Chapter Text
Kirishima can't stay in dragon form for too long these days.
He's too weak to keep up a size that big, so he hasn't transformed that often since he escaped. But he's been having so much trouble finding food lately that he felt he just had to - but the instant he feels himself feeling faint which is embarrassingly quick, he has to drop back to the ground and lean against a tree, slowly transforming back into his hybrid form. He sighs, squeezing his eyes shut but he doesn't have enough time to hate himself before a loud, surprised laugh rings through the air. Then, there's a loud call of, "A DRAGON?!"
Kirishima's eyes widen. A human.
He tries to move, but he's so bone-tired that it feels impossible and he's not even sure if he's budged an inch before footsteps race towards him, catching up to him in no time and Kirishima wants to howl. He can't believe he's not able to defend himself, he can't believe he's come this far just to be captured, again-
"Dragon, come travel with me!"
Kirishima freezes. What?
He slowly turns around, mouth opening, but it snaps shut when he sees who the human is. He infers their identity immediately, if the explosive hair, tattoos, the painted skin, the furs, and the cape doesn't mean anything. Kirishima knows all the rumours of this tyrant king without a kingdom who terrorises whoever he comes by, even he was privy to gossip from his masters and the places he'd be taken to.
So without even thinking, Kirishima says no. If there's any possible chance that he has a choice, that the king's asking rather than telling, then Kirishima has to say no.
But he gets startled when the king's face practically crumples, like his heart's broken into two.
"Why the fuck not?!" the king yells, and Kirishima quickly composes himself and curls his lip, walking away before this can become way more dangerous than he wanted. He falters a little when a hand goes around his wrist, though. A warm hand. "Look, if you need me to prove myself or some shit then I can do that in an instant, just give me a-"
Kirishima tries to shake his hand out of the king's hold. He's a little surprised that the grip loosens rather than tightens, but the king still spins Kirishima around and gives him a look that stops Kirishima in his tracks. His teeth are bared, his strong brows are furrowed and his eyes are...blazing. Not glowing like Kirishima's does when he's using his powers but somehow...if a human could emulate it, this was the closest they could get. Immediately Kirishima's really hit by the fact that this man is someone powerful. Being in his presence almost makes Kirishima's knees wobble, and he's so...he is so...can you call a human breathtaking?
"Why not?" the king demands once more, saying each word with a harsh finality, almost spitting them. Kirishima bites his lip without meaning to, trying to draw his hand back but the king won't let go. And Kirishima can't bring himself to outright tell him about all the rumours. About the king's supposed death toll that made Kirishima flinch when he heard it, and he's been through many things. And then there's how he robs cities blind. Tortures the innocent just to feel something.
Kirishima doesn't want anything to do with a guy like that.
"Will you hurt me?" Kirishima asks, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. He should be able to take on this king, he should, he's a big massive dragon who can become twenty times his size but his train of thought pauses when the king's eyes widen. Those same eyes look down at the hand clutching Kirishima's arm, before he drops it like it's on fire. Then, suddenly, he laughs. It's a wild humourless laugh, and Kirishima watches in amazement, noticing that the blazing red of the king's eyes has got colder.
The flame has closed off.
"Are you-"
"Fuck off, dumb lizard. I don't need you anyway," the king jeers, baring his teeth again before he turns on his heel and walks off, knocking his sword back onto his shoulder as he laughs some more. Then he turns behind a rock, and he's gone. Kirishima's still frozen, wondering what on earth had just happened but he's just glad to have got out alive. Maybe the king knew that he was no match for a dragon. Or, maybe he is a little unhinged because that's definitely a rumour too, that this king's a complete psychopath who has no meaning behind anything he does.
But there must've been something that had made the king that way. Kirishima could see a split-second of something in those incredible eyes when Kirishima had asked his question, maybe it was vulnerability, maybe it was...ah, Kirishima isn't too well-versed in other humans' emotions but he knows there was something.
He walks for a second, but he can't get too far as he leans against a boulder and sinks down to the floor, still shaken. He'd heard about this too, how even being anywhere near the king can have you paralysed. But now Kirishima truly knows what kind of paralysed they mean - the type where you're shaken up because you can sense such an overwhelming aura that drowns you.
God, how does a human hold that kind of power?
Either way, Kirishima picks himself up and goes on with his day. Which is the same as most of his days have been lately, trying to find food and a safe warm place to sleep. He's not yet strong enough to get out of this location because it was the first place he'd been able to fly to when he escaped from...
Well. He'd rather not remember.
So he goes back to the cave he'd been spending nights at with his tiny little hoard of treasure he'd stolen from his ex-owners in a bout of reckless pettiness, and fell asleep.
And remarkably the very next day, he comes across the king again when he's going on a walk. And the king perks up at the sight at him. He's currently in a pretty strange position, leg hitched up on a log, a small knife between his teeth and an array of leaves and berries in his hands. But he drops the knife to call out, "DRAGON! COME ON MY TRAVELS WITH ME!"
Kirishima almost chokes. Is this deja vu? Was yesterday a dream? Either way, the king runs over, and holds his arms up. Kirishima wonders why. Is he about to do something to Kirishima...?
"I'm showing you I've got no weapons, dipshit," the king deadpans when Kirishima takes a step back. He pauses at that. He blinks in curiosity, and steps closer, almost considering sniffing the king to check if he's telling the truth. The king looks a little more uneasy by the second, before he sighs and drops his arms. "Right. I bet a powerful bein' like you can sense that not all my weapons are gone."
Kirishima frowns, narrowing his eyes at the king. Did he really just lie? That was so unmanly and God, this was where he was gonna jump Kirishima and try to kill him for refusing to be his slave, he knew it-
Kirishima shoots back when the king's hands suddenly start to crackle. He can smell smoke, and his eyes dilate as red spots already pop up along his arms and he's ready to transform - but the king shakes his head. "Calm down. I ain't gonna use this on you. Just wanna show you what I'm talking about 'cause if I can't lose all my weapons then I'll lay 'em all out in front of you."
The king then turns his hands so his palms are facing the ceiling, and Kirishima warily watches. He still thinks this is a trap, he still thinks he should be trying to get away - but the king's tone is so casual and intense at the same time that Kirishima doesn't think he's lying. And that's new. Kirishima doesn't trust humans, not in the slightest.
But when he sees bright sparks rise and fizzle from the king's hands, his fear slowly dies away into childlike awe. And he thinks, maybe this king isn't actually a...human.
He steps closer, reaching out a hand. Bright pretty things always attract him after all, but the king scowls and closes his palms. "Don't do that, you idiot, you'll get your hands blown off-"
The king pauses when Kirishima holds out a hand to show it now covered in bulletproof hard scales. The king grumbles a little, but holds out his hands again, causing those pretty explosions again that Kirishima touches, eyes growing wide in wonder when they reflect red and sizzle against his hand. He looks up, only to freeze when he sees the king already watching him with a pensive look, eyebrows furrowed.
"Do you not like talking?" the king asks. The question isn't tentative. But it isn't harsh either, simply utilitarian, and Kirishima takes a second to think. He's not sure if anyone has ever asked him questions before, and yet this king has already asked him two.
"I'm not used to it."
The king slowly nods. "Is your vocabulary little?"
"Ah, probably! But I'm okay. My master before last thought it useful if I could speak well. And I always overheard a lot of conversations. So I still remember a lot!"
"Master?" the king asks confusedly, and Kirishima freezes. He stays staring at the king's hands, which are sparking only a tiny bit now, but the king seems to accept the silence. His hands start exploding with more power and Kirishima's panicked brain eases into mindless awe again.
"Pretty."
The king laughs, and Kirishima notes that it's much more happy than yesterday's laugh. Kirishima likes this one more. Very feral, and very loud. "No-one calls this shit pretty. Well, I guess they wouldn't when it's all they see when they're within an inch of their life."
Kirishima reels back at that. He suddenly remembers who he's with, who he's casually talking to, and he hurries to back away. The king looks troubled, gritting his teeth like he regrets all his life choices. But he wouldn't. Not someone like him.
"I will not join you," Kirishima says carefully, and the king's jaw sets. Kirishima's heart sinks. "I'm- I am sorry."
The king looks up at the word 'sorry', staring at Kirishima in morbid curiosity, like someone trying to figure out an impossible puzzle. "Why the fuck are you sorry?"
It's a genuine question. It has to be, from the way he looks. Kirishima notes that this is question number five. "You're not happy."
The king's eyes widen in surprise. "Do you want me to be happy?"
"It would be...nice."
"Knock off the formal-sounding talk. Why do you want me to be happy?"
Kirishima has to think a lot about that. It's really hard to think too when blazing fiery eyes are on him, but eventually he gets out, "I think most people are good when they're happy."
The king deflates. He crosses his arms and looks away. "So you don't think I'm good. I mean, like I didn't already know that..."
"But you could be! Maybe! If you were happy!" Kirishima says brightly, pumping his fists, and the king looks back at him in amazement. Kirishima can sense a million more questions on the king's tongue and his brain scrambles to try and prepare for them, he's still getting used to this talking thing, okay- but all the king says is, "So what if you were what made me happy? A big strong dragon would make any terrorising barbarian happy, wouldn't it?"
Kirishima deflates, frowning. "Yes. And I'm sorry. I'd like to make you happy but I...need...to be by myself for a little while. Or a long while. Maybe forever."
The king's eyes flash. "Elaborate."
"No."
"Fuckin'-" The king cuts himself off with a sigh, and kicks at the ground. Then he turns around and walks off, waving a hand in the air as he calls casually, "I'm still changing your fucking mind whether you like it or not, so do whatever you like in the time it takes."
Kirishima blinks. This king...he speaks so harshly, yet nothing like Kirishima's last masters. He doesn't sound like he's trying to be cruel but rather...intense might just be his essence. Kirishima's stuck on that thought as the king leaves, until after a long, long, long time, so long that the sun sets and the indigo of twilight washes over Kirishima - he processes the words.
The king wants him. That much is clear, and Kirishima can't be surprised. Everyone always wants him, because he's a dragon, a dragon hybrid, nothing is more precious apparently. But the king isn't going to take him by force? He's really going to try to convince Kirishima? He's going to let Kirishima have a say?
Is this man really the same barbarian king that everyone talks about?
Either way, Kirishima's pretty sure he should be gone soon. This king doesn't have a kingdom, therefore he's a traveller, and people talk about him in every corner of the world so he must get around. Kirishima's surprised to have seen him in the same place for two days straight.
There's a high chance he's staying just for Kirishima, waiting to convince the dragon to come with him. But he'll be disappointed, because Kirishima's not planning to ever agree willingly. And Kirishima doesn't like the fact that the first time he's ever been free, he's disappointing someone new in the process. He wishes he hadn't met the king, but he can't change that now and how can he avoid someone who's staying here when he needs to manoeuvre around this place for food and exercise? He tries to contemplate as he decides to go back to his cave since it's already dark, brow furrowed and eyes almost squeezed shut in thought. But he's snapped out of it when his stomach grumbles.
Ah geez. He's used to feeling hungry, but it's been a good while now since he's been able to eat more than some leaves...
He sighs and curls up around his tiny hoard of treasure, tucking his tail underneath his legs. He dreams about maybe having a bigger hoard one day, except only towns have those sorts of things, and he doesn't really know how to interact with humans let alone ask them for anything.
Maybe the king could help him...
Kirishima tries to get rid of the thought, but he's too tired, and he falls asleep dreaming about the king coming back from one of his travels one day to drown Kirishima in gold he'd gathered on the trip.
The next day, Kirishima and the king find each other way sooner than the other two days. It's because Kirishima's woken up by the smell of fire, and he blinks groggily, sniffing the air. But it's not just fire he can smell, more like...something that makes his stomach rumble again.
He shuffles out of the cave, trying his best to be quiet. It doesn't matter though, because the person outside is in the perfect line of view to see him head on, and they drop the stick that they're poking at the fire.
"This is where you're staying?" the king asks, eyes lighting up while Kirishima tries to cover himself with his wings. "Man, I'm lucky as fuck that I know that information now. Get over here, lizard."
Kirishima lowers his wings, pouting, without really meaning to. The king raises an eyebrow. "Why're you lookin' at me like that?"
"You weren't supposed to find me."
"There's only so many places in this forest, y'know. Come on, breakfast's on me."
Breakfast? Kirishima's stomach rumbles again, and he inches over before his brain even tells his legs to move. The king's eyes twinkle, a grin stretching over his face as he grabs another stick and picks up the one he just dropped.
"What's breakfast?" Kirishima asks when he's got just close enough for the king to hear him, and the king drops both the sticks this time as he stares.
"What? What do you mean 'what's breakfast'?" the king demands, and Kirishima tries not to shrink back.
"Is...does it mean meal?"
"It's a meal. One of your three meals a day."
Kirishima blinks. "I only got fed once a day."
The king's eyes widen, and Kirishima quickly says, "It's okay! They fed me a lot in that one time! They had to since they wanted me to be very strong."
"Yeah, I was thinking, you look pretty jacked. Not as jacked as me though," the king snuffed, turning back to his fire. "You should start eatin' three times a day though. Eatin' a lot once every twenty four hours can't be good."
"Actually...I haven't eaten for quite a while now," Kirishima says sheepishly, crawling over and taking a cautious seat opposite the king, in front of the fire. The king watches him with an unreadable look and Kirishima tries to keep his eyes down. "At first I ate anything I could see. But what I saw made me really sick! I was paralysed for a few days! So now I have no idea what I can eat that can be safe."
"Ah heck, you don't know what's poisonous and what's not," the king frowns, poking at the fire to try and rekindle it since it was dying down. "I'll provide you with food, alright? 'M not havin' you dyin' on my watch."
"Really? Do you know what's safe?" Kirishima asks in amazement, so excited at the prospect of food that he loses all threads of fear and doubt. The king grins again, nodding only to growl when the last spark of the fire goes out but Kirishima just opens his mouth to breathe fire and rekindle it again, wanting to get back to the conversation. "I'm really really hungry so I would appreciate it so much, thank you so much!"
The king looks a little dazed, switching gazes between the fire and Kirishima, before he slowly nods again. "Yeah. Sure. Just let me finish roasting this."
Kirishima waits patiently. He realises that the appealing smell from earlier was chicken and he almost gasps, wondering where the king had found that. And then the king puts the food on two big leaves, cutting it with his small knife, and then he adds some leaves and plants that Kirishima's never seen before.
"Eat up," the king says, pushing a leaf towards Kirishima who nods excitedly, tail wagging. The king couldn't be poisoning him - he was eating the same thing himself! - and Kirishima knows this is probably some sort of bribe but he has to eat.
He peeks at the king. He's using the leaves to roll up chicken pieces and the new plants and eating it very cleanly that way. Kirishima tries his best to copy him, focusing on picking up the leaves but that's already difficult because his talons keep getting in the way. He huffs, about to just give up and eat using his mouth alone, but then he hears the king ask, "Do you know how to make yourself look completely like a human?"
Kirishima looks at him in confusion, only to see the king looking at his talons with furrowed eyebrows. Then he flicks his eyes up to meet Kirishima's and holds up a hand. "I mean, you can look like however you want. Doesn't matter to me. But making yourself look more like a human will protect you from other humans, cause then they won't know you're a hybrid, and..." The king points at Kirishima's hands. "That'll be easier."
Kirishima's stunned. "That is true. Oh wow. I'm just...people always knew I was a dragon hybrid because I just kept getting sold so disguising myself completely never really mattered."
The king had winced at the word 'sold'. He reaches out, and holds out his hands. He tells Kirishima to do the same and Kirishima blinks, curiously obeying.
"Try to make your nails look like mine. Think about the way you transform from dragon into hybrid form and try to put that energy into your nails."
Woah. The theory seems sound, and Kirishima looks down at the king's hands, at the nails that are healthy and surprisingly neatly trimmed. He focuses. He feels his transfigurative magic travel through his chest from his core, and he tries to push it towards his arms. He feels the tingle as it runs down his arms' veins, until finally- "I did it!"
The king beams, pulling his hands away as Kirishima stares at his own in wonder, turning them over a million times. "Heck yeah you did. You can eat now. Though I don't mind if you eat like how dragons eat, either."
"But I should learn how humans do things! Because I heed your words! I'll learn to be like a human!"
"Ah, shit. How old are you, huh?" the king snorts, reaching out to press a hand against the top of Kirishima's head roughly, but it doesn't hurt. "Or how do dragon ages work? Either way, I can't tell if you're a kid or not."
"I'm in my thirties, that's all I know," Kirishima ponders, and the king looks surprised. "But we age much slower than humans, yes."
"Well. I'm twenty-two. If that means anything."
Kirishima gasps, making the king snort again. "So it does?"
"So young. How does a human so young have such a reputation?"
A shadow falls over the king's face and Kirishima almost slaps a talon-less hand over his mouth. Stupid, stupid, he was supposed to not bring that up.
"Fucking reputation this, fucking reputation that. Everyone I ever come across brings that word up."
It makes sense that the king wouldn't like the word. Kirishima fidgets, wondering how he can remedy this until the king sighs, "I really hoped you hadn't heard any of that shit. But I kinda knew from the start that you had, since you asked if I'd...hurt you. So here I am tryna convince someone who thinks I'm some cut-throat psychopath to travel with me, good fuckin' luck, me!"
Kirishima stays silent. He doesn't know what to say that, too uneasy about the fact that the king is acutely aware of his own reputation. He just picks up his food and eats, trying his best to ignore the fierce eyes on him. Eventually, the king exhales long and loud, and says, "Ask me again."
Kirishima looks at him with eyes wide and cheeks puffed. The king immediately bites down on a smile. "Don't do that, you're a big fucking dragon, why d'you look innocent so much? Just ask me if I'll hurt you."
Kirishima slowly swallows. This feels like a trap. How can he believe any answer the king will give him?
Either way, he's used to obeying orders. "Will you hurt me?"
The king's eyes are ablaze and expression so solemn as he leans closer, and says in a gravelly, adamant tone, "I will never. Unless you hurt me first."
Once again, Kirishima is hit by the rush of trust that he's felt for no human but this man. Not because Kirishima trusts him per se, but because every ounce of his being seems so intensely candid. If the king told him he'd never told a lie in his twenty-two years of living, Kirishima would probably believe that too.
"I don't want to ever hurt anyone again," Kirishima whispers, and the king's expression drops into something almost akin to concern.
"Were you forc- made to hurt people?"
Kirishima's face twists and he looks down at the ground, at his clenched fists. "Never again."
And even if the king wouldn't hurt him, being by his side might mean that Kirishima would have to hurt people for him. Villagers, town-dwellers, the innocent. Kirishima had made a vow when he escaped his slavery to never spill human blood again unless it was deserved.
"You won't have to," the king says, the rasp in his voice all levelled out and he sounds so calming that Kirishima might fall asleep again. "If you come with me, no-one can touch you. You won't have to fight anyone like you might if you stayed on your own. I'll feed you up until you're strong again and the only people we'll fight will be wrongdoers."
"You'll make me fight?" Kirishima asks sadly, and the king looks almost agitated now.
"Bad people. Only bad people. And if you don't want to then duh I can't force you, you're a big fucking dragon with free will."
Kirishima finds it funny when the king calls him a 'big fucking dragon'. He wishes he knew how to laugh, because if he found the king's laugh nice, maybe the king would like Kirishima's.
But now, tears spring to his eyes when he hears the words 'free will'.
"W-Woah, hey, what the heck?!" the king yelps in alarm, backing up when Kirishima sniffles and tries to wipe at his eyes. The king doesn't understand. People can't have free will when they belong to someone. Kirishima won't have free will if the king takes possession of him. Kirishima only has free will now, for the first time in his life, and he needs it as badly as he needs food and water and he might not know how to live for himself but he'll learn. The only thing he knows is that he needs to stay away from humans who want him.
"Thank you for the food," Kirishima chokes out, slowly getting up onto wobbly feet before turning and walking back to his cave. He hears the king scramble to get up from behind him but he doesn't say anything - maybe he doesn't know what to say. But Kirishima's already nearly inside when the king barks out, "I'll be back at midday, alright?! For your lunch. That's the second meal of the day. And yeah I'll keep feeding you whether you'll join me on my travels or not but I'm telling you-"
"'I'll change my mind'," Kirishima finishes, making the king fall quiet. Kirishima turns his head, and tries his best to smile. He's seen a lot of different smiles before so he hopes he's doing good. "I know. You keep saying that. And, I probably will! My mindset is very weak, and you're really good at cutting down my walls..."
Kirishima shuffles on his feet. "But I gotta try as hard as I can to keep saying no. I'm sorry."
Then he slinks back into his cave, just catching sight of the king giving him a look so angry that maybe it's not angry, maybe Kirishima just can't understand it, and he curls up again.
Kirishima shouldn't be so surprised that the king keeps to his word. He comes at midday, with weird-smelling food that somehow still tastes delicious, and they don't really talk then. Kirishima watches the way the king eats and tries to copy him again. The king notices and laughs loudly.
"It's hilarious that I'm the only human you can learn human shit from."
Kirishima tilts his head in question, and the king prods at one of his horns. "Aren't those heavy? Anyway, it's 'cause I'm not a very well-loved human, you know? Don't blame me if this makes other humans hate you."
"I know. I'm doing this of my own will," Kirishima nods firmly which makes the king raises an eyebrow.
"Wow, got myself a dragon with virtue."
Kirishima glares, probably a lot fiercer than he should have, and the king actually turns a little rigid. "I am not yours."
The king's eyes seem to clear then. "...oh. Right, fuck, bad wording - you're right."
Kirishima's surprised that the king agrees so quickly, and he wants to smile again. The king's face softens a little for just a second, and he puts down the stick he's eating fish off to scoot forward, press his hands against Kirishima's cheeks, thumb the corners of Kirishima's lips, and push up a little. "Smile up, don't just try to stretch your mouth as wide across your face. And use your instincts to smile rather than thinking so much about it."
Kirishima's eyes sparkle as he nods, thinking that the king's hands are very calloused, rough and big and warm. Fighter hands. Once they start letting go of him, Kirishima grins big, and the king physically jolts.
"Bloody hell...'m tryna figure out whether you followed my advice or not. That's one massive smile." The king pokes Kirishima's cheek. "Do you have dimples? Shut the fuck up."
"What are dimples?" Kirishima asks in wonder, smile dropping and the king looks a little disappointed then. Why?
"I'll show you your reflection in a pond sometime 'n tell you then. Heck, you're some nice-lookin' hybrid, y'know?"
"Y-Yeah...that's what people say," Kirishima says awkwardly, because he's never been able to like the fact that he apparently looks nice when it just makes him more viable to be sold and leered at, but he can't say that when the king sounds so genuine. Yet the king seems to pick up on it.
"You don't like it?"
"I just...don't see it as a compliment..."
"Hah? But-" The king pauses, frowning at the floor. "But being nice-looking is a good thing, right...?"
"Probably! I like the way you look and that's good!" Kirishima says very honestly, because he likes the king's explosive blond hair and feral smiles and the way he looks very focused when he cooks, except Kirishima would probably think anyone who could cook was cool because he doesn't have the single inkling of how to do it, but he has the idea that the king is better than just being able to do it to survive.
"Okay. So. Is there another way you'd like your appearance to be referred to other than, you know, 'nice-looking'?" the king asks, and Kirishima is majorly confused by that question, but like all of the king's questions that he's lost count of by now, he feels very keen to answer. He's embarrassed when he realises he doesn't know many words for looking nice.
"I'll think of some," Kirishima says decisively, "and get back to you."
The king cackles again, and Kirishima watches him, both to listen and learn because one day he will laugh and it'll make the king jolt once more! And because he really likes hearing such a happy sound.
The king comes at night too when Kirishima's already fallen asleep, because he sleeps a lot these days to preserve energy and try to recover faster. When something shakes him awake, instant fear floods into Kirishima's brain, far superior to his grogginess, and he throws his arm back to fling the person off him. There's a yell, and Kirishima bares his teeth as he sits up, looking left and right with eyes aglow in the dark cave, before he finds a source of movement and he sprints towards it, pinning them down to the ground.
And the king is looking back at him, face touched pink and eyes wide in awe. "Woah."
Kirishima blinks, and slowly, using the king as a focal point, he relaxes. He loosens his hold on the king, ready to apologise profusely but the king scrambles to sit up the instant Kirishima lets go of him and says with eyes alight and a big grin, "You are so fucking cool."
Kirishima stutters out, so confused as to why the king thinks that when Kirishima probably hurt him, and then he's panicking all over again because hasn't the king said that he'll hurt Kirishima if Kirishima hurt him?! His brain's about to shut down as he shakily tries to ask the king if he's alright - but all the guy does is brush dirt off his shoulders and stand up like it's nothing. "C'mon, c'mon, I'll let you sleep again after you get some grub in you."
The king holds out a hand. He's clearly expecting Kirishima to take it. Kirishima stares at it, for a long time, probably a far too long time before slowly he inclines his head and gets up by himself. He feels the king's calculating eyes on him when he walks out of the cave.
"You can move like that 'n you're sticking around a place like this?" the king asks when they're settled around a new fire, and his tone is teasing, smirk playful and sometimes the way it makes Kirishima feel is overwhelming; he doesn't remember the last time he heard joking anecdotes where he wasn't the butt of the joke. But the king does it confidently and freely about anything, and it's as comforting as the warm fire.
"No, no, I'm...I'm weak. And I want to stay in one place for a little while before I need to worry about moving about. I'm worried about encountering humans, you know?"
'You know'. Kirishima's definitely picked that up from the king. It's amusing when the king seems to notice, looking a little smug as he throws a grape into his mouth.
"Alright. If you need any medicines or bandages, anything, you better tell me, my God, if you don't I'll kick you."
Kirishima's alarmed by the notion, and the king kicks him now but it doesn't hurt. "Don't look like that! I'm just incredibly against you fuckin' dying already."
"Why?"
"Dragon," the king says, frowning. "That's a pretty bad question to have to ask."
"Is it?" Kirishima asks weakly, eyes lowering, and the king growls as he tips Kirishima's head back up and shoves food into his mouth.
"I hate every single person you've ever met. From now on the only person you've ever known is me. Only I exist. Got it?"
Kirishima smiles, swallowing before he murmurs, "That's a really tall order," and the king throws his arms out in glee.
"You're learning idioms! You got that from me, right? Do you see how I'm the only person ever?!"
"I didn't learn that from you."
The king looks so horrifically, disbelievingly offended that Kirishima wants to laugh so bad but he's shy, and he'll probably sound very horrible, so all that comes out is a low pleased rumble in his throat. And the king's jaw drops before he throws his arms into the air and falls dramatically back onto the ground.
"I found the coolest damn dragon who smiles like the moon and wants to learn from someone like me and apparently also PURRS. I'm fucking done."
Kirishima flushes a little, consumed by so much warmth that it almost hurts, or maybe he's confusing pain with something else, and he reaches out to pat the king's arm except the king gnashes at him when he comes close. "Do not touch me, heathen."
"Are you tired, king?" Kirishima asks amusedly because that's the only thing he can think of to rationalise this behaviour. The king doesn't answer straight away, simply lying there like a starfish in silence, before he asks, "King, huh."
"Yes. Yeah. I've been meaning to ask," Kirishima says as the king sits back up, shaking dirt out of his hair, "why do they call you king?"
"Who's they?"
"Everyone. My masters definitely called you a king, and everyone they talked to did too."
"So why're you questionin' it?" the king sniffs, stretching his arms out for some reason. Kirishima wonders at the question.
"Because...you don't-"
"Have a kingdom?"
Kirishima nods. The king finishes stretching, and lies back down again. Kirishima contemplates joining him for a second but settles with just looking down at the king who looks very solemn while staring into the night sky.
"I had a kingdom. Once," the king says eventually. He flicks his eyes over to Kirishima who silently tries to assure him that he's hanging on to his every word. "We were one of the most famous kingdoms. Known for our fighting skills and our extensive lines of well-made armour. You ever heard of the Bakugou kingdom?"
"I saw you once when I was younger, travelling through that very kingdom with a master," Kirishima says, recollecting the memory. "You were definitely young. And trying to fight a squirrel. I wondered if the squirrel had deeply wronged you somehow but it was very funny."
The king gives him the most irritated look. "That was your first impression of me?!"
Kirishima just grins, and the king softens again, supposedly deciding to forgive him as he looks back up at the night sky. "Yeah, well. That was the one. I didn't feel much towards the kingdom really, but, those people were my people. So when..." The king grimaces, and Kirishima makes to rest a supportive hand on his arm. The king looks at the hand in mild surprise, but continues, "When I was nineteen, both my parents were assassinated."
"Oh no," Kirishima gasps, and the king's hands dig into the floor underneath him.
"No-one could find out who did it. And the gap in power was hella prominent, so they hurried to try and get me coronated. But during the ceremony, the second after the crown touched my head, spies jumped from the crowd and started to kill innocent people."
The king grits his teeth, hands sparking against the ground. Kirishima worries for him, so ashamed that he had to bring up these painful memories but the king pushes on. "Fuck - the bloodshed, I- it was horrible, I'll spare you the details 'cause I'm sure you've seen your fair share, but we tried to fight as valiantly as possible. But they'd already attacked the guards at the gates and the edges of the kingdom so the military was down, and they were ruthless no matter if it was towards the elderly or children, it didn't fucking matter to them. God, I tried. I tried to fight, I tried to tell everyone to evacuate but I-"
The king clenches his fists, then covers his face with his hands. It's a long moment before he pulls them away (Kirishima doesn't miss his slightly red-rimmed eyes) and murmurs, "People invaded. They burnt down our houses and buildings while we fought. Everything was turned to ash. Land, barren. And though I kept telling people to run, they kept fighting and dying for me just because I was their king, how fucking- fucked up is that?!"
The king sniffs. "I stopped wanting to be a king when people started to fight to protect me. But. Because at least I do know how to fight, I managed to escape with a whole throng of my people, mostly elderly and children, following after me. I did my best and I know it wasn't enough but-"
"It sounds like enough. How can it not be enough to have saved people?" Kirishima says softly, and the king freezes as if he's just remembered that Kirishima's there. The king looks at him, and Kirishima smiles. Smiling is happy, so it must invoke comfort too, right?
The king's eyes linger on Kirishima's smile as he exhales, and nods calmer. "Whatever. Maybe. I try not to regret the past, yeah. Anyway, I took those people to different kingdoms, because I had to separate them for their safety. I told 'em not to tell anyone they were from the Bakugou kingdom, 'n they agreed, but each one of them told me that I'd always be their king."
The king laughs, suddenly. "I started wanting to be a king again, then. Ironically so, since I was only just crowned, and I no longer had a kingdom anymore. But there're a hundred or so people out there who think of me as their king. There'll be children growing up now who might remember me, and the adults might talk about me. So."
The king sits up, and says with all the pride of a man who has lived and fought for many, "I'll be a king for the rest of my life."
"Wow," Kirishima says in amazement, wishing, oh-so-wishing that he could say more because his chest is so tight, and his eyes are glossy. The king snorts, feeble, as he digs at the ground with a stick.
"I don't think that's the answer you wanted. Don't think that's why everyone else calls me a king. They probably do it just 'cause of the technical fact that I'm a king. Not the emotional fact."
The king's eyes cut towards Kirishima. "But I'm not their king. And I'm definitely not your king, so don't call me that."
"But that whole story's really made me wish you were," Kirishima frowns, drooping. The king blinks in surprise, but Kirishima quickly asks, "Why do you travel? Just because it's difficult to settle in one place?"
"Mm, I guess. First it was because I wanted to find the bastards who killed my town so I could crush them," the king mutters, eyes darkening. But then they grow lighter. "But that got old pretty quick. And I kept makin' people annoyed with the way I talked which okay screw 'em 'n new people kept wanting to kill me, for what?! Could never stay in one place. 'N I don't wanna either. That's borin' as fuck. I never got to go anywhere when I was in my kingdom, and now the world's my oyster."
"Is that an idiom?" Kirishima asks, and the king grins at him.
"Am I the only person ever now?"
Kirishima actually desperately wants to say yes. He's swallowed in hatred for whoever invaded the Bakugou kingdom, and admiration for this king who saved. Maybe he's cutthroat now simply because of his past trauma. Maybe he kills everyone he sees simply because of the paranoia that they're who had hurt his people. And, maybe that was all in the past. It's been three years since then, maybe the rumours are old and the king's truly moved on?
Oh no. Now Kirishima's trying to be overwhelmingly optimistic, because he's struck by the incredible, overwhelming notion that he's taken a liking to the king. He likes the king so much. He's strong, manly, funny, a good cook, and a good king.
He shakes his head, annoyed at himself. This isn't the time to become biased, the king probably just knows how to charm people. But Kirishima still wholly believes that the king has never told him an outright lie.
"I can't call you king?"
"Ah. I'm genuinely so confused why you seem fuckin' sad about that so do what you like. But use Bakugou sometimes, maybe."
"My name," Kirishima says carefully, and the king looks at him in anticipation. "Would you like it?"
"You have a name?"
Kirishima nods. "I don't really know why I remember it, since no-one ever used it, but I managed to somehow keep one tiny memory of my mother telling me my dragon name."
"Your mother?"
"I'd like to find her!" Kirishima says brightly. "It's ok if I can't. But I'd like to, now that I'm free."
The king's intense eyes are doing their almost-glowy thing again. "Go for it."
"And I spent a lot of time trying to translate my dragon name into Japanese. Kanji is really useful for that, but yeah, I wasn't really taught kanji...so I smuggled some books to read. I was punished really badly but it was worth it!"
"You were fucking punished for reading," Bakugou groans, but waves a hand for Kirishima to continue.
"I managed to form a Japanese family and given name, and it was pretty useless because no-one would ever use them. But I hoped that some day someone would."
There's a long heavy silence when Kirishima finishes speaking. He can practically hear the king fizzling beside him, a question right on the tip of his tongue. And just when Kirishima opens his mouth, the king blurts out, "So am I that someo-"
"We'll see."
Bakugou whines, kicking at Kirishima who smiles, realising that his face is hurting because he's been smiling so much, and he distantly hears the king yell, "DON'T BE HAPPY AT MY EXPENSE, YOU FUCKER!"
Kirishima tries to compose his face, but it's so hard, even when Bakugou barks at him to stop smiling because that's an order, Kirishima obeys orders - but he doesn't need to obey this one. Bakugou won't punish him if he doesn't. No, because Kirishima keeps smiling, and all the king does is huff and push his face away with an explosion that Kirishima easily combats with his scales, and it's wonderful.
The king looks at him with a scrunched up face, pink dusting the bridge of his nose and his ears.
"Lizard."
"Yes, king."
"Join me on my travels right the fuck now."
Kirishima almost laughs. "No."
Bakugou explodes the campfire.
Kirishima tries his best not to think about just how deep he's falling in as days pass by so quick, falling into weeks that he treasures. He tries not to think about how he thought he'd be happiest by himself, but now he can't seem to imagine how he would've been able to get by without seeing the feral laugh of a loud king, without his cooking, without his quickfire 'how to be a human' lessons (the most recent one being how to drink water without lapping at it).
Kirishima wants to be happy but, it's terrifying. Thinking of being so dependent on a human again. Yet before it was because he wasn't allowed not to be - this situation with Bakugou feels so different. Kirishima's masters laughed at Kirishima to make fun of him. Bakugou laughs at Kirishima like Kirishima makes him happy. He knows there are more differences than that but sometimes when the king laughs, the rest of the world falls silent to Kirishima's ears.
"You have such a nice laugh," Kirishima finally says one night, when the king's cackling about Kirishima wagging his tail at the tiniest mention of gold. Abruptly the king stops, staring at Kirishima in surprise.
"Huh?"
"It's so happy."
The king furrows his eyebrows. "Laughs are supposed to be happy."
Kirishima shakes his head. "My masters faked laughs a lot when they talked to other humans. And the first of your laughs I ever heard, that didn't sound happy."
"My first...?" Bakugou pauses, looking like he's trying to think back, then he remembers."Oh. Well, I was mad."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Shut up, I don't really care. All you knew back then were rumours about me, anyway."
"I still don't particularly know if any of those rumours aren't true," Kirishima mutters, but him and the king can both hear the unuttered words 'or false'.
The atmosphere is awkward and quiet after that. And Kirishima gets scared again, because maybe he's scared of losing this small bubble of safeness the king has managed to build around him. He hates how he still has to be scared of saying or doing things wrong, because he won't be physically punished but the king leaving him almost feels like punishment when he thinks about it. The thought is so painful, clawing at his heart, proving all over again that this is the only thing that comes out of being with humans.
But the instant tears fall from his eyes, knuckles tip up his chin. "Dragon? What happened?"
Kirishima's eyes widen in panic when they meet the king's distressed confused ones and he quickly lowers them, sniffling. The king slowly pulls his hand away with a frown.
"Do I need to keep talking?" the king mumbles, sounding like he's talking to himself rather than Kirishima. "When I stop talking, does he get caught up in his past..."
That's not it, Kirishima's learned to be able to keep his mind blank of the past in order to keep himself sane. But it's a sweet painless lie, and Kirishima quickly nods, making the king's eyes soften. "Aight, you coulda said. 'm not much of a talker but - I'll try."
Sometimes, the king seems so kind. Almost all of the time really. That makes a different kind of pain settle in Kirishima's heart, because he feels ungrateful. He shouldn't be feeling so upset when a king is trying for him.
The king uses cloth on his cape to wipe at Kirishima's face, and Kirishima musters up all of his willpower not to cry harder from the act of kindness, even if the king's actions are really quite rough. Nonetheless, it takes a while until Kirishima stops crying, long enough that the king should be getting annoyed but he keeps patting at Kirishima's face the entire time.
"You done yet, you big ol' lizard?" the king asks, the teasing tone of his words falling flat but Kirishima gives him a smile anyway. Bakugou pokes his cheek too hard and Kirishima marvels at how his brain still registers that as something affectionate. "Look at you, you're fine."
"Why do you wear a cape?" Kirishima asks hoarsely, and Bakugou blinks, looking down at his cape.
"Oh, it's a Bakugou royal family thing."
"I see. I've never seen another king wear a cape." Kirishima reaches out, before stilling instinctively but the king doesn't slap his hand away. So Kirishima tentatively touches the cloak, and feels surprisingly velvety material. "It's so nice!"
"I always looked after it pretty well back in the kingdom," the king hums, slowly taking it off and pulling it over his knees so Kirishima can play with it more, and Kirishima's eyes sparkle as he plunges his hands into the incredibly soft material. "And the first time I found a mage after I had to leave, I got them to put a protective spell on it. So only I can taint this cape."
"That's why it's still so nice after three years..."
"It's red like you."
Kirishima gasps, clutching the cape tighter. "Like me! I'm red!"
"Of course you're red, dumbass," the king snorts, and Kirishima gasps again as he realises the king doesn't know of his greatest achievement.
"I wasn't always red. I only became red a few days after I escaped."
The king drops the cape completely in surprise, and Kirishima cuddles it happily, almost forgetting the conversation topic until the king yells a way too loud, "Huh?!"
"'Only a free dragon can bear their true colours'," Kirishima quotes softly, looking down at the red cape in his arms. "'Only a dragon in the wild where they're supposed to be.'"
Kirishima beams, tugging at his long hair. "This is still mostly black, so are a few of my inner scales. I'm getting there!"
"Oh," Bakugou says dumbly. "I just thought you were like - a red dragon, but also a little black. I mean I'd never heard of it but you're a reptile, 'n there are a ton of red and black snakes, right-"
"No way, I'm definitely a red dragon! Black dragons - night dragons! They're really different, more streamlined and the stealth type and if night and red dragons procreated, hmm...I don't think that would be me."
"You've met a night dragon before?"
"No, but I've read about them in those books I smuggled! They're so cool. I wasn't."
"Shut up, you were cooler than any pointy invisible lizard. You went through so fucking much and you kept going."
"Don't say that so loud, the night dragons will be offended!" Kirishima gasps in horror, half out of truth and half to try and blatantly ignore the happiness fluttering inside his chest at the compliment, and the king looks so exasperatedly amused as he shoves at Kirishima's head.
"I don't care what they think."
"But you don't care what I think either!"
"AH!" Bakugou exclaims in a bizarre mixture of a sigh and a yell, falling onto his back before kicking his legs a little. "You're so annoying, I hate you, I hate you, for fuck's sake, dragon, you're the most oblivious thing I've ever met."
Kirishima pouts, curling into the cape a little before suddenly the king swings back up and holds onto the cape too, leaves in his hair and a wild look in his eyes. "I wanna give you something."
Kirishima looks at him in surprise, so confused. "...my king, but you've already given me so much."
Bakugou bristles. "'My ki-' I'm not your king! Ugh-" The king drags the cape out of Kirishima's arms, and Kirishima absent-mindedly whines at the loss, trying to hold on but the king is stronger. And then, in a horribly rude move, the king dangles the cape in front of Kirishima's face. "You like this, right?"
Kirishima peeks out from behind to glare at the king. "You're so mean, you know I like it."
The king cackles, pulling it back again and Kirishima's now honestly so upset that he's about to withdraw every single one of his thoughts about how nice this king seems. It had always been the most horrible thing when his masters would wave jewels and gold in front of him and cruelly laugh at him trying to get at it. A dragon's instinct to hoard nice things was something Kirishima had always wished he could get rid of.
The king's face drops the instant he sees Kirishima really drooping. "No, I- shit, I was saying I wanted to give you something, remember?"
Kirishima immediately perks up again, and the king laughs in relieved delight. "Damn dragons, you fickle beings. But, yeah, just...it's in case I really can't convince you to come with me. I still want you to have somethin' of mine."
"...to...remember you by? I don't think I could ever forget you, king," Kirishima says completely truthfully, confused by the king's words, and Bakugou shakes his head.
"No, I want you protected. Want people to see something on you 'n know that it's from me. You'll be less likely to be messed with. A token 'cause I ain't gonna dare leave you empty-handed, don't want to."
"A token. A token..." Kirishima furrows his eyebrows deeply. "I...the only thing it sounds like to me is a mark."
The king's eyes flare in panic. "No, dragon, I'm not tryna make this like a mark of possession-"
"But that's all it can be, that'll be all it becomes - no matter how much I scrub or scrape, my skin is still burnt into with so many permanent marks from masters, so many permanent memories that I'll NEVER be able to forget, never ever, all because they-"
The king drops the cape, and takes hold of Kirishima's face instead. Kirishima has his eyes squeezed shut in rage, fists shaking and lips trembling. But the instant warm calloused hands brush over his angrily red cheeks, the tips of fingers brushing hair behind his ears, the flame of Kirishima's fury stills instead of growing.
"A gift," Bakugou says, so softly that if Kirishima wasn't a dragon hybrid, he wouldn't have been able to hear it. "I want to give you a gift."
Kirishima looks up, teary eyes opening wide. He sounds out the word 'gift' silently, as Bakugou watches him with a look so urgent and distressed. He looks almost scared, and for a moment Kirishima almost reaches out a hand to rest against Bakugou's face, too. But he doesn't.
Instead, he encircles a hand around one of Bakugou's wrists, and the small gesture gives Bakugou the courage to keep talking. "It'll be yours. Only yours. F-Forget what I said, I won't give you something that's obviously mine, 'cause it'll be yours. It won't be permanent. You don't haveta keep it. You got all the choices, only you."
Kirishima lets out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. He nods before he can register, melting into the stubborn warmth Bakugou's giving off right now with his words and presence that are still somehow so intense, and Bakugou exhales too. Then he's slowly letting go of Kirishima, and reaching behind himself for his...sword.
Yet Kirishima doesn't panic. Not when Bakugou keeps calm eye contact with him the entire time.
Then he's taking hold of his cloak, and cutting raggedly through the bottom half of it.
"Jesus Christ," Bakugou grumbles, aggressively sawing at the apparently tough material as Kirishima watches with aghast eyes. "Expected that to be way smoother."
"BAKUGOU!"
Bakugou grins like he's caught the best game on a hunt, and Kirishima distantly registers this is the first time he's used the king's name out loud. "Mm?"
"What are you doing?!"
"The fuck does it look like I'm- aha!" Bakugou holds up his new spoils of war ('cause that had been some battle) - a haggard cut of red off the bottom of his cape. Then he holds it out to Kirishima, the biggest grin on his face that is flushed with pride.
"For...me?" Kirishima asks in amazement, hands itching to take it but he kept them by his sides just in case he might be misinterpreting this, but Bakugou nods.
"I was honestly about to give you this whole thing-"
"NO!" Kirishima calls out instantly, appalled by the thought of the king giving up something so important, and it makes Bakugou laugh like a lion roars.
"Yeah I didn't think you'd completely like that 'n obviously everyone would know that was mine even if it was on you. So for now - just take this."
Finally, Kirishima reaches out to take it. He doesn't think he imagines Bakugou's fingers lingering on the material a little but he easily lets Kirishima take it, and Kirishima stares at it like it's one of the most beautiful things he's ever seen; because maybe it is. Because it's all for him. Yeah, he has clothes but they're so battered and were given to him by people he deplores, and he has his small bundle of treasure back in the cave but that's all petty stolen goods.
Kirishima hops up, excitedly trying to figure out some kind of way to keep it on his person. At first he wraps it around his neck but it's too long for that, so then he wraps it around his torso, but realises he's more comfortable having his chest bare. So he wraps it around his waist and holds out his arms to the king (as if to ask 'how's that?') who's watching him with his hand squished against his cheek, smile fond. "Nice. I'll get you a belt. Scratch that, I'll get you a whole fuckin' wardrobe, you're barely wearing rags."
Kirishima doesn't know what a wardrobe is but he doesn't question it, too overwhelmed by the thought of having clothes- no, nicer clothes. It takes everything in him not to tackle the king to the ground and slobber on him in thanks because he's SURE humans don't do that.
"Hey, lizard."
Bakugou's tone is both teasing and wistful, and Kirishima gives him all his attention. The king's face is pensive, and it's crazy how handsome he is like this. "This cape is almost the only physical thing I've got left from my kingdom. So, I know that part's completely yours, but it'd be nice if you take care of it."
Kirishima's eyes grow wide as he sits back down. "You really trust me that much with this?"
Bakugou shrugs. "S'not so much about trust. Just that I've been travellin' for three years 'n incredibly, it's actually gettin' boring. I wouldn't mind completely stripping everything I've got away 'n turnin' onto a new path. Wouldn't mind if all my possessions burnt down 'cause then I can get some entirely new ones, even that'll be a change. And, it'd be a real neat change to have a partner."
Bakugou looks at Kirishima. And for a moment, Kirishima feels like he can truly see him. See past the intensity and ferocity which Kirishima had thought was Bakugou's pure essence - but now Kirishima can see someone yearning for more from life. Someone who might be a little bit lonely.
Bakugou being lonely suddenly made all of this make a whole lot of sense.
But Kirishima was still too scared of all his emotions, both old and new, both prior to his escape as well as all the feelings evoked by Bakugou, to join him.
"I hope you get one," Kirishima says softly. The king closes his eyes like he's in pain, inclining his head as he grits out, "Sure."
Bakugou doesn't return for a while after that. Kirishima worries.
He doesn't have a good perception of time, but he thinks the king had been visiting him for a long while by now. Weeks. Months? But after that one night with a forlorn end, his presence had completely vanished.
Kirishima's grown used to rising at the exact time that the king would always come for breakfast. His stomach rumbles always now, because nothing's there to satisfy it - and he's tried to search for the king. Tried to scour out the forest only to find no-one at all, not even a shelter that the king might have slept in.
It's on day three without the king that Kirishima realises that he's truly, finally alone again. Exactly like he wanted. So why, why is all he can think about whether the king is injured, or captured?
'I'm not your king,' Bakugou always kept saying. While here Kirishima is having such overwhelming instincts to lay his life down to protect him. Just like Bakugou's subjects did. Just like what Bakugou hates that his subjects did.
Kirishima stills, and takes in a deep breath. Bakugou isn't his king. Bakugou isn't his king. Nor is he his master, or anything but a provider of food, and Kirishima had already known he'd leave at one point. He's not allowed to be surprised. He should be glad, so glad to be free of the crushing fear that he was becoming dependent on a human again.
But now he has no food.
Kirishima groans, thunking his head weakly against the ground. He feels sore all over, and so bone-tired that it's hard to move. He needs to do something, but he had been clueless before the king. All he has to help him are the king's impromptu lessons on the difference between poisonous plants and those that were safe to eat, as well as all of the weird food he brought that Kirishima would have never gone near otherwise but actually tasted decent.
So Kirishima opens up his senses. His ears perk, his pupils dilate, his sense of smell covers miles. And on all fours, he runs.
He might be a carnivorous dragon, but his human side of him is still an omnivore, and it's a given that he has to stay mostly vegetarian during his time without Bakugou. But it goes well. He identifies plants that Bakugou has brought him before, and he only gets poisoned twice! Really weakly too, so his dragon quick-healing helps him there. He finds an oasis not even a mile away that he face-palms himself for not finding earlier, and laps at the water before his eyes widen and he grabs a few leaves. He ties them together with fabric from his trousers (they're tearing apart enough already) before he has a good makeshift cup. He scoops some water, holds the cup in both hands, and drinks like Bakugou does. Like humans do. He smiles when he's done because it's so strange, but now he can do this too.
He sleeps with his piece of Bakugou's cape blanketed over him every night.
At first, it hurt, knowing that Bakugou was still quite a big part of his free life even if he wasn't there anymore. But now Kirishima can take it as an experience. The king helped him become stronger and Kirishima would always thank him for that, deliriously glad that he has a piece of him to remember him by too. But sometimes, late at night when Kirishima can't sleep, those thoughts start to hurt too. He doesn't know why. But he closes his eyes, thinks of sparking hands, feral laughter, a calm cool face cooking over the fire, and he gets so sad. He buries his face into red fabric and curls up into himself, eyes pricking.
Then one morning, Kirishima wakes to warmth. To a strong arm loosely around his waist, to loud snoring from a mouth so close to his that Kirishima goes cross-eyed.
The king looks so funny when he sleeps. His mouth wide open, eyebrows furrowed and drool on his chin. Kirishima's lip quivers. His eyes tear up and before he can stop himself, he's throwing himself at Bakugou and sliding his arms around him as tight as he can, his possessive dragon brain telling him to hold him close and never ever ever let go of him again-
The snores stop, and Kirishima hears a groggy, "Eh? The fuck..."
The arm around his waist tightens, Bakugou's other hand rising to rest on the back of Kirishima's head. "D-Dragon, what are you-"
"You came back," Kirishima cries, trying to stay quiet as he sniffles, trembles. "Why did you come back...this...this hurts even more..."
Bakugou doesn't say anything. But he gently pushes Kirishima away, just a little, his other hand carding through Kirishima's hair before it rests on Kirishima's cheek, and he asks carefully, "What hurts?"
"You. You...you being here...and you not being here...I don't know but it hurts here," Kirishima mumbles, pressing into his chest. Bakugou looks down at the spot, thinking, before he smiles. That one action makes Kirishima so happy that it's hard to handle.
"You missed me," Bakugou explains, and Kirishima's eyes grow wide. "Damn, someone actually missed me."
"That's what it is?"
"I think so. I hope so." Bakugou's hand leaves Kirishima's face and Kirishima misses it. "God, you don't even know how fuckin' glad I was seeing you alive 'n healthy in here last night."
"When did you come?"
"A few hours ago. Went through the whole damn forest calling for you like some madman," the king chuckles, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against Kirishima's which is so new that it makes Kirishima's heart race. "Ah fuck, I'm tired...lemme stay here for a minute..."
"You can stay here for all the minutes."
Bakugou laughs tiredly again, and Kirishima basks in it.
Bakugou drifts in and out of sleep for the next few hours, and Kirishima watches him worriedly. He's a fitful sleeper, sometimes shivering even though he feels warm to the touch, hands sparking enough for Kirishima to need to enforce his scales. When his eyebrows furrow so far they might cause dents, Kirishima retracts his talons and rubs at his brow gently. He rubs away all of the lines of tension on Bakugou's face. He takes Bakugou's hands, keeping them on his hips which he keeps permanently scaled, and Bakugou finally looks calm for a second as he tugs Kirishima closer and babbles quiet sleep nonsense into his shoulder.
Kirishima listens for a while. He hears "I'll fucking FIGHT you...bitch..." and smiles. He hears "one gold piece, take it or leave it..I know the original price was thirty gold do I look like I CARE". He hears 'he's my dragon...wait...not my dragon, he doesn't like that...he's just dragon, I'm his...human..."
Kirishima's eyes grow wide, then he jolts when Bakugou's face turns into his neck, breath hitting Kirishima's skin when he whispers, "I'm his human."
Kirishima realises, all too late, that he's been sleeping with his stolen treasure all this time and now the king's in his arms too, declaring himself Kirishima's, and Kirishima is treating him as preciously as all the minimal treasure he's ever had. More so.
"Bakugou," Kirishima says, desperately. "Please wake up."
Bakugou doesn't, but this is urgent, so Kirishima shakes him gently, then a little harder, then Bakugou's thwacking a sparking hand right into his face. "AH!"
"Fuck's sake, lizard," the king mutters, yawning and rubbing his head. "What is it?"
Kirishima quickly racks his brain for an excuse, before he says far too loudly, "I'm hungry!"
Bakugou's eyes suddenly light up as he grins. "Thank fuck, 'cause I've got you so much food. It'll last us 'til the end of the year, I bet."
Kirishima looks at him with wide eyes, curious and excited, and Bakugou slowly gets up and dusts himself off. "Come on, let's get a fire started."
"Right, so, I'll tell you where I've been," Bakugou says when they're sitting around a warm fire, and Kirishima's tearing into the biggest leg of meat he's ever seen. Bakugou rolls his eyes at him. "You better be listening while you stuff your face."
Kirishima nods violently, and Bakugou throws cloth at him to wipe his face. "Aight, so while I was sleeping, people from the nearby kingdom captured me."
Kirishima drops his food in alarm, but Bakugou raises a hand. "Let me finish. They must've been new there, 'cause I've got an alliance with that kingdom. Or well, as much of an alliance as it can be since I don't have a kingdom. I just help protect them when they need it and make sure the bastard king is looking after my ex-subjects who are there."
"Is he not a good king?"
"Eh...ugh, okay, he's fine - but he's so fucking annoying," Bakugou groans, kicking his feet about. "This whole alliance is just 'cause he took a liking to me or something. He thinks we're friends. Friends! I bloody hate him! He's a rich pretty boy with no personality except being clueless and one of these days I'm gonna dunk his head into a fuckin' vat of oil!"
Kirishima smiles amusedly as he watches Bakugou rant about a man who the king definitely seems to care deeply about, even Kirishima can tell.
"Anyway, that bitch saved my ass - not that I needed him to, but apparently they showed up at the castle with me asleep and captured thinkin' Half n' Half would give them some kinda reward but-" Bakugou cuts himself off with a loud laugh. "He fuckin' expelled them from the kingdom! That damn king."
"Is that...is that excessive? Couldn't he have given them a warning?" Kirishima asks warily, afraid that the king might get mad at him for saying that but Bakugou just hums, face turning solemn.
"See, he's really...stern, when it comes to me. When it comes to most people he likes or respects, actually, he's really loyal. But he really hates the fact that the world views me the way they do, and he gives pretty harsh punishment even if he simply overhears someone talking badly of me."
Bakugou looks at Kirishima, and asks a wary, "What," at the dragon's sparkling eyes.
"I like him! A lot!" Kirishima cheers, tail wagging and Bakugou groans, falling onto his back to spread himself out like a starfish.
"Fuck, I don't want you to like him! He's a moron."
"Can I visit one day?!"
The king stares at him in surprise, before slowly nodding. "...yeah. Shit, yeah, 'course you can, I just didn't think you'd want that. With all the humans, and all."
"If I can learn to shape-shift to look completely human then I'll be fine! As long as you don't try to sell me I'll-"
Bakugou splutters, sitting up to look at Kirishima wildly. "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT ME SELLING YOU! DON'T YOU BLOODY DARE!"
Kirishima blinks, not understanding Bakugou's outburst, but he nods excitedly. "Okay! And, and, now I know some humans are good, so it's okay."
The king's eyes soften. "I'm...not good, dragon."
"Why?" Kirishima asks, genuinely. He wants to know why the king doesn't think he's good. Almost all the rumours Kirishima's heard about him have been dispelled by now, but he wants the king's view to truly cement things.
"Good people live for others. I only really live for myself. Been travellin' the world for no reason other than to gather shit to trade, other than for changes of scenery or to run from all these people who think I'm dangerous. God, at the start I really did try to go to kingdoms tellin' 'em I'd give 'em protection with my powers and fighting skills but...gah, my foul mouth just gets me into trouble."
"Yeah. I was thinking that if you talked a bit nicer, some of the rumours might go away," Kirishima says amusedly, grinning when the king throws a stick at him. "You're so funny, king. A part of you definitely lives for your subjects who are scattered across kingdoms. You live for the king next door. And you seem to have been living so you can find someone to share your life with, too."
Bakugou doesn't reply. Kirishima looks up from his food, and freezes when he sees the shadow that's crossed over Bakugou's face. He's glaring at the ground, food finished, and he looks ready to blow up a kingdom. Kirishima regrets everything.
"K-King, I'm-"
"The reason I stayed away for so long is...well, at first Half n' Half wanted me to," Bakugou mutters. "He wanted my company and he was also having trouble with leaders in his army, so he wanted me to train 'em for a while. I tried to tell him I had someone to get back to, and he told me 'so that's why you're glowing'."
Kirishima bristles. Bakugou's hands clench into fists. "I got so...angry. Angry at you. Angry because you make me happy but you won't come with me, even though you know the whole reason why I want you, you know why I want a partner, I know you do. So I stayed in the kingdom for a while, trained up the army, stayed with Half, and didn't come back here. As if to punish you."
A part of Kirishima's heart shatters at the word 'punish'.
His breathing gets laboured and he drops the food, slowly backing away. For a while now he hadn't been worried about getting punishments from Bakugou, hadn't had to worry because Bakugou isn't his master, and Kirishima had thought Bakugou wouldn't even want to do things like punish him. But he'd been so, so wrong.
His fight and flight is kicking in. He's almost ready to run away, run far away and never return because why does this have to be so painful - but then hands are taking hold of his, and Bakugou is looking at him with glossy eyes and a face so miserable as he says softly, "I'm sorry."
"You punished me," Kirishima breathes out, eyes filling to the brim. "Y-You said I had a choice - you said it was my choice-"
"You do, it is, dragon, I was an idiot-"
"I'm sick of people wanting me," Kirishima sobs, head hanging. "I don't want to be wanted, I-I don't want it, I want to be alone, why can't y-you leave me-"
"Dragon, please," the king says hoarsely, pressing Kirishima's hands together and bringing them to rest under his chin, looking desperate. "I'll leave you alone if you want, I promise, I- I was a fucking idiot. Half's the one who kicked some sense into me when he found out what I was doin'. He told me to go or he'd force me out the kingdom, but I already knew I had to come back. And I'd been missin' you so much that it was messin' with my mood 'n I'd become temperamental with everyone anyway - I had to come."
"Weren't you worried at all? That I might be dead by now?" Kirishima asks despondently, and the king closes his eyes like he hates himself. Maybe he does.
"That thought hit me like a truck. I ran all the way back here, 'n seein' you sleepin' almost killed me until I realised it was just that, you were just sleeping. And you weren't malnourished. You've been eatin', right? I could tell, I was so fucking proud," the king laughs tearily, and Kirishima feels so conflicted that he can't deal with it. Then the king kisses Kirishima's hands, a tender touch that makes Kirishima's heart race. He wonders what it means, but maybe he can figure it out from the way it makes him feels giddy, dizzy, and warm. "You were more than capable without me. I'm glad about that."
"But that's only because you taught me how," Kirishima mumbles.
"Yeah. I guess. But you still were, and now I know that if I leave you like you want then you'll be fine. So say the word and I'll go, okay? Take all the food I brought, and I brought some shiny things too because I know dragons like that and clothes too and honestly there's just a lot there, just look through-"
"Bakugou," Kirishima murmurs, and Bakugou looks at him. "My name is Kirishima."
Bakugou's eyes grow so wide, and his jaw drops. He stutters out nonsense for a second as Kirishima parts his hands to take hold of Bakugou's face, and that silences the king.
"Please leave for a while," Kirishima says softly. "Then come back calling my name."
Bakugou swallows, but nods, taking hold of Kirishima's wrists. "How long?"
"Two hours," Kirishima says curtly, and Bakugou blinks. "But you're gonna repent! For that entire two hours! You're gonna think 'I've hurt the lizard, I'm the worst person in the WORLD!'"
"Holy fuck, I don't deserve you," Bakugou half-laughs half-sighs in long relief, falling forwards to stuff his face into Kirishima's shoulder and Kirishima smiles to himself, curling his arms around Bakugou and resting his head on his shoulder. Bakugou smells like burning wood, like warmth, like the outside world. Kirishima closes his eyes, and hugs him for as long as he allows himself.
A while later, Bakugou leaves with a wave, and Kirishima calls out, "YOU BETTER BE REALLY REALLY SAD WHEN YOU GET BACK" which gets him two thumbs up and a cackle. Kirishima settles against the big sack of items Bakugou had brought, and smiles, so big.
This is painful, but maybe Kirishima's finding out that nothing good can be entirely good. But the good parts are worth it. Not to mention right now he's doing the punishing, Kirishima of all people! It's exhilarating, and means more to him than he thinks anything ever has. He has control.
He's not Bakugou's. But Bakugou seems perfectly fine thinking of himself as Kirishima's.
Dragons are supposed to never part with their treasure until death.