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The rebellion had been trying to break into the Dark King’s castle for ages, with no sign of success anytime soon. The warriors they sent either came back severely maimed, were discovered nearly catatonic, or they didn't come back at all. The next person slated to make the journey was Natsuo Todoroki, but Natsuo had always been seen as all brawn, no brains - which wasn't exactly denied when Natsuo went on the mission in a…peculiar outfit.
The rebellion said their goodbyes with dropped jaws and bulging eyes, but Natsuo didn’t think it was odd at all. He was going on a mission that no one had come back from, they were probably too choked up to say anything. But Natsuo was confident in his abilities - with Touya long gone and their father always away at the battlefront, Natsuo had been the one to handle the family’s chores, and he had grown stronger with each log chopped, each bucket of water drawn, and each ram hoisted across his shoulders. His clothes would only help him on his quest: his outfit allowed for full freedom of movement, and a lack of fabric to rustle would only make him stealthier. And he had inherited his mother’s penchant for ice magic, meaning that he never got cold no matter what he wore (and truthfully speaking, this was the most comfortable he’d ever felt in his clothes - anything more than this and he’d nearly melt in the summer heat).
The trip to the Dark King’s castle was surprisingly easy, but Natsuo knew that only meant the struggle lie within the castle walls. It wasn’t just the King he had to look out for, but he’d heard rumors of a supposed “Prince of Darkness” who could destroy a man with a single touch, a formidable opponent who left no evidence of the thousands he’d slaughtered. Natsuo knew he wasn’t skilled enough to win against someone like that, so he was really banking on his stealth to be what kept him alive. He had his instructions - get in, find information about the Dark King’s army, and get out - and he had his stealth armor, specifically chosen by himself.
The Dark King’s castle looked exactly how Natsuo expected it to: dark stone bricks, dark metal gates, dark clouds in the sky, and dark withered trees surrounding the entire castle. The color palette alone made Natsuo curse his naturally white hair, but he wasn’t about to turn around and abandon his mission now. Strangely, there was no one to be seen around the castle - no guards that Natsuo had to avoid, no indentured servants, no evil generals making up evil plans - but he still moved carefully, just in case there was someone who could raise the alarm.
And yet there was still nothing. It was suspiciously easy to get inside the castle, there were no soldiers inside to catch him and torture him. When he found himself in a massive library, he was shocked to see the room in complete disarray - it looked like it had been searched in a panic and abandoned just as quickly - but that made it easier to find a large mahogany desk, and letters with the information he was looking for. Natsuo half-expected it to be a trap, and he braced himself for a fight as he swiped the papers he needed...and nothing. But he knew better than to tempt fate, so Natsuo stuffed the papers in the waistband of his shorts (no pockets was a design flaw he intended to fix) and made to get out as fast as he could. He ran out the way he came, silently pulling the door open, but he failed to notice a sleepy figure open the door across the hall in his haste to escape.
"Who the hell are you?!" the voice demanded. Natsuo jolted and whirled around, but it seemed he had severely underestimated how wide the hall was, because the moment he turned around, he suddenly had someone's face mushed against his chest.
They both stood there completely frozen for a few moments, but the stranger was the first to move, slowly lifting their hands to grope Natsuo's exposed pecs, squeezing them for a few moments before lifting their face and-
Oh.
The stranger was gorgeous.
Dazzling red eyes, beautiful pale blue hair; long, slender fingers that massaged Natsuo's chest sinfully well, and patches of dry skin around the eyes that made him look tired. Actually, while the stranger was busy gawking at Natsuo's chest, Natsuo could see that he looked exhausted, and there was a slight tremble to his hands and eyes, all of which were combining together to paint a clear picture in Natsuo's mind.
"They never told me the Dark King had a hostage," Natsuo whispered, holding the man's shaking hands and getting him to look up, "But I'm going to rescue you, okay?"
The man was mumbling under his breath, and it was hard for Natsuo to hear what he was saying - he thought he heard the man say, "B-beefy hunk," but that didn't make any sense, so Natsuo figured he was just hearing things.
"I don't know when the Dark King is coming back, we need to move quick if I'm going to rescue you," Natsuo urged, taking a step closer with the hopes of getting the man to snap out of his trance, "Can you at least tell me your name?"
"Your wife- uh, I mean, Tomu- Tenko. My name's Tenko, rescue me and take me whenever and wherever you'd like."
Natsuo chuckled and rubbed his thumbs along the back of Tenko's hands. It was clear that Tenko was nervous - probably a byproduct of being held captive by the Dark King - and Natsuo needed to calm the beautiful man down if they wanted any hope of escaping without being seen.
"Do you have any family you need to go back to? Maybe I can help you find them-"
"They're all dead," Tenko blurted out, "I was kidnapped when I was a child, and the Dark King killed my entire family. I'm all alone, with no one to take me in or care for me."
Natsuo felt his heart shatter for Tenko. He'd been held captive for years? Probably being tortured by the Dark King - the very monster that murdered his family?!
"You're not alone anymore," Natsuo said firmly, letting go of Tenko's hand to softly cradle his face and smiling when the beautiful man melted into the touch, "You can stay with me, and I'll take care of you. Now, come on. We need to get out of here before someone catches us!"
Tenko nodded with an adorable blush dusting across his face. Natsuo took his hands off of Tenko and began to walk down the hallway, but a pained squeak and the sound of Tenko stumbling had Natsuo rushing back to the man’s side, catching him right before he fell to the ground.
“Tenko! Are you okay?!”
“I’m just…so, so weak,” Tenko sighed, collapsing into Natsuo’s arms, “The Dark King left a few days ago and took all of his staff, leaving me alone to fend for myself with no food or water, forcing me to wait in fear for that…that monster to return and resume his evil torture. I’m afraid I won’t be able to walk on my own for now, since I’m just so weak. If only there was a big, strong, beefy man who could carry me to safety.”
Natsuo inhaled sharply, his hold on Tenko tightening. The Dark King truly was a monster for forcing a man as handsome as Tenko to go without food or water, but Natsuo’s own rations were a short distance away, carefully tucked away in a hollow tree. He couldn’t give Tenko what he needed at the moment, but…he quickly scanned Tenko, estimating his weight and body shape, determining the best way to lift him was to tuck one arm under his knees, the other arm holding up his torso. Carrying Tenko was easy -too easy, he weighed nowhere near what the sheep back home did- and it was even easier when Tenko looped his arms around Natsuo’s neck and burrowed closer to him.
“Hold on as tight as you can,” Natsuo instructed as he began to run down the hall, ignoring the heat in his face when Tenko nuzzled into his chest and tightened his arms around Natsuo’s neck.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Tenko purred as they ran, and Natsuo did his best to push down the rush of affection surging up from his tone. Tenko just wanted to be rescued, he wasn’t looking for love-
“You know, in all the stories I’ve read, the brave knight rescues the princess and then they get married,” Tenko said, sliding a hand down Natsuo’s neck to rest on his chest, the touch raising goosebumps on his skin, “So, my brave, handsome knight, when’s our wedding?”
Natsuo stumbled and nearly went crashing to the ground, but he caught himself before he dropped Tenko. “Are you sure you want to marry someone like me?” He grunted out as he rounded the corner, sneaking out of the hidden entrance he came through earlier, pausing behind a massive dead bush that hid them from sight, just in case guards decided to show up now that he was rescuing their hostage.
Tenko hummed and traced circles on Natsuo’s chest, “Someone like you? You mean big, strong, handsome, packed with all this premium beef? Not to mention brave enough to break into the Dark Lord’s castle and steal- rescue me? Did I mention handsome and beefy?”
“M-maybe once or twice,” Natsuo stammered, feeling his blush spread down to his exposed chest, the redness only darkening when he saw the absolutely seductive look in Tenko’s eyes.
“Such a humble gentleman - you know, it’s practically the law that the brave knight marries whoever they rescue, but we can seal the deal with a kiss if you’d like. Hell, I’d like to do a lot more than just kiss-“
Natsuo squeaked and instinctively pulled Tenko’s face against his chest, but that only made him more flustered to feel Tenko’s lips moving as he laughed. “But you hardly know me!”
“Well, getting married gives us plenty of time to learn all about each other. C’mon, handsome, what have you got to lose?”
———————3 months later———————
With one swing of his axe, Natsuo split the log cleanly in half, then cut the halves into quarters. He tossed the pieces of wood into the growing pile behind him and wiped away the sweat on his brow before picking up another log. He was about to raise his axe again when he heard the front door swing open and shut. A smile found its way to Natsuo's face, especially when he heard his husband clearing his throat. He lodged his axe in the chopping block and turned to go greet his husband. His heart began thumping in his chest at the sight of Tenko standing on the porch, dressed in his favorite red robe - one that pooled at the ends of the sleeves and was lined with red fur - and holding a glass of water in his hands.
"Well, hello handsome," Tenko purred as Natsuo approached, a devilishly attractive smirk on his face. He held out the cup toward Natsuo, the motion making one side of his robe slip off of his shoulder.
"Hi, Tenko!" Natsuo chirped, gladly accepting the drink and placing a soft peck on his husband's lips as a thank-you, reaching out and fixing his robe while he was at it. "You came right on time - I was really starting to get thirsty."
"Mm, I know the feeling," Tenko replied in a way that made Natsuo think he wasn't talking about water, although he didn’t quite know what his husband was talking about. Maybe he’d been drinking a new blend of tea lately and was craving a cup? “My husband works so hard to take care of me, I just want to…return the favor.”
Natsuo paused his drinking, confusion clear on his face. “Return the favor? Tenko, you know that our marriage isn’t transactional - I made a promise to take care of you, and I don’t intend to break that promise. Besides, you do plenty to help, like picking out better clothes for me to do outdoor work!”
“You’re right, I did do that,” Tenko chuckled and moved closer, laying his hands on Natsuo’s bare chest. Natsuo's heart swelled with pride at the gesture; Tenko had noticed how awfully hot and sweaty he got while working outside, and he’d been so smart to suggest Natsuo wear something similar to his stealth armor (he had also told Natsuo not to wear a shirt at all, but it would be indecent to roam around outside without a shirt on!), even going so far as to alter one of Natsuo’s old shirts into a comfortable -if a bit tight and short- vest to wear. "And I have to say, you look ravishing in that, but I think those clothes would look better on our bedroom floor."
Natsuo furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would I leave these on the floor? They're going to be all gross and sweaty when I'm done working, so I'll put them straight into the laundry basket!"
Tenko's eye twitched slightly, but it vanished before Natsuo could get concerned. His husband sighed and plastered on a (very cute) smile, standing on his tiptoes and looping his arms around Natsuo's neck. "I want a kiss. Right now. Please."
He wanted to warn Tenko that he was sticky with sweat and would dirty his pretty red robe, but it was impossible to deny his husband's request, especially since he had already pressed himself flush against Natsuo and actually said please. Natsuo's hands rested on Tenko's waist, giving him just enough lift to meet him halfway. Natsuo sighed and melted into the kiss, relishing the feeling of Tenko's lips on his. A pleasured groan slipped past his lips when Tenko tangled his fingers in Natsuo's hair, and Natsuo would've loved to spend the rest of the day kissing and holding his husband. But they were still outside, and he really didn't want to mess up Tenko's clothes (he had been so excited to buy them, the last thing Natsuo wanted was to ruin them), so he reluctantly pulled away, nearly crumbling when Tenko whined and tried to pull him back down.
"Natsu-" he complained, the force of his tugging making his robe slip down his shoulder yet again, falling so low that it exposed part of his chest.
"I think your robe is too big for you," Natsuo said while fixing his clothes, a small pout on his face as he rolled the silky fabric between his fingers, "I can take it to the tailor if you'd like, it must be annoying having to constantly adjust it."
"No, it's fine. I like things big anyway," Tenko sighed, tracing his finger across the hard lines of muscle on Natsuo's torso, "Hurry up and finish, I'll be waiting for you inside."
Natsuo nodded and ducked down to kiss Tenko again, pulling away with a goofy, lovestruck smile. "I'll be done soon, I promise. I just have a few more logs to chop, and then we can do anything you want."
Tenko hummed and pecked his husband's lips once more, "I'm holding you to that promise. Don't keep me waiting, handsome."
Natsuo nodded eagerly and ran back to his axe, chopping the logs with renewed vigor as Tenko went back inside. Tenko paused by the window and watched Natsuo as he worked, biting his lip as he ogled his husband's muscles. Normally, Tenko would sit by the window, shamelessly checking his husband out, but today was different. Today, he ran over to the fireplace and quickly stoked the smoldering embers until a small flame was burning. He removed a loose brick in the wall and pulled out a small cloth bag, muttering a spell under his breath as he threw a pinch of black powder from the bag into the fire.
"Show me Dabi," he said when the flames turned a bright shade of green. Tenko couldn't believe he was voluntarily seeking out Dabi; normally, he would do anything to avoid his extremely annoying former second-in-command, but there was one thing he had to admit Dabi was uniquely skilled at - and it just so happened to be the exact thing he needed help with.
In a bright flash of green, Dabi's disembodied head appeared in the flames. He squinted as he adjusted to using magical flame communication, but the moment he finally saw Tenko, his face contorted in unbridled rage.
"SHIGARAKI?! WHERE THE- what in the name of god are you wearing?!"
"I go by Tenko now, don't call me Shigaraki," he huffed, holding his robe securely around him - he actually liked the gaudy garment, even if it had yet to fulfill the reason he bought it in the first place, the exact reason he (unfortunately) called Dabi about, "I need advice and for once you're actually useful. Tell me how to seduce my husband."
"I'm sorry- how to what your who?!"
"You heard me the first time, don't be an idiot on purpose, stupid isn't a good look on you. I have been trying to seduce my husband for three months, but he's too nice! And considerate! He just cannot get the hint that I want him to rip my clothes off and bend me over the table-"
"GOOD LORD, stop talking!" Dabi practically shouted, "I do not need to hear about you wanting to get laid! And what kind of idiot would marry you?!"
"Hey, only I get to call my husband an idiot!"
"Is that really what you're focusing on?! Do you even care that your 'all-powerful master' died, or that you technically have control over the Dark King's empire?!"
"No, I do not! I want my husband to realize that I want him to ravage me! To fold me in half and have his way with me!"
"I SAID STOP TALKING ABOUT THAT! Who even is this husband that's got your panties in a twist-"
"Tenko, I'm done!" Natsuo shouted as he flung the front door open. Tenko smiled at his excited voice, only growing fonder when Natsuo ran over and planted a tender kiss on his temple, "I'm going to bathe, and then I'm all yours, alright?"
"Don't take too long - we might need another bath after I'm done with you."
"I don't know why we would need another bath, but I'm looking forward to whatever you have planned!"
"Trust me, so am I," Tenko laughed as Natsuo rubbed his nose against Tenko's neck, kissing the soft skin there before standing up."
"See you in a bit - love you, Tenko! Bye floating head in our fireplace!”
Tenko huffed in amusement, drinking in the sight of his scantily clad husband until he disappeared into the washroom. Tenko faced Dabi once again, determined to make him give useful advice, but he was left confused at the sight of Dabi looking equally furious and stupid with his mouth hanging open.
"What's wrong with you-"
“YOU’RE TRYING TO SEDUCE MY BROTHER?!"
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(the hot housewife robe that Tenko is wearing!)
