Work Text:
Love was a foreign concept to Katsuki. It was something that he doubted he could have one day, no matter how hard he wished for it. He was the demon king. For centuries, his tribe, specifically his family, governed their half of the kingdom. He was feared by both his kind and the humans. He grew up surrounded by jealousy and complicated plots. He was raised to be strict, brash and strong. He had to be strong, the strongest king to ever rule the kingdom of Deratoria.
He had no time for love.
But he had always been a curious child. He could remember being scolded by his parents whenever he would venture near the sacred wall, the only thing that separated them from Etheria- the human kingdom.
Long ago, his mother told him of an old tale. Thousands of years ago, when magic was still fairly new and not a lot of people were alive, humans and demons coexisted peacefully. Human, the descendants of the angels, and demons, those who are blessed with strength and power. They were not always called humans or demons. They were simply, erian and detorian. The detorian protected the erian and the erian took care of the detorian.
However, through this peaceful coexistence, there had always been lingering fear in the erian, that one day, they would be overthrown or worse, killed by the detorian. Through much discussion, it was agreed that a kingdom, a governing body would be created to ensure peace. And those who sat on the throne, were the erian.
The detorian, scandalized by the decision that no one from their race were selected for the throne, the worst fear of the erian came true. The thing that they thought could prevent this was also the same reason that they were brought to ruin. The detorian revolted.
War raged the lands and the people were divided more than ever. But amidst all that chaos, a love, strong and unparalleled blossomed between an erian and a detorian. Both of who were princes of their respective races. Since the day the two met, they have always been meeting in secret.
Their meeting was as random as chance can be. The erian prince, scared and bloodied from battle hid inside a hidden grove that he found by chance. But how could he have known that the place he sought refuge, the breathtaking view of an enchanted lake surrounded by dozens of acacia tree, all of them in full bloom would be the place where he would find his true love. And how would the detorian prince ever know that his simple act of kindness, a single roll of bandages and a container full of water, would lead him to the person who would lead him to make the hardest decision of his life? --- To love a human.
They would meet every night at the grove, whispering sweet nothingness and being in each other’s arms till the wee hours of the morning. And for each time they met, they vowed to plant a single camellia seed on the ground. Their rendezvous continued for a year, until the detorian prince… killed the erian prince’s father by accident when he found the small world they created and threatened to destroy it.
He was called a demon, a killer. But the erian prince knew that it was not his fault. The war had raged on for too long and too many people have perished. On the day of his coronation, instead of finding a prince who is ready to be crowned the king, the knights find a two letters and a body. One letter addressed to the kingdom, stating his will and farewell to the people, and one addressed to the detorian prince.
Unwillingly, the knights delivered the letter to the other prince, bearing the news of his death. With the truth of their relationship revealed through the letter addressed to the kingdom, they handed the other letter to the prince.
In that letter, a single sentence was written. But it was more than enough.
“I wish to be buried beside the bed we have planted in the place where heaven met earth.”
The next day, both princes were buried beside each other as crimson Camellias blooms and the widns sang in melancholy and grief. The next month a wall was built. And the next year, two kingdoms have been thriving, separately, in peace.
So never in a million years would Katsuki would have guessed how beautiful the feeling of mutual love is, how the feeling of a single red camelia flower could send him a rush of feelings he had never experienced before.
“Hey, are you alright? Can you stand?” Someone called to him one day, injured and drenched from head to toe. He was a scrawny green haired human wearing such poor excuse of clothing.
“Fuck you! I don’t need your help!” The demon king slapped the hand of the scrawny boy in front of him. How dare he implied that he needed help… from… from… SOMEONE LIKE HIM!
“Why are your eyes closed?! Are you looking down on me? How fucking dare you?! I am the demon prince!” The young prince yelled. It was a beautiful day, and it urged the little prince to go on a small adventure, one that made this meeting of chance possible.
What he saw next was probably one of the most enchanting things that he has ever seen. As the boy opened his eyes, he was greeted by the gentlest shade of green, dull yet full of life and vigor. A calm smile spread across his face. And the blond was almost sure that he was dead and that he was seeing an angel. There was no way that he could have lived a fall that high. Damn it all! He never experienced being a king! He was supposed to be the best king there was! And yet… yet… he died just because he climbed that wall that his mother told him not to.
He didn’t notice the moment that his tears flowed. He quickly wiped it away as soon as he felt the hot liquid drip into his hand.
“Your highness, are you crying?!”
“NO! You are! Can’t you see?”
“But I cannot cry your highness. My condition prohibits me to. And no, I cannot see dear prince. I am blind. But do not worry, your presence here would stay with me. I shall not speak a soul of our meeting. If you wish so, you may stay here in the garden until you feel better. I cannot see if you are injured, but I have a medical kit with me. It may be useful for you, so please take it. You may go back to your kingdom if you wish. Now please excuse me as I tend to the garden.”
“Are you looking down on me?! I can take care of myself.” Wait. He could go back? Then does that mean that he… OH YESSSS! --- he thought to himself, giddy at the prospect of being alive, but not pleased at the blind kid in front of him.
“Of course not prince. I mean, you did fall from a very high stone wall. Most people would have died from that. It is a miracle that you are alive. You are so amazing your majesty!”
The statement inflated his pride. “Well of course! I will be the best demon king there is!”
“Well, I do hope that day comes. Now, please excuse me…” The green haired boy started to back off the prince slowly. But when he was a considerable amount further from the prince, he called out to him.
“Wait!”
“Yes your highness?”
“What is your name?”
“My name is Izuku.”
“What did you say?! Deku?!”
“HAH?! WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?” The prince was taken aback by the sudden brashness coming from the boy, though slightly amused.
“I fuckin’ called you Deku! Got a problem with that?” He knew that Deku meant useless in some other language, but he genuinely didn’t hear the guy’s name.
“MY NAME IS IZUKU DAMNIT!”
“WHAT DID YOU SAY DEKU? GANBARU DAMNIT?!”
“ARRRHGGG!!!”
Upon further meetings, he learned that he was the son of a village witch and was born blind. When the villagers of the village he lived in learned of his existence, they called him cursed and useless and they threw him in the forest near the sacred wall so that if a demon would incidentally come across him he would be killed. Katsuki found that story to be offensive on so many levels that it became the foundation of his strong desire to conquer Etheria.
The two continued to meet, he brought the boy clothes and food that he secretly snuck out of the palace. He would have brought Izuku books, but he just decided to screw it and just teach the boy what he learned himself until he could not anymore. Deku was kind of the reason he focused on his studies more since the day he said to Katsuki that he would have liked to study. When they were fifteen, He eventually decided to bring the boy a flute and a trowel. For years, Izuku took care of the grove, which Katsuki was sure that was the grove of his mother’s tales.
But it scare him, to think that destiny might repeat itself. He decided that he would not let anything bad to Deku, not more than he had already experienced. He was his Deku, and he was His Kacchan.
Taking over Etheria proved to be easier than he thought it would be. Humans were not blessed with any traces of magic, only the witches and wizards who are, technically, descendants of a human and demon offspring. In just three days, a few hundred men and a crap top of delicate planning (all of which are Deku approved. Who would have thought the scrawny little human scorned by his own kind would house a brain that smart. Jeez.) All of the humans were scared of the demons, and especially him. It might have been because of his powers, because of his horns and his tail, or simply because he was awesome. Well, except for one.
“It’s done Deku. I conquered the Etheria for you.” He silently whispered into his ear as Deku melted into his embrace. He had witnessed the transition of a spoiled little prince into a great king into the man whom he truly loved. Screw that, he loved this man since the day he met him, more since he brought a warm slab of grilled pork and soft bread.
He just smiled at his lover, let go of the embrace and marched over to the tree stump he had been sitting on prior.
“I picked these earlier. I think they would look good on you.”
It happened too fast, too sudden for Katsuki that he barely had enough time to react on that was happening. Next thing he knew, he had a single red Camelia tucked in his hair.
“I bet you look pretty with that flower Kacchan!” He said excitedly, caressing Katsuki’s face with his free hand, the other still in his hair.
“It’s a shame. I wish I could see you.” Izuku stood on pointed toes and brought his face a few millimeters near the Demon king’s face. He would never know what kind of power he held against the powerful king. One word from Izuku, Katsuki would level the whole world. One word from him, he would have given everything to him. The demon king is in love. And he has no plans on making it stop soon.
He grew up only knowing pressure and jealousy, Deku not only gave him a future to look forward to, but a reason to make life worth living.
“Deku.” He didn’t usually blush, scratch that, he NEVER blushed in his entire life other than the moments he is with Deku. He knew he was screwed.
He tripped over the next words he said. “Thank… thank you… I guess, Deku… But… This flower, it’s tradition that…”
“That?” Izuku asked, oblivious of what he had done.
There was no way that he could have known their tribe’s tradition of placing a Camelia in the hair of…
He suddenly remembered the gushing stories oh his mother about her own Camellia incident when he was a kid.
“Camelias have always been a symbol of love in our kingdom Katsuki. Camellias are always given to the person you want to marry or you really, truly love. But it is extra special if the flower came from the bushes near the sacred wall. Your father actually went there and got me one!”
“Then! When I pick a bride, I would go to that stupid wall and pick the best Camellia there is! Because I am the best! Therefore, my wife should be the best and should have only the best!”
“That is so sweet Katsuki!!!”
“Deku… This flower is meant for wives in my tribe’s tradition.” Katsuki continued with a heavy blush.
The gentle smile that Katsuki had grown to love turned into a large smile with a soft giggle from the man that he truly loves. Deku smiled, opening his eyes for the Demon king, which made the latter blush harder at the enchanting sight.
“Is that so? It’s perfect. Then I’ll just have to make you my wife Kacchan.”
“…”
“I can feel your tail wag in excitement against my leg. Is that a yes? Kacchan?”
“I-I…”
“…”
“Y-yeah.”
“Yeah?”
“Ughh! Yes I will Marry you.”
“Then Let’s get married right now! Come on Kacchan. No time like the present!”
“Fuck! Screw everything! Let’s get married right now Deku!”
.....
“So I fell- I mean the demon king fell in love with the blind human and became Deku’s wife.” Katsuki muttered as he aggressively typed the final sentence to his fanfic.
“Kacchaaan!!! Dinner is ready! I made spicy curry!” He heard his sweet babycakes from the kitchen.
“In a minute babycakes! Gotta save this before something happens!”
In a split second he could feel the soft hands of his wife hug him from behind, placing his head on his shoulder. “And the demon king and Deku married each other, got a dragon and named him bomber and they lived happily ever after. Aww… is that a fanfic about us? That is so cute?! When will you post i1? Where are you posting it? Can I read it right now? Oh my gosh this is so exciting!”
“Calm down babycakes. We can read it together after dinner.”
“I love you. You know that right Kacchan?”
“I know. Even if I grow blind, I would always see that you love me.”
Then the two shared a passionate kiss, a vase of red Camellias sat innocently in the corner.