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Shouto hears the rustling noises in the bushes below his chamber’s window quicker than the average royal court guard. His window is ajar, velvet curtains flowing gently, guided by the evening breeze.
The edges catch onto the growing vines, greenery which started growing on the side of the castle right under his window, all the way up to it. No one questioned the prince when he ordered the gardener to not tamper with the plants.
The chandelier casts a warm glow into his bedroom chamber, lights left on due to the opened novel in the prince’s hands. The moment his ears catch onto the jingle of beaded necklaces and the thump of heavy boots onto the side of the castle wall, Shouto stopped paying attention to the story.
He glances briefly at the window, though there’s nothing—no one there, yet. He tries to hide the growing smile on his face behind the book, but the more noise gets closer, the more he feels his body thrum in elation.
He doesn’t let go of the book even when the night visitor – Barbarian King Bakugou Katsuki – steps unceremoniously onto the ledge of his window, scarred knuckles knocking mockingly onto the stained glass windows.
“Is his majesty in the mood for welcoming guests?”
The rough, and familiar, voice asks, and it almost causes Shouto to turn his gaze towards him. But the prince doesn’t relent, instead playing along with the barbarian’s game.
“Depending on how important said guest is, I reckon I could make an exception at this late hour.”
He’s tempted to laugh at his own pretend formal tone, something he hasn’t used when talking to the blonde man climbing through his window in a long time.
“Very important.”
The legs folding on top of his study desk finally make Shouto close the novel, story already forgotten, and discard it onto the empty corner. The barbarian king sat himself onto the desk, leaning back on his arms, ruby eyes lowered to look at the prince’s face.
Stormy grey and ocean blue lock with Katsuki’s eyes, remaining locked onto each other for a few moments.
There’s a fresh wound on the blonde’s shoulder, and his eyes look more tired than they did last time. Shouto wants to ask him about it, wants to tell him to take it easy, take some rest, don’t be so reckless, but it’s his duty. King’s don’t take breaks, they can’t take it easy. Not someone like Katsuki.
So he doesn’t say anything, keeps his eyes on Katsuki’s face as he gets out of his chair and turns his body to face him, not missing the fond look in those red eyes (his favorite pair). Rough hands come to rest on his waist instantly, pulling him in between thick thighs clad in the usual attire his lover wears, though Shouto wishes he could overlook the dried blood stains on the knees.
His own hands, a little softer but just as powerful, settle onto Katsuki’s face, cupping his jaw and angling his face upwards. The fingers gripping his night shirt tighten their grip on him when Shouto traces small circles into Katsuki’s cheeks, fingertips tickled by blond stubble.
“Then I shall give my special guest the attention he deserves, it would only be fair of me.”
Shouto whispered, lowering his own face, words breathed against Katsuki’s awaiting lips.
“You fuckin’ better.”
He doesn’t get to say anything else, not that it was needed – they’ve always communicated better with actions – as lips were pressed against his, the overwhelming feeling of safe and love erupting in his chest like warm fireworks.
He’s missed him so much, spending evenings next to his window – window which he keeps open all the time now, even when he’s asleep – waiting for the telltale signs of his lover climbing up to it.
The kisses are intense from the start, both of them trying to conveying the words they couldn’t say to each other in these past weeks apart turning into wet slides of mouths, teasing bites on lower lips, breathy sighs shared in the space between them.
Shouto is soon wrapping his arms around Katsuki’s shoulders, hands tangling in the back of his head, gently gripping onto the blonde tufts of hair and skillfully interwoven braids.
He manages to pull away for a few seconds to whisper again “I missed you, Katsuki” right onto his lips before he was pulled back, lips slotting perfectly together.
He’s also missed the feeling of Katsuki next to him, close to his body, enough that he could feel the warmth radiating off him. He missed the cocky grin thrown his way after they would spar, the soft smiles in the early hours of the morning and the calming caresses through his hair when falling asleep.
They were few and rare, with how often they had to hide what they had, and hide themselves, but Shouto would rather have these fleeting moments over none.
Their pace slows down a while later, after they’ve grounded each other, after Shouto doesn’t have to desperately confirm to himself that Katsuki is truly here. He feels him rub his hands up and down his back, pulling his body impossibly closer to his, until he feels Katsuki’s warm and naked chest onto his own sheer night shirt.
He can feel the thump of his heart, matching with his, beating in sync as they catch their breath.
“Missed you, too, halfie.” Shouto knew, of course he knew Katsuki missed him.
He showed it in the way he wasted no time with more words than needed, in the way he pulled Shouto close and kissed the light out of him. In the way he’s still holding Shouto in his arms and looking up at him, knowing that the prince isn’t going anywhere else.
Nevertheless, this doesn’t stop Shouto from gripping his face gently, once again, and tilting his head towards the warm light, so he can admire the love of his life, watch the way his eyes darken slowly, how his lips shine-
He kisses him again. But doesn’t deepen it. He kisses his lips with the softness of a feather, touch fleeting and delicate like silk. His lips then move to the side of his mouth, right where it loves to curve into a manic grin, up to his cheek, both cheeks – for symmetry – on the top of his nose.
Katsuki usually doesn’t allow such pampering from Shouto, instead loving to be the one to worship him like this, but he’s surprisingly complacent tonight. He seems to have missed Shouto dearly, if the lack of complaints is anything to go off of.
“Had your fill yet?”
He hears Katsuki’s voice, but he makes no move to stop him, body relaxed and arching into Shouto’s touch, into his hold. Like a sunflower towards the sun, he did like to compare Katsuki to yellow flowers, though the barbarian doesn’t appreciate getting compared to something as dainty as sunflowers and dandelions.
“Hmm, you know it’s never enough.”
He pulls away reluctantly, to watch Katsuki smile softly at him, a smile reserved only for Shouto’s eyes, the prince wearing the same look of content.
The echo of steps outside of Shouto’s chamber cause them to hold their breaths and turn their gazes towards the door, waiting to see if anyone would require the prince’s presence at this late hour.
They both know no one will bother Shouto at this time of day, well, night, unless it’s an emergency. But it never fails to keep them on edge – the magnitude of what they’re doing, the risk they’re taking each time they meet.
“Do you have to go?” Their encounters are usually short, lest they meet somewhere more private and during daytime, and Shouto dreads each goodbye more than the previous one.
“I should…” Is whispered back onto his lips, which unconsciously drifted back to Katsuki’s, eager to feel him close once again.
They press their mouths together with no urgency, mapping each other out like they always do, just to remember the feel of one another.
He hears Katsuki’s sharp intake of breath and Shouto thinks it’s the frustration of leaving that’s gotten him to reach like this.
He tries to pry away the teeth biting into the blonde’s bottom lip, pecking it gently to soothe the sting, shivering when the blonde firmly grips his hips with only one hand. The other one reaches behind him, catching onto the edge of the window and shuts it closed, catching onto the curtain corner.
“But I don’t wanna.” The blonde rasps out, his free hand joining the other one on Shouto’s body.
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The hot water splashes on the sides of the tub when Katsuki gets in after him, maneuvering them around so Shouto is resting against his chest. The prince insisted on them taking a long and hot bath, to take the time and bask into his lover’s presence. And since the blonde has been more laid-back this evening, Shouto takes it upon himself to pamper him, in his own ways.
The satisfied sigh behind him was indicator enough that Katsuki was in need of the soothing embrace of hot water – and Shouto’s kisses – a well-deserved break from the discord going on between their kingdoms.
He scooted backwards, tucking his head on the blonde’s shoulder, his own sagging in content when arms wrapped around his middle, strong and secure.
This was the best feeling – being able to touch Katsuki’s skin with his own, splaying his body over his or just being held like this. They didn’t always need to have sex for this to happen, since the barbarian already had a preference for walking around only half dressed. Feeling his lover’s scarred yet warm skin on his own gave Shouto a whole new understanding of the connection between them.
The unbreakable bond they’ve formed over the years.
A secret, kept from everyone but the two of them.
He feels the bejeweled necklaces hanging around Katsuki’s neck dig slightly into his naked back, but Shouto prefers to feel them, a tactile reminder that it’s indeed his lover that he’s laying with now, and not just wishful thinking, not just his imagination that led him to fall asleep at his desk, hoping to catch a glimpse of his favorite red eyes looking at him.
Shouto moves his hands underwater to intertwine their fingers together, bringing both of the blonde’s hands to his mouth, pressing a longing kiss on the back of them. He feels a similar loving kiss being pressed into the back of his neck, the lips staying connected to his damp nape.
Katsuki’s exhales raised goosebumps on Shouto’s skin, which only brought a giggle out of him, to which the blonde replied with his own huffed laughter.
“You’re so beautiful, Shouto. So fucking perfect.”
Katsuki started murmuring into his skin, something he started doing a while back into their relationship, after he’d almost lost Shouto in battle.
Whenever the moon is high up in the sky, and the stars are the only ones to witness their love exchanges, Katsuki will whisper sweet promises into Shouto’s skin, praises and blandishments, watching the prince preen under the attention. The attention he oh-so deserves, but not because of his title, because of who he is, because of the person Katsuki chose to give his heart to.
“And all mine.”
A shiver racked through Shouto at the admission, loving whenever Katsuki put his claim on his like that. Made it known that Shouto belonged to none other than the Barbarian King. Not to his father’s legacy, not to the Todoroki kingdom.
Only to Katsuki.
He’s too absorbed into his own thoughts that he doesn’t notice Katsuki slithering one hand out of his and reaching back to unclasp one of his necklaces. When the barbarian nudges him to turn around and face him, Shouto opens his eyes – ones which were previously closed in serene happiness – and looks at him with a curious gaze.
“Now that you’re mine, you have to show it. Don’t you, Shouto?”
His voice has gone softer than Shouto’s ever heard it, and he ducks his head forward when his lover reaches over and behind him to place the jewelry around his neck.
It’s similar in looks with the ones Katsuki wears, but the one adorning Shouto’s neck looks more delicate, with polished beast fangs, sparkling jewels and braided silver wire. The pendant in the middle shines the brightest, and Shouto takes it gently between his fingers to marvel at it, the bead a deep ruby red, akin to his lover’s eyes. It’s framed by two other smaller jewels, a pearl white one and an ocean blue one; and Shouto couldn’t love it more.
He lets the necklace fall, the jewelry sitting prettily around his neck, and looks down at how, now, him and Katsuki matched. The blonde’s arms stay winded around Shouto’s frame, pulling him closer into a kiss to seal the promise of their everlasting love.
“All yours.” Shouto repeats onto Katsuki’s lips, elated that they truly belonged to each other now.