with that.”

The earthbender smiled. “Well I hope you find her.” Izuku was sincere about that. If he could see his dad again he was be the happiest person in the world, so he understood the longing for a parent. He noticed the stranger's lips curve upwards ever so slightly.

“You know… You're really different than anyone I've met before.”

Izuku chuckled. “I'll take that as a compliment.”

“It is a compliment. Most of the people I run into don't deserve your kindness.”

The earthbender felt his cheeks heat up. “It's no big deal…”  However much he wanted to not ask, he couldn't help but feel the curiosity eating him away. “So… are you really going to Ba Sing Se?”

The stranger rolled his eyes. “You really won't let up, will you?” with a sigh he continued, giving Izuku the iciest gaze he has ever seen. Izuku had finally cracked him… but was it worth it? The stranger lost all the happiness he had a few moments ago…  “My name is Shouto, crown prince of the Fire Nation. I ran away. Because of that, there's quite a bounty over my head, and I'm basically a fugitive. Don't worry. I'll be out of your hair by morning.”

Izuku couldn't breathe. The prince! The runaway prince he heard about this morning! Is here in his living room! Izuku didn't know what to say. Why wasn't he trying to conquer the village or something? Why was he here? Why did he run away? So many questions swirled around Izuku until he heard Shouto snicker.

“I told you. No one wants to trust the son of the most evil man in the world.”

The earthbender managed to find his voice. “So are the rumors that you're on our side true…?”

Shouto shrugged. “Sure. I don't want anything to do with that old man. He's terrible. I don't want to be involved with his evil empire.”

Izuku smiled. “Well then, you're welcome in my house anytime. You probably need a place to stay right?”

Shouto’s jaw dropped. “You'd hide the enemy in your own house?”

“But you're not the enemy, you said you were on our side.”

“I am, but I'm a firebender and royal blood. What would the village think if they found out you're hiding the Fire Nation prince in your house?”

“Well then they won't find out.” Izuku grinned at his new house guest, who looked quite dumbfounded.

“You… really are different…”

Izuku giggled and went to set up Shouto a place to sleep. Who knew the prince of the enemy could be nice? He stood and went to look for the spare mats they kept for company. He could feel the prince’s gaze on his back the whole time. He’ll have to find more out about this prince.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke up to the sun shining directly on his face, chasing away foggy dreams of cold tea and red and white hair. He slowly sat up and stretched. Had it all been a dream…? Did he just dream up that wonderful and interesting stranger…? Getting up to put his mat away, Izuku realized it was in fact not a dream, having remembered that he gave his own cot to Shouto. There was no sign of said cot on the floor to put away. So, if I wasn't a dream…

Shouto! How could he have been so stupid? Shouto said he would be leaving, and Izuku had to stop him! Shouto might not find another place to stay! More importantly, he could get recognized if he's not careful!

Rushing into the living area, Izuku frantically searched for signs that Shouto had left before he could wake up.

The window! If Shouto had left, his ostrich-horse would be gone as well! Gazing out the back window, Izuku saw the ostrich-horse still tied up the post where he had left it last night. So Shouto's still here…  Soft snores came from the other side of the room. Izuku turned and smiled softly when he saw a mess of red and white hair curled up in the corner of the room. The earthbender sighed in relief.

Quietly slipping out of the house, Izuku fed the ostrich-horse and drew a pail of water. He snuck back into the house and into the kitchen where he put the kettle on and opened the cabinet, searching for something to make for breakfast. Rice. Flour. Nothing else that he wouldn't have to sell later. So, rice it is! He frowned. Shouto was probably used to much more… diverse… food options, but Izuku didn't have anything else to offer. He was sure that his guest had probably noticed the less-than-wealthy living standards by now. But there was nothing the earthbender could do about that right now, so he just prepared the rice and tea.

Once the rice was almost done, the earthbender noticed the runaway prince beginning to stir. Izuku brought the teapot to the table and poured two cups. Shouto slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, peering at the earthbender.

"Good morning, Shouto!" Izuku greeted warmly. "Breakfast is almost done if you're hungry."

The prince blinked before completely registering what Izuku had said, and lowered his head in thanks before scooting closer to the table to reach his tea. Shouto looked a lot different than he had the night before, he was still wearing the same clothes, but he looked almost… softer. Like the sleep that was still weighing on his eyelids gave him a more domestic and childlike essence. It was cute. Izuku never thought that he could get this attached to a stranger in just a few hours, but here he was. The earthbender subtly checked Shouto's chin to see how it was doing. There was still a bluish-purple splotch on the prince's jaw, but it didn't look as swollen as it did last night. It did look a little tender though. Shouto didn't seem to notice.

After a moment of silence, the prince's voice pulled Izuku out of his thoughts. "I want to thank you again for offering me a place of refuge." Shouto only briefly made eye contact, but his voice contained the utmost sincerity. "Especially after what I did to you last night. You're very kind."

Izuku felt his cheeks flaring a bright red as he waved a hand in dismissal. "No, no, no, it's no trouble at all. You're welcome here anytime!" Izuku stood and walked back to the stove. "Th-The rice is done. You must be hungry after coming all this way, right?" He shakily served them both a bowl of rice and decided that focusing on the food might quell his nerves. Why was he so nervous again…?

"Thank you, again."

"Ah, it's no big deal." Izuku fumbled with his chopsticks before catching them. "Sorry, I'm sure you're used to a more… substantive… spread, but I haven't stocked the pantry recently…"

Shouto shook his head. "No, you don't need to apologize for anything-" Before he could finish, the door busted open. The door revealed a short and rather chubby woman with mossy hair.

"Izu!!! I'm back!" Inko was standing in the doorway with three suitcases in hand.

The earthbender jumped up and rushed over. "Mom! Here, let me help you with those!" He took two of her bags. "Why are you back so early? I thought you were going to be gone for a week."

Inko smiled as she and Izuku put her bags away. "Well, we were halfway to Kyoshi when a storm hit, and we had to turn around. The ship was a little damaged so they're fixing it right now. They said they would resume operations by tomorrow though, so hopefully, I won't be too late!"

Izuku's eyebrows raised at ‘storm'. "A storm? Is everyone ok?"

"Don't worry, we were all fine, just one of those freak thunderstorms." Inko walked back into the kitchen and noticed the visitor, who seemed a little disoriented by the unexpected exchange. "Oh! Hello! You must be one of Izuku's friends!" She leaned over to the earthbender and whispered loudly, "I didn't think you'd be bringing boys home till you were older! My, you kids grow up so fast!"

Izuku's cheeks burned. "Mom! It's not-! He's not-!" He frantically looked at Shouto and his mother, panic consuming him. What would Shouto think of him now? Now that his mother could see right through him, all hope was lost.

"Uh, Sorry to visit unexpectedly, ma'am." The prince stood from his place at the table and bowed to Inko. He looked about as uncomfortable as the earthbender, but he hid it better. "My name is Lee and I'm just passing through. Your son was kind enough to let me spend the night."

Inko smiled and returned the bow. "Well, a nice young man like you is welcome here anytime. I'm Inko Midoriya, Izuku's mother. But you can just call me Inko!"

Wow, Shouto got calm really fast. He must be used to being under pressure- especially since his father is the Fire Lord… Taking a deep breath, the earthbender decided he should follow the prince's lead. "I made breakfast. You should sit down and join us, mom."

Inko smiled and ruffled Izuku's hair. "Aww, look at my little man being a good host."

Izuku let out an embarrassed huff and fixed his mother a bowl of rice. Soon enough all three of them were sat at the table enjoying a nice breakfast. The earthbender was able to steal a few glances at his guest. He seemed to be enjoying himself, a small smile gracing his normally stoic features. It was nice. He wondered when was the last he and his mother had a third person to dine with. Kacchan hadn't come around in a while, Eijirou had his own family, and Aizawa and Hizashi moved so it had just been him and his mother for a while. But it wasn't just him and his mother right now, Shouto was there. Well, that in itself was a problem because of the need to lie, but company is company.

Just as Izuku was zoning out, his mother’s voice pulled him out of this thoughts. “So where are you from, Lee?” Speaking of lying…

Without missing a beat Shouto answered. “Whaletail Island.” Huh, he must have fixed his story.

“Oh, that's not too far from here! I’m glad to have visits from neighbors!” She ate another bite of rice before continuing. “So where are you headed?”

“Ba Sing Se. We have distant family there and I thought I should pay a visit.” Izuku noticed Shouto was becoming more and more stiff. He was avoiding too much eye contact with his mother and kept focusing on his food. Lying must take its toll even on a master. Inko was already hitting the prince with another question before the earthbender could save him. Hang in there Shouto.

“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you look like one of those mixed nation kids. Is one of your parents from the water tribe? Sorry, I’m just curious.”

The earthbender’s jaw dropped. Mixed? Izuku quickly tried to smooth things over before Shouto became too offended. “Mother I don't know if-”

Shouto cut him off. “No, it’s alright.” The prince wasn’t gripping his chopsticks as hard, and his shoulders were rolled back and relaxed. “My mother is actually from the Southern Tribe.” There seemed to be a glint of happiness in his eye. But wasn’t he lying? He was the crown prince of the Fire Nation, not some scrappy mixed nation kid from Whaletail Island. Considering how his family was, Shouto might have found happiness in the fantasy families he created. “She was one of the strongest benders in the tribe.” A smile ghosted itself on the prince’s lips. The pure look of fondness on the firebender’s face left Izuku speechless. Shouto looked like he almost believed the lies himself.

Inko smiled. “You must be an excellent waterbender then.”

Shouto shook his head. “She was never around to teach me, I’ve been trying to learn on my own, but it hasn’t been successful.”

“Well I wish you the best of luck!”

The prince nodded thanks.

Izuku was completely dumbfounded. How was Shouto able to lie so well? He needed to speak to him alone. Looking around for inspiration, the earthbender noticed an empty water bucket.

“Hey, Sh-Lee do you mind helping me get some water to wash dishes?”

The prince shot him a quizzical glance, but obliged anyway even though he knew that the earthbender was perfectly capable of getting water on his own.

Once by the well, Izuku let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He turned and faced Shouto and started grilling him. “How were you able to lie so well? Why did you let it snowball? There’s no way you’re going to remember a cover story like that!”

Shouto jumped back from Izuku like he had been burned. “Cover story? Most of that was the truth.”

“The truth…? But you said you were-” he glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “ The prince. How can you also be a mixed nation kid from Whaletail Island?”

The prince’s face fell, and Izuku wished he hadn’t pried too much. “It’s a long story…”

“Well I have time. I’m sorry if I pushed too much, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Meeting the other’s gaze, Shouto let out a sigh and gestured to the lip of the well. “You might want to sit down for this.”

They both sat, thighs touching but neither seeming to care. After a long pause, Shouto’s soft but firm voice filled the silence.

“My father wanted the strongest benders in the world. Even those more powerful than the Avatar. My mother was really from the Southern Tribe, and she was the most powerful female bender in the South Pole. Because my father married outside of the Fire Nation, he kept her a secret. Her cover story was that she was from one of the rural Fire Nation islands, not from the Water Tribe. His goal? To create a mixed bender, the first of its kind. And the only person besides the Avatar to wield more than one element.” Shouto paused and his eye met the ground. “He tried and tried many times, but I was the only success…”

“Wait… So you can firebend and waterbend?”

Shouto nodded and his eyes didn’t leave the ground. “I’m not supposed to exist, Izuku. I’m not natural.” The prince gripped the lip of the well so tight his knuckles turned white. The earthbender noticed frost forming on Shouto’s right side. He reached for the prince’s left, only it was steaming. Shouto was slipping.

“Hey, hey.” Izuku started in a soft, low voice. “It’s ok. It might not be natural, but it’s what makes you different, right? It’s what makes you who you are, and that’s amazing. Having two elements instead of one could be a great advantage. You just have to learn how to control it.”

The prince’s eyes looked up and watched Izuku carefully. Most people would have frozen under Shouto’s icy gaze, but the earthbender remained calm.

“Just breathe. In,” Izuku inhaled as Shouto followed. “And out.” After a few more times, the frost melted and the steam cleared. The earthbender smiled “There. All better.”

Shouto’s lips curved upwards just a tad. “Yeah… All better.”

To Izuku, it didn’t matter that Shouto was different, or the son of the Fire Lord. What mattered is that Shouto wanted to change, and to be better than his father. Izuku respected that immensely. He gazed at Shouto. His face was flushed from the drastic difference of temperatures of his left and right sides. A smile was still just barely hanging onto his lips, and the earthbender planned to keep it there. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.

“Hey! We could find you a waterbending teacher! That way you can master your power!”

The prince’s eyes widened. “A waterbending teacher? How are we going to find one?”

Izuku beamed. “We could go to the North Pole! I know a guy who would be headed there already!”

Shouto blinked. “Why would someone just randomly be heading to the North Pole? The Northern Tribe is so isolated.”

The earthbender smirked. “Well, he needs to master waterbending too, so it can be a two for one deal!”

The prince’s eyebrows furrowed. “Master…?” His eyebrows shot up. “You don’t mean the Avatar?! How do you know the Avatar?!”

Izuku’s grin widened. “Guess I’m just lucky.”

Chapter Text

Warning: Very slight mentions of abuse if you squint. Bc ya know, Endeavor is a butt. But don’t worry I marked that section off with **’s so if you don’t want to read it you can skip that part.

Shouto stood back and watched with amusement as Izuku fretted over his mother.

“Are you sure you have everything? What if another storm hits? I heard they’re notorious for striking twice-”

Inko chuckled, cutting off his rambling. “Don't worry about me, Izuku. I’ll be fine.” She smiled and looked over at the prince. “And besides, you’ll have Shouto to keep you company.”

Shouto gave her a small smile in return. “Have a safe trip, Mrs. Midoriya.”

“Thank you.” She turned back to Izuku and ruffled his hair. “I love you. Be safe.”

As Inko left Shouto wondered how someone could be so kind. Out of extreme guilt, Shouto had come clean and explained everything to Inko last night. He told her about who he really was, about how he ran away from home, and how the Fire Nation and his father were most likely after him. He even told her about how he was a mixed bender and how he was destined to be the Fire Nation’s superweapon. He even told her about how his mother was from the southern tribe and how sent away when he was young. He felt so bad for taking advantage of her. He had expected outrage and maybe even a threat, but he got a warm smile and a hug instead. The only other person who had offered him such extreme compassion was her son. Shouto had first thought Izuku's kindness was because he was naive, but he noted that it was a family trait. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Speaking off, said Apple was already trying to clean up the kitchen. Despite not having finished his own breakfast yet, the earthbender was washing and putting away dishes. Shouto sighed and sat back down at the table, wondering when Izuku would finish his meal. After giving him a few minutes, the prince called out to him.

“Izuku,”

No response.

“Izuku.” A little louder.

“Hm?” The earthbender turned his head slightly but didn't look away from the dish he was drying off.

“You didn't finish your plate.” Shouto could feel a smile tugging at his lips. Izuku’s brows were scrunched together in focus over a dinner plate. How cute could this boy be?

The cute boy deemed the plate dry and placed back in the cabinet. Glancing back at the table, his eyebrows scrunched together again. Shouto noticed this time, it wasn't in concentration. Judging by the way Izuku kept glancing around, the boy was definitely lost in thought.

“Come sit back down and finish eating, you look like you have something on your mind.”

The earthbender’s eyes widened in amazement. “How'd you know?”

Shouto laughed. “Well, you're not subtle.”

Izuku smiled and knelt down to the table.

Shouto eyed him again, finding he had relaxed a little. “Wanna talk about it?”

The earthbender opened his mouth to reply, but he just simply shook his head.

Shouto nodded.  “So, what about this avatar you were telling me about? He definitely didn't seem like a proper avatar to me.”

The curly haired boy’s eyebrows shot up to the ceiling. “You shouldn't say that around him!”

The prince’s lips tugged a playful smile. “Why not?” Shouto thought it was endearing that Izuku would defend his friend so quickly.

“Well first off that's rude, and second-” The front door swung open cutting Izuku off. Before Shouto could even think, two teenage boys with similar spiky hair busted in and slammed the door behind them. They both looked about Shouto’s age, except one had blond hair and the other had crimson red hair. The blond one turned fiercely to Izuku, he was wearing light-colored clothing and… bandages wrapped around his arms and legs? Shouto could have sworn he was a sandbender except he didn’t look as dirty as them. He had piercing red eyes and he began barking at Izuku. The earthbender flinched, but all the same, he looked glad to see this explosive boy. The other boy, wearing mossy green robes, stood anxiously as the blond boy exploded.

“Do you know how long I've been fucking flying for, Deku? Two. Fucking. Days. I came all the way from the shitty eastern side of the fucking desert. Barely any stops. And ya know what I get welcomed to as soon as I land? Rough Rhinos! Of course, it had to be the fucking Rough Rhinos!” He began pacing back and forth across the room. He reminded Shouto of a caged animal.

Izuku tried in vain to calm him down. “Wait, wait. Slow down. What happened?”

The redheaded boy with tiger-shark teeth chimed in. For some reason, the explosive boy seemed to listen to him more. “Bakugou landed in town not too long ago, and then the Rough Rhinos just showed up out of nowhere! We don't know if they were tracking him or following him but they're here. We have a plan. Izuku, you and I will go distract them while Bakugou hides here. We don't have a lot of time so we have to go now!” The redhead rushed over and grabbed Izuku’s arm pulling him out of the house. The earthbender briefly looked back to Shouto before being pulled outside completely.

Rough Rhinos? Shouto had heard of them before, but he didn't think they actually existed. Back home they were more of an urban legend; a mythical gang of bounty hunters that rode rhinos and terrorized villages. Wait… If the Rough Rhinos were real, and they were after this ‘Bakugou’... Was he…?

“What the fuck are you looking at, Half n half?” Apparently, the caged animal had stopped pacing long enough to notice Shouto. “And who the hell are you? Deku’s never talked about a boyfriend with an ugly scar before.”

The prince pretended to not hear ‘boyfriend’ to maintain his composure. He simply took a sip of his tea from breakfast and put on his stoic mask. “I could ask you the same thing. Who's so important that he's got bounty hunters after him?”

The blond crossed his arms and glared daggers at the prince. “The fucking avatar, that's who.”

---

Izuku winced at the iron grip Eijirou had on his arm. Once outside, he yanked his arm free. “Mind explaining now? What are we going to do, we can't fight Rough Rhinos!”

Concern crossed the redhead’s face for a moment. “I know. I think if we just play dumb and keep them talking they might leave,” his eyes shifted to the ground. “Though, they've already seen Bakugou so they know he’s here…”

The smaller boy frowned. There weren’t many options to choose from. Eijirou might be an earthbending master, but there wasn't any way he’d be able to take on bounty hunters with far more combat experience. Even if Izuku helped him, they wouldn’t stand a chance since he’s so inexperienced. Kacchan needed to stay inside, and Shouto couldn't use his fire. Izuku and Eijirou were the only ones able to fight. More importantly, if Shouto and Kacchan were to help, they would risk losing both of them to the Rough Rhinos. “Alright. I don't like those odds but let's try anyway.”

The two boys walked to the main marketplace where there were normally merchants and townspeople. However, it was a ghost town now that five fierce-looking men on rhinos strode into town. The boy glanced over at his master to ask what to do, and to his surprise, he was met with the redhead’s signature shark-tooth grin.

“...Act stupid…” He whispered through his teeth to Izuku. As the rhinos got closer, Eijirou threw a hand in the air as a greeting, all too enthusiastic. “WOW-WEE I AM SURE AM GLAD TO HAVE THESE VISITORS! WHAT CAN WE DO FUR YUH, SIRS?” The novice earthbender almost keeled overhearing his teacher yell in a Foggy Swamp drawl. He must have been going for ‘dumb-country-bumpkin’. So that’s his plan… Great…

The group stopped a couple yards ahead of the boys, and a man with a long braided ponytail rode to the front of the pack. He must be the leader… Piercing auburn eyes glared at the two.

“We're looking for someone and we think you're hiding him here.” The man raised one of his fists and set it ablaze. “Hand him over and we’ll spare this village.”

The green haired boy swallowed hard. These guys meant business. Unfortunately, Eijirou continued in his little accent game, angering the bounty hunters further. With fear creeping into his gut, Izuku subtly started to shift into a fighting stance as his friend rattled away at their potential attackers.

“Awww come now, I don't even know who's ya looking fur. Y'all might as well just ride on right outta town and leave us dumb country folks alone.”

The leader didn't seem pleased with the notion and unfurled a sheet of paper with his non-burning hand. It had a picture of Shouto on it and some writing the green haired boy couldn't quite make out from the distance. Oh no… They're not after Kacchan at all…

“We want this boy. He’s a fugitive of the Fire Nation. His name is Shouto Todoroki, and he has a big scar on the left side of his face. The Fire Lord is offering a hefty price to turn him in alive, and we intend to cash in.”

The novice earthbender felt his blood running cold. He couldn't let Shouto get taken back to his father! Izuku couldn’t even imagine what the Fire Lord would do to Shouto after he ran away like that.

Oh shit. Eijirou had already seen Shouto at the house what if he-

“Who the hell is that?” Having suddenly dropped his accent, the smaller boy noticed the redhead looking dumbfounded. “What did he do to the Fire Lord?”

The novice earthbender breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Eijirou hadn't noticed Shouto and wouldn't sell him out.

Unfortunately, the Rough Rhinos leader seemed to grow more impatient and shoved the paper back into the bag across his chest. Thinking on his feet, the novice bender decided it was best to lead them on a wild goose chase. Feigning surprise, he gasped.

“Hey, I’ve seen him! He hopped a boat to Whaletail Island! Said he was going to the South Pole.” If Izuku could get them headed south while they headed north, they just might escape them. Well, if everything worked out.

The leader’s stern gaze shifted to Izuku. “You’re sure about this…?”

The novice earthbender’s mouth formed a determined line as he gazed right back at the leader, daring him to blink first. “Positive.”

After looking Izuku over again, the leader pulled on the reins and lead the group out of town. “Alright, men. Whaletail Island.”

—-

“So you’re telling me, you don’t have a name, you’re not from anywhere, and you don’t have a family.”

Shouto gazed up at Bakugou from where he was sitting, the explosive boy had been playing twenty questions with the prince, but so far he had managed to answer every one of them with ‘no’. The blond was getting more and more upset by the minute, and Shouto was honestly enjoying it. It was like dinner and a show. Who else gets to watch this boy with spiky hair explode every time the prince fails to answer a question? These were the joys of life Shouto didn’t think were possible anymore.

** Bakugou growled at the prince’s lack of an answer and threw his arms down, shooting fire out with them. Shouto jolted back, having seen his father do this sort of aggression release many times before, especially if he was upset with the young prince. To Shouto’s advantage, Bakugou didn’t seem to notice his change in demeanor, so he quickly returned to his emotionless state before the avatar had startled him. **

As if the spirits had answered his prayers, Izuku and the redheaded boy ran inside before the blond could grill the mixed bender any longer. The shark-toothed boy started lecturing the avatar, about how he should be more careful and that he was lucky that the Rhinos weren’t looking for him specifically.  Almost like the boy could feel the prince’s gaze on him, he turned and looked at the mixed bender, his face lighting up in surprise.

“Hey! That’s the guy there were looking for! Man, what did you do to piss off the Fire Lord so much?”

Shouto felt his heart sink. Of course, they were after him what had he been thinking? He brought Izuku and his friends into this mess, and there were bounty hunters after his head. He should have known he would leave a trail. He should have known this would happen. He should have known that his father would drop at nothing to turn him into a weapon. That’s all he was, wasn’t he? Not matter if he wanted to be or not. He brought the people he loved in danger no matter where he was. He had to leave before the Rhinos came b-

Bakugou let out a dangerous snarl before Shouto could think any further. Suddenly the avatar was nose to nose with him. The angry boy having grabbed his shirt collar and yanked him off the floor. “YOU! I KNEW I RECOGNIZED YOU! YOU’RE THAT FUCKER’S SON!”

Acting on impulse, Shouto shoved the avatar off of him and darted outside. He knew when someone was about to explode, and he wasn’t going to put Izuku in danger this time.

The prince only got to the marketplace before a fireball went whizzing past his head. He whirled around and prepared to fight. But he didn’t have his swords on him, and he couldn’t use his fire, so maybe if he just dodged for long enough Bakugou would lose interest.

This is going to be interesting…

—-

Izuku clambered after Kacchan only to get shoved aside onto the hard earth. His heart pounding, the earthbender shot a couple of rocks at the avatar, but to no avail. They all missed as the boy ran after Shouto, throwing fireballs and fire blasts at him. Izuku was too inexperienced for this. He needed Eijirou. To his luck, he ran right into the redhead who looked as panicked as him.

“Mind explaining why you have the prince of the Fire Nation in your house?!”

“Eijirou, trust me. He’s on our side, he’s been hurt and he hates his father and Nation. He wants nothing to do with them. He ran away,” Out of fear, the smaller boy looked behind him to check on Shouto. So far he was dodging most of the attacks really well, and he was making ice towers and walls for cover. They weren’t that much use since Kacchan was destroying as fast as the prince could make them, but they were something. The quick-witted boy guessed Shouto wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer without using his fire. He needed them now.

When Izuku looked back at the redhead, his jaw hung open. “H-how is he doing that? I thought he was Fire Na-”

The novice bender cut him off. “He’s a mixed bender that the Fire Lord is trying to turn into a super weapon. All he wants to do is to master waterbending on h is own and he needs our help. He can’t last much longer against Kacchan without his fire. I can’t take Kacchan on my own, but together we can break them up.”

Eijirou looked back and forth between his student and the fight for a moment. And then nodded his head.

—-

Shouto was tiring out. He couldn’t melt the frost off of his right side fast enough, and it was starting to slow him down. One of Bakugou’s fireballs had already grazed his left arm, and he couldn’t afford any more careless mistakes like that.

Letting out an icy breath, he stood his ground and waited for the avatar to charge. Just as Bakugou was close enough strike,  the prince pivoted out of the way. He dragged his right foot in front him leaving a trail of ice that the avatar slipped and lost balance. Shouto couldn’t feel his fingertips anymore, even if he did melt all the ice off. He was running out of time.

Bakugou snarled and stood up, coming at the mixed bender full force again with fire blazing from his fists. “I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR WEIRD ICE TRICKS HALF N HALF.”

The prince barely managed to dodge.

“C’mon.” Both of the avatar’s arms were fully ablaze now, ready for another onslaught. “Don’t you want to play with fire?”

Shouto grimaced and threw up another ice wall that melted way too fast. Before he could plan another defense, Bakugou was up in his face again and grabbed the collar of his shirt. His fist wasn’t on fire, but it was definitely burning the prince’s skin.

“What are you-”

Before he could finish, his attacker was suddenly off of him and buried up to his shoulders in the earth. The prince looked up in shock to Izuku, but he wasn’t the one who did it, the redheaded boy was the one in bending stance.

The freckled boy ran up to Shouto, checking him over for injuries and profusely apologizing.

The taller boy put a hand on Izuku’s shoulder. The boy flinched from how cold it was, so the prince immediately retracted it. “Izuku, I’m fine, really. It’s not that big of a deal.”

The curly haired boy before him frowned. “No, you’ve got a small burn on your left arm and there’s frost covering your right side.” The boy’s fingers gingerly touched the frost on the prince’s right cheek. Shouto could already feel it melting just from how flustered he was. He was sure his cheeks were redder than the other earthbender’s hair, but he prayed Izuku wouldn’t notice.

The prince quickly changed the subject to divert attention off of himself.

“Where’s…” He looked at the ground noticing that the avatar was missing from the spot where he was previously stuck in the ground.

The earthbender chimed in. “Eijirou is explaining it to him. Kacchan listens to him, so I asked him to explain.” Izuku motioned a couple yards away, where the redhead was arguing with the avatar, but Bakugou’s yelling didn’t have the bite to it like it did when he was yelling at Shouto.

Soon enough, the blond came stomping back over to him and glared up at him.

“Ok, pretty boy. I don’t know how you brainwashed Deku and Shitty Hair but it isn’t working on me. I don’t trust you. I don’t believe you, you’re your father’s son and you always will be. And I’m not taking you to the North Pole, so you can march back home to daddy in the Fire Nation.”

Shouto glared daggers at him at the mention of his father. “Fine.” He saw the earthbender jump from the corner of his eye at the venom in his voice but he didn’t back down. “But just remember that I’ll never be like them.”

Bakugou scoffed. “Really?”

The prince’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.”

“Then prove it.” Bakugou looked Shouto over before he continued. “I’ll cut you a deal. One of the Earth Kingdom’s strongholds was taken by the Fire Nation a few days ago. If you can take the city of Omashu back, then I’ll take you to the North Pole.”

“Deal.” The answer flew out of the mixed bender before could register that he agreed.

“You have two weeks, and these losers can help you if they want but I’m only going to get you there. If Omashu isn’t reclaimed in the name of the Earth Kingdom, no North Pole.”

Shouto watched the avatar turn and walk away, and he faintly heard Izuku asking him if he was crazy or something like that. He wasn’t listening. All he could hear was the avatar’s words echoing in his mind.

‘You’re your father’s son and you always will be.’

He could feel his blood boiling. He was going to prove him wrong. Even if it killed him.