Chapter Text
Izuku was fortunate in that he was favored by the Gods from the moment he was born. In a land where nearly everyone was born with some kind of magical power, to be born without one was a sign of a very special person indeed. It meant they didn’t need any powers because instead, the Gods would be personally watching over that person, as well as anyone close to them. It was for this reason that people without magic were borderline worshipped. As babies, they were often sought after by kings and queens wishing to have such a person betrothed to one of their own children.
That was how Izuku became betrothed to Katsuki, the barbarian prince and future king. Izuku’s mother had held out, not wanting to accept just any offer for her precious boy, and her reticence had paid off; the Bakugous were the most powerful clan imaginable and she knew that with with the barbarian prince by his side, her son would go on to do great things.
The first time Izuku met the prince, they were children. Katsuki’s mother had business to attend to in Izuku’s town and she had brought Katsuki with her. The two of them spent the day playing in the village, and Izuku found he liked Katsuki a lot- even though he had embarrassed himself by messing up the prince’s name and accidentally calling him Kacchan.
“Kacchan is amazing!” he cried later as he zoomed around the house. “I’m so happy I get to marry him when I grow up!”
His mother smiled with relief because she’d been worried about whether or not they’d like each other.
~~
The next time they saw each other, they were seventeen and nearly grown. Izuku and his mother were invited to the Bakugou’s lands to discuss details of the marriage, since it was only a couple of years away at best. The two boys walked down to the river to skip stones over the water and Izuku noticed how Katsuki’s golden hair shone in the sunlight, and how his strong arms were decorated with intricate tattoos.
“We’re getting married, you know,” Katsuki informed him with a huff.
“Yes, I know!” Izuku said, a blush spreading slowly over his cheeks. “I-I’m looking forward to it.”
“Is that so?” Katsuki asked, turning to face him. “Aren’t you scared? You don’t know anything about me.”
The prince took a step closer and Izuku backed up out of instinct, then yelped with surprise when he bumped up against a tree. Katsuki didn’t stop, though; he just kept getting closer until he’d caged Izuku in against the tree with an arm on either side of his head.
“I’m not scared,” Izuku whispered. “Kacchan is amazing!”
Katsuki’s eyes widened with surprise, clearly taken aback by Izuku’s answer. Izuku’s breath caught in his throat as he waited to see what would happen until, without warning, Katsuki suddenly leaned forward and pressed their lips together.
The kiss was soft at first, and even though Izuku felt like his heart was about to pound right out of his chest, he also felt a sense of comfort. It suddenly seemed like he’d known Katsuki his whole life- like they belonged to each other, and no one else- and Izuku was content to let Katsuki kiss him for as long as he wanted. The kiss soon became more heated, until they were awkwardly sliding their tongues together with the occasional clack from their teeth. Neither of them knew what they were doing, but they did know that they wanted this, and it was as if the stars had aligned to make this happen.
“I can’t wait to see what kind of good fortune you bring us,” Katuki said in between kisses. “When my mother told me that my betrothed was favored by the gods, I almost didn’t believe it.”
Izuku’s spirits fell as he couldn’t help wondering whether Katsuki was really interested in him or just the fact that he was born powerless.