Chapter Text
“Fuck,” Katsuki cursed under his breath as he dodged another tree branch. “Goddamn shitty trees everywhere in this godforsaken forest.”
His crimson eyes darted towards the sky, a hand coming up to shield them from the setting sun. About 100 meters ahead he saw what he was searching for, the distinct flapping of green wings, a serpent-like body slithering in the wind.
Katsuki picked up his pace, cape whipping behind him in the wind. There was no way he was letting that fucker get the better of him again. It was embarrassing enough that Katsuki’s tribe had heard about sightings of this dragon for years and it was only recently that Katsuki even managed to catch a glimpse of it.
The first time was a few months back. Katsuki had been out on patrol, checking the perimeters of Xbalanque, the land of the dragon hunters, when there was an unfamiliar rustle in the woods. It sounded like something big but didn’t carry the common sounds of a bear or some other forest creature. With careful steps, avoiding any leaves or twigs as if to not make a sound, the otherwise brash and explosive Katsuki, quietly approached the origin of the noise.
There, in a clearing, with the sun filtering through the trees, laid a dragon, licking a wound on one of its hind legs. Katsuki stopped dead in his tracks, not because he was frightened, oh no, not at all, this is what he did for a living, hunting dragons. The Bakugou tribe had a long history of maintaining the dragon population in the land.
They didn’t hunt them for fun, of course not. They admired and respected the dragon race, they wanted what was best for them, and that usually meant making sure that they stayed in their own territory, where they could be free to live their lives away from the dangers of the human race. Ever so often, there were dragons that went berserk, that left their lands to hunt, to feed off humans, and that’s where the dragon hunters came in. If they could return the dragon to where it belonged then no harm was done, if not, they, unfortunately, had to be killed.
Looking at the dragon in front of him now, Katsuki didn’t know if it was just a stray or one that had gone berserk, but it was obvious that it didn’t belong in these parts.
His eyes widened in surprise.
Damn. Is it really a—?
The elongated body with scales in a shimmering teal, the fin-like veil along its tail as well as the whiskers on its nose revealed it to be a sea dragon. And these lands were far away from the sea. Katsuki hadn’t even been there since he was a little brat.
Katsuki took a step closer, admiring the creature. He had never seen a sea dragon outside the books before. They were a rarity even in the ocean, and even more so on land. The saltwater was necessary for their health and development.
If he looked closely he thought he could discern some lack of growth in it. Adult sea dragons didn’t have whiskers for example but this one did, even though the swirly horns on its head spoke of it being an adult, albeit a young adult.
As he studied it, there was something about the shine to its scales, how it glistened in gold and green when the sun hit it just right, that reminded him of something long forgotten. There was something familiar in the way its round green eyes glimmered in awe and the aura around it made Katsuki feel like they had met before.
There was also something about it that told Katsuki that this dragon was a fucking wimp.
It could’ve been its small wings, weak-looking body, or the obvious lack of dragon magic seeing as it couldn’t even heal its own wound. Just kept licking its wound in vain.
Or maybe it was the startled movement the creature made the second Katsuki took a step forward, revealing his presence.
No. The reason Katsuki thought it was a little wimp was because of the utterly terrified expression it got the moment they locked eyes. Katsuki had never witnessed such pure fright upon a dragon, or on any creature really. Not even the wild rabbits looked that scared when encountering a human.
Silence followed as they stared at each other, assessing the situation. Katsuki slowly raised his hands to show he didn’t mean any harm. It was the wrong move to make as the dragon scrambled to an unsteady flight, fleeing the clearing while breaking branches and leaving a swirl of leaves in its wake.
That time Katsuki had been too stunned to chase after the dragon and ever since, he’s been on the lookout for it. He even asked his tribe’s men to keep an eye out as well. It took a few months until he saw the sea dragon again after that, and once again it had escaped him.
The same was true for now.
Katsuki had been laying low in the forest for a little more than over a week looking for traces and other signs of its whereabouts. Predictably, when Katsuki finally found it, it fled like its life depended on it.
Tch. Fucking idiot dragon.
Katsuki zigzagged through the forest, his eyes still trained on the flying reptile. He used his sword to cut down any undergrowth, smaller trees, or branches.
From years of experience, Katsuki could tell this dragon meant no harm. So, why was it hanging around in the woods near Xbalanque? It wasn’t safe, and Katsuki wanted to protect it. To help it get to safety in the land of the dragons. This was his duty. Which made it even more irritating when the shitty creature kept fleeing from him.
But there was also something else, something that he couldn’t quite put his finger on, that made him determined enough to not let this dragon out of his sight. Which was why he didn’t hesitate to jump when his path came to a halt by a cliff. He knew the forest around their land like the back of his hand, and could easily grab a branch that was sticking out from the rocky mountain wall and swing his way down to a tree before landing safely on the ground.
Katsuki whipped his head up, letting his focused gaze flick across the sky. It was easier to spot the dragon now as the sky grew darker and Katsuki no longer had the setting sun obscuring his vision. Unfortunately, the dragon could also spot him more easily given its night vision. It was a significant disadvantage but Katsuki wouldn’t let that deter him, instead, an idea took form from it and he felt a smirk spread across his lips.
Katsuki was a fucking genius actually.
Chasing it would do him no good, the dragon would just keep flying further away until it was out of sight. However, if Katsuki’s calculations were right, it should be getting tired soon, and if it then believed that it had lost Katsuki in the chase, it might dare to come down for a rest.
That would be his big chance.
As much as he hated the thought of appearing to be tired like some fucking amateur, whenever the dragon looked back he would slow down and feign exhaustion. When his little act was done, he steered his way to the thicker parts of the forest. From there he took up his pursuit again, only slower and more carefully. He still kept an eye on the sky through the treetops to not let the flying fucker out of his sight completely but still let it gain some distance.
Sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, he spotted the dragon descending.
He felt a satisfied smile tug at the corner of his lips. “Got ya now, dumbass.”
Out of all the dragons Katsuki had hunted, this was the most skittish one. It was vigilant of every sound that was out of the ordinary and Katsuki had to be even more careful than usual when he neared the perimeter of its landing spot.
It was with inaudible footsteps that he made his way through the last bit of trees before coming to a complete stop at a clearing that opened up to a small lake. If it could even be called a lake, it resembled more of a pond. A puddle even.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t the water in itself that had Katsuki halting. It was the dragon circling the water and letting its wings just barely break the surface causing water to cascade in droplets all around it. It looked like glitter in the light of the newly risen moon.
Katsuki held his breath, afraid even the smallest puff of air would startle the sea reptile. He crouched and snuck forward, he just needed to get a little bit closer before he could make an attempt at catching it. He had his plan, he saw no room for failure, and he would not let the dragon escape again.
He got his rope and snare ready in his hands but as he looked up again something had changed. The dragon had landed in the water where it came to a standstill in the middle of the small lake. That wasn’t the strange thing though, no, it was the faint light that suddenly started to emit around it.
It began as a white sheen that shifted into a light green and bluish hue as it grew stronger and wider. The air crackled as the light flashed brightly and morphed into jagged lightning in teal that swirled and twirled around the dragon. There was another bright flash quickly followed by a loud rumble in the air. It was like thunder and lightning had struck the lake out of nowhere and Katsuki was momentarily blinded by the strong flash.
Could the fucker use magic after all?
Black and white spots danced before his eyes.
He tightened the hold on his rope, ready to strike at any second but everything was quiet.
He strained his ears.
Too quiet.
He remained still where he stood crouched behind a bush, every sense and nerve on high alert.
Until his vision returned and his jaw dropped. There was no dragon in the lake.
In its place stood a human being.
Katsuki blinked, not trusting the image his eyes provided him with.
Before him was the profile of a young man, highlighted in the lake’s reflection of the moonlight. Tiny water droplets fell from his dark green curls onto pale skin. The human's eyes were closed, head lifted towards the moon as if to welcome its presence.
Or maybe to announce his own.
Then the human turned towards the shore, the water splashing around its naked waist. It opened its eyes.
Katsuki’s breath caught in his throat.
Green.
Deku?
No matter how much Katsuki couldn’t believe his eyes, there was no mistaking it. He would recognize that freckled face anywhere.
It was Deku.
[Commission by Dina]
Deku, or Midoriya Izuku, the heir to the neighboring land Hunahpu and Katsuki’s childhood friend who had mysteriously disappeared after his carriage had been attacked on the way home after visiting Katsuki’s tribe three years ago. Deku, who everyone thought had died that night.
Everyone except Katsuki.
Sure, maybe “ friends” wasn’t the right term for them. They hadn’t exactly been on the best terms back then. For as long as Katsuki could remember, he had been forced to spend his summers with his so-called “friend”. Either he traveled to the neighboring country to spend his days there, or Deku would come to visit him. All in a ploy by higher powers to unite the countries. By default, he hated the arrangement and he made sure Deku knew that. No one told Bakugou fucking Katsuki what to do. And so he did everything in his power to make sure their time together was as miserable as possible for the nerd.
Did that make him an asshole? Probably.
Was Deku any better? Not at all.
The little jerk was just as keen on making Katsuki’s time equally unpleasant.
The final straw was during their last meeting which had ended before it even started in a huge fight.
When Katsuki got word of the attack, he rushed over as fast as he could, but it was too late. All Might, Deku’s legal guardian after his parents had passed away, lay injured on the ground and took his last breath in Katsuki’s arms claiming that things weren’t as they seemed. Katsuki had no fucking clue what the old man meant by that, but one thing was clear.
Deku was gone.
And with “things not being as they seemed” Katsuki refused to accept Deku as dead until he saw otherwise.
Which he just did.
With smooth movements, Izuku stepped out of the water towards a tree close to the shore where he picked up a thin white garment that he tied around himself like a robe.
As it fluttered in the evening breeze, the moonlight shining behind him, he looked ethereal and Katsuki was left mesmerized.
A rush of conflicting emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He was relieved that Deku was alive and well, surprised that after all the searching Katsuki had done, Deku showed up where he least expected it, and he was shocked that the dragon was really Deku. No, actually, scratch that.
The realization of what that meant hit him like a ton of bricks.
The dragon was Deku.
Deku had kept himself hidden on purpose, his mind helpfully supplied. That meant he had been alive all this time and never bothered to tell Katsuki about it. That he had fled every damn time Katsuki had been close to him. That Deku had just moments ago tried to shake Katsuki off, flying as if his fucking life depended on it.
Practically done everything in his power to avoid Katsuki.
Add hurt to that list of things Katsuki felt. Because why, why, wouldn’t Deku reach out to him, if he had been here all along?
“Is that all I am to you?” The last words Deku said to him before leaving and disappearing replayed in his mind. Like it had so many times before.
Katsuki gritted his teeth.
The fucking nerd was still upset about that old fight? Like he had no idea how much Katsuki had agonized over that incident. How much he regretted his own stupidity. Like he didn’t know how much time and devotion Katsuki had put into finding Deku again.
The nerve.
It took all of Katsuki’s willpower to keep his raging emotions in check.
The Deku before him took one last look at the moon before turning to go God knows where and Katsuki seethed.
It didn’t matter how much of a sourpuss Deku was. Katsuki wasn’t letting him go again.
Willpower be damned.
Katsuki stepped forward, a finger pointing threateningly at Deku and he growled. “You.”
Deku spun around so fast he almost lost his balance and when his eyes finally found Katsuki’s, they grew wide like the full moon. “W-Wahcchan?!”
Katsuki ignored the way his heart seemed to lose its ability to function properly at the sound of that voice and opted for anger, a feeling he was well acquainted with.
Izuku took a tentative step back, his head turning frantically from side to side, eyes searching, before he took a few more quick steps back.
“Oh, don’t you dare!” Katsuki practically snarled while shortening the distance between them in quick strides. He stopped just a few feet before him.
“Kacchan…” Deku started, fingers fiddling with the belt on his robe.
“Don’t you ‘Kacchan’ me. The fuck, Deku?” Katsuki gestured towards the lake.
Izuku averted his gaze to the ground. “Ah. You saw that.” It wasn’t a question.
”Thought you’d lost me, didn’t you?”
Izuku’s gaze flicked to the direction from which they came.
“You’ve always been an amazing tracker, Kacchan.”
Katsuki scoffed. Flattery would get him nowhere.
“Answer the fucking question.”
“Which one?”
That sassy fucker.
Katsuki clenched his jaw, feeling a vein throb on the side of his forehead. “You’re a dragon. Since when?” he snapped.
Izuku opted for a sheepish smile. “Half-dragon,” he corrected. “Apparently my dad was a dragon so, always, I guess?”
“And you never thought of telling me?” That might be what hurt the most, that apparently Katsuki couldn’t be trusted with that information.
“I didn’t really know until the curse.”
“The curse?”
Deku’s eyes widened.
“What curse?” Katsuki demanded, narrowing his eyes.
“I didn’t—, I mean—,“ Izuku stuttered, eyes once again roaming their surroundings. “You need to leave .”
“Hah?” If shitty Deku thought he would leave after spending years searching for him, and months tracking the dragon version of him, only to leave after the revelation of a curse he was even more stupid than Katsuki gave him credit for. “There’s no way I’m—“
Suddenly, Izuku’s hands were on his chest, guiding him back towards the tree line. If Katsuki had not been so focused on Izuku touching him, he wouldn’t have stumbled back from the force of his push.
It took a few staggering steps before Katsuki regained his posture and firmly planted his feet on the ground, halting Izuku in his movement. Katsuki placed both his hands on Izuku’s shoulders, keeping him in place and staring him down.
“I’m not leaving until you tell me shit,” he spoke through gritted teeth. “Not after I’ve looked—” he cut himself off. “Fuck. Just talk ."
For a long moment, they just stared at each other. Determined crimson red and persistent forest green, challenging each other.
“Fine!” Izuku finally relented. “If I tell you, will you promise to leave?”
Katsuki scoffed. “Not making any damn promises.”
Izuku’s eyes scanned their surroundings for the umpteenth time and this time Katsuki’s gaze followed his line of vision.
“What’re you looking for?” Katsuki asked.
Izuku’s attention snapped back to him, his hands falling to his sides.
“N-Nothing,” he said, stupid enough to think Katsuki didn’t notice that last glance he threw around them before gesturing towards a fallen tree behind them. “Let’s sit.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes at that but did as he was told, not because he was told, mind you, but because the light from the moon was better there. Meaning he could better spot any indications of the nerd lying.
The bark of the tree felt knobbly as he sat on it and he briefly wondered how uncomfortable it must be for Deku who was just wearing a thin robe.
“You have to leave after this,” Izuku’s tried to prompt him again.
Katsuki grunted in reply which meant he didn’t lie if he decided to go against Deku’s wishes later. Deku was stupid but apparently not that stupid as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Katsuki. If Katsuki hadn’t been so offended by the implication of that stare, he would’ve been proud of the nerd for looking out for himself like that. But as it was now it just irked his irritation further.
“You better start talking or you’re gonna have a bigger problem than me not leaving,” he threatened.
Izuku regarded him for a moment longer before a sigh slipped from his pale lips, “Fine.”
Izuku leaned back on his palms, directing his gaze towards the moon as a sorrowful expression washed over his features.
“I can only turn human when the light of the moon hits the lake,” he admitted.
As Katsuki tried to think back on their childhood he couldn’t remember anything indicating that Izuku would possess any magic. He had always been just Deku. With or without a lake. If he was born a half-dragon, wouldn’t Katsuki have noticed?
Unaware of Katsuki’s trip down memory lane, Izuku continued, “When Shigaraki captured me—”
“Shigaraki?!” he snapped his head in Izuku’s direction, eyes wide in disbelief as irises trembling in horror.
Shigaraki was the evil magician who had threatened to take over the countries of the region for as long as Katsuki could remember. He had started countless wars and conflicts before suddenly going very quiet a few years back. Ever since Deku— Fuck.
“He took you,” Katsuki realized.
“Yes, now, as I was saying,” Izuku continued, not paying much attention to Katsuki’s inner turmoil. “He brought me here and awakened my dragon half. I wasn’t aware of it until then, but at the same time he also stripped me of my powers so all that remained was my dragon form, unless I bathed in the moonlight on the lake.”
The wind carried the faint scent of damp soil as it rustled the leaves around them.
“Why?”
There was a moment of hesitation when Izuku picked at a piece of bark. “In my dragon form I have the ability to unlock a vault of secrets in his mansion,” Izuku’s gaze traveled to a house with a tower on the other side of the lake.
It didn’t look like anyone lived there. The walls looked cracked from all the way over here, there were overgrown vines all over the porch, and even a few windows were missing.
“It’s supposed to give him even stronger magic, but I’ve refused to do it, of course! So he keeps me here and since I don’t have my powers I can’t—”
“No. I mean, why didn’t you tell me?”
Slowly, Izuku turned his head and Katsuki was met with green eyes blinking owlishly at him.
“What do you mean?”
It was like a thread snapped inside Katsuki and suddenly he was standing. “Fuck, Deku!”
Handling emotions had never been Katsuki’s strong suit, and maybe it never would be, but who even cared? If yelling helped him channel that mix of inner rage and pain coursing through his veins then that’s what he would do.
“You’ve been here all this time and didn’t think of telling me?” he gestured wildly with his hands to their surroundings.
Despite their many differences in their past, he thought they had… something. Yet, here had Izuku been all this time, held captured under an evil magician who did God knows what to him. Katsuki didn’t even want to imagine what Izuku might have endured all alone.
“Do you have any idea how much I’ve been search— If you had just— Fuck! Am I that untrustworthy?”
“Shh! Kacchan,” Izuku dared to shush him. “Keep it down.”
Katsuki gritted his teeth as anger continued to rise in his throat like bile, it needed to get out, it burned and it was too much for him to contain. He opened his mouth to speak but Izuku’s anxious glances made him swallow his words. He balled his fists, feeling his fingernails dig into his palms. If this was Shigaraki’s territory, Izuku was probably right in shutting him up.
“Shit,” he cursed under his breath, slumping back down on the tree trunk. “You should’ve told me, damnit.”
“I’m sorry,” Izuku said softly. “If I stray too far from the lake I revert back to dragon form and well…” he trailed off and Katsuki nodded in understanding.
If dragon Deku had been seen too close to the dragon hunters’ land he would’ve been captured. It was probably just dumb luck that had prevented that from happening anyway considering how Katsuki had been close to catching him quite a few times already.
“It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, you know?”
“Coulda fooled me with the way you’ve been avoiding me.”
Izuku let out a sheepish laugh. “Sorry. It’s just…” he inhaled the crisp evening air. “I didn’t want Shigaraki to find out about my connections to your village,” in a much quieter voice, he added. “To you.”
“Think we couldn’t handle him, huh?”
“It’s not that,” Izuku mumbled, avoiding eye contact.
Katsuki opened his mouth ready to ask what the fuck he meant by that but was interrupted as Izuku suddenly stood up.
“So, now that I’ve told you that, you have to leave,” Izuku was still avoiding him, his body facing away, gaze lowered to the ground.
“How?”
“How?” Izuku even turned to look at him with surprised eyes. “You just go back through the forest?”
“Tch,” Katsuki clicked his tongue, frustrated he had to clarify every damn question. “ How can we break the curse?”
“Oh.”
How was it that the heir to Hunahpu, a land of scholars, was so dumb? Sometimes he really was a Deku.
Izuku got a weird look on his face that Katsuki couldn’t decipher before he once again avoided Katsuki’s gaze. “It can’t be done.”
“It’s a curse,” Katsuki stated. “You can always break a curse.”
Izuku fidgeted with the sash to his robe, tightening the knot. “Not this one.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“Yes, well,” Izuku took a few retreating steps. “I’ve told you what I know now, so please return home. And don’t come back.”
Katsuki caught up to him in a few quick strides, grabbing hold of his wrist to halt him.
“You’re lying,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “Tell me how to break the fucking curse.”
Izuku tugged at his arm in an attempt to yank himself free but Katsuki only tightened his grip.
“It can’t be done.”
Katsuki should give him credit for how convincing he seemed with his furrowed brows and clenched jaw, even the firm tone of his voice added to the effect. However, Katsuki had known Izuku almost his whole life, and he didn’t miss that flicker of something else in those emerald eyes.
“Deku,” Katsuki leveled him with a convincing look of his own. In a contest of tenacity, Katsuki was sure he’d win. Sure, Izuku was stubborn but Katsuki’s determination was stronger than that.
He didn’t know how much time passed with them just staring at each other, but the moment Izuku’s shoulders sagged and a sigh escaped his lips he knew victory was his.
Izuku worried his bottom lip between his teeth before mumbling, “There is a way to break it but it’s something that can’t be done.”
Of course, the nerd starts spouting nonsense.
“I’ve tried doing it myself but that didn’t work. I even got someone else to try it, but that didn’t work either, so the curse must be impossible to break or the information I received from Shigaraki is wrong and—mmph”
Katsuki covered the blabbering mouth with his hand.
“Quit the lecture and just tell me what needs to be done.”
He gave Izuku another moment to swallow any lingering mumbles before removing his hand.
“An act of true love.”
“Huh?”
“Shigaraki said only an act of true love can break the curse.”
“What? Like a kiss ?”
Izuku laughed nervously. “No, I’ve tried that.”
Katsuki scrunched his nose at the absurd thought. “You kissed yourself thinking it would work?”
This time Izuku’s giggle was more genuine, warm even, and if it wasn’t for the seriousness of the conversation, Katsuki would’ve relished in it.
“No, silly.”
Huh.
Well, there was a feeling Katsuki hadn’t experienced in a really long time. An unsettling sensation in his stomach, churning as if to make him sick. “Who? Who the fuck kissed you?”
“I don’t kiss and tell, Kacchan.” Izuku at least had the decency to look embarrassed as he scratched his cheek, but it didn’t make Katsuki’s blood boil any less.
“Like everything else, apparently.” Telling Katsuki anything remotely important had clearly not been on Izuku’s to-do list the last few years. Instead, he’d been out there busying himself with fuck knew who. Kissing people left and right before realizing how stupid it was.
“Yeah, anyway, didn’t work,” Izuku replied completely nonchalant of Katsuki’s souring mood. “It has to be an act of true love.”
Of course, it didn't work. No one had ever loved Izuku as Katsuki did.
If the shitty curse wanted an act of true love, Katsuki would show him the biggest fucking act of true love there was. Fuck those Deku-kissing extras!
“How far can you go in your human form?” he asked seriously, swallowing his anger for another time.
Izuku blinked a few times, surprised by the sudden change of subject.
“Uhm,” he tapped his chin as he thought. “About as far as Kalor’s region.”
“So you can go to Escarcha?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “I’ve gone there before without any problems.”
Any other time, Katsuki would’ve delved more into how it came that Izuku seemingly had no problem in visiting a neighboring town without asking for help or alerting Katsuki of his whereabouts. Now, wasn’t the time though; he just needed Izuku to come.
“Good,” he nodded. “Come there tomorrow for the Midsummer festival. I think I know a way to break the curse.”
“Huh?”
A branch snapped somewhere behind them, followed by an eerie voice. “Izuku~”
Izuku turned rigid. Lips pressed in a thin line and pupils dilated in fear.
“Who—”
“Shh,” Izuku cut him off before quickly grabbing Katsuki by the shoulders and steering him toward the forest. “It’s Shigaraki,” he whisper-yelled. “You have to go!”
“I won’t leave you alone,” Katsuki protested.
“I’ll be fine!” Izuku assured him. “It’ll be worse for both of us if he sees you.”
Katsuki felt torn, halting a bit in his steps. He didn’t want Izuku to get in trouble because of him but he really didn’t want to leave him either.
“He can’t hurt me, he needs me.”
The sound of footsteps approaching from somewhere behind Izuku grew louder, followed by the rustling of leaves.
Katsuki clenched his jaw, picking up speed again. “Fine.” Before entering the forest he looked back over his shoulder to catch Izuku’s gaze. “Come to the festival tomorrow.” It wasn’t a question.
Izuku was quiet, hands wringing before him until he muttered a low, “I’ll try.”
“I’ll see you then,” he searched Izuku’s eyes for confirmation before he with a final nod to him took his retreat through the trees.
He had preparations to do and a fucking curse to break.