Chapter Text
It was late.
The castle was never silent, there were always people moving quietly through the halls for one reason or another. Servants to their tasks and guards to their shifts or on patrols were common sights, no matter whether it was Sniycia or Othya that Izuku inhabited.
There was, however, a sort of hush that fell over the castle as a majority of its inhabitants retreated to private quarters and bedrooms. Those who lived in town, like Mei did, had gone home for the evening hours ago. Well, Mei would have stayed and worked longer if allowed, so maybe she wasn’t the best example. Izuku knew that Mei was in some ways like him. She would lose herself in the experiments she was working on, not realizing how many hours had passed.
Izuku had given Hitoshi and Ochako strict instructions to send her home tonight. The Othyan native alchemist had been here too many nights, working long after the rest of the world had retired. Izuku knew because he too had been up, working to replenish the basic alchemical potions that Othya needed and doing further work on his own more advanced experiments. He’d traded ideas with Mei several times over the past week, had been inspired and inspired her in turn as they both had lost themselves in knowledge and figuring out the unknown. Rest had been pushed aside in pursuit of ideas just out of reach, heedless of what the body actually needed.
He knew she had gone home tonight. Hitoshi had stopped in to check on Izuku in the lab Katsuki had gifted him with. Izuku’s best friend had reminded him with dry wit and sarcasm that Izuku should sleep too. Izuku had waved off the concern with promises to rest. That had been hours ago and Izuku was still in his lab. Hitoshi would be less than pleased if he found out.
At least Izuku was almost done. Or, that was what he told himself. His experiments were coming to an end for the night, and the basic potions that he had been creating were in rest states before he added the finishing ingredients. He could clean up and head towards his chambers relatively soon.
And it wasn’t like he was the only one who was still working in the dark hours of night. Izuku could hear the faint turn of pages and the scratch of pen to paper next door. Katsuki always seemed to be working into the late night for one reason or another. Izuku knew that the demands of being a king were endless. Hisashi was many things, but he took his role as King of Sniycia seriously. And a king like Katsuki-who had conquered enough surrounding countries that he could style his title as emperor- had far more responsibilities. As the lands he called his own grew, so too did the amount of work Katsuki took upon himself.
It was comforting in a way, to know that Katsuki was next door when Izuku was working late into the night. Over the weeks together he had come to rely on the fact that if he needed a break all he had to do was go to Katsuki’s office. Katsuki might grumble at the interruption, but he’d never turned Izuku away. Izuku didn’t feel like he wasn’t wanted when he stepped inside Katsuki’s study. There had been times that they had talked longer than Izuku had intended, leaving potions a failed mess and dawn touching the sky in soft pinks and oranges, chasing away the deep blues and purples of the fading night.
He didn’t regret those nights, even when they cost him ingredients and time.
It was nice, knowing that there was a friend nearby he could rely on. As difficult as their relationship has started, as complicated as it still was, Izuku thought he could say they were solid friends now. That was alright, wasn’t it? Friends was safe. Friends meant that Izuku could rely on Katsuki in some ways without giving him too much more. And there was nothing wrong with being friends. Some of Izuku’s most solid and grounding relationships were with the people he called his best friends. And Katsuki clearly relied on the group he considered his closest friends, even if the blond didn’t admit it quickly.
Friends was good. It was more than Izuku had thought he would ever be able to say for them. He hadn’t believed it could happen as the gentle Snyician spring had changed to a sticky and brutally warm Othyan one. It had only become worse as summer took hold and he and Katsuki had tried to figure out exactly how to be friends.
But now- with autumn fully upon them and the promise of winter’s chill nipping at the air- Izuu could say they were friends. And that meant he was allowed to worry at how Katsuki pushed himself, right?
He hadn’t seen Katsuki today, their duties keeping them apart as Katsuki left early to run training exercises with parts of his army and had meetings once he had returned in the early evening. Katsuki’s people were loyal to him, and despite his abrasive nature and his temper many seemed to adore him. Surely he could take a break once and a while? At least for the night to sleep.
Izuku was on his feet and moving before he was fully aware of having made the decision to. He was out of his lab and into the hallway and to Katsuki’s office door with quick strides. He pulled open the heavy wooden door and slipped in. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the warm glow of lanterns and candlelight that was so much softer than how he kept the lightning in his lab.
He took a step further into the room as Katsuki glanced up from the papers spread out in front of him.
“Need something, nerd?”
“I still think a door between our offices would be easier,” Izuku said in greeting. He made his way across the room, the large desk of dark stone Katsuki sat at gleaming in the lamplight.
“Didn’t you ask Eijiro about that?” Katsuki muttered, eyes flicking down to the work before him.
“He thinks it should be doable. He’s checking with a few people who would know.” Izuku glanced down at the parchment spread out. “What are you working on?”
“Agreement for trade with Ashax,” Katsuki said sourly. “Don’t trust them not to try to fuck us over. Need to make sure that there’s no hidden shit.”
“No one else can do that for you?” Izuku frowned. Hisashi has been quick to delegate what he could to others. He had taught Haruka that it left a king free to handle the larger problems that may arise and to help their people by hearing their concerns in court.
“Not with these fuckers,” Katsuki answered, not looking up from the agreement.
“It might go easier if you look at it in the morning with fresh eyes,” Izuku ventured. He couldn’t imagine that Katsuki didn’t have exhaustion tugging at him after the long nights and busy days.
“I’m fine.” Katsuki didn’t bother to glance up.
No one could doubt Katsuki’s commitment or work ethic. Izuku’s brother Isamu would jump at the chance to put off work that Hisashi or Haruka had passed his way. Any reasonable excuse that Isamu thought he could get away with was brought to bear as his weapon of choice. He tried it more often with Haruka than with Hisashi, but he tried regardless, as though he couldn’t help himself. Their father shut down his whining quickly, but this late at night none of the Sniycian royal family save Izuku would have been working.
“You need to rest,” Izuku insisted.
“It’s not like you’re coming to bed,” Katsuki grumbled bad-temperedly.
Izuku paused, wetting dry lips as he watched Katsuki carefully. His heart slammed against the cage his ribs created, panic and hope flaring and tangling with one another in equal measure. “You’re working late because you don’t want to go to bed alone?”
Katsuki flushed, his cheekbones turning a shade of red that looked good on him.
Izuku had long ago realized that his husband was gorgeous, gifted by the gods he worshiped and cursed in equal measure. Even scowling Katsuki was stunning, all sharp lines put together in just the right way. And when he grinned, he was that much more devastating. Izuku imagined if he ever saw Katsuki smile softly that his heart might really skip a beat. It wasn’t fair. Maybe that was why he so charmed by the blushes he coaxed from Katsuki. That flush of red against golden skin made the Othyan king that much more human. That much more real.
“Didn’t fuckin’ say that. Clean your ears, shitsnack,” Katsuki snapped, eyes narrowed as he looked up to meet Izuku’s gaze.
“I don’t think I like that nickname.” Izuku leaned against the desk that stood between them.
“That supposed to make me feel bad?” Katsuki arched an eyebrow. “And what do you want? I’ve got shit to do.”
“You’re done for the night,” Izuki said firmly. “You can look at it again tomorrow.”
“Think you can tell me what to do, nerd?” Katsuki scowled. As though that would scare Izuku and make him back down.
Izuku smiled. “Put the agreement away, Kacchan.”
“Make me, shortstack.”
It was all the invitation Izuku needed.
He slipped around the desk with ease and tugged Katsuki’s chair back, settling himself firmly on the blond’s lap. Katsuki blinked, clearly caught off guard by Izuku’s actions.
Izuku leaned in, lips brushing over Katsuki’s throat in a soft caress. His lips skimmed up, pausing to leave light kisses on Katsuki’s strong jaw, the slight scruff that had grown as Katsuki worked tickling against his lips. He kept moving, his lips gliding from Katsuki’s temple to the shell of his ear. He nuzzled gently, placing a careful kiss where neck and ear met.
Katsuki shivered and Izuku smiled again, teeth nipping at the spot.
“What,” Katsuki paused and cleared his throat, as though he couldn’t get his voice to work right. “What are you doing?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” Izuku asked, words whispering over Katsuki’s skin. His lips traveled a path down Katsuki’s neck again, leaving kisses and nips of his teeth in his wake.
Katsuki’s arms came around Izuku’s waist and held him close, his hands kneading Izuku’s ass encouragingly. “Izuku,” he breathed, voice rough with desire.
“Mmm?” Izuku hummed, busy sucking bruises to life along the column of Katsuki’s throat.
“Izuku,” Katsuki repeated with a groan, hands tightening on Izuku’s ass.
Izuku rolled his hips down, grinding against Katsuki in a rhythm that would wreck them both given enough time. He cupped Katsuki’s face in his hands and brought their lips together, sighing in pleasure as Katsuki’s lips parted with ease. His tongue swept in, greedy for the taste of Katsuki, for the hisses and groans he swallowed from Katsuki’s mouth.
“Katsuki?” Izuku broke the kiss to murmur against Katsuki’s lips, hands dragging down Katsuki’s chest to slip under his tunic, his hands moving over muscle and golden skin that made his mouth water.
“Mmm?” was the only answer Izuku received.
“Fuck me,” Izuku whispered. He could feel his face heat even as he asked, nails scraping up and over nipples.
Katsuki shuddered beneath him, arching into his touch.
“If you’d rather work on your agreement,” Izuku continued softly. His hands moved back down Katsuki’s chest to tug his tunic up and over his head, leaving Katsuki looking dazed and needy. A thrill shot through Izuku, settling in the pooling warmth of his stomach. He’d done that. “I can just take care of myself. Think you’ll focus as I open myself up? You’ve said I’m vocal…”
“Fuck,” Katsuki groaned. “The fuck are you doing to me, shortstack?”
“Is that a yes or a no?” Izuku asked. He nipped hard at Katsuki’s collarbone, tongue and mouth moving to ease the sting even as Katsuki hissed in a breath. Izuku’s hands worked lower, fingertips brushing the top of Katsuki’s pants, his own arousal pulsing in his blood, desire like a fire on his skin that threatened to sear him to ash.
“Yes,” Katsuki growled. He brought his mouth to meet Izuku’s, the kisses edged with a hunger that threatened to devour them both. These kisses weren’t soft explorations, need driving them too greatly for slow and sweet at the moment. Izuku bit down on Katsuki’s lower lip and tasted blood as Katsuki stood, chest rumbling.
Izuku wrapped his legs around Katsuki’s waist instinctively, his arms coming around Katsuki’s neck as Katsuki broke their kiss. Papers went flying with a swipe of Katsuki’s free hand, books thudding to the floor in short succession. Izuku grinned as Katsuki set him on the desk, even as he reached for his own tunic. “What about the agreement?”
Katsuki’s answering snarl as he struggled with his pants was answer enough.
Izuku kicked off his boots undid his own pants with hurried movements, blood pounding in his ears even as it rushed south to his already hard cock. He tossed the pants aside, gaze drinking in the sight of Katsuki naked before him. He swallowed, his mouth watering anew. “C’mere handsome. I want to taste.”
“So do I,” Katsuki said, closing the slight distance between them. He yanked Izuku to him and took his mouth in another kiss, tongue demanding and giving all at once as it invaded Katsuki’s mouth. Izuku hummed in pleasure, fingers weaving through strands of hair that was pale gold to anchor himself.
They parted too soon, chests heaving. Izuku sucked in air, lungs on fire as Katsuki pulled back to hunt for something in his desk.
“Need you,” Izuku groaned. “Need you now.”
“Anyone ever tell you, you’re bossy?” Katsuki growled. The effect was lost though with Katsuki’s eyes clouded with lust and distraction.
“You. All the time.” Izuku tugged Katsuki closer on the heels of his words. He pressed his mouth to Katsuki’s chest, tongue swirling around one of Katsuki’s nipples.
Katsuki’s breath hitched, his search stilling as he swayed, a moan building in his chest. “I-Izuku.” His breathing hiccupped as Izuku teased his nipple to a stiff peak. “Fuck.”
Izuku snuck a hand between them and wrapped it around Katsuki’s cock. He stroked up, thumb teasing the crown of Katsuki’s weeping length. Katsuki hissed out a breath, rocking into Izuku’s touch, trying to fit into Izuku’s fist as it worshipped Katsuki’s heavy and sticky cock.
Katsuki keened, high and choked off and a touch desperate as Izuku let go, his own need a pulsing thing inside of him.
“You have oil?” Izuku murmured as he pulled back, his lips a damp caress over Katsuki’s skin.
“Mate…” Katsuki swallowed and blinked, as though he was trying to focus. His voice was rough but hardly angry as he set the pouch on the table. “Mate’s been next door for months. Fuck you think?”
“Want me to open myself?” Izuku teased. He grinned as Katsuki’s eyes widened at the offer, the black of his pupils all but swallowing up the red. “Hmm?”
“Need to touch you,” Katsuki breathed, hands tracing nonsensical patterns on Izuku’s hips as he leaned forward. “Let me touch you.”
“Are you asking?” Izuku asked, watching Katsuki’s lashes glint in the warm candlelight as the cool sliver of moonlight draped him from behind.
“Izuku.”
Izuku laughed softly, butterflies drunk on Katsuki’s presence dancing in his stomach. “I want to feel you tomorrow.”
“Bossy,” Katsuki murmured again, this time like it was a gift.
“Your desk...” Izuku trailed off as Katsuki picked up the oil.
“Don’t care.”
The next minutes passed in a blur as Katsuki worked Izuku open, each touch faster than the last. Izuku rocked down on clever fingers, moans and breathless sighs filling the air as pleasure stole his breath. It pressed against him, humid and thick, desperation fueled by carnal need driving him forward.
“More, more, more,” he chanted, need for this man clawing at him from the inside. This wasn’t enough. He needed more, needed Katsuki. “Need you. Need you now.”
“Yes.” Katsuki pulled back, fingers withdrawing.
Izuku swallowed back the whine that threatened to tumble from his mouth. He laid back on the desk, the cool stone a shock against the heat and sweat of his skin. Katsuki was back in moments, cock slick and in hand as he lined up with Izuku’s hole and thrust forward, his descent slow and torturous.
Izuku braced his heels on the small of Katsuki’s back and fucked himself forward. Twin moans rose in the air, tangling together, filling Izuku completely as Katsuki buried deep and still.
“Go, go,” Izuku gasped, heels digging into Katsuki’s back again.
Their eyes locked as Katsuki moved, sending shockwaves up Izuku’s spine and out through his limbs. He met each thrust, moving in tandem with Katsuki, harder, faster, more relentless. Izuku didn’t have a moment to miss Katsuki before he was filled again. The sound of skin slapping on skin filled the air, mingling with Katsuki’s grunts of pleasure and the breathless moans and cries that slid unbidden from Izuku’s tongue.
The pace they set was wild and hard, shoving Izuku up the desk even as Katsuki’s bruising hold on his hips tugged him back, held him there. Izuku reached down and grabbed the edge of the desk in an attempt to anchor himself, knuckles white as the desk bit into his palms.
Still they spiraled towards that end together, lightning and fire feeding one another, greedy for more. Izuku didn’t know who came first, lost in the avalanche of pleasure, Katsuki’s shout a distant noise as Izuku spilled between them, making a mess of them both. He struggled to catch his breath wing lungs drunk on Katsuki’s scent, tremors wracking his body in the aftershocks.
Izuku winced, eyes fluttering closed as Katsuki shifted and slid out.
“Office a mess?” Izuku asked, voice destroyed and throat dry.
“Yeah,” Katsuki answered. Izuku wondered if he was imagining the sound of a smile in the blond’s voice.
“Bath?”
Katsuki groaned. “Bath and bed.”
“Sounds good.” Izuku smiled and forced his eyes open. “Can I have my clothes?”
Katsuki nodded but handed Izuku his tunic instead. “I don’t know where the fuck yours is. Just use it.”
Izuku slid it on and was surrounded by Katsuki’s scent. He took a measured breath and slid off the desk, even though his limbs felt heavy. “I still need pants.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Katsuki grumbled, dragging on his own pants. “Find ‘em and go get your fox.”
“Yes, Kacchan.” Izuku’s smile grew.
“Happy, shortstack? You got what you wanted.” Katsuki folded his arms across his chest.
Izuku glanced at the marks that now decorated Katsuki’s throat, thought of the warm bath and soft bed that awaited them.
“Mhm.”
“Fucker.” Katsuki shook his head.
“Maybe next time.” Izuku grinned as he grabbed his pants. “Can you grab my boots while I get Vihan?”
“And if I say my office is off limits?” Katsuki growled, teeth bared.
Izuku laughed as he tugged on his pants. “We both know how well I listen to your orders.”
“Next time I’m in control.”
“Promises, promises, handsome.” Izuku backed towards the door slowly.
“Doubting me?” Katsuki asked, eyes narrowed.
“Never,” Izuku promised, raising his hands placatingly. He couldn’t stop grinning.
Katsuki lunged as Izuku darted out the door, laughing.