Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The kingdom of Tulia was a land renowned for its beautiful landscapes and lush greenery. Some say Tulia is the most beautiful country in the world. It is a place many go, and a place many choose to spend the rest of their days. However, not all was beautiful in Tulia.

The family of Bakugou were the present rulers of the kingdom. They were respected by those who knew of their strength and loyalty, but feared by those who tried to misuse them. The current king and queen, Bakugou Masaru and Mitsuki, were loved by their people. The beta king was a kindhearted soul who heard the needs of his people and tended to them. The alpha queen was a powerful, fierce leader with a tongue sharp enough to cut down anyone who crossed her. Together, the two have ruled the kingdom and the people have lived in peace for decades. Their son, the prince Bakugou Katsuki, was thought to be much like his mother. He was powerful, indeed, and his tongue sharp as well. From birth he had been groomed to be a fine ruler, and his people believed he would become just that. However, prince Katsuki, as unlikely as it seemed, presented as an omega when he was but twelve.

By age eighteen, an age in which he could take over the throne, the prince’s reputation had changed completely. His own people saw him unfit to rule as king, both in mind and body. In the eyes of a Tulian, an omega’s place was to serve. Alphas, the natural born leaders, were destined to be kings and queens, and betas were to rule by their sides. An omega king or queen was simply unheard of. Centuries ago, any omega born into the royal family was killed shortly after presenting. Now, omegas were simply married off to alphas of allied countries. Prince Katsuki was the first omega to be born into the royal family of Tulia for almost three hundred years. The Tulian people were unsure of what to expect for their future going forth. The young prince, even more so.

Bakugou Mitsuki made it her duty to make up for the disappointment that was her son, and to maintain the peace they had carefully built while trying desperately to find a solution to this unexpected problem. Katsuki would have to be married off to a foreign alpha. The same boy who had been raised as an alpha and groomed to be a king would now have to live as the omega queen of an unknown alpha. The prince, despite knowing this, refused to change his ways. He was to be king and finally reform this country. His secondary gender would never change that.

Unfortunately, he was the only one to truly believe that.

The queen sat on her throne sipping a glass of expensive wine. She had a long morning and was prepared to relax for most of the rest of the afternoon. Presently, her mate was mingling with commoners, as he enjoyed doing often. He was quite loved for it. Her brat of a son should be attending his omega propriety lessons. Lord knows if they were making a difference. Whenever she bothered to speak to the boy he was still as defiant as ever.

As she rose her glass to take another sip, the silk glove on her hand shining beautifully in the light streaming in through the room’s tall windows, a knight entered the throne room. He appeared tired and beaten, but the steel determination in his eyes told Mitsuki all she needed to know about his mission’s success. He had been sent out to gather information on a country to the north, Villiass. Disgusting people, they were. Violent and bloodthirsty with no regard for human life. Mitsuki refused to allow them to remain without constant surveillance.

She placed her wineglass down and folded her hands across her lap. “I see you have returned.”

The knight stopped before the throne and lowered himself to one knee. “Yes, Your Majesty. I come with urgent news.”

“Well, out with it then,” Mitsuki said impatiently. How she hated waiting for anything.

“During my three months surveilling the land of Villiass I noticed many peculiarities. Prior to the rule of the current king, Shigaraki Tomura, Villiass homed many people. However, during my time there, the population appeared to be dwindling. Many citizens have either died off or migrated elsewhere. Also, the king himself has apparently never shown his face to his people since taking the throne, yet nine people have been repeatedly entering and exiting the palace. None were members of the council during the previous king’s reign.”

Mitsuki hummed. “So, who are these nine people you saw?”

“Out of the nine, one is a young girl of the name Toga Himiko. She was born and raised in Villiass. I am unsure of her connection to the current king. Of the others, I was only able to uncover aliases. Twice, Dabi, Magne, Compress, Kurogiri, Spinner, and…Muscular. There is also a young boy, but I know nothing of his origins as of now. There have been many reports of missing persons within Villiass and neighboring countries. It is possible some of the nine are these ‘missing’ people. Unfortunately, when I tried to get closer to the palace I was knocked unconscious by an unknown assailant. I awoke within a cabin that appeared to be abandoned with two masked men watching over me. One of them tried to extract information out of me, but I gave up nothing, my queen.”

“Nothing at all?”

“Nothing at all,” he confirmed. “Though, I suspect he figured out I was Tulian. He made a comment about the paleness of my skin. We do tend to stand out in that regard. I managed to escape three nights ago and returned as soon as possible. I was not followed.”

“I see. Good work collecting this information.” Mitsuki stood from her throne and stalked towards the still kneeling knight. Her voice dropped until it was low and threatening. “If I discover that you have revealed any of our kingdom’s secrets, what I will do to you will make death seem like a kindness.” It spoke volumes that even an alpha such as the knight would cower under the queen’s fierce glare. “Now, go. I expect you to give descriptions of these nine people to the palace’s painter. I want wanted signs all over the capital.”

“Yes, my queen.”

In the palace gardens, a young omega could be found among the countless flowers and shrubbery. He sat with a small, content smile on his face. The gardens were some of the few places an omega could be without the watchful eye of an alpha. The omega, Midoriya Izuku, plucked a white flower from the ground and put it in his messy green hair beside another pink flower. Izuku spent most of his time here when he was not with his two friends. The omega hoped to be a gardener working in the palace one day. As of now, he was merely allowed to be in the palace due to his relationship with the prince and his parents. Izuku’s mother, Midoriya Inko, was a childhood friend of Mitsuki, and the two wanted nothing more than for their own children to have a close relationship like theirs. While it did come true, as the prince and Izuku spent much of their time together around the palace, their dynamic is not quite what was anticipated. While everyone was certain Katsuki would present as an alpha and rule the kingdom much like his mother, Izuku and his own mother had wished for Izuku to be a beta. Izuku had never had the deposition expected of an alpha; he was timid and weak yet determined like no other. As a beta he could still fight. He wanted to be the king’s most trusted knight when Katsuki took over the throne. Unfortunately, when he presented as an omega shortly before the prince himself, his dream had been crushed. Katsuki, to his credit, never saw Izuku as anything less than the trusted friend he already was and insisted that he still be allowed to visit the palace whenever he wished.

The queen had agreed easily enough, though Izuku suspected that was only due to her belief that Katsuki wished to make Izuku his mate when they became of age. Since Izuku was of noble blood, their mating would have been more than accepted. Even better, Mitsuki and Masaru would not have to worry finding a suitable mate for their son. Katsuki was never the most sociable child, to put it nicely. Izuku never had the courage to correct the queen on her assumption, and he surely would never mention this to his friend. He was not suicidal after all. The only reason Izuku was still able to freely come and go to this day, even though he served no real “use” to the royal family now, was that Katsuki was far more civil whenever Izuku was by his side. He was one of the few people capable of calming him down after all.

Izuku loved being friends with Katsuki. Ever since they were young boys sparring together, learning hand-to-hand combat side by side. And they almost always were side by side. In the noble’s eyes, Katsuki was the most admirable person of all. He was strong, brave, and determined. He would have made a wonderful king if not for this kingdom’s conservative views on omegas. While Izuku was just like any other omega—not noteworthy despite his nobility—Katsuki was greater than any alpha.

And speaking of the prince…

“Oi, Izuku!” Katsuki looked irritated, although that was nothing new to anyone who knew the omega. Still, Izuku wondered just what had gotten under his skin today.

“Hi, Kacchan!” Izuku greeted cheerfully. The blond always claimed to hate the childish nickname Izuku had given him so long ago, always yelling at the other to stop calling him that, but Izuku knew Katsuki secretly liked it. It was easy to read the prince once you knew what to look for. He would never dare to call him that in front of others, though. “What have you been up to?”

“My stupid fucking omega propriety courses,” Katsuki grit out. Izuku hummed in understanding. He hated those courses as well. Practically every Tulian omega was expected to take courses on how to behave like a “proper” omega. Nobles like Izuku had much more rigorous courses due to higher expectations. He could only imagine what the courses must be like for his friend. “I see you have been hanging out in the gardens all day again.”

“Come sit with me, Kacchan,” Izuku said, patting an open area next to him. Katsuki hesitated for a moment before heaving a long sigh and sitting beside his childhood friend. Izuku smiled at the other omega before laying his head on the blond’s shoulder. Katsuki tensed and then relaxed bit by bit. There was no one else around, and Izuku was practically family anyway. It was okay, this would surely be allowed. Their hands were still by their sides. “You smell frustrated.”

“How can you not be? You sit here in these gardens day after day because there is nowhere else you would be left to yourself. This is bullshit!”

“I no longer mind, Kacchan.”

“You should, yet you just gave up!” Izuku had to remove his head from Katsuki’s shoulder because the prince was shaking from anger so much.

Izuku frowned at the other. “No, Kacchan, I have not given up on anything. I learned to accept that there is only so much I can do as—”

“What?” Katsuki interrupted. “As an omega? Are you content to just let others decide your life for you?”

“No!” Izuku pounded his fist on the ground, and unusual show of aggression. He didn’t even take notice of the flower he crushed underneath his hand. “I can still decide. I have decided to work in these gardens.” As Izuku said this, his voice lost some of its conviction. It was what he settled on, not what he wanted.

Katsuki knew this. He scoffed loudly. “Because that is permitted of you, eh?” Izuku lowered his eyes, finally noticing the flower. He quickly removed his hand. “Do you no longer desire to be my knight, Izuku?”

“Of course I do! I always have and I always will! Just how you desire to rule despite—”

“I will rule.” Deep down, they both knew this to be untrue. Still, Izuku was sure some part of Katsuki believed it. “My being an omega will change nothing.”

It changes everything, Kacchan, and you know it, Izuku thought sadly. He sighed before standing. “We should track down Uraraka-san,” he said, sending a mischievous look towards the blonde. “And go do something ‘improper’ of an omega.”

Katsuki smirked. “Well, well. I suppose you can be rebellious, you nerd.” He stood, straightening out his clothing. “We will go to the library.”

Izuku giggled. “I figured you would say that, Kacchan. I am glad. There is book on botany I have yet to finish.” He looked down at his hands, fighting back a grimace at the dirt on his palms and under his nails. “I must tend to my hands first. They are unsightly.”

Katsuki’s face twisted in disgust when he saw the state of Izuku’s hands. “Indeed. Why do you not wear gloves when in the gardens?”

Izuku smiled but there was no happiness to it. “We are forbidden to touch others, but I can at least feel the dirt in my hands. Though it is quite…dirty.” Katsuki rolled his eyes while Izuku laughed at his own poorly made pun. “Besides, dirt makes good substitute for you, Kacchan.”

Katsuki’s face twisted in indignation. He was tempted to wrap his fingers around his friend’s neck. “And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Bakugou Masaru was on his way back to the palace after spending most of the day within the capital visiting shops and browsing the market. Many people who recognized him stopped to greet him and some even made light conversation with him. He purchased some fruits and foods he knew his mate and son liked and any trinkets that caught his eye. He had the money to spare, and seeing the faces of his people light up when their king saw their goods worthy enough for purchase made his day nearly as much as theirs.

Passing by a small, rundown looking shop that specialized in jewelry, Masaru decided to step in for a moment. He knew—though she would never say—that Mitsuki adored fine jewelry. Granted, the jewelry in this commoner’s shop would not be high quality but surely made with skill and love nonetheless.

The inside was quite clean despite the shop’s initial impression. The elderly beta woman running the shop squinted at the beta male before her eyes widened in recognition. Masaru simply smiled kindly in return, raising a hand in greeting. “Hello, ma’am. How are you on this fine day?”

“King Bakugou!” she blurted, still quite shocked that the king of Tulia was inside her rundown shop. Realizing he had asked her a question, she quickly said, “I am well, thank you. May I ask what brings you here today?”

“Oh, just wandering about the capital. I like to see what my people are getting up to,” he responded with a smile. “I noticed your shop as I was passing by and wondered if there were any fine jewels to buy.”

The elderly woman nearly gaped at the man but collected herself enough to say, “I am not sure if any of my jewels would be to your liking, my king.”

“Well, all the more reason to look and find out.” And with that, Masaru began looking around the small shop. Most of the jewelry consisted of simple necklaces and bracelets. They were admittedly beautifully made but not worth much. The king could tell the woman was nervously wringing her hands as she watched him move around her shop, so Masaru turned back to her and said, “These are quite beautiful. I can see that you are very skilled.” Her face lit up at the compliment, and she began bowing excessively and giving thanks. “I imagine some of these necklaces would look lovely around the queen’s neck.” Her breath stopped short. “What do you think?”

The beta looked close to tears. “Oh, anything would look wonderful on the queen, Your Majesty. Her beauty is unmatched.” Masaru nodded. Good answer. And mostly true. Though it would be inappropriate to say, he thought Katsuki was a beautiful omega himself as he looked scarily similar to his mother. “Truly, there would be no greater honor than for the queen to wear one of my own creations, but I cannot help but think such a cheap necklace would be unfitting for her.” Masaru hummed. She made a good point; his mate was quite picky about her jewelry, and despite the skill involved, these necklaces were still very cheap. “Excuse me if I have spoken out of turn,” the woman rushed to say after the king was silent for a few moments.

“No, no. You are fine. And quite correct.” Masaru glanced down at the necklaces again. If not his wife, then perhaps… “I shall gift one to Katsuki instead.”

“Katsuki?” the woman repeated in confusion. “Oh! The young Prince Katsuki.” She seemed less enthusiastic about the prince wearing her jewelry, but Masaru could not fault her for that. Few thought well of his son, his wife included. “Well…omegas do love jewelry. I’m sure the boy would love to receive such a gift from you, Your Majesty.”

‘The boy’, huh? Masaru wanted to scold the woman for speaking of the prince, his own son, in such a disrespectful manner, but Katsuki was just an omega after all. His royal blood did not change that fact, unfortunately. “I will purchase this one, then,” he said, holding up a golden necklace with a large orange pendant in the middle. It was the most beautiful necklace in the king’s opinion, and he remembered that orange was his son’s favorite color.

After exiting the shop and waving away the woman’s many thanks for his patronage, Masaru continued on his way back to the palace. He had slipped the necklace for Katsuki into his left pocket, a small smile on his face as imagined his son’s surprise at being gifted with jewelry of all things. He wondered when the last time either he or his wife had given Katsuki a gift. Before he presented as an omega, he was gifted many things ranging from toys to swords. After, it no longer seemed appropriate to gift an omega such things, so they stopped completely. A gift was long overdue.

Suddenly, Masaru felt someone bump into him. In the middle of the day when the market was filled with commoners, a bump or two was to be expected as people passed by. As a Tulian, who did not take touching another lightly, the person would immediately apologize to avoid any hard feelings. For this person to not stop and beg for forgiveness after bumping into the king, however, caused a slight sense of panic to fill the beta. He quickly turned to see who had dared touch the king unapologetically, only to see a mysterious figure vanishing into the throng of people. All Masaru could make out was a head of white hair before the figure vanished completely.

“Halt!” he yelled, causing all nearby to stop in fear and confusion. The mysterious figure was not among them. Cursing silently to himself, Masaru quickly checked himself for anything out of place. He felt no bruises or wounds, though he did not expect to. Checking the pockets of his robes he was relieved to find the necklace still there. Alongside it was a letter that had not been there before. It seemed the mystery person had slipped it into his robe.

Masaru wasted no time in returning to the palace.

“This cannot be happening!”

Masaru put his arms around his wife in hopes of calming her down. Luckily, they were alone in their chambers, so no one would witness such an intimate act. “My love, please calm yourself. Stressing yourself out will not help the situation.”

Mitsuki rounded on her husband, her teeth bared in absolute rage. The beta nearly cowered in fear, but he would not show fear in front of his mate. “And what would help our ‘situation’, Masaru? Villiass is demanding our son’s hand in marriage!” she shouted, shaking the now opened letter in his face.

After arriving at the palace, Masaru had quickly tracked down his wife and together they read the letter. To say they were both shocked and outraged would be an understatement. It had been written with such sloppy penmanship it was nearly illegible, but it basically stated that the king of Villiass, Shigaraki Tomura, demanded that the omega prince of Tulia be handed over to become his bride before the year was up. A refusal of his demand would lead to certain war.

“We should seek council on this matter,” Masaru said.

“I say we give the brat to him,” Mitsuki spat. Her husband gaped at her, completely baffled.

“Mitsuki!”

“What?” she snapped. “That omega serves no purpose here.”

Masaru glared at her. “'That omega’ is our son, and if he has to be wed off—”

Mitsuki scoffed. “Of course he has to.”

Masaru sighed in resignation. “Then he should at least be married to an alpha who would not harm him in any way.”

Rolling her eyes at her husband’s naivety, Mitsuki said, “He never claimed he would harm him, Masaru. Besides, that brat could use some discipline, and a firm hand may be just what he needs.” At the beta’s glare, Mitsuki sighed. “I would never actually dream of handing him over to Shigaraki. If Villiass were not such a rotten country, I would, but I want nothing to do with them quite frankly.”

The king could not believe how flippant his wife was being about the matter. Katsuki was still their son. Surely, that mattered to her somewhat. Right?

“Still, we cannot afford war at the moment. Our people have become accustomed to peaceful times. I will not allow an omega to ruin that for them,” Mitsuki stated coldly. Her eyes then lit up. “If we were to crush Villiass before they can even think of attacking us, we would have no worries.”

Masaru shook his head. “Mitsuki, you know our military forces are weak.”

She waved away his concerns. “Obviously we would not be fighting. A Tulian never gets their hands dirty, dear.”

“Then who would fight on our behalf?”

Mitsuki smiled then, and not for the first time, Masaru wondered where the woman he fell in love with had gone.

The next morning, the royal family sat around a grand dining table for breakfast. At each end of the table sat Mitsuki and Masaru, with Katsuki sitting between them. As was done ever since Katsuki was a boy, Midoriya Izuku and Uraraka Ochako, who sat across from the prince, were invited to join any meal with the family. Izuku usually ate most meals at home with his mother, but this morning he decided to spend the early day with his friends and the rest with his mother. He did not see her nearly enough these days.

Uraraka Ochako was the prince’s personal guard. She was rarely away from him unless specifically requested by Katsuki. She was a beta, but she was a fine fighter and quite skilled with a sword. Typically, only alphas are permitted to learn how to wield a sword, but Ochako is a special exception. Katsuki enjoyed her presence, and although he would never say it aloud, she was the closest friend to him after Izuku. Had Katsuki presented as an alpha like expected, Masaru secretly would have liked for the two to mate.

Katsuki sat picking at his food, having no appetite. This had been happening quite often recently. Ever since his coming of age at eighteen, Katsuki had felt his mother completely lose interest in him. As a child, he had looked up to her more than anyone. He aspired to be just like her, and now he was nothing but an utter disappointment to her. As if he could sit at the same table as her and act like everything was as it used to be. He could feel both Izuku and Ochako’s eyes on him, but he easily ignored them. They both worried too much anyway.

Katsuki glanced over at his father from the corner of his eye, seeing he didn’t have much of an appetite either. Ever since he returned from the capital yesterday afternoon, he had been acting strange. Katsuki wanted to know why but during breakfast was hardly the time or place to ask.

The nearly awkward silence in the dining room was broken when Mitsuki tapped her silverware against her glass. All heads turned to her as a devious smile spread across her lips.

“Izuku-kun, Ochako, it is always good to see you,” she said with false pleasantness.

“You as well, Your Majesty,” Ochako said, not missing the fakeness in her voice.

Izuku smiled. The queen rarely addressed him directly ever since he presented. “It is good to see you too, Aunt Mitsuki.”

The smile dropped from the blonde woman’s face and was replaced by a glare so fierce Izuku nearly jumped from his seat and fled the room. “How dare you address your queen, an alpha, so informally, omega! You would think those omega courses would teach you how to act, but it seems you and Katsuki are both a lost cause.”

Katsuki gritted his teeth at being called out, while Izuku lowered his head in shame. “I am sorry, Your Majesty.”

Mitsuki smiled then. “Better. If it happens again, I will have your head steamed like a piece of broccoli.” She seemed to laugh at her own joke while Izuku bit his lip in fear, not daring to respond.

“Mitsuki,” Masaru began, successfully dragging the alpha’s attention away from the frightened omega. “Was there not something you wished to say?”

“Ah, yes. Thank you, dear. I do have an announcement for you all.” Narrowing her eyes, she continued. “I hope it goes unsaid that not a single word spoken from here on leaves this room. Is that understood, children?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” both Ochako and Izuku instantly replied. Katsuki said nothing. His friends tried to send him discreet looks which he ignored.

“Katsuki,” Mitsuki began sweetly. Katsuki nearly flinched from hearing his name, the name she gave him, fall from her lips instead of the usual “boy” or her favored “omega." “I asked you a question.”

Finally, Katsuki acknowledged her and turned a glare on her. Omegas were never to look an alpha in the eye, especially not in such a defiant way. The two blondes’ scents of anger filled the room, suffocating the three other occupants. The alpha’s scent so overpowering even the two betas were tempted to run away along with Izuku.

“Sorry, mother,” he said insincerely. “I was simply surprised that you would actually speak to a lowly omega like me.” Izuku gasped quietly at hearing those words come from the prince, while Ochako closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for the prince.

Everyone expected Mitsuki to fly into a fit of rage at the blatant show of defiance, but she simply smiled for the third time. This time even more unnerving than the last two. In a voice so low only the silence of the room allowed it to be heard, the queen said, “I cannot wait for the day you finally leave.” Katsuki’s brow furrowed in confusion, his gaze quickly shooting to his father before looking back at the alpha. “Although that attitude of yours will definitely need to go for this treaty to succeed.”

“Treaty?” Katsuki asked, just barely masking the panic he suddenly felt.

Her eye twitched at Katsuki’s continued disrespect, but she said nothing about it. “Yes, which brings me back to my announcement. I have sent out a messenger to the Land of Warriors in request that we form an alliance. I laid out some terms that I think both our kingdoms will find beneficial.”

“What kind of terms—?”

“Brat, if you speak out of turn one more time, I will not be responsible for what happens,” she warned. Katsuki gritted his teeth but said nothing. She smiled, pleased. “Good boy. Masaru, would you mind explaining the rest to your son? You are the one so concerned about his input, after all.”

The beta wanted to curse the woman for doing this, but he could never. Not to his mate, not an alpha. He turned to his son, his eyes full of remorse. “Yesterday, we received a threat of war from the kingdom of Villiass. It was decided that forming an alliance with Adria to take down Villiass before an attack happens would be the best course of action. The terms…” Masaru sighed. He did not want this to be reality. Not for Katsuki. “’In return for Adria’s military support, Tulia is willing to prepare their omega prince for marriage to the alpha prince of Adria’…or so the treaty says.”

Everyone watched as the information sunk in and Katsuki’s expression morphed from confusion to anger to sadness before finally settling on fear. Masaru wanted nothing more than to hold his son. Izuku had his hands held over his mouth as he fought back tears. Ochako carefully schooled her expression, but beneath it all she could feel the anger and sadness building up. Though they all knew this day would come, it hurt no less. “No,” the prince whispered before suddenly springing up out of his chair. “Father, please, do not do this!”

Hearing Katsuki say ‘please’ made Ochako want to whisk him away and hide him from the world, from his fate. A prince should never plead. How could they do this to him?

Masaru shook his head, his eyes unable to meet Katsuki’s burning red eyes. “If they accept, there is nothing to be done, Katsuki.”

“Oh, they will accept. They have no reason not to,” Mitsuki said, finally speaking up. “No doubt King Kirishima has worries about finding his son a mate. It is a worry all parents share.”

“Why are you doing this?” Katsuki asked desperately. “Mom, please—”

Mitsuki held a hand up, cutting of his words. She looked disgusted. “Katsuki, do not be so melodramatic. You knew this day would come eventually. Honestly, you should be glad you can finally be useful to your people.”

Katsuki looked back and forth between his parents. He did not know whose expression he detested more; his father’s pathetic look of defeat or his mother’s smug grin. Looking towards Izuku and Ochako, Katsuki saw matching expressions of pity in their eyes. He bit his lip so hard it began to bleed and internally debated his next course of action.

Mitsuki rolled her eyes with a sigh. “Oh, just sit down already, boy. Some of us would like to get back to our breakfast, and I believe you have caused enough of a scene.”

For the first time since presenting, Katsuki followed his mother’s order without question.

The rest of breakfast passed in an unbreakable silence. Katsuki never touched the food on his plate. As the teens had to wait to be dismissed by the queen, they simply sat in silence while Mitsuki requested a glass of wine despite how early it was. She slowly slipped it as she gazed at her visibly broken son with the smallest of smiles on her face.

“Dear, you really should have some of this wine. It is most exquisite,” she had said to Masaru.

“Mitsuki, please,” the beta had pleaded. “Just stop.” The alpha had huffed in displeasure and took her time finishing the glass.

Finally, she allowed the three to leave the room. Katsuki had slowly rose from his chair and left the room, Izuku and Ochako following with their heads down.

As the three walked down the long halls to the prince’s bed chambers, Izuku walking beside the blond with Ochako trailing a few steps behind them as she always did, neither could bring themselves to say anything. Neither had ever seen the blond so quiet, so defeated. It pained them to witness. Izuku craved desperately to grab Katsuki’s hand, to show him some kind of comfort and reassurance that everything would be alright, but there were guards all throughout the halls.

Before long, the three arrived at the prince’s door. Katsuki placed his hand on the door handle but did not enter the room. Without turning, he said, “You should go home, Izuku. Your mother is probably missing you.”

“Kacchan…” Izuku did not know what to say so he simply nodded even though the prince could not see. “Bye, Kacchan, Uraraka-san. I will see you tomorrow, okay?”

Katsuki said nothing, but Ochako mustered up a weak smile for the omega. “Bye, Izuku-kun. Get home safely.”

Izuku smiled back, but it was no more believable than the beta’s. With that, he turned on his heel and walked back the way they came. Katsuki silently entered his room as Ochako stood outside the door, guarding the prince from any harm as she had dedicated her life to do.

Chapter Text

Bakugou Mitsuki was no fool.

She was aware of her son’s resentment towards alphas. There was no doubt that she was hated as well, probably more than any other alpha out there. Katsuki had never been one to bow to alphas, as an omega should. Yet, after that conversation at breakfast nearly a month ago, Katsuki had been acting differently. He spoke out less, followed rules with less complaint, and rarely made eye contact with any alphas within the castle. Despite these apparent improvements, Mitsuki knew the boy could never become the proper omega he was expected to be. Not unless he had a good reason to. In Mitsuki’s mind, there was no better reason than this upcoming wedding. She would not allow the omega to continue in his rebellious phase; he was to become the alpha prince’s mate before the month was up.

With that in mind, Mitsuki called upon a few trusted guards and made her way to the library within the palace. She had no doubt that her son would be hidden within, reading books an omega had no business reading. Again, Bakugou Mitsuki was no fool.

Ochako sighed as she stood outside the library doors at her “assigned” lookout spot. Really, she did not need to be told to stand guard. She would protect the prince always, even when she felt he was tempting fate just a bit too much. Ochako understood Katsuki’s frustration, she really did. She wished for nothing more than for the omega to rule but omegas were not rulers. They could not be. Ochako wished for Katsuki to one day accept this. Then, perhaps he would finally be happy again.

The brunette’s head snapped up upon hearing a chorus of footsteps down the corridor. She quietly but quickly slipped into the library. Inside Katsuki and Izuku sat reading back to back. Ochako had always thought the omegas were too close with one another; omegas should never touch in such ways. They were not real family and surely not lovers; the thought of two omegas being lovers was ridiculous in and of itself. Yet, Ochako had seen the two touch each other so casually on multiple occasions. Never with their hands, thankfully, but that was only a small reprieve. Overall, Ochako found their conduct indecent.

Besides, a piece of the beta’s heart had always belonged to Izuku, ever since they were young and making plans for a now impossible future. It admittedly pained the beta that the sweet omega never saw her as anything more than a friend. She supposed it made sense. A beta courting an omega was almost as bizarre as two omegas becoming lovers. She was more than happy to be as close to him as she was.

Izuku was reading a book on the history and cultures of foreign countries. Recently, during each secret visit he had been reading books on Adria, the Land of Warriors, undoubtedly in hopes of being able to help Katsuki prepare for his life there. Katsuki, on the other hand, preferred to read books on war and famous rulers. Unsurprisingly, the prince was reading a book on battle strategies used throughout a number of wars. Ochako would have looked upon the two omegas fondly if not for the panic she felt overtaking her.

“Katsuki-sama, others are approaching,” she said in a hushed yet hurried tone.

The omegas quickly closed their books and hid in a secret room beneath the floors. Izuku had discovered it during a game of hide-and-go-seek when they were small. Katsuki and Ochako had searched for the omega for nearly an hour before Izuku finally came out of hiding. Since then, it had been a popular spot for hiding in games, and later a necessary safety measure when breaking laws.

Ochako closed the hatch to the secret room just as the doors slammed open and the queen came marching in with three guards at her heel. The beta schooled her expression and rounded the corner of the bookshelf to come face-to-face with the queen. Mitsuki regarded Ochako for a moment before looking around the library. She did not see her son. She had not expected to. The alpha had a feeling Katsuki was not alone in his rebellion all these years. He had two very loyal friends constantly by his side, after all.

“Ochako,” Mitsuki said, her calm demeanor a direct contrast to the fire in her eyes. Ochako did her best to not cower before the intimidating alpha. She was a royal guard after all and Katsuki could be just as intimidating. “Interesting to see you here in the library.”

“I do enjoy reading every now and again, Your Majesty,” the girl replied. She glanced wearily at the guards behind the queen who were staring her down. It made Ochako itch to reach for her sword. “May I ask why you have guards with you?”

At that, Mitsuki smiled. “Oh, they are here for my brat of a son.”

Ochako wondered why three guards would be necessary, then. “The prince? Why—?”

The queen held up a hand, silencing her. “I have no time for games. I believe we are all far too old for such things. Now, I will ask only once, beta. Where is the prince?”

Ochako swallowed nervously. She did not know how the queen found out about their secret library visits, nor just how long she had known about them. “Unfortunately, I have not seen the prince in some time. I believe he was heading to the gardens to see Izuku.”

Mitsuki hummed, “Unfortunate indeed.” She turned to the guards behind her. “Take Uraraka Ochako to the dungeons.”

“My queen, please!” Ochako backed away as the guards moved forward to grab her. She wanted to fight back but she knew that would make matters worse.

“I said I would ask only once. I am not fond of being lied to, Ochako. Honestly, I’m disappointed in you. To think you would dedicate your loyalty to an omega rather than your own queen.” Mitsuki shook her head, and for a moment she actually appeared remorseful before a smirk spread across her lips. She looked so much like the omega she berated not a moment ago. “I always suspected that maybe you wanted more than just friendship with that brat. Fortunately for you, you will be long dead before you can see him be married off and bred like the omega whore he is.” Ochako opened her mouth—whether to plead for her life or defend her prince she wasn’t sure—but Katsuki broke open the trapdoor and called out to his mother before she could say anything.

“You will not kill her! She has done nothing wrong!”

Mitsuki snarled at her son, scents of anger and aggression radiating from both blondes and filling the room. “She has broken the laws of our people, and her death will be on your hands, omega!”

“Katsuki-sama, why did you come out of hiding?” Ochako cried.

“Even now all she thinks about is protecting you,” the queen scoffed. “Apprehend them both. And check to see if the other omega is hiding down there.”

Katsuki tried to block the guard from nearing the trapdoor, but he was easily pushed aside by the stronger male. Opening the door revealed Izuku curled up in the corner with tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Take Ochako and Izuku down to the dungeons. I will decide on their execution dates later.”

Izuku batted away the hands grabbing for him, ignoring the pain of his bare skin hitting cold, metal armor, but the guard still managed to grab hold of his hair. The teen cried out in pain. “Your Majesty, please—!”

“You will hold your tongue, omega! You should know not to speak unless spoken to,” Mitsuki snapped. Izuku bit his lip and began sobbing harder as he was dragged from the underground room.

Katsuki grit his teeth as he watched helplessly. “You fucking hag! Why are you doing this?”

A loud slap echoed through the room, everyone frozen in shock after seeing the queen strike the crowned prince. While it was not uncommon for alphas to discipline their misbehaving omegas in public, no one had ever seen or heard of Queen Mitsuki harming her son. She then spoke, her voice cold. “If you ever speak that way to me again, I will cut that foul tongue of yours from your mouth. Have your lessons taught you nothing, Katsuki? This is no way for an omega to act.” The woman grabbed the prince by his arm and handed him over to a guard. “Confine him to his chambers. He will not leave except for his propriety lessons. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guards droned.

Katsuki was in shock. He could not believe his mother. He had never seen her like this. And now his defiance had led to the potential execution of his two closest friends. The fight drained from him instantly as his eyes lowered and he bared his neck. It was the ultimate show of submission anyone could do. Mitsuki almost smiled. It seemed Katsuki had learned something from his lessons after all.

“Is there something you wish to say, omega?”

Katsuki wanted to scream, fight, growl, but he could do none of that. Instead, he merely said, “Yes, alpha.”

Mitsuki really did smile this time. If Ochako did not know any better, he would have thought she looked proud. “You may speak.”

“Ochako and Izuku were simply following my orders. They were afraid to go against my wishes since I am the prince. They are not to blame. Please spare them, alpha.”

“Katsuki-sama, no…” Ochako whispered, her fearful eyes finding Izuku’s. The green-haired omega was whimpering in the arms of the guard who was shaking him hard and demanding he shut up. The rough treatment only made him weep harder.

Mitsuki looked at her son, pity clear in her eyes. To think she ever thought he would be an alpha like her. What a joke. She figured she could humor the brat. “Very well. Those lessons seem useful after all. You should have been following them from the start. I will spare your friends, Katsuki, but your punishment will remain the same.”

The three in question let out simultaneous sighs, but Ochako and Izuku still wished for no punishment for their prince. “And,” Mitsuki continued. “The day you depart, Ochako and Izuku will go with you. From here on out, they are no longer welcomed in Tulia.”

“No!” Katsuki screamed.

“Oh, quiet,” Mitsuki rolled her eyes. “Be glad I agreed not to kill them. Consider it a gift, actually. You get to stay with your pathetic friends. Take them away, guards. To the dungeons with those two.”

The three pleaded with alpha as they were removed from the room, but she ignored them. Before long, the room was encased in silence once again. Mitsuki gazed expressionlessly at the door for a few moments before moving around the library. From the corner of her eye she spotted a large book on the ground. After picking it up, she realized it was a book on famous rulers she herself had read many times as a child. She frowned at it before placing it back on the bookshelf and leaving the library.

No one would be visiting for a long while.

Not too far away, a mere three days of travel by carriage, the royal family of Adria similarly prepared for the arrival of the Tulian prince. When the messenger from Tulia had arrived nearly a month ago, King Kirishima had been taken by surprise. The last thing he had expected during his lifetime was a request for an alliance from the prideful alpha queen, Bakugou Mitsuki. Proposing they have their children marry was even more of a surprise.

The Tulian kingdom was known for keeping to themselves, not even allowing their allied kingdoms the privilege of knowing their most mundane of secrets. The current prince was a secret they refused to shed light on. Not a word about the king and queen’s only child had been spoken for years—ever since his presentation—and King Kirishima was clueless as to why. They were quite the mysterious and secretive people, and usually he avoided involving himself with people as such. Still, having Tulia as an ally would allow for far better trade and easier and safer travel across the lands. The king could not deny the value of this alliance. With the aid of Tulia, Adria would finally have the last piece they needed to defeat even their toughest of enemies.

Truthfully, King Kirishima could not pretend that marrying his son to the Tulian prince would not solve another of his problems. His son, Eijirou, was a romantic at heart, and the thought of an arranged marriage was sacrilege to him. If his father were to tell him it was for the good of the kingdom, the young alpha would have no choice but to accept.

Eijirou would get over it eventually. After all, it is said that Tulian omegas are the most beautiful.

Still, the king could remember breaking the news to his son. It went just about as well as expected.

Eijirou entered the throne room to stand before his father. It was obvious the young alpha had just returned from a spar, likely with the captain of the Royal Guard. They were quite good friends. The king had always been proud of Eijirou’s ability to make anyone and everyone love him. Hopefully he would be able to work that charm on the omega as well.

“You requested to see me, father?” His bare chest glistened with sweat from exertion, his scars from numerous battles proudly on display. He was a fine warrior and would be a great king one day. All that was left was for him to be a husband and father as well.

“Yes, my son. I have both good news and bad news for you.”

“I see,” Eijirou said warily. “May I request the bad news first?”

The king chuckled but shook his head. “Good news first I’m afraid. I need you to understand the importance of the situation at hand.” Eijirou instantly straightened at these words before nodding once. “I have received a request from the kingdom of Tulia to form an alliance. They ask for protection from the kingdom of Villiass. In return, we will be granted with access to trading routes and their border will finally be opened to our people.”

“Not a bad deal.” The redhead’s arms crossed over his chest. “So, Villiass has finally made a move after all these years.”

“It would appear so,” his father said. “Of course, very few things would make me happier than destroying Villiass once and for all. Well, that and you finally finding a mate.”

The prince barely resisted rolling his eyes. How many times would his father bring up his desire for Eijirou to find a mate? “I know, father. One day I will bring home the perfect mate. You will be pleased.”

“Perhaps, I would have been.” Eijirou frowned in confusion and worry. “This brings me to the bad news, my son.”

“Father—”

“Before you go on about your wish to find your true love, hear me out. This alliance could be extremely beneficial for us. With increased trade we could purchase finer materials for weapons and armor. Imagine how this would benefit our people, Eijirou.”

Eijirou bit his lip, his sharp teeth easily breaking skin but the man took no notice. “I understand, father, I simply wonder if there’s another option.”

The king sighed. “All you must do is marry the prince.”

“Right. Someone I know nothing about. How romantic,” the prince sarcastically drawled.

Exasperated, the king slammed his hands on the throne’s armrests, leaning forward to glare down at his stubborn child. “This isn’t about romance, boy. This is business. Had you chosen a mate prior to this, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.”

Eijirou lowered his eyes, feeling properly chastised. It was true that choosing a potential mate had been difficult for the prince. Not for lack of options, of course. Kirishima Eijirou was a man blessed with strength, good looks, and a kind heart. He had many people willing to become his, and while he regularly brought many of them to his room for sex—omegas, betas, and alphas alike—he had yet to find someone he wanted to spend the rest of his days with and rule Adria together.

Catching the distraught look on his son’s face, the king softened his tone slightly. He did always have a soft spot for the stubborn child. “I have already decided to accept, Eijirou. You will just have to learn to live with this.”

Eijirou fisted his hands at his side before bowing his head. “Yes, father.”

Though a month had passed since then, Kirishima Eijirou was not any closer to accepting this farce of a marriage. He could only imagine how the other prince felt knowing he would be taken from his home and forced to marry an alpha he knew nothing about. Did he have as little choice in the matter as Eijirou did? Eijirou sighed before making his way from his chambers to the training grounds. He needed to let off some steam.

As usual, the training grounds were filled with knights sparring and honing their skills. The prince stuck out like a sore thumb among the mass of people anyway. Even a blind man could spot that telltale bright, red hair and large muscular frame from any distance.

Kaminari Denki smiled to himself as he made his way over to stand beside the prince, the same place he has stood and would stand for the rest of his days. The blond omega noticed the alpha glance at him from the corner of his eye before gazing forward again.

“Can we not do this today, Denki?” the prince asked, exasperation and tiredness clear in his voice.

“You know I’m simply worried about you, Eijirou. I know this is not how you expected to find your mate.”

“No,” Eijirou agreed. “However, I must marry the prince either way.”

Finally, Denki turned to face the redhead, a rant ready on his tongue. “He is Tulian! I don’t have to tell you how Tulian omegas are raised. He’ll be a terrible mate for you. You need someone to rule alongside you, not follow your every order like some obedient mutt!” The alpha sighed. How many times had he heard this already? “Surely, there’s some other way.” Though the omega said this, he knew there was not. Eijirou reiterated as much.

“I have no delusions about what kind of mate he will be. My father has already accepted the terms of this alliance, and Tulia will prove to be a valuable ally to us.”

The omega rolled his eyes, not fearing any repercussions for it from the prince. He was always free to speak his mind and make his opinions known, even if that opinion was that his prince was behaving like a fool. “Well, at least you have the ‘princely speak’ down pat. You know that’s not necessary with me though. I know how you truly feel about this.” That much was true. Denki had been the first person Eijirou spoke to after his father told him about the marriage. The blond was the prince’s closest friend and there was no one he trusted more. The omega was much like the redhead’s own “personal advisor” at times, though Denki jokingly claimed he was just an “expert advice giver”.

“We should not judge the prince before we meet him.” Eijirou never liked making assumptions about others. Just because they expected him to be meek and pliant, as all Tulian omegas were according to anyone you asked, it did not mean that would be all there was to him. “ Sure, Tulians raise their omegas differently than we do, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t learn to love him.”

“Ever the optimist,” Denki mumbled.

Eijirou smiled down at the omega. “And you and Mina are ever the worriers.”

“Only when it comes to you, my love.” Denki blew Eijirou a kiss, causing the redhead to laugh.

“Careful, Denki. You keep acting like that and people may talk.”

“Oh, please. No one would ever entertain the thought that I would be unfaithful to Hanta.” Eijirou could not disagree with that; those two made their love for each other abundantly clear for all to see. “I am far out of your league, anyway, my prince,” the omega teased. The two looked at each before breaking down in laughter. Having Denki constantly by his side meant more than having a loyal friend to fight beside him in battle and give him advice; it also meant he always had someone around to make him laugh when he needed to.

Once his laughter had subsided, the alpha asked, “Am I doing the right thing, though? What if Prince Bakugou hates me for taking him away from his home? What if he already has someone he loves and now they can no longer be together? What if—”

“There’s no point in thinking about any of that now, Eijirou. In two weeks time, Prince Bakugou will be brought to Adria and you will be married.” Denki shook his head. “If only you had chosen a mate long ago instead of being so picky. I so do not envy you. And now the king has tasked me with bringing the prince here.” Denki groaned, no doubt dreading having to act as the prince’s escort for six days. “Hopefully his personality won’t drive me to insanity or murder before we return.”

Eijirou chuckled humorlessly. “We should not complain. It is for the betterment of our kingdom. There are worse fates than an arranged marriage.”

Denki raised an eyebrow, not buying for a second that Eijirou truly believed that. “What happened to the idiot always going on about how nothing is more important than finding one’s true love?”

Eijirou turned to Denki and threw a muscular arm over the omega’s shoulder. He smiled sadly down at his friend. “He got engaged.”

It was a week before his son was to be handed over to the Adrians, and Masaru stood outside of the omega’s chambers. The beta had not seen his son since Mitsuki had confined him to his room. Except for attending his omega propriety courses, Katsuki was always holed up in his bedroom. According to his instructor, Katsuki had been showing vast improvement in the past few days. He had finally become the “perfect omega”. Masaru wished he had been there to prevent all this, but he knew his presence would have ultimately changed nothing. He was incapable of standing up to the queen. Unlike his son, he was merely a coward.

The two guards standing outside the prince’s chambers bowed their heads and moved aside when they saw him. Taking a deep breath, Masaru knocked on the door. “Katsuki, may I enter?”

There was no reply and Masaru began to grow worried. He could only imagine Katsuki’s current state of mind. One of the guards turned to the king and said, “He is definitely inside, Your Majesty. He has not escaped. There is no way for him to leave this room.”

Masaru glared at the alpha. “I am aware.” The guard was shocked by his snappish tone and wordlessly turned away. Masaru knocked on the door again before saying, “I am coming in, Katsuki.”

Katsuki was laying on his bed with his back facing his father. Masaru closed the doors behind him and slowly moved towards the bed, taking a seat on the edge. Neither said anything for a few long minutes before the king said in a low voice, “I am so sorry, Katsuki. For everything.”

“By everything, do you mean ignoring my existence from the moment I presented as an omega or using me as a bargaining chip for your own gain?”

“Katsuki…”

The omega sat up suddenly, his face twisted in a scowl. “Maybe you are sorry for just sitting back as your wife locked your own son in his room and sent two innocent people to the fucking dungeons! Is that it, father?” Katsuki’s voice continued to rise until he was shouting. Surely the guards outside the door could hear everything. “What you really are is a sorry excuse for a father and king!”

In a sudden burst of anger, Masaru raised his hand prepared to strike his son across the face. Katsuki flinched violently and curled up on the corner of his bed, as far away from his father as he could get. Seeing this, all anger left the beta and he lowered his hand. He had wanted to discipline this disrespectful omega, forgetting for a moment that Katsuki was not just any common omega. Tears began to prick at the corner of the beta’s eyes. It seemed he was no better than his wife after all.

Katsuki watched unmoving as his father reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a necklace before looking back at his son.

“You are not going to hit me?” Katsuki asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“No, Katsuki, I would never hit you. I am sorry that I scared you.” Masaru tried to smile at the blond, but it came out as more of a grimace. “Come. Let me put this necklace on you.”

“You bought me a necklace?” Katsuki asked incredulously, still not moving. “If you knew me at all, you would know I hate jewelry.”

“I know,” Masaru said. “I was going to originally buy one for your mother, but you know how particular she is about her jewelry. She would never wear something created by a commoner. And I saw this beautiful necklace and remembered that orange is your favorite color, and I thought this would look lovely on you.”

“So, you think some cheaply made necklace would be better suited for me. Fuck you. You can keep it.”

The king frowned. “Katsuki, please. I wanted to give you a gift.” Katsuki looked away. “Then, think of it as something to remember your old man by.” Katsuki rolled his eyes but finally moved forward.

Masaru moved them over to stand in front of the mirror as he put the necklace around his son’s neck. The gold was such a sharp contrast against the Tulian’s pale white skin. Katsuki could not deny that the necklace was beautiful and skillfully made. He truly was not one for jewelry, but he could not remember the last time he had been gifted something by his father. The fact that his father had seen this necklace and thought of the omega would have made a smile grace the blond’s face if not for his current inner turmoil. Katsuki gazed down at the necklace while his father watched him in the mirror with a small, loving smile.

“You are so beautiful, Katsuki. The most beautiful omega I have ever seen.” The blond gripped the necklace, feeling a sudden desire to tear it from around his neck. “I know you will make the best of this situation. You are strong for an omega.” For an omega. “Prince Kirishima will be lucky to call himself your alpha.”

Katsuki wanted to scream. “Thank you, father.”

Days later, Eijirou, Denki and another close friend of theirs, Ashido Mina, stood outside the castle’s walls awaiting the royal carriage that would be used for their travels. Mina had actually asked the king for permission to be a part of the prince’s escort, unashamedly stating that she wanted to “scope out the future queen.” Amused, the king easily agreed. One other was assigned to join in their travels, and they were waiting for him to arrive.

“I still can’t believe this is happening,” Mina said, her arm wrapped around Eijirou’s. “You were supposed to go out and fall in love with some knight or commoner who was capable of kicking your butt and has really nice smile.”

Denki raised an eyebrow in bemusement. “And whose plan is that?”

“Hush, Den. This is no time for that sassy mouth of yours, so just keep those pretty lips sealed.”

“Don’t call my lips pretty, Mina. What the hell?”

“As if you don’t love being called pretty. Isn’t that right, pretty omega?”

Eijirou drowned out the two knights speaking over him as if he was not sandwiched between the two. What Mina had said was not entirely ridiculous. Eijirou had always imagined something similar for finding his mate. A fight that would lead to love; that was the Adrian dream. Still, the greatest shame was that he could not choose his mate himself.

“I suppose it’s not all bad. Father said that Tulian omegas are some of the most beautiful people you will ever see,” Eijirou said, smiling despite himself.

Denki and Mina sent each other a look. “That’s out of character for you, Ei.”

“What?” Eijirou blinked in confusion.

Mina folded her arms under her breasts. For once, her clothing fully covered them along with her most of her arms and legs. She honestly was not much of a fan and did not understand other kingdoms’ insistence on long, layered, and impractical clothing. She and Denki had spent much time earlier complaining to the prince about the outfits required of them for their travels. “You’re not usually so shallow.”

“I am not blind to beauty, Mina. I just place a person’s character over their appearance.”

“And we’re not expecting much from a Tulian’s character,’” Denki griped. “Tulians are almost as bad as people from Endeavor or Ingenium.”

Eijirou sighed while Mina nodded in agreement. “Denki, you said you would give him a chance. For all we know he may turn out to be a good queen.”

Denki scowled. “’Good queen’? Eijirou, we don’t need a ‘good queen’. We need a true warrior who can lead our people to battle and fight beside you! A Tulian omega is nothing but a damn baby maker!”

“Be silent!” Eijirou snapped, unwittingly using an Alpha Command on the blond. The omega froze, his mouth snapping shut with a click as he stared up at the prince with wide eyes. Even Mina could not bring herself to speak. Eijirou finally realized what he had done and calmed himself. “I’m sorry, you can speak. Both of you. I never meant to use a Command on you.”

“That was…unexpected,” Mina mumbled. The only times Eijirou ever used Commands was when a knight would attempt to go against his orders in battle, which rarely happened. Alpha Commands, as the name implied, commanded compliance. Alphas were the least susceptible to them, but powerful alphas like Eijirou were sometimes able to use them on other alphas. Omegas, on the other hand, were incapable of going against them. If an alpha commanded them to jump from a cliff to their death, they could do nothing but comply. Not every alpha could use Alpha Commands; they were typically something only the most powerful and strong-willed of alphas could use.

“I know. I’m sorry.” Denki was still shaken. No alpha except Hanta had ever used a Command on him, and that had always been in the bedroom for some very fun activities. The omega knew it was unintentional, and Eijirou probably hated himself for it, but he still wished the prince wouldn’t apologize so easily. “It’s just hearing you talk about Prince Bakugou like that…”

Denki narrowed his eyes. “You got defensive of an omega from a foreign kingdom who you don’t even know.” It wasn’t a question.

“That was more than just defending a defenseless omega. I mean, Denki is an omega, yet I’ve never seen you look so ready to kill someone for speaking ill of him,” Mina added.

“That’s not true. I would slaughter anyone who spoke ill of my friends,” Eijirou corrected. Mina had to admit that was probably true. “Besides, ‘defenseless’ is one of the last words I would use to ever describe Denki.”

Mina sighed. “You’re missing the point, and you know it.”

Eijirou averted his gaze, spotting the royal carriage approaching the castle. Hopefully, he could avoid figuring out what his problem was in the time it took for Mina and Denki to leave. To be honest, Eijirou wasn’t even sure why he reacted so strongly when Denki said what he did. He understood Denki’s anger and frustration. An Adrian valued strength more than most, especially in their mates, and for the mate of the future king to be weak and submissive was unacceptable. Not to mention the blond was an omega himself, so his hatred for Tulian customs was even more understandable. Still, Eijirou had been furious when hearing Denki insult his future mate.

“You should never speak ill of your queen,” the alpha said at last. He did believe this at least, but they all knew this was not why he really snapped like that. “Even if he is not yet your queen, he will be.”

“I never had reason to before this,” Denki responded. “Your mother was the perfect queen, Eijirou.” Denki’s eyes softened when Eijirou’s shoulders drooped. Even after all these years, thoughts of his mother still saddened the prince. “I only wish for your reign to be accompanied by a mate as wonderful as your mother was for the king.”

Mina cupped the prince’s face in her tan hands. She stood on the tips of her toes and tenderly kissed his forehead, her pink hair tickling his nose. “Oh, Ei, you know we only want what’s best.”

The redhead frowned. “So do I.”

Mina shook her head. “For the kingdom, yes. But you never think of yourself when it comes to your people. For us, you will always come first.”

Eijirou suddenly felt like crying. It would not be the first time the alpha cried, especially in front of his friends. He did not deem showing his emotions as a sign of weakness, but he did not want his friends to know just how much this whole situation was affecting him. He knew they knew either way, but there was no need to show them. Eijirou silently thanked the heavens when the carriage finally pulled to a stop in front of them. Mina pulled away and waved at the driver who blushed and waved back, but Denki never moved his gaze from the prince.

“Six days, Eijirou,” he said. “In six days a Tulian omega will be announced as the next queen of Adria. I hope you and the king are prepared for an uproar.” Eijirou had nothing to say in response to that.

“Are you guys ready to go?” Ojiro Mashirao, knight and beta, said as he walked up to the three after exiting the carriage. He was to be the third person being sent to escort Prince Bakugou. “We have a long journey ahead of us.”

Eijirou managed to smile at him. “It’s only three days. We’ve travelled longer in battle, and on foot no less.”

Ojiro shrugged, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “You try travelling alone in a carriage with both Denki and Mina.”

Said two rounded on the beta in mock outrage. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” they chorused.

“Oh, nothing,” Ojiro laughed. “Seriously, though, are we okay to head out now? Did you need anything, Eijirou-sama?”

When Denki and Mina both opened their mouths to say something, Eijirou quickly nudged them towards the carriage. “Nothing at all, Ojiro-san. You can get going. I wouldn’t want to delay you all any longer.” When Denki and Mina both narrowed their eyes at him, Eijirou turned around and began walking back to the entrance of the castle. “You all make it back in one piece or I’ll have your heads.”

“I hate when his cowardly side makes its rare appearances,” Denki murmured. Mina agreed while Ojiro just looked between the three of them in confusion.

A day into their travel, Denki suddenly asked, “Hey, Mashirao, what do you think of Ei marrying the Tulian prince?”

Ojiro took a deep breath, looked out the window at the passing scenery, and said with certainty, “He’ll bring nothing but trouble.”

Two days later, Katsuki sat in his room waiting for the carriage that would come to take him away from the home he had known his entire life. His last day in Tulia had finally arrived, and because of his selfishness, it was Izuku and Ochako’s last day as well. At least they would finally be released from the dungeons.

Katsuki touched the necklace adorned around his neck as he looked at himself in the mirror. He glanced balefully at the ceremonial clothing hanging over the glass. It was an ankle-length, white dress with a turtleneck, long sleeves, and open back. There was a pair of silk white gloves to match lying on the seat in front of the mirror and pair of white heels on the floor. The gown was beautiful, and he wanted nothing more than to toss the garments and necklace into his fireplace.

For now, he was still the Tulian prince, but before long he would be made up to be presented to his alpha-to-be. Katsuki would cry, but he had already shed all of his tears the first night he had been confined to his room. The blond usually never allowed himself to show weakness—he did not need more evidence to know his gender made him weak—but that night he had given up all hope. His fate had been decided long ago but it suddenly all became so real for him. Katsuki tried to rationalize that this marriage would help protect his people from Villiass, but the pain of meaning so little to his kingdom hurt more than he cared to admit.

A knock on his door dragged Katsuki’s attention away from his musings. “Prince Bakugou, Aoyama Yuuga requests entry,” one of the two everchanging guards outside his door said.

Katsuki’s brow furrowed in confusion. Who the hell is Aoyama Yuuga?

A heavily accented voice answered that question for him. “Prince Bakugou, it is I, your beloved servant,” Aoyama called through the door, as if he knew the prince had no idea who he was. Considering he spent much time with the prince, he probably rightfully guessed he didn’t.

“Oh, is that his name?” Katsuki said to himself before granting the other entrance. Aoyama sauntered into the room with a bag, likely filled with makeup tools meant to make him “beautiful” for the Adrian prince.

“Bonjour ma belle ami,” Aoyama greeted. Katsuki could already feel a headache forming. Sometimes Katsuki wondered if hiring the strange omega to be his personal servant was just another way for his mother to torment him. While the blond was good at what he did, he was a pain in the ass for the prince to deal with. Katsuki had no idea where the other omega was from since he had never cared to know. He was just a servant after all. Still, Katsuki wished he would stop speaking to him in whatever that weird language was.

Katsuki stood and moved to sit at his vanity. He rarely ever used it since he hated wearing makeup, but on days like today it served its purpose. “Try again, but this time in a language I actually understand.” The prince felt more comfortable speaking like he normally does when only another omega was around. Besides, Aoyama never seemed to mind his personality despite how much like a “proper” omega he usually acted himself.

Aoyama giggled. “I was just saying good morning to my beautiful friend,” he said.

“We are not friends,” the prince was quick to say as Aoyama moved a stool next to his seat and sat down.

“Ah, it is true that you do not even recall my name,” Aoyama said, unoffended. “You do not deny being beautiful,” he pointed out as Katsuki turned in his chair to put them face to face. The servant rummaged through his bag for a moment before pulling out a black pencil.

“Well, I do not make it habit to lie,” Katsuki said. He closed his eyes and Aoyama began outlining his eyes with the pencil. The gloved hand cupping his chin felt strange yet familiar on his skin. The gloves were not expensive or beautifully made like Katsuki’s own pairs. They were thick, soft, and fairly cheap as to be affordable for servants who were required to wear them so they would not touch royal skin directly. A Tulian servant was never seen without gloves like these. “If you poke me in the eye with that pencil I will have you hanged.”

“You say that every time, mon prince,” Aoyama chuckled. “Luckily for me, I have steadier hands than even the most talented of painters.” Katsuki would have rolled his eyes had there not been a pencil directly next to his left one. “Are you nervous about meeting your future husband?”

“No,” Katsuki snapped instantly, instinctively. “Be silent.”

Aoyama removed the pencil from the prince’s face and replaced it in his bag. He then pulled out a powder that was used to color the cheeks. Tulian women and omegas enjoyed adding color to their usually deathly pale faces as they thought it made them seem more beautiful. Katsuki was not one of those people. As Aoyama spread the powder over his cheekbones and under his eyes to best accentuate his features, Katsuki thought more about what the other omega had asked.

Truthfully, he was anxious to meet Prince Kirishima. Firstly, all Katsuki knew of Adrians were their savage and violent ways. They lived and breathed violence. Education and art were unimportant in comparison. Katsuki could not imagine an alpha of a kingdom like that being anything other than cruel and vicious. Secondly, if that same alpha was unsatisfied with Katsuki he could easily and understandably call off the marriage. His people’s safety depended on how he behaved for the alpha prince. No alpha would want Katsuki as he was now, that much was certain. He knew he had to become a proper omega.

As he was putting away the powder and brush, Aoyama took notice of the prince’s inner turmoil. He could easily guess what had him so lost in thought. He waited until he started painting the prince’s lips to speak up.

“My family moved to Tulia when I was eight, and I presented shortly after I turned ten,” he started conversationally. Katsuki’s brow furrowed in confusion, no doubt wondering why the other blond felt the need to share that random tidbit of information. “Do not worry, mi ami, there is a point to this. Anyway, as I was saying, I presented when I was ten. Pretty early, as most present between the ages of twelve and fourteen.”

Katsuki actually knew nothing about presentation age, even though he presented at twelve years old himself. He had never had anyone to teach him about his own biology since no one believed an education was important for an omega to have, and the books in the library were very limited with knowledge about omegas as well. It was not necessary to know about an omega to control them.

“I had seen the ways omegas were treated, but until presenting myself, it had never truly struck me how unfortunate an omega’s life was destined to be," the servant continued. "You might not know this, but many lower-class omegas are given to alphas shortly after presenting. My parents were two very poor betas with little option than to sell me to an alpha noble in search for a plaything. He was twenty-six years old when we married.” By that point, Katsuki’s eyes were wide with shock.

Aoyama carefully wiped away some excess lip paint with a wet cloth before carefully painting the prince's bottom lip. “The first time he took me, I cried and bled. Despite popular belief, our bodies are not built to be taken without preparation. I begged him to stop, but he refused. I can still remember what he said to me: ‘Get used to it now, bitch, because this is all you are ever going to be used for.’ Pardon my French. He was true to his word, and I did eventually get used to it. But when he was not around, I would have anything I could ever want. For the first time in my life, I always had a full belly. I felt as if I had been dealt a great hand in life.

“When he died, I was fourteen and pregnant with his child. When I tried to return home, my parents would not accept me. They did not want to help raise a child, and since I was an omega I could not own property and was forced live on the streets. Few people were willing to hire an omega, so finding work was difficult. I am not proud of this, but I used my body to make money. This probably disgusts you, but at the time there seemed to be no other choice. And I knew what to do to please an alpha. Many alphas even told me they enjoyed bedding another alpha’s omega. They would imagine it was their own child I was carrying, yet they still handled me so roughly.

“One night, after using my body for his own pleasure, one of them beat me within an inch of my life. I lost my child as a result. Do you know how losing a child can ruin an omega? Yet, a small part of me was grateful. ‘Maybe my family would take me back now,’ I thought. But when I returned home again, battered and broken, they turned me away after smelling the scent of many alphas on me. I could not wash off their scents after what they did to me. I was nothing more than an omega whore who gave myself to alphas that were not my own. I was alone again, and I did not even have the comfort of my unborn child anymore. Alphas had taken everything away from me.”

Aoyama finally pulled away, appraising his handywork. “Are you attempting to scare me?” the prince asked, his voice shaking slightly. Aoyama pretended not to notice. Katsuki’s lips were a fiery crimson to match his eyes and contrasted wildly against his skin. There was now a soft pink color to his cheeks and a black lining around his eyes. Though the prince was always quite striking, the makeup would surely be appreciated by the Adrian prince. Of that Aoyama was sure.

“Non,” he said. “Simply trying to warn you of the cruelty of alphas. We omegas are only seen as objects for them to use and toss away whenever it pleases them. The king and queen have kept you very sheltered after your presentation, so you have yet to really come into contact with an alpha besides your own mother. I do not wish for you to be taken by surprise when your alpha is cold or cruel towards you. Since it will also be your first time laying with another—”

Katsuki stood abruptly, his expression furious. His red lips were pulled back in a sneer. “I do not need your concern, peasant. Your pathetic life is your own; do not assume to know my fate.”

Aoyama lowered his eyes before standing and bowing. “My deepest apologies, Your Highness. I meant no offense.” The prince said nothing, simply watching in frustrated silence as the omega grabbed his bag and turned to exit the room. Aoyama stopped just before reaching the doors. “If I may say so, I think you look very beautiful, mon prince. Your alpha will be very pleased.”

“Leave now, omega, or I will have you hanged for your insolence!” Katsuki shouted, his breathing picking up until he was nearly hyperventilating.

Aoyama simply bowed again and left the room. He did not need to tell the prince that he had not had the power to do that for a long time. Katsuki already knew.

Silently, Ojiro cursed the king for forcing him to be alone with possibly the two most mentally exhausting knights in the Royal Guard. He figured he had been tasked with this due to his calm demeanor, in a way of counteracting Mina and Denki’s own hyperactivity.

Ever since they had entered Tulian territory a little over a day ago, the two had been marveling—very loudly and obnoxiously—at the surrounding scenery. In all fairness, Tulia was a beautiful kingdom with lush landscapes and beautiful buildings—if you excluded the run down outskirts of the kingdom where the lower class lived. It was much colder than any of them were used to, but he imagined it was a sight to see in the winter. The beta wondered what snow looked like spread across the land.

Still, Ojiro wished they would stop acting like a couple of excitable children.

“We’ll be arriving at the castle soon. Maybe sit down and act presentable?” Ojiro spoke up over the sound of Mina commenting on every passerby she saw, wondering aloud about how they moved so easily in their restrictive clothing.

Denki rolled his eyes. Ojiro thought he had been doing that a lot more often recently. “What do we need to impress Tulians for? Our only reason for coming here is to bring the omega back with us.”

“’The omega’?” Ojiro parroted. “Denki, don’t be like that. You’re an omega too.”

“I’m nothing like him, though,” Denki said.

Ojiro leant forward, putting a comforting hand on the omega’s thigh. “We’re all worried about Prince Bakugou becoming Eijirou-sama’s mate, but you’re usually not so pessimistic about things.”

“Hey now, Ojiro-san, watch where your hands are going,” Mina said, her eyes zeroed in on his hand currently resting on the blond’s thigh. “I’ll tell Hanta if you try to make a move on our cute little Denki.”

Ojiro quickly snatched his hand away as if burned. “I wasn’t! I wouldn’t! I would never make a move on someone else’s mate, Ashido-san!”

Denki smirked teasingly at the beta male. “Oh? Could you be missing our time together as lovers, Ma-shi-ra-o?”

Ojiro blushed at hearing his given name said from the blond’s lips so sensually. “I mean…”

Mina pointed an accusing finger at the other beta. “Too bad! Denki’s been with an alpha so long, he wouldn’t be able to cum now unless it’s on a knot.”

“Ashido-san, don’t be so vulgar!” Ojiro cried, his face completely red now.

“That may be true,” Denki mused, barely holding back laughter. Now that Ojiro was no longer looking at her, Mina allowed herself to smile wickedly as well. “But we could always test it out if you ever want to have a threesome, Mashirao.”

The beta covered his face with his hand. “You two are too much for me,” he mumbled. “I should have known you would start teasing me at some point.”

“Oh, we were just trying to get you to relax, sweetie,” Mina said, chuckling when the man just glared at her. “You’ve been tense since we entered Tulia.”

Denki glanced out the window then. “And right on time. We’ve arrived at the castle.”

“Great,” Ojiro said sarcastically, his face still slightly red. “I’ll stay in the carriage. Don’t do anything stupid and get yourselves arrested on foreign land.”

“No promises,” Denki and Mina chorused before exiting the carriage when it pulled to a stop.

The first thing Denki took note of upon looking at the castle was that it looked nothing like a castle. It was grand and decorated, as if the focus had been on design and luxury rather than fortitude. He supposed that should have been expected of Tulian royalty.

The guards outside the palace swarmed the two Adrians instantly, two of them moving to the carriage to look inside. “Halt!” one ordered. “State your business, outsiders.”

Denki pulled out the royal statement detailing their assignment and signed by the king. “We were sent by King Kiri—”

“Silence, omega!” another guard snapped. Denki scowled. “How dare you speak so freely in the presence of an alpha?”

“Listen, asshole! I’m not a Tulian, so you have no right to—” Denki cut himself off when the other guards all pointed their spears at him. The Adrian nearly grabbed for his own weapon, prepared to cut them all down effortlessly, but Mina’s voice stopped him. A crowd was starting to form, and word of an Adrian knight killing a Tulian royal guard would not bode well for their pending alliance.

“You will have to excuse my companion. We are foreign, as you can see, so he does not understand your customs.” The guards seemed to relax slightly at being able to speak to a beta rather than an omega. Denki gritted his teeth. He would kill every single one of these alpha assholes if it wouldn’t likely start a war. Not that they wouldn’t easily win. “My name is Ashido Mina, and my companions are Kaminari Denki and Ojiro Mashirao, who remained in the carriage. We were sent by King Kirishima of Adria to escort Prince Bakugou.”

One guard rudely snatched the statement from Denki’s hands before looking it over. They whispered to each other before turning back to the pair. The alphas lowered their weapons but did not remove their eyes from Denki. “Beta woman, you will remain here. The omega will be brought out to you.” Mina raised an eyebrow, baffled that royal guards would address their crowned prince simply as “the omega.” “The omega with you will return to the carriage. We do not tolerate disobedient omegas, outsiders or not.”

“I understand,” Mina said pleasantly as Denki turned and stomped back to the vehicle, mumbling vulgarities under his breath as he went. He glared at one of the guards standing next to the carriage before getting back inside.

“At least you didn’t get arrested,” Ojiro said, warily eyeing the guards. “I suppose it was our error for not taking their…conservative views into consideration.”

“I’m going to kill every single one of them,” Denki hissed angrily.

The guard he glared at huffed in amusement, overhearing his bitter words. “You can very well try, omega.”

The omega had never been more tempted to try something in his life.

Mitsuki marched down the corridor with guards trailing at her heels and a smirk on her face. Finally, her son would be of use to her after all these years of disappointment.

When the queen reached her son’s chambers, she nodded to the two guards outside the door. One banged on the door, telling the prince to come out. A moment later, Katsuki emerged fully dressed in his ceremonial gown—typically worn during pre-bonding ceremonies but now would serve to please the alpha prince—and his makeup done impeccably. Mitsuki looked the boy over, seemingly satisfied with his appearance. She noticed the necklace around his neck but thought nothing of it. It did not look very well made in her opinion.

“Very good, Katsuki. You look exquisite.”

“Thank you, alpha.”

“Lift your head for me,” Mitsuki ordered. Katsuki immediately did so, carefully keeping his eyes lowered as to not make eye contact. “Lovely. That omega is actually usual for something other than spreading his legs.” Katsuki knew she was talking about Aoyama and felt an irrational urge to defend the other omega, even though he had been cruel to the other just earlier that day. “Hopefully, you will be useful for that too. You need to keep the alpha prince satisfied if this alliance is to remain intact. That means you will let him do anything he wants to you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, alpha.”

Mitsuki kissed her son’s cheek in the first maternal expression of affection she had shown in years before whispering directly into his ear. “If you ruin this, the moment you return here, I will have you locked in your room for the rest of your pathetic existence.” The queen then pulled back and looked down at her son expressionlessly.

Katsuki closed his eyes and exhaled roughly. “Yes, alpha.”

The blond woman clapped her hands together loudly. “You have turned into such a good boy, Katsuki. The perfect omega: beautiful, obedient, and silent. For the first time in a long time, I am actually proud of you.”

“Thank you, alpha.”

“Are you ready to go, Katsuki?” Katsuki did not fail to notice how his mother now continuously called him by name, as if he were now worth acknowledging as a human being—even if only a little. “Your escorts are waiting for you.”

Katsuki was not ready. He knew he never would be. “Yes, alpha.” He followed his mother down the corridor, her head held high and his down low.

When the palace doors opened to reveal the queen and prince, the first thought to cross Mina’s mind was, “Holy shit, he’s beautiful.” The second was that he looked strikingly similar to his mother, who had a strange sort of smile on her face as she watched her son the descend the many palace stairs.

When Prince Bakugou was close enough to hear, Mina greeted him. “It is an honor to meet you at last, Prince Bakugou. My name is Ashido Mina. Myself and my two companions will be escorting you to Adria,” she said, bowing slightly.

“I will be in your care, Ashido-san,” the prince said, his voice so quiet Mina almost did not hear him.

Mina held back a sigh. So far, the omega was just how she expected him to be. Still, she had a duty to her kingdom. The beta led the prince over to the carriage and opened the door for him. She moved to help him up into the vehicle, but he flinched away violently.

“Do not touch me,” he hissed quietly. His eyes then widened in what looked like fear. He lowered his eyes and forced his body to relax. “I apologize, Ashido-san. It is simply that we Tulians are not comfortable with casual touches.”

“Oh,” Mina hummed. For a second, it had seemed as if the prince had a fire to him. “Well, then, I should be the one apologizing. I had no idea.”

“It is alright,” the prince said, his voice quiet again. He stepped fully into the carriage, taking a seat across from where Denki and Ojiro were sitting, watching him intently. Just as Mina was about to enter the carriage as well, the blond turned back to her and said, “Two more will be joining me on our travels.”

Mina frowned. “We were not informed of this beforehand.”

“Who are these two others, Prince Bakugou?” Ojiro asked.

“A beta and an omega, Uraraka Ochako and Midoriya Izuku. They are close friends of mine.”

Denki muttered under his breath, not as quiet as he should have been. “Great, more Tulians.”

“Denki,” Ojiro hissed in warning. He looked to the prince apologetically. “I’m sorry about him. My name is Ojiro Mashirao, and this is Kaminari Denki. We are all knights in the Royal Guard and will be escorting you, Your Highness.”

“I will be in your care,” Katsuki replied as expected, looking between the two before stopping on Denki. “You…are an omega?”

“Yes,” Denki said shortly. Katsuki did not fail to notice how little the other omega seemed to care for him. He could not fault the other; he would have hated himself were their roles reversed. Despite Katsuki’s mental image of Adria, he had not expected their omegas to be so different from Tulian omegas. Surely, the beta man had misspoke when he said the omega was a knight in the Royal Guard.

Before Katsuki could question further on the matter, the doors to the palace flew open once again. This time, a young man and woman were being shoved forward by guards with the blunt ends of their spears. The boy fumbled on the steps, nearly falling forward and down the long flight of stairs before he righted himself. Tear tracks leading from his puffy green eyes were clear on his face to any and all around. Though the two were a distance away, Katsuki could clearly read the despair on both of their faces.

The crowd had not dissipated after Katsuki’s handing off, so many commoners and nobles alike were watching the scene with wide, curious eyes. No one would fail to recognize the beta knight Uraraka Ochako nor the omega nobleman Midoriya Izuku. Although neither were particularly liked within the capital, they were well-known nonetheless. Their sudden disappearance uneased many, seeing as the two were known to be close companions of the prince. Only after their families were assured they were safe within the castle and would be released on the day of the prince's exit from the kingdom, was everyone put at ease once again. Still, the reasons the two were gone were never revealed by the king or queen, leaving many curious and wondering. More than anyone, their families wanted answers.

From the dense crowd, a woman with green hair who greatly resembled her son, called out. Her voice was just barely heard over the noise. “Izuku!”

Said boy’s head shot up at the sound of his mother’s voice, frantically searching for her. His eyes found hers just as she managed to push her way through the throng of people. “Mom!” he cried back, but he was prevented from getting any closer to her by a guard pointing his spear to his chest. His mother was in a similar position, guards surrounding the perimeter of the crowd to prevent any stragglers.

Midoriya Inko turned on the guards. “Why will you not let me see my son? Has he not been kept from me long enough?”

The guard roughly shoved her back with his spear, the alpha’s face scowling down at her. “Be silent. You are just as unsightly as your son, omega. Speak out of turn again, and I will strike you down where you stand.”

Back in the carriage, Ojiro turned to the prince as Denki and Mina watched on in disbelief. “What’s happening?”

“Is this how the royal family treats its people?” Denki accused, sorely tempted to put a stop to this spectacle.

Katsuki fisted his hands on his lap, fighting against the automatic urge to defend his people. He had no words to right their wrongs, and in their eyes, he was no longer a Tulian anyhow. “They are being punished with exile. Normally, we Tulians detest any form of violence or aggression.” Most Tulians at least. Katsuki loved fighting, even though he had not in a long time. “Surely your people are more than accustomed to violence.”

Ojiro raised an eyebrow. “Well, yes. But not violence just for violence's sake.”

Katsuki was confused by the knight’s response. Adrians were brutes and savages, were they not? The almost proper way these three were acting, if not for their less than eloquent way of speaking, was surely an act to make Katsuki drop his guard. Even sending this other omega was a ploy to make him think he was safe with them.

“I don’t think it would be wise to bring along criminals,” Denki said. While the two outside seemed anything but criminal, one could never be too cautious. The last thing he wanted was for he or the others to be endangered.

His words were obviously upsetting for the prince to hear who frantically shook his head. “They may have broken the laws of our land, but they are not criminals! I swear that to you! They do not deserve such a label!”

“Then why don’t you stop your guards?” Denki questioned doubtfully.

Katsuki lowered his head, looking down at his gloved hands. “It is my fault, yet I am powerless to stop it.”

Back outside, the queen watched impassively as the two deemed traitors were taken away. Though no one seemed saddened to watch her son be taken away, those who knew Izuku and Ochako were understandably torn on how to treat the situation. So, Mitsuki took it upon herself to enlighten her people, revealing the misdeeds which had led to their exiles. No one needed to hear anything further after that. Ochako had spotted her own parents in the crowd, but the two betas ignored her calls as if they could not hear. She visibly deflated, all fight seeming to leave her body. Izuku was still fruitlessly calling out to his mother, both crying openly. Omegas were far too emotional. It is no wonder they were unfit to rule.

As if to further prove her point of omegas being overly-emotional, Mitsuki watched as her old friend foolishly charged forward. Inko was able to catch the guard by surprise just long enough to push past him, but whatever she had in mind was quickly thwarted when another guard pierced her stomach with his spear. The omega fell limply to the ground as the alpha retracted his weapon, the blade coated in the woman’s blood.

“Fucking omegas,” the knight spat, looking down at her body in disgust.

Izuku watched in abject horror as his mother lay unmoving on the ground. The scream that tore from his throat echoed throughout the surrounding area. His anguish was nearly palpable, all Tulians taken aback by the brutal scene. Someone ran off, yelling about finding a doctor. Izuku tried to rush over to his mother’s body, but the same guard swung his spear at his head, sending the omega teen crumpling to the ground in a miserable heap. Blood poured for his head wound, obscuring his boyish face and vision. His wide green eyes stared unseeingly at the stone street beneath him as he blinked blood out of his eye.

Almost mirroring his childhood friend, Katsuki sat with his hands clutched over his mouth. He was scarcely able to hold back his tears through shear will, still innately afraid to show weakness in front of anyone. The blond did not notice that the Adrians themselves were horrified by the scene as well. Mina, who had up until this point been watching everything unfold from outside the carriage, finally found herself fed up. She would not allow people to suffer before her very eyes and do nothing to stop it. It mattered not that she was on foreign soil and was but a stranger looking in. She knew this was wrong.

Ochako quickly moved between Izuku and the guard who was slowly approaching the omega again, undoubtedly so he could continue to beat him. Ochako glanced over to where the queen stood, simply watching. Tulians were not a violent people, so why was she allowing this to happen? Could this really just be further torment for them, for Katsuki?

The alpha sneered at her. It was unlikely that he was at all threatened by her pathetic appearance. “Uraraka Ochako,” he began, his voice somehow colder than his gaze. “Everyone had such high hopes for you, being one of the few betas worthy of knighthood. What a disappointment you turned out to be.” He raised his spear and pointed it at her throat. The beta wished she had been allowed to keep any of her weapons. “Move aside, or I will pierce you along with the omega.”

“You will have to kill me before I allow you to harm Izuku-kun again,” she declared, her eyes fierce.

The other knight scoffed. “Foolish woman. To think you would throw your life away for an omega. I hope the sex was worth it.”

Ochako and Izuku both froze at the insinuation. “That is not—” But the man gave her no time to finish, rearing his weapon back and preparing to go through with his previous threat. Ochako remained where she was, shutting her eyes tight and accepting her fate. Silently, she sent a prayer to the gods, begging them to keep Katsuki safe as she no longer would be able to.

When after a few moments passed and no pain came, Ochako reopened her eyes. What she saw left her dumbstruck. A woman with tan skin and pink hair—obviously a foreigner and likely one of the Adrians sent to escort them to Adria—had stopped the spear mere centimeters for the beta’s throat with a single hand. The muscles in her arm flexed as she ripped the weapon from the shell-shocked guard’s grasp. He stumbled back just as the surrounding Tulian knights overcame their own shock and readied their weapons. However, instead of pointing the weapon at the alpha like everyone expected, Mina simply threw it to the ground. She then stomped on it, easily breaking it in two under the weight of her foot.

Had she not been nearly scentless—as was typical for betas and unheard of for alphas and omegas—Ochako would have thought she was an alpha due to the way she intimidated all of the alphas surrounding them. But no, like Ochako, she was a mere beta who was likely around her age. Ochako was in awe.

“Are these two not the trusted friends of your prince?” It was a simple question, but the amount of rage behind her words made it seem like a threat. “How dare you treat them like this?!”

One of the braver guards took a step forward, but not by much. “Hold your tongue, Adrian! You know nothing of what you speak! These two have betrayed their people—”

“Why? Because the omega dared to open a book and the beta devoted her life to protecting them?!” Mina could not believe these people. “You alphas believe yourselves to be so much better than everyone else, but all I can see when I look at you is shit!” Whether it was her vulgarity or simply her audacity that had them recoiling, Mina could not care less. She quickly glanced to where Queen Bakugou had been standing, only to see she was much closer than before.

“You are quite outspoken for an outsider,” the queen mused. She wasn’t outwardly upset, but Mina could tell from her body language that she was enraged.

Mina, never one to back down even in the face of royalty, responded with, “I will never not speak my mind, Queen Bakugou.”

“I can see that,” the queen agreed. She signaled for her guards to lower their weapons, which they did after a moment’s hesitation. She smiled, not the least bit kindly. “Here I was thinking that you were quite well-spoken for a barbarian, only for you to go and use such a foul word before royalty. Are you people incapable of behaving unlike savages?”

Mina grit her teeth, refusing to rise to the bait. “Is insulting a knight of the kingdom you are to be allied with really in your best interest?”

For whatever reason, that startled a laugh out of Mitsuki. She looked down her nose at the beta. “The only concern I have is how well that omega can spread his legs and please your prince,” she said, gesturing to the carriage where Katsuki sat watching, listening. Mina was completely horrified. Is that all she thought of her son? “You are the least of my concerns, little girl.”

“What kind of mother are you? You’re—”

“Do not antagonize her,” Ochako whispered up at her, shaking her head warningly. “Please.”

Mitsuki pretended not to hear. “You may take them now, sir knight," she said sarcastically, clearly thinking nothing of Mina's status. "Do take care of them for me. I will miss them dearly.”

Bullshit, Mina thought scathingly. Aloud, she said, “Of course, Your Majesty.” With that, Mina motioned for the beta and omega to go to the carriage, being careful not to touch them at all. Although she did not agree with much else in Tulian culture—and honestly the whole no touching practice seemed strange to her—she could respect at least this simple rule.

Ochako hesitated but stood, making sure she blocked Izuku from the queen’s view as she did so. She watched, wishing she could reach out, as Izuku struggled to his feet. He stumbled a bit due to his lightheadedness from the blood loss but made it to the carriage and climbed inside. Ochako was close behind. She nodded to Denki and Ojiro in greeting, taking a place on the prince’s left side so Izuku would not have to move far. Katsuki worriedly looked over his childhood friend.

“It’s a headwound so it’s bleeding a lot, but I think your friend will be fine, Prince Bakugou,” Ojiro said kindly, managing a small smile. Both omegas seemed to calm slightly at the beta’s words, even though truthfully, they had no reason to take his word for it. Ochako, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes distrustfully at the two Adrian males. The beta woman seemed trustworthy enough after helping her and Izuku earlier, but she still knew nothing about any of them. They would be confined in this carriage for the next three days with strangers from a land known for their violent tendencies.

Mina seemed to sense the brunette’s reservations. “We will not harm you three in any way,” she promised, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a handkerchief before handing it to the bleeding omega. Izuku gratefully took it and held it to his wound, gifting the beta with a weak but thankful smile.

Ochako watched Mina’s every movement, an unspoken threat in her steady gaze. “I will not let you.”

Chapter Text

For the next day and a half, the journey was spent in near silence save for the quiet whispers between Ochako, Izuku, and Katsuki. Denki and Mina tried to strike up conversations every now and again, but the Tulians were unresponsive to it. The omegas were especially hesitant to speak, only ever reacting to Denki. Ojiro could not really say he was shocked by this. It made sense after what they witnessed that the two would only be willing to put any trust in another omega, no matter how slight.

The prince’s personal guard, as she had introduced herself the day before, kept her eyes trained firmly on the three Adrians. She only ever removed her gaze when her prince addressed her, and only ever for a moment. Denki wondered if she even slept through the night.

Everyone seemed to snap to attention when the carriage unexpectedly pulled to a stop. Ochako turned an accusing glare on the Adrians. “Why have we stopped?” she demanded.

Denki glared right back at her. “As if we know! We’re just as confused as you.”

“There is an injured person out there!” Izuku exclaimed, looking out the carriage window. There were two people outside; a blonde woman curled up in a ball on the ground with a blond man crouched down next to her. Izuku went to open the door and exit the carriage, but Denki and Ochako both held out an arm to stop him.

“Stay in the carriage. We don’t know if this is a set-up or not.”

“No, Izuku-kun! You will be safer in here!”

Izuku groaned in frustration. “We have to help her. We cannot just leave her out there!”

The Adrians all shared a glance before Denki opened the door. “I will check on them. If they try anything funny, make sure you two prioritize their safety over anything else,” he said, nodding towards the Tulians. Ojiro and Mina nodded in affirmation.

“You are going alone?” Ochako asked in disbelief. “Would it not be better if Ojiro-san or Ashido-san went?”

Denki narrowed his eyes, baring his teeth in a show of aggression not commonly seen in omegas of any heritage. “I can handle myself just fine, thank you.”

The omega stepped out of the vehicle, drawing the attention of the two travelers. The man had stitches running from his hairline down to his brow, his face twisted into a grimace. The woman—or girl rather, now that Denki had gotten a better look—was holding her stomach and watching the omega approach with tears in her eyes. Though she was crying, her gaze was intense and unwavering.

“What’s wrong with her?” Denki asked the man, careful not to get too close to the strangers. Something about the young girl really unsettled him.

“Please, help,” the man, a beta, pleaded. “We don’t need help! She’s fallen ill and I don’t know where the nearest town is. She can’t walk any further and we’ve run out of food. We’re perfectly fine! Is there room in your carriage for us?”

Denki frowned. The man’s concern seemed genuine enough, but something still seemed off about the pair. Well, aside from the fact that he kept contradicting himself as if someone else was speaking for him. “There isn’t, I’m sorry. All I can do is point you in the right direction.”

“What is the nearest kingdom?”

“Adria,” Denki answered. “It would normally take three days on foot from here, but perhaps longer with your injured companion.”

“Is that where you are heading?” the man asked. “I know you’re going there.”

Denki’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business, stranger.” The man’s eyes widened before he nodded in understanding.

“That’s a big, fancy carriage you have,” the girl said, her voice sickly sweet. It sent chills down the omega’s spine. “What’s a pretty omega like you doing with a carriage like that? Are you royalty?”

“Do I look like royalty to you?” he asked, holding out his arms. The sword on his hip was clearly visible and the man swallowed nervously at the sight of it.

“Well, you’re definitely not some commoner,” she replied.

“And you’re definitely not ill,” Denki rebutted. The girl giggled, found out, and jumped to her feet. Denki placed a hand on his weapon. “Who are you?”

The man held out his hands in surrender. “We really are just travelers! Honestly! When we saw your carriage approaching, we convinced the driver to stop by feigning an illness! I really thought she was dying! We’re no one suspicious!” Denki highly doubted that.

“If you’re not royalty, then are the people you’re travelling with?” the girl asked, not the least bit bothered. She started inching closer to the carriage, trying to get a look inside the windows but Denki drew his sword, stopping her in her tracks. The girl pouted, the fact that a sword was being pointed at her not scaring her in the slightest.

“Not another step,” he warned.

“I just wanted to see him,” she mumbled petulantly. Denki almost didn’t hear her, and he could feel fear course through his body.

“What?”

A creepy grin spread across the girl’s face. “You’ll bring him out to play, won’t you?”

“And just who are you referring to?”

“Oh, you know who I’m talking about!” she giggled, putting her hands on her pink cheeks. “That adorable omega!”

“Eh? Why are you blushing?” the man asked his companion. “It’s because of me, right?”

The girl put her arms around herself, staring dreamily into the darkening sky. “Because omegas are the best! They’re so cute! I wanna meet him! Let me meet him!”

Denki fought hard to not react, feigning confusion at the girl’s words. “I’m not quite sure who you’re thinking of, but I’m the only omega in my group.”

She frowned. “Eh? Really?”

“Really,” Denki lied.

“We are so sorry to have caused you trouble! Thanks for wasting our time! We’ll be on our way now! Give us your damn carriage!,” the man said, leaving Denki beyond confused. The man grabbed the girl by the hand and began tugging her away. The two started back up north and in the direction the carriage had come from. Denki realized a moment too late that they would be able to see clearly into the vehicle if they so much as glanced in its direction. And the two did just that, their eyes widening at what they saw inside.

“You said you were the only omega in your group,” the girl, her voice dangerous. Denki forced himself to remain calm, slowly approaching the duo. He had his own set of questions about them, but it they tried to attack Prince Bakugou he would not hesitate to end them. He could always figure out who they were some other way. Denki opened his mouth to feed them some lie and hopefully draw their attention away when the girl turned to him with that chilling smile of hers. “I guess you were telling the truth.”

Denki’s own eyes widened at her words, glancing subtly into the carriage himself. Only three betas stared back at him. Ochako was glaring at the girl. There was so much contempt in her eyes Denki was amazed that the strange duo wasn’t cowering in fear. The blond wondered why she was glaring at her anyway. There was no way she could have heard their conversation from inside the vehicle. Did Ochako know the girl from somewhere?

“Bye-bye, pretty omega!” the blonde waved as she was pulled along. “You should get that girl to a doctor. She’s deathly pale.” Denki’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. Were those the words of a concerned stranger, or an indication that she knew more than she appeared?

The man looked down at the girl, his eyes filled with affection. “Oh, you’re so kind, Toga-chan. Caring about a stranger like that. Who cares about that bitch?”

’Toga-chan’? Is that her name, Denki wondered. Also, what the hell is this guy’s deal? The omega watched as the two faded from his sight into the distance. He exhaled heavily, glancing behind him to check on the driver. He appeared fine if not slightly shaken, having been watching the whole scene with widened eyes.

The carriage door suddenly swung open, Ochako poking her head out worriedly. “Denki-san, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he answered, sheathing his sword and climbing into the carriage. He looked down to see the two “missing” omegas crouched as low to the floor as they could get. “You two can relax now,” he said, just as the vehicle started moving again. “Good thinking by the way. Who knows what would have happened had that girl spotted you two.”

“I recognized her,” Ochako said. The omega guessed that meant she had been the one to tell the two to hide. “Her face was posted all over the capital.”

“A wanted criminal, huh,” he murmured. He couldn’t say that knowledge surprised him. “She didn’t exactly look Tulian though.”

Ochako frowned. “She is not. Her name is Toga Himiko.” Denki nodded. So ‘Toga’ was her name after all. Pretty careless of that man to say it. “She is from Villiass.”

“What?!” everyone in the carriage shouted.

“Then, she was after you, Katsuki-sama!” Izuku cried. His headwound had since been dressed, but he looked even more pained than when he was bleeding profusely.

Katsuki bit his lip, his eyes haunted. “Then, they somehow know about me leaving Tulia already. They will continue to come after me.”

“We will not let them, Your Highness,” Mina vowed. “While you are in our care, we will dedicate our lives to protecting you.” Katsuki did not seem to feel any better after hearing that.

“Me too!” Izuku exclaimed. “I refuse to let anything happen to you, Katsuki-sama!”

“No, Izuku! Someone has already…been lost because of me. You and Uraraka need to stay safe.” Izuku bit his lip at being reminded of his mother, even though Katsuki obviously tried to avoid directly mentioning her.

Ochako placed a hand over her heart, eyes determined. “Katsuki-sama, I have dedicated my entire being to you since I took up the sword. I would not hesitate, nor regret, laying down my life for you.”

“Then, I command you to save yourself if you ever find yourself in danger. Forget about me!”

“I refuse,” the knight replied instantly.

Katsuki gaped momentarily before collecting himself. “You cannot refuse! That is an order from your prince!”

“I refuse,” Ochako repeated, smiling slightly.

Katsuki turned to Izuku for assistance in talking some sense into their friend, but Izuku was smiling as well. “I refuse,” he mimicked cheekily.

Katsuki then looked over at the Adrians, growing properly annoyed when he saw them laughing. Denki noticed that he almost said something before his face fell and he sat back in silence. The knight sighed internally. Just when it seemed like the prince was going to show some personality for once.

Mina brushed away a stray tear, her amusement gradually fading. “It seems like you have some very loyal friends, Your Highness!”

“Yes,” he agreed, smiling softly to himself. Izuku and Ochako looked at him fondly, but there was a faint trace of remorse in their eyes. What use was their loyalty when they were unable to protect their prince up until this point?

The Adrians were just relieved that the mood had lightened and the danger had passed. For now, at least.

The rest of the trip passed in relative peace, but it was no longer as awkward and silent as before. Ochako and Denki did most of the talking still, and while Katsuki and Izuku were still fairly reserved, they actually contributed to the conversation here and there.

Before long, the carriage pulled to its final stop before the Adrian castle. The natives stepped out first, Ojiro holding the door open for the Tulians as they exited. Izuku gasped audibly at the sight of the formidable structure. Unlike the Tulian palace, the castle looked closer to a fortress than a home for royalty. Izuku had once read that the Adrian kingdom prided themselves on the security of their homes, and of course their impenetrable castle. Looking at the castle now, Izuku guessed their pride was justified.

The prince, similarly, was looking up at the castle. Where his friends’ eyes were filled with wonder and awe, Katsuki’s were filled with dread. Once he walked through those doors, there would be no turning back. Where his palace had been beautiful and masterfully decorated, the castle just radiated intimidation. Katsuki did not want to see the inside, let alone call this place his new home.

Denki was the first to approach the doors leading into the Adrian castle, happily greeting the knights standing casually around the entrance. Their gazes bore into the Tulians, faces unusually neutral. The omega pushed open the heavy grand doors himself, revealing an extravagant and unbelievably red entryway. Even more knights littered the area, conversing amongst themselves. At the sound of the doors opening, the mood went from relaxed to tense in the blink of an eye.

A rather large alpha with silver hair, ridiculously long eyebrows, and unnaturally sharp teeth addressed Ojiro as they passed. “These the Tulians?”

“Yeah,” the beta answered. “Take a wild guess on which one’s the prince.”

That much was obvious; anyone with half a brain could see from the blond’s expensive looking gown that hugged his lithe frame and showed not a slither of skin that he was royalty. The shark-toothed knight would not lie and say the omega was not beautiful, but surely he was uncomfortable wearing that long gown in the Adrian heat.

Another knight came forward, lowering into a deep bow before Ochako. “The people of Adria welcome you, Princess Bakugou,” the blond alpha loudly greeted, his voice carrying through the hall. “The name’s Toogata Mirio! I’m a knight in the Royal Guard. It’s great to meet you!” The other knights began chuckling and snickering to themselves as Denki, Mina, and Ojiro simultaneously facepalmed.

“It’s Prince Bakugou, Mirio-san! That’s his personal guard, Uraraka Ochako,” Denki snapped, elbowing the man in the side. “And back up! You’re too close!”

Mirio dutifully took a step back, rubbing the back of his neck and laughing unabashedly. “My bad!” The alpha then turned to Izuku, bowing deeply once again. “My apologies, Prince Bakugou!” Izuku began flailing his arms and babbling incoherently, not meeting the alpha’s eye. He wanted to correct the man, but correcting an alpha was still taboo, even in a situation like this.

Mina rolled her eyes. “That is Lord Midoriya Izuku! The prince is the one standing next to him, you idiot!”

“Oh, did I make a mistake again? Well, a noble is closer to royalty than a knight, yeah?” he laughed. He turned to whisper to Denki and Mina, but his voice was just a bit too loud. “He’s prettier than the other omega, though, no?” Mina and Denki both covered the alpha’s mouth as the Tulians’ eyes widened.

He finds me prettier than Kacchan? Izuku thought, blushing despite himself. An alpha had never complimented him before.

Ojiro turned to Katsuki. “I am so sorry about him, Your Highness. He’s one of our best warriors, but he’s an idiot when his mate isn’t around.”

Katsuki forced himself to smile. “It is quite alright, Ojiro-san. Sir Mirio was simply mistaken. I have taken no offense.” Despite his words, the omega felt his eye twitch slightly. Of course, Katsuki found Izuku cute—he was by far the cutest person he had ever seen—but prettier than Katsuki? Surely the alpha had been jesting. Not that Katsuki wanted to be called pretty by some brutish, idiotic alpha. In fact, he hated when people called him pretty or beautiful. It was simply the principle of the matter.

Ojiro sighed in relief, not quite sure the prince was being truthful but glad he was not going to make a scene. He turned to Mirio, exasperated. “You apologize too!”

“Sorry, Prince Bakugou. I really meant no disrespect,” he said easily. “If it makes you feel better, I don’t think anyone is prettier than my mate!” The idiot grinned as he finished, Denki harshly elbowing him once again.

“I think you should just stay quiet, Mirio-san,” the omega hissed. The alpha mimed sewing his lips shut. “Prince Bakugou, allow me to introduce you to the royal family now.” Katsuki nodded, his heart rate picking up speed.

Denki led the Tulians to the throne room where the king and prince were, Mina and Ojiro staying behind with the other knights. Faintly, Ochako could hear Mina and Ojiro berating the alpha further.

There were knights all over the castle it seemed, but they didn’t appear to be guarding anything in particular. The only reason Katsuki even guessed they were knights was due to the assortment of weaponry on their persons. Like the others outside, they watched the Tulians pass in silence.

Finally, the group reached the throne room. Two large statues stood on either side of the gigantic doors, depicting who the Tulians assumed were Adrian royalty. One was of a large, well-built man with spiked hair and a victorious grin. His chest was on full display and covered in scars of various shapes and sizes, no doubt from numerous battles. Izuku found it interesting that the sculptor included said scars, as people who had statues made of them were typically depicted in their best image. The other statue was of a woman who looked almost delicate if not for her own muscular figure, scars, and weapons. Much like the other statue, her upper body was unclothed with only a cloth of sorts wrapped around her breasts. Her smile was kind.

King Kirishima and his son stood by the throne as they entered, neither actually sitting in the grand seat. It became instantly clear to the Tulians that the male statue had been modelled after the king himself. It left them to wonder who the woman was modelled after. Ochako and Izuku remained behind Katsuki while Denki moved to stand beside Eijirou. He whispered something to the prince, who frowned down at him in response.

“Welcome, Prince Bakugou! It is an honor to meet you at last,” the king said in a booming voice, his eyes trained on the omega prince. His son grinned widely beside him, his blood red eyes switching between Izuku and Ochako before falling on Katsuki and staying there. The alpha’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

“Wow,” he said breathlessly.

The king grinned knowingly. “I told you, boy. Tulian omegas are in a league of their own.”

Eijirou had to agree. Never in all of his eighteen years had the alpha seen someone so breathtakingly beautiful. The Tulian prince had pearly white skin, tragically mostly covered by his form-fitting gown. The blond was thin and fragile looking but considering his upbringing that did not surprise Eijirou the slightest. His high cheekbones, red-painted full lips, and gorgeous scarlet eyes more than made up for his weak appearance. Eijirou could perhaps see himself coming around about this whole arranged marriage.

Katsuki was not unaware of the prince’s intense gaze. He had no idea whether the alpha was just sizing him up or was displeased with his appearance. Katsuki disliked when alphas stared at him for any reason, but as he was soon to be property of the alpha anyhow, he let the prince stare as much as he wished. Subtly, Katsuki took in the prince's appearance as well. Even without being next to him, Katsuki could tell the alpha towered over him. He had striking red hair that was spiked up similarly to his father’s and red eyes to match his own, though his were far more kind and welcoming than Katsuki expected of an alpha. As it seemed to be theme of Adria, both royals were bare-chested and adorned with swords, daggers, and likely some weapons Katsuki could not see or identify. The omega wasn’t sure he’d be able to grow accustomed to all of the skin Adrians were so casual about displaying.

“I thank you for welcoming me into your kingdom, King Kirishima,” Katsuki said pleasantly in his softest voice, hoping the make-up disguised the growing blush on his face.

“Please, young prince, call me Crimson Riot. It’s a name I earned through battle. I find it much…” He winked at his son. “Manlier.”

“One day I’ll have a name to match, father,” Eijirou declared confidently.

Crimson Riot chuckled. “Yes, my son is quite the warrior. By far the strongest in the kingdom, second only to me,” the king boasted. Katsuki noticed Eijirou’s cheeks flush at the praise and very nearly rolled his eyes. Were they trying to show off for him? It’s not like he could very well say he wanted to sever their treaty at this point. “Eijirou, perhaps you could show the prince around the castle? Maybe get to know each other better,” the king suggested, waggling his eyebrows.

Eijirou seemed to brighten at the idea while Katsuki grimaced internally. The last thing he wanted to do was spend time with the shitty haired Adrian prince. “That would be wonderful,” he lied. “May my companions join?” Katsuki hoped the alphas would agree. He was not ready to be alone with an alpha.

“Companions?” the king echoed confusedly. He finally took notice of the two standing behind the prince. “Oh, my! How uncouth of me! Who are you two youngsters?”

Izuku’s eyes widened at being directly addressed by the king. Luckily, Ochako answered for them both. “Your Majesty, I am Uraraka Ochako, Prince Bakugou’s personal guard. This is Lord Midoriya Izuku, a trusted friend of the prince.”

“I see,” Crimson Riot said. “Well, any friend of the prince’s is welcome! Hopefully they will make your acclimation into your new home easier for you.”

Suddenly, Eijirou and Denki were right in front of them. “I’ll show you the training grounds first. I think you’ll like them, Prince Bakugou,” Eijirou said excitedly, reaching out to take a hold of the omega’s wrist. Katsuki jerked away violently. Crimson Riot quirked a brow at the display.

“Quite the strong reaction,” the king mused. “Could you perhaps be unhappy with my son?”

“No!” Katsuki said hurriedly. “I mean, there is no cause for concern, Your Majesty. It is simply a Tulian custom. In our kingdom, people do not touch each other so casually,” he explained. “I was just taken by surprise.”

“Well then, it appears we are at fault. I am afraid we know little of your customs,” the king said, much to the omega’s shock.

Eijirou clapped his hands together and bowed his head to the blond prince. “I am so sorry, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable, Prince Bakugou! I should’ve asked if it was okay to touch you first. I swear it won’t happen again.”

Katsuki knew he probably looked unsightly with his eyes blown wide open and mouth agape, but he was flabbergasted. Was an alpha really bowing and apologizing to him?

The omega stood shell-shocked until Uraraka subtly cleared her throat behind him. Katsuki quickly collected himself. “You are forgiven, Prince Kirishima.”

The quickness in which the other prince’s face lit up at his words was honestly shameful of royalty, in Katsuki’s opinion. Why would such simple words make him so happy? Katsuki turned his gaze to the ground, ignoring the fluttering feeling in his stomach.

“I’m relieved. Please, teach me more about your customs. I want you to be as comfortable here as possible,” Eijirou grinned. Katsuki wanted to know why he cared so much. “Would you like to see the rest of the castle now?”

“Yes, alpha,” Katsuki answered, but in reality he was uninterested. Eijirou momentarily froze to Katsuki’s befuddlement, before he smiled that stupidly sincere smile of his again and guided him out the throne room. Ochako, Izuku and Denki followed side by side behind their princes.

Eijirou guided the three Tulians around the castle, giving his own personal commentary about the décor and what each room they passed was used for, before finally arriving at the training grounds. He was most excited about showing off the strength of his people to the omega. An Adrian’s worth as a mate was determined by their strength after all, and what better way to showcase Eijirou’s worth as a mate than to let the omega see the strength of his people. A king was defined by his people, after all. Of course, this was only one of the ways Eijirou planned to prove his worth as a mate for Katsuki.

Eijirou and Denki watched with great pride as the foreigners beheld the vast training grounds, their eyes filled with wonder. There was no where in their world more suited for a true warrior than in Adria, and the training grounds were the center of it all.

Ochako tried to envision herself among these warriors who looked hardened by numerous battles, but she could not see herself as one of them. She knew she did not hold anywhere near the amount of strength any of these Adrian knights did. Katsuki and Izuku were similarly envious of the strength being displayed but for much different reasons. Omegas could never be warriors in Tulia, yet many of these knights before them were omegas. Not to mention the very obviously omega man standing beside Prince Kirishima, who had displayed nothing but confidence and strength since their introduction. Katsuki hated to admit it, but he was deeply impressed by the other blond. Not to mention envious of his freedom.

Izuku had many questions about the sights all around him and the surely vigorous training regimens the knights followed. He would not ask, though. If his propriety courses had taught him anything, it was that alphas did not appreciate being questioned by omegas.

“It’s quite something, isn’t it?” Eijirou said, pride clear in his voice. “Our knights spend most of our free time on these training grounds. Not for training necessarily. An Adrian is simply most at peace when in battle.”

That makes absolutely no sense. Seems like along with having shitty hair, the alpha was also an idiot, Katsuki thought. Truthfully, the omega was not sure how to feel about the alpha just yet. He seemed kind enough, but his kindness could be nothing more than a ruse. Katsuki had not forgotten Aoyama’s tragic past. The prince would not allow an alpha to lower his guard and ruin him.

“How many fighting styles are taught to your knights, Prince Kirishima?” Ochako asked curiously. She knew Izuku and Katsuki would not speak up, so she decided to ask the questions they all had.

“Oh, all Adrians are encouraged to learn as many styles as they can. A few of them are even self-taught, but no less skilled. Of course, we all have our favorite fighting styles. I’m quite partial to martial arts and archery myself.”

“Archery? I would not have expected long range combat to be favored by an Adrian,” Ochako said. She would have thought they would view long-range as cowardly or unsatisfying.

“Well, it is mostly done for recreation, but it makes hunting quite fun as well,” Eijirou said.

“You hunt for your own food?”

“Do you not?” Denki countered.

Ochako shook her head. “I have lived within the palace since I was a child. I have never had to hunt for my meals.”

Eijirou laughed loudly, startling the Tulians while Denki looked at the brunette like she was simple. “Do you honestly believe that Eijirou-sama would ever have to hunt for his meals? Obviously, it’s for the fun of it. Why always have someone do it for you if you can do it yourself? Just what were you implying, you—!” Eijirou quickly pulled back the omega who had started to get in the dumbstruck beta’s face.

“Now, now, Denki, calm down. Uraraka-san meant no offense. Tulia simply does things differently from us.”

Denki looked at the two omegas who have still yet to say anything or raise their gazes from the ground. Those two were starting to royally piss him off. If the Tulians were accustomed to everything being done for them, they would be in for quite the culture shock.

“Yes, I meant no offense, Prince Kirishima, Kaminari-san. I was just surprised that you hunted yourself for anything but sport.”

“For sport? Do Tulians hunt for sport? No one should ever kill simply for their own amusement.” Eijirou and Denki were both sending looks of shocked disgust to the beta woman.

“Um…” Ochako said intelligently. It seemed no matter what she said it was taken the wrong way by the prince. Maybe she should have followed Katsuki and Izuku’s lead and remained silent.

Speaking of which, Eijirou was beginning to feel a little unsettled by the two omegas’ silence. He turned to address them directly. “You both have been very quiet since we began the tour,” he said. “You must be tired from your travels, and I’m sure you are unaccustomed to this heat. Would you like to retire to your rooms and rest?”

Both omegas were surprised that the alpha would even think about their comfort, let alone ask them what they wanted to do. Still, Katsuki resented the assumption that he was some frail, weak omega who needed to be coddled.

“Thank you for your concern, Prince Kirishima, but we are fine. The heat is not unbearable,” Izuku said now that he had been directly addressed. Eijirou frowned, not sure if he believed the omega’s words. Both were drenched with sweat and they had only been outdoors for a few minutes.

“Are you sure?”

“We are fine, alpha,” Katsuki said a little too harshly. His eyes widened in panic when the redhead frowned down at him. The blond expected to be scolded or even struck, but Eijirou only sighed.

“You know, Prince Bakugou, you do not have to call me ‘alpha’,” he said almost bashfully. “You can just call me Prince Kirishima, or even Eijirou if you’d like! Can I call you Katsuki?” Again with asking what Katsuki wanted. What kind of alpha was he?

“You may call me however you wish…Eijirou-sama.” Ochako looked at her prince in shock. Who was this docile omega?

The alpha rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Should I not have said anything? he wondered. “Well, I’ll call you Katsuki from now on then. I’d love it if you and Uraraka-san called me Eijirou as well, Midoriya-san.”

Izuku instantly shook his head. “Oh, no! I could never, Prince Kirishima! That would be improper—”

“It’s fine if I ask you to, isn’t it?” At that, Izuku and Ochako exchanged nervous glances.

“Well, I won’t force you to do anything!” Eijirou rushed to say. It was strange to see a prince worrying over offending an omega noble and a beta knight. “I just figured since you will be living here from now on, we could be friends.” Denki fought back a smile when silence reigned over the group at the prince’s words. From what he’d seen of Tulian royalty, this kind of mentality was completely new to the three.

Eijirou suddenly felt a new pair of eyes on him, which was not a new feeling, but this felt different somehow. He turned his head to see Katsuki gazing up at him. It was the first time Eijirou had seen the other prince’s eyes directly and so up close. They were just as beautiful as the rest of him; a dark red color and filled with so much untold emotion. When their eyes met, Katsuki quickly returned his gaze to the ground. Eijirou laughed a little breathlessly.

“Katsuki, your eyes are so—”

Unfortunately, before Katsuki could hear the rest of whatever the alpha was about to say, a shout of Denki’s name drew everyone’s attention to a grinning man jogging towards them. Denki’s face lit up as he shouted, “Hanta!”

The Tulians watched in utter confusion as an alpha stopped in front of the blond before grabbing him and dipping him into a kiss. A very long and sensual kiss. Izuku’s gasp was drowned out by the sounds of the two kissing and Eijirou’s cry of “For goodness sake, you two, we have company!” That seemed to grab the attention of the man, Hanta, who turned to look at the three Tulians without releasing his hold on the blond. The omega did not seem to mind, as he simply ran his hands along the alpha’s mostly bare chest, neck, and shoulders. He had a look in his eyes Ochako did not want to put a name to.

“Oh, my apologies,” the alpha said before introducing himself as Sero Hanta and Denki’s mate. That certainly explained that…exchange. Katsuki had wondered about the other omega’s mate when he noticed his mating mark during the journey here, and he was not at all surprised that this strange man was him. “You must be Prince Bakugou Katsuki. Welcome to Adria.” Glancing at the two beside Katsuki, Hanta looked down at his mate in question. “Who are those two?”

“Huh?” Denki said, finally focusing back on the conversation. “Oh, Lord Midoriya Izuku and the prince’s guard, Uraraka Ochako. They tagged along last minute.” Sero nodded in understanding. They did not want their prince to be all alone in a foreign kingdom.

Katsuki cleared his throat. “Not to interrupt your reunion with your mate, Sero-san,” he began and Sero raised an eyebrow. “But how long are you going to hold your omega like that?”

Denki narrowed his eyes at the other omega. “Is it bothering you, Prince Bakugou?”

“It’s simply that such…intimate acts should really be done in the privacy of your bed chambers,” Ochako hurried to say, sensing that the other omega was quickly getting fed up with their constant comments about seemingly everything they did.

“Intimate?” Denki repeated, laughing. “Hanta and I do far more intimate things when we’re in bed. Or anywhere really—”

“So, the physical contact is making you uncomfortable?” Hanta asked, cutting off his lover before that train of thought could be explored any further.

“Well, yes,” Ochako said obviously. Did the people of Adria really not think anything of touching one another?

Hanta hummed before releasing his hold on his mate. Denki whined and reached for him again, but Hanta just shushed him. “Don’t worry, my love. I plan to give you all the attention you deserve tonight. You won’t be able to walk tomorrow.” Katsuki, for the life of him, did not understand why threats of violence from his alpha made the omega blush like that. And now Ochako was blushing as well. What the hell? At least Izuku appeared just as baffled as him.

“I am deeply sorry about that, Prince Bakugou. I was unaware that Tulians were uncomfortable with physical contact,” Hanta said. “Is that also why you refuse to look me in the eye when speaking?” Katsuki nearly flinched at being so blatantly called out about that.

“Hanta!” Eijirou hissed. “You’ve already made him uncomfortable, there’s no need to interrogate him!”

Hanta held up his hands in defense. “I was just asking, Ei. No need to bite my head off.”

“To answer your question, Sero-san, Tulian omegas are raised very differently from how omegas in your kingdom seem to be brought up,” Ochako said, glancing over at Denki when saying that last part. The omega huffed, muttering to himself. “An omega is never to look an alpha in the eye. It is seen as extremely disrespectful, even among royalty and nobility,” Ochako explained.

The Adrians looked a mixture of incredulous and upset at this knowledge. “Well, that just won’t do,” Eijirou finally said.

“Yeah, that is no way to hold a conversation,” Hanta added. “It’s also a bit ridiculous.”

“You three should be glad you’re no longer in that terrible kingdom,” Denki grumbled.

Katsuki stiffened, feeling an instinctual need to defend his homeland. “There are many beautiful aspects of Tulian culture. Admittedly, not all of my—the kingdom’s beliefs are just and may appear odd to foreigners.”

The knight rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and the sky is blue,” he scoffed. “How can you defend Tulia’s customs at all? You know how twisted your people are, don’t you, Bakugou-sama? They’ve just been feeding you lies your whole life.”

Katsuki balled his fist, glaring at the other omega. “You do not know what you are talking about. You will not speak to me like that.”

“Oh?” Denki was suddenly in the prince's face, returning his glare tenfold. “And what makes you think I would ever follow an order from a weakling like you?”

“How dare you speak to Katsuki-sama like that?!” Ochako yelled, reaching for her sword. Before her hand could even touch the hilt, she abruptly found herself in a chokehold by Hanta.

“How brazen of you to attempt to attack an alpha’s omega right in from of him,” he hissed. The beta was unable to move an inch and it was growing increasingly difficult to breathe. Katsuki and Izuku watched with wide, fearful eyes, their bodies frozen in place. Their feet would not move and their mouths would not open.

“Hanta, release her,” Eijirou commanded. The two alphas stared down each other for a few long moments, Ochako struggling for air all the while, until Hanta finally let her go. The beta fell to the ground, holding her throat and taking desperate gasps for air. “Are you alright, Uraraka-san?”

“I am fine, Kirishima-sama,” she rasped. “Truthfully, I am ashamed at my actions. Please forgive me, Sir Hanta, Sir Denki.”

Hanta held up his hands, his demeanor completely changed from a moment ago. “I may have reacted more strongly than necessary. Denki can handle himself. It was just instinct, really. I’m sorry too.”

Denki huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, I’m not sorry. I’ve held my tongue long enough.” Pointing at the three Tulians, he snapped. “You three wouldn’t survive a day outside of your sheltered little palace without someone to protect you! Your mere presence in our kingdom is an insult to our people. The day I accept a weak, cowardly person like you as our next queen is the day I die! If Eijirou had any say in the matter, you would still be in Tulia being treated worse than a pig!” The omega then stormed off, leaving the remaining five in shocked silence.

After a minute, Hanta awkwardly cleared his throat. “I’ll go calm him down,” he said before running after his omega.

“Katsuki, I feel I must apologize again,” Eijirou began unsurely. He could see the look of utter devastation on the prince’s face, hating that he had no idea how to rid him of it. “Denki only said what he said because he has seen how anxious I have been recently about this alliance.”

“I am sorry,” the prince said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“No, Katsuki, it’s not your fault! Our parents were the ones to arrange this.”

Katsuki shook his head slightly. “This is all my fault, Eijirou-sama. People will die because of me. Someone already has.”

“Katsuki-sama,” Izuku whispered sadly, his eyes filling with tears.

“Your knight was correct. I will be an unfit queen for you. If there is any way I can change myself to better please you, then—”

“Stop!” Eijirou ordered, cutting off the omega. He refused to hear the rest of that statement. Unfortunately, his tone seemed to scare the prince who curled in on himself.

“I am sorry, alpha. I did not intend to upset you,” he whimpered.

“I'm not upset with you,” Eijirou corrected, his tone light and comforting. “It does upset me that you feel you need to change yourself at all to please me, however.”

Katsuki scrunched his nose up in confusion, and had the situation been different, Eijirou would have gushed at how cute he was. “You do not want me to change, then?”

“I want you to be yourself. If how you are now is truly you, then I see no reason for you to change. If, for some reason, you are holding yourself back, I think you should stop.”

“I-I am trying to be a proper omega for you, Eijirou-sama,” Katsuki stammered, quickly losing his composure. Why couldn’t this alpha just act like he was supposed to when Katsuki was trying so hard to do just that? “If there is something I have done wrong—”

“The only thing you have done wrong is pretend to be someone you’re not,” he interjected kindly. “Just be yourself, Katsuki.”

You would not like me if I acted like myself, Katsuki thought bitterly. Omega propriety courses existed for a reason. Alphas, no matter what they may claim otherwise, liked their omegas a certain way. Prince Kirishima would be no different, he was sure.

“I am sorry.” Eijirou sighed in disappointment, knowing that Katsuki was actually saying he would not show his true self just yet. Eijirou hoped that one day he would change his mind.

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” Eijirou plastered a smile onto his face but it paled in comparison to his real smile. “Why don’t we get out of this heat? I’ll show you the rest of the castle.”

Katsuki was just glad to be done with this conversation. “Yes, alpha.”

Hours later, after the sun had begun to set and the temperature cooled slightly, Crimson Riot stood outside the castle before his people.

Many had gathered after word of a grand announcement was spread through the capital, curious as to what their king had to tell them. Everyone quickly took notice of the pale figure with his eyes downturned standing slightly behind the prince. No one was close enough to smell that he was an omega, but his complexion was enough of an indicator that he was a foreigner.

“Warriors of Adria,” the king began in that booming voice of his. “Today, I have a most wonderous announcement. My son, after many grueling years, has finally found a mate.” Eijirou and Katsuki both similarly thought that “found” was bending the truth a little.

The crowd instantly turned loud, cheers and words of congratulations ringing all around. After a minute or two of allowing his people to rejoice, the king raised a hand to silence them. It took effect instantly. The alpha continued. “The mate my son has chosen is Prince Bakugou Katsuki of Tulia.”

Katsuki could feel all eyes turn to him but he refused to lift his gaze. Long moments passed in silence before the crowd grew loud once again, only this time filled with cries of shock and outrage. At his side, Katsuki heard Denki whisper to the prince, “I warned you.” Katsuki supposed he could understand their displeasure; Tulians were far from warriors. Their omegas even less so, not that any of these commoners likely knew his secondary gender. Funnily enough, Katsuki was sure his own people would have reacted similarly had he and Eijirou’s roles been reversed.

Crimson Riot watched the crowd with unbelieving eyes. To think his people would be so unaccepting, even of a Tulian. Eijirou suddenly stepped forward, his face twisted into a fierce scowl. “Silence!” he shouted. The complete and utter silence that followed admittedly impressed Katsuki. “How dare you all treat Prince Bakugou like that! Not only is he an honored guest in our kingdom, he is my future mate and your future queen! I demand you show him the respect he is deserved!”

“That would be no respect at all!” someone deep into the crowd shouted.

Eijirou was just about to track down the person when someone from the crowd stepped forward. Eijirou recognized the man as Toyomitsu Taishirou, a heavyweight nobleman who taught Eijirou how to hold a sword when he was a child. He was a kind man who treated all as they deserved and Eijirou admired and respected him immensely. “With all due respect, my prince,” he began. “Considering these…circumstances, I believe it’d be best if Prince Bakugou earned our respect, as well as trust. You know how our people value strength. If this Tulian cannot prove himself worthy of the throne, we cannot accept him as our queen.”

Eijirou frowned, thinking back to when Denki said basically the same thing. Could they not understand that this was not his choice? He didn’t want Katsuki as his mate any more than they did. Looking back at the omega, he remembered their earlier conversation on the training grounds. The prince doubted Katsuki would be proving any kind of strength to his people any time soon.

“Now, now, everyone. Let’s calm down,” the king spoke up. He placed a hand on Eijirou’s shoulder and moved to stand beside him again. “This is not the typical marriage. Eijirou is not at fault for having such an unsuitable mate.”

Eijirou glanced behind him again to see how Katsuki was reacting to this mess, but it seemed like the omega wasn’t even listening anymore. Eijirou couldn’t help but feel bad for him; he’d been thrust into an unfamiliar kingdom and berated by the people he was supposed to rule within the same day. And simply because he was an omega from a land where omegas were given nothing. It was unfair. “This marriage is the result of an alliance our kingdom has formed with Tulia. The union of my son and Prince Bakugou will allow for trade and entry to the kingdom of Tulia. I hope this makes up for the shock.”

The crowd murmured as they mulled over this information. It did not make up for the fact that a Tulian would be marrying their prince, but it did explain how such a situation came to be. Though no one was appeased by this knowledge, the crowd fell silent and eventually dispersed. Eijirou quickly returned to Katsuki’s side, concern written across his handsome features.

Even though the alpha was far larger than him in every way and still a general stranger to him, Katsuki felt much less unnerved with only his eyes on him rather than the mass of strangers. “Are you alright, Katsuki? That couldn’t have been pleasant.”

“I am fine,” the blond lied. “If you do not mind, I would like to go to my room now.” Eijirou frowned, seeing through the prince's lie but not cruel enough to call him out on it.

“Of course,” he said, leading the omega back into his home. Perhaps one day, Katsuki would be comfortable—or even proud—to call it his home too.

“Here is your room, Katsuki,” Eijirou said, opening the door for the omega. Katsuki stepped in, his eyes widening at the surprisingly beautiful and grand room. There was a large bed against the wall to his left—surely big enough to fit at least four people—with white, silk sheets and a grand chest at the foot of the bed. There was a tall, ornately designed mirror, a massive dresser and a set of couches and chairs in the center of the room. The walls were a light blue color with white trimmings and unique designs carved into the woodworking of the pillars around the bed. A twinset of doors on the opposite side of the room led out to an expansive balcony. Overall, it appeared even more comfortable than his room back home if not for the absence of his own scent. He would have expected something much more rugged for a room in this kind of castle. Definitely more red too considering the entryway and throne room.

“Thank you, Eijirou-sama. I suddenly find myself very tired, so I will retire to bed for the night,” he said, subtly cuing the alpha to leave. He did not.

“I feel that I must apologize again. Between my people and Denki, today must have been very rough for you,” Eijirou said regretfully.

Katsuki really just wanted to go to sleep. “Really, I am fine, alpha. You and your father were more than kind enough.”

Eijirou was not convinced. “Still, I wish there was some way I could make it up to you,” he said.

Katsuki stiffened. Was the alpha suggesting what he thought he was? “That will not be necessary,” he said stiffly, panic coursing through his veins. If the alpha wanted to, he could easily force his way into the room and onto Katsuki. The omega would be powerless to stop him.

Eijirou seemed to pick up on his unease and put the pieces together. His eyes widened and he took a large step back, allowing Katsuki to breathe a little easier. “Please, know that I did not mean it like that. I will not touch you, Katsuki. I wouldn’t dream of it.” Well, actually, he would probably be dreaming about it extensively tonight, but that was besides the point. He didn’t want the omega to think he was some knothead only interested in his body. How had he even gotten that idea?

Katsuki noticeably relaxed, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. Still, a small part of him felt strangely disappointed that the alpha was apparently uninterested in him. He should be glad since he was obviously not interested in Eijirou either! “I should not have assumed,” Katsuki said, smiling up at the redhead who calmed at the sight. “Goodnight, Eijirou-sama.”

“Goodnight, Katsuki. Sleep well.” And with that, the prince walked away down the corridor to his own chambers, though Katsuki could have sworn he glanced back over his shoulder at least once. It was not until he was out of sight that Katsuki retreated into his own room.

“Katsuki-sama?” a familiar voice called, drawing Katsuki’s attention to the room to his right. Ochako was standing in only her nightgown, watching the prince. Katsuki had never seen her outside of her Tulian armor. She looked younger and more feminine.

“Uraraka,” he greeted in surprise. She and Izuku had been shown to their chambers before the king’s grand announcement, so Katsuki was glad to see her again before the night ended. Had she been given the room next to his? That was…awfully considerate.

“I heard you speaking with the prince. He seems…kind,” she said slowly, as if trying to find the right word. Katsuki thought it fit him just fine.

“I suppose,” he murmured, hesitant to show how little he disliked the alpha. “He is admittedly not as brutish as I had expected him to be. Still, he is an alpha.”

Ochako seemed to agree wholeheartedly, pleased that her prince was not letting his guard down. “I will stand watch outside your door,” she stated, not really asking for permission. She had grown accustomed to this after all, as she was the prince’s personal guard. Wherever the prince went, she was just outside. It left her heavily unsettled being away from the prince earlier.

Katsuki was tempted to let her, knowing it would bring him great comfort, but ultimately decided against it. “You will guard me in your nightgown?” he asked teasingly. The beta blushed, looking down at herself. “No, Uraraka, you may sleep. None of us have been able to sleep well for weeks I am sure.” That reminded him. “Where is Izuku?”

“He is in the room to your left, Your Highness,” Ochako answered, a little put-out about not being able to properly guard her prince. She would not question his decision however. “He has been through a lot these past three days,” she went on to say. They both knew what specific event she was referring to, and Katsuki’s heart ached at the thought of Auntie Inko no longer being of this world. If only he had been strong enough to save her. “I am sure sleep overcame him with no problem. However, I cannot imagine his dreams will be pleasant for a long time.”

Katsuki could not help but agree, imagining it would be much the same for him.

Chapter Text

Early the next morning, Eijirou went to Katsuki’s room to wake him up. He knocked and just a moment later, the door was cracked open slightly, the prince’s face partially visible. His eyes were still downcast, refusing to make eye contact as usual.

Eijirou smiled openly. “Good morning, Katsuki. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, Eijirou-sama. The room is lovely, and the bed was very comfortable.”

“Wonderful! I’m glad you’re already awake, too. Breakfast will begin within the hour. I would love if you would join me,” he said hopefully. “And my father, of course,” he tacked on absentmindedly.

“I have not dressed yet,” Katsuki said.

Eijirou blinked. Did that mean the omega was standing naked behind the door? Is that why he was only showing his face? No, that would be ridiculous, Eijirou rationalized. He probably meant he was still in his nightgown.

“Oh,” Eijirou finally managed after a few moments of silence, his face surely more colorful than it was a minute ago. “Well, you have plenty of time.”

“But I have not bathed yet either, Eijirou-sama,” Katsuki replied.

Okay, now Eijirou was confused. Had Katsuki just woken up when he knocked on his door? Katsuki was frowning now, his brow furrowed. Even his displeasured face was cute to Eijirou. “Okay?”

“I have been awake for nearly an hour now, yet I am still waiting to be bathed and dressed. I excused it last night considering it was my first night here, but this is unacceptable.” By that point, Eijirou’s eyes were wide with disbelief. Katsuki seemed to misread his expression because he hurriedly backpedaled. “Not that I am unsatisfied with anything, Eijirou-sama! It is just I would hate to be late to my first breakfast with you and your father.”

“Wait…I’m a bit lost. You were waiting for someone to come and bathe you?”

Katsuki looked taken aback by his incredulous tone, not understanding his confusion. Eijirou could relate. “Yes?”

“Can you not wash and clothe yourself?” Eijirou asked, actually curious. Unfortunately, Katsuki took it the wrong way. Eijirou was beginning to sense a pattern.

“O-Of course, I can!” he said a bit too snappishly. “I mean…I can. It is just that I have never bathed myself before. My servants would cater to me.”

“You made your servants bathe you?”

“I…”

“Oh, no, I’m not judging you, Katsuki. It just seems a bit strange that you would have someone else wash you when you are perfectly capable,” Eijirou said before pausing in thought. “Do you require assistance?”

Katsuki gaped openly, flushing hotly. “Not from you! You are an alpha!”

It was Eijirou’s turn to blush. “I didn’t mean me, of course! That would be highly inappropriate! Besides things like that should wait until after our wedding!” Katsuki was becoming very tempted to slam the door in the alpha’s face right about now. Eijirou ran a hand through his spiky hair, sighing. He was consistently putting his foot in his mouth around Katsuki. “I meant I could find someone for you. An omega.” Katsuki was about to reject the prince’s surprisingly thoughtful offer. He did not want a random stranger to be tasked with bathing him when it was obviously unusual for Adrians to do so. Before he could say so, however, Eijirou was jogging away down the hall back the way he came. “I’ll be back in a moment!”

Katsuki sighed to himself, closing his door and returning to bed. He sat down, tugging at the hem of his nightgown in frustration. He had originally planned to wear his usual nightgown to sleep, but the heat made it more than a little uncomfortable since it completely covered his body like all Tulian wear. Still, Adrian clothing was much shorter than the omega would have liked. He waited dutifully for the Adrian prince to return, and before long there was another knock on his door. He hurried to open it, revealing Eijirou and a light brown-haired woman around their age standing beside him.

Katsuki would not consider himself to be lecherous, or even really interested in the female body, but his eyes were still drawn to the scantily clad woman’s chest. She only had a thin, nearly see-through cloth that was wrapped around her neck and hanging over her breasts, barely covering the entirety of the enormous mounds. At least her skirt reached her knees, even if that was still indecent. She was an omega for god’s sake!

How can she dress like that? Does no one in this kingdom have any decency? Katsuki thought incredulously, avoiding looking at the woman too much.

“Why, hello there,” she lilted. “You really are much more beautiful in person, Prince Katsuki.” Katsuki could not believe this indecent woman would address him so casually. He never gave her permission to use his given name.

“Can’t you be more respectful to the prince?” Eijirou scolded the woman.

The omega flipped her hair over her shoulder in response. “Sorry,” she said unconvincingly. “My name is Utsushimi Camie. I’m a seamstress for the royal family. It’s an honor to meet you, Prince Bakugou.”

“Likewise,” Katsuki said just as unconvincingly. Eijirou looked pleased anyway.

“Camie-san, would you mind assisting the prince in his morning routine?”

She looked confused as to why he would need any assistance but easily complied. “Nothing would make me happier,” she leered. For some reason Katsuki couldn’t quite place, the look she gave him made him want to cover up even more.

“I’ll see you at breakfast, okay, Katsuki? Camie-san can show you to the dining hall if you don’t remember the way,” the prince said before departing.

Katsuki desperately wanted to call him back, or better yet, ask him to take the other omega with him. Camie walked into the room uninvited, looking around in awe. After a moment or two, the woman walked over to where his bathroom was located, calling out over her shoulder. “Let’s get you naked, Your Highness!”

Katsuki just might have to miss breakfast. He’d apologize to Eijirou and the king later.

Katsuki did not, in fact, wind up missing breakfast. He was right on time.

Eijirou had been about to enter the dining hall himself when the two omegas approached. His eyes widened when he saw Katsuki dressed in casual Adrian wear. There was a lot of smooth, unblemished skin on display all of a sudden, and Eijirou was not prepared. The omega was still wearing that gold and orange necklace of his, and he had a long, thin scarf around his shoulders to give him some semblance of decency. It didn’t really work. “Those clothes really suit you,” Eijirou found himself saying.

Katsuki cursed himself for his reddening face. Why was he constantly blushing around this alpha? “Thank you, Eijirou-sama.”

“Your face is really red. You’re not feeling ill, are you?” Eijirou asked obliviously.

“No, I am fine,” Katsuki bit out before practically sprinting into the dining hall. Eijirou watched in bewilderment, turning to Camie in question.

She merely smiled before giving him a thumbs up and a wink. “I give him a ten out of ten. The wait to see him naked will be completely worth it.”

The redhead’s eyebrows jumped up into his hairline. “Have a good day, Camie-san,” he mumbled hurriedly, backing into the room and shutting the door firmly.

To the prince's further exasperation, Katsuki was being accosted by his father when he entered. The king was towering over the omega, and Eijirou winced when he saw how uncomfortable the blond looked. Eijirou drew the king’s attention to himself, walking over to his usual seat at the massive table that spanned almost the entire length of the large room. “Good morning, father.” It worked as expected, the older alpha finally leaving Katsuki alone.

“And a good morning to you, my son!” he boomed. “I was just speaking to the prince. He’s quite the shy one, no?” he said as he took his seat at the head of the table.

Eijirou noticed Katsuki stiffen at his father’s words. “Perhaps you’re just too outgoing, father,” Eijirou joked.

“As if there is such a thing,” the king scoffed. “Come sit, child. I’ve invited your two friends to join us today. I figured you’d be more comfortable that way,” he said addressing Katsuki. The blond perked up at hearing Izuku and Ochako would be coming.

He looked around the table awkwardly, unsure of where he was expected to sit. Eijirou quickly stood from his own seat, pulling out the chair next to him and gesturing for the other prince to sit. “You can sit next to me, Katsuki.” Katsuki pursed his lips but sat. He didn’t need his chair pulled out for him, but he supposed he appreciated the gesture.

“Thank you, Eijirou-sama.”

“Oh? Already using each other’s given names, I see. Yesterday’s tour must have went well,” the king said from his seat, his chin resting in his hand as he watched the two in amusement. Eijirou subtly sent his father a look as he sat back down. The king, of course, couldn’t care less about his son’s embarrassment. The king opened his mouth to say something else, but luckily for the younger two, Denki walked in with Izuku and Ochako in tow.

The knight bowed by the end of the table. “Good morning, Crimson Riot, Eijirou-sama.” Eijirou and Katsuki did not miss how he neglected to greet the omega. “I have brought Midoriya Izuku and Uraraka Ochako as requested.”

“Thank you, Denki. You may go about your day,” the king said. Denki stood up, nodding as he turned to leave.

“Have a good breakfast with Hanta!” Eijirou called after him. The blond had been excited to have the morning alone with his lover after not seeing him for so long.

Denki turned his head to wink savaciously. “Oh, I will. And I’ll be completely filled by the end of it.” Eijirou groaned in disgust while his father began laughing loudly.

“What a perverse omega! The youth these days. That boy never fails to amuse me.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Eijirou mumbled before turning his attention to the newcomers. “Uraraka-san, Midoriya-san, good morning!”

Both bowed. “Good morning, Prince Kirishima,” they chorused. They bowed again to Crimson Riot, greeting him as well.

The two both desperately wanted to sit next to Katsuki, but with two seats open across from the princes it would look weird to sit there. They begrudgingly sat in the open seats, Ochako across from Eijirou and to the left of the king. “Good morning, Katsuki-sama,” Ochako said, happy to see the prince looking well rested. She was less happy to see him in such revealing clothing, however. “Was the room to your liking? Did you have everything you need? How did you sleep? Was anything amiss?”

“Well, there goes all the questions I had lined up,” Crimson Riot murmured good-naturedly.

Katsuki looked unsurprised by the barrage of questions because he only smiled fondly. Eijirou silently wished the prince would smile more. “Everything was perfect, Uraraka. Crimson Riot and Eijirou-sama have been wonderful hosts, you do not have to worry.”

“You are too kind, Prince Katsuki,” the king said. “May I call you Prince Katsuki?”

Katsuki’s eyes widened minutely, nodding quickly. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Wonderful. Now there is something else I would like to say.”

“What is it?” Katsuki asked nervously.

“Eijirou brought to my attention that yesterday’s spectacle with my people had left you upset. Is this true, Prince Katsuki?”

The blond froze in his seat, looking towards the alpha prince in disbelief. Why would he have said something to his father? “I…”

“No need to look so nervous, prince! I can understand why you would be upset at the less-than warm welcome. It was unbecoming of my people to treat an honored guest in such a manner, let alone a prince.”

“Well, for an Adrian, strength is the most important thing there is, right? It makes sense that your people would not be accepting of someone like me,” Katsuki said.

“That’s simplifying it a bit, but yes, strength is a necessity. For our kings and queens especially. It is true that you do not fit the usual criteria for an Adrian royal,” the king replied, not unkindly.

“Typically, Adrians are trained from birth to be fighters. Even common shopkeepers are, at the very least, skilled with a dagger,” Eijirou added, his gaze soft. “It’s not your fault that you were raised differently, so don’t feel too bad about what people say. Your presence here will still benefit our kingdom.” Katsuki was not so sure about that. Eijirou placed a hand on the back of the prince's chair, leaning as close as he dared. Katsuki could not help but stare into his large, sincere scarlet eyes. “Not an insult,” he whispered, referencing what Denki had said yesterday.

“Eijirou-sama,” Katsuki whispered with emotion. This close, he could smell the alpha’s strong, earthy scent. He had to stop himself from leaning even closer to inhale more of the strangely alluring scent. Crimson Riot cleared his throat loudly, causing his son to jerk away as if burned. His face was suspiciously red as he avoided all eye contact. How ironic.

Katsuki looked down at his gloved hands bashfully. “That is most kind of you to say, Eijirou-sama. I hope I will not disappoint you,” Katsuki said and actually meant it.

“Your Majesty, if I may,” Ochako spoke up, breaking the tension. “It seems strange that your people would be allowed to speak so poorly of their future queen without repercussion.”

“Uraraka-san,” Izuku said in warning at her side.

The beta ignored him. “I completely understand that we Tulians are almost your exact opposites in every way, but Katsuki-sama still deserves respect as a prince!” By the end of her rant she was raising her voice, staring down the king in defiance.

“You are being quite disrespectful yourself, Uraraka!” Katsuki reprimanded. “You are in no place to question His Majesty!”

“Now, now. Both of you children calm down,” Crimson Riot said easily. “I have taken no offense. In fact, I much prefer it when people speak their mind. You must live your life with no regrets, and holding your tongue when you should be yelling for all to hear is the last thing you should do! That would be unmanly.” Katsuki furrowed his brow in confusion. “It is the same for all of my people. It would be wrong for me to punish them for that, although usually their opinions are brought to me or Eijirou personally. I’m not sure how your kingdom handles its people’s wishes and complaints, however.”

By ignoring them completely, the Tulians all thought but did not say.

“Do you not worry about your people questioning your judgement?” Katsuki wondered.

“Heavens no! At the end of the day, I have proven my worth long ago. Each and every one of them, though they may disagree with my choices, would follow me into battle without a moment’s hesitation. That is all I could ever ask of my people.”

“I see,” the omega said, though he did not really. In Tulia, simply questioning the royal family could lead to immediate punishment. Katsuki had always thought that was just the way the world worked as a whole. He was coming to realize that the world was much different outside of his sheltered upbringing.

“Well, I believe we’ve spent enough time gabbing. I think it’s time to officially start breakfast,” the king announced joyously, evidently done with the previous line of conversation. “Bring out the food!”

As if they had been waiting for those four words, the doors leading to the kitchen opened and servants came pouring out, every one of them holding a tray in each hand. They placed tray after tray on the table in front of the five sitting and uncovered the food before retreating without a word. The Tulians mouths nearly watered at the smell; they had not eaten a real meal in weeks, let alone one that looked as appetizing as the feast before them. Finally, a fairly muscular man with big lips walked out with a single tray, placing it down carefully in front of the king. He moved to exit as the others had, but the king stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“I want you three to meet the man behind our meal,” he said, addressing Katsuki, Ochako and Izuku. “This is the head cook, Satou Rikidou. He’s quite young, but his skill is the real deal.”

The man, Satou, preened at the praise. He dipped into a deep bow. “Greetings, Your Highness. I pray you will find the meal acceptable.”

“As if it could be anything but!” the king exclaimed. “Go, taste it! Taste!” The three were a bit taken aback by the king’s excitement but did as told. Their eyes widened at the first bite, all practically moaning at the taste. Eijirou stiffened in his seat while the king laughed victoriously. “I would say they quite liked it, Satou.”

Katsuki flushed with shame, holding a hand in front of his mouth and swallowing. “It is very delicious, Satou-san,” he told the alpha.

Satou turned red, smiling brightly. “Th-Thank you, Your Highness! I am unworthy of such praise!”

“Nonsense,” Eijirou said, hitting the man on the back with a heavy hand. To the other alpha’s credit, he only flinched slightly. “There is no cook better than you in all of the lands!”

The cook looked close to tears. “Eijirou-sama!”

Eijirou smiled at him before turning to the three Tulians. “If you ever find yourself hungry, come find Satou. He will prepare the perfect meal for you.”

“Yes! I know how to prepare all kinds of dishes, so there’s no need to hold back.” Katsuki nodded, actually considering taking them up on their offer after tasting this food. Satou bowed once again before finally going back into the kitchen.

“Now, I have a few questions for you, young prince,” Crimson Riot said, addressing Katsuki.

“Father,” Eijirou cut in before Katsuki could give a tense reply. “Perhaps the questioning can wait for another time?”

Crimson looked put out but relented easily enough. “Very well,” he said. “But I will eventually have a conversation with him. Alone.”

Katsuki gulped, not looking forward to that time at all.

After breakfast, Eijirou convinced Katsuki to join him on the training grounds so he could meet the other knights of the Royal Guard.

“I think it’s a good idea for you to meet them, since they’ll be around the castle quite frequently,” Eijirou had said. Katsuki could hear the unspoken, “And you’ll be spending all your time inside anyway.”

Katsuki reluctantly agreed, knowing that the prince was close with his knights and probably excited about him formally meeting those he cared about—outside of Denki, Mina, Ojiro, and Hanta, of course.

As they walked to the training grounds, Eijirou attempted to make small talk, but Katsuki mostly let him drone on. He found the prince’s chatter a bit excessive, but his voice was unexpetedly soothing, so he didn’t mind much. At one point, Eijirou asked what the training grounds were like back at his palace. Katsuki could feel shame and anger build at the question, but not at the alpha beside him.

“I had not been allowed to step foot anywhere near the training grounds since I presented as an omega. I can hardly remember what they looked like,” he had answered, voice hollow. Eijirou had changed the subject quickly after that.

Once the two finally made it outside, they were spotted by Tetsutetsu—who Katsuki recognized as the weird, shark-toothed man from yesterday—and Kendou Itsuka, who looked far too put together to be surrounded by such strange characters. Tetsutetsu called out to Eijirou excitedly, but his face visibly fell when he saw Katsuki next to the prince. Still, his loudness managed to attract the attention of the other knights on the grounds. There was a relatively small amount of them there today, but that may only seem that way due to the fact that every other time he had been out here it was packed full of Adrians.

The knights present were still apparently great friends of the prince because Eijirou excitedly introduced each of them. The shortest man present was a beta named Tokoyami Fumikage, who Katsuki could not help but think looked like he was trying to look mysterious. Beside him was a man named Monoma Neito, and Katsuki could recognize a prick anywhere. Another knight Katsuki had briefly met prior, Toogata Mirio, stood beside his also aforementioned mate, Amajiki Tamaki, who was avoiding eye contact completely and fidgeting nervously. Katsuki hoped he didn’t look at pathetic as the other omega when he did that.

Ojiro, Hanta, Denki and Mina were also there, who all greeted the prince nicely enough excluding one. Eijirou and the other three all sent a look to the blond, but Denki just rolled his eyes and turned away.

“Denki, come on, we talked about this,” Hanta whispered to him.

Denki huffed. “And I told you I wasn’t going to treat him any differently just because he’s a prince.”

Tetsutetsu chose that moment to loudly and obliviously say, “Hey, Bakugou-sama, since you, Kaminari, and Amajiki are all omegas, maybe you’ll feel more comfortable around them. You don’t seem to like alphas or betas all that much.” Katsuki didn’t, that much was true, but he was not any more comfortable around those two than a strange alpha or beta. Katsuki opened his mouth to say that—perhaps a bit differently—but Denki and Amajiki beat him to it, speaking at the same time.

“I wouldn’t waste my time attempting to make Prince Bakugou comfortable,” Denki snapped harshly.

“I can’t imagine we would get along too well,” Tamaki mumbled, and everything about these two omegas was starting to piss Katsuki off.

“Are you also a knight?” Katsuki asked, expecting an answer in the negative. From what he had seen of omegas born and raised in Adria, they were capable of being just as fearsome and confident as alphas. This omega, however, was a carbon-copy of Izuku after he had first presented and started taking propriety courses.

Amajiki was confused at the question, since he figured it would be obvious that he was, but soon realized what the prince was implying. Feeling incredibly offended, he huffed. “Yes, I am. I have been fighting my entire life.”

The prince raised an eyebrow disbelievingly just as Eijirou spoke up. “Tamaki-san is an amazing fighter! He may seem unsuspecting at first, but his skills are nearly unrivalled. His father actually taught me how to use a sword when I was younger. I really look up to both of them! Hopefully, you two will come to get along.”

Katsuki bristled, unreasonably jealous at all the praise Eijirou was dishing out for this other omega. “I doubt it,” he bit out, trying to contain his sudden anger. He felt slightly bad when the wide grin Eijirou had on his face completely disappeared.

Monoma began chuckling to himself, drawing everyone's attention to him. “Oh, my. Don’t tell me the future queen is jealous of a knight. Could you be fearing that Eijirou will fall for Amajiki-san and leave you all alone?”

Everyone was understandably shocked and outraged by his words, Mirio and Eijirou especially. Mirio took a menacing step forward, grabbing Monoma by the neck in a near-crushing grip. “Are you trying to say my omega would ever leave me?” he growled.

Katsuki was reminded of Hanta putting Ochako into a chokehold when Monoma’s face began turning a concerning purple. Katsuki would be lying if he said he felt any sympathy for the man. Tamaki pulled on the arm that was gripping the beta but Mirio refused to release his hold. “I wouldn’t, Mirio, so it’s okay. You know that. Please. Let him go, Mirio, stop!”

“Toogata-san,” Eijirou said, and Mirio quickly released the other knight. Tamaki poked him hard in the side, complaining that he listened to Eijirou but not him. Mirio looked properly chastised but when he looked back at Monoma gasping for air on the ground, his glare returned. Eijirou sighed loudly, running a hand through his hair. “Monoma, what the fuck?”

Monoma looked up at the prince from the ground. “I haven’t said anything different from Kaminari, so why am I the bad guy right now?”

“You implied either me or Tamaki-san would be unfaithful to our mates!”

“It was just a joke,” Monoma huffed haughtily. “Besides, you’ve never had a shortage of lovers before.”

Katsuki turned to Eijirou in surprise, nearly looking him in the eye before remembering himself. “Is that true, Eijirou-sama?” he could not help but ask.

Eijirou flushed hotly at being called out in front of the last person he wanted to know about his promiscuous past. “Well, yes, but I would never be unfaithful to my mate!”

“Yeah, Eijirou is a total hopeless-romantic, so you won’t ever have to worry about him cheating on you,” Mina added.

“I was not worried about that,” Katsuki denied.

No one seemed inclined to believe him since Tokoyami said, “It definitely seemed like you were plagued by dark thoughts of Eijirou-sama’s unfaithfulness in the aftermath of your mating.”

Katsuki gave the beta a weird look but Ochako stepped in front of the omega, giving the round of knights a fierce death stare. “That is enough. You will all cease harassing Katsuki-sama this instant.”

“Uraraka-san, they don’t mean any harm,” Eijirou said from next to Katsuki.

“I also do not need you to protect me from everything,” Katsuki admonished, thoroughly fed up with this situation.

Ochako looked like she had just been slapped. “But, Katsuki-sama—”

“Stand down,” he commanded, his voice unusually steely—at least to the Adrians. Ochako, albeit dejectedly, moved out of the way. “You will not speak for me again, do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Everyone looked marginally impressed by the prince's sudden show of authority, but Denki was uninterested in his change of attitude. He rolled his eyes and walked away from the group without comment, strolling towards the entrance of the training grounds. Katsuki watched him go before turning to Eijirou.

“Eijirou-sama, I would like to speak with Denki-san. May I?” he asked in an ironic display of deference after his exchange with Ochako a moment ago.

Eijirou sighed to himself. “You don’t have to ask, Katsuki. You’re free to talk to whoever you want and go wherever you wish.”

Except back home, of course. Not that I really wish to go back home at this point, Katsuki thought. “Thank you,” he said before jogging to catch up to the other omega.

He called Denki’s name, but he was unsurprisingly ignored. After calling his name again, the other blond finally turned to him in annoyance. “What could you possibly want?”

Katsuki took a deep breath, steeling himself. He did not approve of the way a simple knight was speaking to him so rudely, but it was painfully clear that royal blood did not garner respect without some kind of showing for it. He would just have to earn it. “I know why you hate me so much,” Katsuki began, stunning the other. Denki had not been expecting to be confronted by the prince himself. “I have no doubts that I am unfit to be a queen, but I promise to be a good mate for Eijirou-sama.”

Denki was momentarily caught off guard, but he quickly grew annoyed again. “Words won’t be enough to convince anyone of anything. You should understand by now that only your actions will change anyone’s mind.”

Katsuki fell silent, and Denki thought that was the end of the conversation. He tried to walk away again, but Katsuki stopped him again. “It is obvious see that Eijirou-sama’s happiness is even more important to you than your people’s.”

Denki huffed with offense, thinking that Katsuki was judging him. “And all you care about is maintaining the alliance between our kingdoms. You don’t care about Adria or Eijirou, so don’t pretend that you do.”

Katsuki hesitated slightly. “That is mostly true,” he admitted. “But Eijirou-sama is the only alpha who has ever been kind to me without demanding anything in return. I do not want to disappoint him, regardless of the alliance.”

Denki didn’t know what to say to that, so he just asked, “Why do you even care so much about what I think of you? I’m just some knight to you.”

“Eijirou-sama cares about you, and I want the people Eijirou-sama cares for to not hate me.” Denki was absolutely astonished.

“Good luck with that,” he said before walking away, leaving Katsuki standing alone. The prince could not gather whether he had been sincere or sarcastic when he said that.

Eijirou suddenly appeared right behind the omega as Denki disappeared inside. “Are you alright, Katsuki?”

“I am more than alright,” he answered, and Eijirou decided not to ask what the two were talking about. He is no less curious. Eijirou then led them back over to the other knights, and if Katsuki stood a little closer than he would have before, neither felt the need to comment on it.

“Have you ever been horseback riding?” Eijirou asked Katsuki as they approached the stable. They had left the training grounds a while ago, although Katsuki actually enjoyed seeing the various bouts between the knights. He especially liked witnessing Kendou wipe the floor with Monoma to the cheers of the others. Honestly, the blond could not decipher whether they were just teasing the beta or if they truly did not like him. It kind of felt like a bit of both.

Afterwards, Eijirou had asked if he wanted to do something else, and Katsuki said he would rather remain outdoors. Eijirou adopted a boyishly excited look on his face before nearly sprinting towards the stable. Katsuki actually had to jog at points to keep up with the alpha and his much longer strides.

“No, I have not. Although my parents owned horses, I was still too small to ride them. And then I was rarely allowed to go outside after…” Katsuki trailed off, not needing to finish for Eijirou to understand.

“Right,” Eijirou said a little awkwardly. “Well, there’s a first time for everything! You can even have your own steed, if you’d like.”

Katsuki looked positively overjoyed at that. “Can I name it?” he asked, his eyes lighting up in excitement. He was almost like a child being told they could have cake for dinner.

“Well, actually, most of our horses are already named…” Katsuki’s face fell and Eijirou felt like a complete asshole. “But you can still give them a nickname or something! They don’t really respond to their names anyway!”

“It does not matter,” Katsuki said, putting up a front. “I could not care less about some stupid horse, anyway.”

Eijirou gave a startled laughed, surprising Katsuki enough that he stopped walking. Eijirou noticed after a few steps and turned to him. “What’s wrong?”

Katsuki colored slightly. “N-Nothing, Eijirou-sama. I was just surprised to hear you laugh.” And that I would like the sound of it so much.

Eijirou pondered that for a moment. “Yeah, I guess I haven’t laughed in a while.” Katsuki could relate to that. “I’ve yet to hear you laugh either, Katsuki.”

“I am not really one for laughing.” And that was putting it lightly. Katsuki did not find many things funny, and even if he did, the most he ever gave was an unattractive snort. The only people who have ever succeeded in making him laugh were Izuku and his father, and both instances had been many years ago.

Eijirou hummed thoughtfully. “Well then, I guess I just have to make it my life’s mission to make you laugh,” he said with a smile.

Katsuki shook his head. “With all due respect, Eijirou-sama, I do not believe you will succeed in that.”

“That’s a shame,” Eijirou said, actually sounding a bit disappointed. “I imagine you have a very cute laugh.”

Katsuki choked, staring ahead with wide eyes. He would not look up to see either a teasing or sincere gaze from the alpha. He didn’t know which one would be worse. “I do not! I have actually been told that it is quite…ugly.”

“I definitely don’t believe that. Your laugh must be just as cute as the rest of you,” Eijirou said surely. Both princes froze once they realized what Eijirou just said.

With a fast beating heart, Katsuki asked, “You find me cute?”

“Um,” Eijirou began, looking around for some way out of this situation he stupidly put himself in. He really didn’t mean to say that out loud. “Yes, I find you very cute, Katsuki.”

“Oh.” Katsuki fidgeted with his necklace nervously. How was he expected to respond to that? And why did receiving a compliment from Eijirou feel so different from all of the other compliments he had received from any other alpha before? “Th-Thank you, alpha.”

Eijirou held back a sigh at being called “alpha” again. “Katsuki, I told you that you don’t have to call—” He stopped short at the sight of Katsuki’s beautifully flushed face. Even though his head was slightly downturned, it was clear that he was red from his head down to his neck. Eijirou couldn’t help but wonder if it went down even further than that.

Eijirou shook his head to clear it of any more inappropriate thoughts about the omega. Honestly, he was behaving like some kind of hormonal teenager. Sure, Katsuki was the most beautiful person he had ever seen, and he was going to be his mate in no later than a month’s time but still.

The alpha decided to change the subject. “That’s a beautiful necklace you have on, Katsuki.”

Katsuki snatched his hand away from the gold chain, his face turning guarded. “It was a gift from my father,” he said in monotone. Eijirou couldn’t help but think that was a strangely strong reaction, and he wondered what caused it.

“Ah, King Bakugou Masaru, right? I would have liked to meet your parents.”

“You would not have liked them,” Katsuki said surely. “You are kind and brave. My mother is cruel, and my father is a coward.”

Eijirou did not know what part of that to comment on so he left it alone. “Do you miss them? Or your home?” he asked instead. It felt like an obvious question; of course Katsuki missed his home. Still, Eijirou wanted to hear it from the prince’s mouth.

Katsuki appeared to be torn, as if the answer was lost to him as well. “I cannot tell you. It is where I grew up, and therefore all I know, but I was a prisoner within those palace walls and a disappointment to my people. They could not wait for me to be given away, and that knowledge made it difficult to ever truly feel at home.”

“Your parents wanted you gone?” Eijirou asked incredulously.

“The entire kingdom, including myself, had hoped I would be an alpha like my mother. When I presented, the only purpose I could serve to my people was becoming someone’s omega. Preferably, the omega of a foreign alpha prince.”

“Like me,” Eijirou mumbled, filling in the blank and hating their situation even more. “It seems that both of our parents arranged this alliance without our consent.”

“Yes,” Katsuki agreed. “Had I been given any choice, I would still be in Tulia preparing to become king.” Katsuki saw Eijirou smiling to himself from the corner of his eye and felt a burst of anger. “I know that omegas are not kings, but I know I would be a great king and change Tulia for the better.”

Eijirou nodded. “I agree. I’m not quite sure why anyone would believe omegas could not be kings, but I can imagine you would be a marvelous king.”

Katsuki bit his lip, unsure if he could trust what the alpha was saying. “You know nothing about me. How can you even say that? You yourself do not think I would be a good queen.”

“Perhaps not an Adrian queen. Not yet. You hold back, but I can tell that you are not as meek and pliant as you pretend to be. There are times when I think I see the real you.”

“And what do you think the ‘real me’ is like, Eijirou-sama?” Katsuki questioned, partially curious but mostly afraid to hear the answer.

“Strong, determined, intelligent, selfless, and maybe just a bit high-maintenance,” Eijirou replied instantly, winking at the end. He then shrugged as if he had not just blown Katsuki’s mind. “But then, that may just be me projecting my fantasy mate onto you.”

“You imagined your future mate to be high-maintenance?”

Eijirou chuckled, shaking his head. “No, that’s more like an updated version of my dream mate,” he said, gazing down at Katsuki meaningfully.

Katsuki was stuck between bristling with offense and blushing with embarrassment. “I am not high-maintenance!”

“You expected someone to bathe and dress you,” Eijirou reminded.

“That is commonplace for royalty in many kingdoms! Your people are just strange.”

“Our people,” Eijirou corrected cheekily. “At least, soon enough.”

Katsuki looked down at his feet. “Do you really not mind that you must marry me? Did you not wish to fall in love?”

“Who says that I can’t still fall in love?” Eijirou countered.

Katsuki’s eyes widened, and when he looked up into Eijirou soft gaze, he could feel his heart constrict. Maybe, just maybe, it could be possible.

As Katsuki always did when he didn’t know how to handle his emotions, he deflected. “Were we not going to the stable?”

Eijirou grinned. “You really are cute, Katsuki,” he chuckled absentmindedly before starting to walk again. Katsuki followed after a moment’s hesitation, picking up the pace to walk beside the alpha rather than behind him.

The first thing Katsuki took notice of when nearing the stable was the smell. Granted, he should have expected the less than pleasant odor, but the fact seemed to have been lost to him in his excitement to ride the horses. He could not imagine spending all of his days here if this stench was a constant.

A man was grooming one of the ponies when they approached, looking up with a shy smile when Eijirou called out to him. “Hello, Kouda-san. I want you to meet Prince Bakugou Katsuki.” Kouda raised his hand in a little wave which Katsuki returned a little awkwardly. “Katsuki, this is Kouda Koji, our stable boy.”

“Hello,” Katsuki greeted. Kouda nodded his head with a little nervous smile.

“He’s a bit shy, so he doesn’t speak much,” Eijirou explained.

“I gathered that much,” Katsuki muttered.

“Kouda, Katsuki would like to learn how to ride a horse,” Eijirou said. Kouda nodded in understanding, giving the horse he was grooming one last pat before getting to his feet. He and Eijirou walked further into the stable while Katsuki loitered at the front unsurely. Katsuki looked to his right where a horse was laying on the ground, staring up at him with its large eyes. Katsuki could guess from the look in its eye that it did not welcome having its space invaded, but Katsuki was no coward. The blond walked over to the gate, placing his hands on top of it and leaning over to get a closer look at the majestic beast. The horse raised its head and studied the omega. Feeling daring, Katsuki met the animal’s gaze and placed a hand out. The two got into a tense staring contest—or at least Katsuki saw it as such—before the horse inquisitively sniffed at the blond’s outstretched hand.

“Hello,” Katsuki said happily, instantly feeling like an idiot for talking to an animal who could not understand him. Still, the horse got up to its feet, its full height much greater than Katsuki anticipated. It moved towards Katsuki, only stopped by the gate and Katsuki leaned back, unsure of the beast’s next move.

“Katsuki,” Eijirou was suddenly saying into his ear, causing Katsuki to gasp loudly and jump nearly a foot in the air. He turned to glare at the alpha once he got his heartrate under control.

“Will you stop sneaking up on me like that?” he hissed.

Eijirou chuckled. “Maybe I should add ‘demanding’ to the list.”

Katsuki huffed, placing his hands on his hips. “I have no idea what you are talking about. Now, was there something you wanted to say, Eijirou-sama?”

“I was wondering of you wanted to have a picnic while we’re out riding.”

Katsuki easily agreed, since he was quite hungry. “What will the cooks be making for us?” he asked.

“I will be hunting for our food,” the redhead answered. Katsuki seemed put off by the idea but did not protest. As long as he would not have to hunt for it himself he did not care who did.

Eijirou planned to show off his skills for the omega in hopes of impressing him, even though Katsuki was already destined to be his mate and therefore there was no real need for courting him. Still, Eijirou was romantic at heart, and he wanted Katsuki to accept him as a mate rather than tolerate him. And the first, and arguably most important, step of courting was to attract your potential mate’s attention with a show of skill, strength, or intellect.

Eijirou left to go retrieve his hunting longbow from his chamber, leaving Katsuki alone with the silent Kouda and less quiet horses. Katsuki turned back to the horse he had greeted earlier, getting an idea that he is not quite sure of but tempted to try anyway.

“I would like to groom this horse,” he stated. The beta stopped what he was doing to walk over to the prince. “Show me how.”

The stable boy looked uncertain but followed his instructions. He silently handed Katsuki the necessary equipment, before demonstrating with his own brush. Katsuki watched as the beta brush the horse in short, flicking motions, starting at its neck and moving down to its tail. He then gestured for Katsuki to do the same, and Katsuki tried his best to follow the motions. Katsuki ran his hand along the horse’s body, marveling at how it was both smooth and rough. The omega smiled to himself when the animal turned its long neck to nuzzle Katsuki’s face. Katsuki pet its snout before moving to its other side to continue his grooming.

“What is its name?” the prince asked after a few minutes of brushing.

“Her name is Ivy,“ Kouda said, speaking for the first time. Katsuki was actually surprised to hear his soft voice but did not dwell on it for long.

“That name does not seem fitting for a horse as formidable as this one,” he said. Before Kouda could even think to ask, Katsuki continued, “I can tell this creature is not to be trifled with. I would like to have her as my own.” Kouda gave him a happy smile, pleased that Katsuki had taken a liking to the animal. The omega remembered that Eijirou told him he could give a name to any horse he wanted to. “Her new name will be Queen Murder.”

A loud snort from behind the two made them turn their heads. Eijirou was standing with his longbow in hand and an amused grin on his face. “I see you’ve taken a liking to Ivy, and she seems to have taken a liking to you as well. Kouda, would you get her ready?”

Kouda gathered the grooming supplies and hurried over to the tack room where they stored the riding equipment. “Why would she not like me?” Katsuki asked.

Eijirou rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, any other time someone other than Kouda-san even so much as approaches Ivy, she tries to chew their head off. And that is not an exaggeration. I’m amazed that she allowed you to brush her.”

Katsuki shrugged as if he wasn’t extremely happy to hear that. “Perhaps, I am just special,” he said, running a hand through Ivy’s mane.

“You are,” Eijirou agreed and, yeah, Katsuki was starting to turn red again. “If you like Ivy—”

“Queen Murder,” Katsuki corrected, and Eijirou felt proud of himself for not laughing in his face. He really was adorable.

He decided to entertain the blond. “Right. If you really like Queen Murder, then she can be your horse. That is if she actually lets you ride her.”

Katsuki was instantly excited at the prospect of riding her and the slight challenge in the alpha’s words. “Is she ready?” he asked Kouda who nodded his head. Queen Murder now had on a saddle and headgear. “Great! Do you need help getting on?” he asked Katsuki.

“No, thank you,” Katsuki said, walking over to Queen Murder and grabbing her by the reins. She walked forward a few steps, and Katsuki startled enough to release his hold and jump back.

“It’s alright, Katsuki,” Eijirou reassured him. “Just keep a firm hold on the reins—those straps you were holding—as you climb on. Even if she moves a bit, you won’t fall.” He hoped. “Place your left foot on the stirrup—that foothold hanging from the saddle—and lift yourself up and over. Then, slowly sink down onto the saddle and adjust your position until your most comfortable. Your thighs will still hurt like crazy once you dismount though, since riding for a long time can be uncomfortable no matter what.”

Katsuki nodded in understanding but still struggled slightly to mount the animal as his foot nearly slipped on the stirrup. Eijirou and Kouda watched the stubborn omega with amusement and unease respectively. Katsuki finally sat atop the steed and grinned victoriously down at the two. Eijirou thought to himself that he may be falling in love, but then he remembered Denki’s words from days before and his mood soured. Katsuki took notice of his change in mood and instantly hated the alpha looking unhappy.

Kouda checked that Katsuki was properly secured as Eijirou retrieved and mounted his own horse. “His name is Riot,” he told Katsuki when he saw his curious gaze. Riot was much larger than Queen Murder, but Katsuki figured that was due to Riot being male and a different breed. “Follow close behind me, okay? We’ll start off slow, so you can get used to riding,” Eijirou said before his face turned blank. Katsuki and Kouda both looked to him in question.

“Eijirou-sama, is something wrong?” Katsuki asked. Eijirou shook his head.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go,” he said, his face suspiciously pink. Katsuki frowned in confusion but said nothing, following Eijirou out of the stable on his new horse.

As they travelled towards the woods in the distance, Eijirou filled the silence. “Most people don’t know that Adria’s territory stretches far past our towns. The dense woods surrounding all parts of our kingdom belong to us as well. In fact, many of us will hunt in these woods so don’t be surprised if you see someone,” Eijirou told him. “I used to climb the tallest trees I could find when I was a boy, and I have some scars to show for my efforts,” he laughed.

“Tulia has very large woods as well, although they are not as dense as these. Izuku, Uraraka, and I would sneak off into the woods and see who could stay hidden from the others the longest. When I was young, we did many fun things together,” Katsuki shared, smiling sadly. Although it pained Eijirou to see the omega so sullen, he was pleased that Katsuki was willing to share things about himself without prompting.

“You’re speaking a lot more today,” Eijirou said. Katsuki’s face fell and Eijirou knew he was about to apologize, assuming he was being reprimanded by the alpha. “I like hearing you speak, Katsuki. So, please, don’t apologize.”

Katsuki grew embarrassed again. “You are much different from what I had been expecting, Eijirou-sama.”

“Different from a ‘violent barbarian with no sense of decency’?” he guessed. Katsuki was both surprised and ashamed at the accuracy. “Many foreigners assume the worst of Adrian people, thinking that because fighting is our greatest strength that it is all we know,” Eijirou lamented.

Eventually, Eijirou pulled Riot to a stop in a wide, open area filled with shrubbery and flowers while Katsuki struggled to make his own horse stop as well. He managed after a few minutes and Eijirou gave him a proud grin in return. Katsuki could feel butterflies come alive in his stomach. They both dismounted their horses—which Katsuki found significantly easier than mounting her—and sat on the ground side by side. Eijirou subtly shifted closer than what could be considered casual, and even though Katsuki was aware of this, he did not move away.

“So, I’ve been wondering about something,” Eijirou began after a few long, peaceful moments of silence. Katsuki turned to him in question. “Why do you wear gloves all the time?”

Katsuki glanced down at his gloved hands. Today, he was wearing his favorite pair of black, velvet gloves. They had been gifted to him by his mother when he was twelve, only days before he presented. They were a bit tight on his slightly larger hands, but Katsuki still cherished them despite that.

“For my people, hands are sacred. We are expected to properly maintain our hands and nails at all times. If one were to have unsightly, filthy, or damaged hands, it would be deemed as a sign of indolence or impurity. People seen with hands as such are ridiculed and shunned by others, often resulting in banishment from many establishments and even their homes. If someone of the royal family failed to maintain their hands, they may suffer punishment or dishonor and loss of loyalty from our people.”

“Wow, it’s that dire?” Eijirou asked, honestly fascinated by this knowledge. Katsuki nodded gravely.

He continued, “Holding hands, kissing another’s hand, stroking another’s hand, and simply being touched by another’s hand is seen as highly intimate and is done only in private or romantic settings. Otherwise, it is seen as indecent, even above acts such as k-kissing or lo-love making.” Eijirou smirked internally at Katsuki’s stuttering; he really was far too innocent for the way he looked. Katsuki discreetly cleared his throat. “Family members rarely touch—unless it is between a parent and a child under the age of twelve—and when they do it is also done in private settings.”

“But doesn’t it get lonely to never be able to touch someone? To not even hug?” Eijirou wondered aloud, not really needing an answer. He could only imagine how crazy such a stilted life would drive him. “Aren’t you and Midoriya-san close? Do you two never touch?”

Katsuki flushed hotly, thinking back to all the times Izuku had laid his head on his shoulder or Katsuki had leaned against him in the library as they read in secret. He was grateful his mother had never caught them in such acts for they would have received much more severe punishments. “Well…”

Eijirou’s eyebrows shot up at his reaction, his mouth falling open. “Oh, so you two have that kind of relationship?”

Katsuki titled his head in confusion. “What ‘kind of relationship’?”

“You know,” Eijirou said and Katsuki really did not. “Lovers,” he clarified.

“Oh!” Katsuki gasped. “We are both omegas, Eijirou-sama!”

“Uh, yeah, I know,” Eijirou said, definitely not thinking about Katsuki and Izuku and all kinds of things two omegas could do to each other. “But you got all red—which was really cute by the way—when I asked if you two ever touched each other.”

Katsuki ignored the cute comment and how warm it made him feel. “We have touched other, but never with our hands! And I was only embarrassed because it is still considered improper even though we are childhood friends.”

“Never with your hands? So, like kissing?”

“What? No! Eijirou-sama, please, do not be so crass!”

“How is that crass? There is nothing wrong with kissing.”

“But it should only be done between lovers. Izuku and I would never be lovers since we are both omegas!”

“Ah,” Eijirou said, finally understanding the omega’s outrage. It figured Tulians would have that kind of outlook on relationships. Still, he wondered. “Would you ever want to be lovers with Midoriya-san?”

“Not in a million years,” Katsuki replied without hesitation. Eijirou was admittedly relieved to hear that. “That beta from before said that you have had many lovers in the past.”

Eijirou figured he was talking about Monoma. “Well, yes. Although, most of my trysts were just for fun.”

Katsuki frowned disapprovingly. “You did not intend to mate with them?”

“No, I wanted to find the right person for that, but I took too long it seems,” he said, looking over at the blond. “Oh, are you judging me, Katsuki?”

Katsuki flinched slightly. “Of course not, Eijirou-sama. I just had not expected something like that of you.”

Eijirou smirked in amusement. “Ah, you’re definitely judging me. What if I told you some of them were alphas?”

Katsuki blanched. “But how is that even—? If you are both alphas then—? Which one of you would—?” Eijirou’s smirk widened with each unfinished question. The omega huffed in indignation. He was being teased. “Forget it. I do not want to know about your distasteful past.”

“Oh, that hurts, Katsuki,” Eijirou chuckled, not the last bit offended. “Well, what about you?”

Katsuki blinked. “Me?”

“Yes, have you ever been with anyone?” Eijirou figured he already knew the answer, but he really wanted to hear Katsuki say it himself. “Surely, a prince like yourself would have many partners to choose from.”

Katsuki was clearly offended by the question. “An omega should never sleep with someone besides their mate.”

Although the alpha had been expecting a response like that, he was still a bit shocked to hear it. How could someone as beautiful as Katsuki be untouched? Would Eijirou really be lucky enough to be his first everything? Still, the alpha was disappointed that he would not even be able to hold hands with the omega until they were married. It was almost like fate was teasing him; putting such a tempting and interesting omega in front of him who he could not dare to touch. Would Katsuki even desire Eijirou’s touch when the time came?

Ignorant to Eijirou’s internal struggle, Katsuki continued. “I was never interested in any of the alpha royals or nobles who would come to the castle to try and appeal to my mother in hopes of gaining her favor. They only saw me as a prize to win or a tool to use to gain power. Not that it mattered in the end, since I was still given away.”

Eijirou bit his lip, unsure of his next question and whether it would be crossing the line to ask. He decided to risk it; he was far too curious. “Are you interested in me, Katsuki?”

Katsuki reared back and turned his head to the side. “Wh-What does that matter?” Eijirou opened his mouth to tell him just why it mattered, but Katsuki plowed on before he could. “I would like to eat now. I am feeling quite hungry after the long ride,” he said, only partially untruthful.

Eijirou was visibly disappointed at first, but then he remembered what he came out here to do—besides spend time alone with Katsuki, of course. He grabbed his longbow from where it was strapped to Riot before he ran off into the thick of the woods.

Katsuki sat alone for a few minutes until he grew bored. He moved to sit by a nearby stream and took off his glove, dipping his fingers into the cool water and watching as the fish avoided his touch. The sight of the many fish made Katsuki wonder why Eijirou did not just catch some fish for them to eat, but before he could think of a reason, Eijirou emerged from the woods with a dead deer thrown over his shoulders and a wide grin on his face.

Katsuki jumped to his feet in shock and stumbled back, his shoes getting wet in the stream. Eijirou quickly tried to calm him, dropping the carcass unceremoniously to the ground as he approached the blond. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Completely out of politeness and not at all out of any desire to, Katsuki asked if he could help with preparing the meal. Eijirou’s eyes turned thunderous and he snapped, “No! I hunted it for you, so I will cook it for you.”

Katsuki was startled once again by the show of aggression. He couldn’t help but be reminded of the stories his mother would tell him when she still expected him to present as an alpha. She told him tales of primitive alphas courting omegas by hunting food for them rather than simply giving them gifts like “civilized” people did nowadays. Katsuki doubted that was what Eijirou was doing, since there was no need to court an omega that was already set to become yours, so he chalked it up to Eijirou just being prideful or something.

Eijirou began skinning the deer with a hunting knife while Katsuki looked away in disgust. He told Eijirou that he would go gather some firewood in the meantime, and Eijirou told him not to go far. Katsuki rolled his eyes to himself but dutifully stayed close to where the alpha was, making sure he could always see him in the distance. Katsuki returned shortly with an armful of small logs and twigs, hoping that it would suffice and he would not just look foolish.

Eijirou looked pleased with his work when he spotted him and said in a low, husky voice, “Good omega.”

Katsuki abruptly dropped the firewood, but Eijirou didn’t seem to mind as he got up to retrieve them. He began putting a firepit together while Katsuki watched, barely breathing. He could easily remember all the times his mother had said those same two words to him and it made his blood boil, but hearing Eijirou call him a “good omega” only made Katsuki want to do more things for him so he could hear it again.

Eijirou had to resist smirking lest he signal to Katsuki that he was doing this intentionally. He hadn’t been sure until now, but Katsuki enjoyed being complimented. Like, really enjoyed it. Specifically by him, it seemed. Eijirou suspected it may have to do with how few compliments he received as he was growing up.

Of course, the compliments he had given Katsuki so far had been completely sincere, but he would be a liar if he claimed to not have purposefully dished them out more frequently to elicit a reaction in the closed-off omega. He was pleasantly surprised with how well Katsuki reacted to being addressed as “omega,” and Eijirou honestly hadn’t even meant to say it. Most omegas he knew didn’t like it; Denki and Tamaki only sometimes let their own alphas get away with it.

“Thank you, alpha,” Katsuki practically whispered, his cheeks pinker than when he had been wearing make-up the day before. Eijirou noticed that he said it in the same manner he had before when Eijirou had first called him cute. It seemed that had been Katsuki’s inner omega speaking rather than Katsuki himself. Interesting.

While the deer was cooking, Eijirou decided to find out more about Katsuki’s homeland. He washed his bloody hands in the stream after noticing Katsuki’s not-so-subtle looks at them, before plotting down next to the omega once again. “What are Tulian knights like?” he asked. He already knew some things from what Denki had told him about their own trip to Tulia, but Eijirou wanted to know more than what was on the surface.

“They are nothing like the knights of this kingdom,” Katsuki replied. “To begin with, Tulian knights are almost exclusively alphas. In rare cases, betas like Uraraka will be deemed worthy enough to join the Royal Guard.” Katsuki had a proud little smile sprouting on his face at the thought of the woman, and Eijirou wondered if there was maybe something there instead of with Izuku as he originally suspected. He scrapped that thought quickly however, doubting that Katsuki would even entertain the thought of an affair with a knight.

“Do omegas ever learn to fight in your kingdom?” he questioned. Katsuki loudly scoffed and that was answer enough for Eijirou. “Did you ever learn how to fight before presenting? I mean, everyone expected you to be an alpha, right?”

Katsuki adopted a far-away look on his face. “Yes. Uraraka, Izuku, and I would often spar together in hand-to-hand and practice swordplay under the watchful eye of my mother, who was a fearsome swordswoman when she was young. That all ended when Izuku and I presented as omegas,” he answered. “Izuku dreamt of being my most trusted knight and righthand, but that dream was crushed along with my own dream of becoming king.”

Eijirou could not help but feel for the two omegas. He felt partially responsible for the tragedies that have befallen them since this alliance was formed, and he wished he could erase their pain. “You mentioned before that you wanted to change things when you became king. What would you change exactly?”

“Practically everything,” Katsuki said. “I would change my knigdom’s treatment of omegas, their disregard of the lower-class’ struggles, their refusal to cooperate with outsiders, and so much more. I hated the way my people were treated, even non-omegas. And Tulia’s insistence on secluding themselves is a poor way to maintain allies. If you cannot put your trust in them, how can they hope to put their trust in you? One day, when they need a helping hand, no one will be willing to reach out to them.”

Eijirou agreed wholeheartedly. “You’re amazing, Katsuki. You’re so caring and insightful,” he commended and as he hoped, the omega bit his lip to hold back a pleased smile. Eijirou wanted to pat himself on the back. “Do you know how to use any weapons other than a sword?”

Katsuki shook his head no. “Tulian royalty typically only learn how to use a sword in case they ever need to defend themselves, while knights learn a range of combat styles. Since they will be the ones doing all of the fighting in most cases, it only makes sense.” Eijirou was not so sure, but then again, all Adrians were expected to fight so he may be biased.

“Do you want to learn how to use a longbow, Katsuki?”

Katsuki hesitated, since he had never seen someone use one, so Eijirou got up to demonstrate. He searched for a target and spotted a rabbit. He quickly nocked his arrow, took aim, and fired. Katsuki watched transfixed. He didn’t even see the arrow land since he had been too busy watching the way the muscles Eijirou’s arms and back contracted and relaxed with each movement. Eijirou went to retrieve the rabbit, unaware of Katsuki’s enraptured gaze, making a mental note to have Satou prepare that rabbit soup he liked so Katsuki could try it later.

When he returned to the omega, Katsuki had schooled his expression into one of calm indifference. “Now, I’ll do it again and explain what I’m doing,” Eijirou said.

“No need,” Katsuki confidently replied and practically snatched the bow from his hands, but Eijirou only laughed at his clear excitement. Eijirou snickered to himself when Katsuki held the bow incorrectly, and Katsuki’s temper flared at being mocked but Eijirou only offered to help. He reached out to rearrange Katsuki’s hands but stopped just short of touching the blond. Katsuki was both surprised and appreciative of his show of restraint.

Eijirou gestured for Katsuki to hand him the longbow, which Katsuki did. Eijirou took a stance slightly different from the one he had before. “This stance is better suited for beginners, so I recommend you use this. You keep your feet shoulder-width apart and parallel like this, with your shoulders perpendicular to the target. Let’s imagine for the moment that the tree in front of me is my target, okay?” Katsuki nodded and Eijirou smiled back at him.

“Good. Now, having the right grip is very important. You use your non-dominant hand and hold it upright towards the target. Obviously. What you want to do next is nock your arrow. You want to place the arrow’s shaft on the rest of your bow—this part right here,” he said, running his hand across the long, curved part of the bow. “Like this. Then, you place the end of the arrow on the bow string. Try to keep it as straight at possible or your trajectory will be off. Raise your arms until they’re shoulder height, and then draw back the bow string until it hits your nose. That’s what I do, at least. And then…”

Katsuki watched this time as the arrow zipped through the air and hit the tree dead center. Katsuki wondered just how good the alpha’s aim was and how inferior his own would likely be. “I would like to try again,” he said feeling especially determined.

Eijirou grinned and happily handed over the longbow. He walked to the tree and yanked the arrow from its trunk before pulling a dagger from his belt and carving a crude target into the bark. Katsuki briefly wondered just how many weapons the redhead kept on his person at all times. Eijirou jogged back over to the omega and handed him the arrow. “Ready to impress me, Katsuki?”

“Is that what you were doing, Eijirou-sama? Trying to impress me?” he questioned coyly, perfectly copying the stance Eijirou had showed him.

Eijirou only smirked. “Did it work?”

Katsuki opted to stay silent since they both knew the answer to that. The blond nocked the arrow and took aim with a few slight corrections from Eijirou before he released the arrow. It hit the target but right at the very edge of the circle.

Eijirou clapped, grinning widely. “That’s amazing, Katsuki!” The omega was happy with the praise but ultimately unsatisfied with the result.

Katsuki stomped his foot in frustration before going over to Riot and retrieving another arrow. The steed barely paid him any mind. The blond quickly resumed his position. “Not good enough,” he murmured before firing again. His next shot landed much closer to the center and Katsuki grinned victoriously, turning to Eijirou to see his reaction. The alpha was wearing a proud grin on his face. Katsuki began jumping up and down in his excitement, the longbow dropped carelessly to the ground and forgotten. “I did it, Eijirou-sama! Did you see how close it was to yours?”

“I did, and I’m impressed. You’re really amazing, Katsuki,” he said, reveling in the omega’s flushed face and genuine smile. He was dangerously close to throwing all reason to the wind and pulling the omega into a kiss. “Good job.”

Katsuki bit his lip again and that honestly did not help Eijirou’s problem at all. “Oh!” Katsuki suddenly exclaimed, picking up the longbow. “I dropped your bow. I apologize, Eijirou-sama.”

Eijirou waved away his concerns. “It’s fine. It’s durable and a little dirt won’t hurt it.” Eijirou walked over to the omega and took it out of his hands, being careful not to touch him. Eijirou looked down at the omega, his red eyes staring deeply into Katsuki’s own searching gaze. Eijirou squeezed the bow tightly, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. “Katsuki, I pray that you do not take this the wrong way, but I’m happy you came to Adria.”

Katsuki looked away and Eijirou’s heart sank. “Well, I am glad that I am to your liking, Eijirou-sama.”

Eijirou held back a sigh. What did he say wrong? “Come on, let’s eat.”

Chapter Text

“Wait, so let me get this straight,” Denki said from where he was sitting on his mate’s lap, his fingers rubbing small circles into his temples. He could feel a headache forming. “You’ve known the prince for literally two days, but you’re certain that you’re in love with him?”

Eijirou rubbed the back of his neck, averting his eyes from his friends’ judgmental gazes. “Well…”

“Oh, Ei,” Mina sighed.

“What exactly do you like about him? Besides his looks, I mean,” Hanta asked. “Because even I can admit that he’s gorgeous.”

“Oh, is he now?” Denki snipped, nudging his alpha in the stomach but giving him a small smile to let him know he wasn’t really jealous. “You think he’s prettier than me?”

“Oh, yeah, definitely. Like a million times prettier,” Hanta joked with a wide grin.

Mina rolled her eyes. “Will you two be quiet? Eijirou thinks he’s in love with a Tulian.”

“I never said that I was in love with him,” Eijirou defended. “I just said that I might be falling for him.”

“Are you sure you’re not just tricking yourself into believing that because you have to marry him?” Hanta questioned.

Eijirou thought about that for a moment, considering. “I don’t think so,” he said eventually. “I really enjoy spending time with him. There’s a lot more to him than just his looks and the fact that he’s Tulian. You guys could give him a chance.”

Denki huffed. “I think you’re just letting this whole situation cloud your judgement, Eijirou. He won’t make you happy.”

Eijirou frowned. “You don’t know that. I had a lot of fun with him yesterday.” He then smiled as he recalled their time together. “You should have seen how cute he was learning how to shoot an arrow.”

“You let him use your longbow?” Denki asked incredulously. Eijirou had received his longbow from his mentor, Toyomitsu Taishirou, when he presented and had never let another soul so much as touch it.

“Don’t look at me like that, Denki,” Eijirou grumbled. “It’s not like he never wanted to fight. He was just never able to after presenting. Imagine if omegas were treated so unfairly here, you would be much like he is.”

The omega scoffed loudly, “Whatever.” Hanta rubbed his shoulders comfortingly, whispering something in his ear that caused Denki to relax slightly.

“Maybe, what you’re feeling is lust rather than love,” Hanta suggested. “Once you have sex with him, you’ll realize that’s all it is. That’s what happened with me and Denki.”

Denki punched him hard in the arm, and the alpha hissed in pain. “That was not funny.” Hanta grinned, not the least bit apologetic.

“It’s not just ‘lust,’ Hanta. I mean, obviously, I want to have sex with him, but there’s more to it than that. I want to see him smile, make him laugh, teach him how to fight, and watch him grow into a true Adrian warrior.” Eijirou’s eyes softened as he thought of the memories he could make with Katsuki. “Fuck, I even want to hold his hand. I’ve never wanted to hold someone’s hand so badly before.”

“That’s like going all the way for a Tulian, yeah?” Mina snickered, Hanta joining in after a moment.

“It’s definitely a lot more meaningful than it is for us,” Eijirou said, disregarding their teasing. He then sighed, “I don’t know. He probably doesn’t even like me. I’m just the alpha who’s responsible for tearing him away from his home.”

Mina leaned forward, placing a comforting hand on his cheek. “Don’t do that to yourself, Ei. You had just as much of a choice in this as he did, and I’m sure he understands that. And if he doesn’t, then he’s an idiot.”

“He’s not an idiot,” Eijirou quickly defended. “You should hear how he speaks, he’s really smart. I can tell. And he has such a nice voice, too. And he does this cute little thing where he plays with the fingers of his gloves when he gets embarrassed—”

“Holy shit,” Hanta cut in, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You’re really smitten.”

Eijirou, crowned prince of Adria, the Land of Warriors, found himself blushing. “Yeah. I think I am.”

“So, do you like Prince Kirishima?” Izuku asked, his face buried in a book about archery. Katsuki had just finished telling him about his time spent with the prince the day before, and Izuku was amazed by both the fact that Eijirou taught him to shoot and Katsuki’s bashful smile throughout his recounting. He had spared his childhood friend the many questions he wanted to ask him, instead finding a few books to read. Now, he was at his limit.

Katsuki looked up from his own book about Adrian mating practices—that he just happened to pick up, honest—and sent a bewildered look towards the green haired omega. “What in the hell gave you that idea?”

Izuku raised a brow at the vulgarity. He had not heard Katsuki curse in a long while. The omega could feel a fond smile spread across his face. “Oh, I have no idea, Kacchan. Maybe the fact that you spent twenty minutes telling me about your date with the prince.”

“I did not!” Katsuki snapped in outrage. “And it was not a date!”

Izuku continued on as if he had not heard him. “And you were smiling so sweetly the entire time. It was cute.”

“Do not call me cute, Izuku.”

“Prince Kirishima called you cute,” Izuku retorted, smirking now. “You did not seem to mind then.”

“You were not there.”

“Oh, so you told him not to call you cute?” Izuku questioned. Katsuki said nothing, but his grip on the book he was holding tightened significantly. “I thought so.”

Katsuki glared at him, but his glare was slightly overpowered by his fierce blush. “Do not act so smug.”

“Well, do not act so embarrassed, Kacchan,” Izuku returned cheekily. “I think it is quite nice, actually. You deserve to find love.”

“I-I-I am not in love with him!” Katsuki shouted, standing from his seat and walking a few paces away.

Izuku held up his hands placatingly, fighting back a grin. It would be wrong to comment on his stuttering or make a joke about how Katsuki sounded just like he did when they were kids. “Okay, Kacchan. I believe you. I just meant that there is nothing wrong with falling in love with him.”

That didn’t seem to placate the blond at all. “I will not be ‘falling in love’ with Eijirou-sama. This is simply an arrangement that I have to suffer through in order to protect our people from Villiass. I have no feelings of any kind towards that alpha nor will I ever.”

“Kacchan,” Izuku began, sensing an impending rant.

“You know what alphas are like! My mother, the knights of the palace, your father.” Izuku frowned deeply and Katsuki noticed. He calmed slightly. “I should not have mentioned your father. That was…uncalled for. I am sorry.”

“You do not have to apologize, Kacchan. I understand your anger, and it is not like my father was a good man before he abandoned us. I mean he tried to—” Izuku cut himself off, his throat constricting and eyes filling with tears.

Katsuki walked over to him, placing his forehead against his. “I know. You do not have to say it, Izuku. Just breathe.” The blond waited until Izuku had gotten his breathing under control before speaking again. “You know just as well as I do that alphas cannot be trusted. That is a fact of life.”

Izuku rubbed his eyes to wipe away his tears. “It is unfair to assume that every alpha is like my father or your mother. Not every alpha is Tulian, Kacchan.”

“They are all the same nonetheless,” Katsuki insisted.

“Are all omegas the same, Kacchan?” Izuku challenged. “We sure are very different from each other. Kaminari-san is different from us. Why can Kirishima-sama not be different from other alphas?”

Katsuki stomped his foot. “Because he is not supposed to be different! He is supposed to be cruel and selfish and violent, but he has been nothing but kind, thoughtful, and patient with me! I hate it!”

The noble’s eyes were as wide as saucers at this point. “Why would you hate that?”

“I am not supposed to enjoy myself here. I should hate it. I should hate him, but I cannot! He should just be some stupid, random alpha that I am forced to marry rather than—” Katsuki stopped short, his breathing labored and his hands shaking as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Rather than what?” Izuku asked. Katsuki shook his head and began pacing back and forth. Izuku was starting to worry. “Kacchan, you need to calm down. It will be okay.”

“Be quiet,” Katsuki whispered, so low that Izuku was unable to make out what he said.

“You deserve to be happy, and if Kirishima-sama is the person who makes you happy then—”

“Shut up!” Katsuki snapped, taking Izuku by surprise. “If you say another word, I will fucking kill you,” he growled.

Izuku only smiled fondly, as if his life had not just been threatened. “You know, Kacchan, you have been acting much more like yourself since your date with Kirishima-sama.”

Katsuki blanched. “I already said it was not a date.”

“It kind of was,” Izuku teased.

Katsuki huffed, “Do you wish for me to beat your ass, Izuku? I hope you have not forgotten who has won every single one of our fights when we were younger.”

“Half of our fights,” Izuku corrected.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. “Three quarters,” he allowed. “The point is, I am stronger than you.”

Izuku giggled, “Sure you are, Kacchan.” The omega then smiled mischievously. “Perhaps I will ask Kirishima-sama to give me private archery lessons as well. Then, we can compete like we used to.”

The prince sucked his teeth in annoyance. “I had nearly forgotten how much of a little shit you were.” Izuku winked. “I am going to go find Uraraka.”

“Uraraka-san? Why?”

“She is far less insufferable than you,” Katsuki responded, holding up his middle finger as he left the library, Izuku’s joyous laughter following him out. Against his wishes, a smile spread across his lips at the sound.

Katsuki suspected he would find Ochako at the training grounds, so he began his search there. Once he arrived, he easily spotted Ochako sparring against Mina, who Katsuki had not seen since his day of arrival. Tetsutetsu, Kendou—who, according to Eijirou, was apparently his mate despite them both being alphas—and Monoma were watching from the sidelines.

Ochako noticed the prince approaching and stopped the fight to greet him happily. “Katsuki-sama! How has your day been so far?” she asked as she sheathed her sword.

“It was fine, Uraraka. I spent the day with Izuku in the library. Have you been here all day?”

“Yes, actually,” she said excitedly. “After breakfast this morning, I decided to test my skills against some of the knights here. Kendou-san and Ashido-san were kind enough to humor me.”

“Please, you are far more skilled than you make yourself out to be. Bakugou-sama is lucky to have you as his knight,” Mina complimented, causing Ochako to flush happily.

“Uraraka-san had me on the ropes for a moment when we sparred,” Kendou commented, and she seemed pleased despite her words. Katsuki was relieved Uraraka was finally starting to act more like herself again. Kendou turned to fully face the prince. “Good day, Your Highness,” she greeted politely.

She then elbowed Tetsutetsu who jerked and bowed awkwardly. “Ah, hello, Prince Bakugou. It is good to see you are well,” he said far less genuinely, sending a glance to his lover. Monoma, however, decided that greetings were beneath him.

“Look who’s here,” the beta drawled, prompting scowls to form on everyone’s faces except Katsuki. “Prince Kirishima’s newest fuck toy.”

“Monoma!” Kendou gasped, scandalized. Sure, she wasn’t fond of the omega either, but to speak to a prince like that was inexcusable. The beta was only so cocky because Eijirou wasn’t around to defend the omega this time.

Ochako was, however, and she was furious. She had half a mind to put her sword right through the smug prick.

“It is quite alright, Uraraka, Kendou-san,” Katsuki said surprisingly. They all turned to the prince in confusion before recoiling at the intense glare the omega was directing at Monoma. The last time Ochako had seen Katsuki that angry was when his mother had sentenced she and Izuku to exile. It seemed the prince had finally snapped and his temper was readying itself to resurface.

Now, Monoma was glaring as well, though it paled in comparison to Katsuki’s. “All you’ll be good for is providing heirs for the king, since I’m sure all you know is how to spread your legs. At least then you’d finally be useful for something.”

Katsuki balled his fists, hating how much he sounded like his mother. “You can hate me all you want, but do not forget that I will one day be queen of this kingdom. Do you really plan to make an enemy of me?”

Monoma laughed as if the blond had made a joke. “Is that supposed to scare me, omega?” he sneered just as a Tulian would. “What power do you think a weakling like you would have? Eijirou will never see you as his rightful mate and we will never see you as our queen!”

Katsuki had accepted this as fact already, but he would be damned if he continued to play the meek little omega in the face of such continued disrespect. His propriety courses could go to hell. Katsuki took two long strides until he was but a foot away from the knight, Monoma making an aborted step back at the sudden closeness. Katsuki spoke with an amount of calm he did not feel. “I swear that the first thing I will do as queen is set the date for your execution. So, keep spewing as many insults as your tiny brain can muster up because your days are numbered.” He leaned close and whispered, “I promise you that.”

Monoma looked properly frightened for a moment before he collected himself and plastered a smirk back on his face. “Well, looks like the bitch has claws after all.”

No one saw the punch coming. One second Monoma was laughing by himself, and the next he was on the ground clutching his nose in pain. Katsuki was shaking his hand out as everyone gaped at him in a mixture of shock and awe. The prince did not give the beta time to recover before walking up to him again. “Stand up,” he ordered, cold and clipped.

Monoma was practically shaking now, his eyes wide with fear. “I’ll tell Prince Kirishima—no! I will tell Crimson Riot about this!”

Katsuki scoffed uncaringly. “Go ahead, dumbass. Whose side do you think he would take in this matter? The foolishly arrogant knight or the weak, defenseless omega meant to marry his son? I wonder.” Monoma looked around frantically but even among the crowd that had gathered, no one moved to help him. Katsuki clenched the first he used to punch the beta, blood staining the knuckles of his white gloves. “I will not repeat myself again. Stand. Up.”

Monoma stumbled to his feet, holding his hands out in an offensive stance. His nose looked a bit out of center. “Oh, Monoma, just stop,” Kendou sighed in exasperation.

Ochako attempted to intervene as well. “Katsuki-sama, you might injure your hands if you fight him,” she reasoned, startling a few laughs out of the surrounding knights.

Is that all they were worried about, they wondered amusedly.

Katsuki seemed unconcerned about it, however. “This is my thickest pair of gloves. It will be fine.”

Ochako smiled, relieved. “Alright then. Give him hell, my prince.”

Katsuki smirked at her, and Monoma chose that moment to strike, swinging at the prince’s face. Katsuki saw it coming and ducked. He swiped the beta’s feet out from under him, sending the man tumbling to the ground. Katsuki then slammed his foot onto his chest, pinning him to the ground as he wheezed in pain. The omega, who appeared completely unaffected, rolled his eyes as he looked down at the man. “I thought Adrians were supposed to be gifted fighters, yet you were so easily taken down by a Tulian omega of all people. How pitiful.”

“Your Highness, please—” Katsuki cut him off with a cruel laugh, and Ochako noted it was the first time he had laughed at all since before leaving Tulia.

“Oh, so now you address me properly? What was it you called me earlier? A ‘fuck toy’ and a ‘bitch’? I like to think ‘Your Highness’ suits me better. Be sure to always address me as ‘Your Majesty’ once I become queen, yeah?” Monoma grabbed the prince’s ankle, but whatever he had planned to do after that was thwarted as he received a sharp kick to the jaw. “How dare you touch me with those filthy hands of yours!” Katsuki looked down at the now unconscious beta with disgust before raising his gaze to the crowd of knights. “Does any other brave soul wish to speak ill of me?” he asked them.

There was silence for a long moment where Katsuki felt just a tad smug before the training grounds were filled with cheers. Katsuki jerked at the sudden deafening loudness, his eyes wide as he looked at the joyous faces of the knights.

Tetsutetsu approached him, casually stepping over Monoma’s unconscious body. “Why did you never say you knew how to fight, Prince Bakugou?”

“That was pretty impressive for a Tulian!” someone else shouted, and Katsuki huffed in offense.

“You lot were the ones who decided to put a label on me and underestimate me simply due to my secondary gender,” he said haughtily.

“You’re right, Prince Bakugou,” Kendou admitted. “We all owe you a sincere apology for the way we have treated you until now. There’s far more to you than we had originally suspected.”

“I can’t wait to tell Eijirou all about this!” Tetsutetsu yelled, causing Katsuki to panic slightly.

“Do not mention this to Eijirou-sama!” he ordered. “He will not hear about this.”

Tetsutetsu pouted but acquiesced. Katsuki was immensely relieved that they seemed willing to listen to him now—even if only a simple request. Kendou smiled knowingly, and Katsuki was instantly glad that she was an ally rather than an enemy. “We will say nothing, Bakugou-sama.”

Katsuki gave a relieved sigh. “Thank you, alpha.” Kendou’s eye’s widened. “Oh. Force of habit,” he said.

The blond was slightly annoyed when they all laughed, but he could not be too upset. He did send Ochako a warning look when she hid a snort behind her hand, however.

After declining the many—and extremely persistent—requests from the knights for he and Ochako to spar against each other, Katsuki told Ochako to come with him to the gardens. He had no particular reason for choosing the gardens to escape to, merely wanting to be away from others. He had not had time to speak alone with Ochako in quite some time, and the last time he had passed the gardens they were void of people. Ochako had no qualms about their abrupt exit, looking forward to the opportunity to spend time with her prince after so long.

The gardens themselves were exquisite and surprisingly much larger than the one from their palace.

Katsuki and Ochako walked side by side along the pathway, Katsuki identifying any type of plant or shrubbery he knew from reading one of the books on botany that Izuku liked to read back home. He did not necessarily enjoy reading such books, but he figured the more knowledge he had about things, the more he could rub it in some smug, assuming alpha’s face in the future.

Ochako had been walking slightly behind him, as she always did, but Katsuki kept on slowing his pace until they matched up again, and eventually Ochako got the hint and walked beside him.

“You are very smart, Katsuki-sama,” Ochako said after he named another type of plant.

Katsuki shrugged away the compliment. “It is merely random knowledge. Any loser could memorize types of shrubs.”

Ochako smiled fondly. “I have missed you.”

Katsuki glanced at her before looking forward again. “I never went away,” he said, though he knew that was not entirely true.

Ochako said as much. “You allowed yourself to change.” When Katsuki tensed noticeably, she hurriedly continued, “I understand your reasons for doing so, Katsuki-sama! You were under tremendous amounts of pressure, and your mother had forced you to attend countless propriety courses, so I do understand. Really. And I am gratified that others are beginning to see you for who you really are. I just wish…”

“That I had been stronger,” he filled in, his eyes downcast. “I was weak, and my weakness led to you and Izuku suffering. And Auntie Inko…”

“No, Katsuki-sama! You cannot blame yourself for what happened to Izuku-kun and I. We would not change anything we have done for or with you over the years. And what happened to Lady Midoriya was terrible, but you are not to blame for it. Please, tell me you understand that, Katsuki-sama.”

Katsuki bit his lip. He did not want to lie, but telling the truth would do him no good either. Luckily for him, their attention was drawn away by a large frog hopping in front of them on the path. The frog croaked loudly, and the two humans blinked simultaneously.

“There is a frog in front of us,” Ochako said obviously. She looked around to locate where it came from, her eyes falling upon a nearby small pond. Crouched down on the edge of the pond was a woman gazing at them with wide, round eyes and a finger up to her mouth. She was dressed in less exposing, but no less revealing clothing, wearing a knee-length, green dress without any sleeves. Ochako could feel a blush creeping up her face. “Cute,” she whispered to herself, not intending to be heard.

“The frog?” Katsuki questioned, his own eyes still trained on the animal in front of them.

Ochako’s eyes widened. “Yes! A very cute frog, indeed.” But an even cuter woman. “Oh, Katsuki-sama, I completely just noticed, but there is someone over by the pond.”

Katsuki finally glanced over, easily spotting the woman. With his attention now on her, she stood and walked over to them. As she got closer, Ochako was able to pick up on her scent—or lack of one. Sure, as a beta, scents were mostly imperceptible, but their scents were still detectable if you were close enough. This woman, however, was scentless. She was a beta, just like Ochako.

“Hello, Bakugou-sama,” the mystery woman greeted and then bent down to pick up the frog. It croaked again but did not try to free itself from her grasp. It appeared quite comfortable in her large hands actually. “It is a pleasure to meet you at last.”

“How did you know it was me?” Katsuki asked, internally cringing at the thought of touching such a slimy creature.

“Eijirou-sama has described you to me…in great detail,” she explained, causing Katsuki to turn pink. He could only imagine how the alpha had described him. “Your complexion also gives you away.”

“I see,” he replied, willing away his blush. “And you are?”

“I am the gardener, Asui Tsuyu. You can just call me ‘Tsuyu-chan’,” she said. Tsuyu then glanced over at Ochako. “And you must be ‘Uraraka-san’. Eijirou-sama said that you were the prince’s guard.”

Ochako stopped checking the woman out long enough to meet her gaze. “Ah, yes! Uraraka Ochako. It is a pleasure to meet you, Asui-san.”

“Tsuyu-chan,” she corrected, not unkindly. “May I call you ‘Ochako-chan’?”

The knight nearly forgot how to breathe. “Yes, please,” she said. Katsuki sent her a weird look. “I mean, uh, that is acceptable,” she awkwardly corrected.

Tsuyu blinked her large eyes at her before she gave a small, amused smile. Ochako really forgot how to breathe then. “You’re cute, Ochako-chan,” she said. Ochako could have sworn her heart stopped beating for a full minute because she was not at all present for the rest of the conversation.

That was until Katsuki snapped his fingers in front of her face. She blinked repeatedly and noticed both Katsuki and Tsuyu looking at her with concerned gazes.

“What the hell was that?” he whispered to her, low enough to not be heard by the other beta.

Ochako inhaled deeply. “My apologies,” she said to both Katsuki and Tsuyu.

“Are you alright, Ochako-chan?” Tsuyu asked.

Ochako nodded. “Yes, I am fine. I had just…remembered that I needed to do something…somewhere else,” she lied unconvincingly. Tsuyu did not seem to believe her—and for good reason—but she nodded along anyway.

“Perhaps, I will see you again sometime soon, Ochako-chan,” Tsuyu said.

“Yes. Definitely,” Ochako said back. She would undoubtedly find her way back here again at least once this week. “Maybe you can teach me about gardening or…flowers.”

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. “Since when are you interested in plants?”

Since now, she thought. Out loud she said, “It is best to have as much knowledge about the world as possible, and who better to teach me about gardening than a gardener?”

Katsuki hummed. “I suppose I assumed you would choose to spend your free time on the training grounds.”

“Oh,” Tsuyu said suddenly, drawing their attention back to her. “We should spar sometime, Ochako-chan.”

“Oh, yes, sure,” Ochako said, deflating slightly. She would rather spend some time alone in the gardens, talking rather than fighting. Fighting was no way to strike up a romance.

“I can’t wait,” Tsuyu said with a glint in her eyes.

A thought suddenly struck Ochako who nearly gasped aloud at the revelation. Fighting was the perfect way to strike up a romance with an Adrian! “I, too, look forward to it. Until then, Tsuyu-chan. I will see you tomorrow morning, Katsuki-sama.”

Tsuyu waved at her as she retreated and the brunette made sure she kept her stride as casual as possible. On the inside, she was jumping with joy at the thought of her next meeting with Tsuyu. What it was that drew her to the gardener, she did not know but she would be sure to discover how to keep her around.

Katsuki watched his friend leave the gardens—entirely without asking for his permission which she was not prone to do—in complete confusion. He turned to stare questioningly at the beta who leveled him with a blank look.

Tsuyu held up the frog still in her hands. “Would you like to hold him?” The frog croaked once again as if on board with the idea. Katsuki, however, was not.

Late that evening, Katsuki was sitting on his bed—although it had still yet to really feel like his—soaking his hands when there was a knock on the door. He figured it was Ochako checking up on him once again. She still was unaccustomed to not standing guard outside whatever room the prince found himself in since Adrians did not really believe in having their royalty guarded. If they found themselves assassinated, it was probably for the better. So, when Katsuki instead heard Eijirou’s voice call for him through the wood, he was understandably startled. He may have also panicked slightly.

“May I enter? I just wish to speak with you for a moment,” Eijirou said, his voice slightly muffled by the door between them.

What could he possibly want? Have I unknowingly done something to displease him? Why is he here so late? Could he be here for…, Katsuki ended that train of thought before he really began panicking.

“Katsuki?” Great, now the alpha sounded worried since he wasn’t answering.

“You may enter!” he called out. He then looked down at himself, realizing that he was still dressed only in his bathrobe. He flushed hotly at the thought of the alpha seeing him like that. “Wait! I’m not decent—!” Katsuki bit his lip as Eijirou entered the room, stopping short when he took in the omega’s appearance.

“Oh,” he breathed, his eyes roaming over the other’s body. Most of his long, pale legs were on display and the robe opened to reveal his collarbone and neck. Eijirou nearly licked his lips at the delicious sight. He would love to tear off the omega’s bathrobe so he could see everything.

“Eijirou-sama?” Katsuki’s small, timid voice pulled Eijirou back to reality. “Was there something you needed from me?”

You have no idea, omega, Eijirou thought, forcing himself to keep his eyes on Katsuki’s face. Not that it made him want to touch the omega any less, but it was the thought that counted. “Oh, uh, I just wanted to check on you since I had been busy all day. How was your day?”

“My day was fine, Eijirou-sama. Thank you for asking,” the blond answered instantly. It sounded almost rehearsed. Eijirou wouldn’t be surprised if it was. Still, the prince was pleased to hear that Katsuki’s day wasn’t bad—even if “fine” wasn’t the response he’d been hoping for.

“That’s great! Are you adjusting to the castle more?”

“Yes, Eijirou-sama.”

“Was anyone rude to you?”

Katsuki hesitated slightly. “No, Eijirou-sama.”

Eijirou held back a sigh of frustration, knowing that this is how Katsuki was taught to behave around alphas, especially an alpha he is expected to mate with in under two weeks. Still, he wished the omega would at least look him in the eye for once. He had yet to fully break that particular habit. At least he wasn’t “alpha” anymore.

It was then that Eijirou realized that Katsuki’s hands were not only ungloved for once but also resting in a large ceramic bowl filled with some kind of clear liquid. “What are you doing?”

Katsuki looked down at his hands, and Eijirou could have sworn his cheeks took on a pinkish color. “Soaking my hands in oil. It is a specially made Tulian oil meant to keep the skin healthy and young looking,” he explained. “It also makes the skin quite soft to the touch.”

Eijirou took a deep breath before speaking next, but instantly came to regret it when all he got was Katsuki’s sweet scent. “Is it only for your hands?”

The omega shook his head. “No, Eijirou-sama.” Eijirou watches in mild fascination as Katsuki lifts his hands from the bowl, the oil dripping from his short, thin fingers. The alpha wondered if it was strange to want to suck on the fingers of someone you’ve only known for a few days, especially if said fingers were covered in some mysterious liquid. “The oil is for the entire body. Typically, I would soak my hands and then spread the remaining oil over my body.” Eijirou swallowed audibly at the imagery of Katsuki covered in oil and rubbing his hands over his body. “Unfortunately, I will run out of oil soon, so I focus mostly on my hands now.”

“Well,” Eijirou began, happy to get rid of that dangerous visual. “You’ll be able to obtain more once Tulia opens its trading routes to us.”

Katsuki frowned. “Yes,” he agreed quietly, his voice almost sad. Eijirou felt like an idiot. Of course, Katsuki wouldn’t want to be reminded of their marriage! That much had been made apparent already. Eijirou quickly changed the subject. “So, what did you do all day?”

“I was in the gardens,” he answered, thinking back to the strange gardener he and Ochako had met earlier.

“All day?” Eijirou asked in disbelief.

“I may have…visited the library,” the blond added, avoiding mentioning the training grounds. He still felt a bid strange speaking so freely of his time in the library after years of sneaking away to go there back in Tulia.

The alpha smiled encouragingly. “Find anything good to read?”

“I found out about Adria’s history.” More specifically their mating practices and courting styles. It had been very enlightening.

“Really? Was it interesting?”

Katsuki nodded. “I must confess that I knew far less about your kingdom than I originally thought.”

“If there’s anything else you’d like to know, please, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Like what, Eijirou-sama?”

“Um…well, anything at all!” The alpha couldn’t think of anything he might want to know at the moment. “I know! How about tomorrow I take you into the capital and show you around? You must be tired of staying within the castle all day.”

Katsuki did not want to face the Adrian people after seeing how poorly they reacted to his arrival, but if the alpha wanted him to then he supposed he had no choice.

Chapter Text

Katsuki, Izuku, and Ochako were sitting in the gardens, conversing amongst themselves and enjoying the fresh air. The three had still yet to grow fully accustomed to the heat, but it was not as unbearable as before. Ochako was mostly watching Tsuyu and pretending to listen to her friends talk, but Katsuki and Izuku did not mind her inattention much.

“Eijirou-sama wants to show me around the capital,” Katsuki told Izuku. “Would you like to join us?”

“Oh, no, I do not wish to intrude, Kacchan,” he replied. While Izuku was excited at the prospect of seeing more of the kingdom as they had only seen the castle as of yet, he did not expect that he would be welcome to join the princes on their outing.

“I would like you to come along,” Katsuki insisted, but Izuku only shook his head. Katsuki sighed in understanding. While their not-date had been surprisingly enjoyable, Katsuki was still nervous around the other prince.

Izuku turned to Ochako, who was smiling dopily in Tsuyu’s direction. Izuku thought it was cute. “Would you like to visit the capital with me, Uraraka-san?” he asked. Ochako snapped back to attention at the sound of her name but clearly had no idea what they were talking about. Izuku took pity on her and repeated his question.

“Oh, yes!” Ochako answered happily. “That sounds like a great idea, actually. I am curious to see what life is like outside of the castle.”

“I am as well,” Izuku agreed. “Do you think we will be seeing people fighting?”

“I would not be surprised,” Ochako said with a little laugh. Izuku gave a laugh of his own.

Katsuki, however, was not amused. “Fighting is not all Adrians do, you know. They have common lives just as anyone else,” he said, his voice surprisingly hard.

Ochako and Izuku were taken aback by the harshness of his tone. “Of course, Katsuki-sama,” Ochako said, hoping to appease the blond. “We did not mean to imply otherwise.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes and got to his feet. “I will see you two later,” he said before leaving the gardens without looking back.

Izuku and Ochako looked to each other as if to ask, “What the hell was that?”

Izuku found Katsuki a few hours later at the training grounds, sitting in the grass off to the side and away from the various bouts of sword fighting and numerous styles of martial arts. A few of the knights had come over to greet the prince as Izuku approached, leaving the noble to feel as if he had missed something important. The green haired omega plopped down on the grass beside his best friend, the two of them maintaining a comfortable silence.

They watched Denki and Mina battle, the omega coming out victorious in their swordfight. The beta didn’t seem upset to have lost to him, stating that she would “surely best him one of these days.”

“So, Kaminari-san has never lost against Ashido-san before? I wonder who else he has fought and how many times he has won. Chances are that he has fought many, if not all, of the knights in the Royal Guard, but surely he could not have won every battle. I mean, what are the odds of that? And does he defeat them all in any style or only in sword fighting. And if he has—” Katsuki cut off Izuku’s mumbling before he went on forever by flinging some grass at him. The grass-haired omega sputtered, picking blades out of his mouth and pouting cutely (although it was almost definitely unintentional) at the prince. “You could have just told me to shut up like you always do, Kacchan.”

“Yeah, but you never actually do. Why not just ask Kaminari all of those questions you just asked yourself? I doubt he would be unwilling to answer them.”

“I would not want to bother him,” Izuku said unsurely.

“Bother who?” Denki was suddenly beside the pair, causing both to jump. Izuku even yelped loudly. Denki at least had to grace to look apologetic, although he was clearly amused by their reactions. “Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.” Katsuki glared at the omega either way. “Were you watching me and Mina?”

Izuku instantly nodded. “Yes! You both are very skilled!” he exclaimed. Denki flushed slightly at the praise. “Although, admittedly, neither Kaccha—Katsuki-sama or I have held a sword for many years.” Izuku looked away, ashamed of his past. Denki would have placed a comforting hand on his shoulder had he believed it would be welcomed.

Truthfully, Denki was coming to regret his past treatment of the two omegas. He had been far too cold and even quicker to judge them based on things they had no control over. Still, they were trying. The prince had made that clear when he confronted him two days ago in this very spot, and Denki was not unaware of the prince standing up to Monoma the evening before. He honestly wished he had been there to witness such an event. Luckily for Denki, Katsuki and Izuku did not seem to hold anything against him. Their beta friend, however, was a completely different story.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t spot a good swordsman when you see one,” Denki assured kindly, glad when Izuku’s smile returned slightly. “You don’t have to just watch, though. Either of you could join, if you’d like.” Katsuki and Izuku both looked at the other in shock before returning to Denki’s knowing gaze. “I know you want to. Eijirou told me that you two used to swordfight when you were younger.”

Katsuki swallowed heavily. He would love nothing more than to accept, but something in the back of his mind was still telling him it was wrong. That spectacle from yesterday had been mistake; he should not have lost his temper like that. He could not revert back to his old ways. Despite what he said, Katsuki wasn’t sure Eijirou would not punish him for his actions were he to find out about them. Denki could apparently read the looks on their faces because he sighed.

“Obviously, you can say no. It’s just…” he trailed off, looking around at the many Adrians around fighting amongst themselves. “You two are Adrian now, as unofficial as it may be. There’s no reason for you not to become warriors.”

Evidently, those words were all Katsuki needed to hear for he shot to his feet quickly and suddenly, causing Denki to have to lean back lest they butt heads. “I will become a warrior,” he declared, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Denki grinned wildly, a shine to his eyes. With a voice filled with both delight and hope, he said, “You just might make a decent queen yet, Katsuki-sama.”

Katsuki carefully hid any pleasure he felt at those words, masking his expression into one of steely determination. “You are one the best fighters in the Royal Guard, are you not?”

Denki blinked at the turn in questioning. “Well, I don’t like to brag, but—”

“Teach me,” the blond interrupted before the omega could go on to, in fact, brag.

Denki gaped dumbly. “What?”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, growing impatient. “You will teach me to properly fight. Everything you know.”

“Why me?” the knight practically whined. There was no way he was going to be personally training the high-maintenance prince in combat, even if he was—slowly but surely—coming around to accept him. “Eijirou would love to train you!” It was true. The alpha would have the time of his life teaching his gorgeous mate-to-be how to fight, all up close and personal.

Katsuki frowned at the thought of the alpha training him. Not only did he still not fully trust the weird alpha, he was hesitant to showcase how incompetent he had grown over the years. It was unlikely he would be able to impress him as he had done with archery. “Absolutely not. I refuse to have Eijirou-sama train me. You will have to do.”

Denki frowned. “You’re awfully uppity for someone asking for help.”

The prince looked absolutely appalled at being accused of asking for something as mundane as “help”.

Izuku, who had been watching the interaction in silence, finally spoke. “I think Kaccha—Katsuki-sama wants to surprise Kirishima-sama, Kaminari-san,” he said, ignoring the incredulous looks from both blonds. “I think it is very sweet of him, wanting to impress his alpha.” Denki nearly laughed at the way the prince's pale skin turned red in a moment’s notice.

“Th-That is not what this is, Izuku!” Izuku seemed to not hear him, putting a hand on his chin in thought. Katsuki groaned.

“It makes sense that you would choose fighting to impress the prince considering Adrians put more value in physical strength and fighting ability than even looks or status. And since you have always wanted to be a great fighter ever since we were little—even though learning how to fight is not necessarily a necessity for even alpha princes in Tulia—having Kaminari-san train you would be a win-win—”

“Shut up, Izuku.”

Izuku blinked, his mumbling finally ceasing. He smiled easily at his friend. “Sorry, Kacchan.” The omega’s eyes suddenly widened in fear. “I mean Katsuki-sama!”

Both Katsuki and Denki rolled their eyes at the unnecessary correction. Denki shook his head. “I call Eijirou by his name all the time. You don’t have to freak out about it, Izuku-san,” he assured. “Besides, ‘Kacchan’ is a super cute name. Katsuki-sama, may I—”

“If you ever call me that, I will kill you,” Katsuki growled. Denki chuckled, not the least bit worried about a prince—and his future queen—threatening him with death.

“Oh yeah? With what fighting skills?”

Katsuki flushed in embarrassment, clutching his fists. “Be silent!” Had his face not been so red, the omega would have almost been slightly intimidating. “What about your alpha, then?”

Denki’s eyes narrowed into slits. “What about my alpha?”

“He can train me! Surely he is an even better fighter than you to be the captain of the Royal Guard,” the prince said.

Denki smirked smugly despite the slight at him. “Of course he is. Hanta is a fine warrior. He’s even beaten Eijirou once before! I am blessed to have a mate so strong.” Katsuki rolled his eyes. He did not care about the omega’s love for his alpha’s strength or whatever he was going on about. “I’ll be the one training you, though.”

“What?” Katsuki was beyond confused now. “Why not him?” he demanded. He wanted the best of the best to be training him, and he obviously wasn’t going to ask Eijirou-sama or Crimson Riot!

Denki shrugged. “I don’t trust you with my alpha.”

“Hah? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Katsuki growled.

Denki raised a brow at the vulgarity but shrugged it off. “You might try to seduce him or something,” he replied.

Katsuki reeled back in shock. “How dare you suggest such a thing? I am already promised to another alpha!”

“That doesn’t mean you won’t try and find someone for some fun on the side.”

“You are insane,” Katsuki said heartfully. The two omegas began an intense glaring contest while Izuku watched in bemusement.

“Um,” he mumbled, yelping when both blonds snapped their heads towards him with a glare.

“What?” they growled simultaneously before glaring at each other again. Really, it was a wonder they didn’t get along before this considering they were the two most “improper” omegas Izuku had ever met.

“I also want to learn to fight for myself, Kaminari-san!” Izuku declared with as much confidence as he could muster.

Katsuki smiled at him with pride while Denki sighed in exasperation. “Fine, fine,” he relented. “But you both have to follow my instructions completely! And stop calling me ‘Kaminari-san.’ It’s way too formal. ‘Denki’ is fine.”

“Yes, Denki-san!”

“Whatever,” Katsuki said.

Denki huffed. “I think I might have liked you better when you were all quiet and timid, Katsuki-sama.”

Katsuki smirked and Izuku truly missed seeing that. “Oh, please. You hate me either way.”

Eijirou jogged over to where Katsuki was standing in the castle’s main hall along with his two friends. Katsuki stopped in the middle of whatever he was saying to the brunette as Eijirou got closer—much to her obvious annoyance—and gave the prince a small smile. Eijirou stopped short, standing frozen in the middle of the hall and stared dumbly at the curve of Katsuki’s full, pink lips. Katsuki was frowning now, his head titled in confusion. He took it upon himself to shorten the distance between them, both princes ignorant to Ochako’s own frown and Izuku’s amused grin.

“Hello, Eijirou-sama,” he greeted unsurely.

“Hi, Katsuki,” Eijirou returned, his gaze still on the omega’s lips. Eijirou resisted the urge to lick his own at the thought of kissing them. He forced himself to meet Katsuki’s eyes and was delighted when Katsuki stared back into his own unabated. “Are you ready to head out?”

“Yes,” Katsuki answered. “I am a bit worried about the heat, however. Even with this…clothing,” Katsuki gestured down at his clothing, although he would be hesitant to really identify it as such. It made the heat more bearable, but his dignity suffered for it. “It is still very hot.”

“We can come back whenever you want, or we can find somewhere to rest indoors,” Eijirou said instantly, not wanting Katsuki to change his mind. Katsuki nodded in acceptance, pleased with his consideration. Eijirou spared a glance to Izuku and Ochako for the first time. “Will you be joining us?”

Katsuki shook his head as Izuku said, “Uraraka-san and I will be sightseeing ourselves. We would not want to intrude on your time together, Kirishima-sama.”

“Oh. You would not be intruding on anything, Midoriya-san,” Eijirou assured them. “I would hate for you two to get lost anyhow.”

“We will manage,” Ochako said with slightly narrowed eyes. She did not like the way Eijirou looked at Katsuki; his gazes were far too intense and meaningful. “There is no need for your concern, Kirishima-sama.”

Eijirou raised an eyebrow and wondered if Ochako’s cold tone was all in his head or not. “Alright. Well, I hope you two have a good time as well,” he said with a smile, which Izuku happily returned. Eijirou was glad to note that Izuku was meeting his eye now as well. “I know Katsuki and I will. I have many things to show him,” he added, sending Katsuki a soft look that had Ochako’s eye twitching.

“Should we go now, Eijirou-sama?” Katsuki asked, eager to get this over with. Eijirou nodded and gestured for Katsuki to walk on ahead of him.

“I will see you later, Katsuki-sama!” Ochako called after their retreating backs. Katsuki sent a wave over his shoulder before the castle doors closed behind him.

Eijirou was slowly losing his mind. When he and Katsuki had left the castle, Katsuki had done his best to maintain a reasonable distance between the two of them as they walked, but each time someone walking past would nearly brush up against him, he would inch closer and closer to the redhead. If Eijirou moved even a little bit to the right, their arms would touch. Katsuki either did not mind their proximity any longer or he was unaware of it.

Eijirou cleared his throat to take his mind off of it and realized that they were approaching the center of the capital, and therefore the marketplace. “Oh! How about I show you around the market? At this time of day, you would meet the most people there.”

“Alright,” Katsuki said. “What kind of things do you sell in your markets?”

Eijirou hummed in thought, trying to recount everything since he usually only visited the market to chat with people. “Well, the usual, I suppose. Fruits, vegetables, meats, some stands have clothing, small weapons, children’s toys, jewelry, and a bunch of other things I can’t think of.”

“Small weapons?” Katsuki repeated, having had blanched after hearing that listed among “the usual” for items in a market. Well, he supposed that was typical for Adrian markets.

Eijirou nodded, not realizing that Katsuki was giving him a strange look. “Yeah, like daggers, and knives, and such. Would you like to see some?”

“Yes,” Katsuki said instantly, actually interested in seeing them.

“Great,” Eijirou replied happily, guiding Katsuki over to one of the stands he knew sold daggers. A knight was already at the stand inspecting a dagger in his hands when they approached, and both his attention and that of the merchant were drawn to them instantly. “Hello, you two. I’m sure you both remember Prince Bakugou Katsuki.”

“Hello, Your Highnesses,” the merchant said with a cold gaze trained on the omega. She then turned to Eijirou and smiled wildly. “Are you hear to purchase another dagger, Prince Eijirou?”

Eijirou nodded. “For Katsuki, yes.”

Both the merchant and Katsuki turned to him with looks of shock. The knight laughed, but not mockingly. “Are you planning to put more knights in their place, Katsuki-sama?” he asked.

Katsuki-sama? Eijirou silently repeated in confusion. Out loud he asked, “What is he talking about, Katsuki?”

“I have no idea, Eijirou-sama,” Katsuki lied, sending the knight a warning look. Luckily for the knight, he caught the look and stayed silent. Eijirou still looked suspicious, especially when the knight leaned over and whispered something into the merchant’s ear. Her eyes widened and she gazed at Katsuki with something akin to awe.

“Prince Bakugou Katsuki,” she began with a grin. “I would be honored to have you use one of my handcrafted daggers.”

Eijirou held up a hand, feeling that he was the only one not understanding something. “Hold on a second. What just happened?”

“Nothing,” all three said together.

“You know what? Forget it,” Eijirou grumbled petulantly, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “You guys can keep your little secret.”

Katsuki bit back an amused smile at this mountain of an alpha pouting like a child. “Would you help me choose a dagger, Eijirou-sama?” Katsuki did not necessarily want a dagger for himself but he figured Eijirou would like to think he did and buy one for him.

Eijirou dropped his arms and smiled happily at the question. “Of course, Katsuki! Together we’ll find the perfect one for you.”

Neither Katsuki nor Eijirou noticed the warm looks from both the knight and the merchant.

Uraraka and Izuku were walking around another part of the capital, occasionally popping into the shops to look around before being driven away by the cold looks of the natives.

“Oh!” Izuku exclaimed after leaving yet another food shop. “Perhaps you could purchase a new sword, Uraraka-san,” he suggested. “It was kind of Ashido-san to give you a sword, but having one that you bought yourself would probably be better, right?”

Ochako nodded, not having considered buying a new sword. Mina had only given this one to her as a courtesy—or perhaps out of pity since she had hers taken away by the guards back home—so she had not expected to become a regular sparring partner with any of the knights here. Now that she was, purchasing a sword that would be completely hers was a wonderful idea.

“That is a great idea, Izuku-kun,” she said. “I wonder if there is a blacksmith somewhere nearby.”

“I imagine there would be a multitude of blacksmiths in the capital of ‘The Land of Warriors,’” Izuku said. “We could ask around?”

He was admittedly a bit wary of approaching any Adrians—especially a stranger—and it seemed that Ochako shared his unease. As they were well aware of by now, their complexion was a dead giveaway of their heritage. Anyone would instantly know that they were Tulian—as the shopkeepers and their patrons had—and treat them no less rudely than they had treated Katsuki. Still, asking for directions would be easier and less time consuming than simply walking around and hoping to come across the blacksmith.

With that in mind, the two entered the market and Ochako approached someone running a fruit stand while Izuku hung back. The man looked up when she stopped in front of him, an automatic smile on his face that dropped the moment he realized he was facing a foreigner. A Tulian, to be exact. The merchant frowned slightly and narrowed his eyes almost suspiciously.

“Hello, ma’am. What may I do for you?”

Ochako smiled, gratified that the man was at least willing to be polite. She felt Izuku walk up behind her and the man’s eyes shifted over to him but did not return to Ochako, even after she pointedly cleared her throat. She went ignored.

“Hello there, pretty omega,” the merchant said to Izuku with a charming smile.

Izuku flushed slightly at being called pretty yet again. “H-Hello, sir.”

“The name’s Shindo Yo, but you can just call me ‘Yo-san,’” the merchant said, winking at the end. Izuku nodded even though he would definitely not be doing that. “What’s your name, beautiful?”

Izuku opened his mouth to answer but Ochako stepped in front of him, successfully blocking Shindo’s line of sight and allowing Izuku to breathe a sigh of relief. Ochako was frowning heavily at the man, who she was almost certain was an alpha. “Excuse me, Shindo-san, but we are trying to find a blacksmith. Is there one nearby?”

Shindo returned her frown and tried to look around her at Izuku but Ochako continued to block him from doing so. After a full minute of this, he sighed loudly and gave her his full attention. “What do you want?”

“I just told you!” she exclaimed with bafflement. “Maybe if you were not so busy attempting to flirt with Izuku-kun, then you would know what I said!”

Shindo rolled his eyes as if he were the one having his time wasted. “Listen, Tulian, either just repeat whatever you said before or move so I can go back to talking to Izuku,” he said before simply looking over the much shorter woman. “Izuku is a lovely name by the way. Is that your first name? Do you mind if I call you that?”

Ochako realized what she inadvertently did too late as Izuku said, “Yes. To both questions.”

“Great!” Shindo said happily, obblivious or uncaring, and Izuku frowned. Ochako was properly fed up now.

“Where’s the blacksmith?” she shouted, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. Both Izuku and Shindo looked shocked at the outburst, Izuku especially at her manner of speaking.

Shindo, with his eyebrows up to his hairline, asked, “What does a Tulian need from a blacksmith?”

The same thing anyone needs from a blacksmith, Ochako thought with annoyance. She took a deep breath to collect herself, knowing that she was acting unbecoming of a Tulian knight. Even if most Tulian knights were terrible people. “I am in need of a new sword,” she answered, once again calm.

The merchant scoffed quietly. “Sure, I’ll tell you where the nearest blacksmith is, but Izuku stays. I’ll let you taste some of my fruits for free,” he said, now looking at Izuku. Izuku looked to Ochako for help as Shindo picked up a fresh strawberry and held it out towards the omega. “Here, come take a bite.”

“No, thank you,” Izuku said, feeling extremely uncomfortable. “Would you please just tell Uraraka-san where the blacksmith is?”

“Who the hell is Uraraka?” Shindo asked, throwing the strawberry somewhere behind him uncaringly now that he no longer had use for it.

“I am,” Ochako snapped. “Why are you being so rude to me but so nice to Izuku-kun—if not a bit creepy? We are both Tulian!”

Shindo looked at her as if she were dumb. “Yeah, but you’re not a beautiful omega with big green eyes and cute freckles,” he said, winking at Izuku again. The omega tried not to cringe too obviously.

Ochako groaned in disgust. “I hope you would not treat the Tulian prince the same way,” she said.

Shindo snorted in amusement. “No worries there. I hate that omega just like everyone else. Sure, he’s gorgeous, but he has no right to become queen.”

“You are disgusting,” Ochako spat. “You are the least charming merchant I have ever had the displeasure of speaking with.”

“Well, technically, I’m not really a merchant. My parents run this stand usually, but they have me doing it today,” he explained, and both Tulians thought that answered a lot. “Which is great for me since I got to meet Izuku, who I know finds me charming.” Izuku subtly shook his head behind Ochako.

Ochako sighed. “We are going to ask someone else for directions. Thank you for wasting our time, Shindo-san. Good day.” The alpha frowned at her words and Ochako turned to walk away and find anyone else to speak to. She whispered to Izuku as they walked, “Walk in front of me, Izuku-kun.”

“So, do you like it?” Eijirou asked as he watched Katsuki run his finger along the dagger’s blade and turn it over in his hands. It had taken them quite some time to decide on a dagger that Katsuki wanted. The omega had not made it an easy choice since he kept choosing daggers that he thought looked cool rather than ones that were more practical.

“I do. Thank you, Eijirou-sama,” Katsuki said, giving Eijirou a small smile. He really did like the dagger, though it was not his first or even fourth choice. He had no idea how to use it, but he would make Denki teach him.

“Good. I’m glad you like it,” Eijirou said, internally very proud of himself. He had already shown his skill and strength to the omega, so the next step in courting was to gift him with something. He had considered buying him jewelry as well, but wherever they passed a jewelry stand Katsuki showed no interest. It made him all the more curious about the story behind the necklace he always wore around his neck.

Katsuki was not stupid, so he was very much aware of what Eijirou was trying to do. He had suspected that the alpha was attempting to court him during their picnic—which was not a date—and after reading that book about Adrian courting practices, he was certain of it now. What he could not understand was why Eijirou would be courting an omega who was set to marry him already.

Katsuki thought he could hear music somewhere in the distance and looked around to find the source. He spotted a musician playing a gittern in the center of the marketplace. She was surrounded by a crowd of people, some of which who were dancing along. Katsuki could not say that he was the biggest fan of music, but he was curious about the kind of music an Adrian musician would play.

“I would like to go see the musician,” Katsuki said.

“Oh, you mean Kyouka-san?” Eijirou asked, his eyes easily finding the woman. “She’s an amazing musician. She plays a whole bunch of instruments too, like the fiddle, lute, mandolin, and I think she even plays the harp. She refuses to play that one for me for some reason, though. No matter how many times I ask.”

“Those are some beautiful instruments,” Katsuki said, surprised.

Kyouka looked up as the two princes approached, a smile spreading across her lips even as she continued to play her gittern.

“Hello, Kyouka-san!” Eijirou called over the music, drawing the attention of many of the other citizens. They all happily greeted him and a few of the knights in the crowd greeted Katsuki as well. Eijirou just knew he was missing something.

“Good evening, Eijirou-sama,” Kyouka greeted back. She then nodded to Katsuki who returned it, once again surprised by the beta and her lack of reaction to his presence. She stopped playing her song and went to simply strumming her gittern as she and the princes spoke.

“Katsuki really likes your song, so he wanted to come meet you,” Eijirou told her, and Katsuki couldn’t be too upset by his words since they were mostly true. “I was just telling him how many instruments you play.”

Kyouka seemed pleased with the compliment, even though Katsuki had not really said that. “Well, I’m glad you liked it, Prince Bakugou. It’s an original song I wrote, and this was my first time performing it in front of others. And Eijirou-sama, the instruments you’ve seen me play are only the ones I play for the public. I play a few percussion and woodwind instruments in my free time as well.”

Katsuki had to admit that was impressive. “How long have you been practicing music?”

“Since I was a little girl,” the beta answered. “Do you play, Prince Bakugou?”

Katsuki nodded. “Yes, I play the tambour.” Katsuki paused. “And the tambourine.”

Kyouka snorted and tried to cover it with a cough. She failed. Even Eijirou was chuckling at his side. “Is that not usually for women, Your Highness?” she asked mockingly.

“Shut up,” Katsuki bit out, his face red. Did no one in this kingdom respect princes?

“I suppose it makes sense for you to use a tambourine,” she continued as if he had said nothing, mirth still in her voice. “I mean, with such delicate and dainty hands, it’s probably impossible for you to use larger instruments.”

Katsuki huffed, “If you are attempting to insult me, then you are failing. I take wonderful care of my hands.”

“He does,” Eijirou agreed. “And you shouldn’t feel embarrassed by the fact that you play a woman’s instrument. I think it’s cute, actually.”

Katsuki groaned, even more embarrassed now. “You can shut up too,” he said unthinkingly.

Eijirou only gave a surprised laugh. “Oh, can I? So demanding, Katsuki,” he said, good-naturedly. Katsuki was about to begin apologizing, but Eijirou’s smiling face made him refrain.

“You know, I’ve never actually played the tambourine before. Maybe you could teach me, Prince Bakugou,” Kyouka continued to tease.

Katsuki leaned closer to her so Eijirou would not hear his next words. “How about this? You shut the hell up, or I kick your ass.”

“With that dagger you have on your belt?” she asked. She then put down her gittern and pulled out her own dagger, spinning it effortlessly in her hand. Katsuki leaned back in shock. “It’s not as nice as mine.”

“So not only do you play music in your free time, you also go around stabbing people?”

Kyouka smirked. “Now that sounds like a good time,” she said, obviously joking.

“Perhaps when I become queen, I will make it a national event,” Katsuki joked in return.

Kyouka laughed loudly. “The Music and Stabbing Festival, where we stab to the beat of our own drums.”

Katsuki gave a smirk of his own. “I like you. What is your name?”

“You’re not so bad yourself, Your Highness. And the name is Jirou Kyouka.”

Eijirou looked between the two of them in confusion. “What…is happening right now?”

Katsuki and Kyouka both ignored him. “I will come again, and you will play the harp for me.”

That wiped the smirk right off of Kyouka’s face, red taking over. “You told him I play harp, Eijirou-sama?” she asked loudly. Eijirou just blinked in confusion.

Ochako pushed open the door leading to the blacksmith’s shop, Izuku right behind her. An impossibly large man looked up from where he was smelting a sword to greet them.

“Hello, how may I help you?”

Ochako addressed the blacksmith as Izuku looked around at all the weapons and armor hanging on the walls in wonder. “I would like to purchase a sword.”

The man looked at them for a moment before speaking again. “You two are Tulian, right? Prince Bakugou’s companions.”

Ochako narrowed her eyes and squared her shoulders. “Is that a problem?”

The man raised an eyebrow. “Why would it be?” Ochako relaxed at his words, this being the first time an Adrian has not been openly hostile towards her outside of the royal family. “What kind of sword are you looking for?”

“You will help me?”

“Of course,” the blacksmith nodded. “That’s my job, after all.”

Ochako smiled. “What is your name, sir?”

“Shouji Mezou,” he said. “I’m assuming you’re Uraraka Ochako and that is Midoriya Izuku behind you.”

“Yes, how did you know our names?” she asked.

“Fumikage has told me about you both,” he answered. “He also told me about what the prince did to Monoma yesterday. Wish I had been there myself.”

“Wait, what happened with Kacchan?” Izuku asked Ochako.

She waved him away. “I will tell you later,” she promised. “I also have no idea who Fumikage is.”

“Tokoyami Fumikage,” a voice said. Ochako and Izuku both made noises of understanding before their eyes widened and they began looking around for the source of the voice, realizing that it did not come from Shouji. Tokoyami emerged from the corner of the room, shrouded in darkness due to the poor lighting. “I have introduced myself before.”

“You are right, Tokoyami-san. We apologize,” Izuku said nervously.

“It is of no consequence,” the beta said. “I am surprised to see the two of you here, however.”

“Likewise,” Ochako mumbled, still a little weirded out that he had been standing in the darkness this whole time. “What brings you here, Tokoyami-san?”

“I have come to spend time with Mezou.”

Izuku smiled. “You two must be very close then. You even use each other’s given names.”

Shouji and Tokoyami both nodded in agreement. “We’re mates,” the blacksmith said.

Ochako gaped openly, and Izuku stepped in front of her so the two Adrians would not see. “That is amazing. I think you two make a wonderful couple,” he said sincerely. Izuku was not sure what it was about their relationship that caught them more off guard; the fact that they were a male beta and a male alpha who were unable to reproduce or the incredibly significant height difference.

“Thank you, Midoriya-san. I believe you and Uraraka-san make a wonderful couple as well,” Tokoyami said in return.

It was now Izuku’s turn to gape and Ochako to block him from view. “A longsword!” she yelled suddenly, desperately wanting a change of subject. Everyone looked at her like she was crazy. “To answer your question from earlier, Shouji-san, I am looking for a longsword. I would like one now, please, thank you.”

Shouji shrugged off her weirdness. “No problem,” he said. “As long as you have the money for it, I would be happy to make you a sword.”

“Of course,” Ochako said. “I may have lost my sword when I left my home, but I still have all of my money.”

Tokoyami and Shouji sent a look to each other. “We don’t accept Tulian currency here.”

“What?” Ochako and Izuku echoed.

Shouji rubbed the back of his head. “Well, Tulia and Adria are not allied kingdoms yet, so would have no use for Tulian money. Adrians aren’t even allowed in your kingdom as of now. Sorry.”

Ochako sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. “No, I should have known that would be the case. That was foolish of me,” she said.

“Yeah, it kind of was,” Izuku agreed, causing Ochako to glare at him. He swallowed and chuckled nervously. “Sorry.”

Back at the market, Eijirou and Katsuki were still walking around and stopping at various stands every now and then, having brief conversations with commoners and knights alike as they perused the area. Eijirou’s stomach growled loudly all of a sudden, so Eijirou hurried over to a stand selling produce.

“I’m going to get an apple for now. Do you want anything?” he asked the blond.

Katsuki shook his head. “No, thank you, I am fine for now.”

“We’ll stop at a shop somewhere and get something to eat later,” Eijirou said before turning to the merchant and buying himself an apple. Katsuki watched in confusion as the redhead handed over a handful of coins—far more than was actually needed for the purchase—and promptly took a large bite of the fruit. Eijirou noticed his expression. “What’s wrong?” he asked through a mouthful of food.

Katsuki scrunched his nose in disgust. “Please, do not speak with your mouth full of food, Eijirou-sama. It is unbecoming of a prince,” he chastised. Eijirou obediently swallowed. “Why did you pay for that apple?”

The alpha furrowed his brow, now confused himself. “Because I wanted to eat it?”

“But why did you pay for it? You are a prince. Your people should be giving you things for free.” Katsuki could understand why the alpha physically purchased the dagger for him, since the whole point of gifting was to buy or make something specifically for the person you were courting, but Eijirou was not buying anything for him now.

“Ah,” Eijirou said. “Is this another cultural difference of ours? Are you used to getting everything for free?”

“Not so much myself, but my parents were given gifts whenever they entered the capital. I remember when I was young, merchants would hand out food as we walked through the market and streets, and my mother would give me much of it.”

Eijirou hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose that makes sense in a way. My father would always pay extra whenever buying something from commoners, since he believes that everyone should be paid for their services and he had more than enough to give. I suppose, like many things, I have adopted his ideals.”

It was obvious that Eijirou dreamed of being like his father, who he admired more than anyone. It reminded Katsuki a lot of how he had admired his own mother when he was a child, always picturing he would be an alpha as formidable and revered as she was.

“Excuse me,” a deep, groggy voice said from directly behind Katsuki, drawing him out of his musings. Katsuki turned to come face to face with a tall omega who had wild, purple hair and dark bags under his purple eyes. “You’re blocking the way, and I need to buy some vegetables.”

“Hitoshi!” Eijirou cried happily after hearing the man’s voice and turning as well. The man, Hitoshi, nodded to Eijirou but did not appear the least bit affected by having the prince standing in front of him. Eijirou’s excitement did not falter in the slightest at his lack of reaction. “Katsuki, this is Yamada Hitoshi. His family owns the best soup shop in all of Adria. Hitoshi, this is Prince Bakugou Katsuki of Tulia, my future mate.”

“I know he’s your future mate, Kirishima-sama. Everyone knows that,” Hitoshi said before sending a wary look Katsuki’s way.

“I guess that’s true,” Eijirou agreed. “Hey, Hitoshi, how about me and Katsuki come with you back to your shop? I’m starving.”

Hitoshi visibly hesitated before answering. “Well, I would never say no to having you visit our shop, Kirishima-sama,” he said. “Allow me to just purchase what I need, and then we can leave.”

“You’re going to love it there, Katsuki,” Eijirou said excitedly. “It’ll change your life.”

When the three finally arrived at the soup shop, there were already multiple patrons and an older man serving them bowls filled with different types of soup. The man looked up as they entered and looked between the three with mild confusion.

“Hello, Yamada-san!” Eijirou greeted loudly and everyone else in the shop began greeting the prince in return while “Yamada-san” merely waved.

“Hey, mom. I’m back,” Hitoshi said through the noise before going upstairs with the basket of produce without another word.

The shop owner walked over to the two princes. “You will have to excuse my son, he is not the most social person,” he said, and Katsuki was surprised to find he was an omega as well.

Omegas are able to own property? he thought with amazement.

“My name is Yamada Shouta, and my mate and I own this shop. I would prefer you call me by my given name, even though Kirishima-sama refuses to do so,” the older omega said. Eijirou rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled sheepishly. “It is an honor to meet you at last, Prince Bakugou.”

“That is the first positive reaction that I have had since arriving here,” Katsuki said with slightly widened eyes.

Shouta smiled knowingly. “I can imagine. I am actually glad you are here, Your Highness.”

Before Katsuki could ask why he would be glad about that, another man noisily came down from upstairs—where Katsuki assumed their home was—and stopped next to Shouta, wrapping a long arm around his shoulders. “Wow, it really is the prince. I thought Hitoshi was pranking me again,” the blond alpha said in a deafening voice.

Katsuki nearly flinched, but Eijirou seem unperturbed. Katsuki wondered how often he had been around the man to be so used to his ridiculously high volume.

“Oh! My name is Yamada Hizashi, by the way. I co-own this shop with my beautiful mate,” Hizashi said, kissing Shouta on the cheek. The omega sent him a look which caused the blond to release him completely and step away slightly. “I apologize, Prince Bakugou. I had nearly forgotten how Tulians view public displays of affection.”

“I was unaware that was common knowledge among Adrians,” Katsuki said. “Eijirou-sama and the knights had no idea.”

“That is because it is not common knowledge,” Shouta said, his gaze boring into the prince.

“How are your parents, Prince Bakugou?” Hizashi asked suddenly, curiously.

“Same as usual,” Katsuki answered instantly before he could realize how strange of a question that was. Shouta and Hizashi nodded as if they had been expecting that answer. Katsuki figured he finally understood why everything these two said was so strange to him.

Eijirou, still not understanding what was going and sensing a pattern with that today, turned to the omega next to him. “Where would you like to sit, Katsuki?” At that question, many of the nearby patrons began asking Eijirou to sit near them or even at their table, some even going as far as pulling out seats for him.

“Anywhere you decide is fine, Eijirou-sama,” Katsuki said, his gaze still on the couple in front of him. Eijirou nodded and went off to find a table. Katsuki was sorely tempted to follow after him, but there were some things he needed to know for certain first.

“You already figured it out, right, Katsuki-sama?” Shouta asked once Eijirou was out of hearing distance. “That my husband and I are not originally from Adria?”

Katsuki swallowed heavily, avoiding the eyes of Hizashi. It would surely explain their similarly pale complexion and their particular way of speaking but knowing that the alpha in front of him was Tulian made him want to revert back to his teachings. Hizashi seemed to notice his sudden change in demeanor and the reason behind it.

“Katsuki-sama,” he began softly in a surprisingly quiet voice considering he seemed to yell everything else he said. “I think I know what you are thinking right now, but I am not like the alphas you have grown to know. Yes, I was born and raised in Tulia, but I have always hated the divide between genders in that kingdom. Besides, I have been an Adrian citizen for over eighteen years now. I am an Adrian through and through.”

Katsuki relaxed slightly at his words, not entirely trusting of the alpha but still finding him to be sincere. “I am sure you have some questions, Katsuki-sama.”

“Yes, actually,” Katsuki said after collecting himself. “Why have you relocated to Adria? And how?”

Shouta took a deep breath and lowered his voice to a near whisper. “You cannot tell a soul.” Katsuki nodded, not having planned to. He knew how serious fleeing to a non-allied country was. How they had kept their origins a secret, Katsuki had no idea but he would not ruin it for them. “My maiden name is Aizawa Shouta.”

“Lord Aizawa Shouta?” Katsuki asked with surprise. “I read an entire book about you, but it was never written that you were an omega.”

Shouta chuckled humorlessly. “Of course not. I spent my days helping the poor and dishonoring the wealthy, uplifting omegas while I badmouthed alphas at every turn. I was seen as both a menace and saint.” Katsuki nodded along, knowing all of this and more from his multiple readings of the book. “Omegas do not make history, however, so I wrote the history myself.”

“You wrote a book?” Katsuki could not believe what he was hearing. If this was all true, this man was a legend.

Hizashi smiled proudly. “He is quite the amazing omega, is he not?” Shouta rolled his eyes but smiled fondly back at his husband.

“Absolutely amazing,” Katsuki agreed reverently. “You never cared about how people saw you, and I always thought that was the most admirable thing about you. You were so…unapologetically you.”

“Rumor has it you were much the same, even after you presented. I did my best to keep up with Tulia’s current events over the years, so I know how much uproar your ‘improper’ attitude over the years caused,” he said with clear amusement and even a hint of approbation. “It is admirable how long you were able to be yourself and not become who they wanted you to become,” Shouta said.

“I was broken in the end,” Katsuki mumbled. “And traded for protection.”

“As unfortunate as your current situation is, I am sure you know that the life you would have led in Tulia would be far worse,” the older omega said solemnly. “Tulia is no place for omegas like us, who dream big and live as they please. That is why I had to leave my home behind and why it is best that you were forced to do so as well.”

“For better opportunities,” Katsuki surmised, and he could honestly see where the omega was coming from.

“Yes,” Shouta confirmed. “In my case, it had not been for myself but for my unborn child.”

“Shouta had been pregnant when we left,” Hizashi needlessly explained. “He had actually been planning to keep it a secret from me. Can you believe that? As if I would be burdened by starting a family with the love of my life.”

“You had friends and family. I did not. I knew you would have a hard time leaving them behind,” Shouta rebutted with narrowed eyes, and Katsuki felt like this was a conversation they have had many times before. “I did not want to make you choose.”

“Well, I did. I chose you, and I would choose you in the next life, and the life after that, and the life after—”

Shouta placed a hand over his mate’s mouth, silencing him. “I get it, Hizashi,” he hissed with a flushed face.

As reluctant as Katsuki was to admit it, he found their dynamic strangely endearing to watch. Still, they touched each other a lot for a couple of Tulian-born people. “You both seem to have grown accustomed to touching each other without thought,” he commented, only a little judgmentally.

Hizashi removed Shouta’s hand, but instead of dropping it right after, he gripped it in his own. Shouta did not seem inclined to let go either. “You get used to public displays of affection living among a people who are very tactile,” the alpha said. “It is also very nice to be able to hold hands, kiss, and hug your lover whenever the desire arises.”

“But it is indecent,” Katsuki insisted, still not fully comfortable with the idea of touching someone so freely.

Shouta nodded understandingly. “We were raised to believe so, but I believe that one day you will find it is a blessing to show your affection and have theirs shown to you.”

“But why would you want to touch someone in such ways?” Katsuki finally asked the question that had been plaguing him for, well, years actually.

Hizashi and Shouta exchanged glances with each other before Hizashi began snickering childishly. Shouta rolled his eyes so hard Katsuki worried they would get stuck before he turned back to Katsuki. “You are still young and innocent. One day, you will understand.” Katsuki frowned at the answer, hating being told that he was too young to understand or to wait, of all things. Shouta continued before he could get properly annoyed. “I think it would be best if you asked an omega your own age.”

The first two omegas to come to mind were Izuku and Denki, and he was hesitant to ask either of them such a personal question. For one, Izuku was even more innocent and naïve than Katsuki; he rarely interacted with alphas to begin with and scarcely showed interest in any of the five genders. Secondly, Katsuki was still unsure about where he stood with the Adrian omega. Sure, he had agreed to—or been dragged into—training Katsuki, but that did not mean they were at the stage where casual—let alone personal—conversations would be welcome.

“Why not just ask Kirishima-sama?” Hizashi asked, still snickering lightly. “He would be more than happy to explain intimacy to you.”

Shouta hit him on the arm while Katsuki turned red from the thought. “Do not mock me,” he ordered.

Hizashi held up his hands in surrender, all humor gone. “I apologize, Prince Katsuki. I do believe that you should have a conversation with Kirishima-sama eventually, though. Even though your marriage is arranged, he will still be your alpha and you his omega. Relationships thrive on healthy and open communication, so be sure to always tell him what you are thinking and feeling. Oh, and demand that he does the same for you.”

Katsuki huffed, “Eijirou-sama would never let me ‘demand’ anything of him.” Even though he does enjoy saying that I am demanding quite often, Katsuki thought.

“Shouta bosses me around all the time. Even before I began courting him, he was telling me what to do,” Hizashi said, not sounding the least bit upset or annoyed by it.

“A part of me believes that alphas actually enjoy being bossed around by their omegas. At least the more masochistic ones,” Shouta said, completely serious. He could see in the prince’s mildly confused expression that he was tempted to ask Shouta to either expand on that or explain what “masochistic” meant, and Shouta refused to do either. “Do not ask me to explain. I will not,” he droned. Katsuki huffed again, this time in annoyance.

Hizashi pulled on Shouta’s hand, pulling him flush against him and wrapping his arm around the omega’s waist. He clearly no longer cared about being so tactile in front of the prince. Shouta did not resist but from his facial expression, it would be difficult to tell whether he enjoyed the embrace at all. “Well, I for one love it when Shouta gets all bossy and dominant,” Hizashi said, leering at his mate who glared back at him. Hizashi ignored the look and waggled his eyebrows before leaning in for what both Shouta and Katsuki anticipated to be a kiss on the lips. Luckily for Katsuki—and likely Hizashi as well—the alpha’s lips met a food tray inserted suddenly in between their faces.

“Get a room you two,” Hitoshi said with disgust as he pulled the tray away.

Hizashi sighed dramatically. “Children these days just do not appreciate true love.”

Hitoshi and Katsuki rolled their eyes so hard they nearly got stuck.

Chapter Text

Yamada Hitoshi was many things. He was ambitious, antisocial, constantly exhausted, hard-working when he wanted to be, and despite popular belief, had a great sense of humor. He also was not a complete idiot. He knew his parents knew this, so he could not help but wonder why they bothered keeping secrets from him if they were going to make it so abundantly obvious that they were, in fact, keeping secrets from him.

Granted, it was mostly his father who sucked at keeping secrets. He was anything but covert. For the past ten minutes, he had been continuously pulling his mate over to whisper into his ear while periodically glancing over at either Katsuki or Hitoshi, and it became obvious to the purple-haired omega that something was going on.

Hitoshi glanced over at the two his parents were currently gossiping about like a pair of juveniles. Eijirou and Katsuki were sitting nearly squished together as people crowded around the table, but neither looked particularly annoyed by their close proximity to each other. They were being bombarded with questions and requests, although most were targeted at the redhead. Whenever a question was asked of Katsuki, Eijirou would swiftly and easily redirect everyone’s attention back to himself. Katsuki was thankful for his constant distractions, since he had no real answers to any of the things asked of him.

“How do you plan to prove your worth as queen?” someone had asked, leaving Katsuki floundering.

“Prince Katsuki just may surprise you all,” Eijirou cut in, grinning wide. “We both have much maturing to do, and I hope you all will be with us along every step of the way!” That led to everyone making promises of remaining by the prince’s side as long as they lived.

Another had dared to ask, “What’s a Tulian like you know about war?” Katsuki had been expecting questions like that, but he knew no answer he gave would be good enough for them.

Fortunately, Eijirou took over again. “Last I checked, you’ve fought just as many battles as the Tulian of the group,” Eijirou had said jokingly, but the glare he sent to the young man who spoke said more than enough. Everyone laughed at the embarrassed man’s expense, since never having fought in a battle was a sign of never fully maturing.

The one inquiry that really threw Katsuki for a loop came from an elderly omega woman. “You will be able to properly produce strong, healthy heirs, yes?” The blond’s eyes had nearly popped out his skull, his face just about catching aflame from how hot his cheeks became.

Eijirou had flushed as well, his traitorous mind concocting various images of the omega round with his pups. “Man, you all are thinking much farther ahead than either of us!” He had laughed but it was nervous and strained. “We should all be focusing on the wedding for now!” That successfully moved the questioning to plans for the ceremony.

Currently, Katsuki was listening intently to Eijirou explain what was planned for the upcoming ceremony. He honestly knew absolutely nothing about Adrian weddings, and he was shocked by just how extensive the whole process seemed to be. He also had no idea what some of these events entailed, least of all the “Battle of Warriors,” or whatever they all kept mentioning. The blond made a mental note to ask about it later.

“What allies have accepted the invite?” a middle-aged beta man asked. Katsuki tilted his head slightly in confusion.

He whispered, “You invite allied kingdoms to your wedding ceremonies?”

Eijirou nodded and whispered back, “Yes, don’t worry, I’ll explain everything again later.” Katsuki nodded, satisfied with that. Louder, Eijirou said, “The kingdoms of Creati, Ingenium, and Endeavor have accepted.”

Everyone groaned at hearing that last one, and Katsuki could understand why. The only kingdom to rival Tulia’s old-fashioned, conservative views was Endeavor. Some would say Endeavor was like Tulia if Tulia had a proper military, open trading routes, and terribly bizarre weather conditions. The king, Todoroki Enji, just made the kingdom even more deplorable, since he was a deplorable man himself. Katsuki was not looking forward to meeting him.

Eijirou was no more excited about the Todoroki’s presence in his home, but since he was a prince, he had to act like one. “King Todoroki Enji may have his faults, but he will still be an honored guest. You will all treat him with the same respect you would give King Iida and King Yaoyorozu,” he said, loud enough for every person in the shop to hear.

A head of lilac suddenly popped into view between two random people, Hitoshi pushing his way through the throng of Adrians. His dark eyes bored into Katsuki’s, his face looking nothing short of disinterested. When he spoke, his voice was hard as steel. “I have just one question for Prince Bakugou,” he said.

Eijirou held up a hand. “Now, Hitoshi, hold on. Why don’t you all just let him be for today?”

Hitoshi didn’t even spare him a glance. “He can speak for himself,” he said, eyes narrowing at the other omega. “Can’t you, Prince Bakugou?”

Katsuki glared back, standing from his chair. “I can. Ask your question.”

Hitoshi slowly looked the blond up and down, almost contemplatively. “Are you weak?”

Katsuki’s eyes widened, not having expected that. It was strange that he was being asked whether or not he was weak rather than being told he was.

Eijirou slammed his hands on the table, also standing up now. He looked outraged. “That’s enough! If another person decides to disrespect Katsuki, I swear that I will—”

“Eijirou-sama,” Katsuki cut in softly, amazingly halting the redhead in his threat. He seemed to calm significantly at the sound of his voice, now giving his full attention to the blond next to him. Katsuki, however, never removed his gaze from Hitoshi who had paid no mind to the other prince’s outburst. “You want to know if I am weak?” he asked Hitoshi.

The other nodded. “Are you as they all say? Because I have reason to believe that there is more to Tulian omegas than any Adrian seems willing to believe.” Katsuki figured his “reason to believe” was his mother himself. “So…Prince Bakugou Katsuki, are you weak?”

Eijirou looked between the two of them in confusion, surprised that Katsuki was not upset. Maybe it was wrong of him to assume that Katsuki would be short-tempered just because he was easily flustered and annoyed. Katsuki looked anything but flustered or angry; he was as calm as can be, his head held high and his gaze determined.

He declared, “I am not weak.”

Hitoshi crossed his arms, unconvinced. “That so?”

“You all want me to prove myself so much, then I will.”

Hitoshi’s lips twitched into a smirk for a split second. “I’ll make sure that you do, Your Highness.”

“Hitoshi!” Hizashi’s voice shrilled from the opposite side of the shop but was just as loud as if he had been directly beside them.

“What?” said omega grumbled, glancing sideways at his father. Hizashi was still standing next to Shouta, but now he had his hands on his hips and a disapproving frown on his face.

“No antagonizing the prince!” he yelled.

Hitoshi rolled his eyes as his mother slapped a hand over the blond man’s mouth with a quiet hiss of warning. “I wasn’t antagonizing anyone,” their son grumbled. “I was just giving him an opportunity.”

Katsuki huffed, curious as to how that previous interaction was supposed to have offered him an opportunity for anything. “Everyone keeps questioning my abilities, my worth, and how I plan to show it, but I have yet to see someone showcase their own to me,” Katsuki said with a meaningful glance to everyone in the room.

“That is usually how it goes, Prince Katsuki,” Shouta said in a tone that suggested he spoke from experience.

“Damn hypocrites,” Katsuki mumbled low enough that only Eijirou was able to hear him. The alpha snorted a laugh before he could stop himself and cleared his throat when people looked at him questioningly.

It was strange how much the omega prince reminded Hitoshi of his own mother, although he supposed “abnormal” omegas were similar in many ways. They were willing to stand up for themselves, speak out without permission, and do as they pleased without apology. They were unafraid to be themselves, even if it led to the most negative of consequences. It made Hitoshi just that much more grateful to his parents that he never had to grow up in such a constrictive environment, where every action he made and every word he spoke would be scrutinized and controlled.

He knew for a fact that Adria was a land where omegas could be whoever they wanted to be, while many kingdoms were not unlike Tulia in their treatment of omegas. The Adrian was equally curious and excited to witness the changes Katsuki would go through firsthand. Not that he was particularly eager to interact with the other omega; something about the way he carried himself rubbed Hitoshi the wrong way. Then again, Hitoshi didn’t like most people.

For example, when he first met Eijirou years ago, he thought he was the most annoying person to have ever graced this earth, but over time he had grown to respect and admire him much like every other Adrian.

Hitoshi’s attention was drawn away from the princes by two more patrons entering the shop. He sighed internally; just more noise to help along his never-ending headache.

The two to walk in were Izuku and Ochako, having seen the many people entering the shop and wondering what all the commotion was about. Hitoshi raised a fine brow at the sight of the two, silently wondering just how many Tulians were going to visit his family’s shop that day. He contemplated retreating behind the counter as he usually did when the shop got busy, just so he could avoid as much human interaction as possible. Sadly, considering the crowd around him and how noticeable the two princes were, he doubted he would be able to sneak away successfully. Besides, he was admittedly slightly curious about the newcomers as well.

Ochako and Izuku spotted their prince no more than a few seconds after walking through the doorway, seeing him sitting beside Eijirou and surrounded by people. Izuku winced sympathetically, knowing from previous experiences that Katsuki was likely being bombarded with inane and intrusive questions. And if there was anything Katsuki hated more than arrogant, self-important alphas trying to put him in his place, it was being questioned by people he did not know.

Ochako came to the same consensus, a frown marring her usually bright features. She had long grown tired of these people’s treatment of Katsuki, finding it unjust and disrespectful. And yes, she knew better than almost anyone that Katsuki could handle himself and was not shy about standing up for himself when the situation called for it, but her instincts told her to put a stop to this anyway. Even if Katsuki became upset with her as he had before.

Izuku, on the other hand, was reluctant to enter the scene and consequently cause one. He also did not want to interrupt Katsuki’s alone time with the prince, even though it seemed like that ship had long sailed. Still, the moment he and Ochako walked over, Katsuki would no longer be able to interact with Eijirou without the watchful eye of Ochako.

Izuku was unsure of whether Katsuki’s slight change in demeanor around the other prince whenever Ochako was nearby was due to her obvious dislike and distrust of the redheaded alpha or some other reason Izuku could not begin to guess. Either way, Katsuki and Eijirou deserved to be able to get to know each other before the wedding day, and Katsuki more than anything deserved the opportunity to decide if Eijirou was someone he could accept as a mate—even if the choice to have him as one was already decided long ago.

Ochako, only thinking about protecting her prince, marched over and maneuvered her way through the large crowd—much larger than she had initially realized—without touching anyone for too long. Izuku followed, not really having much of a choice otherwise. He could either stay behind and watch the spectacle unfold as a bystander or do his best to unsuccessfully temper his friend. He could at the very least prevent her from physically harming anyone, which he knew was a very real concern when it came to his two surprisingly (and unsurprisingly) temperamental childhood friends.

Katsuki caught sight of the beta approaching their table. He held back a smirk as she stared Hitoshi down until he took a begrudged step back with a painful looking eyeroll, allowing her to take his place directly in front of the blond. As relieved as he was to see his friend, he also knew there was a spectacle sure to follow her presence. It was impossible for her to have overlooked the amount of people crowding around him or his obvious displeasure for it.

Katsuki could see Ochako gearing herself up to once again yell at more Adrians—a fun pastime for her one could assume—but he held up a hand to impede her oncoming rant. He sent her a warning look and she reluctantly kept quiet.

Eijirou pretended to not notice the interaction between the two, instead giving Ochako a wide grin. “Uraraka-san! What a coincidence seeing you here,” he said, and Ochako kept herself from pointing out that it was not really much of a coincidence at all. They had all decided to go into town at the same time after all.

“Hello, Kirishima-sama,” she said smoothly, carefully keeping the contempt from her features. She did, however, send glares to everyone else around her. A few appeared to cower at the look, while most simply glared in return.

Eijirou also ignored her glaring, knowing that there was no helping her need to protect Katsuki. He could respect that after all. While he doubted that Katsuki was weak—surely not mentally but perhaps physically—he was happy to know that the omega had people to help him if the need ever came to be. Not that Eijirou wouldn’t be one of those people as well, but he couldn’t always be by Katsuki’s side. Even if he was coming to think that he wanted to.

The redhead looked behind Ochako to see Izuku, who was trying and failing to pretend he could not feel Hitoshi’s eyes on him. The purple-haired omega did not seem to care about decency or anything of the like, seemingly content to observe the noble. “Hello, Midoriya-san,” Eijirou greeted, holding back a chuckle.

“H-Hello, K-Kirishima-sama,” the omega stuttered.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow at the stuttering, knowing that Izuku only stuttered when he was nervous or uncomfortable. “What is it, Izuku?” he questioned, masking the worry he was feeling with a neutral tone.

Izuku wildly shook his head. “N-Nothing, Kacchan!” he then gasped loudly and Katsuki knew what was coming. “I am so sorry! I m-meant Katsuki-sama!”

“Izuku, you know I do not care about formality between us. You are my…dearest friend,” he said, feeling embarrassed by the admission despite it being so blatantly obvious to anyone who saw them interact. Izuku looked about ready to cry, or even worse, hug Katsuki, so he continued before he could do either. “Anyway, why are you stuttering so much? You sound like thirteen-year-old you.”

“Oh…” Izuku murmured, figuring he had no choice but to speak up now.

“That’s probably my fault,” Hitoshi suddenly said, drawing Katsuki’s attention to him. The blond glared at his words, silently ordering him to elaborate. Hitoshi did. “My staring probably made him uncomfortable.”

“And why were you staring at him?” Katsuki asked, the question sounding much more like a demand.

Hitoshi ignored the question and turned back to Izuku. “What is your relation to Prince Bakugou?”

Izuku looked surprised by the question. “We are childhood friends, and we grew up together.”

“So, really, you’re just a random omega who follows him around,” Hitoshi deadpanned.

Izuku gasped in offense. Katsuki and Ochako looked beyond outraged. “He is my friend, so of course I will remain by his side as long as I can! And I am not random! How dare you!”

“Are you looking to pick a fight?” Katsuki growled out, his eyes thunderous.

“Just who are you anyway?” Ochako hissed, stepping in front of Izuku to block him from sight. Since Izuku was taller than the brunette and Hitoshi was quite tall himself, it did not do much.

The Adrian was surprised by the amount of venom in all of their voices—especially Izuku and Ochako, considering they had seemed pleasant and easy-going up until that point. Still, instead of apologizing Hitoshi merely raised an eyebrow at the three. “Am I wrong?” he asked.

“Yes!” all three yelled back.

“Okay, let’s calm down, everyone,” Eijirou said, trying to mitigate the situation. “Hitoshi, maybe if you got to know Midoriya-san, you would find that he is actually an amazing person,” he said.

Izuku’s eyes widened at the praise, not having expected to ever hear it from the alpha. Or perhaps anyone. “Oh…thank you, Kirishima-sama,” he said, feeling touched.

Eijirou smiled kindly. “I’m only telling it how it is,” he said and Izuku could feel his face grow warm. Neither he nor Izuku caught Katsuki’s look of displeasure at the exchange.

“Eijirou-sama,” the blond called, successfully recapturing the alpha’s attention. “We still have yet to eat, and I am quite hungry.”

“Oh, you’re right. I had forgotten in all of the excitement,” he said.

Katsuki resisted rolling his eyes. “By ‘excitement,’ do you mean all of the people annoying us for most of the day?”

Eijirou fought a smile. “You really shouldn’t say things like that, Katsuki. It may upset people.”

“My fucking breathing patterns upset people,” he grumbled in return.

Eijirou snickered quietly as to not draw attention back to them. “You have been increasingly vulgar lately,” he commented, not at all judgmental or chastising. Still, Katsuki instantly grew defensive at his words.

“Do you have a problem with that?” he asked bitingly, partially challenging but sincerely asking. Katsuki had always been fairly vulgar—which really meant that he cursed up a storm without a second thought—and he was hard-pressed to change that aspect of himself, no matter how much he enjoyed the alpha’s company.

Eijirou smiled easily. “I fucking love it, actually.”

Katsuki looked away so Eijirou wouldn’t see his smile. “Can we just eat already?” he asked, eager to end this whole conversation and ignoring the warm feeling in his gut. Why did Eijirou make him feel so strange all the time? He never had to hold back smiles, only force them. Yet, being in the other prince's presence made him want to smile all the damn time.

The alpha smirked, as if he could read Katsuki’s thoughts. “Anything for you, Your Highness,” he said, gesturing grandly to Katsuki’s forgotten chair. Again, Katsuki had to fight a grin, beyond amused by the alpha’s antics.

The omega sat down, making a show of crossing his legs and pretending to sweep his hair behind his ear as he did. “Well, it is about time you started showing me the respect I deserve,” he joked.

Instead of continuing the joke as Katsuki expected, Eijirou grew serious. “I plan to show you nothing but the respect you deserve, Katsuki.”

Katsuki’s eyes widened at the sincerity seeping from his words, knowing that he meant each one.

Eijirou turned away before Katsuki could even think to respond to that, waving down Shouta from across the room. The omega began walking towards the kitchen before he even opened his mouth. “Shouta-san! Four bowls of your best soup, please!”

“That would be all of them!” Hizashi yelled back, drawing laughs from multiple patrons who seemed to agree wholeheartedly. Shouta rolled his eyes with a secretly pleased smile as Hizashi joined him in the kitchen.

Many of the people within the shop had dispersed after Eijirou stopped giving them his full attention to instead focus on single-handedly holding the conversation between Katsuki and himself. The alpha did not seem to mind being the only one talking; after multiple conversations with Katsuki, he was more than used to being the only one speaking between them. Katsuki was always content to let his words wash over him and give single-word responses whenever he felt it appropriate.

He would never, for as long as he lived, admit to this but the alpha’s voice was pleasing to the ears.

Izuku, Ochako, and Hitoshi were at a nearby table. Izuku sat, feeling weirdly trapped, between Ochako and Hitoshi. The two were glaring daggers at each other, so Izuku was stuck uncomfortably sipping at the delicious soup in front of him and hoping for the two to leave each other alone already.

“Why are you sitting with us?” Ochako asked, displeased by his company.

“I want to speak with Midoriya,” Hitoshi answered.

The beta crossed her arms defiantly. “Well, you cannot speak with him.”

“I would think that’d be his decision to make,” Hitoshi said with clear irritation.

Ochako continued as if she had not heard him. “And why would want to speak with a Tulian omega, anyway?”

“I personally know a Tulian omega,” Hitoshi began, and Izuku’s brain scrambled to figure out who that could possibly be.

What Tulian omega besides me or Kacchan could he have possibly met? he wondered.

Ochako simply asked. “And who is that?”

“None of your concern,” Hitoshi replied instantly. Ochako huffed, fed up with his attitude. “As I was saying, they are different in every way from the image painted by foreigners and even Tulians of Tulian omegas.”

“And your point is?” Ochako interrupted impatiently.

Hitoshi narrowed his eyes at the interruption. “The point is, I expected Prince Bakugou to fall somewhere along the lines of an omega with a personality, but what I saw on the day of his arrival was nothing more than a subservient weakling unfit to rule any kingdom.” Ochako gritted her teeth. “You all claim that he is different than he seems, and while that may be true to some extent, I have no reason to believe that Prince Bakugou is someone worth the respect of the Adrian people. You two do not seem to be much either, if I can be perfectly honest.”

“By all means, be as honest as you wish. Nothing seemed to stop you earlier,” Ochako grumbled bitterly.

Izuku frowned but was surprisingly unoffended. “I can understand why you would feel that way,” he admitted in shame. “I mean, Kacchan has always dreamed of ruling, but once he presented everything changed for him. He fought against his parents—even our kingdom’s—wishes for a long time but…eventually he became just what they wanted.” Hitoshi had figured that much already. “But only on the outside!” Izuku rushed to add. “Kacchan is no weakling, and if everyone would stop placing labels on him without even bothering to speak with him first, I think everyone would be able to see that.”

Ochako suddenly scoffed loudly. Izuku and Hitoshi looked at her in shock. “And why does Katsuki-sama need to prove himself to such unworthy people in the first place?”

Both omega’s eyes widened, one in astonishment and the other in offense. “’Unworthy?’” Hitoshi repeated angrily. “You think we’re unworthy of Prince Bakugou?” he asked incredulously.

“Katsuki-sama would have been a wonderful ruler for Tulia, but because your prince could not find himself a mate, Katsuki-sama was forced to come here!” she exclaimed, her voice steadily rising. “None of you appreciate the sacrifices he has made!”

“Wait, Uraraka-san, that is—” Izuku tried, only to be drowned out by Hitoshi.

“Prince Bakugou was unable to find a mate as well, just like Kirishima-sama. That’s why he was eligible to be married off in the first place,” Hitoshi rebutted. “And last I checked, the whole reason this farce of a marriage was established in the first place was became your ‘oh-so great kingdom’ needed our protection.”

Izuku’s brow furrowed in contemplation. “Wait, how do you know about—?”

“You have no idea the kinds of things Katsuki-sama has had to suffer through because of your kingdom!” Ochako hissed.

Hitoshi rolled his eyes. “Oh, don’t go blaming Adria for your kingdom’s flawed, archaic thinking. Any suffering Prince Bakugou endured was entirely Tulia’s doing, and you know it.”

“Tulia is a wonderful kingdom!”

“Bullshit,” Hitoshi snapped. “I bet Prince Bakugou and Midoriya are glad to be gone from it.”

The beta abruptly stood from her chair, nearly knocking it backwards onto the ground. She was so angry she could feel her body shake with rage. She planted one hand on the table and leaned over Izuku to get in the other omega’s face. Izuku leaned as far back as he could without tumbling. Hitoshi stared back unfazed and unafraid. “Katsuki-sama and Izuku-kun would never choose the kingdom of Adria over our homeland.”

“Uraraka-san…” Izuku was beyond flabbergasted. He had never seen Ochako like this and he could not understand what brought her to this point. He also could not bring himself to say that Hitoshi was likely correct in his assumption.

Someone loudly clearing their throat interrupted whatever Izuku may have said. All three heads turned to see Shouta standing beside their table. Only Hitoshi was able to spot the annoyance hidden beneath his tired, apathetic gaze. “You two need to calm down. I do not need another scene in my shop,” he said. Glaring down at his son, he added, “And Hitoshi, stop picking fights with the damn Tulians already. Go help your father in the kitchen if you are going to be a nuisance.”

Hitoshi sucked his teeth but remained seated. “It’s not like anything I said was untrue,” he mumbled.

Shouta sighed heavily. “This is not the way to make friends, Hitoshi.”

Hitoshi bristled with annoyance. “I’m not trying to make friends with them!” he denied. “And that’s rich coming from someone whose only friend is their husband.”

“Do not sass me,” Shouta reprimanded. “I will give your father free reign to tell everyone in this shop all of the embarrassing stories of your youth,” he threatened.

“You wouldn’t!”

While the two omegas were bickering, Ochako glanced over to see whether Katsuki had noticed their dispute. It did not appear so, since he and Eijirou were so consumed with each other. All she saw was the redhead droning on and on about some inane topic while Katsuki sat and watched him with his head in his hand and the faintest trace of a smile on his face. Ochako was practically seething at the sight of them.

“Come, Izuku-kun, we are leaving,” she told him.

Izuku opened his mouth to protest but Hitoshi cut in before he could. “You haven’t paid yet.”

“No worries,” Shouta said unconcernedly. “Hitoshi can pay for both of your meals.”

Said omega glared at his mother. “Why do I have to pay for them?”

“Oh no! You do not have to do that!” Izuku interjected before Shouta could respond. “I am not leaving anyway.”

Ochako frowned. “Yes, you are!”

“I am going to speak with Hitoshi-san and Shouta-san more,” Izuku stated. “You can leave if you want to, Uraraka-san.”

The beta was at a loss for words. She was so used to Izuku going along with whatever she or Katsuki did, never had she considered that he would so openly go against her. Feeling defeated, Ochako flopped back down into her chair, body lifeless and her face downcast.

Hitoshi seemed amused by the situation, smirking smugly at the woman. “So, you’re staying then, Uraraka-san?” She ignored him. “What’s wrong? Not used to your omega defying you?”

“I am not her omega,” Izuku corrected, straight-faced. He neglected to add that even if they wanted to be, betas and omegas were not allowed to become lovers in their homeland.

Hitoshi raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “She sure acts like she owns you,” he said. He personally did not believe that anyone owned their significant other, but he was sure that was the mindset of the Tulian people in regards to omega partners.

“You know nothing,” Ochako hissed furiously. “I only wish to keep Izuku-kun away from disgusting people like you.”

“Midoriya seems to like me. He even said he wanted to talk to me,” Hitoshi drawled with a lazy smirk.

“Alright. That is quite enough,” Shouta snapped, putting a stop to their arguing. He flicked his son on the ear who flinched at the sharp pain, rubbing his ear afterwards. “Stop picking fights with her. Do you understand me?” When Hitoshi gave a reluctant nod, he turned to Ochako with a fierce stare. “You need to get a hold of yourself. You are acting unbecoming of a knight. And if you ever speak that way about my son again, you will regret it.” Ochako looked down in shame and the shopkeeper finally turned to Izuku, who looked startled at the attention. Shouta made sure to soften his gaze. “That was good, what you did. You should speak up for yourself more. Tell others how you are feeling and what you want. Show them you are not weak, just like your prince.”

Izuku brightened at the word of advice. “Yes, Shouta-san!”

“Good,” Shouta said, pleased. He then mumbled under his breath, “Bunch of brats.”

“Um, I would like to ask something,” Izuku said unsurely. Shouta gestured for him to go ahead. “How did you become a shopkeeper?”

“I asked the king for permission to open my own shop and he granted it to me,” Shouta answered.

Izuku was wide-eyed. “Is it really that simple?”

Shouta nodded. “It is here.” Izuku seemed to be mulling over this information heavily. “There were not as many food shops when I proposed the idea, so that surely played a part. Had I asked to open a smithery, he may have denied me considering there were already so many back then.” Izuku looked as if he wanted to take notes. Shouta found his attentiveness quite endearing. “Are you interested in opening a shop of your own?”

Izuku was stunned by the question. “I never considered it before,” he said honestly. He took moment to entertain the idea. “I have always thought Tulia needed more education centers, especially for omegas, but Adria clearly does not share that problem so I do not see how one could be of any use. And that is not really a shop either…”

“You’d want to teach?” Hitoshi asked.

“Well, it does not have to be me! I mean, most of my education comes from reading in secret, so I doubt I would be a good teacher! There are surely much more capable people to do it!” he hurriedly said.

“Don’t doubt yourself so much,” Hitoshi said. “If you’re more knowledgeable about something than someone else, that’s already the first step. And you must be patient and kind if you were able to deal with both Prince Bakugou and Uraraka-san for so many years.” When both his mother and Ochako sent him matching glares, he held his hands up in surrender. “Alright, that was the last one. I swear.”

Izuku was a deep red by the end of his little speech. “Do you really think so, Hitoshi-san?”

The other omega shrugged. “Sure. You can’t be any worse of a teacher than my mom when it comes to cooking,” he said.

“It is not my fault that the only thing you can make without burning it is soup. My teaching skills have nothing to do with it,” Shouta rebutted.

Izuku rubbed his cheek self-consciously. “I am not that great of a cook either. I was rarely even allowed in the kitchen,” he said with a laugh. “The one to cook was always my—” Izuku cut himself off, his expression closing off entirely. Hitoshi and Shouta shared a concerned glance while Ochako whispered something to Izuku, who was now on the verge of tears. The omega wiped at his watery eyes. “Sorry. My mother,” he finished.

The two Adrians could only guess the story to that, but they knew for certain that it was a tragic one.

“No apologies necessary,” Shouta assured him.

“Sorry,” Izuku apologized reflexively.

Hitoshi decided to change the subject. “Well, if not teaching, then what would you want to do?”

Izuku gave him a bittersweet smile. “I always dreamed of becoming a knight and fighting alongside Kacchan.”

“’Kacchan?’” Shouta parroted in confusion.

“It’s his nickname for Prince Bakugou,” Hitoshi explained with a hint of amusement.

Shouta raised an eyebrow in surprise. “That is an awfully cutesy name for the prince,” he remarked. Izuku was just about to begin panicking, thinking that someone was finally going to call him out on his informality, when the older omega continued. “Prince Katsuki is not very cute, so I am not sure how fitting it is.”

Hitoshi gave an unattractive snort. “I think Kirishima-sama would beg to differ.”

Shouta nearly rolled his eyes. “Kirishima-sama is absolutely infatuated with him, so I would say he is a slightly biased.” Ochako scoffed in disbelief, but they ignored her. “So, what is stopping you?” Shouta asked Izuku, going back to the previous subject.

The noble had no answer to that, realizing that every obstacle he faced before was now literally miles and miles behind him. “I do not know,” he replied truthfully.

Shouta smiled. “The correct answer was ‘nothing,’” he said. “I keep trying to tell Hitoshi the same thing about him joining the Royal Guard.”

“You wish to be a knight as well?” Izuku asked with a mixture of excitement and wonder. He had not expected that of the purple-haired omega.

“Come on, mom. Why did you have to mention that?” Hitoshi groaned exasperatedly. He sighed heavily before answering. “Yeah, I did want to be a knight, but it’s never going to happen.”

Izuku frowned, as if he was disappointed for him. “Why do you say that?”

Hitoshi looked uncomfortable under the scrutiny. “I just…don’t mix well with the other knights,” he said.

“But you are such a nice person!” Izuku exclaimed passionately, catching Hitoshi off guard. “And I bet you are really strong too!”

“You think I’m nice?” Hitoshi asked with no small amount of disbelief. When Izuku nodded enthusiastically he gave an awkward chuckle. “That’s a first,” he murmured far too quietly for anyone to hear.

“We should join the Royal Guard together!” Izuku continued on, seemingly oblivious to Hitoshi’s increasing discomfort. “We will become the two strongest omegas in the Royal Guard—even stronger than Denki-san and Amajiki-san combined!” he jested.

Hitoshi stared at him expressionlessly for a long moment before hastily rising from his seat. “I’m going upstairs,” he told his mother before walking away without another word.

Izuku looked to Shouta for answers, but the shopkeeper merely shrugged. “My son is, admittedly, not the best with social interactions. I can assure you that you did nothing wrong, nor did you offend him in any way,” he said. “He just does not know how to respond to people his own age showing him kindness. He was much the same with Kirishima-sama.”

“Oh,” Izuku said dumbly, still reeling slightly from Hitoshi’s unexpected departure. “I still feel bad.”

Shouta shook his head. “Of course you do,” he said, possibly fond if Izuku wasn’t imagining things. “You should finish your soup,” he then said while pointing at their mostly untouched bowls. “Although, they are likely cold by this point.”

Izuku gasped, having completely forgotten about his food. He took a sip and found that it was about as cold as expected. He sighed sadly before looking back at Shouta. “I hate to waste food, so I will finish it.” Shouta nodded, satisfied with his response. He saw Ochako take a sip of hers from the corner of his eye. “It really is delicious, Shouta-san. I can see why your shop is so popular.”

Shouta turned away before Izuku could see his reaction to the praise. This boy is a menace, he thought to himself. “Just shut up and finish your soup.”

Izuku smiled to himself and did just that.

When the four finally returned to the castle a few hours later, Ochako had expected Katsuki to quickly bid Eijirou farewell and spend the rest of the day with her and Izuku, as he tended to do. After all, it was not like he preferred spending time with anyone else over them.

Or at least…she had thought that before.

“Eijirou-sama?” Katsuki stopped the prince right when he was about to say his goodbyes.

“Yes, Katsuki?” Eijirou turned so he was facing the blond, naturally towering over him with his considerably taller height. There was at least a head’s difference between the two princes, Katsuki only coming eye level with his chest. Normally, Katsuki would hate having anyone looking down on him—whether that be figurative or literal—but with Eijirou, he never felt anything but comfortable and respected.

Katsuki gave the alpha a tentative glance, pulling nervously at his gloves. He had no idea why he was feeling any nervousness at all; he only wanted to ask a simple question. It’s not like he cared at all how the redhead answered. “Would you like to take a walk with me through the garden?”

Eijirou gaped dumbly at the question before quickly collecting himself. He grinned and nodded almost manically. “Yeah, that’d be great! I’d love to!”

Katsuki bit his lip to prevent himself from smiling too widely. It really was ridiculous—and not at all endearing—how excited the alpha could get at times.

“Hold on,” Ochako interrupted their moment, her face twisted into a dark look. Izuku sighed quietly behind her, knowing what was coming next. “Katsuki-sama, I was hoping we could spend the rest of the day together.”

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. Usually, he and Ochako left each other to their own devices, never really asking for the other’s company. “Perhaps tomorrow,” he offered dubiously.

“Uraraka-san,” Izuku whispered to get her attention. “We should let Kacchan and Kirishima-sama spend as much time alone together as possible.”

Ochako looked at him like he was insane. “Kirishima-sama does not own him!” she snapped, startling everyone.

Izuku shook his head frantically, thrown-off by the direction this conversation was heading. “I never—!”

Ochako ignored him, whipping around to face a dumbstruck Katsuki. “Katsuki-sama, tell him you do not want to go with him!”

“Uraraka-san, control yourself!” Eijirou ordered, his patience wearing thin.

The brunette rounded on the alpha. “I refuse to listen to a word you say! You are not my prince!” she shouted.

Katsuki stepped between them, his back to Eijirou. Eijirou was shocked by the protective action while Ochako felt betrayed by it. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded, his face twisted into a vicious scowl.

“Me?” she whispered unbelievingly. “You are the one who has been acting abnormal, Katsuki-sama!”

“What?” he asked incredulously. “What the fuck are you even talking about?”

The woman stomped her foot in frustration, ignoring the judging gazes of the various knights watching them. She turned and marched away without another word, leaving everyone beyond confused.

“I wonder what that was all about with Uraraka-san,” Eijirou pondered aloud as he and Katsuki walked through the garden a few minutes later. He spotted Tsuyu in the distance tending to the flowers and sent her a wave before continuing. “That seemed out-of-character for her.”

Katsuki sighed heavily and massaged his temples. “I do not want to think about that. She has been acting strange lately,” he said. “She clearly hates the thought of us.”

“Oh? Is there an ‘us,’ Katsuki?” Eijirou asked cheekily.

The blond rolled his eyes skyward. “I mean our upcoming marriage, you insufferable alpha.” Eijirou laughed. “You promised to tell me more about the ceremony,” he reminded him.

“Oh, yeah! I nearly forgot,” Eijirou exclaimed. “There’s quite a lot to explain. Why don’t we sit?” he suggested, leading them to a nearby bench. “So, the ceremony itself is actually only a small part of Adrian weddings, especially between royalty.”

“So, what else is there?” Katsuki asked, as impatient as Eijirou had come to expect (and adore).

“Well, I already mentioned how other kingdoms’ rulers are invited to royal weddings.” Katsuki nodded. “Yeah, so, throughout the week multiple festivities are held.”

“Your weddings last a whole week?” Katsuki asked in surprise. “That seems…excessive.”

Eijirou chuckled. “Most foreigners think that, but it’s actually super fun. I mean, the last royal wedding was between my parents so obviously I wasn’t a part of it, but Adrian weddings in general are fun. The whole week is dedicated to feasts, parades, and parties.”

Katsuki blinked, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the information. “I see.”

“Don’t worry, Katsuki. I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Eijirou said reassuringly. Katsuki refused to admit how much it worked to calm his nerves, even just slightly. “Then comes the actual ceremony. I should warn you though. There is a part that may seem a bit…unappealing to you.”

And the nerves were back. “What is it?”

“We have to cut open the palms of our hands,” he said. Katsuki’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. Eijirou hurried to explain. “It’s not anything weird, I swear! It’s just a way of showing loyalty to each other. We make small cuts in our hands until they bleed a little and then hold hands.”

“So, swapping blood is not weird to you?” Katsuki questioned, honestly kind of freaked out.

“Uh…no?” Eijirou rubbed the back of his head, feeling embarrassed now. “I always thought it was super manly, you know?” Katsuki looked unconvinced. Eijirou sighed quietly. “I get it, it’s strange. And besides, you value your hands, so cutting them is obviously out of the question. I’ll ask my father if we can forgo that this time.”

“You would do that?” Katsuki asked. The “for me” went unspoken.

“Of course,” Eijirou replied instantly. “I’m sure you were expecting to get married one day in a Tulian ceremony, so I can sacrifice this one thing.”

“Tulian weddings are a bleak affair,” Katsuki said with a roll of his eyes. Katsuki had never imagined himself getting married; he had only ever cared about one day becoming king. “The most ‘romantic’ part to them is the ‘First Dance,’ since it is often the first time a couple will ever touch one another.”

“That’s kind of sweet, actually,” Eijirou said sincerely. “There’s usually lots of dancing during the parties and feasts, so if you want us to have our own version of that…” the alpha trailed off with a blush.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow, both at his bashfulness and the thought of him dancing. “You know how to dance?”

Eijirou gave him a look of mock offense. “Of course! I am a prince after all. I have to act princely every now and then, and dancing is usually included in that.”

Katsuki pretended to think about that. “I suppose you are a prince.” Eijirou rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “That does not mean that you are a good dancer, however. And I refuse to dance with some mediocre dancer.”

“Oh, so I suppose that you’re some amazing dancer, then?” Eijirou chaffed.

Katsuki smirked confidently. It was the most attractive Eijirou had seen him so far. “I am amazing at everything I do,” he declared.

Eijirou smiled affectionately, putting his arm behind Katsuki on the bench. He pressed closer to the blond, making sure to not invade his personal space more than Katsuki had previously shown he was comfortable with. The blond did not move away or ask him to back up, so Eijirou took his lack of protest as an okay.

This close, the omega’s sugary scent was all Eijirou could focus on. The alpha inhaled deeply, humming happily at the downright intoxicating scent. Eijirou had been in the presence of many omegas before—many of those instances being intimate in nature—yet none of them have had scents that even come close to the wonder that was Katsuki’s.

“Why do you keep smelling me?” Katsuki questioned but did not move away. “Is my scent strange to you?”

Eijirou inhaled again, letting the aroma wash over him again. “You have an amazing scent.”

“What do I smell like?”

“I don’t know,” Eijirou said. Katsuki could not hide his disappointment at the answer. “It’s sweet though. It’s like nothing I’ve ever smelt before. It makes me want to—”

Katsuki tilted his head in confusion when the alpha stopped short. “Makes you want to what?” he prompted.

Eijirou shook his head and backed away. “Nothing. Sorry.” Katsuki crossed his arms and pouted angrily. Eijirou couldn’t help but chuckle at the unintentionally adorable sight. “It’s inappropriate. I’ll save it for after the wedding ceremony.” Katsuki bit his lip anxiously. Even he was not naïve enough to miss the implication of that.

“And what comes after the ceremony?” Katsuki asked after a moment. “Will we…?” the blond trailed off, refusing to say those words or of that nature. He may be foulmouthed, but sex was a topic he strayed from even thinking about.

Thankfully, Eijirou knew what he was trying to say. “No, there’s actually a hunt directly after the ceremony,” he explained. “Um, and then we…uh…consummate our marriage.”

Katsuki nodded with a flushed face, clearing his throat discreetly. He would not show how terrified he was of the idea. “I suppose the hunts are much larger for royal weddings?”

“Not really,” Eijirou said. “Most of the time, the visiting kingdoms don’t participate so they’re about the same size as any other ceremonial hunt.”

“Would there not be more people involved since the entire kingdom would be present?” Katsuki asked confusedly.

Eijirou looked similarly confused by the question before something seemed to click in his brain. “Oh! This must be another cultural difference,” he began. “Every wedding—whether between royals, nobles, or commoners—is celebrated the exact same way. The current king will officiate the wedding, and the week leading up to it is filled with celebrations that anyone and everyone participates in. The only difference is that royal weddings have the Battle of Warriors take place in that week before them.”

Katsuki remembered many of the Adrians in the shop mentioning that over and over again. “What is this ‘Battle of Warriors’ you keep mentioning?”

Eijirou grinned excitedly. “The Battle of Warriors is what our kingdom is most known for, outside of our skills in battle of course. It is essentially a large tournament held each year in which anyone is welcome to duel. Many foreigners will come to Adria just for the chance to fight. The champion of the tournament has the opportunity to challenge anyone they wish to a duel.”

Katsuki actually thought that sounded awesome. “Even royalty?”

“Especially royalty,” Eijirou smirked.

Katsuki could not believe his ears. “Have you ever won the tournament?”

“Five years in row,” he answered, somehow not sounding at all arrogant or smug. “I challenged my father each time, and I got my ass handed to me,” he said with a laugh. “The first year I participated I lost to Amajiki-san in the semi-finals. He then lost to his mate who began courting him after the duel.” At Katsuki’s blank look he added, “Tall, dark-heard omega in the Royal Guard.”

Katsuki made a sound of recognition. “That meek, quiet one who is hiding behind his alpha most of the time?”

Eijirou nodded. “That’s the one.”

“You lost to that guy?”

Eijirou laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised. I told you he was much stronger than he looks.”

Katsuki huffed, “Yes, I remember how much you loved complimenting him.”

The alpha smirked. “You don’t have to be jealous, Katsuki. My heart only has enough room for one omega,” he whispered huskily into Katsuki’s ear.

The blond jerked away and covered his ear, his cheeks a tell-tale pink color. “Do not do that! And I was not jealous!”

“Sure, sure.” Katsuki wanted to punch the smug look of the redhead’s face. “Don’t you want to know which omega that is?” Katsuki rolled his eyes; it was obviously going to be him. Not that Katsuki thought Eijirou loved him or anything ridiculous like that. The alpha suddenly gave him a shit-eating grin. “It’s Denki, of course!”

Katsuki had no idea what kind of expression he was making but it must have been comical because Eijirou nearly fell off the bench in his fit of laughter. Katsuki glared at him. “Asshole,” he grumbled.

Eijirou wiped away an imaginary tear as he got his laughter under control. “You should’ve seen your face. Come on, Katsuki, obviously I was joking. Both Denki and Amajiki-san are mated, and their alphas would kick my ass if I so much as looked at their omegas the wrong way.”

“They would never be able to beat you,” Katsuki mumbled, hoping Eijirou would not hear.

He did, and he was immensely flattered by his words. He gave Katsuki a genuine smile. “I’m glad you think so.” Katsuki had to look away from the tender gaze. “And, just for the record, no one would ever be able to beat you either,” he said meaningfully. He then swiftly changed the topic back to wedding festivities.

Katsuki was left to wonder just what he meant by that statement.

Izuku awoke suddenly and without reason from his slumber that night, gradually bringing himself into a sitting position and tiredly rubbing his eyes. The omega’s room was deathly silent, entirely empty of anyone else and peaceful in the stillness of the night. And yet, there was a lurking sense of unease that Izuku could not understand.

With a moment’s consideration, Izuku got out of bed. He figured he might as well check around his room to settle his inexplicable nerves. He was surely just being paranoid—he had never been a fan of the dark after all—but it would not hurt to look around for a few moments before retreating back to the comfort of his bed after he found nothing.

Just as his feet hit the floor with a quiet thud, a slightly louder thud could be heard from outside his bed chambers. Izuku felt his breath catch in his throat, his heart stopping for a beat before nearly threatening to burst out of his chest the next second.

Is someone outside? he wondered silently. He then shook his head, mentally berating himself. This is a castle. It was probably someone who accidently bumped into something, he reasoned.

The omega listened with bated breath for another sound but all he could hear was silence, as if there had never been a sound that disrupted the quiet to begin with. Not feeling any safer with the return to silence, Izuku made the quick decision to investigate the noise himself. He really hoped he would not come to regret this decision, or even worse, not have the chance to regret it at all.

The noble tiptoed over to the double doors that separated him from whoever stood on the other side, putting his ear against the wood. He closed his eyes as he listened but the sound of a voice beyond the door made his eyes shoot open in fear as an involuntary gasp left his mouth. He could not recognize the voice since it had been so quiet, but even the simple thought of a person standing outside his door in the middle of the night unsettled the omega to the core.

Izuku swallowed heavily, building up the courage to open the door. “I am not a coward,” he whispered to himself. “Kacchan would open the door without hesitation—which admittedly may be more reckless than brave. And then he would beat up whoever was out there…probably.” Izuku sighed quietly, silently praying that he would not die the moment he walked out the door. Surely, he was just being dramatic—there were no dangers within the castle.

Izuku gripped the doorknob of one of the doors, turning it at a painstakingly slow pace but not daring to open it any faster. Finally, after what felt like an hour, the door was cracked open just enough for Izuku to peek his head out. There he saw a hooded figure shrouded in the darkness of the long corridor, their visage one so disquieting and out of place that Izuku nearly slammed his door closed and hid away. The only thing that stopped him was his awareness of where the mysterious figure was standing.

They were right outside of Katsuki’s chambers.

Izuku’s brain went into a state of panic at this realization. Katsuki, his best friend and prince, was undoubtedly in danger and Izuku was the only one who seemed to be aware of this. Izuku was no fighter but he knew how to fight, and he would not hesitate to fend off this intruder. Even if it cost him his life.

The stranger had their hand resting on the prince’s door, tracing incomprehensible patterns onto the wood, their mumbled words imperceptible to Izuku due to the darkness of their surroundings. The figure did not seem to notice Izuku’s presence at all, apparently too lost in whatever it was they were doing.

Izuku quickly pulled his door all the way open and ran out of his room, fists raised and ready to strike. He would not let anyone hurt Katsuki.

“Who are you?” he demanded, his shaky voice echoing throughout the hallway that held only the two of them.

At first, the figure did not move an inch, did not even acknowledge the omega’s presence. Izuku inched closer and asked again. This time, the figure turned its head just enough for Izuku to see part of their face. Izuku’s already large green eyes widened even further.

Ochako smiled at him, the curving of her lips feeling off for some reason and yet still familiar in a way. “Uraraka-san? What are you doing up so late?” he asked confusedly. The beta woman said nothing and removed her hand from the door, the appendage slowly sliding down the wood before falling limply at her side. “Why are you standing outside Kacchan’s door?” he tried again.

Ochako finally spoke, her voice almost a whisper as if she dreaded anyone but Izuku hearing her. “I was going to check on him,” she said.

The omega chuckled uneasily. “Kacchan is perfectly safe, Uraraka-san,” Izuku assured, disregarding the fact that he had just feared for his friend’s safety not even five minutes ago. A part of him still did, but he knew Ochako would nerve cause harm to their friend. “You should go back to sleep. It would do you no good to be tired if you wish to protect our prince,” he tried to joke.

Ochako giggled. Izuku would have found it quite cute had it not been such a bizarre sound to hear from the knight.

Ochako’s eyes leisurely trailed down the omega’s body, the look in her eyes changing to one Izuku was not wholly comfortable with. It was different from the desperate looks she had given him earlier in the day but equally as unnerving. “I do not think I have ever seen you in your nightgown,” Ochako practically purred.

Izuku looked down at himself and his ankle-length, dark green nightgown. “Well, you have never been in my bedroom at night.”

“Are you offering?” she asked forcefully, suddenly in Izuku’s face. Her hand inched closer to his body.

Without even taking the time to think about the repercussions, Izuku roughly shoved the beta away. Ochako fell to the ground with a painful sounding thud, her eyes wide as she looked up at him from the ground. The scarce lighting of the corridor shone directly onto her face now, showing her expression almost fully.

It was terrifying.

“I am so sorry!” he whisper-yelled, conscious of Katsuki sleeping just behind that door. As bad as he felt for pushing her, he did not move closer to help her up. “You startled me.”

She gasped, as if the possibility had never crossed her mind. “Oh no! I am so sorry, Izuku-kun.” The way she said his name made the omega shudder. “That was inappropriate of me. Can you forgive me?”

After a brief moment of hesitation, Izuku nodded. He could never stay upset with his friends for too long. “Of course, Uraraka-san. Just…never do that again, okay?”

The beta nodded her head and she actually appeared contrite. “Never again,” she affirmed.

Izuku sighed tiredly, his exhaustion catching up with him. “I am going to go back to sleep now, okay? You should really rest too. Today was stressful.” They both knew that was primarily due to Ochako’s own actions but neither felt the need to point that out. “Goodnight, Uraraka-san.”

“Goodnight, Izuku-kun,” she whispered back.

Izuku ignored how she remained on the ground even as he closed his chamber door behind him, shrouding the corridor in complete and utter darkness once again.

Chapter Text

Camie lounged on her stomach atop Katsuki’s bed, kicking her legs behind her back and resting her cheek in her left hand. She was watching the prince go about his morning routine, without any help from her as usual. He was currently pulling out his clothes for the day, pointedly ignoring her presence entirely. This had become sort of a routine for them; Camie barging into the omega’s room every morning and bothering him until he ordered her to leave. She never did—at least not the first few times of being told—and offered her services only to be denied.

It was a bit disappointing since she had never even gotten the chance his first morning here to bathe him like Eijirou asked.

“I can’t believe you have a gorgeous, young woman in your bed and you’re not even paying her any attention,” the female omega said after a while.

Camie knew Katsuki rolled his eyes in response because she saw the motion in the reflection of his mirror. “Calling yourself gorgeous just makes you all the more undesirable,” he said without even glancing at her.

“In my experience, I have found that people appreciate honesty. And I am, honestly, gorgeous,” she responded shamelessly. “We would make beautiful babies if possible, Katsuki.”

Katsuki groaned in disgust. “Okay, first, do not call me that. How many times must I tell you? Second, do not be disgusting. Third, get the hell out of my chambers.”

Camie decided to ignore all of that. “Have you and Eijirou-sama kissed yet?” she asked abruptly.

Katsuki fought down the blush he knew was threatening to surface. “Are you incapable of staying on one topic for more than one second?” he asked instead of answering.

The seamstress smirked jovially. “Oh, I’d be more than happy to stay on this topic for as long as you want.”

“We are not discussing this. Ever,” Katsuki bit out. “Now, get out of my fucking room.”

Camie flopped onto her back and began inspecting her nails. “You two will also make beautiful babies,” she said absentmindedly.

Katsuki threw one of his shirts at her, the garment hitting her square in the face. She yelped and shot up into a sitting position, pulling the fabric from her person. “I will kill you,” the blond growled.

The omega ignored the threat—she was far used to them by now after all—and scrutinized the shirt in her hands. “Is this really how they dressed you over in Tulia? How was anyone able to find a lover wearing this?”

Katsuki snatched the shirt away with a fiery face. “Not everyone is obsessed with—with that!”

Camie twirled a lock of her light brown hair between her fingers, unconcerned. “Let me tell you, Katsuki, once you’ve had sex with Eijirou-sama, you’ll understand why so many people are ‘obsessed’ with it.”

“That will not be for some time,” Katsuki stated, pulling an outfit together. Today was his first day of ‘training’ with Denki, but since he had no clothing fit for fighting, he would have to improvise.

“The ceremony is in under two weeks,” Camie reminded him.

Katsuki did not need reminding. “I am aware,” he snapped.

Camie sighed dolefully. “Poor Eijirou-sama,” she murmured.

Katsuki looked at her with confusion. “Why do you say that?”

“I feel bad for him,” she said. Katsuki gave her a look, silently telling her to elaborate. “At this rate, Eijirou-sama’s never going to get a piece of that,” she said, pointing at his rear. “Which is just a damn shame.”

The prince shielded his backside from sight. “You are disgusting. I should have your head for speaking to me like that.”

Camie hummed. “But then who would you be able to gush about Eijirou-sama to?”

“I do not!” Katsuki barked embarrassedly. “Anyway, Eijirou-sama cares about more than just…sex,” he said more confidently than he felt.

“Oh, of course,” she agreed. “But he also loves sex. He’s also amazing at it—you could ask pretty much any of the knights.” Katsuki would sooner marry Shigaraki than ask any of them about Eijirou’s sex life. “It’s just sad to think that he’ll be going without sex for who knows how long—since he would never have sex with someone who didn’t want it.”

Katsuki frowned deeply. “You really think that would bother him?” he asked insecurely.

The woman nodded obliviously. “Oh, most definitely! I mean, you could always let him take lovers on the side. He would never take one without your permission.”

The Tulian uncaringly dropped the clothing in his hands onto the floor, wrapping his arms around himself as his face crumpled. Camie’s maternal omega instincts told her to comfort the blond, to wrap him up in her embrace and envelope him in a calming scent. His jarring shift in demeanor was undoubtedly due to her words, and the seamstress wished she could go back in time and stop herself from speaking a word of it. Her big mouth always got her into trouble and now she had unintentionally upset her friend—even if Katsuki was not at the point where he would label them as such.

“Oh no, pretty omega, it’s okay,” she cooed, allowing her scent to become calm and reassuring. “I wasn’t saying that to put pressure on you. Eijirou-sama won’t think any less of you if you aren’t ready to have sex on your wedding day.”

“What if I am never ready?” he asked, voice soft and broken.

Camie hesitated at that but only for a moment. “Listen, honey, Eijirou-sama is, like, the nicest guy you could ever meet. He also sincerely likes you, for whatever reason, so you don’t have to worry about that.” Camie was admittedly not entirely sure of her words, but she mostly believed what she was saying.

“I will have to provide an heir one day,” Katsuki mumbled, apparently not sure of her words either. “That is my duty as the future king’s mate.”

The woman bit her lip, not really knowing what to say to that. She knew it was true, they both did. There was nothing that could change that fact. “Do you not want to ever have sex with Eijirou-sama?”

Katsuki tensed even further at the question. “I-I do not know. I have never thought about s-sex. It was always just a distant thought; something that I would have to come to terms with when the moment came. I just never anticipated the day would come so soon.” He glanced at her momentarily before looking away again. “I have no idea what to do.”

“Oh, honey, I can’t even imagine what that must be like,” Camie said sympathetically, and Katsuki hated how pitying it sounded to his ears.

He could not help but think back to his personal servant back in Tulia and his warning words. Before he had denied it wholeheartedly, but now he had no choice but to admit it. He was scared.

“Katsuki,” Camie called softly, drawing the other omega from his thoughts. “Why don’t you try starting small, getting comfortable with Eijirou-sama?”

“What do you mean?”

Camie shrugged, racking her brain for the acts Katsuki had labeled as intimate in Tulian culture. “Hold his hand to start with,” she suggested. “Then, maybe, hug? Kiss?”

The prince frantically shook his head. “I could never do that! That would be indecent!”

Camie huffed. “I don’t get you. I mean, like, you curse like a sailor and yet you view holding hands as improper. You’re so backwards,” she commented.

“Shut up,” Katsuki grumbled. “I was raised to respect personal space, and you all were apparently raised to be as intrusive and overbearing as possible.”

“I think you mean loveable and supportive,” she giggled with a wink. Katsuki rolled his eyes, his mood lifting slightly despite himself. “Hey, is it also improper for omegas to hug each other?”

Katsuki narrowed his gaze at her. “I am not hugging you.”

She stuck out her tongue childishly. “Who said I wanted to hug your grumpy butt?” Katsuki glared at her. “I wanna hug Izuku and pinch his adorable, freckled cheeks,” she squealed.

The blond gave her a look of disgust. “Do not do that,” he commanded. Katsuki turned to walk towards his bathroom as she sagged with disappointment, shaking his head and wondering why she felt the need to annoy him with her company every morning. “I need to bathe. Get out.”

Camie perked up. “You want help?”

“No!” he barked. “As I have said since the first time you offered, I do not want nor require your help. Go. Away.”

The brunette pouted but was back to smiling not a minute later. “Anything you say, Your Highness,” she said as she hopped off the bed and walked over to the door. As she opened it to leave, she turned back. “You know, holding Eijirou-sama’s hand won’t get you pregnant,” she teased one last time and ran out of the room before Katsuki could throw something heavier than a shirt at her.

Izuku stood outside of Ochako’s door, feeling inexplicably nervous. Ochako was one of his closest friends. Sure, he only had two friends, but he was working on making more and Ochako was a great person. Something had set her off yesterday, and Izuku was determined to get to the bottom of it.

He knocked lightly on the door, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough to not wake her if she was still in bed.

After a moment, Ochako opened the door to see the omega. “Izuku-kun?” she questioned. “What is wrong?”

“I wanted to talk,” he told her.

Ochako raised an eyebrow curiously. “Okay,” she drawled uncertainly. “I would offer to let you in but—”

“No, that is okay!” he rushed to say, face flushing with memories of the night prior. “I would not want to imply anything.”

“What?” Ochako asked incredulously, her own face flushing. “Why would you even say that, Izuku-kun?”

Izuku frowned to himself, wondering why she was pretending that last night never happened. “Yesterday, you—”

Ochako held up a hand to stop him, Izuku’s mouth snapping shut. “Please, do not. While I am ashamed of my actions, I do not regret anything I said.” Izuku’s eyes widened at that.

“You were indecent,” he whispered fervently. “What you said was inappropriate and—and uncouth!”

Ochako huffed, “I believe that you are being a bit dramatic, Izuku-kun.”

“Dramatic?” Izuku repeated in disbelief. “Do you have any idea how uncomfortable you made me, Uraraka-san?”

“Not everything is about you,” she griped.

Izuku put his hands on his hips, attempting a glare. “What you did last night was deplorable, and you should be ashamed of yourself!” he yelled.

Finally, Ochako looked ashamed but the look only lasted for a mere moment. “Silence, omega!” she barked. Izuku reeled back in shock. “You and Katsuki-sama have changed and I hate it! Katsuki-sama used to be independent, and now he is chasing after the heel of some alpha! And you! You were so wholesome and good and—”

“Obedient?” Izuku guessed bitterly.

Ochako ignored him. “You both have grown accustomed to this kingdom, almost as if you have accepted it as your new home. Adria is not your home!”

“This is where we will live for the rest of our days! Why would we not come to accept it as our home?” Izuku was dumbfounded by the change in his friend.

Ochako growled, “You have lost your Tulian pride!”

Izuku looked at her like she was crazy. “Have you forgotten that we are currently facing exile? Kacchan was given away by his own parents!”

“So, because you and Katsuki-sama have nothing to go back to, I must conform to these people’s crude ways?” she questioned angrily. “Your mother may be dead, Izuku-kun, but my parents are still in Tulia waiting for me to come home!”

The hallway became deathly quiet, the only sounds being Ochako and Izuku’s harsh breathing as they stared each other down hatefully. Izuku looked away for a moment and when he looked back at the beta, his eyes were hollow. “Uraraka-san, you have never experienced the horrors of Tulia,” he said. “You are just a beta.”

“I know I am nothing special,” she snapped. “But I had a life back in Tulia, and it was taken away from me!”

“And you do not think Kacchan and I feel the same way?” Izuku shouted.

“You do not act like it!” she hollered back. “You are content to rot here!”

Izuku balled his fists. “I would much rather rot away in a kingdom that sees me as a human than live another day in that hell,” he hissed. Ochako had never heard Izuku use a swear word, and the sound of it took her aback. “It is true that I have nothing to go back to. My mother was killed before my very eyes by the knights who are supposed to protect our people. Knights like you.”

“I am not like them,” Ochako denied shakily.

“I find it hard to believe you anymore,” Izuku spat. “If you even dare to interfere with Kacchan’s new life here, you will have to go through me first,” he threatened.

Ochako glared. “Who are you to speak to me like that?”

Izuku stepped close to her, his piney scent that she had come to find comfort in barely registering over her rage. The omega had always been just slightly taller than her, but at that moment, Ochako felt tiny in his presence. “I am Lord Midoriya Izuku, and I am an omega who bows to no one,” he declared before turning on his heel and marching away, head held high.

Ochako watched him go, feeling lost.

Izuku was still visibly upset by the time he met up Katsuki and Denki for training. Katsuki noticed him the moment he entered the training grounds, watching the green-haired omega stomp over to them with a fierce scowl on his face.

“Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?” Denki joked, earning himself a glare from Izuku and roll of the eyes from Katsuki.

“Is it Uraraka?” Katsuki asked knowingly. Izuku huffed angrily at the sound of her name. Katsuki took that as confirmation. “What happened?”

Izuku opened his mouth to reply before thinking better of it. He didn’t wish to upset Katsuki as well. “She was just being…difficult,” he said instead. It wasn’t necessarily a lie, after all. Katsuki narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but before he could say anything, Denki inserted himself back into the conversation.

“Why don’t you and Katsuki-sama spar so I can gauge your skill levels,” he suggested happily, secretly excited to see the two fight in person. “It also seems like you need to let off some steam, Midoriya,” he added.

Izuku and Katsuki looked at each before smirking. “You ready to get your ass kicked, Izuku?” Katsuki taunted.

“Unlike you, Kacchan, I have not let myself fall out of shape,” Izuku retorted.

Katsuki snorted, “You think reading a whole bunch of books counts as staying in shape? Beating you is going to be a breeze.”

Izuku crossed his arms over his chest with a roll of his eyes. “Oh, you have always been so sure of yourself, Kacchan, but who was it again that won our last fight? Oh, right. Me.”

Denki looked between the two of them in bemusement. “Uh, what are you two doing?”

They both looked at him strangely. “I think it is called ‘trash talk.’ Do Adrians not do this before fights?” Izuku said.

The Adrian blinked in confusion. “We do,” he conceded, thinking of how much Mina and Monoma loved to trash talk before any of their fights. “But why are you two doing it right now?”

“This is how Izuku and I always start our fights,” Katsuki said as if it should be obvious.

“We do not mean anything by it, of course,” Izuku added.

Katsuki shrugged, smirking with faint amusement. “I mean, maybe a little bit,” he joked.

Izuku rolled his eyes fondly. “Sure, Kacchan.”

Denki smiled at the two, finding their dynamic sweet. He clapped his hands together loudly to get their attention, and when they both looked at him, he said, “Well, no time like the present. Let’s get fighting!”

Izuku and Katsuki both nodded as they got into defensive positions. Katsuki crouched down low with his feet far apart, his right leg bent at a ninety-degree angle and left leg stretched out behind him with his foot bent perpendicular to his body. His right arm was bent at an angle as well, the back of his hand coming to rest against his forehead with his left hand poised in front of him with his palm facing down. From the front, his body looked almost flat as he stood in place, unwavering and intimidating.

Izuku decided to take a different stance, his feet far less distanced apart. Both legs were bent slightly, only the toes of both feet remaining planted firmly on the ground. His left arm bent at his chest with his palm face-up and his right arm bent at a forty-five-degree angle in front of him with his palm facing outwards. His friendly expression gradually morphed into one of serious concentration.

For the next minute, neither moved. It barely looked as if they were breathing at all, merely statues facing each other, when suddenly Katsuki took off. He jumped forward, maintaining his stance, before swinging his right fist at Izuku who dodged to the left. Katsuki instantly swung with his left, catching Izuku on the side of his chin. The noble’s head reared back, and he purposefully let the backwards motion carry him to the ground, stopping his descent with his hands behind his body. He kicked out both legs, hitting the blond square in the stomach. As Katsuki staggered back a few paces, Izuku jumped onto his feet.

He wasted no time in rushing forward, intent on landing another hit but Katsuki could predict his next move. The blond side-stepped before striking Izuku midback with his elbow. The noble grunted in pain, barely avoiding coming face first with the ground by putting his hands in front of him to break his fall. He smirked, glancing sideways at Katsuki. “That almost hurt, Kacchan,” he said sarcastically.

Katsuki cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, grinning manically. “Back on your feet, Izuku,” he ordered. “I am not quite done kicking your ass yet.”

Izuku barked a laugh before hopping to his feet again. The two circled each other for a few moments, sizing the other up, before they rushed at the other nearly simultaneously. They traded a series of blows, Katsuki taking a sharp blow to his left cheek and Izuku suffering a nearly bone-crushing kick to his right shin. The noble hissed painfully, springing backwards on one leg. Katsuki gave him a bloody smirk, gesturing for Izuku to come at him again.

Izuku sucked his teeth in annoyance, narrowing his eyes as he launched himself at the prince. He jumped into the air, aiming a kick at the blond’s face which he easily blocked. Izuku expected this, though, and followed it with another quick kick to his side. Katsuki took the full brunt of the kick but managed to grab the other’s leg, gripping it tightly and twisting it until Izuku was forced to turn his body. Katsuki pulled and Izuku was unable to grab ahold of anything on the flat ground before he was being spun and thrown a good meter away.

Izuku groaned in agony as his body hit the ground, but he had no time to recover before Katsuki was on top of him. The blond straddled his stomach, pinning his wrists to the ground and trapping his legs underneath his own. Izuku struggled, nearly dislodging the blond a few times but Katsuki held on strong.

Katsuki smirked down at his friend. “Is that really all you got, Izuku?” he goaded.

“You wish, Kacchan,” Izuku hissed.

Izuku suddenly bucked, hard, successfully knocking the blond off of him. Katsuki gracefully—much to the other two omegas’ annoyance—got back to his feet. He dodged the two punches Izuku threw his way before catching his fist on the third. He almost automatically went in for a critical blow, contemplating breaking his arm but stopped himself. This was only a spar after all, and he would never seriously hurt Izuku above a few scrapes and bruises.

Katsuki decided instead to force Izuku’s arms behind his back in a painful-looking hold and kick the back of his knees. Izuku fell to the ground, his knees colliding with the hard terrain and causing him to cry out. Katsuki pushed at the back of his head until his face was parallel with the ground. Knowing that he would feel a bit bad about it later, Izuku slammed his head back into the blond’s nose. Katsuki, to his credit, didn’t release his hold on him even as blood trickled from his nose.

Denki was honestly amazed. Not only had he not expected such a show of skill from the two, he was also surprised to see how little physical contact seemed to matter when they were fighting. Obviously, most martial arts required some form of physical contact, so it made sense. Still, it was interesting to witness.

“Yield,” Katsuki growled, the sound overly-aggressive to be coming from an omega.

Izuku managed to shake his head, glowering even though Katsuki could not see. “Make me.”

Katsuki growled again and fisted Izuku’s green hair, yanking his head back. “Yield,” he repeated.

This continued for quite some time until Izuku managed to break one arm free, Katsuki not reacting fast enough to avoid the elbow that slammed into the side of his face. He tumbled to the side, quickly rolling out of the way when Izuku attempted to kick him in the side. Katsuki let himself grin despite the close call. Izuku would normally never strike someone while they were down; he must have been upset that he was on the verge of losing a minute ago.

Izuku continued to come after him, but Katsuki swiftly swept the noble’s legs out from under him. Izuku collided with the ground for the third time that day, knowing that he would have an array of bruises scattered across his body come morning.

Katsuki was on him the next moment, taking hold of one of Izuku’s legs. He leaned back so his leg was stretched to its limits and pressed his foot against Izuku’s throat. The movement forced Izuku’s head onto the ground, his breathing constricting with the foot threatening to crush his windpipe. Izuku knew Katsuki would never but the threat still felt very real. His brain scrambled to think of a way out of the hold but could come up with nothing, struggling fruitlessly in his friend’s grip. He kicked at Katsuki’s lower body with his free leg, but the omega didn’t even flinch. Katsuki grinned victoriously, knowing he had sealed the win this time.

“Izuku,” he said in a sing-song voice.

Izuku grit his teeth but eventually let his body relax so he could breathe easily again, the pressure letting up on his throat slightly. “Fine,” he groaned as if it physically pained him. Katsuki raised an expectant eyebrow, gazing down at him smugly. Izuku glared and wondered why he had such bad friends. “I yield,” he said through gritted teeth.

Katsuki instantly let him go. Izuku flopped onto the ground, staring up into the sky with a deep frown on his face. Katsuki snorted in amusement before grabbing both of Izuku’s arms and pulling him forward. Izuku purposefully made it difficult, keeping his body stiff and forcing Katsuki to carry all of his weight. Sure, he wasn’t heavy by any means, but it was still annoying.

“And you always said I was the sore loser,” Katsuki snarked, tugging harder than was probably necessary. “I always knew you hated losing just as much as I do.”

Izuku sighed heavily once he was in a mostly upright position, leaning his forehead on the other’s sweaty chest. “Well, losing sucks,” he said sagely. “That tired me out.”

Katsuki pat him on the back twice before shoving him away none too gently. Izuku huffed and opened his mouth to make a comment about how bad of a friend Katsuki was when Denki’s voice drew their attention.

“That was amazing,” he praised while clapping. “You two sure know how to brawl.”

“That was hardly a brawl,” Katsuki said.

“Yeah, but I imagine that was about the Tulian equivalent,” he joked with a wink.

Katsuki and Izuku both rolled their eyes at that. “Were you able to see what you needed?” Izuku asked.

Denki nodded, more than satisfied by what he saw. “I was worried you two would need a lot of work, but you both definitely already know your stuff. However, since it was between two Tulians, it’s hard to gather your true skill level.” Denki then took his own defensive stance, completely different from any of theirs. Their eyes widened. “Alright, little omegas,” he began, drawing glares from the both of them. He smirked. “My turn.”

Izuku looked between himself and Katsuki. “Which one of us first?”

Denki chuckled. “I’ll take on you both.”

Izuku raised an eyebrow. “Denki-san, we may be a little roughened up, but we can still fight at full strength.”

“I think I can handle it,” the blond responded, actually sounding more excited by the prospect.

“Cocky bastard,” Katsuki grumbled before cracking his knuckles. He and Izuku looked at each other with secretive smirks before simultaneously rushing at the knight. They’d show him not to underestimate this pair of omegas.

While the three omegas were on the training grounds, Ochako found herself in the garden. She had been hoping to see Tsuyu there like before, but the gardener was nowhere to be found. Ochako wondered if she had the day off or was just away at the moment. She sincerely hoped it was the latter; she desperately needed a friendly face at the moment or she might just go insane.

Feeling disappointed by the other beta’s absence, Ochako began walking aimlessly through the garden. When she came upon the pond where she and Katsuki first saw Tsuyu, she crouched down to look at her reflection in the water.

She felt as though the woman looking back at her was a completely different person than the woman known as Uraraka Ochako. This woman was not a knight; she was not brave or selfless. She was coward pretending to be a protector, absolutely terrified of the unfamiliar place she found herself in. She merely hid behind the guise of solely wanting to keep her friends safe.

This woman had no friends. She had turned them away, berated and belittled them at every turn. Katsuki and Izuku were two of the greatest people she had ever had the pleasure of knowing, and now neither seemed very willing to speak with her anymore. It hurt, she could admit. It was also entirely her doing. Ochako sighed wistfully, running her hand across the surface of the water. The tips of her gloves grew wet, but she paid it no mind.

“You don’t usually wear gloves.” Ochako spun around to see Tsuyu standing behind her with a basket in her hands. She was dressed much the same as every other time Ochako saw her, her worn down clothes looking unfairly attractive on her.

“Tsuyu-chan, good morning,” Ochako greeted nervously.

“Morning, Ochako-chan,” she returned, giving a small smile. Ochako felt her heart flutter in her chest. “What brings you here so early?”

“I wanted to see you,” she said forwardly.

Tsuyu’s eyes widened momentarily before a bright smile spread across her lips. “Is that so?” Ochako nodded, watching as Tsuyu set down the basket before sitting cross-legged on the edge of the pond. She folded the skirt of her dress over her legs and got comfortable. “Would you like to sit?”

Ochako unceremoniously flopped down next to her in her eagerness, sitting as close as she dared. Tsuyu sent her a knowing look but said nothing.

“So, why the gloves?” Tsuyu asked. “I thought Bakugou-sama was the only one of you to wear gloves.”

Ochako flushed for some reason. “Well, I knew I would be coming here, and I figured I could help you with your work,” she said sheepishly. “I did not want to get my hands dirty.”

“Sometimes you have to get a little dirty to have fun,” Tsuyu said suggestively. Ochako flushed brighter. “You don’t seem like you have a lot of fun, Ochako-chan.”

The knight needed to change the subject soon or she was sure she’d combust. “What is in the basket?”

“Fruits and veggies. Some of the local farmers give away their goods for the kitchen staff to use. I suppose it’s their indirect way of servicing Crimson Riot and Eijirou-sama, since those two would never take food from commoners for free.”

“They are very loved by their people,” Ochako commented. As neutral her tone sounded, Tsuyu could have sworn there was an underlying bitterness there.

“And what do you think of them?” Tsuyu asked lightly.

Ochako frowned. “Truthfully, I do not care much for Kirishima-sama,” she admitted. “He has impure intentions regarding Katsuki-sama. I can see it in his eyes.”

“While there is some truth to that statement, I believe that his intentions go beyond that of sexual desire,” Tsuyu said. “He truly cares for Bakugou-sama.”

Ochako shook her head. “Alphas are conniving in that way. They make you believe things that are not there. Katsuki-sama just cannot see past his falsities, but I can.”

Tsuyu raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you should have a conversation with Eijirou-sama, and then see if your opinion of him has changed at all.”

“I have no desire to speak with that alpha,” Ochako scoffed. She then seemed to realize that she was speaking to a loyal follower of said alpha. “I hope you have taken no offense to my words, Tsuyu-chan.”

Tsuyu shook her head slightly. “It’s fine, Ochako-chan. No one is liked by everyone. Many Adrians have a similar aversion to Bakugou-sama.”

“Are you one of those people?” Ochako questioned.

Tsuyu thought about that for a moment before shrugging. “I do share many of the same concerns as my fellow people about his ability to rule alongside Eijirou-sama, but I have also seen the ways in which he makes Eijirou-sama undeniably happy. I suppose, for that reason alone, I am a fan.”

“Do you truly believe it possible to find happiness with someone you are forced to be with?” she asked.

“I think Eijirou-sama and Bakugou-sama got lucky being forced to marry each other,” Tsuyu answered.

Ochako furrowed her brow confusedly. “Why do you say that?”

Tsuyu looked at her meaningfully. “People are rarely fortunate enough to meet their soulmate.”

“You think they are soulmates,” she said with a disbelieving laugh. “They could not be more different,” she stated.

“Perhaps that is why they will work so well together,” Tsuyu rebutted. “It is said that opposites attract.” The gardener’s green eyes trailed over Ochako almost leisurely. “Most of the time.”

Ochako gulped, struggling to ignore her gaze. “I just cannot understand how little time it took for Katsuki-sama and Izuku-kun to abandon their Tulian heritage,” she said.

Tsuyu put a finger up to her mouth thoughtfully. “Is that really what they’re doing, though? You definitely know them better than I do, but I feel like the two of them have just accepted their futures here. Bakugou-sama will become queen after all. If they cannot somehow make Adria and this castle feel like home, then they will forever be miserable.”

Ochako caught the hidden meaning to her words. “I am not miserable,” she denied. “Besides, what could make this place feel like home?” she asked hopelessly.

Tsuyu looked down at the pond, watching the fish swimming about. Ochako could not read her expression as she spoke, “You will have to decided what that something will be yourself, Ochako-chan.”

The knight took the time to give Tsuyu a onceover. Ochako thought to herself that Tsuyu might be that “something” for her.

“Man, I’m exhausted,” Denki panted after hours of sparring together, wiping at his forehead. He hadn’t expected to be this winded after fighting with the two Tulians. “You two sure pack a punch. It seems like I underestimated you.”

Katsuki smirked smugly, making sure to keep his breathing even in order to decelerate his heartrate. “Serves you right.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Denki laughed with a roll of his eyes. “But seriously, Katsuki-sama, your ability to read your opponent’s moves and adapt to the situation is impressive as hell. If I didn’t know any better, I would never think you went years without training.”

Katsuki looked a bit overwhelmed by all of the praise from the other blond. “Well, I had been training in various martial arts since I was four, and until I presented, I had trained every single day. It only makes sense that I would retain some of that.”

Izuku smiled proudly, nodding along to what Katsuki was saying. He and Katsuki usually trained together after all. “I am amazed that I was able to keep up with you both. I have never been as skilled as Kacchan,” he admitted.

“Please, your reflexes are insane, Izuku-san,” Denki said. “You nearly took my head off with a few of your kicks.” Denki shook his head in amazement. “Once you two rebuild your stamina, you’ll be unstoppable.” He grinned wildly at the two. “I can’t wait.”

“Hey, hey!” someone shouted from near one of the entrances to the training grounds. They looked over to see Hanta waving at them.

Denki excitedly waved back, always thrilled to see his mate after a whole day of being apart. “Hanta! I missed you!”

Katsuki pretended to gag as the couple ran to meet each other in the middle, Izuku giggling at his friend’s theatrics. Denki leapt into the air, catching Hanta by surprise, but the raven easily managed to catch him in his arms. “Woah,” he laughed. “Easy there, Den. You’re not as light as you think.”

Denki gasped in mock offense. “Are you calling me fat? I’m not so tired that I can’t kick your ass.”

Hanta chuckled, “Bring it on, baby.”

Denki stuck his tongue out, startling a laugh out of his mate, before pushing the taller away with a hand on his face. “Go away, you giant string bean. I’ll meet you in our room later.”

“You’re not coming to bed?” Hanta asked.

Denki shook his head. “I need to bathe. I’m all sweaty and gross.”

Hanta buried his face in the blond’s neck at that, inhaling his scent. “Come back to our room and we can take one together,” he whispered seductively.

Denki karate chopped the raven on the head, causing him to jerk back and rub his head at the slight pain. “I’ll see you later,” he stressed. “I won’t be long.”

Hanta sighed before giving Denki a soft kiss. He finally turned to the other two. “Hello, Katsuki-sama, Midoriya-san. Sorry about that.”

Izuku waved away his apology. “Oh, no worries, Sero-san. I have come to terms with how affectionate your people are. Besides, I think you two have a very sweet relationship.”

“You mean gross,” Katsuki grumbled, smirking at the two to show that he was not serious. Izuku sent him a look anyway, and Katsuki rolled his eyes. “I have not heard these two talk about anything but having sex with each other since meeting them. You have to admit it is a bit gross.”

“Oh, he said ‘sex,’” Hanta gasped dramatically.

Denki put a hand over his mouth, feigning shock. “How indecent, Katsuki-sama.”

Even Izuku joined in on the antics, although he could not keep a straight face like the other two. “I am surprised at you, Kacchan.”

Katsuki pinched his brow in annoyance. “Why are you all like this?”

Denki and Hanta snickered, and Katsuki was torn between being annoyed and amazed by how in sync they always seemed to be.

“Kacchan,” Izuku called softly. Katsuki looked at him in question. “We should go back to our rooms before it gets too dark out.”

Hanta waved away his concerns. “It’s perfectly safe within the castle, Midoriya-san. And if wasn’t, I’m sure you and Katsuki-sama could handle yourselves just fine. After all, Katsuki-sama kicked Monoma’s ass just the other day.”

Izuku hid a smile behind his hand. “Kacchan told me about that. It reminded me of when he used to start fights with the palace knights just so he could show off.”

“They started those fights,” Katsuki defended unconvincingly.

Denki sent him a look as if to say he knew that wasn’t true. He then lit up with an idea. “Hanta, why don’t you come train with us tomorrow?”

“You said you did not want your alpha to train with us,” Katsuki reminded.

Denki just shrugged. “I’ve had a change of heart. I’m fickle like that.”

Hanta looked intrigued by the proposal. “Sure, why not? Although, we can’t do it tomorrow; we have to attend the strategy meeting after breakfast.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that,” Denki said. “We’ll have to postpone, okay?” he said to Katsuki and Izuku.

Katsuki was more concerned about what Hanta had mentioned. “What strategy meeting?”

Hanta and Denki glanced at each other before looking back at the prince. “I guess Eijirou didn’t tell you,” Hanta mumbled.

Katsuki’s face contorted with anger and a smidge of betrayal. “I guess not,” he bit out.

Izuku looked between the three nervously until Denki indiscreetly cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Hey, why don’t we all go to the hot spring? The oils fused in the water are very relaxing,” he suggested.

“Fine,” Katsuki snapped, turning on his heels and walking away, even though Denki doubted he knew where he was going. After making it to the entrance of the grounds, he turned to see Denki still standing there. “Hurry up! I would like to bathe some time tonight!”

Denki rolled his eyes but did as told. “Are you coming, Izuku-san?” he asked before walking too far away.

Izuku shook his head after some consideration. “Perhaps next time. I wish to stay out a little longer and train more.”

“You better not overwork yourself, idiot!” Katsuki yelled from his distance away, apparently already guessing that Izuku would choose to stay. Izuku gave him a smile and thumbs up. It was kind of hard to tell, but it looked like Katsuki flipped him off in response.

“Well, goodnight then,” Denki said.

Hanta waved as he walked away. “Don’t stay out too late, Midoriya-san.” Izuku nodded, promising that he wouldn’t. “I’ll be waiting for you, babe,” he said to Denki with a wink.

“And I’ll be ready for you,” Denki purred.

“Hurry up!” Katsuki shouted again, interrupting the couple’s moment. Izuku silently thanked his friend for that.

Denki showed Katsuki to the baths, both blonds quickly scrubbing down before they could enter the spring. It looked large enough to hold every knight of the Royal Guard Katsuki had met so far and then some. It made the blond immensely grateful that he and Denki were the only ones there at the moment.

Well, it would have been ideal if Katsuki were alone after all.

Denki kept periodically glancing over at the prince, even going as far as commenting on his “surprisingly toned” physique at one point. Katsuki responded by hurling the stool he was sitting on at him, which the knight barely dodged.

A minute later, Denki slid into the hot springs with a relieved sigh, sinking down until everything below his nose was submerged in the lightly colored water. Katsuki joined him, making sure to enter on the other side. The prince could feel his body loosening as the oils in the water worked their magic on his tense and sore muscles.

“Feels nice, right?” Denki asked knowingly.

Katsuki thought that “nice” was an understatement. “This would feel better if you stayed quiet,” Katsuki grumbled as his eyes slid closed, relaxed and content.

Denki did just the opposite, not that Katsuki was very surprised. The blond waded through the water until he was seated next to Katsuki in the spring. Katsuki held back a groan as his scent grew more distinct, indicating his nearness. “I actually wanted to talk to you,” Denki said, voice suddenly turned serious. “About Eijirou.”

Katsuki’s eyes shot open. He could only imagine what the blond wanted to talk about concerning Eijirou, but Katsuki was positive that he didn’t want to have that conversation. Ever.

He scoffed, putting on an air of nonchalance, “Is that why you turned down your alpha?”

“Yup,” Denki confirmed, popping the “p” annoyingly. “Normally, I would be with Hanta right now, especially since I get super horny after fighting,” he said unashamedly. “If Hanta were here with me instead of you, he would be balls—”

A red-faced Katsuki cut him off before he could complete that sentence. “Do not finish that sentence,” he ordered.

Denki rubbed the back of his head, actually appearing embarrassed for once. “Sorry, I have no filter.”

“Yes, I can tell,” Katsuki mumbled. “Are you and your alpha trying for a baby?”

“No,” Denki said slowly, confused by the unexpectedness of the question. “Although, I do hope to one day give Hanta a litter of pups,” he added, gazing off to the side dreamily. It was the most omega-like thing Katsuki had ever seen him do.

“Why would make love if not to have a baby?” Katsuki asked, confused.

Denki’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. Eijirou had mentioned before how innocent and naïve Katsuki was about sexual matters, but the knight never would have guessed it was this severe. “Well,” he began, resolving that he would be giving a sex lesson to his future queen tonight. “You can have sex to be close with the person you love, and sometimes it’s simply for pleasure. Like, casual sex is just as common as mated sex here. Granted, Adrians are much more open about sexual relations than most kingdoms.”

“Was your alpha your first?” Katsuki asked curiously.

Denki snorted a laugh before covering it up with a cough. “Uh, no. I had been with a few people before Hanta, although when he began courting me, I stopped sleeping around.”

“Does Eijirou-sama still have casual sex?” Katsuki tried to act like he wasn’t invested in the answer, but Denki easily saw through his ruse.

“Eijirou hasn’t slept with anyone since he found out about you,” Denki told him. Katsuki looked at him with surprise. “Eijirou is a hopeless romantic. He may have had sex with almost everyone in the Royal Guard—” Katsuki choked but Denki seemed to miss it. “—but his desire to be the perfect mate always came first.”

“Everyone?” Katsuki asked, and it took Denki a moment to realize what he was asking.

The blond held up his hands, the water splashing slightly with the movement. “That may have been a bit of an exaggeration. But don’t worry, none of them ever went anywhere, and some of them were purely physical!”

Katsuki wrapped his arms around himself, feeling properly overwhelmed. Katsuki was hesitant to speak of his feelings to the other blond, but the knight had since shown that he was not as coldhearted as the prince originally assumed. He figured he could trust him, even if just a little. “This is all so foreign to me,” he admitted. Denki gave him a pitying look that rubbed Katsuki the wrong way. “Two omegas or two alphas being together is abnormal and wrong,” Katsuki stated. “Am I supposed to believe that such unnatural acts are okay?”

“Should two people who love each other be kept apart simply because they are of the same gender?” Denki asked challengingly. Katsuki had no response to that, never having thought of it in that way before. Those beliefs were all he knew after all. Denki sighed, “I understand that these beliefs were drilled into your head your entire life, but you were also led to believe that omegas were weak and only good for alphas to use as they pleased, right?” Katsuki nodded bitterly. “Well, alter your perspective, then. Neither is true.”

Katsuki fell silent for a few minutes, mulling over Denki’s words. Still, there was something that just didn’t add up. “But how do two alphas and two omegas even have sex?”

Denki held back a chuckle, but he couldn’t resist teasing. “Would you like to find out?” he purred seductively, cheering internally when Katsuki recoiled in unhidden disgust.

“You—!”

Denki placed a wet finger to the prince’s lips, quieting him. Katsuki’s body was obviously flushed, his pale skin a charming pink color. Denki trailed his gaze down his chest to where the spring water hindered his view of the rest of him. The omega licked his lips, his joking tone vanishing. “Eijirou truly is very lucky,” he whispered, mostly to himself.

Katsuki gasped loudly as Denki seemingly accidentally brushed against his nipple, biting his lip in horror directly after. His hands flew up from the water to push the omega away but stopped just short of touching him; whether it was to abide by his old Tulian customs or because he didn’t really want Denki to stop, neither could tell.

Denki smirked. “You’re so sensitive. Do you play with these a lot?” Katsuki shook his head. “You’ve never touched yourself all alone in your chambers before?” he asked, making an obscene hand gesture that had Katsuki flushing hotly. Denki furrowed his brow in confusion when Katsuki shook his head again. “Fingered yourself? Used a toy?”

“I-I have never done any of that!” Katsuki practically screeched.

Denki was shocked by that. He could understand the prudish omega having never been with someone, but he couldn’t believe he had never touched himself before. “Not even during your heats?” he asked, surely thinking that must be an exception in the other’s mind and therefore went unmentioned.

But Katsuki shook his head once again. The prince could still remember when he experienced his first heat, and his mother had stood over him with a face filled with disgust and told him that “only sluts craved to have their holes filled.” She made him believe that if he touched himself to relieve the pain, he would be no better than a common whore. After that, Katsuki refused to touch himself during any of his heats, no matter how excruciating they were because of it. “It is—they said it was improper.” Denki did not have to ask to know who “they” referred to, sensing Katsuki’s internal struggle.

“You poor soul,” Denki murmured. He couldn’t even imagine being told to suffer through your heats with no help, not even from your own hand. His own heats had never been unbearable, but the relief he got from spending them with others was invaluable. “Eijirou will treat you right, don’t worry. He knows how to please an omega,” he said, clearly speaking from experience. Katsuki had to stop himself from growling at the other omega in a fit of jealousy.

Denki finally moved away, sitting a respectable distance away again. Katsuki hurriedly covered his chest and crossed his legs under the water’s surface, attempting to maintain his dignity. “How would your alpha react if he knew you were touching another omega like that?”

Denki leered at him. “He would find it arousing. I bet Eijirou would too. The thought of an omega fucking another omega open until they’re both begging for a knot is arousing to many alphas.” Katsuki gasped, scandalized, but Denki carried on. “Eijirou would be happy to knot you, over and over again until you’re so full of his release it leaks out of that virgin hole of yours,” Denki purred, finding himself enjoying the imagery. “Once you’ve had a knot in you, it’s hard to be satisfied with anything less, but I would make you feel amazing, Katsuki-sama.”

Katsuki was as red as Eijirou’s hair at this point, and despite himself he could feel himself growing aroused. “Will you stop it?” he hissed.

Denki held up his hands in surrender, his eyes flitting down for a mere second. “I’m just saying. If you and Eijirou ever want to have a foursome…”

Katsuki abruptly stood from the spring, grabbing a towel to cover himself and storming back inside. “Pervert!” he yelled as he left, Denki’s laughter following him the whole way out.

Katsuki lay awake in his bed, unable to quiet his racing thoughts. All he could think about was the scenario Denki had crafted, specifically Eijirou’s role in it.

Katsuki had never touched himself before, no matter how much his body demanded relief. It was torture, and Katsuki wondered if he had been needlessly tormenting himself simply because of his bigoted mother. There was nothing wrong with someone pleasuring themselves; deep down Katsuki knew that. Yet, the thought of succumbing to such unknown pleasures admittedly frightened the omega.

As little as Katsuki had thought about finding a mate, he had always assumed the first time he ever experienced pleasure would be at the hands of whatever alpha he ended up with. And, truthfully, that thought was more appealing now than ever before.

Eijirou was obviously very experienced—as loathsome as the information was to the omega—so he would know what to do to make Katsuki writhe with pleasure. Katsuki wondered what those large hands would feel like spread across his skin, brushing against his nipples as Denki had before. Would Eijirou be gentle with him, take his time and explore every inch of his body? Or would he manhandle the small omega, move him how he wanted and take what he desired? Katsuki didn’t know which scenario was more arousing, but he could feel himself growing hard under his nightgown.

Katsuki bit his lip, his hand trailing dangerously close to unexplored territory. He nearly yanked his hand away before mentally saying, “Fuck it.” The omega slowly lifted the skirt of his nightgown until it was bunched up around his waist. The blond’s half-hardened cock lay against his stomach, and as he looked at the relatively small erection, Katsuki realized that he had never seen genitals that were not his own.

Sure, he and Izuku had bathed together many times when they were children, but that hardly counted. Neither had even hit puberty yet. He had briefly caught sight of Denki when they were washing themselves, but they were both omegas and the differences between their penises were miniscule. Katsuki wanted to know what an alpha’s cock was like. He knew that alphas were said to have large, thick penises, practically tripling both omegas and betas alike in size. Katsuki’s small hand probably wouldn’t even fit around Eijirou’s member.

Katsuki shook his head, not wanting to think such vulgar things about the alpha. Gathering his nerves, Katsuki tentatively wrapped his hand around himself. He gasped loudly, looking down at his hand in shock. He had never felt anything so intense before, and as he began moving his hand up and down, his head slammed back onto his sheets as he moaned gutturally.

“Fuck,” he whispered fervently as the pleasure overtook him. Unfortunately, the dryness of his hand proved to be too much and pleasure was slowly being replaced with discomfort. Katsuki reluctantly pulled his hand away, breathing heavily as is he had just fought an army of knights. He didn’t know if he was doing something wrong considering it had felt so incredible up until now, but he couldn’t imagine what. Getting an idea, Katsuki licked the palm of his hand. He felt dirty for defiling his hand so unabashedly, but he wanted to chase that feeling of pleasure more than anything.

After deeming his hand sufficiently wet with his saliva, Katsuki wrapped his hand around his prick once again. His eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head at how much better it felt now. The blond had no idea how loud his voice was, his mind consumed by pleasure. His mind strayed to thoughts of Eijirou against his will, picturing the alpha’s hand around his cock instead of his own.

“You’re so beautiful, Katsuki,” Imaginary Eijirou whispered into his ear, his large hand stroking slowly over him. “Do you like my hands on you?”

Katsuki’s hand sped up, the blond tugging at his cock until it was nearly painful. His voice grew louder as his toes curled into the sheets in ecstasy.

Katsuki was tragically drawn out of his haze when he felt slick gushing out of his hole, tearing his hand away from himself in bewilderment. He looked down, baffling at the sight of slick coating his inner thighs and sheets. Katsuki had never produced slick outside of his heats; he hadn’t even known that was possible. The blond bit his lip, harrowing memories of his many heats resurfacing. He could remember how empty he felt, his hole craving something to fill it. The omega desperately needed to know what it felt like to be filled.

Katsuki gazed down at his fingers, slightly disgusted at the thought of what he was about to do. But he was just too curious to not try. Katsuki reached down and pressed tentatively at his entrance, flinching at the sensitivity. Slick was continuously pouring out of him, although it was much less than what Katsuki produced during his heats. Pressing down again, Katsuki rubbed his fingers around his hole, whining as his eyes slid shut in bliss. His traitorous brain conjured an image of Eijirou looming over him, holding his legs open and rubbing his own fingers against him.

“Do you want me to fill you up, omega?” Imaginary Eijirou asked huskily.

Katsuki nodded even though Eijirou wasn’t really there.

Imaginary Eijirou smirked anyway. “I’m gonna take such good care of you.”

He bit his lip once again, more slick covering his hand at the unfairly arousing imagery. He pushed his finger past his rim up to the first knuckle.

Katsuki’s eyes shot open, his back nearly breaking with how sharply it bowed towards the ceiling as he came suddenly and violently. The first orgasm of his life was ripped out of him and left him reeling. He cried out, his thighs slamming shut as his body fell back to the bed, arms falling limply to his sides. One of his hands was drenched in slick, but Katsuki couldn’t be bothered to care at the moment. Katsuki stared unseeingly at the ceiling, his body shaking with the aftershocks of his orgasm.

It took a few minutes before Katsuki recovered enough to think straight again. He looked down at the drying semen on his chest before turning his face into his pillow and groaning.

“Shit.”

Chapter Text

It was early the next morning, and Katsuki, Izuku and Eijirou could be found walking towards the dining hall for their daily breakfast with the king. Katsuki walked between the redhead and noble, pointedly avoiding eye contact with the redhead. Neither Eijirou nor Izuku could figure out why he was suddenly so downtrodden, but both knew that calling attention to his sour mood would only worsen it. The two were content with having their own conversation anyway.

This is how Denki found them when he was on his way to find Hanta, who always woke up way too early on their free days for his taste. He smirked, his devious mind concocting an idea that was sure to lead to at least one death threat from the omegan prince.

Denki sneakily approached Katsuki, making sure to keep his footsteps silent. “Hello, Katsuki-sama,” he whispered directly into his ear, his lips dangerously close to the lobe.

Katsuki jumped nearly a foot in the air with a strange startled sound before stumbling back into Eijirou’s chest. The blond’s face was completely red just at the sight of the other omega and Denki reveled in it. He never thought he was a sadist, but something about having the upper hand over Katsuki was exhilarating.

Katsuki then realized that he was pressed up against the alpha’s chest with Eijirou’s hands on his arms holding him up. The same hands that he imagined touching him in unspeakable places the night before. So, Katsuki understandably panicked a bit. The blond jumped away from the alpha, nearly hitting Izuku this time before promptly fleeing. Eijirou and Izuku watched him go with mixed looks of confusion and worry while Denki was struggling not to laugh.

After a moment, Eijirou glanced knowingly at the knight. “Denki,” he began warningly. “What did you do to Katsuki?”

“Nothing,” he said unconvincingly, especially considering he was still chuckling.

Izuku looked between the two before subtly rolling his eyes. “I will go after him,” he said as he jogged in the direction the prince had run off to.

To his surprise, Izuku stumbled across Katsuki in the middle of an argument with Ochako, who had previously neglected to leave her room for breakfast earlier. The omega hurried over to his two friends, sensing impending doom. Or at least a serious headache for himself. Neither seemed to notice his arrival at first.

Ochako nearly stomped her foot in frustration and Izuku wondered how long they had been arguing already. “You are allowing your emotions to cloud your judgment, Katsuki-sama! You do not love Kirishima-sama! You only think so because he is so different from any alpha you have encountered before,” she shouted.

Katsuki was visibly outraged by the accusation, disbelieving that she would even claim such a thing. “I am not so juvenile or emotionally stunted as to fall for the first alpha to be kind towards me!” he snapped.

Ochako’s eyes widened. “You have fallen for him?” she asked in a quiet voice.

Katsuki backtracked instantly. “I-I did not say that,” he stuttered. “I only meant that whatever…feelings I may have for Eijirou have nothing to do with that.”

“’Eijirou?’” Izuku repeated with a raised eyebrow, announcing his presence.

The blond quickly realized his mistake, flushing hotly. “W-Well, I cannot just continue to keep calling him ‘Eijirou-sama’ forever!” he defended pointlessly.

“What caused the change, Kacchan?” Izuku asked curiously.

Katsuki turned an even deeper shade of red, thinking back to last night when he had touched himself to thoughts of the alpha. “Anyway, that is not important!” he shouted. “Uraraka, you need to get a fucking grip because I will not tolerate your attitude any longer!”

Ochako balled her fists before forcing herself to take a deep breath. “I do not understand how you two can be content with living in this kingdom,” she said bitterly. “I want nothing more than get far away from here, but…I will try to accept your decisions.”

Izuku smiled brightly. “Uraraka-san, that is wonderful! Perhaps one day you will come to enjoy your time here as well.”

She nearly rolled her eyes but stopped herself. “Perhaps,” she allowed. “But I still do not like Kirishima-sama,” she added.

“Neither do I,” Katsuki said.

“Well, one of you is lying,” Izuku said cheekily. “And I believe I might know who it is.” He sent a not-so subtle look towards the prince.

Katsuki grit his teeth. “Shut the hell up, dumbass,” he snapped. “We need to go to breakfast. If we are late, I will tell Crimson Riot that it was your doing.”

Ochako frowned while Izuku chuckled. “Yes, Your Highness,” they both said with differing levels of enthusiasm.

Crimson Riot stopped Katsuki on his way out after breakfast. The omega looked understandably nervous that the king himself wished to speak with him alone. Eijirou gave him a slightly forced but successfully reassuring smile before leaving. Katsuki was severely tempted to grab his hand and keep him by his side but dismissed the thought instantly. He needed to get a hold of himself.

Ochako looked between them all with narrowed eyes before shrugging and leaving, while Izuku shot him a thumbs up as he closed the doors behind them. Katsuki took a deep breath before returning to his seat two chairs down from the king. As much as he enjoyed these routine breakfasts each morning, the blond was much more comfortable when Eijirou was sitting between them.

The king gave Katsuki a quick once over before finally speaking, “I believe this conversation is long overdue.”

“And what conversation is that?” Katsuki asked with narrowed eyes. “Are you going to question me about my worth as a future queen just like all of your people have since my arrival?”

Crimson Riot smirked, pleased with the changes he’d been seeing in Katsuki for the past five days. “I actually wanted to hear your opinion about a few things.”

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. “My opinion?”

The redhead nodded. “Yes, Katsuki-kun. And I would appreciate your honest, unfiltered opinion,” he said. Katsuki looked unsure. “Don’t worry. I know you have quite the mouth on you, and I can assure you that it is nothing to be ashamed of. You actually remind me quite a lot of my wife, the former queen.”

Katsuki was admittedly curious about the late queen, having seen her visage around the castle multiple times and heard her mentioned numerous times as well. “In what ways do I remind you of her?”

“Well, for one, you’re quite beautiful,” Crimson Riot said instantly. When he noticed the shocked and slightly creeped out expression on the prince's face, he added, “I am not making a pass at you, boy. I have no interest in someone over half my age, let alone my son’s mate.” Katsuki relaxed slightly, looking marginally ashamed for his previous assumption. “But even a blind man could see your beauty, Katsuki. And I believe that beauty exists within you as well, much like it did with my wife.”

Katsuki was speechless. Whenever he received praise from some random person trying to get on his good side, it felt hollow and superficial. Whenever Eijirou complimented him, it felt both exhilarating and terrifying because it made him feel so special. The redhead never complimented him with the intention of getting something in return; he did it because he genuinely believed what he was saying.

But for Crimson Riot, the king of Adria and father of his future husband, to compliment him…well, Katsuki couldn’t for the life of him figure out why the man would bother.

“When you first arrived, I was admittedly very worried,” the king continued after Katsuki’s silence continued for too long. “Not just for Adria’s future but my son’s as well. As you know, this marriage was arranged by your mother and I, so all hopes Eijirou had for finding love or you for initiating change were crushed. I do apologize for that, Katsuki-kun. It crushed me to take away Eijirou’s plans for the future, and for you to be taken from your home must have been a terrible experience.”

Katsuki swallowed heavily. “You do not have to apologize.”

“Nonsense,” he said. “I am at fault, after all. But I want you to know that I do not regret this treaty, nor do I regret you being here.”

“Even though I am Tulian?” Katsuki questioned. “Every other Adrian I have met, including even Eijirou-sama at the start, had deemed me worthless simply because of that.”

“I am aware of that,” the king said sadly. “And I will not pretend that your heritage did not concern me at first. There is no shortage of rumors about Tulians and their upbringing of omegas. When you arrived, meek and quiet, I had been sure that they were all true. But then I saw you on the training grounds with Monoma-kun and it occurred to me that there was more to you.”

Katsuki’s eyes widened. “You were there?” he asked incredulously. “Fuck,” he said under his breath.

Crimson Riot laughed, “Yes, I saw it all. None of you seemed to notice me, and I figured I’d let you handle it yourself. You seemed to do just fine.”

Even though Crimson Riot appeared anything but upset about the incident, Katsuki still found himself panicking. “Your Majesty, that was because Monoa was—”

“Monoma,” the king corrected amusedly.

“Yeah, him,” Katsuki said uncaringly. “He was being a—”

“’Foolishly arrogant knight,’” he quoted. “I quite enjoyed that line. Although, I feel like you may’ve been holding back a bit. Surely you’ve got more creative insults than that.”

Katsuki was undoubtedly gaping at the man now. “I…” Katsuki trailed off, realizing that he had nothing to say.

Crimson Riot gave him a soft yet slightly forlorn smile. “Why have you hidden yourself from us, Katsuki-kun?”

Katsuki looked down at the table, fidgeting with his gloves. “It was never my intention to be dishonest,” he said quietly. “There are many things about my demeanor that my kingdom deemed inappropriate in an omega. I was taught to behave in a way that was unnatural to me but expected of an omega, and I suppose those teachings became all I knew for a while.”

The king nodded understandably, if not a bit sadly. “I always find it tragic when someone is not allowed to be themselves. It’s a large part of the reason I encourage freedom of speech among my people. I never want someone to feel as though their voice can never be heard or does not matter, nor do I want people to think that who they are is ever wrong.”

“You have a wonderful kingdom, even if your people are a bit rude.”

“Yes, they’re an uncouth bunch aren’t they,” the king laughed. “Feel free to put them in their place if the need be. They’d respect you more for it.”

Katsuki gave a tentative smile. “I will be sure to remember that.”

Crimson Riot nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer. “Now, on to the main event,” he said with a mischievous smirk. “What do you think of Eijirou?”

Katsuki opened his mouth before closing it, not sure how to respond to that. Not only because he didn’t want to say the wrong thing and upset the king, but also because he was conflicted himself about the answer. Katsuki pulled at his gloves anxiously. “He is very kind,” he decided on.

“And?” the king prompted. “Surely that’s not all you think of him.”

Katsuki almost rolled his eyes. “What? Do you want me to tell you that I find him handsome and strong?”

“Do you?” the king asked with a lilt in his voice.

Katsuki flushed hotly. “I…Well, I am not blind,” he begrudged. “But those factors do not affect my opinion of him.” That was definitely true; Katsuki had noticed both Eijirou’s attractiveness and his strength quickly enough, but his view of the alpha had yet to change until they began spending time together. Honestly, his looks were just an added bonus.

Crimson Riot nodded, either in understanding or approval of his response. “So, you like his personality,” he surmised.

“His personality is tolerable,” he said avoidantly.

The man suddenly laughed loudly, slapping his hand on the table and jostling the empty plates in front of them. Katsuki discreetly scooted back his chair he noticed a glass of wine threatening to topple over and spill across his lap. “Eijirou was right!” he said after he had gotten his laughter under control, although Katsuki had no idea what was so funny to begin with. “You’re either very shy or very prideful, Katsuki-kun.”

Katsuki frowned. “I do not view myself as either.”

“You’re either too shy to admit you like my son, or you’re too prideful to acknowledge the fact that the alpha you expected to hate is the one you’re falling for.”

Katsuki shot up from his seat, his face twisted into a scowl. “With all due respect, Your Majesty,” he bit out through gritted teeth. “You have no idea what you are talking about.”

Crimson Riot looked unaffected by his anger. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest leisurely. “No? Do enlighten me then,” he said.

Katsuki balled his fists, pissed off that the man was so casual and self-assured. “You may want for me to have feelings for you son, since you have always wished for success in his romantic endeavors, but that is not the case in this situation. While I do find Eijirou’s presence…tolerable at times, I have no romantic inclinations towards him at all. I regret to inform you of that, but it is the truth.”

“That so?” the man murmured, clearly unconvinced.

Truthfully, so was Katsuki, but he would die before he let the man know how unsure of his own feelings he was. “Yes.”

The king sighed heavily before motioning towards Katsuki’s chair. “Sit down, Katsuki-kun,” he ordered softly. Katsuki reluctantly sat back down, a scowl still present on his face. “I feel I must apologize once again. It was not my intention to upset you. You were correct in your assessment that I wish only the best for my son—in all aspects of his life. We can chalk that up as to why I made such brash and apparently incorrect assumptions,” he said.

Katsuki nodded, glad he was finally dropping this whole thing. “I should not have gotten so excited,” Katsuki said, not quite apologizing. They both knew he was not sorry, anyhow.

“There is one thing I want to tell you, though, Katsuki-kun,” the redhead continued after a moment.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes minutely. “Is it about Eijirou again?”

Crimson Riot waved away his concerns. “You can take what I’m about to say however you’d like. It is not necessarily about you and Eijirou,” he answered, purposefully stressing his son’s name and causing Katsuki to turn red. “Although, I’d implore you to reevaluate your feelings for him. I have only seen you two interact during these little breakfasts we have, but the way you’ve been looking at my son has changed drastically over these past four days.”

“Meaning what?” Katsuki asked snappishly.

“You aren’t stupid, Katsuki,” was all he said. “But what I really want to say to you, is that you should let nothing in life hold you back.” Katsuki opened his mouth, surely to rebut his claim, but he continued before he could say much of anything. “I know that life has its obstacles. I’ve had my fair share of them, and I’m sure that your life has been filled with people trying to hold you back. What I’m saying is that you need to power through all of that and do everything in your power to be yourself. You must live your life without regret because that is the manliest thing you could ever do.”

“So, you’re telling me to do whatever I want whenever I want to?” he asked skeptically.

“If you’re doing everything in your power to do everything in your power, then what more is there to do?” Katsuki didn’t really have an answer for that. “You’ve got to believe that there’s nothing you can’t do, because true manliness is taking that step forward and standing tall and unmoving in the middle of a raging storm.”

Katsuki bit his lip. “For an omega—”

“As long as you got a manly spirit, then gender don’t count for nothing,” he interrupted.

Katsuki frowned. “You are an Adrian—”

“Heritage don’t count for nothing either,” he interrupted again.

Katsuki crossed his arms over his chest. “Then what does?” he challenged.

Crimson pointed to his own head. “You need to have a hardheaded mentality. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Especially not yourself.” He then placed a large hand over his heart. “Do as your heart tells you. As cheesy as that may sound, I live by what my heart tells me. Not my gut, not my instincts, but what my heart says is right. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with listening to your instincts, but at the end of the day you must live with your decision. If my instincts say run but my heart says to fight, then you can bet I’ll be fighting until my last breath.”

“There were times when you wanted to run from battle?” Katsuki asked, honestly surprised. Crimson Riot seemed like the kind of person who never let anything frighten him; he was a fearless warrior who dominated the battlefield from the moment he entered it. Hell, he had earned his title of “Crimson Riot” through the numerus battles he had won. Katsuki couldn’t imagine him ever even contemplating doing something as cowardly as running away.

Yet, Crimson Riot nodded. “Plenty of times,” he said unashamedly. “There were times I was unsure of my own victory or the safety of my people, but I always pushed forward. I never went into battle without knowing why, who, and what I was fighting for. That way, no matter the outcome, I would always know that I did what my heart told me.”

“Do you think…?” Katsuki trailed off, suddenly unsure of his question.

Crimson Riot smiled patiently, encouragingly. “Now what did I just say, Katsuki-kun? Go on.”

Katsuki took a deep breath. “Do you think I can one day be ‘manly?”’ he asked.

The king grinned, beyond elated by the question. He knew there was more to this omega than what lay on the surface. “I’d say you’re already on your way.” Katsuki looked down at the table but the redhead could see the smile he was attempting to hide. He stood from his own seat, now towering over the small blond with his gigantic frame. Yet, he was anything but threatening. In fact, this was the most comfortable Katsuki had felt in his presence to date.

The man stretched, the solid muscles of his bare arms, chests, and back all rippling with the movement. Katsuki briefly wondered if Eijirou would ever look like that. “Well, that’s that, Katsuki-kun. I’ll let you go now.”

Katsuki stood from his seat, face suspiciously pink in color. “Are you attending the strategy meeting, Your Majesty?” he asked.

The king shook his head before chugging back the last of his wine; from the bottle, not the glass. “No, although normally I would. Eijirou will be acting commander for the upcoming battles.”

The blond furrowed his brow. “Even though you are king?”

“Oh, anyone with the necessary skill and leadership capabilities can take that position,” the king said. “Hanta-kun and Mirio-kun have been acting commander on numerous occasions, and Eijirou led his first battle when he was young. Perhaps one day you will lead one as well.”

Katsuki’s eyes widened. “Oh,” was all he could say.

Crimson Riot chuckled slightly. “It’s just a thought. Oh, and call me ‘Crimson Riot,’ boy. That’s an order,” he said with a playful wink before striding out of the dining hall.

Katsuki watched him go, feeling particularly emboldened. He took a deep breath before whispering to himself, “No one can stop you.” He squared his shoulders and made sure to hold his head high as he marched from the dining hall.

Katsuki burst through the doors of the council room, the doors slamming on the opposite sides of the wall and easily alerting everyone to his arrival. Katsuki made sure to give an equally pissed off glare to everyone in the room. This included Denki, Hanta, Mina, Kendou, Mirio, and of course, the prince himself.

“What the hell?” both Mina and Mirio exclaimed in shock.

“Katsuki? What are you doing here?” Eijirou asked confusedly. Denki and Hanta sent each other matching guilty looks. “I thought you were talking with my father?”

Mina whistled. “That must have been fun,” she said sarcastically, earning an elbow to the ribs from Kendou.

“We finished speaking,” Katsuki said to the prince while crossing his arms. “Now, I would like to know why I was not included in this strategy meeting.”

Everyone in the room looked to Eijirou, as if they were all awaiting an answer for that as well. Eijirou held his hands up defensively. “Wait, hold up! I didn’t think—”

“Clearly,” Katsuki interrupted, voice clipped with annoyance. He sauntered forward, brushing past Eijirou without a glance. He stopped before the roundtable, gazing critically down at the crude map spread across the table depicting all the kingdoms within the continent: Adria, Tulia, Endeavor, Ingenium, Creati, and of course, Villiass.

Villiass was located furthest north, its territory spanning the entire northside of the landmass even though it was the smallest of all the kingdoms. To the south of Villiass was Tulia, the second most northern kingdom. The kingdom’s location accounted for its citizens’ pale complexions and weaknesses to warmer temperatures. The winters were gorgeous but the summers bleak. Bordering Tulia and each other were Endeavor to the east and Ingenium to the west. While Ingenium had very similar weather patterns to Tulia, Endeavor suffered from a particularly bizarre climate. The northern part of Endeavor, which bordered Tulia, was brutally cold most of the year, while the southern half bordering Creati, shared the other kingdom’s hotter climate. Finally, the southernmost and largest kingdom of Adria resided, bordering only Creati.

Katsuki figured this map was fairly outdated, however, because it also held a kingdom that no longer existed today. It was the kingdom of Nihon, which used to border every kingdom to the east, except Ingenium. But that kingdom’s reign ended a long time ago.

“So, what have you gathered so far?” Katsuki asked after looking over the map and the scrawled battle formations over it.

The Adrians all sent secretive glances to each other. Eijirou cleared his throat. “Katsuki, I’m not sure if you’d understand—” Katsuki’s glare slid over to Eijirou who instantly backpedaled. “I’m not saying that you’re stupid or anything like that! It’s just…uh…” he trailed off, looking towards any of his friends for assistance.

Kendou bravely stepped forward. “As you know, Bakugou-sama, we are discussing battle strategies for the upcoming war against Villiass,” she began. Katsuki’s gaze never left Eijirou who was becoming increasingly more nervous as Katsuki continued to glare at him unwaveringly. “We are just not sure if you, as someone who has never been in battle, can provide any valuable input—”

“I suppose you can all provide the most valuable of input possible then,” Katsuki interrupted sarcastically. Kendou glanced at Eijirou uncertainly. Katsuki huffed, finally ripping his gaze from the redheaded alpha. “You must have the whole thing planned out.”

Eijirou rubbed the back of his neck. “We actually…don‘t know much about Villiass’ military strength,” he admitted embarrassedly.

“Is that so?” Katsuki drawled, unimpressed. He began inspecting his gloves, almost uncaringly. “Would you like me to tell you a bit about them?”

“What could you possibly know?” Hanta asked genuinely, no discrimination anywhere in his tone.

“I imagine you all know of the infamous ‘Battle of Kamino,’” he said, and everyone nodded. There wasn’t a living soul who had not at least heard of it.

“The former king of Villiass took his people to war against the land of Nihon, ruled by Lord Yagi Toshinori,” Mina recounted her elementary knowledge.

Katsuki hummed in confirmation. “Yes, and even though Lord Yagi’s military force was known to be the strongest in all of the lands, Nihon was ultimately defeated. Even Lord Yagi himself was killed by the king of Villiass, whose identity remains a mystery to this day. He is only known to the masses as ‘All for One.’”

Eijirou frowned to himself. “Lord Yagi was a marvelous warrior. His death was truly a tragedy. I would have loved to have been able to meet him.”

“This was before any of us were even born,” Kendou commented.

“Or conceived,” Denki added, earning groans of disgusts from the others. “What? It’s true!”

Katsuki rolled his eyes and continued, “Survivors of the Battle of Kamino claimed that Villiass was far too powerful to ever defeat despite their small military force. Many of Nihon’s soldiers died before battle could even begin, all due to unknown causes.”

“Ominous,” Denki and Hanta both mumbled before grinning at each other.

The Tulian glared at the both of them until they wiped the grins off their faces. “Even though, in that situation, anyone would expect the victorious kingdom to continue on and take over, Villiass retreated after that single battle,” Katsuki said meaningfully. “No one is quite sure why that is, but I have my theories.”

“Like what?” Mirio asked curiously, completely invested in this information.

Katsuki planted a hand on his hip. “’All for One’ only wanted the esteem of being known as the ‘Killer of Peace,’” he answered. He saw a few raised eyebrows at his response and elaborated, “Lord Yagi’s kingdom kept the peace among the lands; not to mention that he was deemed the greatest king of all time. To not only defeat him in a battle that took place in his kingdom’s capital and slaughter his people, but to kill him as well…There is no greater ‘fuck you’ than that.”

“That’s true,” Eijirou said slowly. “But what does that have to do with this war?”

Katsuki shook his head. “You are not getting it,” he said. “There will not be a war if Villiass is allowed to pull the same tricks they used on Nihon. Villiass does not operate on the same set of rules, goals, or morals as other kingdoms, surely not like Adria’s.”

The room was silent for a few long moments before Denki asked in amazement, “How the hell do you know all of this?”

Katsuki smirked. “I do a lot of reading.”

Kendou held up a hand to gain their attention. “It’s quite obvious that you have vast knowledge on the Battle of Kamino, but that does not necessarily mean that you have the knowledge necessary to create a strategy on a battle that has yet to take place.”

“She has a point,” Mirio mumbled. Mina and Hanta nodded in agreement.

Katsuki sighed exasperatedly. “Nothing ever satisfies you people,” he grumbled. He then pointed to the battle formation illustrated on the paper. “This will never work,” he declared.

Everyone leaned over to see what he was pointing at. Hanta furrowed his brow. “We’ve used this formation in countless battles against kingdoms in the neighboring continent, which we’ve always won.”

“Congratulations,” the blond said sarcastically. “But this would never work against Villiass. You have your left and right wings too close to your center formation. A sneak attack will not do you any damn good if your center is wiped out long before they can even make their appearance. Without knowing what Villiass has up their sleeves, it would be best to play it safe in the beginning.”

Mirio snorted before he could stop himself. When he noticed Katsuki glaring at him he held his hands up in apology. “Sorry, it’s just that Adrians don’t really ‘play it safe’ all that often, you know?” he said, actually using air quotes.

“Well, you better fucking start if you want to win this damn thing,” Katsuki snapped. Mirio looked as if he had just been slapped and nodded silently. “Villiass is using some kind of unknown weapon which can easily wipe out their enemies, and we have no idea what it is. There will be lives lost in the beginning, but by the end of this we will have hopefully uncovered their secret.”

“You don’t seem to care much about how many lives are lost in this process,” Kendou commented.

Where Eijirou expected a scowl to surface, Katsuki’s expression remained serious and stony. “I have long since grown tired of people suffering because of me,” he said, voice hollow. Kendou was taken aback by his seriousness, feeling marginally bad for the accusation.

“Katsuki,” Eijirou began concernedly.

Katsuki shook his head slightly and changed the subject. “I suspect one of the problems Lord Yagi’s forces suffered from was their inability to function without a commander. Lord Yagi was undoubtedly a skilled fighter and a masterful tactician, but I feel his soldiers lacked even a fraction of those skills. Of course, they were trained to fight but they were not fighters in the same sense as Lord Yagi was. Without him leading their actions, they fell apart and as a result fell by the hands of All for One’s men. Nihon’s fall was inevitable after that. They had no forces to fend off other rival kingdoms.”

“You’re not suggesting that Adria suffers from the same problem,” Hanta said dubiously.

Mina mimicked Katsuki’s stance by putting a hand on her hip as well. “Adrians are natural fighters, I’ll have you know. Any one of us could take down a hundred of Shigaraki’s men!” she shouted, obviously exaggerating.

“Good,” Katsuki clipped. “Because every person involved in this battle should be completely prepared to keep fighting independently with their own strategies in mind. If the plan were to be compromised, then we cannot depend on Eijirou to formulate a new plan for everyone on the spot. Me may be separated or have lost a means of communication.”

Eijirou nodded at his side. “I may also die in battle, so—”

Katsuki cut him off with a hiss, “You will not.” Eijirou couldn’t tell if he was ordering him or pleading with him. Katsuki turned back around without waiting for a response. “We need to make sure everyone is ready. What we can do instead of having everyone come at the same time—” Denki and Hanta nudged each while chuckling silently. “—is have the left wing flank Shigaraki’s men from behind, while the right wing comes in after the center from the right. Their focus will be on our center formation, and after they’ve revealed their petty tricks to us, they will be forced to deal with our right wing. That leaves them perfectly open for attack from our left.”

“Okay, this is pretty impressive,” Mina mumbled in awe.

“He keeps saying ‘we,’” Hanta commented quietly, tone thoughtful.

“He said ‘Eijirou.’ Did anyone else catch that?” Denki whispered with a shit-eating grin.

Katsuki ignored all of them. “Since this war was declared against Tulia, then at least the first battle will surely take place there. I know the capital inside and out, so I can give some very ‘valuable input’ into tactical formations.”

Kendou frowned, knowing that was at least partially directed at her. “I’m sure,” she grumbled. Still, she had to admit, the prince had pleasantly surprised her with all of his knowledge and tactical ability displayed so far.

Katsuki smirked, guessing her train of thought. He was sure the others all had similar opinions. “Any more questions?” he asked smugly.

“How are you so amazing?” Eijirou asked breathily.

Katsuki flushed but refused to let him off easy for excluding him to begin with. “Maybe next time, you will not exclude me from something that obviously concerns me,” he spat angrily. Eijirou recoiled and Katsuki approached him with a scowl, relentless. “I sure hope you do not make a habit of underestimating foreigners, because your demise will be set it stone.”

With that, Katsuki strolled out of the room in much the same way he had entered; suddenly and furiously. Eijirou watched him go, shell-shocked, and everyone else watched Eijirou. After a while, Hanta awkwardly cleared his throat and began rolling up the map. “Well, I guess that’s the end of today’s meeting,” he said.

No one seemed to disagree with that, so they all started filing out of the council room one by one. Denki patted Eijirou on the back as he passed, the man’s face downcast. “Hey, man, don’t let what Katsuki-sama said get to you. He’s just a bit prissy, but he’ll come around eventually.”

“I wouldn’t count on that,” Hanta mumbled as he walked out. “Come on, babe! We got places to be.”

“Wait, where are you guys going?” Eijirou asked. Denki and Hanta didn’t usually have plans at this time of day.

Denki waved his hand flippantly. “Oh, you know, places to be, things to do,” he said, purposely vague. Eijirou frowned. “Later, Ei!” he called as he jogged after his mate down the hall.

The prince waved after him, even though he couldn’t see. “What am I supposed to do now?” he asked aloud.

About fifteen minutes later, Eijirou rounded a corner, entering another empty hall. Quite frankly, the prince was bored out of his mind. He had been hoping to spend some more time with Katsuki, maybe get to know him better, but the blond had stormed out of the council room and Eijirou had no idea where he went. He was probably still upset with the alpha, which was totally understandable, but Eijirou had really wanted to talk to him about some of the things he’d said during the meeting. He couldn’t do that now.

The redhead sighed softly, wondering what he could do to pass the time. Maybe he would try and track down the other prince, but he doubted Katsuki would appreciate having his private time interrupted simply because Eijirou desired his company. That was almost definitely something Katsuki would hate; he detested self-important alphas after all.

Eijirou’s hopes were reignited when he spotted three of his friends standing out in the courtyard as he passed by a window. He quickly jogged over to them, a grin stretched across his features before grinding to halt once he overheard their conversation.

“I don’t know, I still can’t believe that Prince Bakugou knocked out Monoma,” Mirio was saying, causing Eijirou to literally freeze in place with a stupefied expression. It only worsened when Tetsutetsu nodded in confirmation.

“Man, I don’t blame you, but it really happened. It was amazing! One punch, and bam!” the alpha punched the air to punctuate his point. “Monoma hit the ground. Then, Monoma grabbed his ankle or something and Bakugou-sama kicked him right in the face. Knocked him out cold.”

Mirio whistled, clearly impressed. Honestly, so was Eijirou, but he was more concerned about the fact that this happened at all. “Bakugou-sama was very clear in his desire that Eijirou-sama be kept unaware about this,” Tokoyami said, only serving to confuse Eijirou even further. “Even though Tetsutetsu-san and Ashido-san have been quite lenient in their retellings of this event, I believe it would be beneficial to you to remain as secretive as possible. You do not wish to suffer the prince's wrath as Monoma-san did.”

Mirio nodded, “Yeah man, I get it. I mean, not why he would want to keep such a cool thing a secret, but I won’t blab to everyone like Tetsutetsu.”

“Hey!” said alpha yelled indignantly. “I’ve told tons of other knights who weren’t there, including you, Tokoyami! And Eijirou-sama still has yet to find out about any of it!”

Eijirou chose that moment to make himself known. “What are you guys talking about?”

The silver-haired alpha nearly jumped out his skin, giving a high-pitched scream that would have surely drawn a laugh from Mirio if he weren’t so shocked himself. Tokoyami, despite always looking unfairly composed, was wide-eyed and frozen stiff at the sight of the prince.

“Uh,” Mirio began intelligently, wracking his brain for a random topic. Normally he would never lie to Eijirou under any circumstances—he respected the man far too much and he was like a little brother to his mate and therefore him—but Tokoyami had just finished telling him how much Katsuki wanted this all kept a secret.

Luckily, Tetsutetsu jumped in to help. “We were just talking about—”

“Katsuki fighting Monoma, right?” Eijirou finished, though that was not quite what the other was going to say.

“What?” Tetsutetsu asked, feigning ignorance. “Why would he ever fight Monoma? I mean, Bakugou-sama is a Tulian, right? They don’t fight. And…there’s no way he would punch Monona in the face because he called him your fuck toy or anything,” Tetsutetsu said, and Tokoyami slapped his own forehead in exasperation beside him.

Eijirou’s face twisted in outrage. “He what?” he roared. It took Tetsutetsu a moment to realize why his friend was suddenly so angry before he realized his own mistake.

“What a mad banquet of darkness,” Tokoyami mumbled.

“We might as well tell him everything,” Mirio whispered loudly when he saw Tetsutetsu floundering.

“You will tell me everything,” Eijirou asserted, eyes narrowed into slits. “Right. Now.”

Eijirou stormed over to the training grounds. After hearing the full recap of the events, he had demanded to know where Katsuki was to confront him about this. Without much hesitation—probably since Eijirou looked about ready to murder someone—Tokoyami told him he was most likely on the training grounds. Eijirou didn’t wait around to hear more, not even taking the time to consider why Katsuki would be there, before turning on his heel and sprinting away. He just needed to know if it was true, if Katsuki had really fought with Monoma and knocked him unconscious effortlessly. The idea of that was so incredibly arousing that Eijirou had no idea what to do with himself.

Before long, the alpha found himself at one of the training grounds’ entrances. Once he stepped into the open field, he swore his heart stopped. Much to the utter bafflement of Eijirou, Katsuki was grappling with Denki. The two looked about evenly matched, although Eijirou had to guess that Denki was holding back at least somewhat. There was a crowd around them, which really shouldn’t be all that surprising considering an Adrian’s love for a good battle, but what really astounded Eijirou was just how many of his “trusted” knights were watching and cheering on either of the blonds. Even Izuku was there cheering on Katsuki in a surprisingly loud voice. He also looked worn out and sweaty, as if he had been fighting not too long ago himself.

Katsuki suddenly roared, and if Eijirou had not had his eyes glued to the omega for the past few minutes he would have assumed it came from a battle-hardened alpha. Eijirou watched, transfixed, as one moment Katsuki and Denki were pushing and pulling at each other, attempting to take the other to the ground, and the next Denki was on his back groaning in pain. Katsuki threw his fists into the air, giving a shout of victory as he turned to face the crowd, unintentionally showing off his sweat slicked and bruised chest to Eijirou.

The redhead very nearly passed out from the amount of blood that suddenly rushed south. Katsuki was undeniably very attractive, in any setting and in every way, but Eijirou didn’t think he had ever been more attracted to him than in that very moment. Seeing Katsuki standing before him, littered with proof of battle, was something Eijirou had only fantasized about. “Which one of you fuckers doubted me?” Katsuki yelled, grinning triumphantly.

It was then that he and Eijirou locked gazes, the both of them freezing. Izuku and many of the other knights noticed Katsuki looking off somewhere and followed his line of sight, all excitement draining from the crowd when they saw their prince standing there. Eijirou swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry and his pants suddenly tighter than they were when he got there.

Knowing that if he stayed any longer, he would only humiliate himself and probably Katsuki as well, Eijirou turned and fled the way he came. Everyone was surprised by the almost cowardly looking action; cowardice never having been a word someone would even think to use to describe the prince with.

“Eijirou!” Katsuki yelled after him, but he made no move to follow. Seeing Eijirou run away after watching him fight told him all he needed to know about what Eijirou thought of him now. Between his display during the strategy meeting and his spar with Denki, the prince surely had an entirely different imagine of him now. He must have been disgusted. Any sense of glee or accomplishment Katsuki felt a moment ago flew right out the window. His face crumpled and he cursed under his breath.

Denki finally stood and dusted himself off, wincing at his sore muscles. “What the hell was that?” he asked Mina and Hanta. The two shook their heads, seemingly just as confused about Eijirou’s bizarre actions.

Izuku cautiously walked over to Katsuki, seeing the change in him and figuring the worst. “Kacchan?” he called gently. “Are you okay?”

“He hates me now,” Katsuki mumbled.

Izuku’s eyes widened. “What? Kirishima-sama would never hate you!”

“Then, why did he leave?” Katsuki countered. “He probably deemed my actions unbecoming of an omega and was revolted by it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Hanta said. “Eijirou would never think something like that.”

“Yeah,” Mina said, “I mean, he taught you how to fire an arrow, right? And he looked really impressed during the meeting.”

Katsuki would have agreed had he not seen Eijirou run away like that. “Then, why did he react so strongly?”

Mina rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, that I don’t know.”

“Perhaps he was upset that you kept the training from him?” Izuku suggested. Katsuki frowned, thinking that alternative was not much better.

Eijirou sped through the halls, carefully maneuvering around any knights roaming about. He avoided any conversations as well, determined to make it to his room so he could take care of his…problem. To be honest, the alpha had never been harder in his life. Yes, he has been around many attractive people before Katsuki; all of his friends were ridiculously attractive. And yes, he has seen many of those same attractive people in fights before, but he had never once become so aroused from it.

When he saw Katsuki standing there, victorious and proud, he had wanted nothing more than to throw him to the ground and ravish him right then and there, witnesses be damned. But of course he couldn’t do that. Hell, he probably shouldn’t even be thinking about the blond like that. Katsuki was so innocent and unaware of people’s more perverse inclinations that thinking about him in such dirty ways made Eijirou feel dirty. And yet, he couldn’t seem to help himself. He had been captivated since the moment he laid eyes on the omega, and those feelings had only intensified since spending time with him over the past few days. He wanted to feel Katsuki against him, to have the blond underneath him, but most of all he wanted to have Katsuki beside him. And Eijirou felt as if he were betraying those feelings by treating the Katsuki in his various fantasies as no more than a sex object. Like a fuck toy.

Eijirou was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Tamaki walking in front of him until he collided with the omega, nearly sending him to the ground. “Eijirou? What are you doing?” Tamaki asked incredulously as he regained his footing.

“I’m so sorry, Tamaki-san!” Eijirou said frantically. “I was in a hurry and I wasn’t looking where I was going!”

Tamaki raised an eyebrow, not used to seeing Eijirou so jittery. “What’s—?” the omega cut himself off, slapping a hand over his nose and taking two steps back. “Eijirou, why do you smell like that?”

Eijirou cringed, knowing that Tamaki was referring to his highly aroused scent. For mated omegas, the scent of an aroused alpha who was not their own was uncomfortable at best and repulsive at worst. The raven’s eyes dropped down to Eijirou’s crotch before flitting away, a redness spreading over his cheeks. Eijirou covered himself, properly mortified by this entire situation. “I’m just gonna go,” he mumbled before hightailing it out of there.

He finally made it to his room, slamming his doors closed behind him and making sure they were locked. He leaned against his door, not even bothering to travel the short distance over to his bed and pulled out his cock. He began jerking himself at an almost punishing pace, trying his hardest to keep thoughts of Katsuki from his mind as he chased his much-needed release. Unfortunately, he was not successful in his goal, images of Katsuki on his knees or on his back with his legs spread flooded Eijirou’s brain.

He imagined Katsuki biting his lip to hold back all his sweet sounds as Eijirou slowly fingered him open. He imagined Katsuki moaning around his fingers as he rode his cock, the omega dripping from previous orgasms as he bounced up and down. He imagined Katsuki on his knees, fresh out of the bath and wearing only that tiny bathrobe of his, as he waited with his mouth wide open for Eijirou to come across his face and tongue. He imagined Katsuki dressed in Adrian-style armor, presenting himself on his hands and knees atop Eijirou’s bed, somehow both begging and demanding for the alpha to fuck him. He imagined Katsuki pinning Eijirou to ground, the alpha at his mercy as the blond slowly took every inch of his cock, a smirk on his face the entire time.

Eijirou groaned low in his throat, each one so disgustingly obscene that he could feel his orgasm approaching quicker than usual. “Katsuki,” he moaned softly as his hand sped up.

“Eijirou,” Katsuki’s actual voice suddenly called from behind the door, prompting the most intense orgasm Eijirou had ever experienced. He had to bite his lip until the skin broke to hold back any sounds as he hunched over from the force of it, catching his release in his free hand. “Eijirou,” Katsuki called again, more urgent this time.

Eijirou quickly wiped his soiled hands on his sheets, sincerely hoping that Katsuki wouldn’t be able to tell he just finished masturbating to thoughts of him. He opened the door to see Katsuki standing there with his fist raised, about to knock. The omega lowered his hand, his gaze lingering for too long on Eijirou bloodied lip. Eijirou couldn’t fault him; his own eyes were refusing to move from Katsuki sweat-slicked chest.

The two stood there awkwardly for a long moment, neither knowing what to say to the other now that they were face to face. Finally, Katsuki cleared his throat. “You left in such a hurry earlier,” he said.

Eijirou raised his hand to rub the back of his neck before remembering where his hand had been. “Um, yeah. I, uh, had something I needed to take care of.” It wasn’t technically a lie.

“Oh,” Katsuki mumbled, looking down and away. “I had thought you were upset with seeing me fight.”

Eijirou’s eyes widened. “No, no! That was amazing, Katsuki! You were so manly!”

Katsuki let himself relax, no longer worried that Eijirou was upset with him. Not that he cared that much anyway. “I had wanted to surprise you, but I suppose that plan is ruined.”

“Really?” Eijirou asked, shocked that Katsuki would want to surprise him at all. “Is that why you didn’t want anyone to tell me about what happened with Monoma?”

Katsuki suddenly froze and looked up at Eijirou with fearful eyes. “Who told you about that?” he questioned forcefully. Eijirou actually kind of feared for the lives of his friends, so he said nothing. Katsuki narrowed his eyes before looking away again. “I thought you would be upset with me for that. I attacked one of your knights.”

“He deserved it,” Eijirou stated surely. Katsuki looked at him in surprise. “He had absolutely no right to speak to you like that. And not just because you’re a prince or my future mate, but because you’re an amazing person inside and out. Monoma is an idiot, so I’m not surprised that he couldn’t see that, but I want you to know that I do. Every time I look at you, I see someone worthy of standing by my side.”

Katsuki swallowed heavily, feeling as though Eijirou had just turned his whole world around. “You really mean that?” he questioned softly, unsurely.

Eijirou gave him a soft and tender smile, eyes filled with such fondness that Katsuki felt he couldn’t breathe. “I do,” he confirmed.

Katsuki bit his lip, Eijirou having to hold back a groan at the unintentionally evocative sight. Katsuki didn’t seem to notice his internal struggle, and for that Eijirou was thankful. Then, Katsuki did something that Eijirou never expected. He slowly reached out, taking the alpha’s large hand in-between his own. Eijirou automatically tried to tug his hand away—because he knew about Katsuki’s aversion to casual touch between them and because he had just cum into that same hand not five minutes ago—but Katsuki tightened his grip and kept it there.

The blond was filled with a jumble of emotions; the feeling of Eijirou’s skin against his own was somehow both overwhelming and everything he needed. The rough calluses that decorated his palm were strange to feel but Katsuki was not repulsed by them. Katsuki wanted to trace the scars that ran across his hands and lower arms, the compulsion so powerful that he nearly acted on it. He hadn’t even asked the alpha if he could touch him—something that a Tulian would never do under any normal circumstance—but now that he had his hand in his, he was hesitant to let go.

“Katsuki,” Eijirou started only to stop. There was no way he could tell Katsuki about what he’d just finished doing, especially since that was surefire way to prevent Katsuki from ever wanting hold his hand again. He felt a bit perverse for allowing this despite that but when Katsuki spoke next, all thoughts flew from Eijirou’s mind completely.

“Eijirou,” Katsuki began in the softest voice he had heard so far, even softer than when he been pretending to be submissive and meek. “You are by far the kindest person I have ever met, alpha or otherwise. I never imagined that I would enjoy myself here, but I have found the past three days to be the some of the most enjoyable in years.” Eijirou couldn’t even begin to describe how happy he was to hear that. “When our parents arranged this marriage, I was sure that my life was over. And in a way, it was. Yet, meeting you has given me a chance to start a new life, and for that I must thank you.”

Eijirou knew he looked ridiculous, red-faced and gaping. He tried to adopt a less stupid expression, but he doubted he succeeded. “Y-You don’t have to thank me for that, Katsuki,” he said.

Katsuki smirked. “Well, do not get used to it. I rarely thank people.”

Eijirou returned the smirk, not disbelieving of that for a second. “Does that make me special?” he asked, only slightly jokingly as he carefully linked his fingers between Katsuki’s.

For a long moment, the blond didn’t respond. All of his attention was on the feeling of Eijirou’s hand in his. “Your hands are so rough,” he commented almost absentmindedly.

Eijirou chuckled, “I do not have nearly as good a skin-care routine as you, Katsuki.” Eijirou stroked his thumb over the omega’s skin, marveling at the softness. It was difficult to imagine there ever being a time when his own hands were so smooth; sometimes it felt like he had been fighting since he was able to walk. “Your hands are beautiful. I’m sorry if my hands disgust you.”

Katsuki shook his head fervently. “They are not disgusting, Eijirou,” Katsuki denied, gazing meaningfully into Eijirou’s eyes. “You have the hands of a warrior. You should be proud of these.”

Eijirou gave an insecure smile. “I’m not so sure of that. I am still weak after all, nowhere near as formidable as my father.”

Katsuki furrowed his brow in confusion. He had never had a reason to believe Eijirou was anything less than strong, powerful, and brave. “How can you say that? You told me that you won four out of the five tournaments you participated in. Surely that is no small feat. Unless…you were lying?” Katsuki was relieved when Eijirou shook his head, although he never really believed that Eijirou was a liar.

“There is something I wish to tell you, but I don’t want you to think less of me for it,” Eijirou said apprehensively.

“I will not,” Katsuki promised. I do not think anything could ever make me think less of you.

The redhead swallowed nervously and took a deep breath. After a moment, he murmured, “There are times when I find myself afraid during battle.”

“Well, is that not normal? You are risking your life after all,” Katsuki said, not yet seeing the problem.

Eijirou looked away, his grip on Katsuki’s hand tightening almost painfully. The omega had to hold back a hiss of surprise but could not fight his wince. “The first battle I ever led was three years ago. I was fifteen. My mother was supposed to lead the battle, but she thought I was ready.” Katsuki had no idea the late queen had passed so recently; he was sure it had happened in Eijirou’s younger days.

“And you were afraid?” Katsuki guessed.

“I was terrified. Even though I had been training since I was little, and I had even accompanied my parents during battle before, I was terrified. I foolishly allowed myself to become cornered, and I froze.” Katsuki’s eyes widened. “My feet refused to move, and I could only watch as my mother single-handedly disposed of ten men.” Katsuki nearly whistled; he would have loved to have met the woman. She sounded like a badass. “Unfortunately, it was that tenth man who managed to land a hit on her before falling himself. He sliced her neck open,” he said, trailing a finger on his free hand from Katsuki’s jaw to the left side of his collarbone.

Katsuki shuddered, both at imagery and feeling of Eijirou’s finger on him. The alpha had tears in his eyes as he let his hand fell limply at his side. “She bled out in my arms as I cried,” Eijirou whispered brokenly. Though it had been years ago, the pain was still fresh in Eijirou’s heart. He had never forgiven himself for that. “The entire kingdom was devasted, especially my father. She died as a truly formidable warrior, but the mother of a pathetic coward. Yet, I have been parading myself around you and my people as if I was strong. I wanted to make everyone feel safe after what happened—to impress you—but I have only been lying to you all this time.”

Katsuki was speechless; there was nothing he could say. He cautiously reached a hand up to wipe away the alpha’s tears, but Eijirou caught his hand before he could, bringing it to his own cheek as he cried openly. Both of Katsuki’s hands were being held hostage by the alpha, but Katsuki found himself perfectly content with that. “Do not cry,” he commanded softly.

“Why? Because I am an alpha?” Eijirou asked bitterly.

“No, because tears are out of place on you. You should be smiling,” Katsuki said. Eijirou gaped at him, opening his mouth to speak again but Katsuki shushed him. Had Eijirou not been so depressed, he would have found his forwardness quite amusing. “You are no coward, Eijirou, and you are definitely no liar. You made one fatal mistake, but have you since made it again?”

Eijirou hesitantly shook his head. “I always force myself to move, sometimes moving unthinkingly, but I still find myself afraid on occasion,” he said.

“And that is exactly what makes you brave, makes you strong,” Katsuki declared. “I allowed my fear to mold me into everything I hated, while you allowed your fear to guide you to victory again and again. That is what makes you anything but a coward.”

Eijirou chuckled wetly and sniffled loudly. “You really think so?”

Katsuki nodded. “You should be proud of yourself. I know your mother would be.”

“But I’m the reason she’s dead,” the redhead cried.

“No, she is the reason you are alive,” Katsuki corrected. “She did what any good mother should; she protected her child from harm. What happened to your mother was tragic, there is no doubt. But I know countless people who would have let that tragedy prevent them from ever picking up a sword again. Yet, you learned from it and became a true warrior. How could anyone not be proud?”

By this point, Eijirou was openly sobbing, snot and tears streaming down his face. Katsuki wrinkled his nose in disgust but did not pull away, knowing that the alpha desired what little comfort Katsuki could give. Eventually, Eijirou dropped both of Katsuki’s hands in favor of wiping at his face. Katsuki waited—far more patiently than he thought possible—for the alpha to collect himself enough to speak.

“I really wanna hug you right now,” Eijirou admitted. Katsuki tensed, about to explain that he was not quite ready for that but Eijirou continued before he could. “I won’t. I doubt you’d want to hug me, especially right now.”

“Sorry,” Katsuki whispered, ashamed of his proclivity.

Eijirou gave him a kind smile. “Don’t be sorry. I’m amazed you even held my hand.”

Katsuki flushed hotly, turning his face away and shakily holding out his hand again. “D-Do you want to hold my hand again?” he asked nervously.

Eijirou was certain that there was no one cuter than Katsuki. Regretfully, he said, “I do, but my hands are kind of gross.” Again.

Katsuki dropped his hand and pouted, actually disappointed that he couldn’t hold the alpha’s hand again. “Whatever,” he mumbled petulantly.

Eijirou held back a chuckle. “How about this? We both go wash up, and then walk around the garden?” Katsuki was tempted to say no; as much as he wanted to spend more time with the alpha he also didn’t want to run the risk of encountering more people. “We can hold hands,” Eijirou added knowingly.

“Fine,” Katsuki said, attempting nonchalance. “Be quick about it.”

Eijirou smirked. “Of course, Katsuki.”

Half an hour later, Eijirou entered the gardens freshly washed and dressed in his finest casual wear. The alpha was adorned in a hooded, crimson vest with three straps across his bare chest. His pants were less baggy than his usual armored pants, but still baggy nonetheless. He was wearing leather gladiator sandals rather than his combat boots, and he had only his sword strapped around his waist instead of his many other weapons. He spotted Katsuki sitting on nearby bench, gazing intently down at the pair of gloves in his hand. Eijirou thought they looked similar to the ones he wore on their picnic.

The alpha watched him for a moment, just appreciating his beauty, before he made his presence known. Katsuki quickly shoved the gloves into the pocket of his gown, expression looking as if he had been caught doing something bad. Eijirou smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Katsuki parroted as he stood.

Eijirou swore that his heart stopped for the full minute he spent gaping—and maybe drooling—at Katsuki’s new outfit. The omega was wearing a gown, as Eijirou had gathered already, but this was so different from his typical bland, yet elegant knee-length gowns. This one was just as long, but the skirt flared out a little more and the sleeves were cut at the shoulders, showing off all of the omega’s arms. The dress itself was a dark navy color with floral prints on the waist of the dress. The neck of the garment was a scarlet color reminiscent of Eijirou’s eyes, the turtleneck starting low and curving up and over the shoulders. Katsuki’s neck was, unfortunately, covered but Eijirou loved the way the red contrasted against his pale skin. No matter how many times he saw Katsuki in red, he would never get tired of it.

“Holy shit,” Eijirou blurted.

Katsuki flinched, taking his reaction as negative. He gripped the necklace around his neck, taking an aborted step back as he looked away with a frown. “I just grabbed the first thing in my closet,” he mumbled. Truthfully, he had spent most of the time away from Eijirou choosing an outfit he thought the alpha would like. He didn’t really care whether Eijirou liked what he wore; he just figured he would try to boost the alpha’s mood after what happened earlier. So, if Eijirou didn’t like it, then whatever. “I do not usually wear dresses like this, so if it looks strange then—”

“You’re beautiful,” Eijirou breathed, not even hearing Katsuki’s words.

Katsuki flushed hotly and kept his eyes averted. “You do not have to keep saying that.”

“I’m just saying what I’m thinking,” Eijirou said unapologetically. “You look amazing, Katsuki. I wasn’t expecting you to be dressed so…” Eijirou trailed off, sighing as he gazed at Katsuki and completely forgetting what he was going to say.

Katsuki fidgeted with the skirt of his dress awkwardly since Eijirou was just starting at him wordlessly. Finally, the blond got annoyed with silence. “Eijirou!” he snapped, placing hand on his hip. “Are we ever going to walk or are you just going to stare at me all night?”

The alpha’s eyes snapped up to meet Katsuki’s. “Well, if you’re giving me the option…” he trailed off purposefully this time.

Katsuki nearly stomped his foot, both embarrassed and frustrated. “I am tempted to go back to my chambers and change,” he threatened.

“No! I’m sorry! I’ll stop staring,” Eijirou hurriedly exclaimed. The last thing he wanted was for Katsuki to take off that dress (in this scenario). He reached his hand out and grabbed Katsuki’s, pulling him away from the bench and farther along the path. “Let’s go!”

Katsuki tried to plant his feet on the ground to get Eijirou to halt, not quite happy about being manhandled so easily (in this scenario), but Eijirou continued walking as if Katsuki’s backwards motion was inconsequential. The blond groaned in frustration and kicked him in the back of the leg. To his credit, Eijirou barely faltered in his strides, but then Katsuki hadn’t really been trying to hurt him.

“What was that for?” Eijirou asked confusedly as he finally stopped.

The blond glared. “You cannot just drag me around wherever you want,” he admonished. “I have two fully functioning legs!”

“Sorry,” Eijirou apologized again, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with his unoccupied hand. “Sometimes I get too excited for my own good.”

“I can see that,” Katsuki grumbled. “But we are supposed to be taking a walk.”

“Well, you walk kind of slow.”

Katsuki bristled angrily. “I do not walk slow! You are just a behemoth with long legs! And an empty head, apparently!”

“That’s mean,” Eijirou said, unoffended and mostly amused. “And after you were so sweet to me earlier.”

Katsuki flushed again at the reminder. “Shut up,” he snapped before walking ahead, now pulling the alpha along with him.

“Keep walking along the path,” Eijirou told him as he let himself be dragged. He pointedly kept his eyes on the back of Katsuki’s head rather than anything lower. “There’s something further up that I want to show you.”

“Do not order me around,” Katsuki grumbled but still did as told.

The next few minutes were mostly filled with Eijirou asking if Katsuki recognized any of the plants and being impressed when the blond showcased his knowledge on them, and shortly the two found themselves at a balcony. It was located at the end of the path and overlooked the entire garden. It was more like a small cliff, really, with a railing to prevent anyone from falling over into one of the garden’s ponds beneath. Katsuki had not realized just how many ponds there were scattered around.

“Eijirou, this is amazing,” Katsuki said in awe, letting go of the alpha’s hand to put both hands on the railing and lean over. Eijirou watched him, comfortable with letting all the affection he felt for the small blond fill his gaze now that Katsuki couldn’t see him.

The view was exquisite. Katsuki was able to see everything from the entrance to areas he had yet to venture. He could not help but wonder how Tsuyu managed the garden by herself. Perhaps, if she desired it, he would hire another gardener once he became queen. She seemed decent enough; she didn’t deserve to be overworked. Then again, maybe she was just skilled and efficient enough to do it all herself.

“You know, I like that you call me by my name now,” the redhead commented as he leaned against the railing, keeping his eyes on the blond. “I guess you already were, but ‘Eijirou-sama’ was way too formal for me.” He gazed down at Katsuki meaningfully. “I like the way my name sounds on your lips.”

Katsuki nudged him in the side softly, giving him a look. “Do not say it like that. Besides, you have been using my given name since the day we met, and if we are to be married, it only makes sense that I use yours as well.”

Eijirou nodded. That made sense, but he suspected there was more to it than that. “Well, I’m just glad you don’t hate me as much as you did when you first arrived.”

“Who says I do not?” Katsuki asked just to be difficult.

“I would say your actions have,” Eijirou replied, snickering when Katsuki glared at him. “It’s okay, though. I quite like you as well.” “Like” was the greatest of understatements, but he didn’t want to scare the omega away by moving too fast too soon. Not that them getting married in two weeks wasn’t moving fast, but he was courting Katsuki for a reason.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, steadfastly trying to act like the alpha’s words did not affect him greatly. “Of course you like me,” he said with faux arrogance (and maybe a hint of true arrogance). “I am amazing in every way.”

“You are,” Eijirou instantly replied, completely serious.

Katsuki’s face twisted into an embarrassed scowl. “You are so embarrassing,” he mumbled.

“I only speak the truth,” he said. “Do you like me, Katsuki?” he daringly asked.

Katsuki bit his lip. “That is such a juvenile question,” he avoided.

Eijirou would not be deterred. “Is that a yes or a no?”

Katsuki said nothing for a long moment, debating his next choice of words. Finally, he settled on, “I think you are okay.”

In all honestly, that was more than Eijirou had hoped for. He grinned as if Katsuki had just proclaimed his love for him. His gaze trailed up into the sky, the sun’s unrelenting rays beaming down on him. “I think I’m okay too,” he whispered, a deeper meaning held within his words.

Katsuki heard his quiet words, neck growing red under his turtleneck. With the alpha’s eyes not on him for once, he suddenly felt more daring. So, he inched closer and wrapped his arms around Eijirou’s right arm, resting his head against the man’s shoulder. Eijirou looked down at him in shock but graciously made no comment about Katsuki’s affectionate action.

It is not a hug, Katsuki rationalized.

Katsuki turned his face into the redhead’s arm, his muscles firm but not unpleasant to lean against. The alpha’s natural, earthy scent mingled with the soap and oils he used to bathe, creating a surprisingly relaxing aroma. Or maybe, Katsuki just found Eijirou’s scent relaxing to begin with. He pressed closer to the alpha, Eijirou surely able to feel the curviness and softness of his chest. Away from view of anyone who could be watching, he mouthed, “I like you.” And louder, in a whisper, “Idiot.”

Who he was calling an idiot, not even Katsuki knew.

Chapter Text

Katsuki felt happy. Now, for most people, that wouldn’t seem like some kind of grand statement. However, in Katsuki’s case, it felt just a bit like a miracle. For years, Katsuki had been miserable, feeling trapped and controlled by those around him, with few moments of levity in which he could feel at ease. Yet, for the first time in what felt like forever, Katsuki woke up feeling nothing but excitement for the day to follow.

It was exhilarating.

Camie sat on Katsuki’s bed, as she always did, and watched the prince lay out his clothes with a small smile. She could see the happiness lighting up his features, making him even more beautiful than usual. Just a little over a week ago, Katsuki had still seemed conflicted by everything, from his role as queen to his developing feelings for Eijirou. Granted, some of that had been her doing, since she couldn’t keep her mouth shut to save her life. Fortunately, Katsuki appeared to have come to terms with everything and established his own place within the castle. He may not be queen yet, but he had long since garnered the respect deserved of one from the knights and even Crimson Riot himself.

Camie swung her legs back and forth, narrowly avoiding kicking the prince as he passed her. She sent him an apologetic grin, and he rolled his eyes at her. Nothing seemed to bother him anymore, she noticed. She was pretty sure that with enough time, he’d be turning every head in a room as he entered and demanding their respect without even needing to glance at them. He was almost completely different from when she had first met the blond almost a week ago. Almost.

He still blushed a lot whenever she brought up Eijirou.

“So, you’ve been taking my advice,” she said, breaking the comfortable silence that had formed between them. Katsuki spared her a glance. “I’ve seen you holding hands with Eijirou around the gardens every night.”

And there was the blush. “Not every night,” he murmured futilely.

“Most nights,” she amended. “Are you finally ready to admit that you like him?”

Katsuki harrumphed. “I do not need to admit anything to you.” That was practically a “yes” in Katsuki’s language, but Camie wanted to hear him say it himself. She had some money riding on this. “Stop asking. Seven days in a row is a bit overkill.”

“And seven days in a row of avoiding my question is too,” she said in return, grinning at his glare. “But I’ll let you be, sweetie. I know you’re shy.”

“You are insufferable,” Katsuki griped. “Can you go be useless elsewhere?”

Camie wagged her finger. “No can do, babe,” she said. Katsuki had long since stopped trying to force formalities on the woman; she was simply a lost cause. “Besides, I actually have a surprise for you.”

Katsuki raised a dubious eyebrow at the statement before holding up a shirt to his chest, silently asking for Camie’s opinion on it. It was a Tulian shirt, and as much as he had grown accustomed to the less intense heats of Adria, he still preferred to not have his entire body on display for all to see. Camie was, unsurprisingly, of the opposite opinion. So, when she shook her head, Katsuki put his hand on his hip but kept the shirt in his other hand.

“And what is wrong with this one?” he asked shortly.

“Too plain,” she answered. She then stood and walked over to his wardrobe, rifling through it for a moment before pulling out a dark orange blouse with an open back and no sleeves. “This is cute. I made this one for you, so you should wear it.”

“I have training today,” Katsuki reminded her.

She shrugged. “You can kick ass and look cute at the same time.”

“It might get ruined,” Katsuki said, although he was considering it.

Again, she shrugged. “I’ll just sew it back together. Now, stop stalling and put it on.”

Katsuki snatched the shirt from her hands, tossing her the other shirt which she happily put back in the closet. “I need pants,” he told her. She instantly grabbed a pair of black tights, holding it out to the blond. He gave her a look. “Those are far too tight.”

“Yes, but they make your ass look amazing.” Katsuki flushed hotly and crossed his arms over his chest, unmoved. Camie rolled her eyes. “And they’re good for fighting in.”

“Whatever,” Katsuki snapped, taking the tights.

He was about to undo his bathrobe and get changed right then and there but stopped short. When he turned to go into his bathroom, Camie whined. “No, Katsuki, come on! We’re both omegas here, there’s nothing to be ashamed of!” Katsuki ignored her, slamming the bathroom door shut behind him. Camie leaned her back against the wood with a pout. “Is only Eijirou-sama allowed to see you naked?”

“He has never seen me naked, idiot!” he yelled through the door, voice slightly muffled.

“Yet,” she said under her breath. Louder she said, “Hey, guess what your surprise is.”

“You have been assigned somewhere outside of the kingdom,” he guessed, tone clearly uninterested.

Camie gave a fake laugh. “No, silly. I’ve made your dress for the wedding.” There was suddenly a loud thud, and Camie heard a groan come from Katsuki through the door. “Katsuki-sama, are you okay?” she asked worriedly.

“Yes!” he shouted quickly before cursing quietly. “I just…dropped something.”

Was that ‘something’ you? “Alright then. Would you like to see the dress? I’m mostly done with it. It just needs a few finishing touches.”

There was silence for a few moments before the door cracked open slowly and Katsuki poked his head out, face tellingly pink in color. “Okay,” he said shyly.

Camie nearly squealed when he fully stepped out, showing off his outfit. She still thought he looked best in red or white, but orange and black really suited him too. It even matched with his necklace. “You look so cute, Katsuki! When Eijirou-sama sees you, he’s gonna wish tonight was your wedding night.”

Katsuki’s blush darkened and he started playing with one of his sleeves nervously. “Whatever. I thought you were going to show me the dress.”

“Oh, yeah, almost forgot!” she exclaimed. “Go put on your black ballet shoes and grab your dagger so we can go. It’s in my room.”

Katsuki watched with a mixture of disgust and intrigue as Camie pulled the key to her chambers from between her breasts, unlocked her door, and dropped it back in her poor excuse for a shirt. Honestly, Katsuki was glad she had never dared to make clothes similar to her own for him. He might have spontaneously combusted…or tried to kill her.

“Tada!” Camie exclaimed as they entered, spreading her arms as if showcasing some grand masterpiece.

Katsuki had to admit that it was more furnished than he expected for a servant’s quarters, but then again, Adrian servants were on a different level than Tulian ones. It made him wonder how Aoyama’s room compared. This would be the first time Katsuki had ever been in a bedroom that was not his own. The entire room was saturated in Camie’s scent, but it didn’t bother Katsuki since it was the scent of a familiar omega. It was also much more decorated than his own, which was somehow both surprising and entirely expected.

“Not bad for a simple seamstress, huh?” she said at his side, as if reading Katsuki’s mind.

Katsuki ignored the question and instead looked around the room for the aforementioned dress. He quickly spotted it on a mannequin near the room’s only window. His eyes widened as he took it in. “Wow.”

Camie smirked, coming up behind him and resting her elbow on his shoulder. “Like I said, not bad for a simple seamstress, huh?”

The dress was beautiful to say the least. It was an eye-catching red, perfectly matching Eijirou’s hair color, which Katsuki was almost positive was intentional on the brunette’s part. The straps of the dress were ruffled, hanging partially down the shoulders of the mannequin. The front of the dress dipped down, revealing a teasing amount of cleavage—which Katsuki definitely did not have—and had black jewels sewn into an intricate pattern in the middle. The torso of the dress was very simple, but the ankle-length skirt was what really made Katsuki turn red.

There was a long slit down one of the sides of the dress, showing off nearly his entire thigh, calf, and ankle. If he so much as stuck his leg out, everyone would be able to see it all. Katsuki noticed there was black belt around the waist with what appeared to be sheath for his dagger on the opposite side of the slit. Katsuki definitely appreciated that; he enjoyed carrying the dagger Eijirou bought him and subtly showing it off whenever he could, and Camie seemed to pick up on that. He also appreciated the fact that as stylish as the dress was, it didn’t seem like it would make movement any more difficult than normal. That meant he could still fight while wearing it and even participate in the hunt after the ceremony.

Katsuki turned to the women in unbidden awe. “This is wonderful,” he praised her, clearly taking her by surprise as she gaped in response.

She quickly gathered herself, plastering on a confident grin. “Glad you like it, sweetie. I was going for a combo of cute, sexy, and badass. Just like you.”

Katsuki allowed himself to smile. “Why do this for me? Did Eijirou ask you to make the dress?”

“Nope,” Camie said, giving him a soft smile. “I just wanted to see you looking bomb as hell in something I made.” Katsuki refrained from mentioning that he had already worn a few outfits of her making, although he supposed she had never actually seen him in them. “I also like seeing you happy, Your Highness.”

Katsuki’s bottom lip trembled slightly, various emotions overcoming him. He had never before considered friendship between royals and servants as possible or even logical, but he was starting to come around, he thought. “Thank you,” he said genuinely.

Daringly, Camie stepped forward, placing her right hand on the prince’s cheek. “You’re welcome, sweetie,” she said as she placed a light kiss on his left cheek. She then winked and grinned. “I’ll let you save your real first kiss for Eijirou-sama.”

“And you ruined it,” Katsuki grumbled with a blush, pushing her away. He let her laugh, though, since he thought it was a pretty nice sound.

Eijirou knew he was staring, really, he did. However, he couldn’t really help himself either. Katsuki had absolutely no right to look so cute in a simple blouse and a pair of tights.

The blond was caught somewhere between amused and exasperated by Eijirou’s incessant staring. When Eijirou had knocked on his door to accompany him to the training grounds, Katsuki had opened it only to be faced with a gaping alpha. Now, almost five minutes later, he was leaning against the doorframe and watching as Eijirou slowly trailed his eyes up and down his body before repeating. Truthfully, it was pretty flattering but also pretty ridiculous.

“Eijirou,” he deadpanned.

The alpha shook his head. “Sorry, just…a few more minutes,” he said.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. “This is making feel marginally objectified,” he commented, still not entirely upset about it, though.

“Oh!” Eijirou gasped, as if just realizing that would be the case. “I’m so sorry,” he said, actually sounding apologetic. “You just look so pretty, Katsuki.”

The omega rolled his eyes, pretending to not be pleased by the same compliment he had received numerous times before. “So you have said. Can we finally go now?”

Eijirou nodded. “Of course, yeah. Just one more thing, though.” Katsuki raised an eyebrow. Eijirou grinned sheepishly. “Can you spin around for me?” he asked with a little twirl of his finger. Katsuki flushed and punched him hard in the shoulder, the alpha recoiling and hissing in pain. “Ow! That really hurt. You’ve gotten a lot stronger, Katsuki,” he said, rubbing his shoulder and yet grinning proudly.

“Idiot,” Katsuki grumbled as he brushed past him, purposefully letting their arms brush together as he did. Eijirou likely noticed if his widening grin was any indication. “Hurry up!” the blond snapped when he noticed Eijirou wasn’t following.

The redhead’s eyes snapped up from the omega’s ass—which really did look great in those tights—and he smirked to himself. “You’re killing me, Katsuki,” he said under his breath as he jogged to catch up with the blond. He grabbed Katsuki’s ungloved hand in his, grinning from ear to ear when Katsuki squeezed his hand in return, telling him without words that he wasn’t upset.

“I do not understand you,” the blond still said, exasperated. “It is just a simple shirt and pair of tights.”

Eijirou nearly laughed at the irony of that statement, wondering if Katsuki was really oblivious to how delectable he looked. “Well,” Eijirou began with a shit-eating grin on his face, and Katsuki prepared himself for the worst. “Orange you glad you look so good in that shirt?” he joked, waggling his eyebrows and overall making himself look like an idiot.

To their mutual shock, Katsuki snorted loudly at the terrible pun, slapping his free hand over his mouth as it escalated into more unattractive snorts and wheezing laughter. Eijirou watched, face slack, as Katsuki doubled over, barely managing to keep his grip on the alpha’s hand.

Eijirou gave a little chuckle himself at the display, though he was mostly bemused. “Was it the pun?” he asked curiously, but Katsuki couldn’t answer through his laughter. He decided to go with it anyway, saying, “If you really liked that, then I’ve got plenty more puns for ya, Katsuki. I’m a real ‘punny’ guy!” he ended that by nudging the blond with his elbow, and he broke down in even more laughter. Eijirou made a surprised noise in the back of his throat. “Wow, that actually made you laugh,” he said in amazement.

It took another minute before Katsuki was able to get his laughter under control, Eijirou just watching him with a smile the entire time. Even when he ceased laughing, the omega remained in his hunched over position, his faced hidden from Eijirou’s view. The alpha was starting to grow concerned until he saw how red Katsuki’s ears were. He smirked, feeling understandably smug for managing to make the blond laugh after all this time. He had honestly begun to suspect that Katsuki found nothing funny. He was glad to be proven oh-so wrong.

“You have a cute laugh, Katsuki. Just like I knew you would,” he said sincerely, referencing what he had said before their picnic, seemingly so long ago.

“Shut up,” Katsuki hissed, now crouching on the ground and using both hands to cover his face. His voice was slightly muffled, and though Eijirou mourned the loss of contact, an embarrassed Katsuki was always a wonderful sight so he couldn’t complain much. “Do not mock me.”

“I’m not,” Eijirou promised. Sure, Katsuki snorted more than he really laughed, and his laughs were more like ugly wheezes, but the sight of him so gleeful with pure amusement was absolutely beautiful. “I feel so accomplished for making you laugh,” he added, just a tad smug.

Katsuki finally turned to him, pulling his hands away to glare warningly at him. “If you tell anyone about this, I will kill you,” he threatened.

Eijirou held his hands up with a laugh. “I wouldn’t dream of it, darling.”

He did get Katsuki’s shoe thrown at his head for calling him “darling,” but it was totally worth it.

“Finally!” Denki yelled when he saw the two princes walk onto the training grounds hand-in-hand. “You’re both late!”

“Calm down, Denki,” Hanta said before grinning deviously. “They were probably making out.” Tetsutetsu and Mirio snickered from somewhere behind him.

Katsuki blushed, releasing Eijirou’s hand to walk over to the raven. Katsuki glared up at him. “Looks like we have a volunteer for today’s ass-kicking.”

Hanta raised an eyebrow, laughing. “Shit, I’d love to fight against you, Katsuki-sama, but Mina already called dibs.”

Mina looked over at the sound of her name, and Katsuki saw she had been sitting on someone’s lap as she spoke to them. When the knight got to her feet, Katsuki saw it was Camie’s lap she had been using as a seat. The seamstress waved at the wide-eyed prince with a cheeky grin before giving Mina a slap on the rear as she walked away. The pink-haired woman was giggling as she approached them.

“Man, I thought you’d never show up, Katsuki-sama,” she said with a smile, seemingly oblivious to Katsuki’s utter bafflement at what he just witnessed.

“What is she doing here?” Katsuki asked, ignoring her and pointing at Camie, who was now chatting it up with an overwhelmed looking Kendou.

Mina glanced to where he was looking before smiling softly to herself. When she turned back, her face was neutral again but Katsuki had not missed the look. “She came to watch us fight,” she said simply. “Hanta, let Katsuki-sama use your sword,” she said to the alpha.

Hanta shrugged, having no problem with that. It was only one of many swords he owned after all. The raven unsheathed his sword and handed it to the prince, hilt facing Katsuki. The blond took it, examining it in his hands as he turned it from side to side. Hanta watched, mildly amused, as Katsuki nodded to himself before giving it a few test swings and nodding again.

“Is it to your satisfaction, Your Highness?” Hanta asked sarcastically.

“Do you ever shut up?” Katsuki asked with narrowed eyes.

Hanta smirked. “Not that I know of,” he joked.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, deciding to just ignore the raven from now on. He looked around the outdoor area to find a large enough space to duel with Mina, and once he found it, he strolled over and got into position. Mina followed with a little skip in her step, excited that her turn to duel Katsuki had finally arrived. Denki had been first, of course, followed by Tetsutetsu, Kendou, Tokoyami, Tamaki, Mirio, and then a vengeful Monoma. Though each battle had been fun to watch, that last one was particularly comical, even if Monoma did not find it to be so.

The prince had achieved victory over three of these knights, Monoma, Tokoyami, and Kendou, but each victory had been fought for tooth and nail. In some battles, he used his prowess in mixed martial arts, while others he reacquainted himself with the sword, but in all he showed that he had a natural talent for battle. Even after going so many years without training or fighting, Katsuki had been able to disarm and even conquer these seasoned warriors. There was not a single soul left unimpressed, even after his losses. Katsuki included.

“I call loser!” Izuku shouted from his spot sitting crossed-legged nearby, gaining laughs from a few others. The omega had participated in his fair share of fights, and although gaining less victories than Katsuki, he was no less respected by the others.

Katsuki and Mina sent each other matching smirks as they rushed forward, swinging their longswords and connecting with a resounding clank that was drowned out by the sound of the surrounding Adrians throwing around praise, tips, and jests. As the two continued their duel, Eijirou traversed over to where Izuku was sitting and plopped down next to him, never taking his eyes off Katsuki.

“I made him laugh,” he said conversationally.

Izuku turned to him in surprise, not needing to ask who he was referring to. “Seriously? I have not heard Kacchan laugh in years. How did you manage that?”

Eijirou put a finger to his lips with a grin and a wink. “Trade secret,” he whispered conspiratorially, and Izuku giggled.

“Kick his ass, Mina!” Denki hollered a short distance away from them.

Mina laughed maniacally, swinging underhand and barely avoiding cutting into Katsuki’s chest. She grinned, having known the prince would be able to dodge such an attack. Katsuki had a similar grin on his face, although Mina would bet that it looked slightly more murderous than her own.

Eijirou loved this, watching Katsuki. He also loved seeing the blond flustered. “You can do it, beautiful!” he shouted to Katsuki, cupping his hands over his mouth.

The blond’s face went from its usual pale to a bright red in a split second, clearly hearing the alpha’s encouragement. He grit his teeth in embarrassment as he dodged another attack before countering with his own. “Shut the hell up!” he yelled as his sword swept past Mina’s hip, just shy of slicing through her bare abdomen. Katsuki had thought it illogical and reckless to duel without any semblance of armor, but he learned over time that the threat of bodily harm was just as thrilling sometimes as the duel itself.

Adria was really starting to get to him.

“Kirishima-sama,” Izuku said exasperatedly beside him. “Please, do not get Kacchan killed.” He had a small, amused smile on his face even as he said it.

Eijirou chuckled. “It’ll take a lot more than that to shake him,” he said, unconcerned.

More and more spectators started joining in on cheering for either Katsuki or Mina, others spread about the training grounds stopping their own duels to join the crowd and watch as well. Denki began taking bets on who would win, and he was pleasantly surprised to find most of them in favor of Katsuki. The prince was garnering quite the reputation for himself among the Royal Guard.

“I believe in you, Katsuki!” Eijirou shouted, marveling at the way Katsuki’s flush spread further down his body. If he hadn’t known it before, he was certain of it now; Katsuki reveled in praise. Eijirou wasn’t quite sure if that was just in general or specific to him, but he filed it away for later regardless. Getting an admittedly wicked idea, he cupped his hands over his mouth again. “Take him down, Mina!”

“What the hell?” Katsuki yelled angrily with no shortage of confusion underlying his tone. Was he not just cheering for me?

Mina cackled obnoxiously, seeing the contrite expression on Katsuki’s face. “Which one is it, Eijirou? Your fiancé or your ex-lover?” she shouted to the redhead, purposefully stressing her words to rile up the omega. It seemed to do the trick because one second Mina was swinging her sword down, and the next her weapon was clattering to the ground and Katsuki had his own blade to her throat.

Katsuki’s face was deathly calm as he growled, “Yield.”

The grounds erupted with noise, cheers and sounds of frustration echoing through the air as people begrudgingly handed over money and collected earnings. Mina was grinning knowingly at the prince, nonplussed by the blade pressed against her neck. “I yield,” she said, not the least bit upset by her loss. She had kind of asked for it with that last stunt she pulled, anyhow. “Did I hit a nerve, Your Highness?” she asked sarcastically.

Katsuki only glared harder, ignoring the question. He threw his borrowed sword carelessly to the ground—Hanta silently thankful that it was not his favorite—and stalked towards Eijirou, eyes thunderous. He ignored the various meaningful looks he was receiving from Denki, Hanta, and Izuku, and also ignored the knights approaching him to ask for their own duels against the blond.

Eijirou watched him approach with a smirk, leaning casually back on his hands with his head tilted to the side. When Katsuki stopped in front of him, he reached both hands out to grab the blond’s own bare hands, but Katsuki crossed his arms over his chest defiantly before he could. Eijirou pretended to pout. “Are you mad at me, Katsuki?” he asked teasingly.

In response, the omega stomped his foot down between the alpha’s spread legs, wiping the smirk right off of his face as he gulped nervously. His foot was just shy of crushing the prince’s genitals beneath them. Eijirou fleetingly thought that he’d probably let Katsuki step on him in another setting, and preferably when he was less angry.

Daringly, the alpha wrapped his large hand around Katsuki’s thin ankle, allowing himself a smile when Katsuki didn’t kick him for it or anything. He slowly trailed his hand up to Katsuki’s knee and squeezed as he gazed up at the blond with awe in his eyes. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Izuku attempting to discreetly scoot away, face a dark shade of red.

“Do you enjoy being an insufferable asshole?” Katsuki was still glaring down at him, and Eijirou was only a little bit ashamed of how aroused he was by this entire scenario.

Eijirou was tempted to make another teasing comment, but he had was also painfully aware of the fact that Katsuki’s foot was only millimeters from his crotch. “I was rooting for you the whole time, really.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes but still appeared somewhat mollified by his response, and he removed his foot from between Eijirou’s legs. The alpha let out a sigh of relief. He glanced around them to see that practically everyone had long since moved on to something else, most likely around the time Eijirou had started feeling up the blond. Even Izuku was now using Hanta’s sword to fight against Mina. Eijirou let his eyes fall back on Katsuki who was watching Izuku with a secretive little smile. The morning sun’s rays were shining down on him and casting a striking, orange halo around him.

“You’re an angel,” Eijirou breathed softly.

Katsuki turned to him in question, about to make him to repeat what he said, but snapped his mouth shut at the adoring look on Eijirou’s face. “W-Why the hell are you looking at me like that?”

Eijirou got to his feet, refusing to take his eyes off of the blond for even a moment as he did. “Katsuki,” he said. “There’s something I want to show you.”

Katsuki raised an eyebrow, not missing Eijirou’s avoidance of his question. “What is it?”

Eijirou shook his head. “It’s a surprise,” he said, feeling both excited and nervous over what he had to show the omega. He had been planning to wait a little longer to do this, but he couldn’t bear to anymore.

Katsuki visibly perked up, curious but trying to hide it behind an indifferent gaze. “This better be good,” he said.

Eijirou sincerely hoped it was. Katsuki let him grab his hand this time as they walked off the training grounds together, no one even taking notice of their departure.

Katsuki followed Eijirou down a series of corridors with a look of confusion plastered on his face. “Eijirou, what is it that you wish to show me?” he asked, growing more and more anxious the farther they travelled.

The alpha glanced back at him with a smirk but said nothing. Katsuki narrowed his eyes, mentally trying to figure out what the other prince wanted to show him. It wasn’t long until they reached the ballroom, and Eijirou held the grand door open for the blond.

Katsuki rolled his eyes as he walked in, giving Eijirou meaningful look as he entered. “You do not need to hold open doors for me, you know. I can…” he trailed off slowly as his eyes finally took in the room.

Katsuki had already known the ballroom was vast, having briefly seen it during his tour. However, the room he had seen then was bland and obviously only used for formal gatherings between allied kingdoms. There had been no real care involved, not like the training grounds, garden, or council room. Today, however, it looked completely different.

The previously tall and barren ceiling was now covered in a grand mural depicting a grand and bloody battle. Normally, Katsuki would find such paintings in a ballroom out of place or distasteful, but after having spent so much time among the Adrian people, he has come to see the beauty of battle. What he saw was not death, destruction, and devastation. No, he saw warriors living life to the fullest, who reveled in the fight and honored those who have fallen before them. He saw his own people.

The ceiling was lined with large candelabra chandeliers that hung low to the floor. They casted a beautiful, mood lighting over the room. Katsuki could imagine dancing beneath one, twirling across the marble floors in Eijirou’s arms. Katsuki would never admit this, but he quite liked dancing. He didn’t do it often, and he only ever really danced with his instructor, but it was strangely relaxing. And ever since Eijirou had revealed that he knew how to dance, Katsuki had wanted to see it for himself.

The tall windows were now made of stained glass showcasing former kings and queens standing beside each other. Katsuki spotted Crimson Riot on the center window on the right side of the room. With him was who he assumed to be Eijirou’s mother. She was absolutely stunning, as the king had said, and Katsuki marveled at the striking resemblance between her and her son. She had a warm smile on her face, but her eyes held a fire within. The couple was pictured holding a single sword, each with one hand on the hilt as if they were holding hands. The other past rulers were shown in various other poses, but Katsuki’s eyes kept getting drawn to the window of Eijirou parents. He did wonder about the window on the left, directly across from Crimson Riot’s. It was completely blank, just normal glass.

The blond never would have expected such grand designs in the castle’s ballroom. After hearing how Eijirou described the wedding ceremony, he imagined the least amount of focus would be on the ballroom itself. He honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if they got married somewhere else entirely. But this was beautiful. Katsuki couldn’t help but think it was almost like…

“I modelled this after Tulian ballrooms,” Eijirou said, breaking Katsuki out of his thoughts. His voice sounded almost anxious, though Katsuki could not fathom why. “I did a lot of reading and I even asked Midoriya-san, but I’m not sure how close it came out to the original. Of course, I added an Adrian touch to it all,” he said, referring to the murals and stained-glass windows. “I figured…a mix of Tulian and Adrian culture describes us pretty well.”

Katsuki turned to him, eyes wide with disbelief as he softly asked, “This is all your doing?”

Eijirou rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Well, I commissioned everything, but obviously I wasn’t able to do any of this myself.”

Katsuki took in the room again, at a loss for words. He had never imagined someone would go to such lengths just to make him happy or feel more at home. Whenever Katsuki was forced to attend a ball—usually because his mother hoped he would attract the eye of a noble or royal alpha—he felt like he was suffocating. Even with how spacious their palace ballroom was, he felt trapped within the walls, as if he were a prize being showcased. But seeing battles of all things painted on the ceiling and knowing that all of this was crafted exclusively for him made Katsuki feel truly special.

“When did you start this?” he asked, marveling at the relief sculptures above the windows, depicting scantily clad Adrians in the midst of ceremonial hunts and feasts.

Eijirou had the gall to blush. “Your second day here,” he answered.

Katsuki nearly gaped. “How could this have possibly been finished in so little time?”

Eijirou smiled proudly at that. “Adrians are anything but slackers, I’ll have you know. Once I commissioned for this, everyone involved worked tirelessly to complete it before the wedding week. Of course, I paid them all generously.” Katsuki didn’t doubt it. “There’s actually one other thing I want to show you. I think you’ll really like it.”

Katsuki raised an eyebrow, wondering how the alpha could possibly top this reveal. Eijirou outstretched his hand and with little hesitation, Katsuki gripped it. The redhead gave him a tender smile before tugging him towards the front of the room. They pulled to a stop at the altar, Eijirou carefully guiding them up the red carpeted steps and moving Katsuki until he was facing him. Katsuki’s heart sped up.

“Eijirou?” he said questioningly.

“Close your eyes,” Eijirou commanded softly. Katsuki did not hesitate this time, trusting the alpha wholly. Katsuki felt Eijirou release his hand and he could hear him shuffling around in front of him. A few moments later, Eijirou spoke again. “Open your eyes, beautiful.”

Katsuki felt himself flush at being called beautiful but did as he was told. He gasped aloud at the sight of Eijirou on one knee, holding what appeared to be a sheathed sword out to Katsuki. The blond watched as Eijirou carefully unsheathed the sword, showing that it was a Tulian-styled longsword with the engraving “KK” on the hilt.

Katsuki gulped. “Kirishima Katsuki,” he guessed, not entirely unhappy with the sound of it. “Already claiming me as yours, huh, alpha?” he tried to joke but Eijirou’s serious expression never wavered.

The alpha shook his head slightly. “As wonderful as it sounds to hear you take my name, that’s not quite what I was going for.” Katsuki furrowed his brow, wondering what else it could mean. Eijirou smiled beatifically at him. “I know that your title as my mate will officially be that of ‘queen,’ but I remember you telling me how much you dreamt of becoming king one day.” Katsuki’s breath caught in his throat. Eijirou raised the blade higher, letting Katsuki shakily take it from his grasp. “I present your very own blade to you, King Katsuki,” he said passionately.

Katsuki stared at the engraving in silence, a whirlwind of emotions coursing through him and shaking him to the core. He couldn’t look at the alpha, knowing the moment they locked eyes he would break down. The last thing he wanted to do was cry in front of Eijirou. Katsuki felt strangely vulnerable but also desperate for contact. He thought back to how warm Eijirou’s hand was engulfing his own, and how perfect it felt to feel the redhead’s rough, calloused skin against his own or even over his clothes. He wanted more.

Katsuki carefully sheathed the sword once again before placing it delicately on top of the altar, making sure to avoid the numerous candles. Eijirou watched, mildly alarmed by the action, especially after Katsuki had fallen silent for a solid minute. “Katsuki? Do you not like it?” he asked worriedly. “I’m sorry if it seems mocking or anything, since I know you’re technically not going to be king but—”

“Shut up,” Katsuki interrupted softly, but it served its purpose of silencing the panicking alpha.

Katsuki boldly stepped closer until there was barely any space between them and wrapped his arms around Eijirou’s neck, even going as far as burying his face in the alpha’s neck. He had to stand on the tips of his toes to make up for the significant height different, but the scent that overwhelmed his senses as a result was more than worth the slight humiliation. Eijirou noticeably tensed for a second before quickly returning the embrace. Katsuki was crushed against his chest; strong, muscular arms wrapping around his waist as Eijirou nosed against the side of his face.

“I suppose it’s safe to say you liked my gift,” he whispered directly into Katsuki’s ear, his breath tickling the blond. Unable to resist, Eijirou slipped his hand down the opening in the back of Katsuki’s shirt. He trailed his hand over the expanse of smooth, pale skin, making sure to keep his fingers from venturing any further down—no matter how much he wished to.

Katsuki shuddered violently at the feeling, but it was not out of disgust. “Obviously, idiot,” he whispered in response, lips moving against the alpha’s scent glands, unwittingly sending sparks of pleasure straight to the alpha’s groin. He knew nothing of the effect such an action would have on an alpha—or omega, for that matter—having never been touched there himself.

Eijirou bit back a gasp, gripping Katsuki by his slim waist and separating their bodies from each other. Both silently bemoaned the loss of contact, but Eijirou knew that if they stayed like that, his romantic plans of wooing the omega would turn a lot more sensual than he envisioned.

“Katsuki, I need to tell you something,” he said seriously. Katsuki hummed to let him know he was listening, but it was mostly absentminded as he was far too distracted by the feel of Eijirou’s large hands on his waist. Eijirou seemed to realize this and removed his hands, albeit regretfully. “Katsuki,” he tried again, this time gaining the omega’s full attention. He stroked the omega’s cheek lovingly as he gazed into his eyes. “I wish to make you my omega,” he whispered breathlessly.

Katsuki found his mouth suddenly very dry. “Is this the part where you tell me that you have been courting me?” he asked, attempting to be cheeky but his voice came out too shaky to be effective.

Eijirou gaped at him. “Wait,” Eijirou said, his tone dripping with disbelief. “You knew this entire time that I was courting you?” The alpha had thought Katsuki was oblivious to his courting attempts or that maybe they were different from how Tulians courted each other. He had never shown signs that he was aware of Eijirou’s more innocent intentions, but if he had known this entire time then maybe Eijirou actually had a chance. With this in mind, Eijirou began smiling.

“I had suspected that you were attempting to court me when we went on that picnic,” Katsuki said.

“Oh, our first date?” Eijirou asked, feeling understandably giddy.

“It was not a date,” Katsuki corrected for what had to be the hundredth time. “Anyway, I found a book in the library the next day detailing Adrian courting practices, which are surprisingly similar to Tulian ones, and I was then certain. When you purchased my dagger, I decided to allow you to continue.”

Eijirou raised an eyebrow at that. “So, what you’re saying is that you liked me, and you wanted me to court you…because you totally liked me.”

Katsuki flushed hotly. “Do not flatter yourself,” he snapped, and Eijirou noticed that he had not denied his claim.

The redhead smirked, feeling a sense of smug satisfaction. There was no point beating around the bush anymore. “Do you accept me as a potential mate, Katsuki?”

“There is nothing ‘potential’ about you, Eijirou-sama,” Katsuki mumbled with a slight roll of his eyes. He then averted his gaze, feeling shy all of a sudden. “And yes, I accept,” he whispered.

Eijirou couldn’t help himself; he jumped a literal foot into the air, whooping loudly for anyone who happened to pass by the ballroom to hear. Katsuki’s face only grew redder and redder as he continued jumping and cheering. Eventually, the alpha calmed himself, clearing his throat and adopting a much more serious expression. “Then, Katsuki, you know what happens after you accept, right?”

Katsuki nodded and swallowed subtly. The biggest difference between Adrian and Tulian courting practices was the last step—the “final challenge,” as they called it. The person being courted—who could be of any primary or secondary gender—had the option, of course, to accept or deny the suitor’s advances. If denied, all romantic advances would cease from that point on. If accepted, the potential couple would have a duel. The purpose of the duel was to serve as a final chance for the suitor to prove their worth as a mate before the relationship became official. Afterwards, they would either be accepted once again or denied outright based on their performance.

Now, while Katsuki had no qualms about fighting, he knew that traditionally these duels were taken very seriously and not half-assed. In the eyes of an Adrian, the results of a duel determined whether their suitor would be a suitable mate, regardless of the steps or romantic attraction that came before. The omega did not believe that Eijirou would ever purposefully harm him in any way, but Eijirou was a warrior through and through, and while Katsuki was a natural and a quick learner, he was still a relative novice. Secretly, he worried that he would be too easy of a fight and Eijirou would realize he had never been worth the effort to begin with. Still, he refused to have the other prince go easy on him for that reason alone.

“Yes. We fight,” Katsuki answered at last, voice filled with steely determination. “And you best not go easy on me,” he added with a warning glare.

Eijirou laughed jovially, a suggestive glint in his eyes as he stepped forward until there was but a hair’s breadth between the two. So close, their scents mingled together, creating an intoxicating aroma that had the two of them subconsciously inhaling deeply. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” he promised at last.

The two made their way to the training grounds, finding a more private area rather than the main areas out in the open and filled with others. Eijirou instantly got into a fighting stance, knowing that Katsuki would prefer using traditional martial arts over weapons. Katsuki took his own stance, one he had perfected years ago when fighting was but a pastime. Eijirou gave the blond an exhilarated grin, a part of him not believing this to be real. It was too good to be true.

“Come at me, alpha,” Katsuki said with his own cocky grin, slowly curling a finger as he did so.

And Eijirou did, charging at the blond and swinging at him with a vicious right hook. Katsuki just barely managed to dodge it, landing a blow to the alpha’s right side with his left hand before he jumped back a few paces. Eijirou groaned from the punch but he had a manic smile on his face, his eyes wild and dangerous. Katsuki only had a moment to fawn over how handsome the alpha looked like this before Eijirou was rushing at him again.

He threw punch after punch at the blond, and Katsuki struggled to dodge the unrelenting attack. The moment he saw even the smallest of openings, he swiped Eijirou’s legs out from under him. Unfortunately, the alpha was able to maintain his balance, only stumbling slightly, but it was all the opportunity Katsuki needed. The blond’s fist connected with the side of Eijirou’s cheek, Katsuki making sure to use all of his strength because he knew holding back would only harm him in the long run.

“Shit,” Eijirou chuckled harshly, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Katsuki scrunched up his nose at the sight, the scent of copper mixing with Eijirou’s earthy scent. It was both annoyingly obtrusive and strangely alluring. “You sure pack a punch, baby.”

Katsuki smirked. He opened his mouth to comment only to grunt in pain when he received a punch to the gut. He doubled over, holding his stomach as he stumbled backwards. “You fucking asshole,” he hissed, glowering at the alpha.

Eijirou snickered, completely unapologetic. “You said not to hold back, Katsuki, and you should know to never let your guard down in a fight.”

The omega growled and adopted an offensive position, Eijirou mirroring him with his own. The redhead waited for Katsuki to attack this time, blocking a punch the omega threw at him and the kick he tried to follow it up with. Katsuki made a noise of frustration and threw two more punches, Eijirou catching both of his hands in his and squeezing with a teasing smirk.

Katsuki glared. “Fucker,” he spat before throwing his head back and smashing it into the alpha’s nose.

Eijirou released his hold on the blond’s fists to clutch at his nose. He pulled his hand away to see specks of blood in his palm, a wild grin spreading across his lips without his knowledge. Eijirou looked up to see Katsuki rubbing his forehead, apparently suffering from the headbutt nearly as much as the redhead. When he noticed Eijirou watching him with that frenzied look in his eyes, the omega sprinted towards him with the intent to end this.

“That’s it, baby,” Eijirou said under his breath.

Eijirou briefly admired how fast Katsuki was, his lithe body zipping towards the alpha almost too fast for him to see. Almost. Eijirou once again dodged Katsuki’s punch and countered with a brutal kick to the omega’s stomach, hitting him right where he had before. Katsuki coughed up spittle as his feet nearly left the ground from the force of the hit. Eijirou then grabbed Katsuki around his slim waist and hurled him over his shoulder effortlessly.

Katsuki’s back hit the ground with a resounding thud, a grunt of pain leaving his throat upon impact. He slowly opened his eyes after they had squeezed shut in pain, feeling Eijirou get on top of him. He met Eijirou’s fierce, red gaze and felt the air leave his lungs. The other was staring down at him with such an intense and triumphant expression that Katsuki felt the urge to do something he had never even contemplated before that moment. He wanted to kiss Eijirou.

Both princes were panting lightly from exertion, the fight having lasted longer than either expected. The alpha had Katsuki pinned to the ground with his wrists held above his head in one of the redhead’s hands with the other beside his face. His legs were trapped between powerful thighs, Eijirou’s face hovering mere inches above the omega’s own. Katsuki felt trapped and defenseless, and he hated how much he loved it.

Eijirou gave Katsuki a brilliant smile. “I won, Katsuki. So, what’s the verdict?”

Katsuki said nothing for a few long moments, far too distracted by the feel of Eijirou’s large hands wrapped around his wrists, his bulging thighs rubbing against his own thinly-clothed thighs, and his handsome face so tantalizingly close to his. The blond’s gaze dropped down to the alpha’s lips without his brain’s consent, lingering there for far too long before daring to move even further down. His scarlet orbs scaled the man’s broad, sculpted chest and his thick, muscular arms. Katsuki had a feeling that he could be lifted with ease, as if he weighed no more than a feather. He had never craved to experience something more.

Meeting Eijirou’s stare once more, Katsuki found himself captivated by his big, open eyes and his wide, shark-toothed smile. Katsuki knew his answer. He had likely known for a long time now.

“Alpha,” he said breathily and full of want. Eijirou could hear the desire in his voice, could smell it on his skin probably, his pupils dilating and his grip tightening on Katsuki slender but no longer frail wrists.

“What do you need, omega?” he asked huskily. He would do anything the omega asked of him in that moment, and surely for the rest of his life.

Katsuki gave the tiniest of smiles and he had never looked so open, so vulnerable, so perfect spread out beneath him, gazing up at him with all of the trust Eijirou had been striving to earn.

“Kiss me,” Katsuki breathed, not quite asking but not demanding either. He knew it was coming, they both did.

It was as if they both needed this, and he was offering himself up for the alpha—his alpha—to take. And Eijirou did not need to hear it twice. He leaned down and kissed him, placing a sweet, unlawfully brief but no less meaningful kiss to his pink lips. He wanted to devour the small blond, but he feared he would overwhelm Katsuki if he did too much too soon. He forced himself to pull back, just as Katsuki’s eyes slid shut, and Eijirou could not resist leaning back in for more at the sight of his flushed face and slightly parted lips.

The omega sighed happily into the next kiss, arching up into the alpha’s solid body, their chests rubbing against each other. The redhead had to bite back a growl at the feeling of Katsuki’s hardened nipples rubbing against him through his blouse. Eijirou released his wrists and instead held his face between his hands, deepening the kiss and drawing a moan from the omega underneath him. If Eijirou thought Katsuki smelled sweet, then he tasted even better.

The blond had never kissed anyone before, and it showed in the uncertain way he kissed back. Still, it was still the best first kiss Eijirou had ever had with someone. He would kiss Katsuki forever if given the chance.

Katsuki moaned again when Eijirou sucked his bottom lip into his mouth before biting down lightly, the omega’s hips jerking unconsciously at the unexpected burst of pleasured pain. “Alpha,” he whined loudly.

A possessive, guttural growl tore itself from Eijirou’s throat at the sound, his own hips grinding down with every intention of feeling every inch of the omega—his omega. Katsuki’s resulting gasp was swallowed by the redhead’s lips. Katsuki didn’t know what to do with his own hands, wanting to map out the alpha’s skin with his fingertips but unsure of where to start. Eventually, he settled on placing his hands atop Eijirou’s on his face. One of Eijirou’s hands left him, the redhead lacing their fingers together beside their heads. Eijirou felt Katsuki’s hand tighten around his momentarily before the omega completely relaxed against him.

Eijirou broke the kiss once again, Katsuki chasing after his lips and causing the alpha to chuckle. He took in Katsuki’s kiss-bitten lips, his mouth wet with their spit and a bit of blood from Eijirou biting at his lips and Katsuki getting too adventurous with Eijirou’s teeth. Katsuki licked his lips, his hooded gaze tempting Eijirou to do things he knew Katsuki was not ready for.

“Why did you stop?” Katsuki asked, breathless and pouting.

“Yeah, why’d you stop?” Eijirou and Katsuki’s heads snapped over to see Denki, Hanta, Mina, and Izuku standing near them.

Denki stood with his arms crossed over his chest with his alpha’s chin atop his golden head, matching grins adorning their faces. Mina stood to his right, clapping and doing a weird little dance, while Izuku stood on his left with his hands slapped over his eyes and his face a tell-tale red.

Katsuki gasped loudly, unthinkingly shoving Eijirou away from him with a hand on his face. The bottom of his palm hit the alpha in the chin, making his teeth clink painfully together and sending the redhead reeling back in pain. “Ow! Fuck!” his hissed. He rubbed his chin and jaw as he looked down at the omega imploringly. “What was that for?”

“Get off of me,” Katsuki growled lowly, hiding his embarrassment behind anger as he was prone to do.

Eijirou sighed regretfully but did as told. The moment was ruined either way. Both princes got to their feet and brushed off their clothes, Katsuki discreetly trying to amend his disheveled appearance and carefully keeping his eyes downturned. “Was there something you four needed?” Eijirou asked gruffly, not bothering to hide his annoyance at being interrupted.

Izuku still had his hands over his eyes, desperately wishing he could un-see everything he just witnessed. Mina giggled childishly behind her hand while Hanta waggled his eyebrow suggestively at the redhead. Denki just pointed to Izuku. “It was actually Izuku who wanted to come over here. He was worried because you two had disappeared suddenly and then he spotted you over here sparring. He saw you pin Katsuki-sama to the ground and grew concerned when he didn’t get up after a while,” he recapped. “The rest of us just followed because we actually knew what was going on—I mean, we could sense the sexual tension from all the way over there—and we wanted to see your reaction to getting cockblocked.”

Izuku and Katsuki both slapped their hands over their ears the moment Denki said the word “cock,” faces flaming. Hanta and Mina started hollering with laughter, their reactions absolutely hysterical to the two knights.

Eijirou sighed to himself, shaking his head. “You guys are terrible.”

Hanta stopped laughing long enough to say, “Hey, I'm the one who recommended Shouji to you. You should be thanking me.”

Katsuki took his hands from his ears and turned to Eijirou in askance. “Shouji?”

“He’s the blacksmith who made your sword,” Eijirou explained.

Katsuki nodded, glancing at Izuku who was still refusing to look at any of them. “Take me to this blacksmith sometime,” he demanded.

Eijirou raised an eyebrow but nodded his consent. “Sure, angel, anything you want,” he said sincerely. Before Katsuki could even react to the new pet name, Eijirou was turning to Hanta in a huff. “And thanks for mentioning the sword before checking whether or not I showed him.”

Hanta shrugged. “Well, I figured you had since you two were sucking face just a minute ago.” The raven seemed unbothered by the twin glares he received from the two princes. “Where is the sword anyway?”

“I left it on the altar,” Katsuki mumbled, making a mental note to retrieve it later. Did Eijirou just call me ‘angel’?

Izuku gasped and finally looked at them. “You showed Kacchan the new ballroom already, Kirishima-sama?”

Eijirou nodded and puffed out his chest, grinning smugly. “He loved it. Right, Katsuki?”

Katsuki was still partially reeling from what Eijirou called him and simply nodded dumbly. “It was nice.”

Eijirou frowned at the halfhearted response while Izuku looked at the blond inquisitively. “I think you broke him, Kirishima-sama,” he said definitively after a moment.

“Huh?” Eijirou said in absolute confusion. How had he “broken” Katsuki?

“Just wait until you see what he does to him on their wedding night,” Denki joked. Hanta guffawed loudly next to him, holding his stomach as he shook with laughter. Denki turned to his mate with a fond look. “It is so damn easy to make you laugh.”

“I do not get it,” Izuku said on the other side of him, lost.

Eijirou and Katsuki spent the rest of the day together doing various activities. After leaving the training grounds and their ridiculous friends behind, they went back to the ballroom to retrieve Katsuki’s brand-new sword. After that, Eijirou helped Katsuki practice his stances and attacks right in the middle of the ballroom, even though Katsuki didn’t really need the additional assistance. Truthfully, Eijirou just wanted an excuse to put his hands on Katsuki’s hips and press against his back. Katsuki welcomed it, though, if the way he leaned into every touch was any indication.

By the time they finished with that, it was nearing suppertime. Crimson Riot was already in the dining hall when they walked in, Eijirou practically wrapped around the omega who struggled to walk under his substantial weight. They sat down in their usual seats, although Katsuki had to bat away Eijirou’s hands when he tried to pull the omega into his lap. Katsuki wouldn’t be caught dead sitting in the crowned prince’s lap right in front of the king.

Eijirou also tried to feed Katsuki once the food was brought out by Satou and the other chefs. Katsuki was having none of that, nearly stabbing Eijirou in the hand when he held his used fork to Katsuki’s lips for the third time. Crimson Riot watched the two of them with clear amusement. He had quickly put the pieces together that Eijirou had finally shown his grand gifts to the blond. He obviously knew about it from the start; he was the king, after all. Hell, Eijirou had to ask his permission to alter the ballroom to begin with, which the king gladly granted. It was quite the manly gesture in his opinion, and the personalized sword was a nice touch.

The three made it through dinner without much trouble, although Eijirou was pouting through most of it. Katsuki ignored him easily enough, but towards the end of the meal he took pity on the alpha and grabbed his hand under the table. Eijirou brightened at that, stroking Katsuki hand with his thumb as they finished the last of their meals. Crimson Riot pretended not to notice.

After dinner, the two princes decided to walk around the garden, as they had made routine for the past week. It seemed that Mina and Camie had a similar idea as well, although Katsuki could not fathom how that couple came to be, if they even were one. They were both so weird that Katsuki wouldn’t be surprised if they were just friends.

This time, it was the omega who was sitting on the beta’s lap on one of the stone benches, the two pausing their conversation as the princes approached them. Camie gave Katsuki a subtle thumbs up as they passed, and Mina did the same to Eijirou. Katsuki flipped them both off, tugging a giggling Eijirou away and further along the path. They pulled to a stop on the balcony, and Eijirou spun Katsuki around in his arms and leaned down to kiss him. The omega gasped into the kiss, taken off guard, and Eijirou wasted no time before thrusting his tongue into his open mouth.

Katsuki had pulled away after a moment, breathing hard. “They can see us from here,” he had protested, referring to Camie and Mina.

“I don’t care,” Eijirou said in response before diving back in.

Over the next hour, Katsuki learned how to kiss Eijirou without cutting up his tongue on his teeth, although that didn’t stop Eijirou from biting up his lips.

Now, Katsuki stood with his back pressed against his bedroom doors and Eijirou’s tongue exploring his mouth yet again. He gripped the alpha’s shoulders, his head thumping against the wood every time Eijirou surged forward. The redhead’s fingernails were digging into Katsuki’s hips through his blouse, and Eijirou was fighting against the urge to rip the shirt entirely to get to the skin underneath.

Katsuki was starting to regret wearing his tights as all of this kissing was making him increasingly aroused. Even still, he couldn’t bring himself to pull away for more than a few moments to gasp for air before pulling Eijirou back down.

Katsuki tried to take control this time around, even though he still wasn’t quite sure on what he was doing. Eijirou was always very responsive, so he figured he was doing something right. The blond tentatively licked at Eijirou’s lips, and the alpha instantly let his mouth fall open. Katsuki curiously ran his tongue over the sharp points of Eijirou’s teeth, still intrigued by the feeling even after so many kisses. Katsuki had his eyes shut, so he wasn’t able to see the alpha’s hungry gaze as he slid his own tongue against Katsuki’s. Eijirou thought Katsuki’s fascination with his teeth was cute, but he wanted to get back to actually kissing the blond.

The omega gave a little gasp when his tongue touched Eijirou’s, but the redhead didn’t retake control as expected. He only lazily slid their tongues together, giving Katsuki the opportunity to go at his own pace. The blond slowly sucked Eijirou’s tongue into his mouth, as Eijirou had done to him many times before, and the alpha gave a pleased groan as he pulled Katsuki closer. Katsuki sucked on his tongue for a minute before pulling back, a thread of saliva connecting them. Eijirou wiped at Katsuki’s pink lips, pressing down on his bottom lip as he imagined things other than kissing. Katsuki slapped his hand away. He tugged the alpha down by the back of his neck so he wouldn’t have to strain himself and began kissing and nipping at Eijirou’s chin before trailing down to his throat.

Eijirou let him have his fun, content with just massaging Katsuki’s hips and giving little moans of pleasure every now and then to let Katsuki know he was doing a good job. Katsuki reveled in the sounds the alpha was making. He attempted to suck a mark into Eijirou’s neck, wanting to see it on his tan skin, but it was too close to his scent glands for Eijirou’s sanity. The alpha gripped him by his hair and tugged his head back to make him stop, but to his surprise, he heard a loud whine come from the back of Katsuki’s throat. Both of their eyes widened at the sound, Katsuki turning an adorable shade of red.

Eijirou experimentally gave a little tug on his hair, and he was rewarded with a quiet moan this time. Eijirou grinned deviously, but to Katsuki’s shock and relief, Eijirou released his head and instead pressed his mouth directly to Katsuki’s scent glands, planning to give the omega a taste of his own medicine. Katsuki cried out as Eijirou licked a stripe over the area, pleasure overtaking him, but at the same time his body locked up in fear. For all he knew, alphas only ever paid attention to an omega’s scent glands when they wanted to bite and claim them, and Katsuki knew he wasn’t ready for that yet.

When Katsuki’s scent of arousal became muddled by a scent of fear, Eijirou pulled back to look him in the eye. Katsuki had his eyes squeezed shut tightly, and Eijirou began peppering kisses across his face until he opened them. He was less tense now but there was still fear in his eyes. Eijirou wanted to punch himself for scaring him like that, not matter how unintentional it was.

“I’m not going to bite you, angel,” he whispered. “I wouldn’t do that to you. I swear I won’t do anything you don’t want, not until your ready.”

Katsuki bit his lip nervously, and Eijirou’s eyes were drawn to the movement. “Even, um…” he trailed off, far too embarrassed to say the word “sex” in front of an alpha.

Eijirou could guess what he was going to say. “Anything,” he repeated before placing the softest of kisses to the omega’s lips. This was nothing like the rough, lustful kisses they had exchanged earlier; it was slow and sweet and just what Katsuki needed right now.

“What the hell?”

Eijirou and Katsuki broke apart and turned to see Ochako standing in front of her door, wide-eyed and gaping. Her face was flushed slightly, and her eyes kept darting to and from their faces, as if she wasn’t sure where to look. Katsuki insistently pushed at the alpha’s chest, silently telling him to move away. Eijirou reluctantly took a few steps back but remained an arm’s length away.

“Uraraka,” Katsuki said awkwardly. “I have not seen you all day.”

She narrowed her eyes, unimpressed by the topic change, and crossed her arms over her chest. “I was in the capital with Tsuyu-chan,” she said.

It was then that Katsuki noticed what she was wearing. She was dressed in a light pink blouse and a long, white skirt with a pair of low, white heels. “You look pretty,” he commented with a pointed look at her skirt and eye make-up.

Ochako’s cheeks turned even pinker than before, but she maintained her serious expression. “So do you, Katsuki-sama,” she returned with her own meaningful glance at his tights and open-back blouse. “It seems you have had quite the eventful day,” she added, side-eyeing the alpha.

“Katsuki accepted my courting advances,” Eijirou informed her jovially.

Ochako remained stoic. “Congratulations,” she said unenthusiastically, her lack of excitement dampening his smile a bit.

“Ignore her,” Katsuki told him. “She still does not like you for whatever reason.”

“True,” Ochako agreed easily before stepping forward, her heels clacking quietly against the floor. “Kirishima-sama, I must respectfully ask that you cease molesting Katsuki-sama and return to your own room.”

“Molesting?” Katsuki repeated, aghast.

Eijirou frowned, but not at that. “I’ll leave when Katsuki asks me to,” he said snappishly before turning back to Katsuki. “Do you want me to go, angel?” Ochako raised an eyebrow at the pet name.

Katsuki almost shook his head, but it was getting late and he doubted Ochako would leave before Eijirou did. “Maybe you should,” he mumbled reluctantly.

Eijirou sighed, not bothering to hide his disappointment. “Alright,” he said. He grabbed Katsuki’s chin in his right hand and tilted his head up slightly so he could give the blond a deep, sensual kiss. He glanced at Ochako from the corner of his eye as he did so, purposefully dragging out the kiss just to spite her. She grit her teeth before pointedly turning her head away. “Goodnight, sweetheart,” Eijirou murmured against his lips when he finally pulled away.

Katsuki blushed at yet another pet name. “Goodnight, alpha,” he whispered softy in reply and received a warm smile from the redhead. He sent a playful wave to Ochako as he turned and walked away, Katsuki watching him go with a look of longing.

“So, you accepted his advances,” Ochako said conversationally, snapping Katsuki from his thoughts.

He gave her a look. “And you went on a date,” he said in return before opening the doors to his chambers. “It seems like you are enjoying your time in this ‘barbaric kingdom’ more and more,” he teased.

Ochako didn’t find it very amusing. “Try not to lose your virginity before your wedding day,” she smirked before quickly going inside and slamming the door behind her, keeping her from the prince's wrath. Katsuki was left gaping at the now empty place she stood, his face a violent red.

Katsuki was a bit ashamed to admit that Ochako’s teasing words had struck a chord within him, and while he was bathing, he could not keep thoughts of the alpha out of his head. He barely resisted touching himself, not wanting to soil the bathwater. He couldn’t stop himself from stroking his scent glands as he imagined Eijirou going through with a true mating bite, sucking at his skin and driving the omega insane before sinking those sharp teeth of his into him, marking him forever.

Unfortunately, Katsuki’s own hand didn’t garner nearly the same kind of pleasure or excitement he felt when Eijirou touched him there. Katsuki hated how severely and easily the alpha was able to affect him, even when he was on the other side of the castle. The omega begrudgingly finished his bath, ignoring his growing arousal.

Katsuki fell into bed after bathing and changing into his nightgown, the fabric falling around his thighs as he bounced a little on the mattress. He gazed up at the ceiling of his room, thinking back to all of the events that transpired that day. Slowly, he brought a hand up to his lips, a smiling spreading across his face. He felt giddy, and with no one around to tell the tale, he allowed his smile to stretch into a grin.

“I have an alpha,” he whispered into the air, almost not believing the words himself. He turned on his side and hugged one of his pillows to his chest. “Eijirou is my alpha.”

Chapter Text

As the alpha had done every morning since they became an official couple—at least in Eijirou’s eyes—he was standing outside Katsuki’s door in the morning. Eijirou raised his hand to knock on the omega’s door when it suddenly opened to reveal Camie. Eijirou was slightly surprised to see her, as she usually came much earlier so she could be long gone by the time Katsuki needed to leave and Eijirou arrived.

The light brunette smiled up at him. “Good morning, Your Highness,” she greeted. “Katsuki is still a bit sore from last night, so don’t be too rough on him, okay?”

Eijirou’s face turned crimson at the double meaning to her words, his mind conjuring up images he quickly shook away. He would likely later revisit them tonight, however. “Camie-san,” he hissed. “Mind your words!”

Camie giggled deviously, obviously aware of how her phrasing sounded. “Sorry, Eijirou-sama,” she apologized unconvincingly, though neither would delude themselves into thinking she ever was sorry to begin with. “But seriously, though, Katsuki has been looking real tired lately. I guess all that training’s been paying off—you know, if his muscles are any indication—but at what cost?”

Eijirou had certainly noticed how defined Katsuki’s torso and arm muscles have become. Unfortunately, the blond always kept his legs completely covered, so Eijirou was left to just fantasize about his lower body. Not that he fantasied a lot, or even about it in that way. He only meant his muscles, nothing perverted.

The seamstress was giving him a look as if she knew exactly what he was thinking about. Sometimes, Eijirou wondered if she was psychic. She then smirked and suggestively said, “You should help him relax, maybe cuddle a bit. Probably stay in bed the whole day.”

Eijirou gave her a warning look. “Our guests will be arriving today, so now isn’t the best time to lay around in bed.”

“You’d be doing more than just laying around,” Camie mumbled.

Eijirou sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He had really played himself by appointing Camie as Katsuki’s personal servant. Before he could say anything in response, Katsuki finally emerged from his chambers. Eijirou gaped dumbly at the sight of the omega. He wasn’t dressed at all like he had been any day prior. No, instead of a dress or blouse, Katsuki was fully decked out in Adrian battle wear.

His chest was fully bare, and even though Katsuki had gone without a shirt once before, he had not been nearly as fit as he was now. The only thing covering his chest was the strap wrapped around his shoulder that held his sword. The strap was nestled nicely between his large pecs, and Eijirou made sure to focus on that rather than his pretty, pink nipples. His pants were slightly baggy, and while Eijirou lamented the loss of his sculpted thighs and calves in tights, he had to admit that Katsuki still looked good in baggy clothing.

The icing on top of the cake had to be the bruises that littered his chest from days of sparring. In any other context, Eijirou would be livid to see Katsuki covered in bruises, but now, Katsuki looked stunning. Eijirou was pretty sure he was drooling.

“Good morning, Eijirou,” Katsuki said, the look in his eyes telling Eijirou that he knew exactly what he was doing to him. These two were such devious omegas.

“Good morning, Katsuki,” he returned, nearly breathless. “You look good like that,” he complimented.

Katsuki smirked arrogantly but his face still flushed with pleasure at the praise. Eijirou thought it was adorable how he pretended to act unaffected nowadays. Camie slapped Eijirou lightly on the arm, but he barely noticed. “Is that all you have to say?” she asked, as if scolding him.

Eijirou raised an eyebrow. “He looks amazing in anything, and he knows it, so there’s only so much I can say before sounding repetitive.”

Camie huffed, “As his alpha, it is your job to boost his fragile ego as much as possible.”

“Shut up,” Katsuki said tiredly. “We need to leave now, or she will continue to spout nonsense at you,” he said to Eijirou.

The alpha snorted in amusement and grabbed Katsuki by the hand, leading him down the hall. “Be nice to the guests, Katsuki!” Camie called after them, but Katsuki only flipped her off in response as they turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

The next second, Katsuki was being pushed against a wall, and the omega let out a shout of surprise that was instantly swallowed by Eijirou’s lips. The redhead wasted no time in kissing and touching the blond all over. Katsuki instantly leaned into the kiss, barely taking notice of his sword pressing uncomfortably against his back. Eijirou leisurely let his hands roam about Katsuki’s body; his fingers digging into slight muscle and pressing on bruises both new and old. Eijirou loved the feeling of strength radiating from the omega, the altered contour of his body somehow even more attractive than when his skin was smooth and unblemished.

Eijirou groaned as he ran his hand along Katsuki’s stomach, his fingertips bumping against a mouthwatering six-pack before stopping at the waistband of his pants. “You’re so manly, baby,” he mumbled between kisses. “So damn sexy.”

Katsuki nearly let himself get lost in Eijirou’s soft touches but quickly remembered their location. He pulled back, turning his face away when Eijirou swooped down for another kiss. “Eijirou, this is inappropriate,” he said.

The alpha looked confused, apparently unbothered by their public location. “I thought it was fine for mates to kiss and touch.”

Katsuki frowned. “We are not mates yet,” he reminded him.

Eijirou shrugged, unconcerned with the technicality. “Fine. Lovers, then.”

Katsuki bit his lip at Eijirou calling them lovers. Eijirou leaned down and kissed him again, unable to resist at such a tempting sight. The omega sighed happily into the kiss, not resisting this time.

In the midst of their poorly timed kissing, they failed to notice someone approaching. Crimson Riot loudly cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow when the two stopped sucking face long enough to look at the king in shock. Katsuki was visibly embarrassed, automatically going to shove Eijirou’s face away with a hand on his chin, but Eijirou caught his hands in his and held them at the blond’s sides.

“You’ve really gotta stop doing that whenever someone catches us, baby,” Eijirou said with clear amusement. Katsuki blushed and shoved his face into Eijirou’s chest to avoid the king’s amused gaze.

“I’m glad to see you two are getting along so well,” Crimson Riot teased.

Eijirou couldn’t help his smirk. “Was there something you needed, father?” he asked.

“As you both know, our honored guests are expected to arrive today. The castle has already been prepped for their arrivals, and their rooms are cleaned and ready for each guest. Katsuki-kun, I made sure to keep you and your friends’ rooms away from theirs. Especially those Todorokis.”

Katsuki lifted his head from Eijirou’s chest slightly to look between the two redheads. “Should I be worried about them?”

Eijirou hummed contemplatively. “I wouldn’t say you need to ‘worry,’ per se. It’s more like, it’d be best for everyone if they were left to themselves for the duration of their stay in Adria.”

“So, they’re assholes then?” Katsuki surmised.

Crimson Riot exhaled with amusement. “That’s surely a word to describe them. Although, King Enji’s children are not all that bad. Really, the only problem child is the youngest, Prince Shouto-kun.”

Katsuki knew very little of the Todoroki family despite their sudden and unforeseen rise to power within the kingdom of Endeavor, but there was not a person alive who did not know the name “Todoroki Shouto.” It was not so much that the boy himself had done much to garner such notability; he was simply the long-anticipated king-to-be. There were many who viewed his eventual taking of the throne as a rebirth of Endeavor, while many expected nothing more than a continuation of his father’s cruel and selfish reign. Katsuki had never met the prince himself, so he could not say which was more likely. Either way, the Todorokis had a reputation, and it was not a wholly favorable one.

“Shouto-san’s not all that bad,” Eijirou said. “He’s just not very social. He also kind of has a resting-bitch face.”

Katsuki furrowed his brow in confusion. “What the hell is that?”

“Oh, it’s when someone always looks like they’re angry or ready to murder someone,” he explained. “Like your face.”

Katsuki glared. “I do not!” he denied.

Eijirou chuckled, “You kind of do, sweetheart.”

Katsuki couldn’t tell if he were more mortified about being accused of having a “resting bitch face” or being called “sweetheart” in front of Crimson Riot. Either way, he was flushed to all hell. “Well, if you have such a problem with my face—” he began testily, pulling away from the alpha only to be pulled back into his chest.

Eijirou hurried to say, “No, sweetheart, I love your face. I don’t have any problem with it. You’re beautiful, gorgeous, sexy, and oh-so perfect.” Katsuki was burning up by the end of his spiel, but it was not from the harsh Adrian heat. Eijirou cupped the omega's chin, lifting his head until he could look directly into his scarlet orbs. “Besides, your face always lights up so sweetly whenever you see me,” he whispered.

“It-It does not,” Katsuki denied weakly.

Eijirou chuckled and leaned down to place a tender kiss to the blond’s slightly parted lips, taking his bottom lip between his teeth and tugging. Katsuki moaned softly, the feeling of Eijirou pointed teeth scarping against his lip and threatening to break skin was far more arousing than he would have ever expected. The two continued kissing, seemingly forgetting about Crimson Riot until he loudly cleared his throat once again. The two princes broke apart instantly, shame written across their faces.

The king raised an eyebrow. “I sure hope you two can get a handle on your hormones before our guests arrive. You maybe be getting married at the end of the week, but you still have to act like princes.” The two nodded, properly chastised. The king sighed, shaking his head. He wasn’t truly upset with them; he was genuinely glad they had found each other when they did and meshed so well. They reminded the king a bit of he and his wife; she had been a gorgeous, confident spitfire much like Katsuki in her younger days. “Listen, just—” the king cut off as a violent cough suddenly overcame him.

Eijirou and Katsuki both rushed forward, concern etched across their features. “Father, what’s wrong?”

“Are you alright, Your Majesty?”

The king held up a hand as his coughing fit subsided. “’m fine,” he said. “I may be comin’ down with somethin’, though.”

Eijirou chuckled lightly, relief washing over him now that he knew his father only had a chest cold. “The Great Crimson Riot defeated by a mere cold?” he asked teasingly. Crimson Riot narrowed his eyes. Before Katsuki could even blink, the man had his son in a chokehold and was messing up his hair with a fist. Eijirou screamed like he was dying, but Katsuki could see the joy in his eyes. “Not my hair! Dad, come on!”

The younger redhead struggled in the hold, but old age had clearly not sapped the king of his strength just yet. “I expect an apology, boy,” Crimson Riot jeered.

“Fat chance!” Eijirou yelled.

Katsuki watched the father and son duo with no shortage of amusement, seeing their many similarities shine forth in so little time. A part of Katsuki also felt just a bit melancholy, wishing he could have had anything like what Eijirou has with his father or had with his mother. Someone suddenly clearing their throat had the two alphas freezing. They all looked over to see Mina standing there with a hand on her hips and a raised eyebrow.

Without moving an inch, the king and alpha prince both asked, “What’s up?”

Mina gave the two an amused smile, glancing at Katsuki who could only shrug before she looked back at her current and future leader. She pointed between them. “Yeah, I’m not really sure what’s going on here, but King and Queen Yaoyorozu just pulled up in their swanky carriage.” Eijirou and his father both straightened, fixing their clothes and Eijirou trying to salvage his hair.

“We’ll be right there,” they said, once again in tandem.

No matter how many times Crimson Riot hosted formal gatherings between Adria and their allied kingdoms, he doubted he would ever become accustomed to the vast amount of differences between them. He had absolutely nothing against the kingdoms of Creati, Ingenium, and Endeavor—at least not anything too extreme—but the values of Adria always seemed to baffle the more…“prim and proper” kingdoms, and vice versa. It made it quite difficult to plan any events that would be deemed enjoyable by everyone.

Crimson Riot stood beside his son as the Yaoyorozu family approached, looking as elegant and untouchable as ever. They were the ruling family of Creati, and ever-present in any events hosted within Adria. In the lead was King Yaoyorozu, an alpha who practically radiated sophistication and charm. He always held himself with such poise, and having his beautiful omega wife on his arm only added to the feelings of reverence people felt whenever he entered a room. His wife, similarly, was a sight to behold. She had a simple beauty to her that many envied, but she was by far the kindest of the family. Their only daughter, Princess Yaoyorozu Momo, was the epitome of class and refinement. From the way she walked to the way she spoke, everything about her told of her years of training to become the perfect princess and future queen.

Crimson Riot was quite fond of the Yaoyorozus. They were a pleasant people, if not a bit high strung. They tended to put propriety over anything else, and it often led to others—especially other royals—viewing them as pompous and self-important. The Kirishimas would beg to differ. Eijirou had grown up spending much time with the princess, and the late queen had been quite good friends with Queen Yaoyorozu. Out of all their visiting allies, Creati and Ingenium were undoubtedly the most favored by the people of Adria. Endeavor was another story all on its own.

“Yaomomo!” Eijirou exclaimed from beside his father, once again forgetting propriety in the face of his excitement. It had been three years since he had seen her after all, so Crimson Riot could understand. Had he not been king himself, he would have skipped out on all the events hosted between kingdoms after the passing of his wife as well.

Princess Momo, or “Yaomomo” as Eijirou often called her, did not seem to mind the lack of title. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem as though her father shared that opinion. “Prince Eijirou, it would do you good to remember your proper titles. You are no longer children,” he reprimanded lightly. He was not upset, not in the slightest. He merely believed that royalty should always behave like royalty, no matter what.

Crimson Riot chuckled at the sight of his son’s dejected expression, putting a hand on his shoulder and shaking him. “Cheer up, boy,” he chuckled before turning to the Yaoyorozus. “We welcome you, family of Yaoyorozu, to our kingdom. We are honored that you have decided to attend the ceremony.”

King Yaoyorozu looked pleased by his greeting, as practiced and overused as it was for them both. “Why, of course!” Queen Yaoyorozu chirped. “I have always wanted to attend one of the famous Adrian ‘wedding weeks,’ and it is so good to know that Prince Eijirou had finally found his love!”

Eijirou blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m quite excited too.” The prince had nearly forgotten that the reasoning behind the marriage was never revealed, only that it was arranged. The less people who knew about Villiass’ impending threat, the better.

Momo stepped forward then, lowering into a graceful curtsy. Eijirou wondered how often she had to do that on a daily basis. “It is a pleasure to see you once again, Prince Eijirou. I offer my congratulations to you.”

Eijirou bit back a laugh. There was something about overly-formal speech that just cracked him up. “Thank you, Princess Momo. As always, it is wonderful to see you.”

Momo’s eyes shifted behind him to look behind the prince, her eyes widening just a touch at his appearance. She plastered a practiced smile on her face a moment later. “You must be Prince Bakugou Katsuki of Tulia, yes?”

Everyone followed her gaze to see Katsuki sauntering towards them, dressed fully in Adrian battle wear and wearing his sword and dagger strapped to his slim waist with bruises littering his pale skin from weeks of sparring. He was truly a sight to behold, if anyone asked Eijirou. Mina was trailing behind him with an apologetic look to both Kirishimas. After she had come to retrieve them, Crimson Riot suggested that Katsuki wait to meet everyone all at once, much to Eijirou and Katsuki’s mutual protests. Mina was supposed to have been waiting with him, but it seemed like Katsuki had changed his mind.

Eijirou seemed quite happy with the turn of events, holding his hand out for Katsuki to take as he neared. The blond unhesitatingly grasped his hand, eyes trained on the princess before him. “You must be Princess Yaoyorozu Momo of Creati,” he returned, his tone held at the perfect level of respect and neutrality. Eijirou supposed he had much of the same training throughout the years as Momo, just without the desire to actually follow his lessons all the time. “I have heard much about you back in Tulia.” No one missed how he said Tulia rather than “my home.”

“There had been much talk over the past couple of years about our kingdoms forming an alliance, but…” she trailed off, thinking that the prince would not understand any explanation she gave. Tulian omegas were not known for their knowledge of anything outside of housework.

“Our parents decided against it,” Katsuki finished. “Your king and queen saw me as undesirable due to what little news of my ‘improper’ ways spread throughout the lands despite how tightly my parents attempted to keep me under wraps, and my king and queen decided that your military force was not strong enough to risk exposing our secrets. And since there were no other factors worth trading, all talk of an alliance eventually dissipated.”

Momo and her parents would have been gaping had they not been so adept at keeping their faces perfectly calm. “Yes, that is…exactly right,” Momo said, surprise still evident in her voice. Katsuki had to hold back a smirk.

Queen Yaoyorozu gasped, feigning shock at his words. “Oh, Prince Bakugou, that is just not the case,” she denied, sending a pointed look to her daughter.

Katsuki raised a dubious eyebrow, not able to help himself, and Crimson Riot knew he was close to saying something out of place. The king should probably intervene, but he had not known of this either and he was quite curious. He also did love how little the omega seemed to care about propriety in the face of alpha royals, especially a family chalk full of them.

“I take no offense,” Katsuki said, and he really didn’t. “An alliance between Tulia and Creati would have yielded nothing, of that I am sure. It would have been nearly as detrimental to the people of Tulia as an alliance with Endeavor. Besides, I quite like who I was sold off to.” Eijirou couldn’t fight his smile, even though he knew that was not something he should be smiling over.

The Yaoyorozus all looked absolutely appalled by his words, and most likely his outspokenness as well. For all they knew, Katsuki should have been a meek little thing with a pretty face and a desire to serve.

Eijirou discreetly pinched the hand that was in his in silent warning to watch what he said, and Katsuki sighed loudly in response. “I am simply making conversation, Eijirou,” he said.

Eijirou sent him a look. “You can make conversation that doesn’t upset anybody.”

Katsuki raised a fine eyebrow, eyes mischievous. “Can I?”

“Is that a sword, Prince Bakugou?” Momo asked suddenly, composure slowly slipping as she finally spotted the sword on his hip, pointing to the weapon. Her mother hurried to her, gently lowering her daughter’s hand and whispering something into her ear. Likely, “Do not point, it is rude.” Momo looked unreasonably guilty when she turned back to Katsuki.

The blond smirked; he was glad he had decided to ignore Mina and greet their guests right away. He was enjoying himself quite a bit. “Why, yes, it is. You seem surprised.”

“Well, last I had checked, Tulians do not wear weapons strapped to them at all times,” she huffed. She was starting to get the feeling that Katsuki was purposefully throwing her off.

“Well, last I had checked,” Katsuki began, reveling in the twitch of her manicured eyebrow. “I am hardly a Tulian anymore. Am I?”

Momo pursed her lips, eyes narrowing at him. She was an alpha, so her height was quite close to Katsuki’s, who was short for a male but average height for an omega. “You are not nearly as polite as I expected you to be,” she whispered, making sure no one could hear her but Katsuki.

Katsuki smiled, giving her his fakest smile that always made alphas think they had the upper hand over him. “Thank you,” he quipped.

“My daughter has a point,” King Yaoyorozu said, eyes curious but not judging. For a split second, Momo panicked, thinking that her father had overheard her insult the prince, but then he continued. “You do not act at all like the Tulians I have met before. I hope you do not take offense when I say that I am quite relieved.”

Katsuki had to admit that he was as well. He had been unsure of the Yaoyorozus at first, but it seemed like they were just somewhat stuck-up. That is far better than being sexist bastards. “Mina.” The beta woman jumped at suddenly being addressed. “Show our guests to their rooms.”

Mina smiled brightly at the command, picking up on the silent approval from the blond. “Yes, Your Highness,” she said, leading the Yaoyorozus away, their various servants following with their heavy looking luggage.

Eijirou suddenly tugged Katsuki into his chest by the hand he was holding, face stretching into a grin. “I kind of like it when you’re all sexy and demanding,” he whispered into his ear.

“And here I thought I was always sexy and demanding,” Katsuki drawled sarcastically.

“And here I thought I told you two to behave,” Crimson Riot said, causing the two to draw apart.

Katsuki elbowed his fiancé in the side. “Blame this horny idiot.”

“It’s not my fault you’re so tempting,” Eijirou said with a wink.

“Do I need to have you two kept in separate rooms at all times?” Crimson Riot asked jokingly. More seriously, he said, “Either the Iidas or the Todorokis will be arriving next, and I think it can speak for everyone here when I say we do not want to leave a bad impression on them.”

“Have you not already made lasting impressions on them?” Katsuki asked.

Crimson Riot chuckled. “Let me rephrase—I meant you do not want to leave a bad impression.”

Katsuki frowned. “Meaning?”

Eijirou put a hand on his shoulder, drawing the blond’s attention. “He just means that whatever impressions dad and I have made on our allies can be…altered by their own perception of you,” he said.

Katsuki scoffed, shaking his head I disbelief. “You believe I may ruin your relationships with Creati, Endeavor, or Ingenium.”

“No,” Eijirou was quick to say.

“Then all three?”

“Katsuki, stop,” Eijirou sighed. “I don’t think that, and neither does my father. You just need to be careful not to make enemies of anyone, no matter how two-faced they may seem.”

Katsuki pursed his lips. “Which is why you warned me about Endeavor,” he surmised. “Fine, I will do my best to behave.”

“Katsuki-kun, this is not a reflection of you,” Crimson Riot said. “This is always a concern with political marriages, and even more important now considering you are Tulian.”

“Because Tulia has no allies, so no one truly knows much about our ways,” he surmised, yet again. “I understand. I will be prim and proper, just as a formerly Tulian omega should be.”

“Good, because no one likes an omega who misbehaves, Prince Bakugou,” an alpha man said as he approached the three with a younger alpha man and an omega woman on either side of him.

The man who spoke was tall and wide, his frame muscular and aura serious. The younger man, who Katsuki could only assume was his son, was much the same. Really, the two would be like carbon copies of each other if not for the glasses the younger wore. The omega woman didn’t seem eager to look any of them in the eye, her gaze staying firmly on the ground. Katsuki wouldn’t be surprised if she always behaved more like a statue than a human being.

Crimson Riot plastered on a smile, holding out his arms as if about to embrace the man only to drop them once he got close enough. “Ah! King Iida!” Well, that at least answered which annoying family Katsuki was about to meet. “It is wonderful to see you again. Tell me, how is Prince Tensei doing?”

King Iida smiled, but this one was clearly fake. “He is well, thank you. I am glad to see that you and Prince Eijirou are in proper health as well.”

“Good morning, Your Majesty and Your Highnesses,” both Prince Iida and Queen Iida greeted, bowling deeply.

Eijirou returned the bow, although not as deeply. He sent Katsuki a look when he did not do the same. “A pleasure to see you all again,” he said.

The Iidas eyes all simultaneously slid over to Katsuki, who was now standing with his arms crossed over his chest and an unamused look on his face. King Iida narrowed his eyes. “Is there something amiss, Your Highness?”

“With you? Yes.” The alpha’s eyes widened. “I do not much appreciate alphas coming into my kingdom and belittling me.”

“I promise you I have done no such thing,” the king said. “I do not much appreciate unfounded accusations.”

“This is also not your kingdom, Katsuki-kun,” Crimson Riot said under his breath, though he didn’t seem very upset.

Katsuki shrugged uncaringly. “In four days, it will be about a third mine. Unless, of course, you would like to retire early, Your Majesty,” he joked.

“Very funny,” the king chuckled.

“Four days is ninety-six hours, Prince Bakugou,” the other alpha in the room said. Prince Iida was staring hard at the blond, judgment filling his eyes and tone. “For those hours until you become Prince Kirishima’s omega, you have very little say. And yet, even now, you are quite outspoken for a mere omega.”

Katsuki scowled, about to stomp towards him, but Eijirou held him back with a hand over his chest. “Who do you think you are?” the omega growled.

Prince Iida raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “I am Prince Iida Tenya of Ingenium, and the fact that you do not know that proves that you are Tulian after all, even despite your appalling behavior.”

“Watch what you say,” Eijirou growled.

“Tenya, apologize,” King Iida whispered heatedly.

“Do not bother with any false apologies,” Katsuki spat. “If you have a problem with me, then say it to my face right now.”

Eijirou stepped between them. “No, not now.”

Katsuki’s eyes widened, shocked that Eijirou would prevent him from speaking for himself. “Eijirou—”

“I said no,” he growled, and Katsuki snapped his mouth shut. Iida sent Katsuki a smug look, but Eijirou getting in his face blocked his view of the omega. “You do not come into my home and insult my fiancé, Prince Iida,” he hissed, eyes murderous. “You will apologize.”

Tenya scoffed, “I will admit that I was a bit harsh, but the behavior of your fiancé was—”

“That was not a request,” Eijirou said coldly. “And I will not repeat myself.”

“Tenya, apologize to the prince,” the king of Ingenium said, though Eijirou would bet he was more exasperated with he and Katsuki than his own son.

Tenya sighed quietly. “My apologies, Prince Kirishima,” he said at last.

Eijirou frowned, about to tell the other prince that his apology should be directed towards Katsuki and not him, but before he could say a word Katsuki was walking away in a huff. “Katsuki, where are you going?” Katsuki ignored him.

Crimson Riot put out a hand to stop the blond, who halted in his tracks with a deep scowl on his face. “These are our allies,” he began. “You can’t avoid these kinds of confrontations forever, Katsuki-kun.”

Katsuki gritted his teeth, but after taking a deep breath, he turned on his heel and moved to stand beside Eijirou again. The alpha gave a relieved smile, even though Katsuki was not looking at him. “You will apologize to me, Prince Iida,” Katsuki declared, eyes hard. “And after you apologize, you will have to prove to me that you are more than some arrogant, entitled alpha with royal blood. I have more than enough experience with alphas like that to handle you easily, but that does not mean that I will associate with such a person when I become queen.”

“You will not make all decisions pertaining to Adria when you become queen,” Iida pointed out, though not as confidently as he would have liked.

Katsuki smirked confidently. “That does not mean that I will not have a say in what happens,” he countered. “And just know, that I may be so generous as to forgive you one day, but I will never forget the disrespect you have shown me today.”

Tenya audibly swallowed and needlessly adjusted his glasses. He knew when he had lost. “I understand. I offer you my sincerest apologies, Prince Bakugou. My words were unnecessarily harsh and entirely uncouth,” he said, bowing deeply. His father’s face came into view then, and Katsuki smirked smugly at the king. The alpha grit his teeth just as Tenya stood back up. “I hope that one day we can form a friendship to match the strength of the alliance that has been between our kingdoms for generations.”

Katsuki did not miss the subtle way the alpha attempted to guilt him into letting this go, simply by mentioning the history of their alliance. “I doubt it,” Katsuki mumbled, unimpressed.

“May we be shown to our chambers now?” King Iida asked, clearly trying to maintain some semblance of calm.

“Of course,” Crimson Riot said, ushering them forward. “I will lead you there.”

Katsuki and Eijirou watched as Crimson Riot and the Iidas walked away, and after a moment, the redhead turned to Katsuki with a frown. “Didn’t I say to play nice?”

“That was me playing nice,” Katsuki said in annoyance. “And never speak to me like that again, Eijirou. I can handle myself just fine, and you will not keep me from speaking my mind.”

“Katsuki—”

“No,” Katsuki hissed, stepping closer and glaring up at the taller male. “Do you have any idea how humiliating that is? You do not control me!”

“And I don’t want to!” Eijirou snapped, grabbing Katsuki by the shoulders and staring deep into his eyes. “This is supposed to be our week, and the last thing I want is for someone to upset you and ruin it.”

Katsuki pursed his lips. He didn’t really have a rebuttal for that, and truthfully, he felt kind of flattered by Eijirou’s consideration. “Sorry,” he mumbled. Eijirou gave him a brilliant smile and Katsuki’s heart swelled. “I want this week to be perfect as well,” he admitted quietly, almost shyly.

Eijirou placed a small kiss the blond’s forehead, his hair tickling his nose slightly. Katsuki hid a smile by lowering his head but the next second he was standing on the tips of his toes to properly kiss the alpha. Eijirou cupped his face in his hands, deepening the kiss into a sensual dance of their lips. Katsuki sighed into the kiss, wrapping his arms around the alpha’s neck.

In the back of his mind, he was aware of the fact that they were practically making out in the middle of the entrance to the castle, and that there was a very good chance the next of their guests would be arriving soon, but the omega couldn’t find it in himself to care at the moment. Unfortunately, Eijirou had to ruin it.

“Is that your sword poking me or are you just happy to see me?” he asked against Katsuki’s lips.

The blond flicked him on the nose, face growing red. “Are you incapable of not acting like a pervert?” he hissed.

Eijirou chuckled, “When you’re in front of me? Yes.”

Katsuki opened his mouth to say something scathing in reply when a horrendous scent hit his nose. His face scrunched up in disgust, and he was sorely tempted to bury his face in Eijirou’s neck to drown out the intrusive odor. Eijirou’s face also twisted, but Katsuki had a feeling it had little to do with the new scent steadily growing closer. Perhaps it had more to do with the owner of said scent.

An impossibly large alpha stomped towards them, his steps heavy and demanding. His wide, muscular frame would have been less intimidating if he even a semblance of a smile on his face rather than the scowl that looked permanently etched onto his features. He had flaming red hair with a mustache and beard to match, and light blue eyes that looked devoid of anything even reminiscent of compassion or kindness. He was undoubtedly the source of the pungent odor that was threatening t make Katsuki vomit. Whoever this was, Katsuki hated him already.

Beside him was another alpha, who if Katsuki was being honest, had a much gentler appearance but the same cold gaze as the other. Now, Katsuki had met few other royals south of their borders throughout his life, but he was positive that he was looking at the king and crowned prince of Endeavor. His assumption was only confirmed when Eijirou greeted the two.

“Ah, King Todoroki, Prince Shouto,” he began, voice dripping with barely concealed with distaste. Katsuki found that interesting, especially considering Eijirou had previously said that he had a fairly nice opinion of the other prince. “It has been far too long. Welcome.”

The smaller alpha, Prince Shouto, simply nodded in return. He looked almost bored, his eyes sweeping over their surroundings with zero acknowledgment of Katsuki. The older alpha didn’t seem very concerned with Katsuki’s presence either, his eyes never leaving the other redhead. “I see not much has changed,” King Todoroki Enji said, not even bothering to contain his judgement. “Is this your omega?” he asked, still not looking at Katsuki.

“I have a name,” he said snappishly, and Enji, and even Shouto, finally looked at him. The glare in the king’s eyes would have likely made any other omega cower in fear, but not Katsuki.

“I do not recall anyone giving you permission to speak, boy,” Enji growled. Eijirou opened his mouth, no doubt to bite the other alpha’s head off, but Enji turned to him as well. “And you need to learn to control his mouth, or he will suffer the consequences.”

Eijirou narrowed his eyes into slits, holding back the growl that so desperately wanted to rip from his throat. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what that is supposed to mean,” Enji scoffed, as if he wasn’t insulting them both.

Katsuki gritted his teeth, but he refrained from speaking out again. He knew exactly what kind of alphas were raised in Endeavor, and he had very little want to experience anything like the treatment he faced in Tulia. Eijirou would be asked the questions, and Eijirou would be the one to answer them. “Yes, this is Prince Bakugou Katsuki of Tulia,” Eijirou introduced him, though he knew that Enji didn’t really care. “Katsuki, this is King Todoroki Enji and Prince Shouto of Endeavor.”

“I’m sure the boy knows who we are,” Enji said arrogantly in his booming voice. Katsuki wanted to punch him in the mouth. “Where is your father?”

“He is with King Iida,” Eijirou said, and his tone suggested that he was very pleased to be telling him that.

Enji sucked his teeth angrily. “That plain bastard got here before us,” he grumbled under his breath. “Very well. Have the omega show us to our rooms now,” he demanded.

Katsuki’s eyes widened, and just as he opened his mouth to say something he would likely regret, Eijirou jumped in. “I will have someone bring you to your rooms. Katsuki and I have something to do after this.” That was mostly a lie. “We just wanted to greet you when you arrived.”

“And your father didn’t?” Enji questioned bitterly. He then heaved a dramatic sigh. “No matter. I will have my words with him later tonight.”

Katsuki huffed. This man had some nerve calling King Iida pompous when he was making orders in another royal’s home. Katsuki felt an intense gaze on him, and when he turned to look, he saw Shouto staring daggers into the side of his face. Katsuki narrowed his eyes, though he was a bit unsettled by the stoic alpha’s unwavering stare. Eijirou seemed to catch the look as well because he frowned heavily.

“You know what, why don’t I take you to your rooms?” He would not subject his knights or servants to anyone from Endeavor without need. Enji nodded his approval, though he still looked upset that Katsuki wasn’t taking them, but Shouto didn’t move to follow the two alphas as they began walking away. Eijirou stopped after a moment when he realized, eyes narrowing as it became apparent that he was too distracted by Katsuki. “Prince Shouto, do you have a problem with my omega?”

Shouto briefly glanced at Eijirou, eyes still weirdly impassive. “No,” was all he said. He then walked towards the blond and reached out a hand to take his. Katsuki pulled away, but Shouto just grabbed at him again with a surprising amount of strength. He bent down and kiss the back of his hand, eyes boring into Katsuki’s all the while.

Katsuki gasped and pulled his hand back, face red with both embarrassment and anger, just as Eijirou stormed towards them. He grabbed the other prince by the scruff of his expensive shirt and growled into his face. “Do not touch him!”

Still with no emotion, Shouto said, “My apologies,” before breaking free from Eijirou’s hold and walking ahead of his father. The king had a smirk on his face, and Katsuki just knew this week was not going to be as enjoyable as he had hoped. 

Eijirou was angrily pacing back and forth in the throne room, his father sitting comfortably on the throne and Katsuki standing off to the side. They both were watching Eijirou with exasperation laced with amusement. He was still clearly upset about Shouto kissing Katsuki’s hand—something that everyone knew was not a customary greeting between royals in either Tulia or Endeavor. Whatever reason the bicolored-haired prince had to kiss the omega’s hand like that, it was likely not an innocent one. Not to mention, King Todoroki had looked far too pleased with his son’s inappropriate actions.

“Eijirou,” Katsuki sighed. “You cannot stay upset all day.”

Crimson Riot nodded in agreement. “Yes, we have a feast later this evening. You must make nice with Prince Shouto.”

“He kissed you!” Eijirou growled at Katsuki, causing the omega to flinch slightly.

“My hand,” he corrected quietly. “Trust me when I say that I did not appreciate it any more than you, but that is no reason to contemplate his murder.”

Eijirou stopped short, frowning. “I’m not—” Katsuki sent him a look and the redhead huffed. “If he ever touches you again, I will kill him,” he threatened. “And why the hell are you the calm one right now?”

“One of us has to be,” Katsuki said. “You calmed me down with Prince Iida, and now I am telling you to calm down about Prince Todoroki.”

“He was extremely disrespectful to you,” the alpha grumbled, allowing Katsuki to slowly approach him and take his hands in his. He gazed down at the omega lovingly. “I will not tolerate any more people being rude to you,” he vowed.

“They were all rude,” Katsuki reminded him. “And I know how to handle alphas.”

Eijirou smiled. He leaned down to place a small kiss to Katsuki’s lips, the omega humming happily in response. “I know, sweetheart. I just want you to be happy, no matter what.”

Katsuki bit back a smile of his own, standing on the tips of his toes to place a swift kiss on his fiancé’s lips. “If I can make it through this week without starting a war with Endeavor or Ingenium, then I will be very happy,” he said, only partially joking.

Eijirou shook his head amusedly. “I just hope you can make it through tonight’s feast,” he teased. Unbeknownst to either prince, Crimson Riot rose from his throne and left the room, finding it strange to just sit and watch the couple converse amongst themselves. Neither seemed to even remember he was there.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. “I thought it was a banquet.”

Eijirou shrugged. “Banquet sounds so ‘prim and proper,’” he said with a note of distaste.

Katsuki chuckled, “And if there is anything you are not, it is ‘prim and proper.’”

The redhead feigned offense, placing a hand over his heart. “Excuse you, I am the pinnacle of a everything a prince should be.”

Katsuki nodded, holding back his snickers. “Yes, yes. You are truly wonderful, Eijirou,” he said jokingly, though he meant every word. “But your talents lie more with your strength and compassion.”

“You’ve been giving me an awful lot of compliments lately,” the alpha commented. “Please, continue to do so.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes fondly. “I think we have wasted enough time standing here talking as is.”

The redhead agreed, although he didn’t really want to stop talking. He had to prepare for the upcoming feast—or banquet, whatever—planned for tonight to mark the beginning of the ceremonial week. Typically, all of the preparations were done by the servants and some knights who volunteered, as was with his parents’ betrothal. Eijirou, however, was far too excited for every event to simply sit back and do nothing.

“Do you want to help me set up the dining hall for tonight?” Eijirou asked hopefully.

Katsuki hesitated for a moment, hearing the excitement in the redhead’s voice and not wanting to disappoint him. “No,” he said regretfully. He would love to spend every waking moment with the alpha—as clingy and needy as that sounded—but he had other relationships he needed to worry about as well. His friends. “I need to speak with Uraraka. We have a long overdue conversation.”

Eijirou sighed in disappointment, figuring he would just have to wait until the evening to see the blond again. “Alright. Go easy on her, though. She’s still your friend.” Eijirou could easily guess what the two friends needed to talk about, and he had little doubt that it would be quite the contentious discussion.

Katsuki kissed Eijirou on the cheek one last time before leaving for the garden, positive that’s where the beta woman would be. 

Ochako had found her “something.” Her name was Asui Tsuyu, and she was the prettiest gardener in all the lands. She was compassionate, funny, straightforward, and for some reason, enjoyed Ochako’s constant disruptions during her duties. Even when the Tulian tried to help her with her work and only ended up accidentally uprooting and killing a plant or making a mess that Tsuyu would inevitably have to clean, the gardener never got upset. She would simply take over and pretend that she didn’t realize Ochako was watching her rather than her movements. Although, there were times when Ochako could not help but watch her hands as they plucked weeds, planted flowers, or dug through the dirt barehanded.

Tsuyu did not always wear gloves; it was actually quite rare. Ochako had asked once after seeing the state of her—honestly—pretty hands. So, Tsuyu’s hands were usually quite dirty. Despite everything within her telling her to stay far away from such dirtiness, Ochako found herself wanting to hold the other beta’s hand more often than she felt proper.

And that was how Ochako found herself now, sitting on the grass next to Tsuyu as she waved an ungloved, dirt-stained hand in front of the brunette’s face. Ochako startled, her gaze snapping over to the green-haired woman. The gardener smiled kindly, amusement dancing across her features. “You seem distracted, Ochako-chan,” she commented.

Ochako fought down a blush. “Ah, well, I suppose I have a lot on my mind.”

“The wedding?” Tsuyu guessed. She knew how much the wedding had been plaguing her thoughts lately; the knight had spent more than enough time talking about it. Ochako nodded, though she was not currently what was distracting her. She had since come it terms with the marriage, even if she never saw herself coming to like the Adrian prince. “Prince Katsuki seems happy,” Tsuyu said quietly after a moment.

Ochako couldn’t help but frown. “Yes,” she agreed, albeit begrudgingly. She wished for nothing more than his safety and happiness, but the fact that he found it after so long in the arms of an Adrian alpha truly bothered her. “I just worry,” she finished, deciding to simply leave it at that for now.

“You should take your mind off that,” Tsuyu suggested. “Relax and enjoy this week. That’s the whole point after all.”

Ochako looked at her curiously before smiling slightly. “Any suggestions on how I can relax more?” Tsuyu’s eyes widened slightly, and Ochako had no idea why, but the look was gone the next second.

“How about you help me with my gardening?”

Ochako paused. “I do not want to kill anymore plants,” she chuckled awkwardly.

Tsuyu shook her head with a short laugh. “It’s fine. I’ll assist you.”

Ochako allowed herself a full smile. “You’re so sweet, Tsuyu-chan.”

Tsuyu looked away then to retrieve some tools, but Ochako swore she saw her face color. She turned back after a moment with a trowel and a pair of gloves. Tsuyu handed the gloves to Ochako who gladly took them. She may have stopped wearing her own gloves, but that did not mean that she was willing to make her hands filthy.

The gardener moved to behind the other woman, Ochako tensing slightly and trying to turn her head to see what she was doing. Tsuyu’s front suddenly connected with Ochako’s back, and the Tulian tried very hard to not focus on the feeling of her breasts pressing against her. She swallowed heavily, keeping her eyes locked on the ground to fight down the rising panic.

“Is this okay?” Tsuyu asked into her ear, the Adrian’s arms coming around Ochako’s body and laying her hands atop hers.

Ochako gasped at the feeling, having never been this close to another person before. “Yes,” she squeaked embarrassedly. She cleared her throat. “W-What are you doing, Tsuyu-chan?”

Said woman rested her chin comfortably on Ochako’s shoulder, seemingly unaffected by their proximity. Ochako briefly wondered if all Adrians were this carefree, but all other thoughts flew from her mind when Tsuyu began moving Ochako’s hands for her and whispered directly into her ear, “I’m going to assist you, remember?”

Ochako belatedly wished she had declined the gloves after all, wondering what it would feel like to have Tsuyu’s skin against hers. She turned her head slightly to look at the other and instantly regretted it. Their faces were so close; their lips would probably brush together if either of them spoke. Ochako looked into Tsuyu’s large green eyes as they gazed into Ochako’s own. The brunette’s eyes dropped down to Tsuyu’s mouth then, and she watched in mild fascination as her smile slowly faded away and seemed to grow closer. It took a second for her to realize that Tsuyu herself was drawing closer.

“Uraraka!” Ochako started, jumping back and nearly becoming one with the ground at the sound of Katsuki’s voice. Tsuyu managed to catch her around the waist before she would make ever more of a fool of herself. Katsuki spotted them from his place on the pathway then, stopping short at the sight of them. He watched, expression unreadable, as Ochako removed Tsuyu’s arms from around her waist and stood. “Hello, Frog Woman,” Katsuki said to Tsuyu.

Tsuyu smiled. She had no idea whether the prince actually couldn’t remember her name or if he just didn’t care, but either way she found it amusing. “Hello, Prince Katsuki. What brings you to the gardens?”

Katsuki sent her a pointed look. “Did I interrupt something?”

“No!” Ochako hurried to say, not convincing anyone with her bright red cheeks. “I was just helping Tsuyu-chan with her gardening.”

“Right,” he said slowly, clearly not believing her. He had seen how close they were sitting. The gardener’s hands had been around her waist after all. “Well, I wanted to speak with you, Uraraka. Alone.”

“Oh,” she said, glancing down at Tsuyu.

The green haired woman waved her unspoken concerns away. “I will be at the feast this evening. I will see you then, Ochako-chan.”

Ochako smiled, absentmindedly playing with her bangs. She then realized she was still wearing the gloves and handed them back to Tsuyu. Their fingers brushed against each other and Ochako bit back a gasp. “I could come back before that,” she said, almost shyly.

“I would like that,” Tsuyu said with a hooded gaze.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Come, Uraraka, there is something I think you need to see,” he said. He didn’t wait for Ochako to follow because he knew that even with their differences, she would always follow him.

Katsuki led the beta to the ballroom. Ochako looked at him in confusion as he pushed open the ballroom doors, but she said nothing. She had no idea why the prince would bring her here of all places, but she entered anyway. Whatever Katsuki wanted to show her must be important to him. Her eyes widened at the sight before her. She remembered how bland the ballroom had been when they first arrived in Adria, but now it was absolutely gorgeous.

“What in the world,” she said under her breath.

Katsuki had a soft smile on his face, but he wasn’t looking anywhere near Ochako. His gaze was trained on the portrait of Eijirou’s parents. “Eijirou did this all for me,” he told her.

“Kirishima-sama did this?” she asked in awe.

Katsuki finally turned to Ochako, expression grave. “I know that you do not care for Eijirou, but he is not the kind of man any of us had expected when coming here. And I have not forgotten what alphas could be like—how cruel and arrogant they are. The Todoroki and Iida families reminded me.”

Ochako frowned. “What did they do?” she demanded.

Katsuki waved her away. “Nothing I could not handle. Sheesh, you and Eijirou are more alike than either of you care to admit.”

“I find that unlikely, Katsuki-sama,” the brunette said with a tight scowl.

Katsuki snorted in amusement. “I suppose that is fair. I mean, I definitely do not want to kiss you,” he said.

Ochako’s nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought of Katsuki kissing him—and even more so at the thought of Katsuki kissing Eijirou. “I would hope not.”

“And you do not want to kiss me,” he continued, his typical smirk taking over his face. “You would much rather kiss that gardener.”

Ochako flushed heavily, about to deny it but the look on the prince’s face told her it would be pointless. “Is it truly that obvious?”

Katsuki shrugged. “I just recognize a lovestruck look is all,” he answered meaningfully. “Does she make you happy, Uraraka?”

“Yes,” she answered instantly, not the least bit unsure.

“Then, that is all that matters,” he said.

Ochako bit her lip, deep in thought. After a few moments, where Katsuki surprisingly let her think in silence, she asked, “Does he really make you happy, my prince?”

The blond did not have to ask who “he” referred to. “He does,” he said succinctly. “Happier than I can remember ever being.”

The beta exhaled heavily, suddenly feeling weirdly trapped. She was beginning to wonder if her dislike for Eijirou was warranted at all. “Then, that is all that matters.”

Katsuki gave her a relieved smile. “Thank you,” he mouthed before pulling the beta into a hug.

Ochako’s parents had been quite tactile, so she would receive hugs almost each night before bed when she was little. Never had she even imagined hugging Katsuki, let alone any omega. It was different than when Tsuyu had held her; Katsuki’s touch was unfamiliar yet comforting, but Tsuyu had left her feeling confused with her own feelings. All she knew for sure, was that her feelings for Katsuki and Izuku were far different than whatever she felt for Tsuyu.

She pulled back from the hug and kissed Katsuki’s forehead. The blond’s eyes widened, surprised by the action. “What the hell?”

Ochako huffed. “Kirishima-sama is not the only one allowed to show you affection, you know,” she said before turning serious. “I love you, Katsuki-sama. You and Izuku-kun mean the world to me, and it is not just because I am your knight and your friend. I know that this past week or so, I have been acing out of character. For that, I apologize.”

“You were not ready for the change,” Katsuki said. “I understand. Had Eijirou not been the man he is, I would have been just like you.”

“I was afraid that you would be hurt by Kirishima-sama, but I now see that he loves you. I still do not like him much, though,” she said.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. “And why is that?”

Ochako hesitated for a moment. “He looks at you with lust in his eyes,” she answered, crossing her arms over her chest. “I can partly forgive it since he also looks at you like you hung the moon, but it is still indecent either way.”

The blond’s face was red after her first statement and he looked away. “That is just how alphas are.” And Katsuki was guilty of the same thing. “He has never done anything I did not like,” he added.

Ochako’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull. “When I said not to lose your virginity, I was joking, but Katsuki-sama—”

“I did not mean it like that!” Katsuki interrupted, his face somehow darker. “The farthest we have gone is holding hands!”

“Oh,” Ochako mumbled. “Well, good. I would have to kill him otherwise.”

Katsuki honestly couldn’t tell how serious she was, but he figured it didn’t matter. “Perhaps you should kill Prince Todoroki,” he said under his breath, but the beta still managed to hear him.

When Ochako’s eyes narrowed, Katsuki figured he might as well tell her what happened. He kind of wanted to see what she would do, anyway. 

Izuku sat on the floor in the library, leaning against one of the massive bookshelves as he read. It was slightly strange to be reading all alone, since he had grown so accustomed to reading with Katsuki sitting beside or leaning against him. Now, however, Izuku was free to read at his leisure whenever he pleased, on top of the many freedoms he had been granted since arriving in Adria. He quite liked it, but it could get a bit lonely. Katsuki had been spending so much time with Eijirou lately, and Izuku sometimes wondered if the blond had forgotten about him. He doubted it, knowing that Katsuki viewed him as something of a best friend or brother, but the feeling remained nonetheless.

The green-haired omega startled when the door to the library opened, and he nearly hid on reflex. He poked his head around the corner to see who had entered, only to actually hide upon spotting someone who had to be royalty based on their regal clothing. He could only guess it was once of the visiting princes based on their age, but he could not be certain if it was Prince Todoroki or Prince Iida. Either way, he was definitely an alpha.

The prince strolled around the library for a few minutes, and Izuku tried to make himself as small as possible to avoid detection as the footsteps neared. Really, he had no reason to be hiding; the library was free for him to use whenever he pleased and he likely had more reason to be there than the prince, but he had never been good with interacting with royalty outside of Katsuki. He got easily intimidated, even though he was of noble blood himself.

Eventually, the unknown prince did spot Izuku sitting on the ground, and his eyes widened at seeing someone there when he rounded the corner. “Oh,” he said, voice surprisingly deep and monotone. His eyes—which Izuku couldn’t help but notice were different colors—scaled Izuku’s figure, but the omega could not place the emotion in them. “I was not expecting to find anyone here. I thought I was alone.”

Izuku hurriedly got to his feet, nearly tripping over the skirt of his dress. There was a reason he rarely wore skirts or dresses, besides the simple fact that he preferred trousers. He clutched the book he was reading to his chest and stuttered over his words. “H-Hello, Your Highness,” he greeted nervously.

The other raised a fine eyebrow, his head tilting to the side and multicolored hair swishing slightly. Izuku tried his best not to stare at the beautiful man but he had a feeling he was failing. Granted, the prince was doing his own fair share of staring.

“Hello,” the prince returned. “Are you perhaps…a concubine?” Izuku’s eyes nearly popped out his skull, jaw dropping open as he gaped at the man. The prince seemed confused by his reaction. “Are they not called that here?”

Izuku slammed his mouth shut and cleared his throat, face on fire. “As far as I know, the royal family has no concubines,” Izuku said, voice carefully neutral. On the inside, he was screaming. “I am Tulian.”

“Oh,” the prince said again, a note of shock in his voice. “My apologies, I should not have assumed simply because of your looks.” Izuku was about to ask what that meant, but the alpha continued before he could. “You are one of Prince Katsuki’s associates?”

Izuku was surprised by the familiarity in which he spoke about Katsuki, but he tried not to show it. “Yes, Your Highness,” he answered.

The prince hummed thoughtfully. “So, you know who I am?” he questioned.

Izuku froze. He wasn’t sure how upset the prince would be if he told him he had no idea. “Well, I assumed you were a prince based on…your looks.” When the prince once again raised an eyebrow he quickly elaborated, “Your regal clothing, I mean. I have never seen a royal wear anything less.”

“Prince Katsuki was dressed quite…differently,” the prince said.

Izuku held back a smile. “Adrians are an exception to many rules, I have found.”

The alpha raised an eyebrow. “I had not realized that Prince Katsuki was already considered Adrian,” he said. “Although, I suppose that would explain the differences between who I had expected and who I met.”

Izuku replaced the book on the shelf to avoid looking at the prince. “Sure, that is a part of it.”

“One thing remains true, however,” the prince said when Izuku looked back, his mismatching eyes staring deeply into the omega’s own. Izuku tilted his head curiously, waiting for the alpha to finish. “Tulian omegas are remarkably beautiful.”

Izuku chuckled slightly, shoulders drooping without his knowledge. “Yes, Katsuki-sama is very beautiful,” he said dully, averting his gaze and subtly trying to move away. “Everyone says it. There are few omegas more beautiful than him.”

The alpha suddenly slammed his hand on the bookshelf beside Izuku’s head, caging the omega against the bookshelf. Izuku made a noise of surprise, eyes widening as he looked frightfully up at the much taller male. “I found one,” the prince whispered. “And for the record, I was not speaking about Prince Katsuki. I was talking about you.”

“You think I am beautiful?” Izuku asked, feeling short of breath.

“Unbelievably so,” the prince said instantly. Izuku could feel himself flushing hotly as he bit his lip. “I apologize if I insulted you earlier. I just could not believe that anyone could be so breathtakingly gorgeous and not already be taken.”

Izuku took a deep breath, and it was then that the alpha’s scent finally hit him. The smell of oaky wood nearly made Izuku moan. He licked his lips and the alpha’s eyes followed the movement with nothing short of hunger. “May I ask your name, Your Highness?” he asked quietly.

The prince moved closer until their faces were mere inches apart. Izuku had never been this close to anyone before—not even Katsuki—but he found himself quite comfortable with it. “If you tell me yours, you can have my name.”

Izuku exhaled shakily. “Lord Midoriya Izuku,” he said in one breath.

“’Lord?’ Lucky me.” Izuku had no idea why that was, but the prince continued speaking before he could say a word. “Prince Todoroki Shouto. You can just call me ‘Shouto.’”

“And you can call me ‘Midoriya,’ Prince Shouto,” Izuku said in return, a coy smile spreading across his lips.

Shouto smirked. “Will you be playing hard to get, Midoriya-san?”

Izuku gave a smirk of his own, feeling a confidence he had never felt before. “Well, I am surely not easy.”

“Wonderful,” Shouto said softly, raising a hand to stroke the omega’s face. Izuku was sure he stopped breathing then, but he didn’t move even as the alpha’s hand got closer to his face.

The sound of the door creaking open abruptly caused Shouto to retreat from the omega’s personal space, allowing Izuku to breathe easily again. Together, they watched as Ochako entered the library, her expression twisting when she realized Izuku was not alone as she had expected.

“Prince Todoroki Shouto,” she began, voice carefully neutral. “Katsuki-sama has already told me much about you.”

Shouto’s expression didn’t change. “You must be Uraraka Ochako, then,” he guessed. “Prince Katsuki has two companions, I believe.” Ochako’s eye twitched at the casual addressment of her prince but she said nothing. Shouto glanced back at Izuku, eyes softening. “It is a shame he did not mention this lovely omega here.”

Izuku fought back a blush and Ochako fought back a sneer. “Izuku-kun,” she called, eyes trained on the prince. “Come on, Katsuki-sama wants to see us,” she lied. Izuku frowned, detecting the lie, but he would not call Ochako out on it.

Shouto looked between the two of them curiously as Izuku walked away. “Is Midoriya-san your omega, Uraraka-san?” he asked, voice emotionless.

“What?” Izuku asked incredulously.

The beta huffed a laugh, purely unamused. “I am sick and tired of that question. Izuku-kun and I are merely friends; not mates and definitely not lovers.”

“My apologies,” Shouto said, not sounding the least but apologetic. Then again, his voice was almost always that same level of monotone, so it was hard to tell. “You two seem quite close, and you pulled him away in such a hurry after I complimented him.”

Ochako narrowed her eyes. “I simply do not feel comfortable leaving Izuku-kun alone in a room with a foreign, alpha prince that neither of us know,” she explained. “My duty may no longer be to the Tulian people, but I vowed to protect Katsuki-sama and Izuku-kun no matter what. Your status as prince does not change that, Your Highness.”

Shouto’s own eyes narrowed at the insinuation. “I would never hurt Midoriya-san, or anyone for that matter.”

Ochako raised a dubious eyebrow. “I would never believe you, or anyone from Endeavor for that matter,” she returned. She then opened the door, gesturing for Izuku to leave the room. The omega did, but not before sending an unreadable look towards the prince. “Have a wonderful day, Prince Todoroki. I look forward to seeing you at the feast tonight. Do try to stay away from Izuku-kun until then.” And with that she walked out, closing the door on the prince’s astonished face.

Unfortunately, Izuku’s frowning face greeted her next. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you do that?”

“Izuku,” she began slowly, not sure what to make of his cursing or anger. “I am only trying to protect you. We do not know these people.”

“I do not need your protecting anymore, Uraraka-san,” he snapped. “I am not a weak, defenseless omega any longer.”

“And you never were,” she interjected, but Izuku had more to say.

“Any conversation I choose to have with Prince Shouto is completely my choice. Not yours.”

“When did he become ‘Prince Shouto?’” she asked. “Izuku, he is a visiting prince from a foreign country. He will be leaving at the end of the week.”

Izuku narrowed his green eyes. “What are you implying?” he questioned. “There is nothing wrong with having a conversation with an alpha.”

“It is if you are planning on making him your alpha,” she rebutted. Izuku rolled his eyes. “Katsuki-sama may have fallen for a prince, but that does not mean that you have to fall for your own as well.”

Izuku scoffed, “Do you even know what it is like to see you and Kacchan in relationships, while I am left on the sidelines all alone? You two are always off doing who knows what with your new lovers, and rarely do you seem to remember that I even exist.”

“I do not—”

“I know about Asui-san, Uraraka-san, so do not try to lie. I am happy for you, really, but I find it a bit hypocritical to judge me for speaking alone with Prince Shouto when you have been on actual dates with someone.”

Ochako frowned, shaking her head slightly. “So, you really plan on…fraternizing with a prince? Do you have any idea how much trouble you can get into for that?”

Izuku stepped into her space and spoke lowly. “If an intelligent, handsome, alpha prince decides that he wants to flirt with me and call me pretty, then I am sure as hell not going to stop him.”

Izuku turned to walk away, frustrated and upset with his friend, and Ochako called after him. “Do not trust him, Izuku-kun! Katsuki-sama does not!”

Izuku stopped and looked back at her, his usually boyishly happy expression twisted in anger. “I am not Kacchan,” he snapped before disappearing around the corner, leaving Ochako to wonder when her friend had changed so much.

Chapter Text

Izuku could feel the rage and frustration brewing inside of him. He couldn’t believe Ochako would say such things to him! Why did she seem to have no faith in his ability to think for himself?

The noble was so caught up in his thoughts, he accidently collided with Katsuki as the two rounded a corner at the same time. The two omegas stumbled back, Katsuki easily regaining his balance while Izuku had to place a hand on the wall to keep himself upright. Katsuki opened his mouth to snap at whoever bumped into him, but he held his tongue upon seeing Izuku.

“Sorry, Kacchan,” Izuku said as he righted himself. “I was not paying attention to where I was going.”

Katsuki narrowed his eyes as he took in his friend’s appearance. Something was off about him, and it wasn’t just his outfit. “Are you wearing a dress?” he asked incredulously. In all the years he had known the other, he had only seen Izuku wear dresses when he was forced to. The noble much preferred pants to skirts, even if it was normal and even encouraged for omegas to wear them. It was strange seeing him dressed like that.

Izuku nodded and finally noticed Katsuki’s own attire. “Are you wearing armor?” he asked just as incredulously.

Katsuki shrugged. “Camie called it ‘battle wear,’ or whatever,” he said. “You look pretty, Izuku,” he complimented.

“Thank you, Kacchan.” Izuku smiled, but it seemed sad somehow. “You look very pretty too,” he added jokingly. Truthfully, he thought his childhood friend looked really cool.

Katsuki rolled his eyes in faint amusement, but he turned serious again the next moment. He had caught Izuku’s despondent look, even if the noble had clearly been trying to keep it on the down low. “What happened?” he asked.

Izuku’s eyes widened. He could play dumb, but he knew exactly what Katsuki was asking. Izuku had never been able to hide things from him. “Uraraka-san said something that upset me earlier.”

“What did she say?” the blond asked softly. He knew how much Ochako’s words could upset Izuku; he always valued his friends’ opinions too greatly in Katsuki’s eyes.

The noble hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether he wanted Katsuki to know he had spoken with Shouto. He would likely have the same reaction as Ochako. “She was telling me to be cautious of our guests. It was all very unnecessary and overbearing,” he said. It wasn’t a lie, but Izuku could tell that Katsuki knew there was more to it.

“If any of them bother you, tell either me or Eijirou, okay?” he said instead of calling him out on it.

Izuku nodded, giving Katsuki a grateful smile that—if Katsuki wasn’t imagining things—looked fairly pained. Katsuki sighed to himself and did something he never thought he would. He pulled Izuku into a hug, gripping the other omega tightly as he froze in shock. It took a few long moments for Izuku to relax, but Katsuki waited patiently. He would always be patient with Izuku, and as awkward as their first ever hug was, they both knew they would cherish this moment forever.

Izuku let himself relax into the hold, closing his eyes and breathing in the blond’s familiar scent. Katsuki pulled back just slightly and knocked his forehead gently against Izuku’s. “You mean the world to me, you know that?” he said quietly, as if speaking any louder would shatter the calm atmosphere they had created.

The noble gave Katsuki a serene smile. “And you mean the world to me, Kacchan,” he whispered, just as meaningfully. He then grinned playfully. “Now, stop acting so sappy. It is unbecoming of a ‘heartless jerk’ such as yourself.”

Katsuki snorted unattractively in amusement, shoving Izuku away halfheartedly. “Shut up, asshole.”

Hours later, just an hour before the banquet began, Katsuki and Izuku were quite literally dragged from the training grounds by Camie and Mina. Izuku hadn’t been surprised when Katsuki brought them to the training grounds, and he very much appreciated the stress relief that came with pummeling his life-long friend into the dirt. Camie seemed less appreciative of their dirty appearances, and she had Mina physically stop their duel before they could do any more damage.

Camie yelled at Izuku to find a new dress to wear—and that it better be even prettier than the one he ruined—while she tugged Katsuki by the ear all the way to his private bathroom. Katsuki had to push her out of the room lest she try to bathe the blond herself. When Katsuki finally emerged minutes later donned in his bathrobe, Camie already had a dress ready for him. The pale pink gown was lying on his bed, and he had never been more repulsed by a garment in his life.

“I refuse to wear that monstrosity,” he said as he glared down at it.

The seamstress simply rolled her eyes and grabbed the dress, holding it up so Katsuki could see in all of its glory. The ball gown was long enough to trail across the floor, and Katsuki suspected it had a long train in the back. It was an off-the-shoulder gown with ornate, lace patterns decorating the torso and skirt.

Katsuki sent Camie a disbelieving glare. “You cannot seriously expect me to wear that,” he said.

Camie raised an eyebrow. “How is this gown any different from the others you’ve worn?” she questioned.

Katsuki crossed his arms over his chest. “That would make me look like a fucking princess,” he griped. At least with the Adrian battle wear, Katsuki had felt powerful wearing it. This however… “Do I look like a fucking princess to you?”

Camie smiled deviously. “Do you really want me to answer that?” she asked rhetorically. “Because I think you’d make a really pretty princess.” Katsuki scowled at her. “Eijirou-sama would love it,” she tried.

“Oh, for the love of—” Katsuki cut himself off with a heavy sigh. “Eijirou would love anything I wore. And I will not wear that.”

“Sorry, sweetie, but this is the kind of shit you’ll be wearing all week. Wait until you see the gown I have prepared for you tomorrow,” she said as she pulled a pair of white heels seemingly out of thin air.

“Why the hell do I have to wear any of this?” he asked angrily as he glared at the shoes.

Camie looked at him like he was stupid. “The bride-to-be always—”

“Try again,” Katsuki growled.

Camie huffed at being interrupted. “Fine. Long story short, Eijirou-sama wanted to incorporate Tulian traditions into your ceremony—as you already know—and the omega always dresses up.”

“Not like this!” Katsuki snapped, pointing at the dress. “A simple, white dress is—”

“Boring!” Camie finished, and Katsuki scowled. “Everyone’s jaw should drop when they see you walk through the door. Every single alpha should be envious of Eijirou-sama!”

The blond rolled his eyes, growing tired of arguing. “Only today,” he said sternly. “I will not be wearing another dress like this again.”

Camie pouted but relented. “Fine. Only today.” She then paused. “And tomorrow.” At Katsuki’s warning glare she quickly added, “I already made the dress!”

Katsuki heaved another sigh and rubbed a hand over his face. He felt exhausted all of a sudden, and it was not from hours of sparring with Izuku.

Unfortunately, Katsuki had to leave both his sword and dagger behind for the banquet at Camie’s insistence, but he did at least have the satisfaction of seeing a few jaws drop when he walked through the ballroom doors. Katsuki was glad that he’d had practice years prior wearing heels because he surely would have embarrassed himself had he not.

Eijirou was standing near the doors speaking with the two visiting princes, likely waiting for his arrival, and he audibly gasped when he saw Katsuki. The blond bit back a smirk at the reaction and held out a hand for Eijirou to take.

The redhead kissed the back of his hand before moving to his lips, making sure the kiss was deep and sensual. Katsuki definitely enjoyed it, but he had a feeling it was at least partially done to get under Shouto’s skin. It didn’t seem to have any effect, since the prince simply nodded his head in greeting to Katsuki, face expressionless. Katsuki really didn’t get him.

“Hello again, Prince Bakugou,” Tenya said politely. “You look lovely this evening.”

Katsuki had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. “Thank you, Prince Iida.” The customary response would have been to give a compliment of his own to the blue-haired alpha—especially since Tenya did look quite dashing in his navy-blue suit—but Katsuki had never been one for tedious pleasantries. Besides, the alpha was nothing compared to Eijirou.

The redhead was wearing a red and gold, floral suit with gold buttons and white cuffs. His pants were a simple black, but they hugged his muscular thighs quite nicely, in Katsuki’s opinion. He was even wearing a lacey, white ascot, which Katsuki had to force himself not to laugh at. Eijirou definitely looked good in the outfit, but it was so out of character that it was laughable. Although, Katsuki supposed he was not one to talk.

Katsuki looked his fiancé over in approval. “You look very handsome, Eijirou. Are you perhaps trying to impress someone?”

Eijirou dragged his eyes away from Katsuki’s chest, apparently in the midst of his own ogling, and smiled wide. “Are you just now realizing that I’ve been trying to impress you since day one?” he said, only half-joking. “I don’t care much for these stuffy suits, but I’m glad you like it.”

Katsuki gave him a fond smile before turning to Shouto, figuring he ought to act somewhat princely. “Good evening, Prince Todoroki.”

Shouto had looked away sometime during their interaction, almost as if looking for someone, but turned back when Katsuki addressed him. “Hello,” was all he said.

The omega raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t sure why the prince’s attitude towards him had become significantly icier than earlier today, but the blond wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“I was just telling them all about the festivities we have planned for the upcoming week,” Eijirou said, and Katsuki could hear the excitement in his voice.

“Today’s banquet is only for royals, I presume?” Tenya asked. From his tone, Katsuki could only guess he was hoping for a “yes.” The blond had a feeling he didn’t interact with commoners very often.

Eijirou seemed to pick up on his tone as well since his smile turned strained. “Well, mostly. Many of our Royal Guard attends as well.”

The bespectacled alpha raised a disbelieving eyebrow at that. “You allow commoners to mingle with royalty?” he asked, clearly dumbfounded. “That is…most peculiar.”

Both Katsuki and Eijirou decided to not comment on that. Just then, Denki ran over with Hanta in tow, the latter holding up the back of the omega’s pale, yellow dress so he wouldn’t trip and fall. Katsuki marveled at the outfit, having never seen the other omega in such feminine clothing. It suited his frame nicely, although Katsuki was loathed to admit he was slightly jealous how effortlessly the knight seemed to pull it off. Hanta looked quite dashing in his own simple, gray suit, but the dual looks of worry on the mates’ faces didn’t allow Katsuki to dwell on them for very long.

“Hi,” Denki greeted everyone breathlessly, albeit absentmindedly. He and Hanta both gave short bows to the visiting princes. “So sorry to interrupt, Your Highnesses, but I have something for Katsuki-sama. It seems quite urgent.”

“For me?” Katsuki repeated, surprised. He took the letter Denki handed him.

“From your parents,” Hanta informed him as Katsuki opened the letter and began reading.

Katsuki’s eyes skimmed over the paper before sighing and handing the paper off to Eijirou, who had been trying hard to not read the letter over his shoulder. Eijirou took it and began reading himself, his eyes widening with each word. “Oh,” he finally murmured, glancing concernedly to his omega.

“What does it say?” Denki asked curiously as he took the letter back. He would have to show it to the king, since it was technically addressed to him. Denki had simply noticed the Tulian seal and rushed to show Katsuki before anything.

“My parents will not be attending,” Katsuki said emotionlessly, shrugging. “Not that I was expecting anything different.”

“Did something happen?” Tenya asked with unease. “Surely, they would not choose to miss their son’s wedding ceremony.”

Katsuki held back a scoff, not wanting to alert anyone else to his less than satisfactory relationship with his parents. “They were unable to leave the kingdom for such an extended period of time,” he explained vaguely. The letter itself had said that they could not leave due to fear of Villiass’ impeding threat, but Katsuki knew that even without that, they would be unlikely to attend such a ceremony.

Shouto looked unconvinced by the explanation. “Not even one of them?”

Katsuki glared at the question and opened his mouth to respond, but Eijirou cut him off before he could. “Excuse us, gentlemen,” he said to Shouto and Tenya before dragging Katsuki away. Denki and Hanta bid them farewell before going their own way as well.

Tenya and Shouto watched as they all walked away. “Does Prince Bakugou confuse you as much as he confuses me?” Tenya asked absently. “He is a very peculiar omega.”

Shouto looked at him strangely. The alpha opened his mouth to respond when someone entering the ballroom caught his eye. Tenya followed his gaze curiously to see Izuku waltz into the room, followed by Ochako. Surprisingly, it was Ochako who appeared nervous about being there. Izuku had much experience with gatherings like this, so he was fairly used to masking nerves underneath politeness and fake smiles.

Ochako, on the other hand, was wholly unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of stares and false niceties. She was used to going unnoticed; merely remaining in the background as she followed Katsuki around ballrooms. She also wasn’t used to wearing gowns, but she knew it was appropriate for the occasion.

She blended in quite seamlessly in her off-the-shoulder, pink dress. It was fairly similar to Katsuki’s, although much simpler and fell around her ankles. The torso of her dress was separated into three sections that fell vertically: two were a pink and the middle one was a pale pink. The skirt of her dress was a pale pink as well, and her outfit was topped off with a pair of maroon ballet shoes. If not for her nervous demeanor, she would surely appear as a noble, at the very least.

Speaking of nobles, Ochako glanced over at her friend’s own outfit, which was much more intricate than the plain, green gown he wore earlier. Ochako had never known Izuku to dress up. Seeing him in a dark green ballgown with long, see-through, lace sleeves and flowers decorating the shoulders, waistline, and skirt was quite breathtaking. He looked positively beautiful, and his toned form did not take away from the delicacy of the gown in the slightest.

Izuku noticed her gaze and smiled warmly. “You do not have to be so nervous, Uraraka-san,” Izuku said comfortingly. “You look beautiful, so just go enjoy yourself.”

“What do you even do during events like these?” Ochako asked quietly, as if afraid someone would overhear her silly question.

Izuku chuckled. “Avoid conversations with alphas, normally,” the omega answered, giggling at the beta’s unimpressed look. “Why not go find Asui-san? I am sure she would love to keep you company.”

Ochako could hear the double meaning in his words, but she had to agree that finding Tsuyu was her best option. “Please, keep your distance from Prince Todoroki,” she said before walking away in search of the gardener.

Izuku rolled his eyes once she was out of sight, but he didn’t have time to either ignore or follow her words as Shouto suddenly appeared before him. The alpha smiled down at Izuku, his eyes raking over Izuku’s small frame with a dangerous glint in his eyes. The omega swallowed, feeling somewhat nervous underneath such an intense gaze. He had never had an alpha look at him like that before, especially not when there were other, more desirable omegas around.

“H-Hello, Prince Shouto,” he greeted, mentally cringing at his stuttering.

“Hello, Midoriya-san,” Shouto said back in that wonderfully deep voice of his. Izuku had to admit that he was impressed with the alpha’s ability to listen. Typically when an omega asked something of an alpha, it went ignored unless it also benefited them. Shouto had clearly wished to use Izuku’s given name, and although Izuku would not have minded, he respected the noble’s wishes without challenge.

The omega gave a smile of his own, his opinion of the alpha rising further. “Are you enjoying your stay so far?” he asked conversationally.

“Much more now that you are here,” Shouto said, causing Izuku to blush despite himself. He had to admit that it was a bit suspicious how forward the prince was towards someone as plain as him, but Izuku couldn’t help the way his heart raced whenever Shouto talked to him. “I must say, you look positively ravishing.”

Izuku looked down at himself, nervously rubbing his hands down the skirt of his gown. “Oh,” Izuku mumbled, embarrassed. He had no idea how to handle the prince’s flirting. Surely, this had to be flirting. Was he supposed to respond just as brashly? “And I suppose you wish to ravish me, Your Highness?” Shouto’s eyes widened at that and Izuku floundered, thinking he had gone too far. “I mean—”

“Perhaps we can start with getting to know one another,” Shouto smoothly interjected his rising panic. “And then, if you so wish, you may accompany me on a date.”

“A date?” Izuku repeated dumbly. “With me? You want to go on a date with me?”

Shouto chuckled slightly at the disbelief in his tone. “I would love nothing more,” he said, voice as close to a purr as an alpha could get. Izuku felt like he was about to lose his mind or, just maybe, burst into flames. “But first, I would love to speak with you. Hopefully, without interruption this time.”

“I would like that too,” Izuku said shyly. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the alpha’s hand entered his field of vision, just barely moving away before he could touch his face. Shouto seemed shocked and maybe a bit disheartened at the reaction, but Izuku was quick to explain. “Tulians are very particular about physical contact, Prince Shouto. You surprised me, is all.”

“I see,” he murmured, clearly disappointed. “My apologies.”

“It is quite alright,” Izuku said softly, neglecting to think about how close he had been to letting he prince touch him in the library just earlier that day.

“Can I get you a drink?” Shouto asked, changing the subject. “Adrians make fantastic wine.”

Izuku was about to decline since he didn’t enjoy drinking wine very much, but he knew from his lessons that declining drink or food from an alpha was disrespectful, and he would sure Shouto would see it as such. He knew Endeavors were fairly similar to Tulians in their customs. He didn’t want to offend the alpha, so he put on his patented fake smile.

“Yes, I would like that.”

“Eijirou, slow the fuck down,” Katsuki hissed as Eijirou continued to drag him across the ballroom, everyone making way as they passed and staring—quite rudely in Katsuki’s opinion. Katsuki used his free hand to hike the front of his skirt up slightly so he wouldn’t make a fool of himself by tripping over his own stupid dress in his stupid heels, and he steadfastly ignored the fact that his legs were now partially visible. He was very conscious of his train snagging on something, however, sending a glare to the unsuspecting servant who accidentally stepped on his dress.

In response, Eijirou pulled Katsuki closer to him and began walking normally. Whether the move was consciously or unconsciously possessive, Katsuki’s didn’t know or care. “Are you upset that your parents aren’t coming?” the redhead suddenly asked.

“Fuck no,” Katsuki said instantly. “We are supposed to enjoy this week, right?” he said, referencing what Eijirou had said to him earlier that day. “Having my parents here would benefit no one. Even though that letter was bullshit, I am admittedly relieved that I will not have to see them again for some time.”

“I can’t say I’m eager to meet them,” Eijirou agreed. “I’m just glad you’re not upset, angel.” He received a jab to the side for the pet name. “I know you secretly like that name, Katsuki,” Eijirou said teasingly as he rubbed his side, wincing slightly. The blond had not held back at all.

“You wish,” Katsuki grumbled, but his face was a telltale red.

Ochako found Tsuyu after a while of searching. She had begun to think that the gardener was not even present, and she had half a mind to go to the gardens instead when she finally spotted her long, green hair in the distance by the table filled with cheeses and pastries. The knight snagged a pastry as she approached and popped it into her mouth just as Tsuyu turned in her direction. Her face froze in shocked amusement at the sight of Ochako with a pastry hanging out of her mouth.

Ochako quickly took a bite out of it and swallowed, face pink with embarrassment. “Hi, Tsuyu-chan.”

“Hello,” Tsuyu said in return. Her eyes slowly trailed over Ochako’s outfit, and she must have liked what she saw because she smiled. “Why is this the first time I am seeing you in such a gorgeous dress?” she asked.

The beta knight rubbed the back of her neck, face practically glowing now. “I am not usually a fan of such clothing. I find it very constricting.”

“I find it very flattering when on you,” Tsuyu said smoothly. Her eyes dropped down to the hand Ochako was holding the pastry in. “No gloves?”

“Ah, well…” Ochako trailed off, not wanting to admit that she had stopped wearing them all together because of the gardener. “I saw no need.”

Tsuyu smiled, no doubt picking up on the unspoken words. She was very perceptive, Ochako was coming to find. “It makes holding hands much easier,” Tsuyu said, almost casual enough for Ochako to not freak out internally. Almost.

As it stood, Ochako was beginning to freak out internally. Is she implying that she wants to hold my hand, she wondered, her heart racing. “I bet,” she chuckled nervously, failing to hide her nerves from Tsuyu’s all-knowing gaze.

The gardener smiled softly at the other beta, saying nothing. She simply held out a hand for Ochako to take, gaze unassuming and patient. Ochako stared at it as if it were some alien creature, peeking around to see if anyone was watching them. Of course, no one was paying two nondescript, beta commoners any mind, but the brunette felt put on the spot regardless.

Tsuyu, who had been standing with her hand held out for a few minutes now, was holding back a laugh at the range of emotions racing across Ochako’s face a mile a minute. She didn’t want to laugh at the knight, knowing that Tulians struggled with physical intimacy of any kind. Honestly, the fact that Ochako hadn’t instantly shied away from her hand spoke volumes. She clearly wanted to take her hand but for whatever reason, she was holding herself back.

Tsuyu just needed to be patient, and the gardener knew Ochako was far worth the wait.

Ochako audibly gulped, biting her lip anxiously. She brushed her bang away absentmindedly before slowly reaching out to take Tsuyu’s hand. When their fingers touched, she gasped and nearly pulled her hand away reflexively. Tsuyu quickly grabbed her hand before she could. Tsuyu interlocked their hands, smiling beatifically.

“This is fine, Ochako-chan,” she said reassuringly, gaze soft and filled with an emotion Ochako never expected to see directed at her. She could imagine herself coming to crave it.

Ochako knew she was blushing, but she managed to tear her eyes away from their hands and looked into Tsuyu’s big, green eyes. “This is perfect, Tsuyu-chan,” she agreed.

Izuku took a tentative sip of the red wine, his nose scrunching at the unpleasant taste the moment it hit his tongue. Shouto stood, leaning leisurely against the wall as he watched the omega try and fail to hide his negative reaction to the wine. It was quite adorable, actually, but Shouto had a feeling the noble wouldn’t appreciate being teased. The alpha felt mildly guilty about making the omega drink any wine to begin with, but if he had known his aversion to it, he surely would have gotten him white wine instead.

“Don’t force yourself,” he mumbled, eyes crinkling in faint amusement when Izuku merely chugged the rest of liquid down before slamming the wineglass on a passing servant’s tray. “Well then.”

“I am not a fan of red wine,” Izuku said needlessly.

Shouto raised an eyebrow but didn’t point out the obvious. “You could have said so, Midoriya-san,” he said before taking a much calmer sip of his own wine, humming at the taste just to see the omega’s nose wrinkle cutely.

“That would have been rude,” Izuku said as if Shouto should have known that.

The alpha made a noise of understanding. “Tulian custom, I presume?” When Izuku nodded slowly, Shouto sighed under his breath. “Truthfully, I would rather you do whatever makes you most comfortable, but I can see how some random alpha telling you that may come off as…dishonest.”

Izuku bit his lip, and Shouto’s eyes were magnetically drawn to the plump lips as Izuku spoke his next words quietly, “You are a guest, not some random alpha, Prince Shouto. And…I do not see you as a dishonest person.”

Shouto could feel his mouth drop open slightly and his eyebrows rise, but he schooled his expression quickly enough as to not let Izuku know how much his words shocked him. Nor could he let him know how untrue his words were to begin with. “I’m glad,” he said sincerely.

The sound of someone obnoxiously clearing their throat grabbed both men’s attention, and they turned to see Todoroki Enji standing before them with a fierce scowl set on his features. Izuku unconsciously took a step back, not wanting to be so close to the large and intimidating alpha. Even though Izuku didn’t know exactly who this man was, he had no doubt he was someone of great importance if the way he held himself was any indication.

Shouto’s face twisted into something ugly at the sight of the man, and Izuku was taken aback by the hate in his eyes. “Father,” he said coolly, causing Izuku to gasp.

“Shouto,” Enji said back, voice somehow even colder than his son’s. He hadn’t even acknowledged Izuku’s presence. “I need to speak with you.”

“I’m in the middle of a conversation,” the younger Todoroki said, surprising Izuku.

“Oh, you can go, Prince Shouto. I would hate to keep you,” Izuku said. He turned to face the king of Endeavor, bowing just slightly. The large alpha finally turned to look down his nose at him, eyes disinterested. “It is an honor to meet you, Your—”

“And when did I give you permission to speak, omega?” Enji’s authoritative voice cut in, and Izuku bit his tongue as he looked to the floor, feeling unrightfully ashamed.

“I—”

Enji clicked his tongue at the sound of Izuku’s meek voice, rolling his eyes as he turned away, paying the omega no more attention. “I had thought Tulia was better at raising proper omegas, but I suppose not,” he grumbled before turning to his son. “Shouto, I will not repeat myself.” And with that, Enji stomped away, not even bothering to see if Shouto would follow.

The young alpha never had a choice anyhow.

“I apologize, Midoriya-san,” Shouto said sincerely. Izuku kept his gaze on the floor, feeling humiliated beyond belief. He was also angry, but there was no way he could have argued with a king of all people, especially not in front of his son.

“There is no need to apologize, Prince Shouto,” Izuku said quietly, all of his previous energy gone.

Shouto frowned, mentally cursing his father for upsetting the omega so much. “Midoriya-san, it unfortunately seems like our time together has been cut short. Perhaps we could do something tomorrow?”

Izuku almost smiled. “Do you mean that date you promised me?” he asked hopefully.

Shouto nearly smirked. “Precisely,” he responded. “Now, can I get a smile before I go?” Izuku’s eyes widened in surprise at the question. “I’m not leaving until I see that pretty smile of yours,” he said.

Izuku’s face flushed at the compliment, and he truly couldn’t fight the flattered smile that spread across his face even if he tried. “You are quite the flirt, Prince Shouto. Do you speak to every omega you meet like this?” he asked jokingly, although a part of him wondered if that may actually be the case.

Shouto’s face fell for a split second before it returned to its usual neutral stare. “Only you,” he said softly, turning to follow after his father. “Good evening, Midoriya-san,” he said, giving the omega a little wave before walking away.

Izuku watched his back as he got farther and farther away, giving a belated wave of his own as he wondered why his chest felt so strange.

Shouto took his sweet time meeting up with his father, silently taking amusement in the clear annoyance written across his features as he tapped his foot impatiently. The young alpha even stopped a servant with a tray of champagne, trading his empty wine glass for the new drink. He could have sworn he heard his father growl as he took a long sip, maintaining eye contact as he did.

“Shouto!” his father hissed when he finally approached. “Just what in the world do you think you’re doing?”

Shouto knew for a fact that if they didn’t have to keep up appearances, his father would be doing more than just raising his voice slightly. Far more than that. “I was having a conversation with Lord Midoriya,” he said smartly, making sure to stress the omega’s title.

Enji merely rolled his eyes. “What you should be doing is spending more time with Prince Bakugou, not some random omega whore.”

Shouto swore he saw red. “Do not talk about him like that,” he nearly growled. His father seemed unfazed by the show of anger. “I do not want to go along with your ‘master plan’ anymore, father,” he said.

Enji scoffed. “Tulia would benefit from an alliance with us far more than Adria. Besides, Prince Bakugou—as distasteful as he acts now—is still a Tulian at heart. All you have to do is retrain him, and he’ll be the perfect bride for you, Shouto.”

Shouto’s face twisted in disgust. “He cannot be trained,” he spat. “He is not an animal.”

His father waved him away, chuckling as if Shouto had told a joke. “You are so young and naïve, boy. He is just an omega. They are simple creatures, good for two things. Do you know what those two things are, boy?”

“I’m not answering that,” Shouto sneered.

Enji sighed, wondering why his son was so difficult. “I don’t see what the problem is,” he began. “Prince Bakugou is a fine omega despite his personality, and he will surely bear you many healthy, strong alphas.” Shouto grit his teeth. “And even if he can’t, you can still make use of him. An untouched omega is the best thing for a young alpha like you. They are very receptive to touch.” It sounded as if he spoke from experience, and Shouto would not be surprised if said experiences were more recent than not.

“You’re disgusting,” Shouto spat, glaring daggers up at his father. “Prince Bakugou is getting married in no more than four days, and you want me to not only ruin he and Prince Eijirou’s relationship but ruin a perfectly good alliance with Adria in the process!”

Enji narrowed his eyes, glancing around to make sure no one had overheard. “Lower your voice, boy,” he demanded. Shouto had to bite his lip to keep from yelling something else. “We won’t have to worry about Adria. Not once we have all the access we need to Tulia’s resources. Why do you think Crimson Riot even agreed to this half-assed alliance with Tulia to begin with? Surely Eijirou could have found a more suitable mate for himself, but Tulia holds treasures that every kingdom is dying to get their hands on.” Shouto couldn’t believe his ears. Enji looked so smug as he put an arm around his son’s shoulder. “And I will be the first to hold it.”

“Why not just propose an alliance yourself, since you seem to believe Tulia is a goldmine of sorts?” Shouto asked. “Or do you simply prefer destroying other’s lives?”

“Watch your tone, Shouto,” Enji warned. “We are only in front of wandering eyes for so long.” Shouto swallowed heavily at the unspoken threat, fear spreading through his veins as he fought not to react. “Now, do as you are told and seduce the prince.”

“And how do you expect me to do that?” Shouto asked sarcastically.

“I couldn’t care less. Fuck him so good he thinks he’s in love, knock him up, threaten him, hell you can even court him if it makes you feel better,” Enji listed off, and Shouto’s heart plummeted further with each word. “As long as you do it before Prince Kirishima pops his knot in him—”

“Father!” Shouto gasped, recoiling in disgust.

“You’re no virgin, Shouto. Quit acting like it. You’ve brought plenty of beta and omega whores to your chambers. Just treat him like you treated them.”

“No,” Shouto said, shaking his head. “I refuse to go along with this.”

The change in Enji’s face was subtle, but it spoke volumes to the young man who spent eighteen years of his life fearing the sight. “This is not a suggestion, Shouto. You will make that omega yours.” His voice was cold, his eyes thunderous. Shouto could feel himself shiver, even in the warmth that every Adrian room seemed to possess. “Do you understand me?”

Shouto could only nod. “Yes, father.”

Princess Momo sat against the wall in a rather uncomfortable chair beside her mother and Queen Iida, who had simply nodded her head to them with a smile when they sat down. It had been around twenty minutes since then, and not a single word was spoken between the three women. Momo held in a sigh as she watched the Adrians and other guests meander about the room, smiling, laughing, and having a good time. But Momo stayed in her seat.

There would be no point in conversing with any of these people anyway.

Her mother suddenly leaned over, tapping the raven-haired girl on the shoulder. “Are you bored, darling?” she asked, smiling knowingly. “Why not go talk with your friends? Just how long has it been since you’ve spoken with Prince Tenya, Prince Eijirou, or Prince Shouto?”

“We have nothing to talk about,” Momo told her. She didn’t see the merit in having pointless conversations. Small talk was a waste of time.

The queen frowned slightly. “You do not have to go into every conversation with a plan, Momo. Sometimes, you can just enjoy someone’s company.”

Momo wasn’t convinced but she nodded anyway. “Very well, mother. I will go find Prince Iida,” she said before getting up to do just that.

Queen Yaoyorozu watched her daughter go with a worried gaze. She then turned to the silent woman next to her. “Iida, would you like some wine?”

Queen Iida gave her a smile but shook her head. “It is customary for the wife to wait until her husband brings her food or drink during formal events,” she said, almost scripted.

The raven-haired omega chuckled nervously. “Got the whole rulebook memorized, have you?” she asked rhetorically, turning to watch the crowd of people again. “’Ingenium Rules Because of Their Ingenious Rules,’” she quoted beneath her breath.

Queen Iida snickered quietly, apparently overhearing her. “Something like that,” she said, her expression never changing.

Prince Tenya stood with a drink in hand in the middle of the ballroom, admiring the fine artwork on the ceiling when Momo approached. He looked her way at the sound of her footsteps and gave the alpha a warm smile when he spotted her.

“How lovely to see you again, Princess Yaoyorozu,” he said.

Momo inclined her head, since alphas were never expected to bow. “It has been some time since we last saw each other,” she responded. “I am sorry hear about Prince Tensei.”

“Ah, thank you,” Tenya said, expression dampening just a bit at the mention of his bedridden brother. “He is in much better condition than last year.”

Momo gave a relieved smile. “That is wonderful to hear.” There was a brief pause in conversation. It was not too awkward but very noticeable by both. Momo delicately cleared her throat before asking, “How have you been handling your duties?”

“They can be a bit strenuous at times,” Tenya answered. “I have no idea how Tensei was able to manage since birth.”

“It gets easier, I suppose,” Momo said. “I imagine you must be under a lot of pressure now that you are the crowned prince.” Tenya took a large gulp of his wine to avoid responding and Momo hid a giggle behind her hand. “Yes, a lot of pressure indeed.”

“I can handle it,” Tenya said surely.

“Of that I have no doubt. You have always been strong and incredibly intelligent, Tenya. And very capable.”

The blue-haired alpha gave her a grateful smile. “I would say the same about you, Momo,” he said genuinely. When they once again fell silent, he changed the subject. “I feel as though Adria has changed a bit since I was last here.”

Momo nodded, not at all fazed by the abrupt change in conversation. “I know what you mean. Just a few years ago, this ballroom was atrocious. I must say this remodel is quite remarkable.”

“Yes, I was just admiring it,” Tenya said. “Do you think Prince Bakugou played a role in these changes?”

Momo took a moment to think about that. “I have heard that Tulians tend to have a knack for interior design, but Prince Bakugou does not strike me as such,” she concluded.

Tenya had to agree. “He is not your average Tulian omega. He is quite something.”

Momo almost snorted. “That is a word for it,” she mumbled. “I do not care much for him. He is too…pompous.”

“I thought the same,” Tenya was quick to say. “Although, I must say he surprised me with how outspoken he is.”

“He does seem intelligent,” Momo admitted.

Tenya nodded along. “For an omega,” he tacked on absentmindedly.

“Oh, yes. And a Tulian.”

Iida hummed in agreement and took a sip of his Adrian wine. Momo inspected her nails as they stood in a comfortable silence, small talk over.

“Welcome family, friends, and allies!” Crimson Riot shouted from the front of the ballroom two hours into the banquet, his booming voice stealing the attention of everyone within the room effortlessly. “It pleases me greatly to see so many beautiful faces here today! And for those who could not make it—most notably King and Queen Bakugou of Tulia—” Many heads turned in Katsuki’s direction at that, and the blond huffed in annoyance. “Their presences will surely be missed.”

“Not likely,” Denki and Katsuki both muttered before giving each other matching smirks. Eijirou nudged them both to get them to pay attention.

“Now, I know you are all very enthused about the upcoming week, but I’m sure you’re all wondering just what the hell we actually have planned,” Crimson Riot continued, earning a few laughs from the crowd. “Allow me to enlighten you. For today, we have a simple banquet planned, and I hope you will all enjoy the food meticulously crafted by our kitchen staff once we move to the dining hall. Tomorrow morning will begin the day-long parade held within the capital that you are all welcome to attend. On day three, a feast will be held. And yes, all of the food will be freshly hunted by my knights.”

King Iida made a noise of disgust. “Barbaric.” Tenya nodded in agreement with a similar look of distaste.

“On day four, there will be a grand festival. Feel free to enjoy the music and food available around the capital! Day five is the long-awaited Battle of Warriors, so make sure not to eat too much. I expect fights between warriors, not pigs.” A few more laughs rang through the hall at the joke. “And last but not least is what everyone is actually here for. The day the young souls, Kirishima Eijirou and Bakugou Katsuki, become one.”

“Oh, I am so excited!” Queen Yaoyorozu said enthusiastically under her breath, her daughter giving her a weird look. It all seemed a bit much to the young alpha woman, but she supposed Adrians were quite an exuberant people after all. “I wonder if I could join in on the parade.”

“I believe we are just meant to spectate, mother,” Momo said exasperatedly.

The queen huffed quietly, giving her daughter a hard look. “You should be more excited, young lady,” she said reproachfully. “Hopefully this week will have you thinking more about your own wedding one day. Heavens know it has been a long time coming.”

Momo frowned at her mother’s words and said nothing, not wanting to think about the loveless marriage she would find herself subjected to one day. She glanced balefully from the corner of her eye at the couple in question, her frown deepening when she saw their interlocked hands and content smiles as they gazed up at the king. Not everyone can be so lucky, she thought bitterly.

Crimson Riot began walking away, his announcement concluded, only to be approached by King Yaoyorozu and King Todoroki. King Yaoyorozu had a pleasant smile on his face, though his eyes were stern, but King Todoroki didn’t bother hiding how upset he was. The redheaded king sighed to himself before plastering a smile on his face. “Ah, how are you two enjoying yourselves so far?”

King Yaoyorozu cleared his throat. “Just fine, Crimson,” he said, shortening his title in a way Crimson Riot allowed only him. “You have quite the busy week planned—”

“Cut the shit, would you?” Enji growled, his scent reeking of annoyance and impatience. It made the other two alphas bristle, but decades of dealing with the volatile man made it easy for them to ignore the urge to snap back at him. Even if he was incredibly rude. “All of this planning seems a bit excessive, especially for some Tulian omega,” he said. “What reason could you possibly have to ally yourself with those people?” he demanded, and Crimson Riot had a feeling he was asking out of more than simple curiosity.

They’re not much unlike you, Crimson Riot thought. “Queen Bakugou proposed the idea, and I saw some merit in an alliance. I find our kingdoms have about as much in common as Adria and Endeavor, but our alliance holds strong nevertheless.”

Enji scoffed, “My kingdom is not weak. If you are content with acting as Tulia’s bodyguard, then suit yourself. If it were up to me, I would let that piss-poor excuse for a kingdom fall to ruin as it inevitably will.”

Crimson Riot raised an eyebrow, watching as the other stormed away after that. “It was good talking with you,” he called after him before rolling his eyes and turning to King Yaoyorozu. “That man drives me crazy,” he bemoaned before noticing the concerned look on the other alpha’s face. “Oh, not you too, Yao,” he sighed tiredly.

“I will not pretend that I am not worried, my friend,” he said solemnly. “I trust your judgment, though I do wonder about the Tulians. They are quite the tricky group of people.”

“As if the Endeavors are not,” he muttered. King Yaoyorozu chuckled and Crimson Riot looked around conspiratorially before whispering, “Ah, pretend you didn’t hear that.”

King Yaoyorozu raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Hear what, Crimson?”

It was not long before everyone moved to the dining hall for the grand feast prepared by Chef Satou and the kitchen staff. It had been so long since the dining hall was filled with so many people, and Eijirou could not fight the grin that spread across his face at the sight. The day he had always dreamed of—his wedding day—was so close. And though Katsuki was not the mate he had anticipated for the many years he imagined this day, he was certain that he would not give him up for anything in the world.

He and Katsuki took their usual seats at the table, although Izuku, Ochako, and the Royal Guard had to sit further down the grand table to make room for the other royals present. Katsuki bit back smile when Ochako had gotten into a staring contest with Momo over her usual seat. The princess only got it after Tsuyu had grabbed the knight’s hand and dragged her away. And just in time as well, because Momo looked anything but pleased with the beta’s rudeness.

Across from Eijirou and Katsuki sat King and Queen Yaoyorozu, who were having a conversation with Crimson Riot. Beside them was their daughter who was speaking quietly with Prince Tenya next to her, with King and Queen Iida sitting not unlike statues to their son’s right. Unfortunately, with various others taking the remaining seats on that side, that left the Todorokis to sit to Katsuki’s left. Of course, Shouto had nabbed the seat directly beside the blond the moment he arrived, although he had yet to say a word to him. For that, Katsuki was grateful.

Before long, each seat at the dining table was taken, with only one chair empty and no one moving to sit there. Everyone knew exactly who that seat belonged to, even if she was not present to sit there.

Minutes before the food was served, a set of hands landed on Eijirou’s shoulders. This caused not only Eijirou to startle but Katsuki as well, since he had been in the middle of conversation with him. Eijirou looked behind him at an impossibly large man with one of the kindest smiles Katsuki had ever seen.

“Hey there, squirt,” the man said, and Katsuki nearly laughed at the irony of a man as tall and jacked as Eijirou being called “squirt.” Granted, Eijirou looked like a child in the presence of this stranger.

Eijirou seemed to take no offense to nickname, since he merely grinned widely in return before hopping out of his seat and wrapping his arms around the man. “Fat!” he greeted.

Katsuki was really confused about that particular name, since this man was anything but rotund. In fact, he appeared to be packing more muscle than Eijirou.

The man laughed loudly, the sound as pleasant as it was startling. He clapped Eijirou on the back, and the smaller alpha had to catch himself before he fell over. “It has been far too long, son!” The man’s gaze jumped to Katsuki then, and his grinned seemed to stretch even wider somehow. “You must be Prince Katsuki. My, I have heard many things about you around the capital. I am glad to finally meet you in person.”

“Ah, and you as well…” Katsuki trailed off, looking towards Eijirou in question.

“Oh! This is Lord Toyomitsu Taishirou! Also known as ‘Fatgum’ around the capital,” Eijirou introduced the man jovially.

“I was a lot rounder in my youth, but no less strong, let me tell you,” Toyomitsu said to Katsuki when he caught his confused look.

Eijirou laughed along before continuing, “He was my mentor when I was younger. He taught me how to wield a sword! He’s also Tamaki-san’s father.”

“I would offer to shake your hand, but I have heard that Tulians are averse to touch,” Toyomitsu said, not unkindly.

Katsuki almost huffed, feeling marginally offended despite the man’s gentle voice and matching expression. “Not all touch,” he corrected.

“They’re just picky,” Eijirou chuckled, earning a slap on the arm from Katsuki.

Toyomitsu laughed. “Well, I’ll be heading back to my seat now. I look forward to seeing you in the parade,” he said, clapping Katsuki on the shoulder. Katsuki recoiled from the force of it, but even he could tell the man had held back most of his strength. “You take good care of each other, alright?” he added, gazing down at Katsuki meaningfully, expression the most serious the blond had seen so far. He quickly slipped back into his typical smile when Katsuki slowly nodded, waving at the two as he walked away to his own seat at the table.

Katsuki watched the man go before turning to Eijirou with narrowed eyes. “In the parade?” he questioned.

Eijirou coughed into his hand awkwardly. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. It’s a small role.”

“I had not even realized I had one,” Katsuki hissed quietly, conscious of Crimson Riot sitting just two seats away from him.

Eijirou quickly kissed Katsuki on the lips, shocking all anger out of the blond. He grinned at his wide eyes and flushed cheeks. “Tomorrow will be the easiest day of the week, trust me.” At that, Katsuki’s face fell, but Eijirou kissed his cheeks until Katsuki was giggling and the royals in the room were all clearing their throats.

The rest of the banquet passed in relative silence. At least, half of the table was quiet. The Royal Guard kept the room quite lively, and even though Eijirou was on the other side of the room, he found himself conversing more with his knights than anyone. That left the people between them—that being Katsuki, Shouto, and King Todoroki—more than a little annoyed.

Katsuki didn’t know which was funnier: Eijirou’s indignant squawk when Katsuki poked him with his fork to shut him up or the visiting royals’ appalled expression when he merely laughed in response.

Eijirou insisted on walking Katsuki back to his chambers after dinner, but neither of them were ready to part ways for the night. When they reached the blond’s door, Katsuki leaned against it and let Eijirou pull him into a kiss. The omega sighed into the embrace and wrapped his arms around the alpha’s neck as he enjoyed the long-awaited moment alone with his soon-to-be husband.

Eijirou pulled back slightly to look into Katsuki’s half-lidded, red eyes. “It’s easier to kiss you for some reason,” he commented curiously. Katsuki raised a confused eyebrow, so Eijirou explained what he meant by that strange statement. “I mean, I don’t have to lean down as much to kiss you.”

“Oh, that is likely because of my heels,” Katsuki explained, pointing down to his foot as he lifted his dress on the side a tiny amount. Eijirou blinked dumbly down at his footwear. “My feet hurt like a bitch, though.”

“Want me to carry you to bed?” Eijirou asked seriously, already imagining carrying Katsuki to his bed, laying him down, taking his clothes off, and then…

Katsuki chuckled lightly, thinking that Eijirou was only joking. “No, thank you.” He really wouldn’t mind being carried around by the burly alpha, to be honest. “I need to undress anyway.”

Eijirou swallowed heavily. “Do you want help?” The moment the question left his mouth, he regretted it.

Luckily for him, Katsuki still seemed to think he was joking. “Stop making such indecent jokes, Eijirou,” Katsuki scolded lightly, hitting him on the arm.

“Ah, sorry,” the redhead said unconvincingly. Katsuki raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior, but before he could comment on it, Eijirou continued speaking. “Hey, Katsuki, could I steal you for a little while?” he asked.

“What does that even mean?”

Eijirou paused for a moment before rubbing the back of his neck, seemingly anxious. Katsuki couldn’t understand why he was acting so weird all of a sudden. “Do you want to go riding?”

“So late?” Katsuki questioned, surprised. “I do not think we should be out so late.”

“It’ll be just a couple hours,” Eijirou said. “I just want to spend a little longer with you.”

That seemed to do the trick because Katsuki nodded after a moment’s contemplation. “Fine, but I do not feel like walking anywhere,” he said, lifting his arms. “Carry me.”

Eijirou grinned widely and swept the omega off his feet. Katsuki gasped before letting out a giggle, wrapping his arms around the alpha’s neck once again and resting his head on his shoulder as Eijirou started off towards the stables. Katsuki watched the alpha’s face as he walked, showing no signs of effort or struggle carrying the blond. Katsuki had known Eijirou was strong, but seeing it for himself was another thing entirely.

And so much better.

“Are we going back to where we had our picnic?” Katsuki asked once they reached the stables. Kouda was busy brushing the last of the horses before heading home for the night when he spotted Eijirou carrying the blond. He did a double-take before hopping to his feet and bowing.

Eijirou put Katsuki down on the ground and patted Kouda on the back, smiling the whole while. “We’re just gonna take Riot out for a ride,” he informed him. “I’ll make sure everything is in order when we get back.”

Kouda nodded, heading back to get the necessary equipment for riding. Katsuki turned to Eijirou with a frown as the alpha went to Riot’s stable towards the back. “What about Queen Murder?” he asked.

Eijirou gave him a weird look before it seemed to dawn on him that the blond was referring to Ivy, who he had renamed “Queen Murder.” Eijirou had to bite back a snort, knowing that Katsuki would think he was making fun of him. But really, the blond was too cute for his own good. “You can ride with me on Riot, okay?” Eijirou said instead.

Katsuki looked skeptical. “Will we both fit on him?” he asked.

“Of course,” he said just as Kouda came out with the saddle and reigns in his arms. Eijirou took them from the stable boy with a quiet “thanks” before preparing Riot for riding. The horse neighed loudly once the saddle was properly secured, as if excited to go out riding. Eijirou pet the stallion and poorly copied the noise, drawing a snort from Katsuki and a quiet chuckle from Kouda. “Alright. You ready, sweetheart?” he asked the blond.

Katsuki blushed at the term of endearment, glaring sideways at the other male in the room until he scurried away. “Cool it with the names,” he mumbled, now glaring at Eijirou.

Eijirou pretended not to hear as he mounted Riot, reaching out to help Katsuki up. The blond struggled slightly with the heels, but eventually managed to mount without too much embarrassment on his part. He had to sit sideways and hike up the train of his dress so it wouldn’t drag in the dirt as they rode. He pulled the mass of fabric into his lap and realized that he didn’t really know where to put his hands. Eijirou had hold of the reigns, and it was not like the saddle had handles for a second person to hold.

“Just put your arms around me, Katsuki,” Eijirou suddenly said, as if reading the blond’s mind. Katsuki hesitated slightly, unsure if that would really suffice, but eventually wrapped his arms around the alpha’s waist. “Comfortable?” Eijirou asked amusedly when he felt Katsuki nuzzle the back of his neck. The omega said nothing, merely closing his eyes and breathing in Eijirou’s scent. “Hold on tight, angel.”

And with that, they were off. Riot galloped along the path just on the outskirts of the capital that lead directly into the woods. Eijirou kept a swift yet steady pace as to not jostle Katsuki too much. If he didn’t know any better, he would think Katsuki had fallen asleep leaning against him.

“Katsuki,” Eijirou said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. Katsuki hummed quietly to let Eijirou know he was listening, his arms unconsciously tightening around his waist. “Would you run away with me?”

Katsuki sat up slightly at that, shock overtaking him. He tried to get a look at the redhead’s face but Eijirou kept his gaze ahead. “Run away? Eijirou, what are you talking about?”

The blond felt Eijirou’s shoulders lift and fall in a shrug, or maybe a sigh. “I was just thinking what it would be like if it were just you and me against the world,” he said in a faint whisper, as if sharing a secret with the blond. “Just forget all of our problems: Villiass, Tulia, the war, everything. Just us, together forever.”

Katsuki furrowed his brow. He never would have expected a confession like this from Eijirou, as flattering as it was to hear. “Neither of us are the kind of people to run from our problems,” Katsuki said softly. “We are warriors.” He paused slightly, his hands moving to grip the back of Eijirou’s suit. “You would not run, would you?”

“Of course not,” Eijirou said instantly with a shake of his head. He grabbed one of Katsuki’s hands, bringing it to his lips and placing a swift kiss to it. Katsuki let out a quiet sigh of relief, which did not go unnoticed by the alpha. “I just sometimes wonder what it would be like to be a commoner. To not have all these responsibilities and expectations weighing down on my shoulders each and every day.”

“Because we are princes, we were able to meet,” Katsuki said quietly. “Though there are some hardships and things I would not miss if given up, my royal blood allowed for the two of us to meet. For that, I am thankful.”

Eijirou sorely wished he could see Katsuki’s face at that moment. He also wished their wedding day would arrive sooner. “I agree wholeheartedly, angel. I’d never abandon my people, my friends, my father.”

“I know.”

“But…” Eijirou hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should ask the question that was currently plaguing his mind. It seemed so inconsequential, as hypothetical and unrealistic as it was. Still, he was curious as to what the blond would answer. “If you could, would you run away with me?”

Katsuki didn’t even need to think about it. “I would go anywhere with you, alpha.”

Eijirou could feel himself grinning as he pulled Riot to a halt. He got off the horse and turned around, holding his arms out towards the blond. Katsuki reached out to grab ahold of his arms to get down, but Eijirou simply grabbed him around the waist and hefted him off the animal and onto the ground. Katsuki gasped at being manhandled so easily.

Katsuki once again had to lift up his dress, the fabric dragging in the dirt and ruining its pretty, pink color. “This stupid fucking dress,” he cursed under his breath. He then felt himself sinking and realized that his heels were sinking into the dirt as he stood in place. He gave an enraged shout as he dropped his dress and ripped the shoes from his sore feet.

“You look pretty, though,” Eijirou commented, dodging a stray (and very dangerous) high heel as Katsuki hurled the shoe away. Eijirou watched its journey through the air until it disappeared from sight, a light thud and rustling of leaves signifying it hitting the ground. “I hope you know I’m not searching for that,” he said to the blond in deadpan.

“No need,” Katsuki grumbled. “I hate those dumb shoes anyway. I would rather be barefoot.” Katsuki abruptly plopped down on the ground, apparently no longer concerned about dirtying his gown. “Fuck, my feet are killing me.”

Eijirou sat down in front of Katsuki and pulled one of his legs into his lap, hands at the ready. “Want me to massage them?” he asked hopefully. Katsuki gave him a weird look. “I promise I’m not into feet,” he chuckled.

Katsuki mentally shrugged before nodding his head, figuring that if the alpha was offering, he may as well take it. Eijirou beamed at him before moving the dress out of the way, but the moment he saw Katsuki’s leg he froze completely. The blond furrowed his brow in confusion, even nudging the redhead lightly with his foot, but to no avail. Eijirou was like a statue.

It wasn’t long until Katsuki got properly annoyed. “What?” he snapped, about to move his leg from Eijirou’s lap when the alpha grabbed his ankle and lifted his leg into the air. The skirt of his dress flew up from the sudden movement, covering Katsuki’s head and revealing his garter and underwear beneath. His hands instantly shot out to push the dress back down. “Eijirou! What the hell are you doing, you stupid knothead?!”

“You’re wearing pantyhose,” Eijirou whispered in amazement. His hand was too busy stroking the smooth, white fabric covering Katsuki’s leg to pay any attention to the omega’s outraged cries.

“No shit, you dumb—!” Katsuki cut off with a tiny gasp at the first press of lips against his ankle. “Eijirou?” he called nervously as the alpha began placing kiss after kiss against his clothed skin, slowly inching closer to where Katsuki was holding down his dress and barely maintaining his modesty. Without warning, Eijirou bit into Katsuki’s thigh, causing the blond to hiss in pain. “Ow! What the fuck is your problem?”

Eijirou tenderly kissed the spot he had bitten, soothing the pain just slightly. Katsuki turned a violent shade of red when he realized just how close Eijirou was to his most private areas. His sharp teeth had managed to poke holes into the pantyhose where he bit him, and the alpha couldn’t resist sticking his index finger into one of the small holes and widening it so he could get to the lovely, milky white skin hidden underneath.

Katsuki held his breath as Eijirou’s finger trailed across his skin before the alpha hooked his finger and ripped a line down his inner thigh. Katsuki cried out in surprise and the alpha grinned predatorily at the expanse of skin now on full view. Eijirou's tongue quickly followed suit and he moaned at the taste of the blond. Katsuki shut his eyes tight at the feeling of the wet appendage dragging across his skin, feeling as if he were about to be eaten whole. It was a strange feeling that Katsuki knew he shouldn’t enjoy but found himself leaning into, his hands leaving his dress to rest atop Eijirou’s head as he bit and licked his skin. Not pushing him away, but not pulling him forward either.

Even Katsuki, as inexperienced as he was, could predict how this situation would go. And Katsuki was not ready for that.

“Eijirou, stop,” Katsuki said, his voice coming out much weaker than he intended, but it seemed to do the trick anyway.

At the sound of his fiancé’s voice, Eijirou instantly pulled back, his face pinched into a guilty expression as he realized the things he had been ready to do to the omega. “Shit, sorry,” he said, fixing the shaking blond’s dress and scooting back a few inches just to be safe. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t mean to scare you, Katsuki.”

The blond frowned at the redhead’s switch in behavior. He had only wanted Eijirou to stop; he didn’t want the alpha to berate himself for the rest of the night. “Eijirou,” Katsuki began, pulling the alpha back towards him with hands on either side of his face. Eijirou blinked dumbly at him as Katsuki continued, “Shut the hell up. You did nothing wrong, and you did not scare me. You could never scare me. I simply needed you to stop…touching me so much.”

“Oh,” Eijirou said.

Katsuki snorted, “Yeah, oh.” He released the alpha’s face but crossed his arms over his chest. “What the hell was that anyway? You ruined my pantyhose.” Not that Katsuki really cared much about that.

Eijirou sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, giving the blond a lopsided smile. “You have really nice legs, and you’re wearing pantyhose that make your legs look even sexier, and a garter! I just…got really excited,” he explained, his voice losing its conviction as he went on.

Katsuki to narrow his eyes dubiously. “Why would that make you excited? Do you have a thing for legs or something weird like that?” he asked.

Eijirou’s hands had found their way to Katsuki’s waist again as they were talking, and his thumbs were now rubbing small, absentminded circles into the fabric. “I might now,” Eijirou joked, although the way he licked his lips when he glanced back down at Katsuki’s legs made the omega think it was anything but a joke. “Do you not realize how gorgeous you are, pretty omega?” Eijirou questioned, his eyes hungry as they stared into Katsuki’s own.

Without waiting for an answer, Eijirou began peppering kisses along Katsuki’s jawline, nipping lightly at the juncture where his jaw met his neck. Katsuki whined loudly, burying a hand back in Eijirou’s hair while the other found its way to the back of Eijirou’s suit and gripped tightly.

“That’s probably why Prince Shouto made a move on you,” Eijirou continued, aggravation partially oozing from each syllable.

Katsuki used his grip on Eijirou’s hair to yank his head back. “Do not say that half and half bastard’s name while your lips are against my neck,” he snarled.

Eijirou laughed to cover up his moan at the show of aggression and dominance. He truly loved the omega’s dominant side, almost as much as his beautifully submissive side. “’Half and half?’” he repeated in amusement. “Oh, because of his hair, ri—”

Katsuki pulled Eijirou into a fierce kiss to make him stop talking, and the redhead thought that wasn’t the worst way to be shut up. “Stop talking and kiss me, idiot,” Katsuki said with a pair of red cheeks when he pulled back from the kiss.

The alpha grinned, licking his lips. He gently moved Katsuki until his back was on the ground and he was gazing up at the alpha with wide, innocent eyes. With the alpha now hovering over him, Katsuki’s heart started beating faster. He was panting by the time Eijirou leaned down to kiss and suck bruises into his neck.

“W-What is with you and my neck?” Katsuki asked breathlessly, his hands clutching at Eijirou’s clothing desperately.

He whined when Eijirou licked over his mating glands at the same time he squeezed his right pectoral, the fabric of the dress rubbing against his nipple and making him cry out. It was all becoming too much too fast, and Katsuki could feel himself growing aroused. He opened his mouth to tell Eijirou to stop, but the alpha pulled away before he could even get a word out.

Katsuki blinked a few times, trying to make heads or tails of what just happened. “Huh?”

Katsuki watched as Eijirou ran a hand over his face and stood up, pacing back and forth as he mumbled something unintelligible under his breath. The blond took the opportunity to fix his clothing and stand up himself. He didn’t bother brushing the dirt off his dress; there was too much of it, and he would only end up dirtying his hands in the process.

“Eijirou?”

“I’m sorry,” Eijirou mumbled as he continued pacing, hands gripping his hair in frustration or anger or both. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately.”

Katsuki took a step forward, but Eijirou held a hand out to stop him. Reluctantly, Katsuki stood still, but he was clearly annoyed himself. “What are you talking about?”

“You just told me to stop touching you, and I did it anyway!” Eijirou yelled, but Katsuki was beginning to suspect his frustration was with himself rather than the blond.

“But you stopped,” Katsuki reminded him. “You did nothing wrong—”

“No, I did!” the redhead interrupted loudly, and Katsuki flinched despite himself. “Consent is important, and I ignored that!”

Katsuki frowned. “Eijirou…”

“What kind of alpha just ignores their omega like that?”

Katsuki put his hands on his hips. “Eijirou.”

“I’m acting like some knothead! I don’t deserve—”

“Eijirou!” Katsuki shouted, stomping his foot. That finally snapped the alpha out of it, although he still looked guilty when he turned to Katsuki. “Do not even think about finishing that sentence!”

“But, Katsuki—” Eijirou began, only to be silenced by Katsuki’s glare.

“I truly have no idea why you are beating yourself up so much,” the omega sighed. “You are allowed to touch me. I am your omega after all.”

Eijirou shook his head. “That doesn’t give me the right to ignore you.”

Katsuki nearly rolled his eyes, but he felt that would have been distasteful. “You did not ignore me. Sure, you got carried away a little, but you pulled back before I even said anything. I know plenty of alphas who would not have stopped.”

Eijirou scowled at the thought of another alpha touching Katsuki without the blond’s permission. “I would never do anything you didn’t want, Katsuki.”

The blond nodded. “I know,” he said. “And that is why I am not upset with you.”

“I have trouble controlling myself around you,” Eijirou admitted ashamedly. “Whenever we are alone, I feel this dire need to touch you. Even when there are other people around, I want to stake my claim on you somehow.”

Katsuki could feel himself flushing at the admission. “Oh…” he said weakly. “Is that an alpha thing?” Or am I just special?

Eijirou shrugged helplessly. “I have no idea, to be honest. I have never felt this way before.” Eijirou sighed loudly, looking up at the sky above. “Except maybe during my ruts, but that’s more…Well, you know how it is. I’ve heard an omega’s heats are fairly similar to an alpha’s ruts. At least in regard to sensations and emotions.”

Katsuki was unsure of how true that was, but he never very little about alpha’s and their ruts. The fact that Eijirou was able to so nonchalantly speak about either showed how much more “mature” he was compared to the omega.

Eijirou suddenly gasped, as if realizing something. “Holy shit. Your heat!’ he exclaimed, turning fully towards Katsuki. “How have I not thought about your heat?” he asked no one in particular. “Well, not that I haven’t fantasized about it,” he added under his breath.

“What?” Katsuki asked, not having heard him.

“Nothing!” Eijirou said quickly before clearing his throat. “When is your next heat?”

Katsuki’s face turned even redder at the question. “In two months,” he said quietly, embarrassed to be talking about it.

“Two months?” Eijirou repeated in surprise and just a bit of disappointment.

Katsuki nodded. “Typically, Tulian omegas are given to their alphas just before their heats are expected to begin so the alpha can mate them right away, but my heat came earlier than expected and we could not wait three more months. My physician said it was likely caused by stress,” he explained, avoiding eye contact the entire time. “Crimson Riot was already informed before my arrival. I assumed you knew as well…”

“I see,” Eijirou said slowly, absorbing the information. Why did father never say anything to me, then? While Eijirou was definitely disappointed by the fact that he wouldn’t be spending a heat with Katsuki for two months, he figured that was probably for the better. “Well, I suppose that’s fine. At least our first time will be outside of your heat.”

Katsuki kept silent, not wanting the alpha to know how much the idea alarmed him. At least during a heat, Katsuki assumed his body would guide him. With a clear mind, the act of sex seemed so much more frightening. Eijirou took his silence as embarrassment—which was not entirely untrue—and pulled the omega into his arms. The air around them became permeated with the calming scent the alpha put out, hoping to soothe the blond’s nerves. It served its purpose, but Katsuki could still feel the worry tugging at the back of his mind.

I just need more time, Katsuki thought to himself, allowing a smile when Eijirou placed a soft kiss into his hair. Then, I can be the omega he deserves.

Chapter Text

“You just have to sit there and look pretty,” Camie said bluntly as she did some last-minute checks on the prince’s dress. She thought he looked positively beautiful—not that he didn’t any other time—but she could see in the reflection of the mirror that Katsuki was far less pleased with his ever-expanding wardrobe. “Stop scowling so much,” she said, unaffected by his obvious anger. “That literally goes against what I just told you.”

Katsuki scoffed, “I highly doubt that simply sitting around like a statue is what is expected of me. Surely, there is more at stake. The Adrian people are already not fond of me. Except for a handful of knights, I suppose.”

Camie moved just out of sight, so Katsuki could not see her rolling her eyes in the mirror’s reflection. “A handful,” she mumbled sarcastically, silently wondering how Katsuki could not see that he was adored by far more people than he knew. Shaking her head, she continued louder, “Everyone will see just how happy you make Eijirou-sama today. And if you would just smile more…”

“I smile plenty,” Katsuki said indignantly, scowling even more.

“At anyone other than Eijirou-sama?” Camie questioned dubiously.

Katsuki opened his mouth to answer when he stopped himself short, realizing that he only really smiled around Eijirou. He just happened to also spend almost all of his time with Eijirou lately, so he failed to notice the correlation. It was not as if he smiled much before coming to Adria anyhow.

Petulantly, the blond mumbled, “I smile around Izuku and Uraraka as well.” Or at least, he thought he did.

Camie held back a snort. “Well, we’ll have to get them in the carriage parading around the kingdom as well,” she said sarcastically, earning a glare from the blond, which she easily ignored.

Katsuki huffed in annoyance and said nothing. Silence passed between the two as Camie got up to retrieve Katsuki’s second pair of heels (which Katsuki was not happy to discover existed). The blond gingerly sat on his bed, unsuccessfully trying to move at least somewhat gracefully in the gown. He allowed Camie to slide the heels onto his feet, just barely flinching when he felt her hands on his skin. Camie didn’t comment on his reaction, thankfully.

“Hey,” he said suddenly, drawing the brunette’s attention up to him. “Have you ever been outside of the capital?” he asked, trying not to sound too curious. In his nearly two weeks in Adria, Katsuki had spent most of his time either within the castle walls, within the capital, or within the forest outlining the kingdom. He was more than curious about what lay just beyond the capital, in the small villages and outskirts.

Camie nodded in response, looking back down but not putting the prince's second shoe on. She held the heel in her hand, mind elsewhere. “I didn’t live within the capital before I started working for the royal family. I grew up in the outskirts—in a small, poor village.” Katsuki looked at her with surprise, not having expected someone as exuberant and outspoken as Camie to come from poverty. “I sometimes visit home when I have the time, but I would be lying if I said I missed it much.”

“Well, I would imagine that living inside the castle is far better than living in some crappy village,” Katsuki said matter-of-factly.

At those words, Camie gave Katsuki a look that he could not decipher, but it was gone before he could even think to. She mumbled something under her breath and made a face before getting to her feet, expression once again cheery as usual.

“Okay!” she exclaimed, brushing imaginary dust from her (unusually) long skirt. “You’re ready for action, Your Highness.”

Katsuki opened his mouth to comment on the clearly forced smile on her face and how strained her voice sounded. A knock on the door interrupted him, coming in a pattern Katsuki knew Eijirou thought was humorous. Katsuki did not agree.

With a heaving sigh, the prince got to his feet mostly steadily and walked to the door. As he expected, Eijirou was standing on the other end with a large grin on his face. However, Katsuki had not at all been expecting to see his fiancé standing there with a bouquet of flowers tucked safely in his beefy arms. Katsuki looked between the flowers and Eijirou’s grin a few times before raising a questioning eyebrow, hoping Eijirou would pick up on how confused he was by the situation.

“Hello, Katsuki,” Eijirou greeted, allowing his gaze to trail over Katsuki and his outfit.

The blond waited for him to get his eyeful before speaking. “Why do you have flowers?” he asked.

Eijirou thrust the flowers out to Katsuki, taking the omega by surprise as he automatically took hold of the bouquet. He was no less confused.

“They’re for you,” Eijirou said cheerfully. Katsuki merely blinked at him, and his grin wavered slightly at the lack of reaction. Anxiously, the redhead rubbed the back of his neck and said, “Ah, well, I had a feeling you might not like flowers too much as a gift—which is why I never got you any when I was courting you—but Tsuyu-chan was telling me a few days ago that flowers have special meanings and stuff, so I figured I could make a bouquet out of flowers that reminded me of you or something like that. I mean not that you remind me of flowers or anything like that, I just mean that—”

“Eijirou,” Katsuki interjected, and Eijirou snapped his mouth shut. His face was bright red, either from talking so much or embarrassment. Probably the latter. He was slightly shocked to see Katsuki smiling up at him, and he was even more shocked when the blond stood on the tips of his toes to place a sweet kiss on his cheek. “Calm down and stop fucking rambling already. You sound like Izuku,” he joked. Then, almost shyly, he added, “Thank you.”

“Y-You’re welcome,” Eijirou stuttered, feeling even more embarrassed for some reason.

Katsuki looked down the bouquet in his arms, marveling at the array of colors. He softly touched a petal on a red flower, asking, “Will you tell me what they mean?”

“Of course!” Eijirou exclaimed. “Um…well, the orange blossoms mean things like chastity and purity.” The blond flushed slightly when he realized that Eijirou thought of him like that—even if it was true. Since he put a flower with that meaning in the bouquet, Katsuki assumed Eijirou thought of those attributes as a good thing. “The gladiolus—the one that’s kind of long and pointy looking—means strength and integrity.”

“Oh…” Katsuki was now turning dangerously red.

Eijirou wasn’t fairing much better, it seemed, his own cheeks as pink as the flower. “It can also mean ‘you pierce my heart,’ since it’s supposed to be related to a gladiator’s sword. Hence, um, the name,” he murmured embarrassedly, rubbing the back of his neck and his eyes flicking between the floor and Katsuki.

“That sounds awfully aggressive,” Katsuki commented lightly. “And a little sweet. Is that what you think of me?” he asked teasingly, although he felt very flattered by all of this.

The alpha gave Katsuki a look. “I mean…” he trailed off meaningfully, causing Katsuki to snort in amusement.

The blond grabbed Eijirou by the dark red ascot of his gray suit—which was quite similar to the one he wore to the banquet—and pulled him down into a quick smooch. “What is this purple one?” he then asked.

Eijirou needed a moment to gather his thoughts before answering, still stuck on the unexpected kiss. “Oh, that’s a hydrangea.”

“And what does it mean? Something mushy and romantic?”

“It means ‘a desire to deeply understand,’” Eijirou explained. “It is kinda mushy, I guess, but I do want to understand you. I want to know everything about you, and for you to know everything about me.”

“Oh,” Katsuki breathed again. He had no response to that. “You really hit all the bases, huh?”

Eijirou chuckled, “Well, there is one more type of flower there.”

Katsuki looked down at the bouquet, his eyes finding the flower that had first caught his eye. The red petals that reminded Katsuki so much of Eijirou; his beautifully expressive eyes and his ridiculously wild hair. Both of which he loved dearly. “Right. What is it called?”

“A chrysanthemum.” Katsuki opened his mouth to ask about the meaning, but Eijirou shook his head. “I’ll tell you what it means one day, angel. Just not today, okay?”

Katsuki pouted, feeling cheated somehow but nodded after a moment. It wasn’t like he would do something as embarrassing as ask Tsuyu what it meant. He’d give it a week, at best, before he inevitably got too impatient, swallowed his pride, and demanded an explanation. “Fine.”

Eijirou chuckled, likely having an idea of Katsuki’s train of thought anyway. “By the way,” he said. “You look absolutely stunning. And we match!”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, but it was fond. His outfit of the day was a simple, yet elegant form-fitting dress that hugged his body in all the right places. It had a cape hanging from the shoulders that draped down to the floor, and the dress itself was a similar shade of gray to Eijirou’s suit. Camie had said that she thought Katsuki would appreciate it. And he did, but he was getting tired of wearing dresses daily.

Katsuki suddenly smirked, batting his eyelashes seductively. “Normally, I would think a suit like that was hideous, but you wear it very well, Eijirou,” Katsuki purred, tugging on his lacey ascot again. “But then you look handsome in anything. Makes me want to skip this whole parade and spend the day kissing you.”

The redhead flushed hotly, covering his face with one hand. “Alright, I get it. Compliments can be embarrassing, so I’ll stop. So, please, stop.”

Katsuki chuckled victoriously, although he was just as red. He truly did think Eijirou looked handsome in his suit, even if he was accustomed to seeing the alpha in more vibrant colors. “I meant what I said, though.”

“Good, because I feel the same way,” Eijirou returned, kissing Katsuki quickly on the cheek before taking a chrysanthemum from the bouquet and placing it delicately in Katsuki’s hair. The stem poked out in the back and tickled Katsuki’s ear, causing him to giggle and slap his hand away, but Eijirou considered it a job well done, nonetheless. “There!” he exclaimed triumphantly. “Perfection made even more perfect!”

“I am the farthest thing from perfect, Eijirou,” Katsuki said seriously.

“Oh?” Eijirou raised an eyebrow, tone serious, but his eyes spoke volumes of the amusement he felt. “Are you contradicting your alpha?”

Katsuki couldn’t help but snort at that, knowing that Eijirou was teasing with his words. “Shut up, idiot.”

Eijirou gasped in mock outrage. “Keep it up, and I’m calling off the wedding.”

“You would miss me too much,” the blond said with certainty.

Eijirou dropped the act, nodding gravely. “You’re right,” he acknowledged. “I want you by my side until the day I die.” And with that, he wrapped an arm around Katsuki’s waist and led them to the entrance of the castle, as if he hadn't just made Katsuki's heart race. Or maybe it was racing because beyond those doors were the Adrian people, and all of their eyes would be on them. This time, however, Katsuki was not being introduced as a potential mate, but joining Eijirou as his beloved fiancé.

Katsuki just hoped the redness of his face would fade by the time they reached the doors.

As the doors to the castle opened, the first thing Katsuki noticed was the flooding of light. It had him squinting his eyes as the outside scenery gradually became visible and what had to be hundreds upon hundreds of faces gazing up at them. He subconsciously clutched the bouquet to his chest. The very next thing he noticed was the sound of the people’s—his people’s—roaring cheers. It was a stark contrast to the dreadful disdain he had been subjected to his first day in Adria. Yet, he could not help but be reminded of it so clearly.

Although it had crushed him and began his thoughts of inadequacy, that day had also taught Katsuki much about the values of the Adrian people. The prince knew he was not quite within their good graces yet, but given time, he was sure he could receive nearly as much joy upon his arrival as Eijirou did now. And he knew this was all for Eijirou—the entire week really was. He was no fool. Katsuki, at this moment in time, made for the picture-perfect bride but a less than exemplar queen-to-be. As long as Eijirou’s arm remained around his waist, Katsuki was serving his purpose. That was how he saw the situation.

Eijirou accepted him as he was, even though he was not nearly enough. Not strong enough, not brave enough, and surely not good enough for an alpha like Eijirou.

Katsuki subconsciously leaned into Eijirou’s hold, unknowingly seeking more of his touch. The motion drew the redhead’s attention to him for a mere moment, his hand freezing in the midst of his never-ending wave to the people below. Eijirou kept his expression as joyous as his people’s, even as his heart constricted painfully at the sight of his lover so conflicted.

There was little he could do to soothe him while they were in the public eye like this, so he surrounded the omega in his scent and squeezed his waist, hoping that would suffice for the time being. He felt Katsuki startle and tense under his hand before the blond gathered himself and plastered a smile on his face. Right where Eijirou preferred it to be, even if it was clearly forced.

With that, Eijirou began their descent down the many stairs leading to the royal carriage, Katsuki having to onehandedly hold up the front of his gown slightly as they went. He was thankful that he at least had no train to snag on anything today. Eijirou made sure to keep one hand around Katsuki and the other in the air, waving away. He smiled and greeted everyone in the crowd he recognized—which was a relatively unsurprising large amount—until they finally reached the carriage.

Katsuki had half expected the same carriage that Denki, Mina, and Mashirao had come to Tulia in, but this one was completely different. This one had no roof—which concerned Katsuki just slightly—and was far more ornately decorated than the other. While the other carriage was clearly meant for travel, this one was purely for show it seemed. Katsuki just hoped it was as comfortable to sit in for hours at a time as the first one had been.

The blond silently wondered how many carriages the royal family owned as Eijirou opened the door for him, the redhead politely waving off the driver who had reached to open it for them. Katsuki climbed into the vehicle and slid over to the other side, carefully placing his flowers on the seat and making sure not to squish them. He then began fidgeting with the skirt of his gown, attempting to keep it out of the way of the alpha. It was not until Eijirou climbed inside, shutting the door behind him and placed a hand over Katsuki’s that the omega forced himself to sit still.

As the carriage began moving, Eijirou leaned close as to kiss Katsuki’s cheek but instead whispered, “Relax, angel.”

Katsuki lowered his head, hiding his gritted teeth and scowl. There was no way he could.

Ochako and Izuku stood near the foot of the stairs, the omega of the duo doing all he could to catch the attention of either Katsuki or Eijirou. Unfortunately, with all of the bristling, loud bodies surrounding them, it was pretty much impossible to be heard or to stand out amongst the crowd. Still, the two could see their friend clearly, and the expression on Katsuki’s face had Izuku and Ochako’s excited moods souring.

“I wonder what could be bothering Kacchan on such a beautiful day,” Izuku murmured, feeling anxious on behalf of his friend.

“Perhaps he has realized that this sham of a marriage is not what he really wants,” Ochako suggested, monotone. Of course, the beta only partially meant it; she knew Katsuki was happy with Eijirou despite the circumstances leading up to their union. Ochako missed Izuku’s answering glare, her gaze still focused on the couple. “Or maybe he is just nervous. He is quite literally being paraded around a kingdom filled with people who do not think very highly of him.”

Izuku blinked in surprise. “I had not thought of it that way,” he admitted, a tad bit guiltily. “I suppose I had come to assume that Kacchan would be more than used to events like this, being royalty and all.”

“Tulia would never throw a parade like this.” Ochako scoffed at the thought. “This makes marriage seem like something to be celebrated rather than something merely political.”

“I would love to have an Adrian wedding,” Izuku sighed, almost dreamily.

Ochako gave him an odd look. It was slightly startling to hear Izuku speak about something like a wedding, especially considering Izuku had never shown any prior interest in matters of romance. Not until Prince Shouto showed up, anyway. “You mean an Endeavor wedding,” Ochako teased, snickering at how quickly Izuku’s face turned red once he caught on to what she was implying.

“U-Uraraka-san, please!” Izuku covered his face with his hands in embarrassment, spreading his fingers to peek through them at the grinning beta. “There is no way I could ever marry a prince! Let alone Prince Shouto!”

The knight seemed unconvinced. “Says the guy who calls him ‘Prince Shouto’ to begin with.”

Izuku groaned in exasperation, feeling sorely tempted to crawl into a hole for the rest of the parade. “You are evil.”

“Well, Adria has brought out the best in all of us,” she chuckled loudly, and Izuku groaned once again.

Katsuki got comfortable on the blissfully lush seats, smiling to himself as he watched Eijirou wave and shout random greetings and words of thanks to anyone in the crowd he made eye contact with. It was nice seeing Eijirou so excited, and it made Katsuki feel just a smidge calmer. It was still nerve-wracking knowing all the expectations the people of Adria had of him, but he had to admit that the sight of Eijirou’s smiling face made it easy to forget about all of that.

Eijirou then turned to him, still all smiles, and Katsuki’s heart skipped a beat inside his chest. “This is so exciting!” he exclaimed. “I’ve always dreamed of this day, having my own ceremonial parade! Look how many dancers there are, Katsuki!”

Katsuki did, looking around them at the large group of at least twenty dancers and thirty musicians performing. Musicians playing lutes, fiddles, and tambours strapped to their chests marched ahead of the carriage as the dancers surrounded it, moving with the vehicle’s slow pace as they jumped high and twirled about. More musicians with trumpets, ocarinas, sackbuts, and horns took up the rear, creating quite the spectacle for all of the spectators. They were all clad in vibrantly colored, midriff bearing tops and flowing skirts with bright paint decorating their tanned skin. Katsuki was mildly surprised to see this; he doubted the many male dancers were all omegas.

Something suddenly caught Katsuki’s eye, and he squinted to better make it out. “Camie?” he whispered in disbelief.

Eijirou followed his gaze, and his grin widened. “Oh, Camie-san is one of the dancers! That’s so sweet that she joined the festivities!” he said happily. “She looks like she’s having fun.”

Katsuki had to agree, although he was left to wonder just how the woman managed to get ready so quickly after leaving his chambers. Nevertheless, Katsuki was secretly glad to see the woman enjoying herself; a joyous grin adorning her pretty face as she danced in sync with another woman. A woman with pink hair. A woman who looked strikingly familiar.

“Holy shit, is that Mina?” Eijirou blurted at his side. He then laughed jovially, throwing his head back and showing his teeth. Katsuki wanted to kiss him. “Well, now I know who convinced Camie-san to dance.”

Camie caught the blond’s eye, her obnoxious winking obvious even at this distance. Katsuki turned back around with a huff, his face suspiciously pink. “I hope they both pass out from exhaustion,” he grouched, not meaning a word of it.

“Katsuki, be nice,” Eijirou said absentmindedly, knowing that the blond was only hiding his embarrassment. It was clear he secretly appreciated their gestures.

“Whatever.”

“Oh! Kyouka-san!” Eijirou yelled, and Katsuki had to commend the beta for not faltering in her playing. Eijirou could be extremely loud when he put his mind to it. The beta simply waited for the moment her instrument of choice was not needed and lowered it to wave.

“Eijirou, we should be waving at all the people on the sidelines, not the people behind us,” Katsuki pointed out.

The redhead pouted childishly, turning to his fiancé. “Hey, they all came out for us, so we should enjoy it,” he said before suddenly jumping to his feet. Katsuki gasped in surprise, half expecting the alpha to fall right out of the vehicle. Fortunately, Eijirou effortlessly maintained his balance. He raised both arms high in the air and shouted for all to hear, “Thank you all so much for coming out today! I love you all!”

“That is not waving,” Katsuki mumbled, although he had a small, hidden smile on his face.

Eijirou only sent him a wink and began doing a little dance to the music playing, earning ear-splitting cheers from everyone and a laugh from Katsuki. The omega covered his smile with his hand, but his eyes revealed all of the humor and affection he felt for the man dancing like an idiot next to him.

Shouto sighed once the carriage was out of sight, subtly looking around to make sure he was out of sight of his father as well. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he began searching for a familiar tuft of fluffy, green hair. It took a while, what with the many heads just barely sticking out above the sea of people. It also didn’t help that Izuku was more on the short side, since he was an omega. Eventually, though, Shouto spotted the noble, and he did a silent little cheer in his head, keeping his expression perfectly neutral.

The prince took the opportunity to approach the omega, intending to fulfill his promise of taking the omega on a date. Or at least, he hoped to walk around the capital with him. Admittedly, Shouto had very little idea what the two of them could do, but he was determined to spend time with the omega. The alpha had no idea why he was so interested in the Tulian, especially when he should be doing all he could to gain the favor of another Tulian. He figured it stemmed from his tendency to defy his father’s wishes.

There could be no other explanation after all.

Shouto pushed through the throng of people, some realizing who he was and making way for him while others were more absorbed with the parade going on. After a few minutes of brushing against more people than he ever wanted to in his life, Shouto was able to clearly see where Izuku was standing. Unfortunately, he was with that beta friend of his, who Shouto was loathed to admit scared him just a little bit.

Shouto decided to focus his attention on the omega for now, and he found it wasn’t very difficult. “Hello, Midoriya-san,” he greeted, raising his voice just enough to be heard, and Izuku’s vibrant green eyes shot up to meet his.

“Oh!” Izuku exclaimed in surprise, a smile spreading across his lips. “Prince Shouto, I was not expecting to see you here.” He paused, seemingly thinking about what he said before amending his statement. “Ah! I mean, of course you would attend the parade since you were invited to the wedding! Not that it would be wrong to not attend, since you are free to do whatever you want, but I should not be surprised to see you here! Which I am not. I just did not think that you would take the time to greet me—”

“Izuku-kun, you are rambling,” Ochako quietly said to him, but her voice was just loud enough for Shouto to overhear.

“Sorry, sorry!” Izuku blurted, going as far as to bow apologetically to the prince.

Shouto’s eyebrows lifted in alarm. Does he do this often, he wondered. “I do not mind,” he assured the noble. “I actually came over because I wanted you to show me around the capital.”

“Me?” Izuku asked in surprise, frowning confusedly for a moment before it seemed to click in his mind. “Oh!”

“Prince Todoroki, I can assure you that neither Izuku-kun nor I know Adria’s capital any better than you do,” Ochako said, eyes narrowing suspiciously as she gazed up at the prince.

Shouto ignored her. “I insist.”

Izuku looked nervously between his annoyed friend and the handsome prince, feeling torn. On one hand, he had not expected the prince to be so adamant about it, especially considering the fact that he assumed Shouto had not been serious the night before when proposing their “date.” On the other hand, there was no way Izuku could just turn down the prince. He was a prince after all, even if they had been kind of, maybe, flirting before.

“Um,” Izuku cleared his throat. “Well, there is no harm in walking around with Prince Shouto,” he said to Ochako, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Izuku then turned to the alpha. “That is, if you do not mind tagging along with Uraraka-san and I.”

Shouto did mind, but he would not say. “If your friend does not mind, then I do not either.”

Ochako resisted the urge to roll her eyes, silently wondering how she was the only one of her friends who could see past an alpha’s bullshit. Instead, she drawled, “I would hate to be a third wheel, so you two can have fun without me.” Her eyes narrowed just slightly, threateningly, at the prince. “Not too much fun,” she mouthed, only for Shouto to see.

Izuku was watching Shouto, trying his hardest to read his expression. The alpha was very hard to read, and his face never seemed to change much, but Izuku felt like he could sometimes guess his emotions by the minute changes in his expression. For example, when Ochako had been speaking, the furrow between the prince’s brow had been far more defined, so he was likely annoyed or frustrated. However, now that he was looking down at Izuku again, his face seemed softer somehow.

Izuku blinked in surprise and watched as the prince blinked in response, his eyes undoubtedly trained on the omega. Izuku felt his face redden, realizing that he had been caught in his staring. The corner of the alpha’s lip twitched, and Izuku could only wonder what a full-fledged smile would look like on his face.

“Is there something on my face, Midoriya-san?” Shouto asked when Izuku continued to stare, his tone light.

“No!” Izuku was quick to say, hoping that Shouto wasn’t too creeped out by his incessant staring. It also seemed as though Ochako had left while he was lost staring creepily at the prince. “Your face is perfect!”

Shouto’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline, although the rest of his facial expression remained as stoic as ever. “Oh.”

Izuku covered his face with hands, his face bright red. “What is wrong with me?” he mumbled quietly. “I did not mean to say that, Prince Shouto,” he said just loud enough for the other to hear. “Please, forgive me.”

“I took no offense,” Shouto said, hiding his amusement at the omega’s embarrassment. “It was a compliment after all.” And then, so quietly that Izuku was sure he was not intended to overhear, he added, “Even if I do not quite agree.”

The noble tilted his head curiously, a confused pout forming on his lips. He was sorely tempted to ask how the prince could think such a thing—as undeniably beautiful as he was—but even Izuku knew that would be going too far.

Unfortunately, Izuku’s mouth tended to work slightly faster than his brain. “You must be aware of how handsome you are, Prince Shouto.” Izuku’s eyes widened and he gasped, fully expecting Shouto to just walk away at this point. This was why he had told Ochako there was no way he could ever marry Shouto—even ignoring the glaring fact that he was a prince. Izuku knew he was annoying, and even though Katsuki and Ochako usually found his quirks endearing or even entertaining, that did not mean that opinion was shared by others.

Shouto said nothing for a long time, but he wouldn’t look at Izuku either. Even as they continued walking, they remained in that tense silence. Izuku was positive that he had ruined everything between himself and the prince—whatever it was that they had to begin with. The prince would likely never speak to him again. Izuku was terrible at making friends to begin with—only ever truly having two throughout his childhood—and now he had completely ruined a rare chance to befriend someone as amazing as Shouto.

“Are you…?” Shouto’s voice broke through Izuku’s thoughts, and the noble gazed up at him. The look on his face must have answered whatever question he was about to ask. “Midoriya-san, I do not mean to alarm you, but you have been mumbling under your breath for quite a while now.”

There was a long pause in which Izuku’s face grew more and more horrified. “Please, just kill me now,” he groaned into his hands.

Shouto ignored the request. “I cannot imagine that you have had only two friends in your life,” he commented, avoiding mentioning the rest of his internal turned external rant.

“You heard all of that?” Izuku exclaimed in mortification. “Please, just ignore everything I said! Kacchan is always telling me that I mumble too much, and talk too fast, and am just generally annoying at times.”

“That seems harsh,” Shouto said. “I find it quite refreshing actually.” At Izuku’s look of confusion, Shouto elaborated, “Most people in my life are very two-faced and selfish. Everything that they do and say is done so they can get ahead in life, even if it is at the cost of someone else’s happiness, safety, or life. But you…you say exactly what you’re thinking, and you mean every word. I wish more people were like you.” Shouto then glanced down at him, a hint of a smile on his lips. “I have had trouble making friends in life as well.”

“What about Prince Iida and Princess Yaoyorozu?” Izuku questioned. “Are they not friends of yours?”

“Our views tend to differ, so we rarely see eye to eye. I do enjoy their company from time to time, but it doesn’t feel right to call them my friends,” Shouto explained. “Truthfully, I have no idea what a friend is supposed to be like.”

“Oh…”

“That was too much information, wasn’t it?” Shouto said suddenly, chuckling humorlessly. “I suppose I am not very good at socializing. I usually stand around like a statue—as I have heard many times behind my back—but something about you makes me share more than necessary. I apologize.”

“Oh no! Please, do not apologize, Your Highness! I am honored that you see me as someone you can open up to,” Izuku said, flushing lightly. It truly felt like an honor to the noble. “Anything you would like to tell me, I will happily listen,” he declared, smiling brightly up at the alpha.

Shouto blinked in surprise, taken aback by how beautiful the omega looked at that moment. Shouto could not fathom how someone so kindhearted and lovely could exist in such a cruel and disgusting world. “You remind me of my mother,” he whispered, just as the sounds of the nearing parade heightened and drowned out his voice.

“What did you say, Prince Shouto? The music was too loud for me to hear.”

Shouto fought down the blush threatening to overtake his face. He had not meant to say that aloud. “I said you would make a great mother,” he blurted, only afterwards realizing that such a statement was no less strange to say to someone you just met.

“Me? A mother?” Izuku asked, flushing a deep red. “What would make you say that?”

Shouto blanked, mentally scrambling to think of a response. While he did not doubt that the omega would make a fine mother one day, he still knew very little to base that assumption on. So, he evaded the question. “Surely you plan to find a mate and start a family one day.”

Izuku, still blushing furiously, fidgeted with a loose thread on his shirt. “Honestly, I had never thought much about it until arriving in Adria. When I was younger, I dreamed of joining the Royal Guard and fighting beside Kacchan—um—Prince Bakugou. But, of course, that all stopped being a possibility when we both presented as omegas.”

Shouto could tell that there was a lot to unpack in that statement, so he changed the subject. “Did you not have an alpha back home, then, Midoriya-san?”

“Oh, heavens no!” Izuku laughed, as if the very thought was hilarious. Shouto did not see how it was. “Alphas never like me much since I tend to ramble the moment they give me permission to speak. I am also not the prettiest omega. My face is very plain.” At that, he chuckled again, although the look in his eyes said he found his own words anything but amusing.

“I beg to differ,” Shouto said. “The moment I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful omega I had ever laid eyes on.”

Said omega had to turn away or he was sure he would spontaneously combust from embarrassment. “Th-Thank you, Prince Shouto, but I find that a bit unbelievable,” he stated. “I think you are just a flirt,” he said daringly.

Shouto bit back a snort. “Perhaps,” he said, although Izuku was mostly right. Shouto had never been averse to flirting with attractive people—usually attractive people his father did not approve of—and had brought several people to his chambers. Truthfully, Shouto would not be opposed to Izuku being one of those people, but he had a feeling the omega would not appreciate such an invite. “But it is different with you, Midoriya-san.” At least now. “I like you very much,” he confessed, although he kept his tone light as to not make the omega think his feelings ran deeper than simple attraction.

Because they did not.

Izuku’s eyes widened, his emerald green eyes filled to the brim with unbidden emotions. “Why?” he asked simply. Just one word.

Shouto frowned, not having expected such a response. Perhaps embarrassment, elation, or even surprise. He had not expected such skepticism in the noble’s tone. The alpha opened his mouth to answer, but he found that he did not have one. Or maybe, he did not have just one. He felt that he could give a list of all the reasons someone like Izuku was so attractive to him, but at the same time, Shouto felt as though none of them were right.

So, he said nothing at all.

Ochako found herself near the Yamada’s soup shop further into the capital. She could faintly hear her stomach growl, as if trying to tell her that it wants to be filled with the family’s cooking. The only reason she was so hungry is because she continually skipped breakfast, not wanting to be subjected to Katsuki and Eijirou’s public displays of affection. If Tsuyu wasn’t so busy every morning working in the gardens, Ochako would eat with her as she did for dinner.

Instead, Ochako spent her breakfast in the garden watching Tsuyu work. She would have helped the other beta, but the last time she tried to help Tsuyu, she accidentally killed several plants. From then on, Ochako sat with the gardener as she worked, humming random tunes and cherishing each smile Tsuyu sent her way. Tsuyu also let her eat some of the fruits grown in the garden every now and then, but Tsuyu insisted on hand feeding her, pulling off her gloves and running her thumb across Ochako’s lips as she chewed.

Ochako ignored both her stomach’s growling and her flaming cheeks at the memory. It appeared that the soup shop was closed for the parade anyway. At least, that is what she had gathered after a few failed attempts of opening the door to the shop.

“Uraraka-san?” an unfortunately familiar voice called as she yanked futilely on the handle one last time.

Ochako turned slowly to face the Yamada family all watching her with differing expressions: one confused, one bemused, and one flat out smirking. She felt her face stretch into an awkward smile. “Yamada-san, right?” she said, keeping her gaze on the alpha of the group, who also happened to be the only one she didn’t feel uncomfortable around. Shouta and Hitoshi were just a little too hard to read. “Fancy running into you here,” she tried to joke.

“Likewise,” Hitoshi grumbled, still smiling in his amusement. “We’ve never had anyone try to break into our shop before.”

The beta held up her hands and waved them wildly in front of her, shaking her head frantically. “I would never! I was simply hungry, and I had been hoping that your shop was open.”

“Did the locked door not clue you in that maybe it wasn’t?” Hitoshi quipped.

His father nudged him and sent him a look of silent warning before grinning wide at Ochako. “Unfortunately, all shops are closed during parades, but most food shops will be running stands during the festival in two days! Us included!”

“A soup food stand?” Ochako couldn’t imagine how that would work.

Hizashi seemed to pick up on her confusion. “We serve the soup in these cute little bowls that my lovely mate designed, and you drink them like this—” He cupped his hands together and mimicked drinking from his palms. He then planted his hands on his hips, grin proud. “They are quite popular, I will have you know!”

“Hizashi, volume,” Shouta mumbled, pulling something out of the basket in his hands that Ochako only just noticed. “Here, kid,” he said as he held out half a loaf of bread wrapped in a light blue cloth.

Ochako took it gratefully, surprised at the man’s generosity. “Are you sure, Yamada-san? I feel bad just taking from you.”

The older omega shrugged, scratching at his messy head of hair. “The bread is stale anyway.” At Ochako’s surprised face, he snorted. “I am only joking. This is all leftover bread from one of the bakeries, and we are going to hand them out around the villages.”

“Is it really okay for me to take one?”

“If you ask again, I will say ‘no,’” Shouta said, his voice stern as if speaking to a difficult child. Ochako could not tell whether or not he was joking.

The beta nodded quickly in understanding, not wanting to upset the man. She had a feeling that making the omega mad would be the worst—and last—mistake of her life. “Thank you very much, Yamada-san.”

Shouta gave a short nod. “Although the shopping district in the capital is closed for the day, as well as tomorrow, there is a small food market that remains open during parades. For starving individuals as yourself.”

Ochako knew she was being mocked, but she appreciated the information, nonetheless. “I will try my best to find it. Thank you.”

“Hitoshi can take you there, if you still do not know the capital very well,” Hizashi happily offered. His son turned to him with a glare.

“That is a wonderful idea, Hizashi,” Shouta said, a terrifying grin spreading across his face. Well, it was terrifying to Ochako, but his alpha seemed to light up at the sight of it. Or maybe it was the compliment, Ochako had no idea. “Give me your basket, Hitoshi. We can handle this ourselves, so you can show Uraraka the way to the market.”

“There really is no need for that,” Ochako rushed to say.

“There’s no way I’m doing that,” Hitoshi grumbled at the same time. The two turned to each other with matching glares.

Shouta ignored their complaints, snatching the basket from his son’s hands when Hitoshi fought to keep holding it. “You two stay safe, now. Try not to get lost in all the crowds.”

“Or trampled by the dancers,” Hizashi added with a snicker.

If Hitoshi were brave enough, he would just walk away from this entire situation. He didn’t like the Tulian, and he was under no obligation to interact with the woman. However, like most people with common sense, Hitoshi was at least slightly terrified of his mother. So, with only a mumbled curse under his breath, Hitoshi began walking in the direction of the market. Ochako began following a moment later, keeping a cautious distance.

The two did their best to maneuver through the hordes of Adrians, but Ochako nearly got swept away when the dancers in the parade approached and the crowd went wild once again. Hitoshi shoved people out of the way so Ochako could get by, but then those same people attempted to pull him into a group dance. After about ten full minutes of this back and forth, in which Ochako nearly dropped the bread she was clutching to her chest three times, the duo made it through.

Ochako could just barely see the royal carriage in the distance, having missed the opportunity to catch Katsuki’s attention again, although it was mostly Eijirou’s stark red hair that was visible now. She wondered if Katsuki was enjoying himself. She imagined he wasn’t, since he had never been a fan of having people gawk at him, but maybe having Eijirou with him would make this whole ordeal more bearable.

As the beta was looking away and not in front of her, she walked face first into a wide and fairly muscular back. Both parties startled and stumbled forward before catching themselves. Ochako’s naturally pale complexion only worsened when she realized she had just unceremoniously bumped into the crowned prince of Ingenium.

Tenya fixed his glasses as he narrowed his eyes down at the beta. “Excuse you.”

Ochako grit her teeth and bowed deeply. “I am very sorry, Prince Iida,” she said sincerely. She felt so stupid for bumping into him; she could only hope that he was not too upset with her. “I had not been looking where I was going.”

“Very well,” Tenya said slowly, surprising Ochako with the ease in which he forgave her. “You are one of the knights in the Royal Guard, correct?”

Ochako nearly flushed. Even if it was a misunderstanding, being mistaken for a Royal Guard felt like such an honor. “No, Your Highness, I am not technically in the guard yet. I am Prince Bakugou’s knight.”

“I see,” Tenya said, sounding disinterested, even though he was the one who asked the question. He pushed his glasses up again, even if they had been perfectly straight already. “Then, you would not be able to bring me back to the castle.”

Ochako furrowed her brow in confusion. “Are you…perhaps lost, Prince Iida?”

The alpha huffed, feeling insulted by the question. “It has been years since I have travelled to Adria, and even then, there is no reason for me to know my way around such a large city.

So, he is lost, Ochako thought, fighting a snicker. No need to further agitate the prince. “Why not ask a native, then?” she suggested. That seemed obvious enough.

“I would rather speak with a knight,” he said, as if that should have been obvious to the beta.

Ochako opened her mouth to tell the prince to remain lost, then, when Hitoshi appeared at her side. He was frowning heavily. “Are you trying to get lost? Is following someone’s back really that difficult of a task for you?”

The brunette scowled at the insult, about to tell the omega off when she remembered the prince’s presence on her other side. Then, an idea came to her, and she grinned maniacally before turning to the prince. “Yamada-san is a native and aspiring knight,” she told the alpha as Hitoshi raised an eyebrow behind her. “Perhaps he can escort you back to the castle, Your Highness.”

Hitoshi’s eyes widened as the prince hummed contemplatively, not even glancing at the omega in question. “I suppose that will have to do. This heat is becoming unbearable,” he said. “You can take me now, correct?” he asked expectantly, finally looking the other.

The Adrian grit his teeth, realizing the situation Ochako had thrust him into. “I was in the middle of escorting Uraraka-san to the market, actually,” he tried.

“Oh, I think I can find my own way from here, Yamada-san. Thank you,” Ochako chirped, her smile just a tad smug.

“Wonderful,” Hitoshi drawled sarcastically.

“Then, let us go,” Tenya said, already walking away. In the wrong direction.

Hitoshi sighed heavily as he watched the prince attempt to get himself even more lost. “The castle is in the other direction, Your Highness.” As Tenya turned himself around, Hitoshi asked himself why he didn’t just stay in bed that morning.

Katsuki took the chance to actually observe the capital in all its glory, since he had only seen a small portion of it before. “I had not realized that Adria was so…vast.”

Eijirou chuckled. “Well, Adria is the largest kingdom on this continent, even if a lot of our land is forest. Furthest south lies the end of our land. Then there is only ocean to be found. We—you and I, I mean—have never gone far enough into the forest to reach the sea, but I would love to show it to you one day. You’ve never seen it in Tulia, right?”

Katsuki shook his head, his attention entirely on the alpha beside him rather than the mass of people staring at him as the carriage slowly passed by. Eijirou continued to wave—surely more used to this than Katsuki, who was kept within the castle for a good chunk of his life. Still, Katsuki knew Eijirou was paying attention to him as well. “What is the sea like?” he asked.

Eijirou pursed his lips in thought. “Well, it’s beautiful,” he said after a few seconds. “I’ve never seen anything quite like the ocean. It’s so expansive, I could imagine it covering most of the world, although I’m sure it’s mostly land.”

“I read in a book once that the world is primarily the sea,” Katsuki informed him, mildly excited to know something Eijirou didn’t know that wasn’t about Tulia. “I could never imagine so much water, but then it is hard for me to imagine just how large the world is to begin with.”

Eijirou grabbed his hand then, rubbing his thumb tenderly over his knuckles. “One day, I will take you across all of the lands, and we will traverse the sea together. Once we are mates and this war is long over, I promise you that.”

Before Katsuki could even think about his actions, he was leaning forward and kissing Eijirou, long and deep. The blond buried his fingers in Eijirou surprisingly soft hair, mentally wondering why the alpha didn’t wear it down more often. The alpha gave a pleased hum against his lips, deepening the kiss even further as the cheers of the crowd turned teasing and suggestive. The couple ignored them, however, easily getting lost in the feel of the other against them as they made out for all to see.

A whine got caught in the back of Katsuki’s throat when Eijirou clutched at his waist, grabbing the bouquet to keep it from falling to the floor as the omega began fidgeting. Katsuki was seconds away from literally straddling the alpha’s lap—and the urge was quite startling to him—but fortunately, Eijirou pulled away before Katsuki could give the people a show.

“You like that idea, then,” Eijirou said needlessly, smiling wide. Katsuki licked his lips hungrily, leaning forward to resume their kiss, but Eijirou grabbed his chin and held him in place before they could connect. “Careful, sweetheart. Don’t forget where we are,” he whispered, his breath hitting Katsuki’s lips almost teasingly.

Katsuki blinked once in confusion before the sounds of Adria finally came back to him, his face instantly burning red as he jumped to the opposite side of the carriage. He glared as Eijirou laughed and merely pulled him back to his side. “Shut up,” he hissed, though his words held no venom.

Eijirou just laughed again. “I think everyone enjoyed that, actually,” he joked, gesturing behind and around them. Katsuki refused to look, dreading spotting another face he recognized. “But, maybe, we should get back to the task at hand.”

The blond huffed, sliding lower in the seat. It was admittedly uncomfortable in the dress, but he didn’t care. That is until Eijirou made a comment about how only being able to the see the top of his head from outside the carriage could be misinterpreted as something inappropriate. Katsuki would have hit him upside the head with the bouquet, but ruining the flowers was not worth the satisfaction of seeing his handsome face covered in petals.

Hitoshi had no idea what to think of the bespectacled alpha walking beside him. For one thing, he was a prince while Hitoshi was merely the child of a shopkeeper. Another thing that really confused Hitoshi was just how little the alpha spoke. The omega had interacted with plenty of alphas in his life, and there was one thing he knew as fact about them. Alphas loved to hear their own voice, and conversely, they preferred not to hear the sound of an omega’s.

Prince Iida, however, seemed perfectly at ease with their silence. Hitoshi figured he was simply not one for conversation, and honestly, the omega was more than okay with that. He had little interest in making small talk with the prince, and from how he spoke earlier, he doubted he would enjoy conversation with him anyway.

As if to prove his point, Tenya chose that moment to speak again. “Omega,” he called, apparently addressing Hitoshi as he turned to him. “What is it you do in your free time? Surely, Uraraka-san was jesting when she claimed you are an aspiring knight.”

The Adrian resisted the urge to snap—since that would only end badly for him—and instead calmly said, “Your Highness, my name is Yamada Hitoshi.”

Tenya raised a dubious eyebrow at the response and waited a moment for the omega to answer his question. When he remained silent, staring straight ahead as he walked, Tenya cleared his throat awkwardly. “Is that what you wished to be called, then? By your name?”

Hitoshi stopped abruptly and turned to the alpha, his expression incredulous. “Of course, I wish to be called by my name, you—” Hitoshi caught himself before he could say anything he would regret and took a deep breath. Tenya continued to stand awkwardly, waiting for the other to finish. “Wouldn’t you rather people call you by your name, Prince Iida?” he questioned, hands falling to his hips.

Tenya was taken aback by the open hostility practically radiating from the omega, and he began to wonder if all Adrian omegas were naturally more aggressive than omegas of other kingdoms. Then again, Tenya realized, Prince Bakugou acts unbecoming of an omega as well, especially a Tulian raised one. Perhaps it is a cultural influence of the Adrian people.

“Well,” he began unsurely, not used to being hesitant around commoners, much less omegan commoners. “In the kingdom of Ingenium, omegas outside of the royal family are addressed as ‘Omega,’ but it is not done out of disrespect.” For some reason, Hitoshi highly doubted that. “It had not occurred to me to…” The prince trailed off and made some strange, choppy hand motion, as if that was supposed to fill in the blank.

Hitoshi could have guessed how that sentence would have ended anyway, so he merely rolled his eyes and continued walking. He did not wait for the prince to catch up with his long strides, but after a few moments, the prince was by his side again anyway. “You can ask your question again,” Hitoshi grumbled after a while, and at first, Tenya had no idea what he was referring to.

“Oh,” he gasped once he realized. “What is it you do?” he asked, earning a side glare from the purple-haired male. “Yamada-san,” he quickly tacked on, subconsciously adding the honorific, even though he had never used one with a commoner before in his life. To be fair, this exchange had been the first real interaction with a commoner—of Ingenium or otherwise—that Tenya ever had.

Hitoshi exhaled amusedly, not having expected the honorific either. He still answered the prince, since he had done as asked. Which, to be fair, he had not really expected either. “I work in my family’s soup shop.”

“You work?” Tenya asked in surprise, and perhaps just a smidge of doubt.

Hitoshi side-eyed him again. “That’s what I just said,” he grumbled.

“My, you continue to surprise me, Yamada-san,” Tenya stated, sounding far too amazed for Hitoshi’s liking. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think that you were a beta.”

Hitoshi held in a sigh at the words. “Most people do,” he admitted. “My height tends to throw them off at first, and then my personality <em>really</em> confuses them,” he added, smirking towards the end as he recalled the many instances of such confusion.

Tenya chuckled hesitantly. “I am sure you must keep your alpha on their toes,” he commented, his gaze sweeping over the omega for the first time. He was admittedly very attractive, in Tenya’s opinion.

Hitoshi caught the action and merely grunted, “Don’t have one.” Tenya’s eyes shot up into his hairline at those words, his stare falling instantly to the omega’s neck. Hitoshi glared at the alpha. “I’m not looking for one either.”

 The prince shook his head in amazement. “Yamada-san, you really should find yourself a mate. You are not getting any younger.”

“Gee, thanks,” he mumbled sarcastically. “Aren’t we the same age, Prince Iida?”

“It’s different for an alpha,” Tenya said, as if Hitoshi should have known that, and he began making that choppy hand motion again. “An omega should find a mate and have as many children as they can while they are still young. If you wait too long, I’m afraid not many alphas will find you desirable. Of course, if you—”

“Are you just gonna keep going with this?” Hitoshi cut in, his voice hard with anger.

Tenya looked so confused, Hitoshi almost felt bad for snapping at him. But not really. “Why are you upset?” he asked obliviously.

The fact that the alpha truly seemed unaware of how offensive he was being somehow made the whole situation worse. Hitoshi scoffed, “It’s like you’re reading straight from some kind of misogynistic handbook.”

“Excuse me?” Tenya said slowly, eyes squinting dangerously.

Hitoshi paid it no mind, uncaring of the alpha’s change in demeanor. He was properly fed up now. “I’m saying you’re being a sexist jerk,” he spat.

The royal squared his shoulders, lifting his chin and attempting to look down at the omega. It was slightly difficult considering their similar heights. “You cannot speak to me like that,” he clipped. “I will not stand for it. I am Prince Iida Tenya of—”

“I know who you are,” Hitoshi interrupted with a roll of his eyes. “And you, Your Highness, can find your own fucking way back.”

Hitoshi turned to storm away, but Tenya grabbed his forearm before he could. The omega attempted to get out of the alpha’s strong grip just as Tenya jerked him forward. Hitoshi glowered, outraged, and he contemplated striking the alpha to get him to let go.

Tenya could not believe his ears; never had someone spoken to him so rudely, especially when he was only trying to give advice. He inhaled deeply and opened his mouth, about to raise his voice when he caught the most amazing scent. He stopped breathing, body freezing up as his mind struggled to pinpoint the source of that wonderous odor. It was like an accumulation of the most delicious spices known to man; mouthwatering and inviting. It made Tenya hungry.

It took a moment before he realized he was scenting the other male, since he was in closer proximity to him now than any other time during their interaction. Tenya gasped and snatched his hand away as if burned, only now noticing that he had leaned further into the omega’s space while he was sniffing for the source of the scent.

Hitoshi was staring at him like he had grown two heads before he sneered. “Creep. Don’t come near me again.”

Tenya watched the omega walk away, his gaze trailing slowly over his backside as he finally allowed himself to breathe again. It was at that moment that another realization hit him; he had never before felt genuine attraction towards another person. Not until Yamada Hitoshi’s scent invaded his senses.

Unfortunately, Tenya was almost positive the omega hated him now.

It was slightly awkward between the Shouto and Izuku after the prince had neglected to tell Izuku just why he liked him. Izuku suspected that he shouldn’t have asked at all, but the idea that Shouto would be interested in Izuku romantically or physically was a bit farfetched. Even if the prince had said so himself.

Izuku was nothing special; not when compared to omegas like Katsuki or Denki, or women like Ochako or Camie. They were all beautiful and strong, and honestly, Izuku saw himself as neither. Sure, he could hold himself in a fight, but he had also spent most of his life letting others tell him how to live. He had become complacent. While Katsuki had fought for his freedom and for his life, Izuku had been ready and willing to throw away both.

Why would Shouto, who could have anyone he wished, waste his time with an omega like Izuku?

Well, Shouto was left wondering the exact same thing. The prince had many partners throughout his youth; most were purely physical, but on rare occasions he found people he actually cared for. None of them, as different as they tended to be, were anything like Izuku. The noble was kinder than anyone he had ever met before, except maybe his mother. He had not meant to compare the two earlier, but the similarities were there, and they were blatantly obvious to Shouto. Izuku was stronger, or at least Shouto thought, but whether he was strong enough to be involved with Shouto was unknown.

Shouto knew how easily he could ruin the life of someone so wholesome, like he had done with his mother. He would never wish to do the same to Izuku. So then, why, he wondered. Why can’t I bring myself to stay away from him? It didn’t make any sense.

Shouto had not been lying when he told Izuku that he thought he was the most beautiful omega he had ever seen. Shouto had planned to seduce the green-haired male into his guestroom and forget about his father’s stupid plan for the night, but then Izuku spoke to him. How a short conversation with the omega in an old library could change so much, Shouto had no clue.

And then, Izuku had attended the banquet wearing a gown that nearly made Shouto faint on sight. It was then that Shouto was certain; Izuku’s beauty was unrivaled by anyone. His welcoming smile, his vibrant, emerald eyes, his adorable splattering of freckles, his contagious laugh, and just about everything else about him refused to leave Shouto’s mind.

Shouto had never experienced an attraction like this, and of course, the first time he did, he was unable to do anything about it. Izuku deserved far more than a single roll in the sheets; he deserved to be protected and cherished and loved. But Shouto could not give him that, not really. He was the prince of Endeavour and Izuku was a Tulian noble living in Adria.

The alpha sighed, his disappointing making his shoulders droop. Izuku took notice, his concern only growing. “Prince Shouto,” he began hesitantly, rubbing his hands together nervously as he inched just slightly closer to the taller man. “Are you alright?”

Shouto didn’t think he ever would be, but when he gazed down into Izuku’s wide, emotion-filled eyes, he knew his answer. With the smallest of smiles, he said, “Yes.”

Maybe he couldn’t have a life with Izuku, but he could at least have this week.

Chapter Text

Katsuki was fed up.

When Katsuki had woken up that morning, the prince had been in a good mood. Today was the day of the feast, and Katsuki would have a chance to show off to Eijirou. He planned to catch as many animals as possible, completely showing up anyone else who tried. Eijirou would praise him, and the people of Adria would have just a little more respect for him. After all, yesterday had not really dissuaded their assumptions that Katsuki was nothing more than a pretty face. He imagined his dress and making out with Eijirou like some horny teen didn’t really help much. So, yes, Katsuki was looking forward to the hunt.

Unfortunately, Katsuki had been unaware of a few key facts.

“What the hell do you mean we cannot participate?” Katsuki yelled, scowling up at his fiancé as Crimson Riot watched in amusement, sipping leisurely from his wine glass at the head of the dining table.

In all of his eagerness, Katsuki had changed the pattern a bit and met Eijirou outside of his chambers. The alpha had been surprised when he opened the door to reveal Katsuki. The omega was practically vibrating in his excitement, and Eijirou could not help but smile fondly down at him. When he had asked the blond why he was so excited, Katsuki had explained. Eijirou’s smile had turned confused as he informed the blond that they would not participate in the hunt for the feast.

Katsuki was less than pleased.

“The feast is prepared for us, as in everyone else hunts for the food and cooks it for us,” Eijirou explained once again, sounding mildly exasperated. “This whole week is supposed to be celebrating us, so—”

“I thought you said the hunt was the last chance to show off!” Katsuki interrupted frustratedly.

Eijirou laughed, “I never said ‘show off,’ Katsuki. And the hunt I was talking about was something we’d do after the ceremony, remember? It’s like a way of proving your worth as a mate one last time before…you know.”

Katsuki fought back a blush and crossed his arms with a huff, feeling put out. “That is stupid,” he mumbled petulantly, not unlike a child. “So, for another day, I have to just sit around while everyone else has fun?”

Eijirou frowned. “Did you not enjoy the parade?” he asked, a hint of sadness in his tone.

It made Katsuki feel like an asshole. “I did,” he said quickly. “I really did. The music and the dancing were amazing, but I wish I could have done more than just sit around.”

“Well, there’s gonna be music again today, of course. Lots of dancing, boatloads of alcohol, and tons of food. And then at the end of the night, people give us wedding gifts,” Eijirou informed him, sounding excited himself. “You’ll have a good time, I promise.”

“I better,” Katsuki mumbled. “You are not going to dance again, are you?” As amusing as that had been, Katsuki was not sure he could handle the secondhand embarrassment once again.

Eijirou laughed loudly at Katsuki’s look of displeasure. “We can dance together, if you want. That way, you can keep me from embarrassing you.”

Katsuki blinked in surprise at the suggestion before frowning deeply. “You want our First Dance to be in front of a bonfire, during a feast?” he asked, clearly unhappy with the idea.

“Does it still count as a First Dance if we’ve touched each other before?” Eijirou asked curiously. When Katsuki only huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, the redhead chuckled. “Okay, well, it’s a different kind of dancing than that, anyway, isn’t it? We wouldn’t be slow dancing.”

“Semantics,” Katsuki grouched, although Eijirou had a valid point. The feast would likely contain much more festive dancing than the ballroom dancing Katsuki was accustomed to. Unfortunately, that didn’t make the blond feel any less annoyed.

Eijirou snorted, nearly rolling his eyes. “Stubborn,” he returned, poking Katsuki on the nose and giggling at the way it crinkled cutely under the touch. Katsuki slapped his hand away, his cheeks adorably pink. “You’re so cute, angel.”

Crimson Riot loudly cleared his throat. Eijirou couldn’t tell if he did it because there was actually something stuck in there, or if he simply wanted to put a halt to the couple’s nonstop flirting.

“If you two are this bad when you’re only betrothed, I cannot imagine how disgustingly adorable you will be once you’re married,” the king commented amusedly. The two princes blushed, and the large alpha laughed boisterously.

When Izuku had woken up that morning, the noble had been in a good mood. He had a feeling that today would be wonderful and even more thrilling than yesterday had been. A grand feast, he thought excitedly as he practically hopped out of his bed. He had decided to dress himself in his nicest pair of slacks and a pale green blouse; he had a feeling Camie would approve of the outfit when she saw him.

Izuku planned for a full day of relaxation today, and if he was lucky, perhaps he could sit with Shouto during the feast.

The omega skipped through the halls, garnering amused looks from any passing knights. By the time Izuku reached the doors leading to the dining hall, the noble was all smiles. He pushed open the grand doors, which felt lighter with each passing day, and was greeted with the usual sight of a smirking Crimson Riot, giggling Eijirou, and flustered Katsuki. The breakfasts that Izuku shared each morning with the royals never failed to amuse.

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Izuku said to Crimson Riot, feeling it rude to address either prince first in the presence of the king. He was quick to turn to Katsuki afterwards. “Good morning, Kacchan! Prince Kirishima!”

The three returned the greeting with varying levels of enthusiasm, with the Kirishimas being the more chipper of the trio. Izuku took no offense to Katsuki’s demure greeting, knowing that his friend was anything but a morning person.

“Are you looking forward to the feast today, Izuku-kun?” Crimson Riot asked the omega as he took his seat across from Katsuki at the table. Even though Ochako had yet to return to these breakfasts of theirs, Izuku continued to leave the seat to his left open.

Izuku nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, very much so,” he answered. “Tulia never held anything resembling feasts before, and I am excited to see everyone dance!”

“Aren’t you going to dance with us?” Eijirou asked confusedly. “I even convinced Katsuki to dance with me.”

The green haired omega turned to his friend in surprise, who only immediately began protesting. “I never agreed to that!”

Eijirou seemed to ignore his fiancé, and while Katsuki growled in annoyance, Izuku couldn’t help but snicker quietly. “You should join us, Izuku-san,” Eijirou said. “It’ll help you relax after the long hunt.”

Izuku blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Eijirou,” Crimson Riot began disapprovingly. “Did you not tell the boy that he will be participating in the hunt?”

The prince rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, cowering slightly under the glares of both his father and his omega. “I guess I forgot that it’s not common knowledge.”

“So, everyone must participate in the hunt?” Izuku asked nervously.

Eijirou looked to his father before shrugging. “I mean, technically it’s not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged that every able-bodied person participate,” he replied.

Izuku wanted to roll his eyes. So, it is basically expected of me, he thought in annoyance. “I understand,” he said seriously. “I will do my best to participate.”

“Can you actually kill an animal, Izuku?” Katsuki asked, partially teasing but mostly curious. Katsuki had never seen Izuku so much as kill an insect, much less an animal.

“Not for sport, no,” Izuku said with conviction. “But if it is to eat, then I suppose I can do it.”

“That’s the spirt!” Crimson Riot shouted joyously, slamming his hand down on the table and nearly giving everyone a heart attack.

Izuku chuckled nervously. “I hope I do not disappoint,” he said uneasily.

When Ochako had woken up that morning, the knight had been in a bad mood. It was simply one of those days. Or perhaps Ochako was still upset because yesterday had been such a bummer. Instead of getting to spend the day with someone she actually liked, like Izuku or Tsuyu, she was forced to endure conversation with Hitoshi and the Ingenium prince. Apparently, Tsuyu had been too busy in the garden to attend the parade because she was preparing fruits and vegetables for the feast.

But now, seeing Tsuyu standing by the entrance of the throne room in the midst of conversation with a couple knights, Ochako could not help but feel just a bit lighter.

“Tsuyu-chan!” she called happily as she practically skipped over to the gardener.

Tsuyu glanced over at the call of her name, a smile gracing her face at the sight of Ochako. “Good morning, Ochako-chan,” she greeted softly. “Will you be joining us for the hunt?”

“Hunt?” Ochako repeated in confusion. “I thought only the royal knights did that.”

Tsuyu shook her head at that. “Anyone is welcome to participate and give an offering to Kirishima-sama and Bakugou-sama. If you want, the two of us can hunt together.”

“Yes!” Ochako said instantly, too quickly to seem anything but overeager. Tsuyu only giggled cutely in amusement, so Ochako didn’t feel too embarrassed.

Hitoshi was getting pretty tired of collecting firewood for the bonfire, but his mother had volunteered him to do it, so he grit his teeth and bared it. Later, he would definitely get back at his mom somehow, but that was a concern for much later. He planned to enjoy the feast after all, since the last time he had attended one was a little over a year ago when Mirio and Tamaki had gotten married.

Unfortunately, life just loved to fuck over Hitoshi whenever it got the chance. Hence why when he turned around to drop yet another stack of wood into the growing pile, he spotted the last person he wanted to see striding towards him. Hitoshi groaned in annoyance and continued with his task, hoping the alpha would just go away. He didn’t, unsurprisingly, and Hitoshi could hear the prince stop behind him as he bent over to drop the logs. The omega prayed for patience as he got up and turned around, only to find himself far too close for comfort to the alpha.

His eyes widened and he recoiled backwards, his defenses instantly rising. Tenya held his hands up in front of him, attempting to appear as unthreatening as possible. He doubted the omega was intimidated by him anyway, likely just wary.

“Hello, Yamada-san,” he said slowly.

The purple haired male ignored the greeting. “I see you remembered my name this time,” he quipped with narrowed, untrusting eyes.

There was no way I could forget your name, Tenya thought to himself, flushing slightly. You were all I could think about.

“What part of ‘don’t come near me again,’ did you not understand?” Hitoshi snapped when the prince remained silent. “Or did you come to bite my head off for mouthing off to you yesterday?”

Tenya sighed disappointedly, even though he fully expected the hostility. “I only came to apologize, Yamada-san,” he claimed. “The way I acted yesterday was beyond inappropriate.” Hitoshi rolled his eyes, unimpressed by the apology. Tenya cleared his throat awkwardly and continued. “After I eventually found my way back to the castle—” Hitoshi had to smirk at the “eventually.” “—I reflected upon my actions. The things I said came from a place of ignorance.”

“You think?” Hitoshi asked sarcastically.

“My upbringing led me to believe that omegas served a single purpose, and it was not until meeting you that I realized omegas have voices that often go unheard. And while that does not excuse my actions in the slightest, I hope that you can at least understand that they were not intended to offend. I realize only now that my words were disrespectful and closeminded, and for that, I sincerely apologize.” With that, the prince lowered himself into a deep bow and exclaimed, “I hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me!”

His loud words drew the attention of many people around them, and Hitoshi could feel himself flush from the unwanted attention. “Should a prince really be bowing to a commoner?” he asked, hoping the royal would take the hint and cut it out.

Unfortunately, Tenya stayed as he was, merely lifting his head slightly to look up at the omega. “An apology is an apology,” he declared.

Hitoshi rolled his eyes and sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly. “You alphas sure are persistent,” he mumbled. “Can’t any of you bastards take no for an answer?”

“I did not intend to make you uncomfortable again, Yamada-san,” Tenya said regretfully. “I suppose I am not every good at this.”

“Yeah, not really,” Hitoshi agreed. “You can stand up, you know. I still think you’re a total jerk, but I accept your apology.”

Tenya finally righted himself, beaming brightly. “Wonderful!” Hitoshi felt he was a little too relieved, though. “Were you preparing for the feast this evening?”

“You mean before you started harassing me?” Hitoshi asked. Tenya opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, unsure of how to reply to that. Hitoshi scoffed in faint amusement. “Yeah, I was. My mother volunteered me to help, even though I’d much rather be sleeping.”

“Would you…like any assistance?” Tenya asked, and the omega could not figure out why he sounded so nervous.

Hitoshi raised a dubious eyebrow. “You wanna help? Be my guest. It’s a lot of heavy lifting, though.”

“Well, I’m no Adrian, but I’m pretty strong myself, Yamada-san,” Tenya said with a smirk, even going as far as flexing his arm. The alpha saw Hitoshi roll his eyes, but he caught the tiny twitch of a smile before he turned away. “Leave it all to me!”

Hitoshi snorted unattractively, but Tenya found it strangely endearing. “If you say so, Your Highness. Come on,” he said, nodding his head in the direction of where others were lugging large logs over their shoulders towards the bonfire.

Tenya followed the omega towards where the wood was being dumped. From the sheer amount of firewood, Tenya was beginning to wonder if the bonfire they planned to make was going to be more dangerous than fun.

“Oh, if it isn’t little Hitoshi,” a dark-haired alpha woman said, sitting leisurely on one of the logs in the pile. She was scantily clad, even for an Adrian. She looked the omega up and down, licking her lips seductively. “Well, I suppose you’re not so ‘little’ anymore, are you?”

Hitoshi seemed unaffected by the woman’s words. “Don’t be gross, Nemuri-san. I will not hesitate to tell my mom, and he’ll ban you from our shop for another month,” he threatened, voice monotone.

Tenya looked at the woman in suspicion. “Yamada-san, do you know this woman?”

“She’s friends with my mom,” Hitoshi explained. “Kinda.”

The alpha, Nemuri, chuckled as her gaze snapped over to the prince. “And who might this handsome stranger be?”

Tenya cleared his throat and stood up straighter. “I am Prince Iida Tenya of Ingenium,” he said.

Hitoshi and Nemuri sent each other a glance before snickering. After a moment, Nemuri collected herself. “Kayama Nemuri,” she introduced. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”

“Likewise.”

“Is he your boyfriend?” she asked Hitoshi with a little smirk.

Hitoshi glared at her. “Did you miss the part where he introduced himself a prince?” he asked rhetorically.

The alpha woman waved an unconcerned hand his way. “What’s the point of being young if you don’t sleep with a few royals?” Hitoshi and Tenya both looked at her like she was insane, but she didn’t seem to notice. “Besides, aren’t you single, Hitoshi? You need to have some fun now and again, you know.”

“Thank you for the advice, Nemuri-san,” Hitoshi said through gritted teeth. Nemuri swallowed nervously, thinking not for the first time that Hitoshi looked scarily similar to his mother whenever he was angry.

Or tired.

“Prince Bakugou!” Katsuki turned from where he was walking down the corridor, bored out of his mind with Eijirou, Izuku, and Ochako all busy.

The blond saw Shouto speeding towards him and groaned in exasperation. “Not you again,” he mumbled. “The fuck do you want?”

“I really need to talk to you,” the alpha said frantically.

Katsuki rolled his eyes uncaringly. “I could not possibly care less about whatever it is you have to say.”

“Just listen to me!” Shouto hissed. “Why do you have to be so damn difficult?”

“Oh, fuck you, asswipe,” Katsuki spat, close to storming away in a huff.

Shouto cursed under his breath as he heard a pair of thundering footsteps grow closer, his father just around the corner. He turned back to Katsuki, his eyes remorseful. “I’m so sorry for this, Prince Bakugou,” he said without explanation.

Katsuki furrowed his brow in confusion. “Sorry for wha—”

Shouto fisted a hand in the back of the blond’s hair and pulled him into a bruising kiss. The omega’s eyes shot wide open as he began struggling immediately. Katsuki beat at Shouto’s chest, trying desperately to push him away, but the alpha was just strong enough to hold him. Shouto’s eyes squeezed shut as he listened for the footsteps, which soon drew to a stop not far from them. Only then did Shouto loosen his hold on the blond enough for Katsuki to break free.

The omega instantly shoved Shouto away and wiped his mouth angrily, his face bright red in fury. The alpha stumbled back a few steps, his expression unreadable. “I needed him to see you push me away,” he said quietly, so his father would not hear. Katsuki was about to ask what the hell that meant when King Todoroki finally reached them.

“He’s a feisty one, isn’t he,” the large man commented idly, not even glancing at Katsuki.

Katsuki looked at him like he was insane, but Shouto remained expressionless. “He rejected my advances,” he said, deadpan.

“No shit, I did! Who the fuck do you think you are, asshole?” Katsuki yelled.

Enji snarled down at the omega, “You watch your tone when you are speaking to an alpha, omega!”

Katsuki rounded on him with a fierce glare. “You watch your tone when you are speaking to me!” he returned just as harshly. “Do not forget which one of us is a guest!”

Enji scoffed loudly. “You truly think you have any power here, omega?” he questioned. “If anything, you should watch how you speak to me. Crimson Riot will not be happy to hear that his son’s newest bitch made me wish to sever our alliance. Don’t forget the only reason you are here is to be used as a breeding hole for Prince Kirishima.”

Katsuki reeled back in shock at the foul words. “How dare you?” he hissed.

“You know it’s true,” Enji said smugly. “The boy only sees you for sex, after all. That’s just how alphas are.”

“Shut up!” Katsuki shouted, breathing harshly.

Enji smirked evilly, seeing the effect his words had on the prince. “I bet he’s already tried a few times to have his way with you.” Katsuki flinched at that, the night of the banquet coming to mind. Enji noticed the reaction and gave a cruel laugh. “So, he has, huh? I bet he whispers sweet nothings in your ears, telling you how beautiful and smart you are. It’s all just so you’ll spread your legs quicker, omega.”

Katsuki shook his head, wrapping his arms around himself. “You have no idea what you are talking about. Eijirou is not like that,” Katsuki bit out.

“Such a shame,” the king continued as if Katsuki had not spoken. “Your parents could have traded you off to any prince, but they chose the savage. Honestly, Prince Bakugou, I feel bad for you.”

“D-Do not talk about Eijirou like that,” Katsuki said weakly.

Enji could tell the omega was beginning to doubt himself, to doubt his alpha. “Shouto would treat you properly, the way an omega such as yourself needs to be treated.” Katsuki’s eyes widened at those words, and he glanced over at the alpha in question. Shouto kept his gaze on the ground beneath his feet, his hands balled into fists at his side, finally showing some emotion. “You two are much better suited for each other.”

Katsuki turned back to the towering alpha, his face set into a glare. “Your son is the last person I would ever consider marrying,” he spat balefully.

Katsuki watched as the alpha’s smirk dropped and his expression quickly turned furious. Katsuki took a frightened step back when his scent changed into something even more repulsive, but the king grabbed his arm in bruising grip before he could get far. The omega cried out in a mixture of pain and surprise as he was pulled close enough to feel Enji’s breath on his skin as he spoke his next words.

“You’re nothing but a little slut, and that is all Prince Kirishima will ever see of you. Don’t let his words fool you, Prince Bakugou, because the moment he’s had what he wants, he’ll toss you aside and find a new lover.”

To his horror, Katsuki could feel tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. “Let go of me!” he shouted, trying to yank his arm out of the man’s grip. But Enji was strong, very strong, and he would not let Katsuki go. “Let go, you piece of shit!”

“Father!” Shouto finally intervened, grabbing his father’s arm and pulling him away from the omega. Shouto watched as Katsuki staggered backwards, cradling his left arm to his chest. The alpha was overcome with rage, and he turned on his father with a vicious growl. “Leave him alone already! He’s not interested!”

Enji scoffed, unfazed by the show of aggression from the younger alpha, and he ripped his arm from his son’s grip. “Kids these days—always making life more difficult for the adults. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he grumbled, turning to walk away. “I don’t need either of you to get what I want,” he said under his breath as he disappeared around the corner.

Shouto breathed a sigh of relief once his father was gone, and he turned to Katsuki to check his condition. The omega looked shaken, and rightfully so. His father was a terrifying man, even to other alphas. And the things he had said…

The prince shook his head, hoping he could somehow right this wrong. Katsuki watched his approach with narrowed, distrustful eyes, so Shouto kept his hands in the air to not set the omega off. He would not bare his neck for the other, since he was not submitting, but he hoped this would be enough. “Prince Bakugou, are you—?”

Shouto’s head snapped to the side, his cheek already turning red from where Katsuki had slapped him. Shouto placed a hand over the mark, turning to look at the omega again. He opened his mouth, but this time, Katsuki didn’t even let him get a word out before he slapped him across the opposite cheek just as hard.

“Fuck!” he cursed. Katsuki hit really hard for a Tulian.

“You son of a bitch,” Katsuki spat, lip trembling and hands shaking. He could still feel the prince’s lips against his, and he could still smell his scent as if it were wrapped around him. He hated it. “How dare you?”

Shouto held up a hand, wary of another strike. “Just let me explain, and—”

“Explain what?” Katsuki roared. “You had no right to do that! You ki—” Katsuki’s throat constricted before he could get the word out, and he could feel himself panicking. “You defiled me,” Katsuki whispered.

The alpha’s eyes widened at that, and he started shaking his head in denial. “What? No! Prince Bakugou, I understand that you’re upset, but it was just a kiss.”

Katsuki didn’t hear him, his mind elsewhere. “Eijirou is going to think I was unfaithful to him. He is never going to speak to me again,” Katsuki was mumbling now, the panic in his chest spreading throughout his body.

Shouto hit himself on the forehead a few times for good measure. “I’m such an asshole,” he said under his breath before grabbing the blond by the shoulders and shaking him. Katsuki snapped to attention, but before he could freak out about Shouto touching him, the alpha said, “You cannot tell Prince Kirishima about this.”

The blond looked at him like he had grown two heads. “What? I will not keep this from him!”

“If Prince Kirishima finds out about this, that will only lead to conflict between him and I. Probably our kingdoms as well,” Shouto explained. “Do you really want that?”

Katsuki leaned close to the alpha, his teeth bared aggressively as he whispered, “I want you dead.”

Shouto released a frustrated sigh, but before he could say anything, someone called out for Katsuki. The pair looked over to see Eijirou charging over to them, a fierce scowl twisted onto his normally gentle features. Katsuki’s heart stopped, thinking that Eijirou knew what had transpired, while Shouto feared the same thing. Just for a different reason.

“Katsuki!” Eijirou shouted again, pulling his omega into his arms and out of Shouto’s grip. He turned his glare on the other alpha. “Why is it every time I see you with my omega, you have your hands all over him?”

Shouto held his hands up placatingly. “You’re exaggerating, Prince Kirishima.”

Eijirou let out a warning growl. “Todoroki, stay away from my omega. Unless…” Eijirou stepped into Shouto’s space, his face deadly calm. “You want me to kill you.”

“No thanks,” Shouto swallowed, trying to appear unaffected. He glanced at Katsuki from the corner of his eye before looking back at Eijirou. “I’m sorry again for the trouble. I hope we can put all of this behind us.”

Katsuki scowled down at the ground and crossed his arms over his chest. Eijirou scoffed at his side, not buying the other alpha’s act for a second. He glanced down at the blond, frowning when he saw his expression. Shouto chose that moment to walk away, glancing back once to see Eijirou lifting the blond’s head and Katsuki jerking away.

“What’s wrong, angel?” Eijirou asked worriedly.

Katsuki hesitated for a few long moments before slowly shaking his head. “Please, do not call me that,” he whispered sadly.

“What? Katsuki’s what’s going on?” he asked, confusion written across his face.

“I am no angel,” Katsuki said, the tears from before returning tenfold. He wiped the tears away immediately, but Eijirou had already seen them. “I am so sorry, Eiji,” he cried. The blond broke free of Eijirou’s hold before sprinting away, ignoring Eijirou's calls of his name behind him.

Katsuki ran through the corridors with no real destination in mind. He just had to get away from Eijirou, from his warm eyes and kind smile. In his haste to get away, Katsuki failed to notice a knight rounding the corner just as he sped past. The two collided painfully, but only Katsuki was sent backwards. A set of hands shot out to stabilize the omega, and a familiar, yet baffled voice reached his ears.

“Woah, there, Katsuki-sama! Where’s the fire?” Hanta asked, looking around to see what Katsuki could have been running from. Katsuki looked up into Hanta’s inquisitive eyes and couldn’t control the sob that broke free, tears spilling freely down his cheeks. Hanta flinched at the sound, the scent of a distressed omega sending his nerves haywire. “Katsuki-sama, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“N-No,” Katsuki sniffled, pressing the heel of his hand against his eye as he continued crying. Katsuki had no idea why he was letting his emotions get the best of him today, but he couldn’t stop the tears if he tried.

“Then why are you crying?” Hanta asked frantically. He attempted to subtly surround the blond in a calming scent, but the omega only began crying even harder. “Okay, it’s gonna be okay,” Hanta said gently, more for his own sake than the omega’s. “Why don’t we get out of the hallway first, huh? Come on.”

Hanta put an arm around Katsuki’s shoulder—mildly surprised that the blond actually let him—and led the prince back in the direction he had come. Katsuki came along without protest, keeping his head down all the while.

“I figure you would rather talk to Denki than me,” Hanta said as they reached the alpha’s room. The alpha opened the door and ushered the blond inside, but he didn’t enter himself. “I can leave if you want, Katsuki-sama,” Hanta suggested, waving away Denki’s questioning gaze.

Katsuki rubbed his forearm awkwardly, standing unsurely in the middle of the couple’s room. This was his first time ever being in an alpha’s room, and the blond was unsure of how he felt with it not being Eijirou’s. He trusted the raven-haired knight, but it just seemed wrong somehow. Especially considering the kiss he had shared with Shouto not too long ago.

“I will not force you out of your own room,” Katsuki said, his voice reminiscent of his first day in Adria with how quiet he was. Hanta smiled slightly, catching the hidden message in the prince’s words. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, gesturing for Katsuki to sit on their bed beside Denki.

Said blond watched in nothing short of confusion as Katsuki hesitantly plopped down on the bed about a foot away from him, his eyes rimmed red and mouth turned down in a grimace. “Not that I mind,” Denki began slowly. “But what exactly is Katsuki-sama doing in our room?”

“I can leave—” the prince began, as if he had been waiting for a protest, but Denki quickly cut him off.

“Nope,” he said, popping the “p.” Denki held his arms out, his face strangely determined. “Now, come to Mama Denki and tell him what’s wrong.”

Katsuki wrinkled his nose in distaste at the title, actually leaning away from the other blond as a result. Hanta watched the scene with amusement before plopping down on Denki’s other side. He started explaining the events that had transpired since he bumped into Katsuki, and much like with Hanta, Katsuki refused to enlighten Denki as to why he had been so distraught in the first place.

“I can’t believe someone would make you cry during your Wedding Week,” Denki murmured sympathetically as he leaned forward to gently stroke Katsuki’s cheek, sending out waves of his own calming scent. Typically, an alpha’s scent was more effective on an omega, but a familiar omega’s scent could be just as helpful. “If you tell me who did it, I’ll kick their ass for you. Unless it’s Uraraka-san, because I’m pretty that she can kick my ass at this point.”

“Probably,” Hanta nodded in agreement, earning a punch to the arm from his mate.

“Excuse you,” Denki said in mock offense. “You’re supposed to say, ‘Oh, no, my love, you are much stronger than you give yourself credit for.’”

Hanta snickered. “You are, babe,” he said sincerely, and Denki could feel his cheeks heat up. “However, Uraraka-san could still probably wipe the floor with you.”

“Rude!”

Katsuki watched the couple jokingly argue back and forth with a faint smile, thinking not for the first time that they were weirdly perfect for each other. He wondered if that was how others saw him and Eijirou.

“Why are you two not married?” Katsuki asked just as Denki stuck his tongue out at the alpha and Hanta retaliated by trying to bite at it. Denki’s indignant squawk nearly drowned out Katsuki question, but the raven still heard it anyway.

“Ah, well,” Hanta trailed off, thinking about it for a second. “Just never got around to it, I suppose,” he concluded.

Denki made a face. “You mean you have yet to propose to me,” he said, sounding angry but both could see the humor in his eyes. “I mean, me! I’m a total catch, you know. Another alpha might snatch me away if you’re not careful, Hanta.”

“Honestly, if another alpha manages to snatch you away, they can have you. Good riddance,” Hanta said flippantly before grinning wide. “He snores, you know,” he said to Katsuki.

Katsuki turned to look at Denki when the other omega huffed loudly. “You can sleep alone, then, jerk! You hog all of the covers anyway!”

“Oh great, now I won’t have to worry about you kicking me in your sleep anymore,” Hanta said with a roll of his eyes and a lazy smirk.

Katsuki tried to cover his amused a snort at their antics, but the couple heard him anyway. Denki cracked a smile, glad to see Katsuki was in a brighter mood than earlier. “Are you feeling better, Katsuki-sama?” he asked hopefully.

Katsuki ignored the question, mildly ashamed of how he had acted in front of them earlier. He doubted they had wanted to see their future queen sobbing like a baby, even if the couple had seemed far more concerned about him than disgusted or disappointed. “You two make for excellent distractions,” he said instead.

Hanta snorted, but he caught the hidden thanks in the prince’s words. “Glad we could be of use,” he said sincerely.

Katsuki flushed slightly, and Denki slapped him on the back a few times before Katsuki elbowed him in the stomach to make him stop. Katsuki and Hanta watched impassively as Denki dramatically clutched his stomach and rolled onto the floor, pretending to either die or pass out from the pain. It was difficult to tell from his acting.

The prince turned to look at Hanta, both eyebrows raised. “Are you really planning to marry this idiot?” he asked the raven.

Hanta snickered, “You know, I asked Eijirou the same thing about you just a few days ago.” Katsuki narrowed his eyes, ready to start yelling, but Hanta’s next words stopped him. “We had the same answer, unsurprisingly.”

Katsuki got to his feet unexpectedly, startling Hanta. He stepped over Denki, who was still lying on the floor and could see the flush on his cheeks from this angle. “I need to find Eijirou,” Katsuki declared, already halfway to the door.

“Okay, well good talking to ya, Katsuki-sama,” Denki called just as the door closed on them. He huffed, turning to look up at his alpha. “Omegas, am I right?”

Hanta sighed heavily. “You’re telling me.”

Izuku screamed, once again, as a rabbit sped past him and away from Mina’s deadly clutches. Mina, who had joined the noble along to way to the forest, was too busy cursing under her breath about another missed kill to notice. Denki and Hanta, who had elected to assist Izuku in his hunt, were staring at the omega in bemusement.

“Why do you keep screaming, man?” Hanta asked. The first time Izuku had been startled enough by a speedy animal to scream had been alarming. The second time had been hilarious. The fifth time, however, was just concerning. “Are you scared of rabbits or something?”

Izuku shook his head frantically, his face a deep crimson in color and the tiny dagger he had borrowed from Denki clutched against his chest. “No! They just keep running so fast, so I get scared—or, I mean startled!” Denki raised an unimpressed eyebrow at his explanation. “Deer are kind of scary, though,” he mumbled.

Hanta barked a laugh, only covering his mouth when Izuku frowned (pouted) at him. “W-Why deer of all things?” he managed to ask between his laughs, his voice slightly muffled behind his hand.

“This is my first time ever being in a forest, Sero-san! I have never seen a deer before!” Izuku tried to defend himself. “I thought they would be much smaller!”

“That’s actually adorable,” Denki teased, reaching out to pinch Izuku’s cheeks. The noble jumped out of the way, more out of embarrassment than aversion to the blond’s touch.

Hanta finally collected himself, wiping away a stray tear. Izuku hadn’t thought what he said had been that funny, but whatever. “You know, Izuku-san, you don’t have to participate in the hunt. Neither Eijirou-sama or Katsuki-sama would hold it against you.”

“I know,” Izuku said somberly. “But I want to prove that I can do these things and that I am not useless.”

“You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone,” Denki said gently. “Hell, you’ve kicked my ass a couple times by now, so I know you’re not useless.”

“Thank you, Denki-san,” Izuku said gratefully. “But I am doing this for me.”

Denki and Hanta glanced at each other, having some kind of silent conversation before turning back to the noble. “Well, in that case,” Hanta began with his trademark grin. “How about we up our game and kill you a wolf?”

“Or a boar,” Denki suggested.

“A boar?” Izuku shouted in alarm, his head turning in all directions frantically as if a boar would suddenly be summoned to their immediate area. Hanta couldn’t help it; he burst out laughing once again, and it wasn’t long before Denki joined in. “Stop laughing at me!” Izuku cried, beyond embarrassed, but Denki and Hanta only continued laughing. “You both are a bunch of…of…” Izuku trailed off, browsing his mind for the worst insult he could think of. “…Jerks!”

There was silence for just a second before Hanta fell to the ground, breathless laughter escaping his lips. Denki hunched over, slapping his knee. “Jerks!” he repeated as if it was the funniest thing he had ever heard in his life. “How can someone so pure be childhood friends with Katsuki-sama?”

“Will you three be quiet, already?” Mina yelled from a short distance away, pointing her bejeweled dagger at them. “You are scaring away all of the animals with your incessant noise!”

“You wouldn’t have to worry about it if you just killed one already,” Denki murmured as Hanta slowly got to his feet, brushing away leaves and dirt from his clothing.

“What was that?” Mina hollered, stomping towards the blond. Hanta subtly took a step away from his mate as Mina neared, whistling “inconspicuously” as he stared off into the distance. The pink-haired knight eventually reached the omega, and she pointed her dagger between his eyes. “You tryna say I’m a bad hunter?”

Denki merely rolled his eyes, knowing that Mina was not actually angry and would never try to hurt him outside of a fight. Especially not with his alpha right next to him. “You said it, not me. How many rabbits have you let get away?”

“Oh, you’re only acting all high and mighty because Hanta caught both of your animals for you!” she accused, gesturing to the wolf and rabbit tied together and hanging from a thin, wooden pole like a flag of some sort. Hanta had explained earlier that each hunt was presented to the soon-to-be married couple in this way, with many family members, friends or mates pairing up to present their hunts together as Hanta and Denki did. “You know you suck at hunting too!”

“Why didn’t you just set traps, Mina?” Hanta asked, getting between the two before it got too heated.

“Traps are boring!” Mina whined, stomping her foot petulantly. “And they’re hard to set up!”

“She's got a point there,” Denki agreed, earning an eyeroll from his mate.

Izuku hummed contemplatively. “That actually might work,” he said to himself before perking up. “Sero-san, how much time do we have until the feast begins?” he asked all in one breath as he handed his dagger to the alpha.

“Um, we have several hours. The feast doesn’t begin until evening,” Hanta said slowly, looking between the dagger in his hand and the omega confusedly.

“That should be enough time,” Izuku murmured before jogging towards a stray branch and hefting it up and over his shoulder in one motion. Mina whistled at the show of strength. “Do any of you have any rope?” Izuku asked brightly, seeming excited for the first time since leaving the castle.

Hanta, always prepared, reached into his satchel to retrieve the rope he had in there while Denki tilted his head curiously. “Wait, Izuku, are you going to set traps? How do you even know how to do that?”

“I like reading,” Izuku said simply, as if that answered everything. “Would you like to help me, Ashido-san? I have never actually made a trap before.”

Mina raised an eyebrow before shrugging. “Sure, but don’t be mad at me if one or both of us lose a hand.”

Izuku smiled thankfully. He put his hand to his chin and tried his best to recall his readings about animal trap setting. “I suppose if we are targeting rabbits, then some type of stick snare would be best. We do not have any snares, but I suppose I could quickly make some with whatever materials Sero-san may have in his bag. Oh, but he might actually have a snare or two, so maybe I should ask. But then again, it does not seem like rabbits are the best hunt for this occasion. Perhaps a wolf or boar would be better, but then I am not sure I could craft a trap that could successfully trap one of those on my first try.”

“Um, Izuku-san?” Hanta called, mildly concerned by Izuku mumbling under his breath for a full minute straight, but the omega didn’t seem to hear him.

“It would be nice if we had some jaw-traps, but we would need to go into the capital for that. I feel so unprepared for this, but I cannot back out now. Oh! How could I forget? We will need bait if I am setting traps. Or I could use motion triggered snare traps, but we may not have time for that. Maybe if we put them near busy trails, they would work. Sero-san should know all of the good trails, since he seems to be the only good hunter here.”

“Hey!” Denki cried in outrage. Hanta snickered at his side, and the blond pouted as Izuku only continued without interruption.

“Is this a normal thing for him?” Mina wondered aloud, reaching out to poke Izuku, but her hand was quickly slapped away by Hanta. “Ow!”

“Should we just leave him be?” Denki asked.

Hanta shook his head. “I feel like if we leave him be, he might never stop,” he said gravely.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Denki and Mina parroted.

“You just need to take your time, Ochako-chan,” Tsuyu said as she led Ochako through the forest along the trails, her eyes taking in all of their surroundings but also paying keen attention to the beta beside her.

She absentmindedly played with the satchel around her shoulders, which contained various hunting tools and the rope she would use to tie their prey to her handmade “hunting pole” to be presented to Eijirou and Katsuki. Some people tended to bring their hunting poles with them on their hunts, especially if the hunting party consisted of two or more people, but Tsuyu was used to hunting alone so it had always felt like unnecessary, extra weight. Typically, the gardener would capture her animal, kill it as humanely as possible, and then bring it back to the castle to prepare her offering.

It was likely a good thing Tsuyu had decided to leave her pole behind, because at the rate this was going, they were only going to be returning with a single offering.

Tsuyu gracefully stepped over someone’s snare trap before turning to Ochako. “And always remain aware of your—Ochako-chan!”

“Huh?” Ochako asked dumbly before she was suddenly yanked into Tsuyu’s arms and away from the steel jaw-trap that had been lying at her feet. The brunette gulped audibly, belatedly realizing that she had been close to having just one foot for the rest of her life. She turned to Tsuyu, chuckling nervously. “Thank you, Tsuyu-chan. I guess it is pretty obvious that I have never done this before.”

The gardener chuckled, allowing Ochako back to her feet but keeping a hand on her lower back. Ochako tried to pretend she didn’t notice. “It’s okay, Ochako-chan. Just try to be careful, okay? I would hate for you to get hurt.”

Ochako fought down the blush that was threatening to rise on her round cheeks. “I am sorry you have to babysit me.”

“Oh, I very much enjoy spending time with you, Ochako-chan,” Tsuyu said, smiling sweetly. “Normally, I hunt during wedding weeks all by myself, so this is a nice change of pace.”

Ochako, greatly embarrassed, covered her face with her hands. She had foolishly continued walking despite not looking where she was going, and consequently tripped over a rather large rock on the ground. She fell face-first into the dirt, a gust of leaves flying up around her body comically.

“Ochako-chan!” Tsuyu called out in concern, crouching down beside the beta. “Are you alright?”

Ochako sat up slowly and spit out a few leaves, her front half completely soiled. “Physically, yes,” she drawled, the dirt on her face luckily covering her mortified blush. “Emotionally…no.”

Katsuki found Eijirou standing alone in the strategy room, looking over a map of Tulia. His face was scrunched up in concentration, and Katsuki felt he could breathe easier just from the sight of him.

“And here I thought we were supposed to be relaxing this week,” Katsuki said, alerting Eijirou to his presence.

Eijirou turned to Katsuki in surprise, his hands falling away from the map spread across the table. Katsuki slowly walked towards the alpha, feeling slightly awkward after his little outburst earlier. He hoped Eijirou wasn’t upset with him for it.

“Hi, Katsuki,” Eijirou said, and Katsuki noted that he neglected to use a pet name as he usually would. The blond had to hold back a frown at that, knowing that it was his fault. “Are you feeling better?”

The blond nodded, stopping in front of his fiancé. The two stared at each other for a few long moments before Katsuki finally spoke. “I missed you,” he said softly, his eyes downturned. Neither felt the need to point out that they had only been apart for a mere few hours. The feeling was mutual, anyway. It always was.

“Oh, so I’m not the only needy one here,” Eijirou joked, but he was secretly pleased at the admission.

“I am not needy,” Katsuki protested, pouting childishly and crossing his arms over his chest. Eijirou had to ignore the way his forearms pressed against his chest muscles underneath his shirt, because now was not the time.

Eijirou opened his mouth to refute Katsuki’s claim—because, really, they both knew the blond was as needy as ever—but stopped himself when Katsuki moved forward. The omega leaned into Eijirou, and the redhead did just as Katsuki expected by wrapping his arm around his shoulders and pulling him closer. Katsuki nuzzled under his chin like a housecat, a content purr escaping him that had Eijirou chuckling. “There’s my cuddly, little omega,” he teased, secretly relieved.

“Eijirou,” Katsuki said quietly, his hand finding its way to the alpha’s. Eijirou gave a hum of acknowledgment as he interlocked their fingers. “I want to run away with you.”

Eijirou blinked in surprise. “What?”

“I want to run away with you,” Katsuki repeated just as quietly. “But I want to become your queen, as well.” Eijirou could feel his eyes widen and his heart pick up speed. “I want to rule over Adria together with you. I want to have your name, and I want to bear your children.”

“Katsuki,” Eijirou breathed, feeling at a loss for words. Even on the rare, wonderfully amazing occasions when Katsuki said sweet things to Eijirou without prompting, the blond had never been quite so…romantic. This was throwing Eijirou for a loop. “W-What brought this on? I mean, not that I’m not thrilled to hear this, but…did something happen earlier with Prince Todoroki?”

Eijirou felt rather than saw Katsuki shake his head. The alpha still wasn’t sure if he believed the blond about that, but Katsuki continued before he could ponder it too long. “It dawned on me earlier that I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. No matter how we do it, I want to be by your side forever, Eiji.”

“You mean that?” Eijirou asked as he gently titled Katsuki’s head up to look at him, his voice wavering with emotion. Eijirou wiped away the tears building in the corners of Katsuki’s eyes, but he ignored his own tears. “You really mean that, angel?”

“I do,” Katsuki said sincerely. When it came to Eijirou, he was always sincere. “With all my heart. So, just…tell me what I can do to make you happy, okay?” To keep you by my side for as long as possible, he added mentally.

Eijirou’s smile dipped slightly at his words, sensing an insecurity that Katsuki was not ready to—and would likely never—vocalize. “Remember the bouquet I got you yesterday?” he asked. Katsuki was visibly confused by the abrupt change in topic, but he nodded anyway. “I never told you what red chrysanthemums mean, did I?”

Katsuki furrowed his brow, feeling a pout coming on. Why was Eijirou ignoring his question? “No, you did not, but what—?”

“’I love you,’” Eijirou told him, watching as shock replaced confusion. The omega blinked and the tears fell at last. “I love you dearly, Bakugou Katsuki,” he said softly, wiping the tears away from pale pink cheeks.

Katsuki sucked in a breath, before surging forward to wrap himself around the alpha. Eijirou chuckled wetly and tightened his hold on the omega, mouthing those three words into his hair over and over. Truthfully, Eijirou had not planned to confess his love for the blond so soon, even though he had been aware of it for quite some time now. Katsuki was everything he never knew he wanted in a partner, and if the blond had any doubt of that, he wanted to erase it right away.

“You are already everything I could have ever asked for, Katsuki,” Eijirou whispered. “No matter what you do, I will always be happy by your side. All I need you to do, is to keep smiling that lovely smile of yours for me, angel.” As he said this, Eijirou’s thumb ran across Katsuki’s lips, tracing an invisible smile. Katsuki’s lips couldn’t help but copy the pattern.

“Say that you love me again,” Katsuki pleaded. “Eiji, say it.”

The alpha grinned wide, and dutifully said, “I love you.” He then placed a soft kiss to the blond’s lips that quickly became heated.

Katsuji felt warm all over just from those three words. He instantly forgot all of the worries and doubts that had been plaguing his mind since that encounter with the Todorokis, and he allowed himself to get lost in the feeling of Eijirou’s arms around him, their bodies pressed flush together, and the alpha’s rough, chapped lips against his own. It was heavenly, and Katsuki knew he wanted this forever.

“I want to be yours,” Katsuki said between kisses, moaning as Eijirou trailed kisses from his lips to behind his ear. “I want you to make me yours, alpha.”

Eijirou gave a moan of his own. “Fuck, Katsuki, do you even realize how crazy you drive me when you talk like that?” he questioned breathlessly. Katsuki gasped when Eijirou suddenly lifted him onto the table, the map spread across the wood crinkling beneath his butt. Katsuki was pushed onto his back as Eijirou began an assault on his neck, leaving the omega gasping and whining helplessly beneath his ministrations.

“Wait, wait, hold up,” Katsuki managed between moans. Eijirou pulled back reluctantly, his eyes hungry and zeroed in on Katsuki’s neck, even as the blond began speaking again. “That was not an invitation for sex, you damn knothead.”

“What?” Eijirou asked dumbly. It had definitely sounded like one to him. Eijirou sighed heavily and dropped his forehead onto Katsuki’s shoulder, startling another gasp out of the omega. “You’re definitely doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” he asked, not really meaning it. He was sure Katsuki was mostly oblivious to the effect he had on the redhead. He likely didn’t realize that every touch from the omega sent Eijirou closer and closer to the edge.

Katsuki furrowed his brow in confusion, although Eijirou couldn’t see his expression. “What are you talking about?”

Eijirou sighed again, leaning back slightly to look Katsuki in the eye. “Nothing, angel,” he grumbled, subtly trying to adjust himself in his pants. Katsuki seeing his erection probably wouldn’t help the situation much. “Do you know what it means to say that you want me to make you mine?” Eijirou asked slowly.

Katsuki huffed, feeling as if he were being patronized. “Yes, Eijirou, I do,” he said snappishly, causing Eijirou’s eyebrows to shoot up into his hairline. “I had simply assumed you would not try to have sex with me on the table in the strategy room.”

Eijirou rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had sex here,” he chuckled without thinking. At Katsuki’s answering glare, he froze, quickly realizing what he just said. He opened his mouth to say something, but Katsuki held a hand up to stop him.

“When you make love to me, it will be on a bed,” Katsuki said with dangerously narrowed eyes, and Eijirou couldn’t help but feel like he was being ordered. He was quick to nod his head in agreement.

“Anything you want, omega,” Eijirou promised. “I’ll take good care of you,” he then said, running his hands up and down Katsuki’s thighs as if Katsuki were the most precious thing in the world. To Eijirou, he surely was, and Katsuki was starting to get that feeling. “I’ll go slow and take my time with you. I’ll be as gentle as you need me to be.”

The blond bit his lip. “I do not think I want you to be…gentle,” Katsuki whispered, feeling embarrassed by the admission.

Eijirou’s jaw nearly hit the floor. “W-What?” he stuttered, his cheeks turning bright red. Did Katsuki mean what Eijirou thought he meant? “Katsuki, do you understand what you’re saying?” he asked, actually wondering. “Your first time should be—”

“—However I want it to be,” Katsuki finished stubbornly. “And I…want to make you feel good,” he said, growing more bashful with each word.

As flattered—and mildly aroused—as Eijirou was to hear those words, he was also slightly concerned. “Katsuki, you know that you don’t have to just worry about pleasing me, right?” he asked. Katsuki’s eyes widened nearly imperceptibly, but Eijirou managed to catch it. He sighed sadly, “Oh, sweetheart, you’re thinking about this all wrong. Sex should never only be about your partner feeling good, especially not your first time.”

“But—” Katsuki began to protest, but Eijirou placed a finger to the blond’s lips to silence him.

“Let me finish,” he said, not unkindly. “Personally, I very much enjoy bringing my partner pleasure, but that is because I derive pleasure from that as well. You should never be selfish.”

“But what if I want you to be selfish?” Katsuki asked passionately. He wanted to see just how crazy he drove Eijirou. He didn’t want to the alpha to hold back. “I want you to stake your claim on me. I want you to show the whole world that I belong to you and only you, forever and always.”

Be still my heart, Eijirou thought bashfully, his cheeks heating up again. “Maybe me being gentle is me being selfish,” he said, even if his many fantasies would beg to differ.

Katsuki was definitely pouting now, even though he would surely deny it later if Eijirou ever mentioned this. “You are just being stubborn now.”

“I learned from the best,” Eijirou joked, kissing the pout from the omega's lips. Katsuki didn’t respond to the kiss at first, but after a short few moments, he was getting lost in the kiss like usual. “Don’t worry, angel. Our first time will be perfect because it will be just you and me.”

“And on a bed,” Katsuki tacked on.

“Yeah,” Eijirou chuckled. “And on a bed.” If I can wait until we get to one, he thought to himself. He looked down at Katsuki, seeing the anxiety written on his face and the excitement shining in his eyes. Eijirou had to bite back a smirk. If you can even wait that long.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Katsuki asked shyly, looking away.

Eijirou just kissed his cheek instead. He would never tire of kissing Katsuki; that much he knew for sure. “Because I love you,” he said.

Katsuki shut his eyes and groaned, more flustered than exasperated. “You are so embarrassing.”

“I take that as a compliment,” Eijirou chuckled.

Tenya stood by idly as Hitoshi conversed with the others preparing the truly enormous bonfire in the center of the capital. After hours of gathering firewood, the bonfire had finally been completed, and many of the volunteers had since left to participate in the hunt. The bonfire itself was nearly the size of an average commoner’s cottage, and Tenya had no idea how it was supposed to light without setting the entire kingdom on fire.

Hitoshi suddenly turned to look at Tenya, as if remembering that the prince was even there. It was very possible that was actually the case. The omega sauntered over to the alpha—or maybe Tenya’s infatuated mind was only imagining the sway of his hips—and he stopped directly in front of him with an unreadable expression.

“Didn’t think you’d still be here,” Hitoshi commented.

“I am more than willing to continue helping out,” Tenya said enthusiastically.

The Adrian narrowed his eyes before sighing heavily, running a hand through the hair on the back of his head. “You know, Your Highness, you don’t have to help out if you don’t want to. I know non-Adrian royalty isn’t really big on manual labor. I already forgave you for yesterday, so…”

“Oh,” Tenya said intelligently, and Hitoshi thought that was the end of it. He was about to turn away and leave the prince to his own devices, but Tenya’s next words stopped him. “I actually helped out for more than just your forgiveness, Yamada-san,” he admitted, almost sheepishly. “I wished to spend time with you. I…quite enjoyed your company yesterday.”

Hitoshi said nothing for a long moment before he sighed again. Tenya had a feeling he did that a lot. “Let’s say I believe that,” he said, clearly not believing Tenya’s words. “What would you like to do while we wait?” he asked, dropping his voice purposefully low and suggestive. As he expected, the prince’s gaze dropped to his lips and trailed down further, his eyes hungry. “Right, that’s what I thought,” Hitoshi mumbled, his voice back to normal.

“What?”

It was like the prince wasn’t even aware of how obvious he was being. “I hate to break it to you, but I’m not interested in being some prince’s next conquest.”

Tenya, realizing he had been caught, felt his face flush. “I apologize, Yamada-san. I have made you uncomfortable again.”

“Nah, it’s cool,” Hitoshi drawled. “It’s pretty flattering actually, if not a bit bizarre, to have a prince wanna fuck you.”

“Oh!” Tenya blurted, surprised at the vulgarity. “Um…”

Hitoshi waved a hand unconcernedly. “Well, as long as you keep your hands to yourself and you don’t make a fool of yourself like yesterday, you can keep following me around,” the omega said before turning to walk away, apparently done with the conversation.

Tenya cleared his throat, feeling as though he had just been made a fool of, but he was also ridiculously relieved that the omega was allowing him to stick around. Sure, Tenya was probably obsessed with the omega’s attractive scent, and would love nothing more than to take the omega to bed, but Hitoshi was clearly not interested, and Tenya would respect that. So, even if it was ultimately a waste of time, Tenya wanted to remain by Hitoshi’s side.

The omega was strangely captivating for a simple shopkeeper’s son. He had the confidence of a noble and the aura of a knight, and yet, Tenya knew he was neither.

“And no staring at my ass!” Hitoshi threw over his shoulder just as Tenya’s eyes unwittingly dropped down to do so.

Eijirou led Katsuki out into the capital where the feast would be held. Anyone wandering about outside greeted them as they passed, and Katsuki noticed that they seemed warmer towards him than they did any time before. He wondered if the little bit he had done yesterday had actually heightened their opinion of the blond or if they were just in high spirits for the feast.

Eventually, the unlit bonfire came into view and Katsuki’s draw nearly dropped. “Holy shit, that thing is massive!” he shouted.

“That’s what she said!” an unfamiliar voice shouted back, and Katsuki heard Eijirou sigh at his side.

A short man—or maybe teenager or young child—ran over to the couple. His hair was made up of huge, purple curls and he carried a dopey smile on his face. From his lack of scent, Katsuki surmised he was a beta. Katsuki already didn’t like him.

“Who?” Katsuki asked the stranger, wondering who this “she” he referred to was supposed to be.

The stranger furrowed his brow in confusion. “Who what?” he asked.

Katsuki scowled, thinking he was being mocked. “Eijirou, who the fuck is this asshole?”

“Hey! What did I do?”

Eijirou sighed again before finally introducing the two. “Katsuki, this is Mineta Minoru. Just…ignore everything he says, okay?” he whispered that last part for just Katsuki to hear.

“Oh, you’re Princess Bakugou, right?” Mineta asked, seeming excited to meet someone of royalty.

“It’s Prince Bakugou!” Katsuki screeched. “Do I look like a fucking girl to you, you goddam toddler?”

“I’m eighteen, not a toddler!” Mineta said, offended. “And aren’t you gonna be queen? Last time I checked, princesses become queens, not princes!”

Katsuki and Eijirou simultaneously opened their mouths to respond to that—not doubt angrily—but a hand came down on the back of Mineta’s head and nearly knocked him to the ground before either could say anything. They startled, looking up to see Nemuri standing behind the beta with her hands on her hips.

“Mineta-kun, if you would please stop harassing everyone you meet, that would be wonderful. There’s a reason why our clientele narrows down to only males whenever you’re working at the tavern,” she scolded. She then turned her gaze on the two princes and brightened instantly. “Eijirou-sama, you’re as handsome as ever. And Katsuki-sama, you are much cuter than any words could ever do you justice.”

“Okay,” Katsuki said, unsure of how to react to the scantily clad alpha.

Eijirou pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering if they should have left the castle a few minutes later than they did. They had managed to run into both of the kingdom’s biggest perverts in a matter of minutes. “Hello, Kayama-san,” he greeted. “Katsuki, this is Kayama Nemuri. She owns one of the most popular taverns in the kingdom.”

“And a brothel,” Nemuri added proudly. She chuckled when Katsuki’s eyes widened and Eijirou sighed again. “Oh, don’t be such prudes. If you ever want to stop by, royals get in for free,” she told them with a wink.

Mineta hummed in thought. “You’d make more business if Prince Bakugou was one of the who—”

“Okay, goodbye, Kayama-san, Mineta!” Eijirou blurted, steering Katsuki away from the two perverts and towards the bonfire before Mineta could say anything that would lead to untimely death.

It wasn’t long before the feast officially began, and Katsuki thought it couldn’t have been at a better time. He was starting to feel pretty hungry. He was still slightly miffed that he hadn’t gotten to participate in the earlier hunt, but once he saw the crowd of people approaching, all thoughts of what he may have missed out on flew from his mind. Bunches of Adrians—with Izuku and Ochako mixed in there somewhere—branched out from all directions and steadily formed a line before the couple where they sat on one of the many logs surrounding the bonfire.

Many of the people had long, ornate poles with unique patterns carved into each of them and jewels decorating them. They held their hunting poles high in the air with various different rodents and larger animals hanging from the tops of them. Katsuki watched in amazement as everyone neared, not having expected such a ritualistic event to take place. He couldn’t say it was that surprising, considering how Adrians seemed to take the extra step with everything they did.

“Hopefully everyone had fun,” Eijirou said to Katsuki as the first person with an offering approached.

At the head of the line was a mother and daughter, who gestured proudly to their haul of two rabbits and a squirrel. The mother nudged her young daughter forward gently, and the little girl spoke her turn. “W-We offer these to Your Highnesses w-with hopes that it fills your bellies!” she said, clearly nervous but excited, nonetheless.

The mother smiled fondly at her daughter before addressing the princes. “This is her first hunt, so she is very excitable. I hope our effort was satisfactory.”

Eijirou clapped, grinning wide. “This is wonderful!” he said, sounding sincere. He probably was, but Katsuki imagined there were much more impressive hauls further down the line. “Thank you so much, Mari-san, Amari-chan!” Katsuki was not the least bit surprised that he knew the two by name.

Katsuki felt Eijirou discreetly nudge him in the side. “Oh, thank you for your efforts,” he said as pleasantly as he could. The little girl beamed up at him in response, and before Katsuki could even think of how to react to that adorable sight, she was bowing and turning away.

The mother and daughter walked off to prepare their haul for cooking. Katsuki watched as the mother showed her daughter how to skin a rabbit for a second before he looked away, feeling queasy. The next person stepped in front of them; a brown-skinned woman with impressive musculature and a cocky smirk adorning her beautiful face. She lifted her pole, which was carrying a rather large wild boar, and slammed the bottom of it back on the ground.

Katsuki and a few others jumped at the loud sound the motion made, while Eijirou cheered for some reason. “Usagiyama-san!” Eijirou shouted. The last time Katsuki had seen the redhead so excited was when he saw his old mentor, Toyomitsu, at the banquet. “Katsuki, this is Usagiyama Rumi, and she’s literally one of the coolest people you will ever meet!”

Rumi chuckled heartily at the praise. “Oh, you’re too kind, Eijirou-kun,” she said. Her gaze snapped over to Katsuki, and her smirk widened. “I’m glad we finally get to meet, Prince Katsuki. Since you seem to make Eijirou-kun here happy, I’ll offer my haul to you both.”

The offerings continued in a similar fashion with people approaching with various animals and some with prepared speeches. There were quite a few people Katsuki recognized, and he was pleased to see that they put in such effort. Shouji and Tokoyami were the first they saw, and the knight wished for them to “always find light, even in their darkest of days," while the blacksmith merely bowed slightly. Kendou and Tetsutetsu came next, and Tetsutetsu and Eijirou did some stupid handshake that had Katsuki and Kendou rolling their eyes simultaneously.

When Mirio and Tamaki showed up, Mirio actually pulled the two into a hug, which apparently made Eijirou want to hug Tamaki as well. The omega was clearly taken by surprise as he squawked not unlike a bird. Hanta and Denki were the next to approach, and Hanta promptly informed the princes that he had done all the work, which led to Denki declaring he had been “betrayed by his own alpha.” Katsuki rolled his eyes at the other omega's antics, but he had to admit he was impressed by the size of the boar they had caught along with a rabbit and wolf.

Ochako and Tsuyu approached next, and Katsuki couldn’t help his smile. He felt as though he hadn’t seen his friend in a lifetime, and there she was with two rabbits and Tsuyu’s arm around her waist. “Still happy?” Ochako asked abruptly, as if double-checking, but she already knew the answer. She could see it in the blond’s relaxed shoulders and the intertwined hands held between the two princes.

Katsuki huffed amusedly. “Yeah.” Eijirou looked confused by the interchange but kept quiet, figuring it must be an inside thing between friends.

“Good,” Ochako said, smiling softly at her prince. “Then, we offer our efforts to you, Katsuki-sama.”

“And Kirishima-sama,” Tsuyu added helpfully.

Izuku reached the front of the line next, with a pouting Mina in tow, and Katsuki was amazed to see he had a single rabbit tied to his hunting pole. “Hi, Kacchan, Kirishima-sama,” he greeted happily, some dirt covering the splattering of freckles on his right cheek. “I only managed to get one rabbit in time, but I set a whole bunch of traps, so maybe there will be more later. Ashido-san helped me out. I had a lot of fun!”

“That’s amazing for your first hunt, Midoriya-san!” Eijirou praised. “The first time I tried to set traps, I nearly lost my hand.”

“I am really proud of you, Izuku,” Katsuki said genuinely, and Izuku had never smiled brighter.

Katsuki gasped aloud when he saw Shouta and Hizashi walking towards them. He leaned forward in anticipation as the idol from his youth approached. Shouta wore a warm smile on his face, and Hizashi was holding their hunting pole with two wolves tied to it.

“Yama—Shouta-san, Hizashi-san,” Eijirou said in surprise, catching himself before he used the omega’s surname again. “I thought you didn’t enjoy hunting?”

“Oh, we do not,” Hizashi chuckled, glancing at the dead animals in mild disgust. Katsuki could relate.

“We figured this can be the one and only hunt we participate in,” Shouta finished, sending Katsuki a secret, meaningful glance. “We hope you accept our offerings.”

“Absolutely,” Katsuki was quick to say. “Thank you,” he said, with a hidden meaning everyone but the three former Tulians missed entirely.

“Anytime, kid,” Shouta said before they moved along.

Katsuki and Eijirou felt like hours had passed by the time the end of the line was reached, and the sun was much lower in the sky. The two princes were unreasonably tired considering all they had to do was sit there and have dead animals shoved in their faces. The two were ready to get the last offering over and done with.

“Father?” Eijirou blurted, shocked at the sight of his father wielding two separate hunting poles in either hand. A slow grin spread across his face as he realized the situation. “You’re giving us an offering?” he asked in borderline childish excitement.

“Why, of course,” Crimson Riot said, effortlessly carrying his large haul that made everyone else’s look measly in comparison. “What kind of father would I be if I didn’t support my son during the most important time of his life?”

Katsuki felt his smile drop slightly at the words as his own father came to mind, but he quickly shook his head to erase any thoughts of him. He had no place in Katsuki’s thoughts. “Well, we accept your offerings, father!” Eijirou laughed, his cheeks straining from how widely he was smiling. He nearly cried from happiness.

“I sure hope so,” Crimson Riot said. “It was a lot of work hunting all these animals for you.”

Once Crimson Riot moved on to prepare his haul for cooking, Eijirou got to his feet to make an announcement. He started stretched, but Katsuki hit his thigh to get him to hurry up. Eijirou cleared his throat before loudly saying, “Thank you to everyone who has joined us this evening, and a special thanks to every warrior who gave an offering! Now, without further ado, let’s feast!”

A collection of cheers rang throughout the bonfire as Eijirou pulled Katsuki to his feet and took the flaming torch that was handed to him by Denki. Katsuki quickly caught on to what Eijirou wanted and wrapped one hand around the one Eijirou was using to hold the torch. Together, they lowered the torch into the bonfire and watched as the firewood instantly caught aflame. It spread steadily throughout the towering pile of wood until it appeared to reach the top of the skies.

Eijirou placed a smooch to Katsuki’s cheek as he then tossed the entire torch into the fire. Katsuki watched, fascinated, as the fire roared to life. Denki threw his arm around Katsuki’s shoulder, startling the omega and nearly earning an elbow to the face.

“Hey, Katsuki-sama, I have an idea for the entertainment while everyone cooks their hauls,” the knight said, apparently intending to continue letting Hanta do all the work and cook their haul alone as well.

“And what is that?” Katsuki asked disinterestedly. Anything Denki found fun, Katsuki likely did not.

“Show off your archery skills!” Denki shouted into Katsuki’s ear, causing the prince to flinch and others to overhear.

Camie, who had not participated in the hunt but had shown up later, jumped to her feet. “Katsuki-sama, you know archery?” she yelled over to him from around the bonfire.

Katsuki groaned in the back of his throat as everyone began murmuring amongst themselves, no doubt curious to see the omega’s alleged archery skills. Katsuki had no idea how Denki learned that Eijirou taught him archery—although it was almost certainly Eijirou himself—but the blond really wanted to throttle the knight right now. “One of these days, I am going to kill you,” Katsuki threatened lowly, but Denki only chortled and skipped away to safety.

Eijirou seemed excited for the idea as well since he turned to Shouji and asked, “You have a longbow and arrow Katsuki can use in your shop?”

Shouji nodded, already getting to his feet. “It’s pretty worn down, but I have my old one that Prince Bakugou can borrow.”

As the blacksmith walked away to retrieve his bow, Katsuki could feel himself growing more and more anxious. So far, Eijirou had been the only one to witness his archery, but Katsuki was confident in his skills, so he quickly buried his nerves.

Shouji returned with a longbow and handed it over to Katsuki. Katsuki inspected the bow, concluding that it was not too unlike Eijirou’s, which is the only one he had been using up until this point. “And what am I supposed to be using as a target?” the blond asked, and he instantly regretted the question when Denki smirked wickedly.

“Why not shoot an apple off the top of Eijirou’s head?” he suggested, and if everyone’s cheers and shouts of excitement were any indication, people seemed onboard with that idea. Katsuki was not. “What’s wrong, Katsuki-sama?” the knight asked mockingly when saw the prince’s scowl. “Not confident in your skills?”

“Do you want to die?” he fired back.

“You won’t hurt me, Katsuki,” Eijirou said reassuringly, and Katsuki kind of wanted to hit him for not simply rejecting the idea. “It’ll be fun, and you get to show off.”

“Maybe I will shoot you on purpose,” Katsuki mumbled under his breath. “Go get a fucking apple, then,” he said louder.

Eijirou chuckled, “Yes, my love.”

Eijirou walked over to the large basket placed near the bonfire that was overflowing with fruits and vegetables grown in the castle’s garden and by various commoners. He snatched an apple from the top of the pile and walked a fair distance away, tossing it up in the air with each step. He finally stopped once he could just barely make out the frown on Katsuki’s lips and placed the apple on the top of his head.

“That’s a little far,” Denki said unsurely, mentally trying to measure the distance between the two princes.

“Could be farther,” Katsuki said, not sounded the least bit worried by the distance. He actually sounded bored, and Denki was starting to ponder just how good Katsuki actually was if he was this confident.

Before Denki could say anything else, Katsuki readied the arrow and aimed it at the apple. He took a deep breath, and on the exhale, he sent the arrow flying. It soared through the air and planted itself right in the center of the apple before flying off Eijirou’s head and onto the ground behind him. Eijirou grinned like a maniac and threw his fists up in the air victoriously. Silence reigned for a few long seconds before the capital was filled with the sound of cheers and praise for Katsuki.

Countless Adrians ran over to clap Katsuki on the back and gush praise at him. The blond had to fight a grimace at every touch, but he smirked all the same. It felt good to have all the people who looked down on him before staring at him in awe now.

“That was amazing, Prince Bakugou!”

“I can’t believe you just did that!”

“Will you shoot an apple off my head next?”

Katsuki ignored all the extra chatter and shrugged off any wandering hands, focusing only on Eijirou as he jogged back to him. He still had the apple on the arrow, and he was holding it like some kind of kebab. “Pretty impressive, Katsuki,” Eijirou said, casually wiping the dirt from the fruit. “I could hit an apple from father away, though.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Katsuki snapped halfheartedly, knowing Eijirou was only trying to rile him up. Eijirou snorted out a laugh before taking a bite out of the apple. Still on the stick. Katsuki’s face twisted in disgust and he slapped the alpha on the back of his head. “Do not eat that, you idiot! That is disgusting!”

Denki watched the couple with a secretive smile, wondering how he had ever doubted Katsuki for a second.

“Katsuki, let’s dance!” Eijirou exclaimed excitedly after everyone had eaten their fill, holding out a hand to the omega with a blinding grin on his face. “Might as well work off all that food we just guzzled down!” He swayed a little on his feet, the copious amounts of alcohol he drank no doubt catching up to him. Several people were already passed out all over the place.

Katsuki was tempted to reject his request for a dance, not wanting to do whatever it was that Adrians considered dancing. He had been watching some random couple earlier, and the footwork looked unnecessarily complicated and fast paced. Not that Katsuki wouldn’t instantly be able to copy the movements; it just seemed excessive. The blond would much rather sit and watch Eijirou dance—even if Katsuki didn’t quite like Eijirou dancing with other people—but the look on the alpha’s face was hard to resist.

“Fucking fine,” Katsuki grumbled, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

Eijirou chuckled, easily reading the look. “I’ll show you how it’s done,” he said before winking cheekily.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, smiling fondly as Eijirou took a few steps to the side. He seemed to be waiting for a specific point in the song playing, because after a few beats the alpha began moving. He skipped forward three steps before kicking his left leg to the right, his right leg to the left, and his left leg to the right once again. He then skipped back a couple steps and kicked before repeating once more.

On the last kick, Eijirou held his hand out as if waiting for someone, and Denki suddenly appeared to take his hand. The redhead laughed jovially, having not really expected anyone to take his hand, and spun the knight before being spun himself. The two held hands as they skipped forward one time before kicking their legs in opposite directions three times. With one of the widest grins Katsuki had ever seen on the alpha, Eijirou started skipping around the blond as he stood with his hands on his hips and a matching grin. Once Eijirou had returned to his starting position, the two repeated their kicks and Denki skipped around Eijirou this time.

Denki was suddenly pulled away, and the blond tilted his head backwards into a broad chest to look up at his alpha. “Mind if I steal my omega back?” Hanta asked with a chuckle. Denki pretended to swoon in his mate’s arms, but his giggles ruined the effect a bit.

“By all means,” Eijirou snickered, watching as his friends moved away to dance together. Eijirou then turned to Katsuki, his grin as wide as ever. “Think you can keep up, Katsuki?” he asked teasingly.

Katsuki huffed, pretending that he hadn’t been extremely amused watching Eijirou and Denki dance their ridiculous (and fun) looking dance. “Please,” Katsuki scoffed, taking a step forward to join Eijirou in front of the bonfire. Eijirou quickly grabbed his hand, squeezing tight, and even after so many touches, Katsuki still shivered pleasantly whenever Eijirou held his hand in front of so many people. “A mere child could easily do this.”

Although Katsuki said this, it took a few tries before he finally got the hang of it. The first set of skips nearly had Katsuki tripping over himself, but he quickly quieted any laughter with his fierce glare. It didn’t work well on Eijirou or the knights, but the commoners at least seemed mildly intimidated, so Katsuki saw it as a win. On the third repetition, Katsuki was moving along with Eijirou nearly in sync, earning an adoring smile from his alpha.

Before long, a multitude of people had paired up to dance along with Eijirou and Katsuki around the massive bonfire, and the blond couldn’t even begin to fight the smile that pulled at his lips. The music picked up speed, leading to many laughs as a few stumbled to properly execute the moves quickly. Some of the musicians getting to their feet to kick along with their melody and spin in circles along with the dancers.

Katsuki cackled loudly when the music got so fast to the point that even Eijirou was fumbling his steps. The alpha didn’t seem too embarrassed—even when others caught on and started laughing behind their hands as well—but he did pout petulantly when Katsuki shooed him away, claiming the alpha was only slowing him down. Eijirou knew Katsuki was only teasing—and the wicked smirk on his face only proved that—but seeing Camie suddenly swoop in and take Katsuki’s hand made him feel unreasonably jealous.

“Aren’t ya gonna ask me to dance?” Mina was suddenly saying to Eijirou’s left, causing the redhead to nearly jump. He had been so lost in thought staring at his omega smiling and laughing as he danced with Camie that he had failed to remember his surroundings. Based on the look Mina was wearing, the pink-haired beta had likely known that and taken the opportunity to scare him. “Seems like my omega stole away your omega,” she observed. “How about I be your dance partner, Eijirou-sama?”

Eijirou chuckled good-naturedly as he took the beta’s hand in his. He pulled Mina to his right side, since he preferred being on the left for this particular dance. The two waited a few beats to begin dancing along with the other duos. The sound of multiple feet hitting the ground at the same time mixing with the music and laughs of his people brought a content smile to the prince’s face.

Momo stood off to the side, away from the group of people dancing, singing, and all-round having fun. To her, this whole ordeal seemed like a waste of time and resources. She nearly rolled her eyes as she watched one of the knights attempt to coax the Tulian prince into a dance when the music changed again. The princess could not understand why an entire week was dedicated to what was nothing more than a political marriage. It was almost as perplexing as why Adria even agreed to wed Eijirou to Katsuki in the first place.

If anything, Katsuki marrying someone like Shouto or Tenya would make more sense. Even Momo becoming Katsuki’s alpha seemed more logical, as repulsive as the idea was to the woman. Now, Momo had nothing against the prince, really. She thought he was quite the interesting character, but she had also known Eijirou for years. Bakugou Katsuki just didn’t seem like the right fit for the alpha.

Then again, Momo had never seen someone look at someone the way Eijirou looked at Katsuki. It made her wonder if she would ever find a companion like that. Likely not, since Momo was destined to have royal omega after noble omega thrown at her feet until she finally caved and settled for one. True love was simply a fantasy; Momo knew that. She had known that for a long time now.

The princess sighed aloud, wondering if she should just return to her room in the castle. She had done her part and attended; her mother couldn’t complain.

“Not much for parties, huh?” a female voice said to Momo’s right, startling the alpha enough that she actually jumped. The princess looked over at a beta sitting on a log seat with her leg crossed over the other and a lyre in her hands. “You look pretty uncomfortable standing around while everyone else is having fun.”

Momo huffed, “I do not need your comments.”

The beta, who Momo could only assume was a musician, merely shrugged and continued strumming. The tune was not something Momo found enjoyable to listen to. It was far too upbeat and tasteless, in the alpha’s opinion.

“Not your kind of music, princess?” the musician asked. At Momo’s surprised look, she continued. “You have a very…let’s say, refined air to you.”

Momo placed a hand to her chest, pleasantly surprised and a bit flattered. “Why, thank you,” she said. The princess couldn’t see it since the other was looking down at her instrument, but the beta rolled her eyes. “And what is your name? I am Princess Yaoyorozu Momo of Creati.”

“Jirou Kyouka,” the beta said, finally looking up at the much taller woman. “Just a humble musician.”

Kyouka would be lying if she said her eyes had no desire to trail across the woman’s body, taking in all of her curves and smooth skin, but she had done her fair share of staring before the alpha had noticed her. She was tall, gorgeous and refined. And by refined, Kyouka meant stuck-up. Still, Momo was totally Kyouka’s type of woman. Surely, she couldn’t be blamed for staring.

“That is a lyre, is it not?” Momo asked, pointing to the instrument in Kyouka’s hands.

The beta smiled, impressed. “You know your string instruments, princess.”

“Well, I play a few instruments myself,” she said proudly. It was customary for royals to pocess many talents and skills, even if they left most of the work to the servants at the end of the day.

“So, you do like music,” Kyouka said. “I was beginning to think you didn’t.”

“The music I enjoy is a bit different from Adrian music,” Momo stated, trying to be as unoffensive as possible. “Yours is very…energetic.”

Kyouka snorted in amusement. “You can just say you don’t like it, princess. I won’t be mad, promise.” Momo could feel herself flush at being called out. “I know a song I think you’ll like,” she said conspiratorially. “Want me to play it?”

Momo blinked in surprise before furrowing her brow, doubt filling her. “Well, I suppose that would be alright.”

Kyouka smirked, sensing her doubt and eager to disprove it. She took moment to recall how the song she intended to play began, and then she started strumming. The sudden shift caught others around Momo by surprise; the smooth, gentle melody somehow standing out over the wild and reckless sounds coming from the other musicians around the two.

Momo gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. Her gaze was trapped on Kyouka’s fingers as they beautifully and expertly played a Creatian song Momo had not heard herself in many years. The music washed over her, soothing her and captivating her effortlessly. She felt her eyes close without her consent but keeping them closed allowed her to focus solely on the music. The sweet sound, so soft and mild, drew Momo in with such force that she felt breathless when the last note was plucked after what felt like a lifetime.

And Momo was ready to hear it again and again.

“That was…exquisite, Kyouka-san,” Momo said, the awe and respect plain as day in her voice. Kyouka wondered if the princess even realized. “I have not heard that song since I was a child. Wherever did you learn to play that?”

“I used to travel the lands, learning and collecting music sheets and instruments. Ever since I was young, I have always had a love for music. Finding new music and learning to play instruments I had never even heard of before—it’s exhilarating.” Kyouka played a short, but fast-paced tune before seamlessly switching it back into something mellow and unsuspecting once again. She continued strumming softly, her eyes finding Momo’s as she smiled almost bashfully. “To be fair, it’s all I’m really good at.”

Momo was beyond impressed. Even the musicians who performed for the royal family were unable to leave Momo feeling so awestruck, even though they masterfully played the music of Creati. Yet, this Adrian musician, who Momo had thought nothing of just a few minutes ago, had changed all of that.

“You are more than ‘good’ at it, Kyouka-san,” Momo commended. “You have such a talent for music, and that was only one song—with a lyre nonetheless! I had only ever heard that song played on the harp.”

“Thank you,” Kyouka said, shock evident in her tone from the rush of compliments. “I imagine that is high praise coming from you, princess.”

“And I mean every word,” Momo said genuinely.

Kyouka fought down a blush; she hadn’t expected this. Getting an idea, she dug through the large bag sitting on the ground beside her feet. She gently placed her lyre on her lap, keeping one had on it so that it remained there. Momo watched with curiosity as the beta sifted through what had to be various different instruments—some of which Momo did not recognize—before she pulled out an ocarina.

Kyouka held up the woodwind instrument in her hand, eyes practically tempting the alpha woman. “You play?”

Momo tilted her head in confusion, not understanding why Kyouka would ask. “Yes. It has been a few years, but it was one of the instruments I learned.”

“Sweet,” the beta said, unexpectedly tossing the instrument into the air for Momo to catch. The royal did manage to catch it, but only after fumbling with it for a few moments and emitting a truly disgraceful noise that she would forever deny. “Nice catch,” Kyouka teased. “Let’s play something.”

Momo looked around nervously, desperately hoping her parents weren’t around to see her being thrown for a loop by a mere commoner. Even if she was a very fascinating commoner. “I don’t know if—” Momo began unsurely, only to be interrupted by Kyouka strumming the first few chords of another song Momo recognized.

Kyouka paused to say, “I’m sure you know this one. Come sit down.” She patted the empty space on this log next to her, her smile turning gentle. “The point of this feast is to have fun, so have some fun. I promise I won’t bite, princess.” With that, she winked, and it sent the princess reeling.

Momo didn’t know how to respond to that—if it was even flirting or if she was just imagining things—but she knew she wanted to play with the woman. She had never envisioned that she would be offered such a thing by a relative stranger—and a commoner no less—but she had learned years ago that Adria was an unusual place filled with unusual people. Besides Eijirou, Kyouka was the first person Momo had found to be fun as well.

So, Momo took a seat, trying to keep as much distance as possible without seeming rude. She was unused to being around betas, so she was unsure of how sensitive they were to her alpha pheromones, but she figured she’d rather be safe than sorry. Kyouka herself had no distinct scent, being a beta an all, and Momo found herself marginally disappointed by that fact. She wondered what kind of scent someone so dazzling would have, and if the scent would have captivated her nearly as much as the woman herself did.

The royal gently took the ocarina from the Adrian at last, running her fingers over the unexpectedly smooth wood of the egg-shaped instrument. A thought dawned on her then, as she lifted it to her mouth, causing her to pause in alarm. These were all instruments that Kyouka used, and an ocarina would have touched her lips. Momo glanced sideways at the beta, who was still strumming softly as she waited for Momo. It was as if being without music for too long was an impossibility for her.

The alpha’s heart felt warmer as she took in Kyouka’s soft smile and her content expression. A prick of envy invaded her heart then, and she wondered how she could feel jealous of a commoner when she had virtually everything she could ask for. Why did her heart seem to ache when she looked at Kyouka and remembered that in three short days, she would be returning to her own kingdom where she belonged?

Without Kyouka.

“Don’t tell me you changed your mind,” Kyouka said, sounding mildly disappointed, her fingers never stopping even as she returned her gaze to the princess.

Momo watched her lips move, and her mind went back to the ocarina in her hands. The same ocarina Kyouka had used however many times; her lips wrapped around the nozzle as she blessed countless people’s ears with her sound. Momo scooted closer to the other woman, feeling jealousy rise in her once again. This time, however, she had no idea why she felt so cheated.

“Sing for me, Kyouka-san, as we play,” Momo requested, her voice quiet, only to be heard by the beta beside her. Momo had forgotten about everyone else, even as the party and fire alike raged on.

Kyouka appeared surprised by the request, but a small smile slowly found its way onto her face. She licked her lips, feeling somewhat nervous now, and Momo’s eyes followed the movement. “Anything for you, princess,” she said. Her voice was teasing, but Momo wished it to be true.

The alpha finally lifted the ocarina to her lips, her fingers readying to play along with the musician. Kyouka gave her one last smile before they began, and the moment they did, Momo felt the world disappear around them. In that moment, only she and Kyouka existed. The high, airy sound of her ocarina, the sweet melody of Kyouka’s lyre, and the angelic quality of her voice was all that ever mattered.

Momo felt her eyes slide shut once again, but this time, she dreamed.

Izuku watched as Denki and Hanta continued to pester his childhood friend into dancing with them. Katsuki continued to fight them off, and it appeared as though the couple was just about to give up when Eijirou suddenly joined the fray. Katsuki groaned, accepting his fate, as his fiancé hauled him to his feet and began spinning him around. Katsuki allowed himself to be twirled to the beat, and even from such a distance, Izuku could see the grin in the blond’s eyes.

Izuku felt someone take the empty spot on the log beside him, but he did not turn to the other person until he felt them nudge his shoulder. Izuku turned to them in surprise, which only increased when he saw that it was Shouto sitting next to him.

“Hi, Midoriya-san,” he greeted softly, too softly for the amount of noise surrounding them.

“Hello,” Izuku said in return, feeling inexplicably shy all of a sudden. The noble had gone almost the entire day without seeing the prince once, and now that Shouto was right beside him and smiling so prettily, Izuku felt wholly unprepared.

“I had hoped to see you before the festivities began,” Shouto stated, as if that wasn’t the most shocking this he could have said.

Izuku answered the unspoken question. “I was participating in the hunt,” he supplied. “It was something I never thought I would do, but it was…surprisingly enjoyable.” Even if he did still feel a little bad about killing a rabbit. “How was your day, Prince Shouto?”

“Terrible,” Shouto answered with a small, somber smile.

“What happened?” Izuku asked curiously before quickly tacking on, “If you do not mind me asking!”

“It’s fine,” Shout assured him before sighing deeply. He couldn’t seem to meet the omega’s eyes as he answered. “My father had been pestering me to do something since before we arrived in Adria, and as much as I didn’t want to do it, I felt as though I had to. So, I did something that I thought would appease him and put an end to his nagging, but I only seemed to make the situation worse. I hurt someone.”

Izuku frowned sympathetically, and Shouto could see in his eyes how deeply he felt for Shouto’s struggles, even though he knew so little. Shouto could not believe someone so kindhearted existed in this world. “Someone you care about?” Izuku questioned.

No, but it is someone you care about, Shouto’s brain supplied, merciless. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I messed up, and they will likely never forgive me for it.”

The noble scooted just a bit closer to the prince, wanting to offer some kind of comfort but unsure of how to go about doing so. “It is not your fault, Prince Shouto,” Izuku said with such conviction that Shouto was nearly convinced himself. If only Izuku knew. “You tried your best, and I like to think I know you well enough by now to know that you would never intentionally hurt someone.”

A pained smile tugged at Shouto’s lips, but he fought it down. “You truly believe that?” he wondered.

“I do,” Izuku declared, the words sounding so loud in Shouto’s ears despite how softly they were spoken. “And, although it is clearly not of the same severity, I think I know what you are going through,” he added. Shouto perked up curiously. “As I was growing up, a lot was expected of me. I was the crowned prince’s closest friend, a noble, an aspiring knight, and I later presented an omega despite everyone assuming I would be a beta. There was always so much I needed to do and to know, but it never seemed to be enough to please everyone. I wanted to please everyone—that had always been my goal.”

Shouto listened quietly, beyond curious about the life Izuku lived before he met the omega. Izuku let out a long-suffering sigh, his gaze far away. “I used to think that if I just did everything everyone asked of me, then one day I could be the person I was supposed to be. Even if that person was not who I wanted to be. It was not until my exile that I realized that no matter what I did, they would always demand more from me. I was never the problem. They were.”

“You were exiled?” Shouto blurted, shocked at the revelation. “What could you have possibly done to get exiled?” It just didn’t make sense.

Izuku laughed humorlessly, his hands balling into fists where they rested atop the log they were sitting on. “Her Majesty caught Kacchan and I reading, which is possibly the worst thing a Tulian omega can do besides have relations with an alpha they do not belong to. To further punish Kacchan, who had never really been the kind of omega Her Majesty wanted him to be, she exiled both Uraraka-san and I.”

“That is horrible,” Shouto mumbled, not really knowing what else he could say. The prince knew things about Tulia and their bizarre, old-fashioned treatment of omegas, but he had never once thought that someone like Izuku would have suffered so much. Not when he could smile so brightly, and his eyes shone so beautifully. “Your family must miss you dearly.”

Izuku bit his lip, shaking his head slowly. “I no longer have family in Tulia,” he responded, his voice nearly a whisper. “Kacchan and Uraraka-san are the only family I have left. I suppose that is why we are all so protective of each other.”

“I see,” Shouto said, feeling like even more of an asshole now. Izuku and Katsuki seemed to have finally found peace and place to belong, and Shouto had very nearly ruined all of that. “It’s good that you have each other.”

“Yes,” Izuku agreed softly, a genuine smiling gracing his lips. The prince felt he could breathe easier at the sight. “What about you, Your Highness? Do you have family besides your father?”

“Yes, but I am not very close with them,” Shouto admitted. His own people knew the gist of his less than stellar familial situation, but not many outsiders were aware of it. “Perhaps I am closest with my older sister, but I do not see her much.”

“Too busy with your princely duties?” Izuku asked lightly, unassuming.

Shouto scoffed. He wished it were that simple. “Something like that.” The prince glanced at Izuku briefly before sighing sadly. “Truthfully…my family is extremely messed up. My father is a manipulative bastard who thinks about nothing but his own selfish goals, my sister is terrified of him, my oldest brother detests him, my other brother died years ago, and my mother…”

The alpha trailed off, and Izuku could not guess whether it was because he couldn’t get the words out or if he changed his mind about sharing his life with the omega. Honestly, Izuku was surprised that Shouto had shared so much to begin with, and even more so by everything Shouto told him.

“What is it, Prince Shouto?”

“Nothing,” Shouto said quietly, but Izuku could tell it was anything but nothing. “You have a beautiful smile, Midoriya-san,” he said unexpectedly.

Izuku balked at the abrupt change in topic. “O-Oh, thank you! You have a nice smile too, Prince Shouto!”

Shouto suddenly leaned into the omega’s space even further, and Izuku had to resist jumping back to maintain that personal space. This close, Izuku could clearly make out exactly where Shouto’s hair split in color, the fragility of his unwavering gaze, and the mysterious scar on his beautiful face. Izuku had the strangest desire to run his fingers through his hair, stare into his eyes all day, and place a kiss against that scar.

A gasp escaped his throat when he felt Shouto’s fingers trail across the top of his hand, and Izuku very nearly snatched it away on impulse. Instead, he hesitantly turned his hand until he could mesh their finger together. The noble exhaled shakily; the feeling of another’s skin—Shouto’s skin—against his own was something so foreign and so dangerous that Izuku’s heart was threatening to beat out of his chest from after mere seconds.

Izuku should not be allowing this; they were not mates. They were not even courting! If this were Tulia, Izuku would find himself in so much trouble for this; exile would be the least of his problems. But then again, Izuku was no longer in Tulia, and he would never be a citizen of Tulia again.

“This is nice,” Izuku whispered and allowed himself to smile. He allowed himself to feel for the first time. All those times when he would lean against Katsuki, hidden away by bookshelves or bushes, feeling as though he were defying all the rules…they paled in comparison to Shouto’s slightly rough palm sliding against his own as the prince moved closer still.

“You have no idea what you do to me, do you?” Shouto rasped, his voice even deeper than his gaze.

“S-Sorry?” Izuku stuttered, unsure of how to respond to that.

“Do not apologize,” Shouto murmured as his hand squeezed Izuku’s and he licked his lips absentmindedly.

Izuku’s gaze dropped down to Shouto’s lips before flitting upwards once again, his face bright red and his heart beating fast. “Prince Shouto?” he asked, not really knowing the question at hand.

“Izuku,” Shouto whispered back, causing the omega to gasp at the use of his given name. “May I kiss you?”

The noble’s eyes widened at the question. He exhaled shakily. Huh? What did he just say? Kiss me? Why would Prince Shouto ever want to kiss me? And isn’t this moving just a little too fast? We only met three days ago, after all. Don’t tell me he wants to do more than kiss. I am not sure I am ready for that. I am not even ready for a kiss! Oh no, what should I say? If I say yes, he will kiss me, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Actually, that would be pretty nice, when I really think about it. But then again, he is a prince. Holy…he is a prince! I would never get another chance like this in my life! What are the odds of a prince ever being interested in me again? Especially one like Prince Shouto! What should I do? What should I do? I am not mentally prepared for this! I bet Kacchan would know what to do. Wait, no! Do not think about Kacchan, you idiot! Think about Prince Shouto, and how handsome and kind and slightly awkward he is, and also how much you would really like to kiss him right now—

“Midoriya-san,” Shouto’s voice easily interrupted Izuku’s frantic thoughts. Izuku jerked in surprise, coming back to reality and Shouto’s piercing, mismatched gaze. The noble hoped he hadn’t been mumbling aloud again. “May I have your answer?” the prince asked, slightly less confident than before.

With an audible gulp, the omega opened his mouth to answer. “I—”

“Izuku!” Katsuki’s call for his name drew Izuku’s attention away from the prince, so he missed Shouto’s expression switch between want, hopefulness, and disappointment before settling on annoyance at the interruption.

“Oh, hi, Kacchan,” Izuku said slowly, still recovering from the interaction with Shouto, who seemed adamant about keeping Izuku’s hand in his.

“Come dance with us,” Katsuki practically ordered, and it was then that Izuku realized one of Katsuki’s hands was clasped with Denki’s, who had apparently succeeded in securing his own dance with the prince. Katsuki didn’t look like he necessarily wanted to dance with Izuku; he likely just wanted him as far away from Shouto as possible.

The blond held out his free hand, and Izuku took it without second thought; the hand once in Shouto’s now held firmly in Katsuki’s. Both blonds grinned as Izuku was pulled to his feet, although Katsuki’s smug grin was directed at a glaring Shouto. The alpha knew Katsuki was only keeping Izuku away from him because he did not trust him, but it was still irritating. Even if he did deserve it.

Izuku sent an apologetic look to the alpha once he realized he would likely not be returning to his side any time soon, but Shouto wiped away his concerns with a small smile. Izuku returned the smile, clearly relieved that the alpha was not visibly upset and turned to watch as Denki demonstrated the proper footwork to the new dance everyone around the bonfire seemed to be doing.

While the other two were distracted, Shouto and Katsuki turned their matching glowers onto each other. “Stay away from him,” the omega spat, just low enough for only Shouto’s ears to catch.

“I will not,” Shouto said in return, not cowering under the prince’s fierce glare.

“Prince Shouto, would you like to dance?” Izuku asked then, getting between the two royals as casually as possible. Izuku heard his friend suck his teeth in annoyance behind him, but the noble ignored it. He knew by now just how temperamental Katsuki could be, but he had no desire to find out if the other prince’s temper was anywhere near as short as Katsuki’s. Royals were such a hassle sometimes.

Shouto turned to Izuku in surprise before a small smile spread across his lips. “Yes, I would love that, Izuku.”

“Oh! Okay…” Izuku trailed off, chuckling nervously as Katsuki’s scent turned dangerous at his side. He had a feeling Shouto purposefully used his given name there to further upset Katsuki. It definitely worked.

“What the fuck did you call him?” the blond hissed, taking a threatening step forward that was only halted by Denki wrapping a strong arm around the blond’s neck and pulling him back. “Get the fuck off of me!”

“Now, now, Katsuki-sama,” Denki began, strangely calm despite the fuming royal he was holding back. “Let’s not start any wars. At least wait until you’re officially queen for that,” he joked, but his gaze was deathly serious where it was trained on the visiting prince. Denki couldn’t be entirely sure, but he had a hunch that he was looking directly at the source of Katsuki's earlier breakdown.

Izuku looked between the three in confusion, feeling as though he were missing something. “I do not mind, Kacchan,” Izuku said to his friend, and his words seemed to finally calm the blond. Well, Katsuki stopped struggling, but he was clearly still fuming on the inside. “Prince Shouto and I are friends, after all.” Izuku paused momentarily before turning to the prince in question, his eyes uncertain. “Um, right?”

Shouto’s brow lifted in surprise before an earlier conversation resurfaced in his mind. Izuku, despite how kind and welcoming he was, had never had friends beside Katsuki and Ochako growing up. It wasn’t all that surprising that Izuku would assume them to be friends, but also doubt himself at the same time.

Daringly—especially with the two knowing gazes of Katsuki and Denki on him—Shouto got to his feet and grabbed Izuku’s hand in his once again. The way the omega gasped at the touch of skin brought a genuine smile to the prince’s face. Shouto never found himself smiling much throughout his life, and yet being around Izuku made smiling feel like second nature at times. He really needed to get ahold of himself.

“I like to think we are friends, Izuku,” Shouto said softly, squeezing Izuku’s small hand in his. And then, because Todoroki Shouto could be quite selfish when he wanted to be, he added, “And you can just call me ‘Shouto,’ if you would like. Since we are friends.”

“Oh, you son of a bitch,” Katsuki growled under his breath.

Denki barked a laugh. “Wow, you really don’t mess around, Your Highness,” he said to Shouto. Shouto sent him a nasty look, which the blond pretended to miss. He suddenly brightened up as a genius idea came to him. “We should have a royals-only dance!” he shouted, finally removing his arm from around Katsuki's shoulders.

“What?” both Shouto and Katsuki exclaimed, matching looks of dread on their faces. When they realized they had spoken in tandem, the two turned glares on each other once again.

Denki hopped up onto the log Shouto and Izuku had been sitting on, waving his arms frantically to catch everyone’s attention. “Will all the royals please gather by the bonfire?” he asked, cupping his hands around his mouth. Everything grinded to a halt, including the music, but it was only momentarily. After a few seconds of murmuring, everyone continued what they were doing as if Denki had never spoken. Denki pouted. “People these days.”

“What are you up to?” Hanta asked, coming up to his lover and staring up at him with a bemused grin.

“Sit down, Denki!” Kyouka yelled, giving him a thumbs down and booing. This led to many joining in and even more laughing at her antics.

“This seems a bit mean,” Momo mumbled at Kyouka’s side. She was fairly upset about being interrupted halfway through her third song with the musician, but nearly everyone was laughing and jeering at the knight. Still, Denki seemed anything but upset about, since all he did was stick his tongue out childishly at them all.

Kyouka waved her hand unconcernedly at the princess, a smirk on her lips. Momo found the sight alarmingly attractive. “It’s okay, we’re all just messing around. Denki knows we don’t mean any harm.”

“You know this man?” Momo asked curiously.

“Everyone knows Denki, princess,” the beta replied as if it should have been obvious. “The idiot has no sense of personal space, and he used to be a massive flirt before he got with Hanta. Well, he’s still kind of a flirt, but he doesn’t sleep around anymore.”

Momo assumed that this “Hanta” person must be his alpha, but she wasn’t sure who that would be. She didn’t find it very important anyway. There was only one thing she was curious about, even though she had no reason to care. “Have you and Denki-san ever…?”

Even though Momo trailed off, Kyouka caught the unfinished question. She laughed awkwardly, silently wondering why the princess would ask something like that. “A few times,” she confessed, and she watched as Momo’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull before narrowing and flitting away. Kyouka hummed curiously. “It was years ago, and I have since found that I much prefer women.”

“Oh,” was all Momo said, but Kyouka could have sworn she saw her cheeks redden.

Well, would you look at that, Kyouka thought, feeling both amused and amazed. The sound of Denki’s voice once again drew the two women’s attention away.

“Not everyone has danced yet, and that is just not allowed!” he was shouting. “I wanna see every prince, princess, king, and queen up on their feet!”

“Uppity little omega, isn’t he?” King Iida whispered to King Yaoyorozu next to him from where the two kings and their queens sat as far out of sight as possible.

Queen Yaoyorozu overheard the comment and rolled her eyes, not the least bit discreet. “I think it sounds fun!” she exclaimed before getting to her feet. She grabbed her husband’s hand, ignoring his sound of shocked protest, and jogged towards the bonfire. “We will dance, young man!” she said to Denki, grinning wide as many cheered in excitement to see the Yaoyorozus of all people dance.

“We will?” the king whispered to his wife, not confident enough in his dancing skills to not embarrass himself.

“We will,” his wife whispered back. She then gave him a dangerous smirk before turning to where her daughter was sitting, who flinched when she made eye contact with her mother. “Momo, darling, won’t you dance with us?”

Momo was already shaking her head before her mother even finished the question, but Denki’s voice cut through her protests. “This dance requires two people,” he told them. “Kyouka! Why don’t you dance with the princess?”

Kyouka glared at the knight, wondering just what the idiot thought he was doing. After a moment, she sighed, knowing that Denki was relentless whenever he was up to something. “Fine,” she grumbled.

“Really, Kyouka-san? You will dance with me?” Momo asked in surprise.

The beta shrugged. “Well, who in their right mind would turn down a dance with a beautiful princess?” she asked flirtatiously, and even though she was joking, the princess grew flustered at her words. Kyouka’s eyes widened and she felt her own face flush at the unexpectedly cute reaction.

Unbeknownst to the two, Momo’s parents were watching the interaction in nothing short of shock, never having seen their daughter react to anyone like that, let alone a beta commoner from a neighboring kingdom. They were unsure of how to take this revelation.

“Oh, this sounds like fun!” Eijirou said enthusiastically, rushing over to his fiancé and taking his hand much like Queen Yaoyorozu had done. “That’s a great idea, Denki! Prince Shouto, will you dance with us?” he asked, noticing Shouto and Izuku holding hands. He felt Katsuki tense at his side, so he squeezed the omega’s hand in his.

“Yes, I will be dancing with Izuku,” Shouto said stoically, ignoring Katsuki glower and instead focusing on Izuku’s pleased smile.

“Iida, dance with us!” Queen Yaoyorozu shouted over to the other royal.

King Iida scoffed, “Absolutely not, you mad woman.” Queen Iida sat emotionlessly at his side, so the queen didn’t even bother trying to convince her.

Crimson Riot’s boisterous laugh suddenly filled the area, even drowning out the sound of the massive fire burning between them. “My, how unprecedented! Come now, Iida, don’t be such a stick in the mud! Live a little!”

King Iida gasped in outrage, but his wife placed a dainty hand atop his and the alpha seemed to gradually calm. After a few seconds of everyone waiting with bated breath, the king finally spat, “Fine. You win, Kirishima.”

Everyone began cheering again—except for Tenya who watched with a dropped jaw—as King Iida and his wife got to their feet and approached the bonfire, the king appearing as though he were walking to his execution.

“I always win, Iida,” Crimson Riot said with a wink and a laugh.

“Prince Tenya!” Eijirou called over to the other alpha. “Come dance!” he waved the prince over, but Tenya didn’t seem nearly as enthusiastic.

Tenya instantly turned to Hitoshi, who was sitting practically pressed against him on a log not too far from the bonfire. Hitoshi was barely even on the log, having scooted towards the edge as much as he could without falling off. The prince just kept inching closer, almost as if he hadn’t even realized he was doing it. It would be more annoying, but Tenya kept his hands to himself and didn’t try to converse with Hitoshi, so the omega just stopped caring after a while.

“May I have this dance, Yamada-san?” Tenya asked hopefully, probably inspired by Momo and Kyouka.

Hitoshi nearly rolled his eyes but stopped himself. There was no way he was dancing in front of all of these people, let alone in front of Tenya’s parents, who just so happened to be the king and queen of Ingenium. “No—”

“You will not be dancing with that omega, Tenya,” King Iida said sternly, cutting right through Hitoshi’s rejection.

“And what is that supposed to mean, King Iida?” Shouta demanded from nearby, his face twisted into a scowl and not lessening at all when the king turned to him with a glare. A few Adrians seemed shocked by his words, but Katsuki could only smirk. He knew just how little Shouta cared about propriety when it came to interactions with royals, especially disrespectful alphas.

“I would be more worried about whether or not that omega would even want to dance with your son,” Katsuki tacked on, smirking when that glare was turned on him next. He nodded towards Shouta when he saw his appreciative look.

King Iida huffed, undeterred by Katsuki joining in. “Nonsense. Some common omega would be honored to dance with an alpha like my son, but I will not have Tenya disgrace himself by doing so.”

Crimson Riot loudly cleared his throat, his eyes narrowed warningly at the other king. “Iida, do not forget that you are a guest in my kingdom. I will not have you insulting my people in my presence.”

King Iida scoffed, about to dig himself into a hole even deeper, but the smallest touch of his wife’s hand on his arm stopped him once again. He looked around, seeing that everyone—including his own son—was looking at him disapprovingly. Feeling defeated, he said as dignified as he could, “Fine. I will not apologize, however.”

“No need to apologize, Your Majesty,” Hitoshi said as he got to his feet, his tone sarcastic and biting. King Iida grit his teeth as Hitoshi then pulled Iida to his feet and wrapped his arms around one of the prince’s. He leaned his head on the prince’s shoulder, unaware of Tenya’s rising blush that was starting to look unhealthy. “I would, however, be honored to dance with Prince Tenya.”

While Hitoshi was busy instigating his father, Tenya was close to passing out. The omega was so close to him, literally pressing his body up against the alpha’s left side. Tenya could feel the muscle hidden beneath his clothes, and it made Tenya wonder what Hitoshi would look like completely nude. That was a dangerous train of thought, so Tenya focused on the top of the omega’s head instead.

Except, his lavender hair was tickling his nose, and his scent seemed to suffocate the alpha in their proximity. If the food earlier had smelled appetizing, then Hitoshi was simply mouth-watering. It made Tenya want to bury his nose in the Adrian’s neck; kissing, biting, and licking until Hitoshi was putty in his arms, panting and moaning his name over and over. Tenya, Tenya—

“—Tenya!” Hitoshi’s deep voice interrupted the prince’s train of thought, and the alpha turned to see Hitoshi staring at him with a strange expression. It was almost concerned but mostly weirded out. “Are you alright, Prince Tenya?” he asked quietly, and Tenya noticed that everyone else seemed to have moved on from them.

“Uh, yes,” Tenya said eloquently, turning back to the omega. Hitoshi was unfortunately no longer pressed up against him, but he had not let go of the alpha’s arm yet. “You used my name,” Tenya said needlessly, but it had been amazing to hear. He was pretty sure Hitoshi had never even used his last name before, let alone his given name.

Hitoshi smirked in amusement, no doubt privy to his train of thought. “Would you rather I call you ‘Alpha?’” he asked sarcastically, merely recalling their first encounter. Still, Tenya shivered pleasantly at the thought of Hitoshi calling him his alpha, and it was surely not due to the cold. If Hitoshi noticed the reaction to his words, he didn’t show it.

“Looks like the only ‘royals’ without a partner now are me and King Todoroki,” Crimson Riot spoke suddenly, clearly amused by the situation. “You wanna dance, Enji?”

Enji’s face twisted into something truly ugly, and Shouto snorted in amusement over his father’s dilemma. “I would rather not,” Enji grumbled.

Crimson Riot didn’t seem to want to take ‘no’ for an answer. “Now, now, Enji,” he chided teasingly. “If you won’t do it for me, then do it for my boy. Do it for love.”

“You’re such an annoyance,” Enji sighed but got to his feet anyway, if only to get the other alpha to stop talking. He trudged over to stand beside Crimson Riot, but he stopped about an arm’s width away with his arms crossed over his massive chest. Crimson Riot tried to poke him in the arm, but Enji just slapped his hand away, causing the Adrian to snicker childishly.

“Let the music play!” Eijirou yelled, and the musicians dutifully began playing a swift, upbeat tune.

Once the sun had finally dropped from the sky, casting the kingdom in a dark, crimson hue, Katsuki and Eijirou were led over to sit and be given gifts by the people of Adria. Eijirou seemed just as excited for this as he did every other event. The alpha was practically vibrating in his seat. Katsuki just hoped that whatever gifts they received lived up to the redhead’s expectations.

Crimson Riot was the first in line this time, and Katsuki noticed there weren’t all that many people lined up behind the king. Katsuki figured the offering of gifts wasn’t as popular or meaningful as the offering of hunts.

“Another offering?” Eijirou asked eagerly as his father approached.

“Well, I can’t let anyone show me up during my own son’s Wedding Week, can I?” he asked rhetorically, and Katsuki felt a smile tug at his lips. It was truly wonderful to see the father and son interact; they clearly loved each other very dearly. A knight Katsuki recognized but didn’t know the name of walked up to the king then, holding a pillow covered in an ornately patterned, crimson cloth in their hands. “This is my gift to you two, my young warriors,” the king said as he lifted the cloth.

A set of gold bracelets adorned with glistening rubies was revealed to the couple. They looked like they were long enough to reach halfway down Katsuki’s forearm with thin golden chains handing from the wider ends. Katsuki had never been a fan of jewelry. He found it to be a waste of money, with the only jewelry he ever bothered to wear being the necklace his father gifted him before he left Tulia. And even then, he tended to wear that under his clothes or leave it tucked under his pillow.

These bracelets, however, were the most beautiful pieces of jewelry Katsuki was sure he had ever seen in his life. “These are beautiful, Your Majesty.”

“Father, are these…?” Eijirou trailed off, apparently at a loss for words as he stared at the bracelets in bafflement.

“These belonged to me and my wife, the former queen,” Crimson Riot told Katsuki, answering Eijirou’s unspoken question.

Katsuki’s eyes widened, and he glanced over at his fiancé to see his eyes were filling with tears at an alarming rate. “Why would you give these to us?” he asked the king, perplexed.

“These bracelets were crafted for two of the manliest warriors this kingdom has ever known,” Crimson Riot said. “But my love is no longer with me, and I will not be king forever. Katsuki-kun, I told you before that I see so much of my wife in you, and I can think of no one else who I would rather wear this in my love’s stead.”

Everyone began clapping as Crimson Riot slid the smaller of the matching bracelets onto Katsuki’s wrist. Even King Iida and Enji had to clap at the heartwarming speech. Katsuki bit his lip to stop it from trembling as the jewelry was put on him. The moment Crimson Riot let go, Eijirou was taking the omega’s hand and kissing each knuckle, his own hands shaking from emotion.

The next second, Eijirou was on his feet with his arms wrapped around his father. Crimson Riot barked a surprised laugh as he was hefted into the hair and spun around, and everyone started clapping and cheering once more. Katsuki’s eyes widened at the sight, wondering just how strong his fiancé was to lift someone as large as Crimson Riot.

Eijirou plopped down next to Katsuki once his father’s bracelet was on his wrist, stroking the jewelry as if he couldn’t believe it was really there. Katsuki watched the alpha fondly before leaning his head on his shoulder, their matching bracelets glittering as the last of the sun’s light hit them before the moon took it’s rightful place in the sky.

As the offerings continued, the couple found themselves with many gifts addressed to the both of them. They received assortments of baked goods, candles, and even a portrait or two of them. Katsuki had expected most of the gifts to be gifted to the two of them as a couple or Eijirou alone, but far more people had personally chosen gifts for the omega. Katsuki was gifted primarily homemade jewelry, an array of clothing, and even a few daggers and shields. Eijirou did, of course, receive about three times as many gifts as Katsuki, but that was to no one’s surprise.

At the end of the line this time stood Mina and Camie. The two women—and Katsuki was still uncertain about whether they were together or not—approached with matching devious grins. They both had items in their hands, and Katsuki could only imagine what they deemed appropriate for gifts. The blond could already feel a headache forming.

“Mina! Camie-san! Are you offering a gift together?” Eijirou asked needlessly.

Mina unwrapped the silk covering her gift, revealing a large jar of oil. “This is the finest oil you will find on this continent, located only in Creati. It was a bitch to get, so I hope you make good use of it,” she said with a wink.

A tiny gasp from Momo, a giggle from her mother, and a sigh from her father were heard somewhere in the crowd, but everyone was too focused on the princes’ reactions to pay the Yaoyorozu family any mind.

Katsuki leaned forward in interest, always in need for oils to keep his skin healthy and young. “Is this for your skin?” he asked as he took the jar from the knight.

“Not quite,” Mina said, and a scattering of poorly concealed chuckles followed her words.

Katsuki’s brow furrowed in confusion, obviously not realizing what the oil was intended for, so Eijirou took mercy on the omega. “It’s meant for sex,” he told the blond, as casually as he could.

Katsuki gasped loudly, his entire face turning a dark shade of red as he tossed the jar into Eijirou’s lap and wiped his hands on his slacks as if the jar itself had dirtied him somehow. Eijirou couldn’t help but laugh as well at the overreaction, but he did wave a hand to quiet everyone after a few moments.

Camie skipped up to them next, and Katsuki could tell from the look in her eyes that her gift was going to be just as bad as Mina’s. Probably worse, actually. “Okay, mine turn,” she said aloud. The seamstress revealed a silk, red garment she had tailored for Katsuki from a bag.

Well, “garment” seemed a little too generous considering the fact that it likely wouldn’t even cover half of Katsuki’s body.

“What the fuck is that?” Katsuki blurted, startling laughs out of many Adrians who had never heard him swear before.

“It’s lingerie!” Camie said joyfully, knowing full well that the prince would never be caught dead wearing something so daring.

“Can I reject gifts?” Katsuki asked Eijirou, completely serious.

The alpha chuckled awkwardly. “You don’t have to wear it, angel,” he whispered so only Katsuki would hear. Eijirou neglected to mention how much he would love to see Katsuki wear it, not wanting to pressure the blond into doing something he was uncomfortable with. Maybe one day, he hoped, making a mental note to keep it hidden somewhere in his room. “You should accept it. Camie-san worked hard to make it.”

“She made it to piss me off,” Katsuki grumbled but let Eijirou accept the gift anyway. He glared at the two women’s backs as they walked away, high-fiving Denki and Hanta as they passed them.

Katsuki laid down on his bed after bathing and doing his skincare routine, staring up at the ceiling as he recounted the whirlwind that had been today. That whole mess with Shouto and his father was still weighing heavily on Katsuki’s mind, but he tried not to think about it. He hated that he was keeping a secret from Eijirou, but he feared that the alpha would lose interest in Katsuki and turn him away if he found out.

The blond groaned, turning onto his stomach to bury his face in his pillow before screaming into it. His hands found their way under his pillow, and his fingers brushed against the cool metal of his father’s necklace. Katsuki sat up, dragging the necklace out from underneath the pillow and turning it over in his hands.

A large part of him still hated what his parents did to him, but he knew that without their intervention, he never would have met Eijirou. Another, much smaller part of the blond missed his father, but that familiar anger always flared up whenever he thought about his parents for too long.

The bracelet Crimson Riot had given him lay at the foot of his bed, one of the few gifts Katsuki had taken to his bed chamber with him. Eijirou kept all the others in his chamber, since that room would soon become theirs. Besides, the last thing Katsuki ever wanted to see again were Mina and Camie’s gifts.

Katsuki stared at the bracelet for a few seconds before he slid his father’s necklace back under the pillow. Katsuki reached for the bracelet just as a knock sounded from the other side of his doors. Katsuki frowned in confusion, wondering who could be at his door so late at night.

“Hello?” Katsuki asked, conscious of the late-night setting and keeping his voice low as he cracked one of his doors open a touch. Eijirou’s face popped into view the next second, and Katsuki rolled his eyes. “I am not going on another horse ride in the middle of the night, Eijirou,” he said as he opened the door wider.

The alpha chuckled quietly. “I promise I am not going to whisk you away into the night again,” he joked. He took in Katsuki’s appearance now that he had the chance. “You really look beautiful in anything you wear, angel, you know that?”

“I am aware,” Katsuki said cockily. Eijirou said it enough to boost his confidence in his looks. “Did you come here for a reason, or did you just want to see me in my nightgown?”

Eijirou pretended to think about it for a moment before he smirked. “Both.”

Katsuki blushed despite himself. “Pervert. What do you want, Eijirou?”

“Come to the ballroom with me,” the alpha said.

Katsuki didn’t bother asking why or pointing out that the two of them were in their pajamas because he knew that Eijirou could be annoyingly insistent when he got an idea in his head. It was usually pretty endearing, but Katsuki was tired and he just wanted to pass out already.

“Make it quick,” Katsuki grumbled as he slid on his slippers and followed the redhead to the ballroom.

They reached the ballroom in a matter of minutes, but the entire time Katsuki felt like he was doing something improper. It was as if he and Eijirou were sneaking around the castle late at night, and the fact that Katsuki was wearing nothing but his nightgown did not help. Thankfully, Eijirou kept his hands to himself for once, but Katsuki still had no idea what the alpha had planned.

“So?” Katsuki asked as Eijirou held open the door for him. “What—” Katsuki cut himself off with a yelp (which he would deny later) when Eijirou pulled him against his chest, his hand around his waist and the other interlocked with Katsuki’s by their heads.

“Well,” Eijirou began with a self-satisfied smirk. Katsuki remained confused. “I figured you’d want a ‘real’ First Dance,” he finished as he twirled Katsuki around the ballroom, nothing but the silence between them guiding his movements.

Katsuki’s nightgown spun like a gown, and Katsuki inevitably found himself smiling without his knowledge. Eijirou pulled him close before dipping him low, and Katsuki giggled unabashedly, feeling inexplicably giddy in the way only Eijirou could make him. The alpha joined in on the laughter, picking Katsuki up in his arms and spinning the both of them in circles. Katsuki’s slippers flew off sometime during this and landed on opposite sides of the room, but neither paid it any mind.

After a few moments, Eijirou placed Katsuki back on the ground. Katsuki’s bare feet felt cold on the floor, but Katsuki moved with Eijirou as if their attire were completely natural. The alpha and omega gazed lovingly into each other’s eyes as they danced to a silent song, their bodies moving together sensually and effortlessly. Eventually, Katsuki’s eyes slid shut, and he rested his head against Eijirou’s chest, trusting Eijirou to keep their dance going into the night.

Chapter Text

Shouto was meandering aimlessly through the castle halls, bored out of his mind but not even entertaining the idea of attending the festival alone. He turned a random corner and suddenly found himself slammed against the opposite wall with a dagger pressed against the skin of his throat and Katsuki’s fiery, red eyes burning holes into his own. The alpha gulped, fear spreading throughout his body, and the cold metal of the blade tickled his skin with the movement. Shouto held his hands up, the back of his hands hitting the wall on either side of his head, surrendering.

Katsuki only pressed the dagger harder against his neck, a droplet of blood trickling down. His face was twisted into a vicious scowl, and for the first time since meeting the Tulian, Shouto was terrified of him.

“Prince Bakugou, what—?”

“I have just one question for you, Todoroki Shouto,” Katsuki interrupted, his voice colder than even Tulia’s harshest of winters. “Why do you think you can toy with Izuku’s heart?”

Shouto inhaled deeply. Of course, that was what this was about. “That is not what I am doing, Bakugou,” he denied. Might as well drop the titles all together; this encounter was already anything but proper. This was clearly personal.

“You will stay away from him,” Katsuki intoned, his voice booking no room for argument.

Still, Shouto begged to differ. Alphas did not succumb to omegas so easily; both the Tulian and Endeavor knew this very well. “I will not.”

“Stay away from Izuku!” Katsuki roared.

“No!”

“What do you think this is? Do you really think no one can see what you are trying to do? You think you can seduce Izuku, and then, throw him to the side once you are satisfied? Is that it?” Katsuki’s barrage of questions were accompanied by his dagger pressing further and further into the prince’s skin. Shouto fought hard to not react, even as the pain increased. “Newsflash, fuckmunch! Izuku is not some common whore who will spread his legs for any alpha who dishes out a few nice words!”

“I would never think of him like that!” Shouto denied, actually angry at the implication. “My intentions with Izuku are pure.”

“Do not use his given name, you piece of shit!” Katsuki spat. “After what you pulled, you expect me to believe that your intentions are ‘pure?’ Do you think I am a fool?”

Shouto sighed as if Katsuki was being difficult. “This and that are two different things, Bakugou! I am deeply sorry for what I did, but my feelings for Izuku are completely unrelated!”

Katsuki smirked in amusement, as if the alpha had just told a hilarious joke. “You do not have feelings for him! All you want from him is sex!”

Shouto tried to shake his head, but that only made the blade cut deeper into his skin. “That is not true!” he hissed, both from outrage and pain.

“Stop. Lying!” Katsuki growled, baring his teeth more with each word.

“I am telling the truth!” Shouto insisted desperately. As unorthodox of an omega—a Tulian omega—as Katsuki was, Shouto never would have expected to see this level of unbridled rage coming from the other prince. It was truly terrifying.

“Yeah?” Katsuki scoffed disbelievingly. “Then tell me, what do you like about Izuku?”

“Everything,” Shouto whispered, his voice so unexpectedly sincere and vulnerable that it caught the blond off guard.

Katsuki’s grip faltered for only a split second before it seemed to tighten on the handle. His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Nice try, asshole. A real answer this time.”

“That is my answer, Bakugou,” Shouto stressed. “Everything that Izuku has shown me, that he has allowed me to see, I have fallen in love with.”

“How can you have the balls to say all of that to me, and then leave in three days’ time?” the omega asked incredulously.

“I have no intentions of leading him on,” Shouto said, trying to not think about that almost-kiss the night prior. “I only wish to be by his side for the duration of my time here, and once I am gone, that will be it.”

Katsuki scoffed at his matter-of-fact tone. “You think that once you are gone, Izuku will pine for you.” It wasn’t a question, and Shouto did not think he could deny it. “And yet, you believe you are not toying with his heart. Do you even realize how rotten you are, Todoroki? You and your father may as well be the same person.”

Shouto’s breath caught in his throat before he seemed to grow red with rage. “I am nothing like my father!”

Katsuki ignored him, and he ignored the way his omegan instincts were yelling at him to cower away at the alpha’s tone. “Are you truly so selfish that you cannot leave him alone? At this point, you will only hurt him, so why make it worse?”

“I want him,” Shouto declared, and his voice broke in the middle. Katsuki pretended not to notice. “It physically pains me that I cannot make him mine.”

“Why tell me this?” the blond asked. “Why should I even believe the words of scum like you?”

“If I tell Izuku, it will only break his heart as much as it will break mine. That is the last thing I want,” Shouto said sincerely; even Katsuki could tell it was so.

“And if he finds out about what you did?” Katsuki did not need to clarify; they both knew exactly what he was talking about. “He is the farthest thing from an idiot, Todoroki.”

Shouto paused momentarily before saying, “I do not see how he could find out. Besides, if I just explain the circumstances, then—”

“—He will understand?” Katsuki finished for him with a roll of his eyes. “If you truly believe that, then you are even dumber than I first thought.”

“Bakugou—”

“Shut up,” Katsuki hissed, but he finally removed his dagger from the alpha’s throat, blood coating the edge of the blade and the prince’s neck. “I could kill you right now and not feel even a smidgen of remorse,” he said, even though he knew that was not entirely true.

“I will not hurt him,” Shouto vowed, rubbing at his neck and pulling his hand away to see red. He swallowed heavily, feeling as of he could breathe again, and repeated, “I will never hurt him.”

Katsuki stared at Shouto in a tense silence for what felt like hours but was truly only a few minutes. The alpha could not read his expression, but his gaze was still as cold as it had been before. Finally, the blond said, “You will regret it if you do,” and stormed away down the corridor, leaving Shouto alone with his thoughts and a bloody neck.

Katsuki found himself in the library after that, sitting alone with an open book that he was not even pretending to read. His mind was elsewhere, running through all the possible scenarios Izuku might find himself in if he continued associating with Shouto. It frightened Katsuki, if he were to be honest. Izuku was his closest friend, and for as strong-willed as the green-haired noble was, he was still young and naïve, much like Katsuki.

Shouto could very easily hurt him.

“I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance,” Katsuki grumbled, slamming his book closed in his frustration.

The blond nearly jumped out of his seat when someone pulled out the chair next to him, and he turned to see Eijirou watching him with a serious expression as he took his seat. The alpha didn’t say anything for a long while, simply watching the blond stew in his anger, until Katsuki got fed up with the silence.

“What, Eijirou?” he asked snappishly.

The alpha raised an eyebrow at the show of aggression, but he didn’t seem angry about it. He never did. Katsuki wondered how long that would last throughout their marriage. “Who are we killing?” Eijirou asked casually—far too casually to be genuine—and it pulled a smile out of his fiancé.

“That Todoroki bastard,” Katsuki answered before pausing. “The younger Todoroki bastard,” he clarified, although he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to get rid of Todoroki Enji either.

Eijirou lent forward slightly with narrowed eyes, his body tenser and more alert now. “What did he do now?” he asked dangerously, and Katsuki was unsurprised to see that he was still upset about the hand kiss.

I could give you a list, Katsuki thought bitterly, but he knew he had to keep a certain happenstance a secret, as much as it pained him to do so. “He has been sniffing around Izuku too much,” he grumbled in the end.

“He’s not a dog,” Eijirou chuckled.

“More like a knothead,” Katsuki grumbled. “I told him to stay away from Izuku.”

“Told him or threatened him?” Eijirou asked knowingly, smirking widely.

Katsuki returned the smirk. Eijirou knew him too well. “I think he got the message,” the blond said in answer.

Eijirou snorted in amusement, finally relaxing his shoulders and scooting his chair closer to the omega. He grabbed the book Katsuki discarded, flipping it open to the first page and beginning to read. Katsuki watched him for a few minutes, simply observing the alpha without any disturbances to interfere. He wanted to lean his head on the alpha’s shoulder, nuzzle into his neck, and fall asleep, but something held him back.

What was holding him back?

Katsuki suddenly came to the realization that he could touch Eijirou whenever he wanted to. After all, they were engaged to be married in just two days, and Eijirou had been touching him whenever he pleased since they got together. Sure, Eijirou was kind of a pervert at times, but his touches were often times more comforting than they were sexual. Katsuki couldn’t say he hated his touch.

Despite this, Katsuki had only ever really instigated kisses and hand holding—both of which the two enjoyed very much. Still, Katsuki figured he could physically show his affections a bit more than he had been doing. He needed Eijirou to know that Katsuki cherished him just as much as he cherished Katsuki. If he could not convey it with words—three words specifically—then he could at least convey it with his actions. He wanted show that he would always be truthful and faithful to Eijirou.

At least…from now on.

Feeling determined, Katsuki hesitantly laid a hand on Eijirou’s arm, but the alpha did not so much as bat an eyelash in his direction. In his defense, Eijirou had not grown up with an aversion to touch like Katsuki had, and he was a tactile man by nature. A miniscule touch like that probably didn’t warrant much of a reaction.

Unbeknownst to the omega, Eijirou was trying his hardest to not react. He could tell just from Katsuki’s scent that he was anxious about something, but until the blond spoke up, Eijirou would give him his space.

While Katsuki was still stuck in his head, Eijirou turned the page of the book he was reading. Katsuki nearly gasped as he felt the muscles in Eijirou’s arms ripple and relax with the motion, and Katsuki was reminded of just how strong his fiancé was. Eijirou watched from the corner of his eyes as his omega ran his hand up and down his arm, periodically squeezing his biceps as he went. His face was one of awe and—if Eijirou wasn’t just imagining things—desire.

Eijirou purposefully flexed, causing Katsuki to freeze and send him an adorably bashful look once he realized he had been caught in his ogling and fondling. “You like what you see, omega?” Eijirou asked smugly with a leer on his handsome face.

Katsuki glared halfheartedly. “Shut up. You touch me all the time like some kind of insatiable pervert, so I only find it fair that I get to touch you too,” he said.

Eijirou smirked, taking no offense to the fairly accurate statement. “By all means, touch me as much as you want, anywhere you want,” he responded, winking and snickering at Katsuki’s blush. The alpha then leaned close, leaving but a hair’s breadth between their lips. “But if you don’t behave yourself, I may just have to have my way with you right here on this table,” he whispered huskily.

Katsuki exhaled heavily, sorely tempted to tell the alpha that he could do anything he wanted to him. “What would you do to me?” he could not help but ask.

Ever since they had made their feelings for each other public, Eijirou had been making various remarks that were both insanely sexual and embarrassingly romantic. Katsuki had no idea if he meant everything he said or if he just enjoyed drawing reactions out of the omega. Eijirou’s eyes widened at the question and he abruptly stood from his seat, crowding Katsuki against the table. Katsuki felt so small all of a sudden, almost like prey waiting to be eaten by a fierce predator.

“You really want to know, omega?” Eijirou growled, grabbing Katsuki by the chin and pulling their faces close together. “I would fuck you right on top of this table. Open you up nice and slow with my fingers, while I taste every single inch of your body, and then fill you up with my cock.” Eijirou grabbed Katsuki around the waist, loving how his fingertips nearly touched. Eijirou picked him up—and Katsuki could not hold back a moan—and put him on the table, taking his place between his spread legs. “Would you like that, pretty omega?”

Katsuki was torn. As much as he wanted to be absolutely ravished by the man before him, he wanted to wait until after their wedding even more. It was only proper. A library was no place to lose his virginity. Actually, it seemed more like somewhere Izuku would lose his. “I think so, but…” Katsuki trailed off, unsure of his decision with Eijirou’s intense gaze on him.

“You want to wait,” Eijirou finished for him.

Katsuki nodded, relieved that Eijirou did not seem upset. He was obviously disappointed, but he did his best to mask it. The alpha made to let him go, but Katsuki quickly wrapped his arms around his neck to keep him there. Eijirou didn’t expect the kiss that followed but he was more than happy to reciprocate it. “I like kissing you, though,” Katsuki said between kisses. “And I like it when you touch me.”

Eijirou licked his teeth hungrily. Katsuki’s eyes were drawn to the sharp teeth on display, wondering what they would feel like on his skin; biting, breaching, and claiming. “Can I touch you?” the alpha questioned. Instead of answering verbally, Katsuki grabbed Eijirou’s hands and slid them beneath his shirt, the fabric bunching up under his armpits. He heard the alpha’s breath catch in his throat. “You want me to play with your nipples?” Eijirou asked, just to make sure he hadn’t suddenly died and gone to heaven.

When the blond nodded, Eijirou audibly gulped. His thumbs began rubbing small circles around the pink nubs, and he watched hungrily as they pebbled beneath his touch. Katsuki moaned quietly before slapping a hand over his mouth and turning his face away, mortified by the noise.

Eijirou smirked and continued his ministrations. So sensitive, he thought gleefully.

Getting an idea, Eijirou leaned down until his face was level with the omega’s surprisingly large chest. He had never noticed until now just how round and full his chest muscles appeared, almost like a pair of breasts. He would never dare say that to the omega though.

“Can I?” he asked, cupping the breasts in his hands and glancing up at Katsuki questioningly.

Katsuki blinked in confusion, not understanding what he was being asked until it finally clicked. He looked away again, giving a small nod after a few moments. Eijirou cheered internally and got to work, taking a perky, pink nipple into his mouth and sucking. Katsuki moaned loudly and his thighs clenched on either side of the alpha’s waist.

“Ah! No!” he whined, but his words contradicted his actions as he wrapped his arms around the alpha’s head, keeping his mouth against his chest. Eijirou would have chuckled if his mouth weren’t otherwise preoccupied. “Fuck, Ei, that feels so good,” Katsuki gasped, his grip on the alpha’s hair tightening painfully when Eijirou scraped his teeth across his nipple before moving to the other one.

Eijirou hummed in response, flicking the red and abused nipple with his free hand. The omega could feel himself growing hard in his pants, and he sincerely hoped that Eijirou wouldn’t notice. Without warning, Eijirou suddenly bit into the meat of his chest, causing Katsuki to cry out loudly and throw his head back. He had to put his hands behind him on the table to stay upright, whining pitifully as Eijirou squeezed his sore breasts, pushing them together and spreading them apart.

“You’re so goddamn sexy, angel,” Eijirou said reverently, leaning in to capture the omega’s lips again. Katsuki moaned into the kiss, loving how rough and almost desperate Eijirou seemed. The blond’s resolve was slowly weakening. He still knew he wasn’t ready for sex, but he had a feeling he would be open to doing more intimate things if Eijirou continued to touch him like that.

Any possibility of that flew right out the window, however, when the doors leading into the library opened. Eijirou and Katsuki jumped apart and frantically fixed their clothes, although Eijirou’s hair was probably a lost cause. Katsuki’s face was also severely flushed and his neck was littered with proof of Eijirou’s handywork. Luckily, the two were not in direct sight of anyone who entered the room, but when it was Ochako and Mina rounding the corner after a few moments, Katsuki groaned.

Mina’s face split into a grin at the sight of them, quickly putting the pieces together. Ochako seemed a little slower on the uptake, but the sight of Katsuki’s neck clearly filled any missing holes. Her face twisted into a glare that she quickly directed towards Eijirou, who appeared far too nonchalant about the situation.

“Hey, guys, what’s up?” he asked, as casual as ever.

Mina hid a giggle behind her hand as Ochako answered, “Everyone was looking for you, so Ashido-san and I went searching.”

“It seems we interrupted something,” Mina teased. “If you want, we can let you get back to it.”

“No!” Ochako snapped just as Eijirou said, “Sure.” Eijirou grinned when the beta scowled at him.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, trying to subtly cover his crotch with his hands. He didn’t need either of the women to see how aroused he was, especially considering their beta noses wouldn’t be able to pick up on it easily. “Will you two just give us a minute? We will be out soon.” Mina nodded instantly, her face still split into a shit-eating grin as she practically skipped out of the room. Ochako followed after a second, giving one last glare to the alpha in the room.

“That probably didn’t help with Uraraka-san’s opinion of me,” Eijirou said, nonplussed, once the two were gone.

“Whatever,” Katsuki grumbled. “She is as stubborn as they get. Although, I cannot fathom how anyone could dislike you.”

Eijirou smiled softly at the compliment that Katsuki probably hadn’t even realized was one, considering any other time he accidently complimented someone he became adorably flustered. “That’s sweet of you to say,” he said, placing a barely-there kiss to Katsuki lips, which did not help at all with the blond’s problem. Katsuki fidgeted, keeping his gaze on the floor as he tried to will away his erection. It was a bit difficult with the scent of Eijirou’s arousal still faint in the air. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Eijirou asked concernedly.

The blond said nothing, only squeezing his legs together. The action drew Eijirou’s eyes to his crotch, and the alpha had to bite back a smug grin. “Did me touching your nipples make you all hot and bothered?” Katsuki’s face grew hot at the question, embarrassed beyond belief, even though Eijirou sounded more pleased than teasing. He frantically shook his head, but Eijirou only chuckled at the obvious lie. The alpha grabbed Katsuki’s hands and removed them from his crotch, licking his lips at the sight of the small tent in his pants. “You want help with that, baby?” he asked seductively, trailing a finger over his clothed cock.

Katsuki gasped loudly as his hips jumped up at the touch, feeling extremely sensitive. “Wha-What do you mean?” he asked nervously, but he didn’t pull away.

Eijirou shushed him softly, giving him a sweet kiss on the lips to help calm his nerves. Eijirou then sat down on one of the chairs by the table and pulled the blond into his lap, slotting a leg between his thighs. Katsuki let himself be manhandled, curious as to what Eijirou had planned. “Put your hands on my shoulders,” Eijirou told him, and Katsuki did so without hesitation. He would probably do anything Eijirou told him in that moment.

The blond moaned quietly when he felt Eijirou’s hands grip his ass, crying out in surprise when Eijirou used his grip on him to grind him down on his thigh. “Oh!” Katsuki gasped before sticking his face in the alpha’s neck to hide his flush. The feeling of the alpha’s muscular thigh pressed against his clothed erection was something Katsuki was sure he could get addicted to. It wasn’t as stimulating as when he touched himself that one night, but the fact that Eijirou’s hands were on his body, moving him as he pleased, added more than enough pleasure to the situation.

Eijirou chuckled at his reaction and continued grinding against him, ignoring his own arousal as he whispered filthy things into the blond’s ear. “Will you move for me, baby?” Katsuki frantically shook his head, his blond spikes tickling Eijirou’s cheek.

Eijirou squeezed the omega’s ass, pulling Katsuki down as he thrust his leg up hard. Katsuki threw his head back and moaned loudly, his eyes shut tightly in pleasure. Eijirou cursed under his breath and stopped moving his leg, completely letting go of the blond. It took a long moment, but Katsuki eventually opened one eye to look down at Eijirou in confusion.

“Eiji?” he called breathlessly, face flushed beautifully and lips begging to be kissed red. So, Eijirou kissed him, devouring his mouth as if it were his first and last meal.

When he pulled away, Katsuki chasing his lips, he said in a stern voice, “I want you to move by yourself, Katsuki.”

“But—”

“You can do it, angel.” After another moment of hesitation, Katsuki started moving by himself. Eijirou gave a moan of approval as Katsuki’s grip on his shoulders tightened and he made small, uncertain thrusts against Eijirou’s thigh. “There you go, sweetheart. Go ahead and make yourself feel good,” he whispered. “Such a good omega for me.”

Katsuki whined pathetically and began moving faster. He could feel himself nearing orgasm just from Eijirou’s words. Even though they were in the middle of the library where anyone could come in at any moment and he would surely make a mess of his pants, he couldn’t bring himself to stop moving his hips. Katsuki made little pleasured noises with each thrust of his hips, feeling slick gush out of his hole and dampen the area on his pants under Eijirou’s hands.

Eijirou groaned in the back of his throat as the smell of Katsuki’s slick hit his nose. “Shit, I can’t wait to fuck you, Katsuki,” he growled low in his throat.

Katsuki suddenly tensed against him with a gasp before cumming in his pants, more intense than even his first orgasm. His mouth dropped open in a silent scream as his body shook through the aftershocks, his pants effectively ruined. He collapsed against Eijirou’s chest, exhausted but satiated. Eijirou nearly came in his own pants at the sight of Katsuki’s face. It was without a doubt the hottest thing he had ever seen.

He slowly crept his fingers to the hem of Katsuki’s pants, imagining slipping his fingers into the back of his pants and inside of the blond’s leaking hole. He bet they would just slip right in with how wet he was. In that moment, Eijirou wanted to see Katsuki cum around his fingers almost as much as he wanted to see him cum around his cock. He didn’t even care about his own throbbing erection that had gone ignored this entire time.

“Eijirou,” Katsuki said quietly. His voice was barely audible, but it successfully dragged Eijirou’s attention away from his filthy thoughts. “I need to change.”

Eijirou’s eyes widened, only just now realizing that Katsuki’s pants were in fact wet around his crotch and ass, and that they were meant to be taking part in a festival that would have hundreds of people. “Fuck,” he said. Katsuki could only nod in agreement against him.

Katsuki slowly stepped out of his bed chamber, his face only slightly less red than it had been when they successfully made their way there undetected. Eijirou perked up when he heard the sound of the doors creaking open, and his jaw nearly dropped at the sight of his omega’s new outfit.

“Katsuki,” he began, and his mouth suddenly felt very dry. “Katsuki, if that’s what you’re wearing, we might miss this entire festival.”

The blond looked up from where he had been adjusting the ruby-encrusted, scarlet flats on his feet. “Huh?” he asked incredulously. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means you look really sexy in that, and we both know I don’t have the best impulse control,” Eijirou said, chuckling weakly as he practically ravished Katsuki with his gaze alone.

The blond was dressed impeccably in a dark red, two-piece dress with a long, ruffled skirt and an off-the-shoulder top. The outfit showed off the blond’s midriff, which Eijirou greatly appreciated, and showed more skin than anything else Eijirou had seen the blond wear before. The skirt flowed every time Katsuki took a step, and once Katsuki was close enough to look directly down at, Eijirou could see the way the top hugged his chest muscles. Katsuki still wore the king’s wedding gifts on his wrists, and they seemed almost made for his outfit. He was also wearing the necklace his own father gave him, which Eijirou noted Katsuki didn’t wear very often, and even that suited the dress rather nicely.

“If you’re gonna dress like that, maybe I should make you come in your pants more often,” Eijirou joked.

Katsuki slapped him on the arm, his face beet red. “Pervert,” he hissed.

“So you keep saying,” Eijirou chuckled. There was no use denying it at this point, although he swore he wasn’t this perverted before Katsuki showed up in his kingdom. “But the way you were grinding on my thigh so desperately in the middle of the library was pretty pervert—”

Katsuki cut him off with a hand slapped over his mouth, his face just as red as his narrowed eyes. “Keep talking, and I will kill you.”

Eijirou merely raised an eyebrow, since he couldn’t speak, and Katsuki removed his hand with a heaving sigh. Of course, Eijirou couldn’t just leave it at that. “Katsuki, is that a dagger on your hip, or are you just happy to see me?”

Katsuki looked at him like he had lost the last of his braincells, and Eijirou then realized that the blond probably wouldn’t understand the joke. “You know this is a dagger on my hip. This is the dagger that you got me,” he said obliviously.

Eijirou just laughed. He grabbed Katsuki’s hands and pulled him close, wrapping an arm around the omega’s lithe waist. Eijirou truly loved Katsuki’s body, and he couldn’t wait for the day where he would get to see, touch, and taste every single inch of it.

“You’ve gone through so many outfits since coming to Adria, and you’ve looked absolutely stunning in each of them,” Eijirou said, shaking his head slightly as if the entire thing was unfair. “This one, though, just might be my favorite,” he finished, stroking a hand over Katsuki’s chest, tracing the roundness of his chest.

Katsuki fought down a blush, biting his tongue as Eijirou rubbed his left nipple through his top. “Is it the red?” Katsuki asked breathily.

“That definitely helps,” Eijirou said. “You look gorgeous in red, angel. My perfect, beautiful omega.”

The blond exhaled shakily at the praise, heat travelling through his body and gathering in his loins. He opened his mouth to respond—although he had no idea what he was going to say—but Eijirou pulled him into a heated kiss before he could utter a word. Katsuki gasped into the kiss, Eijirou’s tongue immediately granting itself entrance.

Instantly, Katsuki was melting into their kiss as he always did. It was just so easy to get lost in Eijirou’s touch and his skillful tongue, and Katsuki could never find any legitimate reason to pull away. Even air rarely seemed like a necessity when Eijirou pulled him close and devoured his mouth as if he had been starving for it for days on end.

Each moan the blond let out only seemed to fuel Eijirou’s flame, since each broken sound that broke from Katsuki’s lips caused the alpha’s grip on his waist the tighten and his teeth to join the fray. After all of their heavier make-out sessions, Katsuki always walked away with red-stained lips, spots of red dotting his lips only to be licked away by the alpha.

After what felt like a lifetime, and yet far too soon, Eijirou pulled away. Katsuki’s eyes blinked open, his breath coming out in pants as he attempted to will his heart to go back to beating normally. It may have worked, had Katsuki not noticed a particular detail about the redhead’s own lips.

He snorted unattractively. “Eijirou, I think my lipstick may have gotten on you.”

Eijirou brought a hand up to his lips, wiping across his bottom lip and coming back with a red-stained thumb. He blinked in shock once before he chuckled. “Well,” he said succinctly. “I suppose that’s mostly my fault.”

Katsuki was glad he didn’t seem upset, although he wondered if his own lipstick was ruined now. He found he didn’t care much, lifting a hand to swipe his thumb across Eijirou’s lips. The redhead let him, simply watching Katsuki silently as thee blond continued to remove the makeup with his fingers. It wasn’t very effective, but they both knew that to start. Katsuki just wanted to touch Eijirou, and Eijirou wanted to let him.

Katsuki gasped loudly when Eijirou suddenly parted his lips and took Katsuki’s thumb into his mouth, nipping lightly. Reflexively, the omega ripped his hand away in an aborted motion, keeping it in the air between their faces. Eijirou gave Katsuki a moment to pull away completely, and when the blond stayed where he was, his eyes wide but excited, Eijirou grabbed Katsuki’s hand once again.

He brought the blond’s index and middle finger to his lips, kissing the tips, before finally pulling them into his mouth. Katsuki whined loudly as Eijirou sucked on his fingers, his eyes trained on where Eijirou's lips spread around the small appendages. He could feel Eijirou tongue run over the digits, and Katsuki felt himself grow hard under his skirt. He was immensely glad for how it fell around his lower half, making it difficult to tell he had a budding erection.

Katsuki felt mildly ashamed for how easily the sight was riling him up, but sucking on someone’s fingers was all kinds of sexual in Tulian culture. Katsuki was almost positive that Eijirou knew exactly how much this would affect the blond, especially when Katsuki met his gaze, and Eijirou’s eyes were as smug as they were intense.

Katsuki whimpered pathetically, feeling once again like Eijirou was in complete control and he was at the redhead’s mercy. It was unfair and incredibly arousing. The quickness in which Eijirou switched from lovable, charming idiot into a hungry, dominating alpha was astonishing and always a little jarring.

“You…” Katsuki began, but he realized he didn’t know what else to say. Eijirou seemed content to keep tormenting Katsuki by sucking on his fingers, that familiar pleasure building up in Katsuki even quicker than it had in the library.

Eijirou finally decided to show mercy on the blond, although he was unaware of just how far he had riled up the omega. He removed Katsuki’s fingers from his mouth, his saliva coating the digits thoroughly. “I would love to suck on that pretty, little cock of yours,” Eijirou said directly into Katsuki’s ear, his voice deep and seductive.

Katsuki shivered from both the words and the proximity. “Stop talking like that,” Katsuki practically begged.

Eijirou leaned down, then, and whispered, “I won’t bite you, angel,” as he nosed at Katsuki’s neck.

Katsuki hesitated momentarily, but eventually nodded. Eijirou grinned into his neck and promptly licked a long stripe up the side of Katsuki’s neck, his tongue brushing over the omega’s scent glands roughly. Katsuki moaned loudly and—to his absolute mortification—came in his underwear, Eijirou’s hold on him the only thing keeping his knees from giving out under him. His eyes, which had slid closed during his orgasm, shot wide open as he shoved Eijirou away and sprinted into his room, slamming the door behind him and locking it in the time it took for Eijirou to even process what happened.

“Oops,” Eijirou said to an empty hallway.

Izuku was looking himself over in the mirror, and he felt extremely vain doing so. He also felt slightly foolish since he had never cared much about his attire or appearance before. Izuku had never been courted before being exiled, and while the omega had never minded much growing up, he was eighteen now. Most omegas, possibly excluding Adrian ones, were typically mated and married by age eighteen, if not soon after. If Izuku waited too much longer to start appealing to alphas, he may find himself undesirable to—

Well, to any alpha, he supposed. No particular alpha, in general. Definitely not Prince Shouto.

Izuku sighed to himself, forcing his hands to stop brushing out nonexistent wrinkles in the skirt of his dress. “I am acting ridiculous,” he chided himself.

Truly, he was. After last night’s feast, and dancing with Shouto all night long, Izuku felt ready to put himself out there. Even if Katsuki and Ochako didn’t approve of his friendship with Shouto, and surely would detest a romantic relationship, Izuku found that he did not want to give up on whatever it was that was blooming between he and Shouto.

So, when Izuku woke up the next morning, he had ventured to Camie’s chambers in hopes of acquiring a dress or skirt, remembering how beautiful all the gowns she had made for Katsuki throughout the week were, as well as his own gown from the banquet. He did feel bad about coming to her so last minute, not wanting to stress out the woman after she had just woken up and likely already had responsibilities for Katsuki. Even Camie had been surprised by him being at her door, but she quickly brightened when Izuku explained he wanted a new outfit.

It turned out Izuku had been worried for nothing; Camie had an entire rack of dresses made specially for Izuku that she had just been waiting for him to ask for.

Izuku had looked through the multiple different outfits, feeling mildly overwhelmed. Some of them were simple and elegant—clearly based on Tulian-style dresses—but a good number of them were quite risqué, in Izuku’s opinion. There was one, however, that really caught Izuku’s eye, and as he pulled it from the rack, he thought he heard Camie squeal excitedly.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d like the pink, but it seems like you do,” Camie had said, literally patting herself on the back.

And Izuku did like it. It was lovely, rose pink, two-piece dress with a floor-length skirt and lace halter top. It was completely different than anything he’d worn before; not boring like the dress he wore when he met Shouto or graceful like the ballgown he wore afterwards to the banquet. Still, Izuku thought it was perfect.

Unfortunately, Izuku’s love for the dress did not erase the nobleman’s many insecurities. Sure, the dress was pretty, but Izuku knew he was not. He had said it before—to Prince Shouto even—that he was plain and uninteresting. A nice outfit would not change that.

“What am I even doing?” Izuku asked himself, finally walking away from the mirror, and now pacing back and force in front of it. “Prince Shouto would never in a million years court someone like me. I am sure he has dozens of beautiful omegas throw themselves at his feet each and every day. So what if he asked to kiss me?”

Izuku suddenly froze, his eyes widening slowly as he his jaw dropped.

“He tried to kiss me!” Izuku hollered, belatedly hoping that his voice did not travel outside his room as he continued to panic until the festival began.

“Won’t you let me apologize?” Eijirou asked for the umpteenth time as he and Katsuki walked around the capital.

The festival was fast underway, and everyone seemed to be having a blast. There were children running around and playing, countless stands for food and other goods, murals being drawn with chalk all over every inch of the ground, and a large band playing in the center of it all. Overall, Eijirou was very pleased with the outcome, and he was looking forward to enjoying the day with his fiancé.

If only Katsuki would actually look at him.

“Angel, come on,” Eijirou tried again. “There’s no reason to be embarrassed.” Still, Katsuki ignored him just as he had since he emerged from his room for the second time, blessedly still wearing his two-piece dress. He only had to change his underwear this time, after all. “It was actually really hot,” he said quietly, so no one else would overhear.

Katsuki huffed, and Eijirou thought he was about to finally get a response, but Katsuki only walked away towards the blacksmith’s shop without a word. Eijirou followed, miffed at the continued silence, but he was also curious as to what business Katsuki had with the blacksmith.

Eijirou jogged forward in time to open the door for the omega, but Katsuki only glared at him as he entered the building. Eijirou sighed quietly, wondering when the blond would stop being mad at him.

Shouji looked up from a sword he was sharpening. Katsuki glanced around, this being his first time here, and he found himself impressed by the display of weaponry.

“Your Highnesses,” Shouji greeted as he walked over to them. “How may I help you? If you’re looking for Fumikage, he’s currently being dragged around by Denki and Hanta,” he told them, sounding sorry for his mate. Katsuki didn’t blame him.

“I want a dagger,” Katsuki stated shortly, and Eijirou looked at him in surprise.

Shouji’s eyes dropped down to the dagger on the prince’s hip. “Would you like one similar to the one you already have?” he questioned.

“It is not for me,” Katsuki said, shaking his head. “Just show me your best dagger, blacksmith. I do not care how much it costs.” Shouji nodded before walking off.

Eijirou was shocked by the request until he remembered Katsuki asking him to bring the blond to Shouji one day, back when Katsuki had officially accepted him as a potential mate. “Who is it for?” he asked the blond curiously. “Uraraka-san?”

Katsuki shook his head, although he did contemplate getting something for his other friend as well. He had never seen a single Adrian use a shield—likely another exaggerated show of the “manliness” Eijirou loved to gush about—but he suspected Ochako may appreciate such a gift.

“Izuku is in need of a weapon of his own,” Katsuki said, stroking a hand idly across an unfinished blade, feeling the rough texture that would eventually become smooth and deadly. “He may not always seem it, but he is a fighter. I want him fighting alongside me one day.”

“Why not a sword, then?” Eijirou asked, walking over to some of the swords on display. He knew Shouji was a fine craftsman, and any sword here would suit Izuku nicely.

“I feel it is best to start small with this,” Katsuki explained. “Besides, he should choose his sword on his own.”

Eijirou hummed in understanding before he came to a realization. “But I chose your sword for you,” he reminded the blond.

Katsuki turned a small smirk onto Eijirou, lifting a finger to brush along the underside of his chin. “Yes,” he agreed easily. “And I cherish my sword very much, but that was a gift from my alpha. It is a bit different.”

“I suppose,” Eijirou mumbled, but his cheeks were suspiciously pink. Katsuki was far too attractive for his own good, riling up the alpha without any effort on his part. At least the blond was speaking to him again.

Just then, Shouji returned with a sheathed dagger held in his hands. Katsuki perked up at the sight, reaching out to take the dagger from the alpha. He stroked a hand over the rough, yet somehow smooth exterior of the sheath, marveling at the intricate patterns decorating the leather. It was beautiful, and as Katsuki slowly pulled the dagger from its cover, he realized the blade was even more so.

The metal glinted in the light shining through the windows, and Katsuki grinned almost manically as he sheathed the dagger once again. “I like this one,” he said, almost to himself.

Eijirou smiled at his mate, even though Katsuki wasn’t looking his way, before turning back to Shouji. “You sure you want to part with that?” he asked, recognizing the weapon’s quality right away.

Shouji nodded shortly. “Only the best for a royal and his friends,” he said, and Eijirou could only assume he was smiling underneath his facemask.

“Thanks, Shouji,” Eijirou said sincerely. “How much this time around?” he asked, opening his coin pouch.

Shouji started shaking his head, but Katsuki stopped him before he could turn down the princes from paying for the dagger. Before either alpha could react, Katsuki shoved his hand into Eijirou’s coin pouch and removed a fistful of gold coins, dropping them unceremoniously onto a nearby table littered with various tools and weaponry. Then, without waiting for Shouji’s reaction, Katsuki marched out of the smithery.

Eijirou watched him go before turning to a flabbergasted Shouji with an apologetic but slightly amused smile. “He’s quite something, isn’t he?” he asked rhetorically, but Shouji nodded anyway. Eijirou chuckled, sending a wink to the other alpha before skipping out himself. “Keep the change!”

Izuku walked down the corridor leading to the castle doors to see Shouto leaning against one of the large columns, his arms crossed over his chest and eyebrows set in an intense frown. Izuku almost contemplated waiting a bit longer to greet the alpha, but Shouto must have caught a whiff of his scent, since his head snapped up and in the omega’s direction before he could walk away.

It wasn’t difficult for Izuku to plaster on a smile, hoping it hid his sudden nerves well enough. Between his years of practicing fake smiles in the mirror for banquets and balls and his genuine excitement to see the prince, Izuku easily found himself smiling.

Shouto watched Izuku approach, taking in his rosy dress that perfectly complemented his rosy cheeks. The alpha absentmindedly rubbed at his neck, hoping the tiny cut in the center of his throat was not too noticeable on his skin. The last thing he wanted was for Izuku to question the mark or for Katsuki to come back with even more of a vengeance.

“That is a very pretty color on you,” Shouto complimented, taking in Izuku’s appearance at a leisurely pace. The omega always looked about ten times cuter when he was dressed up, and Shouto couldn’t help but think that Izuku had dressed up just for him.

He was sure it was just wishful thinking, but it was nice to imagine.

“Thank you, Prince Shouto,” Izuku said sheepishly, scratching at his freckled cheek. He was kind of embarrassed by how relieved he was that the alpha liked his dress, even if he had only commented on the color so far. “I wonder if your hair would be this color if it was not split down the middle the way it is,” he mused, chuckling when Shouto reached a hand up to his own hair subconsciously.

Without thinking, Izuku reached up to tousle the middle of the prince’s hair until it looked pink where the red and white normally split. Shouto jerked in surprise at the first touch of Izuku’s hands on his head, but he let it happen without compliant. He even bent his head down slightly so the shorter male could reach easier. Shouto wasn’t used to being touched by others—not so gently like this—and Izuku was not used to touching others. Yet, at that moment, neither felt uncomfortable with the other.

Izuku eventually seemed to realize what he was doing, and he jerked his hand away as it had been burned. “I apologize, Prince Shouto! That was extremely inappropriate of me!” He dipped down into a bow, but Shouto grabbed his shoulder to stand him up straight again.

“It’s fine, Izuku,” Shouto assured him softly. “I don’t usually let other people touch me, but I’m fine if it is you.”

Izuku almost said “thank you,” but that would have been a strange response to a question like that. Thanking the prince for allowing Izuku to touch him? Yeah, even Izuku knew how desperate that sounded.

Since Izuku hadn’t shied away from the prince’s touch this time either, Shouto let his hand slide up from the omega’s shoulder and to his cheek. Izuku’s skin was soft under his touch, impossibly so. Shouto knew Tulians oils were the best oils out there, but he had no idea they could keep the skin so wonderfully smooth, even under Adria’s intense and unrelenting heat.

Although Izuku had not rejected Shouto’s touch, that did not mean that he was unaffected by it. Shouto’s hand was slightly rough on his skin, but Izuku found the contrast to be unexpectedly pleasant. He could tell what part of Shouto’s hand was touching what part of his body, and as the alpha’s thumb stroked his cheek softly, Izuku found himself biting his lip to hold back any sounds.

Izuku felt himself being inched forward, but his feet carried him before his mind could catch up. He felt like he was drifting, and he didn’t know why. Were all alphas this intoxicating? Izuku had gotten tipsy and loose-lipped during a palace banquet when he was sixteen and made a fool of himself—it was why he tried to stay away from wines—but even then he had felt more in control of himself than he did with Shouto softly caressing his cheek.

Todoroki Shouto was undeniably pretty socially inept, but he was not an imbecile. He knew that what he was doing was inappropriate on so many levels. Not only was Izuku a noble from an unallied kingdom, he was the trusted friend of Prince Bakugou, who had made it painfully (very painfully) clear that he wanted the alpha as far away from him as possible. Preferably on a separate continent.

Shouto knew that if his father caught wind of this, Izuku would likely be the one to suffer. If Shouto leaned down to kiss the omega like he so desperately wanted to, hundreds of eyes had the potential to see it.

Izuku’s eyes had slid closed during Shouto’s internal debate, waiting for the alpha to make his move, and the alpha found himself wishing he could just ignore the rest of the world and finally feel the omega’s lips against his own. He had been fantasizing about Izuku’s kiss, wondering if he would be the omega’s first. It would be so easy to lean down and claim the omega’s lips.

He would probably gasp into the kiss, opening his mouth wide enough for Shouto to grant himself entrance, tasting everything the omega had to offer. He wondered if Izuku would moan, whimper, or whine. Shouto would cherish every sound for the rest of his life. All he had to do was lean down just a few inches.

But he couldn’t do that. As much as it pained him, he pulled away. Once his hand slipped from the omega’s cheek, Izuku’s eyes shot open. His face twisted in confusion, certain that the alpha had been about to kiss him.

“Prince Shouto?” he asked, his voice quiet and unsure.

Shouto nearly turned away to avoid seeing that look. “I was just wondering what kind of foods Adrians serve during festivals,” he said awkwardly and unconvincingly, unconsciously rubbing at the bandage hidden beneath his collar.

Izuku’s face fell at the poor attempt at changing the subject, and he downturned his head. He didn’t want Shouto to see his expression. “I suppose we can walk around,” he said apathetically.

Shouto was not oblivious to the omega’s switch in attitude, and he knew he was the cause of it. He wanted to punch himself. “I will get snacks for us, so you can stay here, Midoriya-san.” The air instantly grew stiff, and Izuku’s head shot up. He looked close to tears now, and Shouto cursed himself mentally. “I mean—”

“No worries, Your Highness,” Izuku said quickly, chuckling humorlessly as he rubbed his bare arm self-consciously. He abruptly felt very exposed, and he took a few steps back to distance himself from the alpha. “I will just wait here.”

Shouto bit his lip at being addressed so formally, but he had been the first to slip up. All of the that progress was instantaneously thrown out the metaphorical window. Shouto could only turn and walk away, his heart heavier than ever.

Izuku watched the prince walk away, fighting back tears because he refused to cry over an alpha. It didn’t matter that he really liked Shouto, and it was apparent that Shouto had never really liked him. Izuku must have done something to drive the alpha away; he had been so sure that Shouto was going to kiss him earlier.

He buried his face in his hands, feeling overexposed and foolish. “I am such an idiot,” he mumbled into his hands.

As Eijirou and Katsuki walked around the festival hand-in-hand, Katsuki noticed bright, multi-colored patterns all around a certain area of the capital. He ventured over—Eijirou only realizing a moment later that his omega had disappeared—and crouched down to look closer at what had to be dozens upon dozens of paintings and murals.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Eijirou asked from behind him, admiring another area of paintings as well. “Do you want to add something?” he asked curiously.

Katsuki snorted unattractively. “I am not going to waste my time doing that stupid shi—” Katsuki suddenly felt a sharp tug on his skirt, and when he looked down, he saw a little girl no older than eight gazing up at him with a wide-eyed stare. “Um,” Katsuki began unsurely, looking around for any sign of the girl’s parents.

“Hello, Your Highness,” she said softly and slowly, making sure to annunciate her words properly.

Katsuki found himself fighting a smile as he crouched down to her eye level. “Hello. What is your name?” he asked as softly as his deep voice would allow.

The little girl hesitated, lifting a tiny fist to her cheek as she looked around. Katsuki waited for an answer, displaying a patience he rarely found with anyone, including children. The young girl seemed extremely nervous, so Katsuki figured he could try his best to be nice. After several seconds of silence, she finally murmured, “Eri.”

“Hello, Eri,” Katsuki said pleasantly, silently relieved that she had finally spoken. “Is there something you needed?”

The little girl shook her head. “No, Your Highness,” Eri said, and her voice so quiet that Katsuki had to wonder if she was always like this or if he was intimidating her without meaning to. “Your dress is pretty.”

Katsuki blinked in surprise before a genuinely warm smile spread across his lips. She had been nervous about complimenting him, and that was just absolutely adorable. “Why thank you, Eri. Do you like dresses like this?”

Eri nodded slightly. “I want to look pretty like you when I get older,” she whispered, as if it were some deep secret between the two of them.

I do not remember kids being this cute,” Katsuki thought amusedly. “You are already so pretty, Eri. I am actually a little jealous,” Katsuki said, placing a hand over his heart dramatically and watching as a grin took over her features.

She rocked back and forth on her heels, her cheeks a bashful pink. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Katsuki glanced over to where he saw a group of women making flower crowns, and he got an idea. “Will you wait just a second, Eri? I want to get something for you.” Eri nodded excitedly, and Katsuki turned back to Eijirou. “I need some money,” he told the alpha.

Eijirou raised an eyebrow, but he had a wide grin on his face from watching Katsuki interact with Eri. “Again, huh? If I had known you were just after my wealth…” Eijirou joked, purposefully trailing off to see Katsuki’s scowl.   

“Hilarious,” the blond drawled sarcastically. He held out his hand and waggled his fingers, and Eijirou dropped way more Adrians coins than he needed into his palm. “I will be right back,” he told them both before he walked over to the group of women. “Can I have a crown?” he asked them.

The women all looked up at the sound of his voice, and they instantly recognized him. Katsuki was surprised by the warm smiles he received from them all. “Hello, Prince Bakugou,” one of the women said, pausing in her crafting of a pink and purple flower crown.

“Hello,” Katsuki said in return, not bothering to repeat his question. As expected, another of the women handed over a pink and blue crown to the blond, and Katsuki turned it over in his hands appraisingly. It was well-made, but Katsuki hoped it wouldn’t be too big on Eri’s tiny head. Katsuki nodded in thanks to the women before dropping the coins Eijirou had given him into the small bag by their feet, which was already full of other coins.

The women were understandably shocked by the vast amount of money Katsuki just gave them—much over the actual price of a simple flower crown—but they were thankful, nonetheless. Katsuki waved away their concerns; if Eijirou was so set on spoiling his people, then Katsuki saw no reason to do otherwise.

Katsuki hurried back over to where Eri was obediently waiting for him, currently amidst a conversation with Eijirou. The alpha must have said something to embarrass the girl, since she suddenly covered her face in her hands and squealed just loud enough for the approaching Katsuki to hear. The blond sent Eijirou a questioning look, and the alpha grinned in response, patting Eri’s head to get her attention.

Eri looked up in time to see Katsuki stop in front of them, a flower crown hidden behind his back. She tried to be subtle as she attempted to peek around his back, but Katsuki easily moved just slightly each time to keep the crown hidden. Eijirou watched the interchange fondly, thinking to himself that he had never seen anything more adorable.

“I have something for you, Eri,” Katsuki told the girl, who perked up instantly at his words. “Would you like me to give it to you?”

Eri nodded excitedly, looking seconds away from hopping up and down. “Yes, please,” she said, her excitement clear, and yet her voice was still so quiet.

“So polite,” Katsuki said in wonderment under his breath. He didn’t remember being that polite when he was her age, that was for sure.

Deciding not to keep Eri waiting any longer, Katsuki pulled out the flower crown from behind his back. Eri gasped loudly, actually jumping up and down now, and making it slightly difficult for Katsuki to place it securely on her head. He managed, in the end, and Eri lifted both of her tiny hands up to feel the crown, as if in disbelief that t was truly there.

“Now you are even more beautiful,” Katsuki said, his voice low so no one would overhear his embarrassing words, and Eri grinned up at him.

Katsuki watched her with a little smile of his own, feeling fond of a child for the first time in his life, only for other children to suddenly run up to Katsuki and surround the blond in moments. He looked down at them in surprise, wondering where they came from and why they were bothering him of all people.

All of the children were shouting various things up at Katsuki, ranging from asking for their own flower crown to asking him about being a prince. The prince quickly became overwhelmed by all of the children around him, but he did his best to not straight up remove them from his person and get as far away as possible. Katsuki did not like children, even if Eri was an unexpected exception.

Eijirou watched the entire scene before him fondly. He never thought he would see the day where Katsuki was being accosted by other people’s children; small hands tugging on his dress and smiling at him like he was the coolest person in the world. The blond must have sent some kind of sign that he was more friendly than he actually was by giving Eri that crown, as sweet of a gesture as it was.

Katsuki did his best to handle the hoard of children until their parents finally realized what their kids were up to and pulled them away, words of apology ready on their tongues. Eri ran off with the group of kids, waving goodbye with one hand and holding her slightly large crown in place with the other. Katsuki and Eijirou both waved back, and Eijirou couldn’t help but pull his fiancé into a crushing hug once they were gone, feeling suddenly overcome with emotion.

“Eijirou?” Katsuki asked in question, but Eijirou shook his head against the crook of his neck, so Katsuki simply relaxed into the strong embrace.

He wouldn’t say anything just yet, but he couldn’t wait to see Katsuki surrounded by their own children one day.

While Shouto was off buying the food, Izuku unexpectedly found himself in the middle of what could only be described as a “child stampede.” Kids of all ages were running around the capital, ducking and weaving around people carrying crates and food, jumping over still-drying paintings on the ground, and ignoring any protests or demands to stop from nearby adults.

Izuku watched them run about with a smile. It reminded him of when he and Katsuki we three or four, and they would run amok through the palace as their mothers tried to control them. They were never very successful.

The omega chuckled lightly, his eyes somewhere far away as he recalled happier times. “Feels like so long ago,” he whispered quietly to himself.

One of the kids suddenly bumped into him, causing Izuku to jerk forward slightly, more from surprise than the force of it. The nobleman turned to look down at whoever had bumped into him, only to be met with a glare that rivaled Katsuki’s in intensity.

“Out of the way!” the young boy, who could be no older than six, growled. He then tried to elbow Izuku out of the way and join his friends, only to find that the omega wouldn’t budge an inch.

“That is not very nice,” Izuku chided, his expression falling into a stern frown. “You bumped into me, so you should apologize.”

The boy rolled his eyes so hard Izuku was sure he was talking to a six-year-old version of Katsuki. “Whatever.”

The boy tried to walk away, but Izuku grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him back. The kid let out a noise of shock that quickly turned to outrage as he attempted to remove Izuku’s hand from the back of his shirt. The omega let him struggle for a while, his face impassive as he waited for the kid to either give up or tire himself out.

Eventually, the boy ceased his struggling. He stomped his foot angrily, keeping his embarrassed, red face turned away from Izuku. “You’re a jerk,” he grumbled.

“And you are a very rude little boy,” Izuku shot back. “What is your name, little one?”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m some stupid baby!” the boy snapped instantly. When Izuku only raised an unimpressed eyebrow, the boy huffed and finally answered. “Kouta…”

Izuku smiled pleasantly. “Hello, Kouta-kun! My name is Midoriya Izuku,” he said as he released the boy.

“I don’t care. Why do you talk so weird?”

“I am originally from Tulia,” Izuku explained, letting the insult slide this time. He wouldn’t be the first Adrian thrown off by his “posh” way of speaking.

Kouta’s nose crinkled as if he had smelled something foul. Izuku knew it could not be his scent, since unpresented children were incapable of distinguishing scents between genders. At Kouta’s next words, Izuku understood his reaction. “So, you’re really weak, huh?”

Izuku blinked in surprise before frowning deeply. “I am not weak, actually. Do you always speak to people older than you like this?”

“I bet I could beat you easily,” Kouta boasted, smirking smugly. He seemed to have ignored everything Izuku said. “I'm an Adrian, after all, so I’m pretty strong.”

“I bet,” Izuku humored him. He didn’t doubt that Kouta, even for his young age, was a fairly skilled fighter. Adrians practically came out the womb throwing punches and swinging swords. “Do you want to be a knight, Kouta-kun?” Izuku asked curiously.

Kouta scoffed, “As if! Knights are lame! All they do is go out and die! Bunch of idiots…”

Izuku recoiled at the open hostility, wondering why a child would feel such hatred towards the knights. “I see,” was all he said.

“Are you a…?” Kouta trailed off, likely trying to think of the word, but apparently it escaped him. He pouted in annoyance. “Are you like Prince Bakugou?” he asked instead.

Izuku had no idea what that meant at first, but then a thought struck him. “Are you trying to ask me if I am an omega?”

“Well, are you?” Kouta asked impatiently. “’Cuz if you are, then that means you’re not strong.”

“I am an omega,” Izuku answered, nonplussed. “Why do you think omegas cannot be strong, Kouta-kun?”

Kouta shrugged lazily, feeling like he was being put on the spot. “One of my friend’s dad always says that, and he’s really strong so…”

Perhaps Adria was not as immune to sexism as Izuku had originally thought. “I am pretty strong, though, Kouta-kun. A lot of omegas are, like Prince Bakugou and Sir Kaminari Denki.” Izuku could think of a number of other formidable omegas, but he figured Kouta would have the highest chance of knowing Denki, since the knight seemed to know everyone in the capital.

Kouta narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Izuku only smiled back. “I don’t believe you,” he said, but he sounded unsure.

“Okay, then,” Izuku chirped, crouching down to Kouta’s level and holding his hands up, palms outward facing the raven-haired boy. He kept his hands far apart, keeping his body virtually defenseless. “Try hitting me, then.”

“What? No way!”

Izuku chuckled at his reaction. “I promise you will not hurt me,” Izuku said with a teasing wink.

Just as he expected, Kouta grew defensive, determined to prove that he could rise to the challenge and come out on top. It was actually uncanny how much this little boy reminded Izuku of his childhood friend. “Don’t cry when I hit you too hard, omega!” he shouted as he reeled a tiny fist back and punched Izuku square in the chest.

Or at least, he had planned to punch him in the chest, but Izuku’s hand effortlessly blocked the attack before slapping it away. Kouta stared between their two hands in shock before growling and trying again. This continued for a couple minutes, Izuku blocking each hit from Kouta as the boy tried again and again to make some kind of contact. Kouta got the brilliant idea to throw in a surprise kick, but Izuku effortlessly blocked that attack as well. He even chuckled when Kouta growled in frustration.

“What the heck?” Kouta asked in bafflement, staring down at his fists as if they had failed him horribly. He turned a glare up to Izuku, his face red from both humiliation and exertion. “Why the heck can’t I hit you?”

“I told you I was strong,” Izuku said simply. “Now, is there anything you would like to say to me?”

Kouta pouted before he nodded slightly. “Yeah,” he said before falling silent once more. Izuku waited patiently, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when the boy suddenly got into his face, his eyes sparkling in awe. “That was totally badass!”

Izuku’s eyes widened. “Ah, children really should not swear—”

“Are you a fighter too, Izuku-san?” Kouta asked excitedly, steamrolling over Izuku’s words of wisdom.

There was a lot that Izuku wanted to comment on: the ongoing lack of apology, Kouta’s swearing, his interruption, and even the use of his given name. However, in the face of Kouta’s boyish excitement, none of that really seemed all that important anymore. “Uh, yes. I actually wanted to be a knight when I was your age.”

“Really?” Kouta said disappointedly. “But why? All you do is die. There’s no honor in running to your death.”

Izuku thought Kouta was strangely eloquent for a kid his age. He also thought there was far more to his hatred of knights than Izuku could imagine. “All my life, there was someone by my side whom I wanted to protect. I wanted to be strong enough to fight alongside them, and strong enough to fight off anyone who dared to try and hurt them. I thought that if I became a knight, I would be able to do that.”

“So, then, why didn’t you become a knight?” Kouta asked, and Izuku noted that he seemed a lot more interested now.

“That, Kouta-kun, is a very long story,” Izuku said cryptically. There was no way he could go into his past with a boy who had yet to even present himself; he would be unable to understand it all. “I never became the knight I wanted to be, but my desire for strength never lessened. You see, Kouta-kun, knights are not simple fighters, like you or me. They must be strong both physically and mentally. Yes, they risk their lives and they may get hurt, but they fight to protect the people they care about.”

Kouta frowned, his expression caught somewhere between anger and sadness. “But they just leave them behind.”

Izuku felt his heart constrict, finally understanding where his hate for knights originated. “My mother died trying to protect me,” Izuku said, causing Kouta’s eyes to widen. “Every day and night, I think about her, and I question whether my life was worth hers. ‘If only I had not been so weak. If only I had been stronger.’ But I know she would give her life, time and time again, because she would do anything to protect someone she loved. I like to think the knights in this kingdom are the same, and that they stake their lives to keep all of us safe. I think that is pretty honorable.”

Kouta’s gaze was trained on the ground, but Izuku thought he could see his lip wobbling. The omega smiled sadly, lifting a hand to ruffle the boy’s hair. Kouta sniffled, and he roughly wiped away the tears that fell with his forearm. Izuku gave him a few minutes to collect himself before he stood, brushing off the skirt of his dress.

“I’m sorry,” Kouta said at long last, but Izuku could not be sure of what he was apologizing for. It didn’t matter, he supposed.

“Do not apologize, Kouta-kun,” Izuku said gently.

“Izuku?” The omega jumped at the sound of Shouto’s voice to his left, turning to see that the alpha had finally returned with an armful of food. The prince’s gaze dropped down to where Kouta was now hiding behind Izuku’s leg and glaring up at him. “Are you aware that there is a child attached to you?”

Izuku giggled at the question, resting his hand atop Kouta’s head again. “This is Kouta-kun. Say ‘hello’ to Prince Todoroki, Kouta-kun.”

“Are you his alpha?” the boy asked the prince instead, his voice demanding.

Izuku choked. “What? No, Prince Todoroki and I are just friends!” he practically screeched, his face coloring exponentially.

“Good,” Kouta said before turning to the omega. “I’m gonna be your alpha, Izuku-san!”

“Oh, Kouta-kun, I am much older than you,” Izuku said gently, not wanting to hurt the boy’s feelings.

Shouto was not nearly as gracious. “Do you even know what that means, kid?”

“I know that an alpha protects omegas!” Kouta shouted in response, his young face set into a fierce glare. “And you look too weak to protect Izuku-san, so I’m gonna be his alpha and do it!”

“Kouta-kun! You cannot speak to a prince like that!” Izuku chided.

“I’m pretty sure Izuku would not want a brat like you as his alpha,” Shouto replied, his voice clipped.

Izuku turned to the alpha in shock. “Are you really arguing with a child?”

Shouto looked properly chastised, while Kouta looked unreasonably smug. “Guess he doesn’t like you either!” he jeered, sticking his tongue out like the child he was.

“Kouta! Are you bothering these two?” a female voice shouted, and they all turned to see a young woman jogging over to them with a semi-frantic expression.

Kouta puffed out his cheeks petulantly. “I'm not!”

“Sure you aren’t,” the woman, Sousaki Shino, mumbled. “I am so sorry, Prince Todoroki, Lord Midoriya. My nephew means well, but he can be a bit of a troublemaker.”

Izuku waved his hands in front of him, shaking his head with a smile. “Oh, no, he was no problem. He is actually a very good kid.”

Kouta’s cheeks reddened at the compliment, even if he didn’t like being referred to as a kid. “Your Highness, can I please have one of your sweets?” he asked Shouto as innocently as he could, holding back a smirk when the prince’s eye twitched. Truthfully, he didn’t want one but…

“Kouta, you can’t take the prince’s sweets,” Shino said with an exasperated sigh.

“Oh, it is fine,” Izuku assured her. “Prince Todoroki got far too many for the two of us to finish, anyway.”

Shouto fought to keep his face as neutral as possible as Izuku plucked a candied apple from Shouto’s grasp—the one he had specifically gotten for Izuku—and handed it to the young boy. Kouta’s eyes lit up as he took it from the omega, their hands brushing as he did. Shouto bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from lashing out in jealousy at a literal child.

Then, Kouta pushed his luck.

“Thank you, Izuku-san!” he said happily, throwing his arms around Izuku’s neck in a tight hug.

Shouto felt his eye twitch again as Izuku tensed momentarily before returning the hug. Shouto could only imagine how gently Izuku would hold someone in his arms. The alpha had known Izuku for four days, and he had yet to receive a hug from the omega. He wanted to know why Kouta thought he deserved one after only speaking with Izuku for a few minutes.

“You are very welcome, Kouta-kun,” Izuku said. He tried to pull back from the hug, but Kouta only tightened his hold around his neck. “Uh…Kouta-kun?”

“I promise I’ll get stronger, Izuku-san. That way I can protect people, just like you.”

Izuku failed to mention how he had failed at protecting two of the people who meant the most to him, but instead he smiled. “I look forward to it.”

Kouta finally let go, but to everyone’s immense shock, he leaned forward to plant a loud, wet kiss to Izuku’s cheek. “And I’m gonna be your alpha, not that loser prince guy,” he whispered for only Izuku to hear.

“Kouta!” his aunt exclaimed in shock. “Midoriya-san, I’m so sorry for him! He’s just a kid, so he doesn’t know what he’s doing!”

Izuku just laughed lightly. “No worries. It caught me a bit off guard, but children can be very affectionate.” He decided to keep Kouta’s words to himself, figuring there was no need to share a declaration like that from a child.  

Even though his aunt said that, Kouta knew exactly what he had done. He could see it in the scowl on Shouto’s face, which he promptly responded to with a smirk of his own. “I bet you’ve never gotten to kiss him,” he bragged.

Shouto remained silent, not wanting to admit that even a simple cheek kiss had him green with envy. Kouta sniggered evilly before dashing away with a final goodbye to Izuku. His aunt followed after him, apologizing once again to both men. Izuku watched them go with a fond look, turning back to Shouto after they were out of sight.

“He reminds me a lot of Kacchan,” Izuku commented amusedly. “I would love to see the two of them interact.”

That explains why I don’t like him, Shouto thought gruffly. “He kissed your cheek,” he said aloud, still very upset about it.

“Oh, he is just a pup with a crush,” Izuku said unconcernedly. Shouto desperately wanted to reach out and wipe away the child’s kiss from Izuku’s cheek, but he figured that would be wildly inappropriate. “What other snacks did you get, Your Highness?”

“Just ‘Shouto’ is fine,” the prince reminded, his voice hopeful.

Izuku’s smile dipped into a frown for a split second before it returned. “Right,” he mumbled. “So, what snacks did you bring for us?” Izuku asked peppily, trying to change the subject.

Shouto ignored the sting of rejection and showcased what he had in his arms. It really was way too much food for just the two of them, but Izuku appreciated the prince’s enthusiasm and thoughtfulness. “I had gotten the candied apple, since the stand owner said it was sweet, and I thought you might enjoy sweet things.”

Izuku smiled appreciatively. “Thank you. That was super thoughtful of you! I do really like sweets, actually, but so do little kids.”

Shouto sucked his teeth quietly, turning his head away slightly. “I suppose,” he mumbled petulantly.

One of these days, Hitoshi was going to challenge his mother to a fistfight. Sure, he would almost certainly get his ass handed to him in a minute flat, but hopefully he could at least land a single hit on him.

Hitoshi heard a pair of footsteps approach the soup stand he was stuck spending likely the entire festival at while his parents treated the day as a date, and he rolled his eyes skyward. “Hello, what kind of soup would you like?” he repeated the mostly standard greeting for what had to be hundredth time that day in a bored, uninterested drawl, not even bothering to look up from where he was leaning against the counter.

“Well, what would you recommend?” the customer, who turned out to be Tenya, asked.

Hitoshi’s head snapped up, his traitorous heart beating just a little faster at the sight of the prince standing there in casual Ingenium clothing—that still looked far too regal to be truly casual—with a warm smile on his face. Hitoshi cleared his throat, the question finally registering as he turned his gaze away again. “The potato soup is our best, in my opinion.”

Tenya nodded as if that settled it. “Very well, then. I would like to purchase one bowl of potato soup!”

“They’re more like cups,” Hitoshi told him as he pulled out a clay cup and poured some soup into it. He slid the cup across the counter to the prince, watching as Tenya peered into the soup curiously. “Potatoes, carrots, and onions, in case you were wondering,” he said, listing off the ingredients visibly floating within the soup.

The alpha gave him an unexpected, grateful smile. “Thank you, Shinsou-san. I have never had this delicacy before, so I was unsure of its ingredients.” Hitoshi wasn’t sure he would call soup a “delicacy,” but he thought it was cute how excited the prince seemed to try it. No, not cute. Interesting. “How much is this?” Tenya asked, reaching into a pouch on his hip that contained more gold coins than Hitoshi had ever seen in his life.

Typically, when kingdoms traded amongst each other, gold was used as currency. Of course, Ingenium currency would have been accepted, since Ingenium was an ally of Adria, but Hitoshi supposed a prince would carry all manners of currency on their person at all times. Even ones that were primarily used for large trades, like weaponry or resources. Hitoshi tried not to gape at the sight, not wanting to seem like some common beggar.

Still, the omega couldn’t help but tease the prince. He wondered if Tenya was aware that thieves were a thing with the way he casually flaunted his riches. Granted, crime was fairly low in Adria, since literally everyone knew how to fight and kill when necessary. Criminals were more often than not on the weaker side, since they couldn’t make a living doing honest work or fighting in the Royal Guard, but they still existed, nonetheless. However, crime practically disappeared during Wedding Weeks.

Even criminals enjoyed fun.

“Each cup is one hundred gold,” Hitoshi fibbed, eager to see the prince’s reaction to his preposterous claim.

To his surprise, Tenya nodded and reached into his coin pouch to retrieve one hundred coins without question. “I’m glad I always carry at least five hundred with me whenever I travel,” Tenya said nonchalantly.

Hitoshi’s hand shot out without thought, grabbing the prince’s wrist from across the counter to stop him. His eyes were wide with disbelief. “Are you shitting me? Obviously, some soup bowl is not going to be one hundred gold coins! That’s insane!”

“But you said—”

“I was messing with you!” Hitoshi snapped. “I thought you would have figured that!”

Tenya flushed in embarrassment. “Ah, well, this would be my first time ever eating commoner food, so I suppose I had no idea. One hundred gold is not that much money, after all.” Hitoshi had to wonder just how much money it took to be considered “a lot” to a prince. “So, how much is it actually?”

Hitoshi seemed to remember that he was holding onto the prince’s wrist and snatched his hand away, his cheeks dusting pink. Tenya was fairly fascinated by the sight, but the omega’s answer to his question drew his attention away. “One tenth of a gold coin.” That was worth one hundred Adrian coins, which is the actual cost of a soup cup.

Again, to the omega’s surprise, Tenya chuckled. “Nice try, Shinsou-san, but I will not be falling for another trick,” he said smugly, and Hitoshi was honestly amazed by his ignorance. “Now, how much is it?”

“One tenth of a gold coin,” Hitoshi repeated, deadpan. When the prince only reeled back in shock, the Adrian sighed loudly. “Prince Tenya, you do realize that the majority of people would consider one gold coin to be quite a sum of money, right?”

“Nonsense, that is far too little money,” Tenya said surely, ignoring the way he shivered pleasantly at the returned use of his given name. “Here, I will pay with one gold. I am unsure of how one would split a coin into tenths, anyhow,” he said decidedly, placing one gold coin on the counter next to the soup cup.

Hitoshi felt his eyebrow tick in annoyance at that. “I do not need your charity, Your Highness,” he bit out, sliding the coin back. “You can just pay with Adrian or Ingenium coins.”

Tenya shook his head stubbornly, sliding the coin back once again. “This is not charity, Shinsou-san. I mean no offense, but I will not give you less than this.”

The Adrian huffed before snatching up the coin in his hand. Tenya grinned, thinking that he had won, but Hitoshi suddenly came from behind the stand and approached the alpha. He held up the gold between two fingers for the prince to see before sliding it slowly into the alpha’s breast pocket, placing his hand over the fabric once it was inside.

So close, Hitoshi could feel the way the prince’s heartbeat sped up at an alarming rate the longer he touched him. So close, Tenya could get lost in the omega’s spicy scent, which smelled even better than the soup cup they were currently arguing over.

Since Hitoshi was already quite tall for an omega, he didn’t have to lean up much to whisper dangerously close to the prince’s lips. He purposely dropped his voice as he said, “Then, no soup for you, alpha.”

Tenya exhaled shakily as Hitoshi stepped back, patting his chest with a knowing smirk. Tenya was sure his face was bright red, but he couldn’t find it within himself to care much when the sight of Hitoshi walking away from him was so much more concerning.

“Then, I will buy ten soup cups!” he blurted, drawing the attention of nearby festival goers.

Hitoshi looked at the alpha like he had lost his mind. Tenya was not sure if he actually hadn’t. “There’s no way you could finish ten soup cups,” Hitoshi said surely. “I’m sure this is something that has never crossed your mind before, but you shouldn’t waste food.”

Tenya held back a grimace because that was definitely true. “I will just have to finish them, then,” he declared.

Hitoshi actually rolled his eyes at that. “We don’t even have ten flavors at this stand,” Hitoshi told him. “We only have our three most popular.”

“Then, I will take four potato and three each of the other two flavors,” Tenya said confidently.

“Whatever,” Hitoshi mumbled, going about preparing the nine other soup cups. Once he was finished, he saw Tenya reach back into his coin pouch and pull out a different gold coin. He didn’t know why the prince didn’t just use the one in his breast pocket, but then again, Hitoshi couldn’t care less.

Tenya smiled, looking far more satisfied than Hitoshi thought was warranted as he slammed the coin onto the counter. “Here you go, sir. One gold coin.”

“Enjoy your soup,” Hitoshi said tonelessly as he accepted the gold at last.

“Thank you very much,” Tenya said genuinely, grabbing the first potato soup that was likely too cold to be enjoyable now. Despite this, the prince’s eyes lit up as he took his first sip, an appreciative moan slipping back his lips. Hitoshi’s eyes widened at the sound, and he felt his face flush hotly. Tenya continued gulping the soup down, probably trying to get through the ten cups as quickly as possible.

Hitoshi was mildly impressed by how neatly the prince drank the soup by the time he was on his third cup. Not a single drop had spilled, and he didn’t even seem close to stopping. When Hitoshi was thirteen, Eijirou had tried to guzzle down five bowls of soup for no reason at all, and although he had succeeded, he had made a mess of everything and himself.

Tenya managed to get to his seventh cup before he needed a break, slamming the empty cup onto the counter and heaving a sigh. Hitoshi leaned forward, his chin resting in his hand and his elbow atop the counter as he watched the prince with an amused smirk.

“Regretting your life choices, yet?” he quipped.

Tenya opened his mouth to reply, but instead burped loudly. The two looked at each other in shock for a moment, and then Hitoshi was laughing loudly as Tenya groaned in dismay. That was anything but princely and beyond embarrassing, even if Hitoshi’s laugh was a wonderful sound indeed.

Hoping to move past that humiliation, Tenya picked up the eighth soup cup and practically inhaled the green liquid. Even though Tenya’s stomach was definitely screaming at him to stop, the prince had to admit each flavor was worthy of being amongst the “most popular” flavors.

“Look at him go,” he heard Hitoshi mumble under his breath.

Finally, Tenya slammed the last empty cup onto the counter. As he pulled his handkerchief out of his breast pocket to wipe his mouth clean, Hitoshi started clapping. Tenya knew he was being sarcastic, but it felt nice to have had the omega’s attention on him the entire time.  He couldn’t fight the smile that pulled at his lips, even if he wanted to.

“Very impressive, Your Highness,” Hitoshi said, smirking attractively. “Just so you know, even if you throw up later, you won’t get a refund.”

Tenya snorted despite himself. There was a good chance he would throw up sometime later today. “Very funny, Shinsou-san,” he deadpanned. He put a hand over his stomach. “Although, I may very well throw up if I try to walk around anymore.”

Hitoshi hummed thoughtfully before jerking his thumb to the general space next to him. “You can stay here if you promise not to touch anything,” he offered, going for indifference. “That includes me, by the way.”

Tenya decided to ignore that last part, although his cheeks were suspiciously red. “Thank you, Hitoshi-san,” he said, only realizing a moment too late that he had used the omega’s given name without his permission. Tenya turned to the omega, expecting to see a frown or grimace or something else distasteful, but Hitoshi was smiling beatifically.

“You’re welcome, Prince Tenya.”

Kyouka felt mildly like a stalker, but to her credit, the princess was standing directly in front of her like some kind of lost child. Kyouka was playing with the band, switching between songs and calling over people to dance to their music. Festivals were always a great time for the musicians, since they got to play whatever they liked all day long. A good number of musicians liked to partake in the festivities themselves, but Kyouka tended to stay with the band the entire time. She never found much to do.

Now, though, she may have just found a viable pastime.

Momo jerked when she felt a tap on her shoulder, turning to look down at Kyouka. Her bored frown instantly flipped into a bright smile, pleasantly surprised to see the beta once again. “Kyouka-san! It is wonderful to see you again!” she greeted happily.

“You too, princess,” Kyouka said back. “I couldn’t help but notice you standing there all by your lonesome.”

“Oh, yes,” Momo said bashfully, her cheeks flushing a light pink. “I’m afraid I do not know what I should be doing.”

Kyouka raised an eyebrow. “Whatever floats your boat, princess.”

Momo titled her head in confusion, her ponytail swaying with the movement. “My boat?”

“You’re cute for a royal,” Kyouka snickered. Before Momo could think of a response beyond blushing and stammering, Kyouka said, “Just do something you find fun. Eat some food, shoot some darts, get your face painted, whatever you want.”

“What will you be doing, Kyouka-san?” Momo asked curiously. She would most likely be content following the beta around; she knew next to nothing about commoner festivities.

“Usually, I do none of that,” Kyouka said. “I play in the band, but you looked a little lonely.”

Momo felt herself blush again. “I would hate to take you away from your band, Kyouka-san!” she said quickly.

Kyouka shrugged unconcernedly. “It’s fine, they’ll survive without me. I don’t mind spending the day with you, princess. I mean, if you’ll have me.”

“Yes!” Momo blurted before clearing her throat. She was far too excited for that. “I would not mind your company, Kyouka-san.”

Kyouka smiled just slightly, and it was gone the next second. She held out her hand, gesturing for the alpha to take it. “Would hate for you to get lost,” she teased.

The alpha couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t embarrassed by the teasing or that there were not butterflies going crazy in her stomach. She had never in her life met such an assertive, carefree, and beautiful beta, and Kyouka continued to throw Momo for a loop whenever the two interacted. It was starting to scare Momo how quickly and eagerly she would do whatever the beta asked of her.

Tentatively, as if Kyouka would scare away like Momo feared she may do herself, Momo took her hand. When their hands touched and Kyouka grinned, Momo felt her heart skip a beat.

“What will we do first, Kyouka-san?” Momo asked, her voice surprisingly collected.

“Let’s get our faces painted,” Kyouka suggested. “What’s your favorite animal?”

Momo blinked in surprise at the seemingly unrelated question. “Um…perhaps a cat?”

Kyouka giggled at the thought of Momo with her face painted as a cute, finding the imagery adorable. “Then, let’s go make you a cat, Your Highness,” she said cheerfully, actually feeling excited for a festival in quite some time.

Ochako had never attended a festival before—certainly not one of this caliber. So, when the brunette had left the castle with Tsuyu, she had resolved to follow the gardener around where she chose to go. Ochako had expected to simply walk around food stands, but it seemed like there were various other activities available for everyone to do. She saw a few women making flower crowns—and she told herself she would visit them before the day ended—and some knights showing a couple kids how to properly hold sword.

Besides that, people were playing darts—and some were even aiming at things other than the dartboard—while many people simply danced to the music the band was playing. The knight was sure there were other activities she had simply not seen yet, but when Tsuyu had dragged her over to an area in the capital covered in new and old murals, Ochako couldn’t find it within herself to complain.

It was beautiful the way the murals spread across the capital, covering the ground in an array of colors, shapes, and stories that countless people contributed throughout the years. And now, the two women were sitting on the ground, paintbrushes in hand, and centered between the hordes of people mulling about.

“What are you painting, Tsuyu-chan?” Ochako asked curiously as she looked over the gardener’s shoulder.

Tsuyu glanced back at the brunette, a small smile on her face. “Cute little frogs,” she answered.

Ochako saw exactly what she was painting, and yes, there were at least six different types of frogs painted in front of Tsuyu. “Oh, wow,” she laughed. “You really like frogs, huh, Tsu-chan?”

“I do,” Tsuyu said simply as she dipped her brush into a large bowl of green paint that was being shared among the group of people painting along with them, bringing the brush down to begin another frog. “What are you painting, Ochako-chan?”

Ochako looked down at her own art, grimacing slightly when she compared her clumsily painted flowers to Tsuyu’s almost professional looking amphibians. “They are supposed to be flowers,” she grumbled, mildly embarrassed.

“I think they are very pretty,” Tsuyu said, glancing over. Ochako had a feeling the gardener was just saying that to be nice, but Tsuyu had always been very straightforward with people up until now, so Ochako felt a little better about her attempt at painting.

“Oh, hey, Uraraka-san!” a voice called out to them, and the two looked up to see Mina striding towards them with Camie in tow. “What’s up, Tsuyu-chan?”

“Hello, Mina-chan, Camie-chan,” Tsuyu said pleasantly in return before turning back her painting.

Ochako scooted closer to the gardener to make room for the other two as they formed a circle on the ground, even if Tsuyu was facing the opposite direction. “Hello, Ashido-san, Camie-san,” Ochako said in greeting. “Are you two enjoying the festival?”

Camie grinned widely. “Most definitely,” he said.

“She almost killed Denki with a dart earlier,” Mina inputted casually, grinning when the seamstress squawked indignantly.

“He dodged it easily,” she protested. “And it’s not my fault my aim sucked. You were distracting me!”

Mina simply laughed loudly, not sounding at all remorseful about Denki’s near death. “Hanta looked like he was about to have a heart attack! Man, that was awesome,” she said, wiping away a nonexistent tear.

“I see…” Ochako said slowly, slightly puzzled about the knights’ relationships with each other. As close as they seemed with each other, they sure were casual about attempted murder. “Are you two going to paint with us?”

“I can’t paint for shit, but yeah,” Camie said, reaching for a clean brush from the shared pile and dipping it into the pot of red paint. As she found a fresh area, she glanced over at Tsuyu and Ochako’s finished pieces. “That’s hella frogs, girl,” she commented.

Tsuyu only snickered under her breath and continued painting, so Camie shrugged and started her own. She had not been lying when she said she couldn’t paint, but she had a few ideas anyway. Based on the vast amount of art covering the bustling streets of the capital, the omega of the group figured no one would notice if she did something a little more…mature with hers.

Mina snorted loudly when she saw what Camie was doing, and she quickly joined in. Together, the two managed to add around twenty butts, penises, and breasts to the surrounding portraits, landscapes, and murals.

“What are you two doing?” Ochako asked incredulously when she spotted Camie painting a large pair of breasts onto an existing portrait of Crimson Riot. Her face flushed bright red when she noticed the penises Mina had added to almost every one of Tsuyu’s frogs. “This is incredibly inappropriate!”  

“You two are very suited for each other,” Tsuyu murmured lowly as she gazed sadly down at her desecrated frogs.

“Aw, thanks, Tsu,” Camie said cheerfully.

Ochako just sighed, shaking her head, as she returned to her flowers. “I hope no one notices,” she said to Tsuyu.

The gardener took her brush to one of her older frogs, painting over the unwanted (and inaccurate) genitals. “I’m sure no one will until after the festival,” she said. “Besides, you’ll likely find quite a few paintings like theirs scattered about. Most are probably hidden under layers and layers of fresher paint by now, though. The murals are typically restricted to this general area, after all.”

“Seems like that is for the best,” Ochako joked, earning a laugh from Tsuyu. “I cannot believe I had never noticed all this before, though. Even before this week began, I had been in the capital a couple times.” Granted, the first time, she had been far too focused on watching over Izuku, the feast had been in one area most of the night, and during the parade, she had barely been able to see where she was walking, much less see the ground.

“It is much easier to notice when the capital is not filled with people,” Tsuyu said simply.

Ochako tugged at the collar of her shirt—the thinnest shirt she owned, and yet, she still found herself sweating immensely. “And quite a bit less stifling,” she chuckled uncomfortably. “How can any of you possibly stand this heat?” Ochako asked. “I have been here some time now, and I still worry that I may suffer from heatstroke.”

“When you have only lived under the sun’s rays, you tend to not even notice much,” Tsuyu said, leaning back to appraise her newest frog. She was very proud of it. “You should do your best to get used to the heat now,” Tsuyu said, only slightly ominously. “Adrian summers can be very taxing on foreigners, especially those further north.”

“Oh, joy,” Ochako mumbled sarcastically. Daringly, she leaned her head on the gardener’s shoulder, ignoring the heat for now. “I suppose I can suffer through it if I have you, Tsuyu-chan,” she said quietly, mildly embarrassed by her own words.

It was strange being in such a relationship with someone for the first time. Her unrequited affection for Izuku had gone unnoticed by the omega, and Ochako had never bothered to rectify that. Izuku had always seemed out of her grasp; he was a noble and so wonderfully beautiful inside and out. Ochako had always felt as though she was so far below him. However, with Tsuyu, Ochako had never unworthy of her gaze, her smile, her touch.

Tsuyu smiled beatifically, gently lifting the brunette’s head until she was looking into her eyes. “You’re very sweet, Ochako-chan,” she said softly, stroking a finger along the knight’s cheek almost tenderly. Ochako’s breath caught in her throat at the touch, still unused to another’s skin against her own. She could only hope she wasn’t blushing, but she was almost positive that she was bright red. “And very cute,” Tsuyu tacked on teasingly, her eyes twinkling with amusement as the brunette’s obvious embarrassment.  

“You are not helping!” Ochako cried, attempting to lower her head and hide her pinker-than-normal cheeks from the other woman, but Tsuyu quickly lifted her chin up again. Ochako blinked in surprise, realizing that Tsuyu had inched closer than before. “Tsuyu-chan?” she asked hesitantly. The unspoken question of “What are you doing?” hanging in the air.

“Stop me if you want,” Tsuyu said, and it was all the warning Ochako got before the gardener closed the gap between them and took Ochako’s lips in her own.

Ochako’s eyes shot wide open, her entire body freezing in shock. Tsuyu’s lips were a foreign and unexpected, but not unwelcome feeling. The knight had absolutely no idea what to do; this was her first kiss and not at all how she expected it. Sitting on the ground, dirtying her dress, and surrounded by paints and strangers. And yet, despite the unprecedented circumstances, Ochako found herself easily falling into the kiss, allowing Tsuyu to lead their first truly intimate moment.

Ochako felt more than heard Tsuyu hum once she realized against her, but the knight still had no idea what she was expected to do after that. She felt her heart drop into her stomach when Tsuyu pulled away after only a few seconds, but her gaze was soft and far from upset.

“Very, very cute,” she reiterated, pecking Ochako on the cheek before turning back to her painting like she hadn’t just rocked Ochako’s world with what had to be a terrible kiss for Tsuyu.

“That was super gay,” Camie commented with a few poorly concealed snickers slipping out.

Ochako buried her face in her hands, groaning with embarrassment, and Mina snorted unattractively. “Do all Tulians blush this easily?” she asked amusedly.

“It must be the pale skin,” Camie said wisely, drawing another snort from her lover.

The former Tulian of the group groaned again, flopping down onto her back dramatically, unknowingly smearing one of Mina’s paintings beneath her. Tsuyu chuckled quietly at her antics while Mina cried out in surprise, holding her hands to her head. “My penis!”

Eijirou would not stop fiddling with Katsuki’s flower crown, and—even though the blond obviously didn’t want to wear the thing—he did not much appreciate the redhead’s unnecessary fascination with it. After the third time Eijirou reached his hand out to feel one of the flowers, Katsuki slapped the appendage away. Eijirou made a noise of pain and clutched his hand to his chest, even though Katsuki knew he hadn’t hurt the alpha.

“Cut it the fuck out, Eijirou,” Katsuki snapped. He ignored how red his cheeks were, merely chalking it up to the heat. He was still fairly unaccustomed to it, having spent his entire life in the much colder Tulia. He was not at all embarrassed. “It is only a bunch of flowers.”

“A cute, little flower crown that Eri-chan made you,” Eijirou corrected with a cheeky grin. Eri had returned after a while with her own flower crown, the flowers red and yellow and clearly made by a child’s hand, but Katsuki had looked pleased when the girl handed it over to him before scurrying off in a hurry. “She gets nervous around people she doesn’t know, so I’m amazed she approached you like that.”

Katsuki shrugged slightly, not wanting to admit how warm that knowledge made him feel. “Whatever.”

“You’re pretty good with kids,” Eijirou commented, attempting nonchalant, but they both knew he had failed.

“I am not,” Katsuki denied, even despite the hoard of children he had been surrounded by not too long ago. “I have no idea how to handle them,” he admitted begrudgingly. He would never admit such a thing to anyone but Eijirou. Omegas were expected to be natural caregivers and mothers, and Katsuki had always known he was not suited for such things. There was a reason everyone had initially assumed he would present as an alpha.

Eijirou laughed for some reason, and Katsuki had to wonder if he truly grasped what Katsuki was telling him. “They like you, though,” Eijirou stressed, his gaze falling tender. “You’ll be just fine, Katsuki. You’re going to be a great mother to our pups, sweetheart. And I will always be by your side to help you.”

Katsuki shoulders subtly relaxed. Of course, Eijirou had been able to figure out what was actually bothering hm, even though the blond had not said a word about it. Still, Katsuki would much prefer avoiding this conversation entirely, at least until he could not avoid it anymore. “Eijirou, I want some food.”

The alpha did not seem very upset about the abrupt and awkward change in topic. He hummed thoughtfully before pointing towards a food stand. “They have pastries over there.”

“I want something spicy,” Katsuki said, and Eijirou smirked. Katsuki’s love for spice was surprisingly fitting.  

“Did they have spicy dishes in Tulia?” Eijirou asked curiously. “Do they even have warm food?”

Katsuki looked at him like he was an idiot. To be fair, Eijirou realized how silly his question was. “Of course, they do, you idiot,” he scoffed. “What the hell do you think Tulians eat?”

“Well, I bet our food is better than anything you’ve had back home,” Eijirou jeered teasingly.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, not bothering to comment on that. Truthfully, Tulia had many tasty dishes, but Katsuki probably did prefer Adrian cuisine. “Go get me some food already,” he ordered, but again, Eijirou only chuckled. Katsuki still could not fathom how the alpha found his attitude more amusing than off-putting like most people did.

“Anything for my omega,” Eijirou said as he jogged off a distance away towards a stand, which Katsuki assumed had some kind of spicy food.

The blond watched, squinting to see, as Eijirou conversed with the clerk. He saw Eijirou exchanging what was probably far too many coins for what appeared to be a bun wrapped in a cloth. The alpha really had no sense of currency; he claimed he was raised like that, but his lack of restraint when it came to spending money definitely showcased his immense wealth even more than if he were stingy with it.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow as the redhead returned, a small grin on his lips as he held out the bun to the blond. Katsuki looked between the food and the alpha, unimpressed. “I said spicy.”

“Now, Katsuki, what you should be saying is ‘thank you,’” Eijirou chided softly, but his smile never left. “And just try it. It’s a meat bun, nice and hot. Miguro-san makes them pretty spicy, so you should like it.”

Katsuki assumed “Miguro-san” was the owner of the food stand. “Fine,” he grumbled, taking the meat bun. He turned the bun in his hands, inspecting all sides of it. It surely looked appetizing enough, and it smelled quite tasty when Katsuki took a sniff of it as discreetly as he could. The entire time, Eijirou had been watching him with an expectant gaze. Katsuki pursed his lips before rolling his eyes. “Thank you, alpha,” he murmured.

 Eijirou practically beamed at him. “You’re welcome, omega,” he said in response, and Katsuki ignored the shiver that ran down his spine. “Come sit down with me,” Eijirou said as he moved over to a nearby bench.

Katsuki followed after the alpha, plopping down on the bench beside him. Eijirou wasted no time in snuggling up to the omega’s side, their shoulders pressed together snuggly. The blond barely paid him any mind, merely taking a bite out of the meat bun. His eyes widened as the flavor hit his tongue, the spices and meat complementing each other perfectly. The bread Katsuki would have moaned at the taste if not for all the people around him or Eijirou's’ shit-eating grin directed right at him.

“Good, huh?” Eijirou asked knowingly. “And you thought I had led you astray,” he joked.

Katsuki simply glared at him as he chewed, not wanting to confirm that he liked the food and give the redhead the satisfaction. Eijirou snickered once he realized he wouldn’t be getting a response, only laughing harder when Katsuki took an unnecessarily aggressive bite out of the bun. It was kind of gross, if the redhead were being honest, but Katsuki’s fake anger was always so adorable.

The next few minutes were spent in relative silence on the blond’s part. Eijirou, as usual, filled in the silence as Katsuki continued to eat, commenting on everything and nothing at the same time. He would point out people who passed in front of them, some spotting the princes and offering greetings of their own, and Eijirou would explain for the blond what roles and jobs they held within the kingdom.

“I’ll be right back,” Eijirou said after Katsuki had finished his meat bun.

The blond merely watched him go in silence, wiping his hand with the clean side of the cloth. The alpha was gone for much longer this time, and Katsuki had no idea where he went, so he got comfortable on the bench and started people watching. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, although Katsuki could not spot anyone he recognized. There were still a bunch of children running around, but Katsuki could not see the little girl from earlier among them.

An older couple was whispering amongst themselves and sneaking glances at Katsuki every now and then, and they were getting a bit hard for Katsuki to ignore. The blond turned to face them, letting the couple know he was not unaware of their staring, and the man and woman both startled. Katsuki sent them a wave, keeping his expression perfectly neutral, and the two seemed to relax at the motion. It was strange, though, because Katsuki could have sworn that they were glancing behind him after that.

“Close your eyes,” a voice whispered into his ear suddenly, nearly prying a scream from Katsuki and solid punch to the face. Instead, Katsuki merely jumped before instantly relaxing, easily recognizing the voice as well as the laugh that followed. “Did I scare you, angel?”

Katsuki sucked his teeth in annoyance, not bothering to turn and face his insufferable fiancé. “No,” he lied. “Where the hell did you go?”

“To get you more food to try,” Eijirou answered, and before Katsuki could turn around to look, he repeated, “Close your eyes.”

Katsuki actually closed his eyes this time, and he could hear Eijirou situating himself beside the blond once again, only this time the smell of various foods overpowered the alpha’s own scent. “And why did I need to close my eyes to eat?” Katsuki drawled.

“I want you to try and guess what they are,” Eijirou said, sounding far too enthusiastic.

Had Katsuki’s eyes not been closed, he would have rolled them. “You do realize that I would have no way of guessing what foods they are if I have never had them, right?”

Katsuki couldn’t see Eijirou’s smile lose its intensity at his logical words, but he did hear the pout in his voice. “I thought it would be fun.”

Katsuki cursed himself for being so weak against Eijirou’s whims as he said, “Fine. Just do not feed me anything weird.”

Eijirou chuckled at that, placing the multiple plates, bowls, and wraps he had piled in his arms on the bench between them. He reached for a plate with small, round pastries on them and held it up to the blond’s mouth. “Open up.”

Katsuki opened his mouth wide enough for the alpha to place the pastry on his tongue, purposefully clamping down before Eijirou could extract his fingers. Eijirou yelped, more so in surprise than in pain, since Katsuki didn’t bite down that hard. The alpha yanked his hand away, giving the omega a half-hearted glare as his lips twitched up into a smirk and he continued chewing.

“Too sweet,” Katsuki said after swallowing, and unbeknownst to him, Eijirou’s eyes seemed strangely fascinated by the sight. “Is that some kind of dessert?”

“Yeah,” Eijirou answered distractedly. Katsuki had licked his lips after asking his question.

Katsuki took no notice of the alpha’s distractedness as he opened his mouth again, waiting for Eijirou to feed him something else. His cheeks reddened slightly at the action, wondering how they looked to any third party. In Tulia, being handfed was seen as intimate just as much as it was seen as unsanitary, but Katsuki found he didn’t mind if it was Eijirou feeding him this way. Even if he had nearly stabbed the redhead the last time he tried.

Eijirou audibly swallowed at the sight of Katsuki’s open mouth, his perverted brain automatically changing scenarios and imagining something bigger and less sweet entering the blond’s mouth. With slightly shaky hands, Eijirou reached back into the pile and grabbed a doughy wrap filled with meats and veggies. He broke off a piece, the aroma of the food travelling towards Eijirou’s nose and tempting him to eat the wrap himself.

He placed the piece of wrap on Katsuki’s tongue, and to the alpha’s surprise, Katsuki nipped at his finger yet again. Eijirou ripped his hand away, his face bright red and heart racing as he watched Katsuki snicker deviously as he chewed. The alpha was almost positive that Katsuki thought he was setting Eijirou’s nerves aflame in a completely different way than he truly was. Rather than annoyed or exasperated, Eijirou was ready to drag the blond back to his chambers and forget the blond’s desire to wait to go all the way. Of course, Eijirou would never ignore Katsuki’s wishes, but the blond made it exceptionally hard at times.

“That one was pretty good,” Katsuki said once he finished his bite, already opening his mouth for the next one.

Eijirou held back a groan, already regretting his idea of a fun activity. “You’re killing me, sweetheart,” he grumbled.

Katsuki’s mouth snapped closed, a single eye peeking open and somehow managing a glare at the redhead as his mouth turned down into a frown. “The fuck is your problem?”

Hanta and Denki were walking alone after that little mishap with Camie and Mina at the archery station. By “mishap,” Hanta meant that his omega almost walked away with a brand new, fatal accessory in his head. Denki and Mina may have been amused by the blond’s near death—not that Denki hadn’t easily dodged the stray arrow—but Hanta had been far from it. So, even as Denki complained about wanting to hang around the two women longer, he could do little but go along with Hanta in the face of his alpha’s anger.

“Is that Hitoshi?” Denki asked, excitement in his voice when he spotted the other omega in the distance. He noticed Ingenium’s prince at the stand with him, and his interest was successfully peaked at the sight. He nudged his mate in the side, waggling his eyebrows deviously. “Let’s go get some soup,” he suggested.

Hanta raised an eyebrow of his own, not missing his lover’s devious expression. He was sure that Denki was planning something, likely hoping to mess with Hitoshi, but Hanta was quite hungry. “Please, don’t cause any problems, babe,” he nearly begged.

Denki gasped in mock offense, holding a hand to his chest. “Me? I would never,” he said before promptly tugging Hanta the rest of the way to the food stand. Hanta allowed himself to be pulled along, long since used to being quite literally dragged into the blond’s many antics. “Hitoshi!” he called, drawing out the other’s name as the couple neared the stand.

Hitoshi glanced up at the call of his name, his face twisting into a scowl when he spotted Denki. “No, go away,” he grouched the moment the two stopped in front of him. Tenya looked at Hitoshi in surprise at the blatant disrespect, while Denki merely ignored the other omega and browsed the soup options. “Denki, I’m trying to work here.”

“Is he a friend of yours?” Tenya asked unsurely, glancing between the two omegas almost nervously.

“Hitoshi always acts like he hates everyone, so we don’t take it personally,” Hanta said to the prince. “By the way, good afternoon, Prince Iida.”

“Ah, good afternoon,” Tenya said. “You are a knight in the Royal Guard, correct? Sero, I believe.”

Hanta nodded. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Denki poking one of the soup cups and watching the liquid inside slosh around. The blond was about seconds away from tipping the cup over, so Hanta quickly grabbed his hand and held it in his as subtly as possible. Luckily, Tenya and Hitoshi were too busy looking at Hanta to take notice of his childish lover.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Hanta answered, secretly surprised that the prince knew his name. “Sero Hanta.”

“Are you friends with Hitoshi, Prince Iida?” Denki asked curiously, sending Hitoshi a look that the omega completely ignored.

Tenya glanced over at the omega in question, who seemed determined to not meet any of their eyes, before looking back at Denki. “Yes, I am. I enjoy Hitoshi-san’s company very much.”

“Yeah, I bet,” Hanta chuckled. Tenya sent him a weird look, not picking up on the sarcasm.

“I gotta say, that’s a first,” Denki joked, grinning at the glare he received from Hitoshi as a result. “So sweet. Our little Hitoshi has made his first friend.”

Tenya’s brow furrowed in confusion as he looked between the three. “Are you three not friends?” he asked unsurely.

“Just ignore them, Prince Tenya,” Hitoshi said tiredly.

Denki gasped loudly, and although Hitoshi and Tenya were confused by the reaction, Hanta was smirking at Denki’s side. “You call him by his given name?” Denki asked in shock, a slow, knowing grin spreading across his face.

“Could there be something more going on here?” Hanta asked, donning an expression a parent would give their child.

“I—what?” Tenya muttered in bafflement.

“Could this be a steamy love affair?” Hanta asked, rubbing his chin in thought and holing back a grin.

Denki did not fare much better. “Or perhaps star-crossed lovers?”

Tenya’s face was slowly turning redder by the minute. “Hitoshi-san and I are only friends!”

“That’s what everyone says at first. One day you’re ‘just friends,’ and the next day you have five pups,” he said sagely, and Hanta had to cough to cover up his laugh at the ridiculous statement.

Tenya’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. “Pardon?”

“Will you properly provide for Hitoshi and your pups?” Denki asked seriously, and Hitoshi was about seconds away from physically throwing him away from his food stand.

“Yes,” Tenya said, just as seriously but no less confused, and Hitoshi rubbed his temples with his fingers. He could feel a headache coming on.

Hitoshi watched the three interact, admittedly somewhat amused by Tenya’s awkwardness and Denki and Hanta’s incessant teasing. Hitoshi figured he could join in for a moment. “Hanta, Den,” Hitoshi called, drawing the couple’s attention away from the prince long enough to continue. “You’ll never believe how much soup His Highness ate in one go earlier.”

Tenya’s cheeks turned pink at the reminder. “Hitoshi-san,” he began, but he still looked relieved to have their attention snatched away from him.

“Ten whole cups of soup,” he said dramatically, holding up both hands and wiggling his fingers.

“Woah, seriously?” Hanta asked, chuckling under his breath. “Had no idea you could eat like that, Your Highness.”

Denki leaned over the stand to get closer to Tenya, nearly knocking over some of the soup. Hitoshi quickly pushed him back with a hand t the face, but Denki merely spoke through his palm. “That’s super cool, Prince Iida,” he said, his words slightly muffled. “I wonder if anyone could beat you in that.”

Hanta ad Hitoshi’s eyes both widened, knowing the blond and knowing how his brain worked. “Denki, no—” Hanta started, but his mate was already jogging away towards a crowd of unsuspecting fellow knights.

It was fairly easy for Denki to wrangle a number other knights and Adrians into a soup drinking contest, since the blond was known by everyone and loved, even by the people he routinely annoyed. Before long, the soup drinking contest was a big spectacle, and many people came around to watch. Even Eijirou and Katsuki came over to see what the fuss was about, and Eijirou quickly opted into the contest, excited to participate and finally eat something.

“You should join, Your Highness,” Hitoshi suggested, fighting back a grin when the prince turned to him in shock. He was clearly still recovering from his earlier unexpected feast, but all it took was one, small smile from the omega to make Tenya eager to join alongside a few others.

Denki attempted to get Katsuki and Hanta to join, but the two shook their heads nearly in sync, instantly rejecting the contest with a hard no. “No way in hell,” Katsuki had growled, flipping off both Denki ad Eijirou when the alpha tried to convince him as well.

“I would rather not throw up,” had been Hanta’s rational reasoning, and Denki seemed disappointed but not deterred to join by himself.

Along with Denki were Mina, Mirio, and Tetsutetsu, who had all stopped by with their lovers and been left to participate alone. Even Shouto and Ochako joined, both foolishly hoping to impress Izuku and Tsuyu. The green-haired man and woman were both astonished by Shouto and Ochako’s participation in the contest, but they had no time to talk them out of it before the two were jogging over to the makeshift booth being constructed by various spectators.

Toyomitsu happened to walk by, his hands already filled with various foods, but he seemed ecstatic to join the contest. His presence seemed to only fire up Mirio and Eijirou even more, and Tamaki and Katsuki were both already dreading the results of this unprecedented contest.

The first “contestant” to call it quits was Shouto, who nearly threw up after tossing back his third cup much too quickly. Izuku was by his side the next minute, worriedly checking on the prince. Shouto looked much greener than before, and Izuku was almost certain that he would throw up in the oncoming minutes.

The next to go was Ochako, who was only able to make it to four cups. Tsuyu led her away from the makeshift booth where everyone was eating, praising her softly for her efforts. “I thought you were very impressive, Ochako-chan,” she said gently.

Denki and Mina both went out together, only finishing about five and half cups before they nearly puked on their lovers when they came over to help them stand. Camie teased Mina for her sickly expression, while Hanta prodded Denki repeatedly in the stomach.

“Hanta, stop,” Denki whined, swatting at the raven’s hands.  

“You deserve it,” Hanta snickered, but he did stop teasing his mate. The last things he wanted was to wind up covered in Denki’s throw up. Again.

Tenya made it to seven cups this time before he hurriedly excused himself from the competition, feeling moments away from having the many soups he ingested resurface.

Hitoshi came over to the alpha, nudging him with his elbow. “You’re slacking off, Prince Tenya,” he said teasingly, but he looked happy that the prince participated. Tenya could only manage a small smile in return, but Hitoshi figured that was more so due to how sick he felt at the moment. Many other Adrians threw words of praise the prince’s way, commending at his unexpected performance, and Tenya found himself both shocked and pleased by the turn of events.

After the prince, Tetsutetsu managed to make it to ten before he was tapping out and quite literally being dragged away by his mate. Kendou somehow hefted the larger alpha over her shoulder, ignoring his groans of discomfort and warnings of upchuck as she stomped away. The other knights all watched them go with sympathetic thoughts for Tetsutetsu, but not so much because of his stomach.

Following Tetsutetsu was Eijirou, who made it to a staggering twelve cups before his face started looking green like the others. He looked about ready to plow on despite that, but Katsuki was suddenly behind his alpha and tugging him away by the arm. Eijirou allowed himself to be pulled, knowing he would only embarrass himself and likely Katsuki if he continued, but he did ask Katsuki for a kiss as a reward for his hard work.

Katsuki looked at him like he was insane. “There is no way in hell I am kissing you with that stinky breath of yours,” he said, his nose wrinkling in disgust. Eijirou merely laughed. Katsuki rolled his eyes, secretly fond, and took Eijirou’s hand instead, leading them away from the crowd. The couple ignored the cheers following them, set on enjoying the rest of the festival with a little less chaos.

The last two remaining in the eating competition are Mirio and Toyomitsu, who both look far too composed for their current thirteen plus cups of soup. No one was all that surprised by Toyomitsu staying in the competition, but Mirio was a bit of a shock. Sure, the alpha was undeniably big, but no one really knew him to be a big eater.

Tamaki watched his mate and father duke it out, feeling more and more anxious as time dragged on. He was biting anxiously at his fingernail, eyes darting back and forth between the two men as they downed cup after cup. He almost let out a sigh of relief when one of them pushed away their cup instead of lifting it. After a whopping seventeen cups, Mirio finally admitted defeat, and Toyomitsu claimed victory. A few spectators jokingly bemoaned his victory, claiming that the moment he showed up, his victory was set in stone, but Toyomitsu laughed them all off.

Toyomitsu got up, looking for all intents and purposes like he had not just consumed seventeen whole cups of various soups, and trudged over to the other alpha. Tamaki saddled over to the two of them, caught between checking on his mate and congratulating his father.

Toyomitsu clapped a strong, large hand on Mirio’s shoulder. “I must say, young man, I am more than proud to call you my son-in-law,” he said sincerely, his face all grins.

“Dad, please,” Tamaki murmured, embarrassed on behalf of his mate.

Hitoshi cleared his throat loudly to get everyone’s attention, the noise dying down around the stand. “I would just like to thank everyone who participated in…whatever the hell this was,” he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. “Not to worry, contestants, our glorious winner, Toyomitsu Taishirou, will be covering the expenses of this competition!” Hitoshi added on, and now everyone was really cheering.

Toyomitsu took it in stride, knowing he had more than enough funds, but Tamaki looked ready to panic thinking about how much money it would end up being. Mirio steered his mate away, whispering soothing words in his ear to calm him down. The crowd slowly dispersed until only a number of spectators were coming over to buy some soup normally.

Still wanting to stay at the stand with Hitoshi, Tenya did his best to help out the omega. Although he was bit inconsistent with his portioning and clearly had no idea what customer service entailed, Hitoshi appreciated the effort.

“And who said that princes can’t serve commoners?” Hitoshi asked sarcastically after Tenya had handed over a soup cup to a waiting customer, not forgetting to take the payment this time.

Tenya flushed at the omega’s words, somehow flattered by the man’s constant teasing. He had a feeling that Hitoshi’s words held meaning, even if there was always humor laced within them. Keeping silent, unsure of how to respond, Tenya continued helping Hitoshi until the last of the crowd was gone.

Once the final customers left, Hitoshi turned to the prince with another genuine smile that had the alpha’s heart skipping a beat. “Thank you for your help, Prince Tenya,” he said softly, placing a kiss that was just as soft to the prince’s cheek in thanks, and Tenya was over the moon.

Chapter Text

It was finally here; the day Katsuki had been waiting tirelessly for. Well, that would actually be the day he and Eijirou officially become husbands and mates, also known as the day he would lose his virginity to an alpha he never thought he would fall so hard for. So, no today was not the day. That would be tomorrow. Still, it was still a fairly monumental day for the blond.  

The Battle of Warriors was finally upon them, and Katsuki would be lying if he said he was not at least a little excited to see the violence planned for the day. A part of the prince wished he could see the annual event that lasted for much longer than a day, in which warriors and soldiers from all across the world travelled to Adria to compete.

There was little surprise that such a large event had the entire kingdom filled with energy and excitement all morning. And it truly was the entire kingdom. Everywhere Katsuki looked, there were Adrians of all ages walking around in armor, sparring out in the open, and carrying even more weaponry than usual. It was quite the sight, and for the first time, Katsuki truly understood how Adria had earned its reputation as the Land of Warriors. Adrians flaunted their strength just as naturally as Tulians flaunted their wealth.

It seemed as if only one person wasn’t feeling the fighting spirit that day, and Katsuki was honestly having none of it.

When Katsuki exited his room that morning—surprisingly with no encounter from either his annoying seamstress or even more annoying fiancé—he noticed that his equally annoying childhood friend was looking worse for wear. It was quite strange to see since Izuku was normally so cheerful—even in light of recent events—and he had seemed just fine the night before the festival.

Katsuki wasted no time in grabbing Izuku by the collar of his shirt and dragging him into the first empty room he could find. Izuku squeaked in surprise as he was manhandled, but after years of knowing the prince he was very much aware of the fact that Katsuki was not easily swayed, so he settled for complaining instead of struggling.

“Kacchan, do you not think it is too early for…whatever this is?” the green-haired omega asked exasperatedly, but his voice held none of his usual brightness or even the occasional annoyance he only ever seemed willing to show Katsuki.

Said blond crossed his arms over his chest, his face twisted into a scowl. “You going to explain to me why you are acting like this or do I need to force it out of you?” he asked, impatience practically dripping from each word.

“What are you talking about, Kacchan?” Izuku asked, although his attempt to play dumb wasn’t very convincing. His eyes were rimmed red, and his entire demeanor was a lot more demure than usual.

For this reason, Katsuki scoffed loudly. “Izuku, I can fucking tell when you have been crying yourself to sleep,” he hissed, although there was a note of concern in his voice.

Still, Izuku only shook his head in denial. “Kacchan, really, there is nothing you need to worry about.”

“I can and will kill someone if I have to,” Katsuki stated.

Despite himself, Izuku could not hold back a fond chuckle. “I know, Kacchan, but you really, really do not need to do that.”

“Did that Todoroki bastard do something to you?” Katsuki growled, not buying the other omega’s words for a second.

Izuku pursed his lips in annoyance at being continually ignored, but eventually sighed. He should know was no point trying to lie to his friend anyway. Especially not when Izuku was such a terrible liar. “He did not…do anything. It is more of what he did not do,” he mumbled sadly.

Katsuki’s brow furrowed in confusion, his slowly forming plan for murdering the alpha being momentarily forgotten. “What do you mean?”

The noble suddenly stomped his foot, his expression twisting in frustration. “I thought he liked me! He was so kind and sweet…And he was definitely flirting with me on more than one occasion!”

“Was he now?” Katsuki asked threateningly.

“Oh, Kacchan, hush,” Izuku grumbled not in the mood for the blond's unnecessary overprotectiveness. “I have no idea what happened. It was like one day he seemed interested in me, and then, the next day he is pulling away completely.” Izuku sighed dejectedly. “I do not know what I did…”

Izuku failed to notice Katsuki’s grimace, since the blond was at least partially responsible for that. “Well, you can do a lot better than that jerk anyway,” he tried to reassure the other.

His childhood friend scoffed bitterly. “Oh, real easy for you to say, Kacchan,” he said. “You are amazingly beautiful and talented. You walk into a room and every alpha, beta, and omega’s head is turning towards you! You even have this perfect, handsome alpha to marry! You would never understand!”

“Izuku—”

“I have always just been plain old Izuku with no outstanding qualities! Never more than ‘Prince Katsuki’s friend!’ Do you have any idea what it feels like to constantly be in someone’s shadow, Kacchan?”

Katsuki sucked his teeth in annoyance. “Izuku!”

“What?” Izuku shouted, his breathing erratic. He felt he couldn’t calm down, his heart racing in his chest. He had no idea why he was so angry, but he could tell from the prince’s expression that he was beginning to grow angry as well. The noble forced himself to take a deep breath.

Katsuki raised an unimpressed eyebrow as he watched his friend. “Are you done acting like some juvenile omega vying for some knothead’s attention?”

Izuku’s face flushed in humiliation at the comparison. “I was not—”

“You were,” Katsuki interrupted, his tone clipped and leaving no room for argument. His face then softened, his tone turning about as gentle as Katsuki could be. “What were you even expecting to come from a relationship with a foreign prince? Best case scenario, you get to spend one night together before he leaves for Endeavor and forgets all about you. Worst case, you could wind up pregnant with his bastard child, and he still leaves for Endeavour and forgets about you.”

“Kacchan!” Izuku exclaimed, affronted and mildly hurt.

Katsuki threw his hands up in frustration. “I am being realistic here, Izuku!” he shouted. “You need to be too.”

“Is it so unrealistic to believe we could have been together?” Izuku asked nearly desperately, tears building in his eyes that he fought to hold back.

The bond gave him a telling look. “Do you not think that the fact that you even need to ask that is answer enough?”

Izuku could no longer hold back his tears, sobbing loudly as he crumpled to the floor. Katsuki’s eyes widened in shock as he also dropped to his knees and pulled his friend into his arms. The hold was awkward; Katsuki was not as adept at comforting others as Izuku was. It was a quality the noble never seemed to credit himself for, among many other things.

“What the hell, Izuku?” Katsuki asked, confused and worried by this entire situation.

“Kacchan,” Izuku cried as he gripped onto the rough leather of the blond’s battle wear for dear life. “I think I love him.”

Katsuki reared back in shock, now holding Izuku out at arm’s length, his eyes wide and disbelieving. “No, you do not,” he said sternly, as if his words would magically change the omega’s feelings.

Izuku did not much appreciate the blond’s words at all. He rubbed angrily at his eyes as he pulled away enough to gaze up at the blond, his face twisting into a scowl that could almost rival Katsuki’s own. “Excuse me?”

“You are confusing attraction with love, Izuku. I suppose he is…fairly attractive if you ignore his personality.” Izuku very nearly mentioned that the two have that in common, but instead crossed his arms in a huff. “There is no way you could have fallen for that asshole,” Katsuki said with finality. However, Izuku was not finished.

“You have no right to tell me how I feel, Kacchan.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes at that. “What, you think he is the only alpha for you because he is the first?”

“Then, what about you?” Izuku questioned. “Would that not mean that your love for Kirishima-sama is just as false?”

The prince’s eyes widened, and Izuku was not blind to the hurt that swam within his carmine irises. “…It is not. Eijirou is nothing like—”

“You have known him for barely even two weeks!” Izuku interrupted harshly, punching the ground in his anger. “You have no room to speak about my feelings when you were unsure of yours just days ago!”

“I know my feelings for Eijirou are real!” Katsuki snapped, his temper rising with each syllable as his carefully manicured fingernails dug into his smooth, pale skin.

“Are his for you?” Izuku asked snidely before instantly regretting it when Katsuki flinched back like he’d been slapped. “Wait, Kacchan, I did not mean—”

“I told Todoroki to not approach you,” Katsuki blurted, his eyes narrowed as if in challenge. “I threatened the fucking asshole. Told him what we both knew was true: that he would only wind up hurting you in the end. That was all it took, Izuku.”

Izuku shook his head slowly as the blond spoke, his eyes wide in disbelief. “Y-You had no right to do that.”

“You cannot trust him,” Katsuki told him, his voice nearing frantic. He just needed Izuku to understand—

“Well then, I suppose you and he have that in common, Kacchan,” Izuku spat balefully, snapping Katsuki out of his thoughts and leaving him speechless.

The prince’s eyes widened, his mouth opening but no sound coming out in his shock. The door to the room slammed open abruptly before Katsuki could form a proper response to that, and the duo turned to see Ochako standing in the doorframe looking just as shocked as them.

“Katsuki-sama, Izuku-kun, I was just looking for you—” Her sentence stopped short once she caught sight of the tears in Izuku’s eyes. “Why are you crying?” she asked concernedly before her expression turned thunderous. “Did that Todoroki bastard do something to you?” she questioned.

Izuku scoffed in outrage before getting to his feet, glaring down at Katsuki and completely ignoring Ochako as he stomped out of the room. Ochako watched her friend go, baffled by what just happened. She had never seen Izuku so angry, and definitely not targeted towards Katsuki.

She turned back to Katsuki, her gaze booking no room for argument. “Tell me what is going on, Katsuki-sama,” she demanded. And so, he did.

“You do not have to tell me that I fucked up, Uraraka,” Katsuki said once he was finished relaying everything, although he purposefully neglected to mention his own personal issue with the prince in question. Even still, Katsuki could see it clear as day on the beta’s face; she was not at all happy. “I just do not want Izuku associating with that asshole.”

“I get that,” Ochako said easily enough. She wasn’t exactly a fan of Todoroki Shouto either, although she had a suspicion that Katsuki’s disdain stemmed from something far greater than a simple unease around unfamiliar alphas. “But why do you hate Prince Todoroki so much?”

Ochako could see the conflict in her prince’s eyes. “I have my reasons,” he mumbled, clearly unwilling to speak on them. “But that does not matter. I am only trying to keep Izuku safe.”

The beta woman sighed softly. “I know that at this point I have said it far too many times, but I vowed to protect both you and Izuku-kun with my life, Katsuki-sama. If there is something or someone who stands to harm either he or you, I would like you to tell me now,” she said deathly serious.

“If it was that simple, I surely would have told you already,” Katsuki said.

“Katsuki-sama—”

“Uraraka,” the prince interrupted, his voice stern. “Drop it,” he commanded softly.

Ochako grit her teeth to keep from yelling. “As you wish, Katsuki-sama,” she said dutifully, as much as if pained her to do so.

Katsuki rubbed at his temples, the day not starting off as he imagined it would. It was then that he remembered the gift he wanted to give Izuku, the weight of it now feeling heavier on his hip. The blond unclasped the brand-new dagger from his belt, running his fingers delicately over the green-stitched leather sheath. The dagger truly seemed like it was made for Izuku, but the blond had to wonder if the noble would even be willing to accept a gift from him at this point.

“Uraraka,” he called out to the knight, holding out the dagger in one hand. Without question, she stepped forward to grab it. “Give that to Izuku for me, will you? I had planned to today, but…”

“Of course, Katsuki-sama. I am sure he would love such a gift from you.”

Katsuki smiled sadly as he turned towards the doors. “I am not so sure at this point,” he said under his breath.

Momo watched as a horde of Adrian knights chattered amongst themselves, clearly excited about the battles that would soon begin at the start of noon. They were all adorned in traditional Adrian battle wear—basically all in varying level of undress. The Creatian princess could not say she was any more used to Adrian’s more…casual sense of style even after so many visits, but this still felt like pushing the boundaries of what could truly be considered armor.

Kendou passed in front of the princess with her particularly rowdy mate, Tetsutetsu, beside her. The male alpha was shouting at the other knights in greeting, apparently oblivious or unconcerned with the princess’ presence. Kendou, who was far more level-headed and polite, bowed her head just slightly in greeting to the royal, and Momo had to hold back a gasp at the sight of the other female alpha’s cleavage.

“Oh my,” she said under her breath, surprised and slightly embarrassed. She could never imagine herself showing so much skin.

“I know how you feel.”

Momo truly did gasp this time, turning to face Katsuki, who was wearing an amused smirk on his face at the alpha’s clear shock.

“Prince Bakugou,” she said in greeting, feeling only slightly miffed.

Katsuki inclined his head in acknowledgement, his eyes traveling back towards where Kendou and Tetsutetsu had walked off. “I am still a little put off by it at times. Things are very…casual in this kingdom, and yet, the Adrian people value things that most others think little of. An entire week celebrating the union of two individuals would seem preposterous to anyone outside of this kingdom.”

“Are you included in that, Prince Bakugou?” Momo asked curiously.

“Oh, most definitely,” he said instantly, even going as far as to roll his eyes. “But then, I expected to be married and claimed within 48 hours after arriving in Adria, so I cannot say this week has not been much appreciated.”

“This week has been most enjoyable,” Momo agreed, but her gaze was somewhere far away. Katsuki had a feeling she was thinking about something—or perhaps someone—in specific. “It truly makes this marriage seem like more than just simple politics.” The blond’s eye twitched almost imperceptibly, but Momo caught it just in time to realize how her words must have sounded to the bride-to-be. “Oh, I only meant—!”

The prince suddenly snorted—and Momo thought it sounded amused—before cutting the princess off. “I get it, princess,” Katsuki said. Momo was relieved to find that he sounded the farthest thing from upset. “I could never have fathomed such a week taking place when I still lived in Tulia. The Adrians value love just as much as they value strength and battle.” Katsuki’s voice was level as he said this, but his eyes seemed sad somehow. The blond twirled the bracelet around his wrist absentmindedly as he said, so low Momo was sure she was not meant to hear, “It is all or nothing for them.”

Momo bit her lip, feeling weirdly anxious all of a sudden. She wasn’t sure if she had said something to offend the omega or not. “What you and Prince Eijirou have is truly special, Prince Bakugou,” she said softly. Katsuki’s eyes shot up to her, widened just slightly in shock. “I must admit…I am a little jealous.”

“…Of Eijirou?” Katsuki asked in confusion.

“Oh no, no. Nothing quite like that,” Momo laughed lightly. It was not the thought of marrying Katsuki that was laughable, but more so the idea that Momo wanted to be handed an omega by her parents at all. “As unexpected as it is, you and Eijirou have found a love for each other that many die without ever experiencing.”

Katsuki couldn’t fight back the blush that overtook his cheeks to save his life. “I see,” he mumbled embarrassedly, mildly taken off guard. He hadn’t expected that from the fairly reserved alpha he had taken her for when she first arrived.

“If I may be candid…” Momo trailed off, suddenly losing her nerve, but at the sight of Katsuki raising an impatient—yet curious—eyebrow, Momo cleared her throat and continued. “Sometimes…I hate what I am.”

Katsuki scoffed unkindly. “What? You hate being an alpha?” he asked snidely.

Momo blinked in surprise, not having expected her words to be misunderstood in such a way. “I did not mean it like that,” she corrected. “Firstly, complaining to you, of all people, about being an alpha would be disrespectful and unbecoming.” Even she understood that much. “Secondly, I do not mind being born an alpha as it has granted me many opportunities and benefits in my life. Oh! Not to brag, of course,” she rushed to add, hoping she hadn’t just put her foot in her mouth, but Katsuki seemed nonplussed so she figured she was fine. “I merely meant being a princess—a royal, if you will.”

“That is still awfully privileged of you,” Katsuki gruffed but relaxed now that he knew she wasn’t going to make an idiot of herself by complaining about her secondary gender to him. “Still, I do understand how you feel to some extent. I will not pretend that I have agreed with or accepted everything that has been forced upon me throughout my life simply for being a prince, but…”

Even though the prince trailed off, Momo could hazard a guess as to what he had been about to say. “…Had you not been a prince, you never would have met Eijirou-sama,” she finished for him.

“Yeah,” Katsuki acknowledged softly, an unexpectedly vulnerable emotion in his eyes that the princess could not quite place.

“Katsuki!” Momo watched in mild fascination as Katsuki’s expression instantly brightened—as subtle as it was—at the sound of his fiancé’s voice. Eijirou had reached the two royals in just a few large steps, his hands instantly reaching out to grab hold of the omega's waist the moment he was close enough to do so. “You weren’t in your room,” the redhead stated obviously, sounding almost accusing.

It was also quite fascinating to see the way Katsuki’s expression abruptly shifted back into what Momo guessed was his default expression: a strange mixture of annoyance and indifference. “You were taking too long, and I didn’t feel like waiting for you anymore,” Katsuki explained, sounding just as accusing. The couple stared at each other in silence—although Momo swore they were having some kind of silent conversation based on the matching narrowed eyes and frowns adorning their faces—but Eijirou was, unsurprisingly, the first to break their impromptu staring contest.

“I wanted to be the first thing you saw when you woke up,” Eijirou said dejectedly, pouting like a child who was denied dessert.

Katsuki rolled his eyes skyward. “You will be the first thing I see when I wake up for the rest of my life,” he said simply. “I think I can survive one fucking morning.”

“Man, I really wanna kiss you right now.”

The omega reeled back in shock, his cheeks reddening at an almost alarming rate. “Wha—Fuck no! There are so many people here!”

“Aw,” Eijirou whined petulantly. It was then that he finally noticed the other royal standing awkwardly beside them. “Oh…hey, Yaomomo! I mean, Princess Momo. Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Oh, that is quite alright, Prince Eijirou,” Momo said kindly. “Prince Bakugou and I were just talking.”

“Yeah, that’s a surprising combination,” he chuckled, almost innocent, but Katsuki could detect a note of uncertainty. “What were you two talking about?”

Momo, likely due to her own alpha nature, was wise enough to casually distance herself from the omega beside her. It was unlikely that Eijirou even realized his possessiveness was just barely leaking out in his scent, but Momo could make it out quite easily. “I was just telling Prince Bakugou how I think you two are a lovely couple and very lucky,” she said, her words purposeful but no less genuine.

Eijirou’s face flushed like some kind of young maiden, causing an equally red-faced Katsuki to roll his eyes. The alpha’s scent began to calm much to Momo’s relief. She had not been lying when she said she was uninterested in the Tulian prince, and she was not the kind of alpha to make a move on another’s mate anyhow. 

“Katsuki-sama!” Denki’s voice could be heard from the opposite side of the hall, and his blond head could be seen swiftly approaching the trio of royals, Hanta trailing just behind him as usual. “Well, aren’t you looking very Adrian today,” the perky blond commented teasingly once he was close enough to speak at a normal volume. He then turned to the other two. “Hello, Eijirou-sama, Princess Yaoyorozu.”

“Excited for today, Denki?” Eijirou asked needlessly. If the blond’s amount of energy was any indication, then he was more excited than just about anyone else.

“I could barely get Denki to calm down enough to get dressed this morning,” Hanta chuckled, finding his mate’s antics more endearing than anything.

“I’m just excited to get to wipe the floor with Katsuki-sama today,” Denki responded, waggling his eyebrows.

Katsuki made a noise of protest, his hands balling into fists at his sides as he pinned the other with a deadly glare. “Hah? And who the hell says that is going to happen?”

“Uh…I do,” Denki answered like it should be obvious. “When I win, I’ll get to challenge anyone I want. And I am totally choosing you, Your Grumpiness.”

Katsuki narrowed his eyes into slits. Momo was silently surprised that the blond knight could grin in the face of that. “You seem awfully confident that you will win,” Katsuki bit out.

“I didn’t know that you were participating, Denki,” Eijirou said, steeping in before the two blonds could go at each other's throats as they always seemed prone to do. “You sure you don’t wanna challenge me if you win?”

“Not really looking to embarrass myself, but thanks,” Denki said without hesitation. He’d had the privilege of fighting against Eijirou a few times before, and the blond was not the least bit eager to repeat any of his crushing defeats. The Adrian prince was not a man to be taken lightly.

At the other omega’s response, Katsuki scoffed loudly. “Then, you are an idiot for trying to fight me.”

Denki smirked, taking his words for the challenge they were. “You willing to put your money where your blade is?”

Hanta and Eijirou quickly shot down that idea before it could escalate, both blonds clearly eager for a bet for some reason. “You always lose whenever you gamble, Den, I don’t even know why you bother,” Hanta sighed. “Besides, you’ll have everyone else to worry about. It’s not a one-on-one battle, babe.” While Denki pouted and grumbled under his breath, Katsuki’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What the hell do you mean it is not one-on-one? Is this not a tournament?” he demanded.

Hanta raised an eyebrow before sending a look to Eijirou. “You didn’t think to mention the Battle of Warriors held during a royal Wedding Week is a battle royale?”

“Hah?” Katsuki turned to Eijirou with a glare. This had to be at least the fifth time he’s discovered something about their Wedding Week last minute.

Eijirou chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “In my defense, this is my first royal Wedding Week, too,” he said. “I honestly didn’t know either.” When Katsuki still looked unsatisfied with his answer, he cleared his throat nervously. “I mean, it still sounds like it’ll be a fun time!”

“Sounds more like it will be a bloodbath,” Katsuki muttered, and Momo nodded quickly in agreement.

Denki snorted, amused. “Nah, it’s nothing that intense. People are just incapacitated, not decapitated. Although someone may lose a limb or two,” he said flippantly.  

“Oh my,” Momo gasped aloud, horrified by the thought and imagery.

“It’ll be fine, Yaomomo,” Eijirou rushed to assure her.

Hanta breathed out a sigh. “Seriously though, Katsuki-sama, I can only imagine how many people are itching to step into the arena with you today. Usually, it’s Eijirou or even Crimson Riot, but obviously circumstances are a bit different now.”

Katsuki crossed his arms over his chest with a huff, a scowl still present on his face. “I am not afraid of any of the knights within this castle. Even if I had to take them all on at the same time.”

Denki and Hanta sent each other a look, matching smirks on their faces, while Eijirou couldn’t seem bothered to hold back his laughter. “Ah, angel, you really don’t care about making any enemies,” he chuckled in far too fond of a voice considering the implications of that very true statement. “But you know, not only knights are allowed to participate in the Battle of Warriors, even this one. As for the annual event, anyone from the continent is free to enter.”

“Though I wouldn’t expect to see any Tulians or Creatians,” Denki tacked on, just to see the eyes of Katsuki and Momo twitch in annoyance.

“My kingdom is home to many fine warriors,” Momo claimed, just a tad snappishly. “Creati just happens to not boast about our feats in battle nearly as much as Adria.”

“And I’m sure that has nothing to do with a lack of feats to boast about,” Eijirou said good-naturedly, laughing aloud when Momo’s frown turned on him. Even when annoyed, the princess maintained a certain charm and elegance to her that always amazed Eijirou.

Momo huffed, “Well, just you wait until the next annual Battle of Warriors. I will make sure there are many warriors ready to take the crown.”

Eijirou merely smirked in amusement. “I’m afraid the champion doesn’t receive a crown, Yaomomo,” he chuckled.

The princess’ face flushed. “I am well aware of that, Eijirou-sama! You—The crown is figurative!” she shouted before marching away with her head held high, but the pink of her cheeks was still visible for all to see as she trailed past them.

Everyone watched her leave in amusement; it was a rare sight to see the princess so flustered. Katsuki quickly turned to Eijirou, however, not keen on letting his comment slide. “What was that about no Tulians participating?” he questioned his fiancé with narrowed eyes.

“Oh, Katsuki, I just meant that Tulians aren’t really known for combat,” Eijirou chuckled hesitantly. The omega was looking more and more pissed with each word.

“I suppose I’ll just have to be the first, then,” Katsuki said confidently, suddenly smirking wide. “I will win the annual tournament—not some ridiculous battle royale—and then take the crown. Of course, my very first act as queen will be to make sure the winner of each tournament henceforth receives a crown.”

Hanta snorted unattractively. “Definitely a fine use of your power, Katsuki-sama,” he joked.

Katsuki surprised him with a wink, raising his hands and miming putting on an invisible crown. “How else am I to add to my ever-growing collection?” he asked rhetorically, earning laughs from the surrounding men.

“Well,” Denki said in mild amazement. “Someone’s feeling playful today.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, although his face was redder than it was just a second ago. “Today is the day before my wedding. I think I am allowed to be excited.”

“Oh, you actually admitted it,” Hanta chuckled with his signature wide grin.

“It is all for the crown,” Katsuki said, an obvious lie even ignoring the way he subconsciously leaned into Eijirou’s embrace as he said it.

Eijirou leaned down to plant his chin on Katsuki’s shoulder. It was not the most comfortable position considering their substantial height difference, but it was worth it for the way Katsuki shivered in Eijirou’s arms and subtly bared more of his neck for the alpha. Obligingly, Eijirou planted a kiss to the skin where the blond's neck and shoulder met.

“All for the crown,” he agreed good-naturedly, his face spread into a wide grin.

Lands away, Bakugou Masaru sat upon his throne, a despondent look set upon his calm and withering features. In his hands, he twirled his crown consideringly. Today was the day before his only son’s wedding, he knew. Come tomorrow, Katsuki would be stuck in a marriage he never wanted with an alpha he had only known for a short time.

Masaru wanted his son to be happy. That was all he ever wanted for Katsuki. The boy was just as headstrong and stubborn as his mother, and if only he had presented as an alpha like everyone expected, he could have become the next great ruler of their kingdom. Hell, had it been up to Masaru, he would have allowed Katsuki to choose an alpha noble to rule alongside. Unfortunately, omegas had no real standing within Tulia, royalty or not.  

Beside the beta, his wife sat bored as the last of the messages for the queen were relayed and the messenger was escorted out of the throne room. Mitsuki sighed, almost wistfully, her cheek resting on her hand as she leaned against the armrest of her throne. “The kingdom feels far too quiet nowadays,” she commented.

Masaru didn’t even glance her way, the air between them tense now that they were alone with their guards standing outside the doors leading to the throne room. “The palace even more so,” he added meaningfully.

Mitsuki’s eyes narrowed as her lips twisted in annoyance. She looked towards her husband, watching for a few moments as he stared at his crown. “That belongs on your head, Masaru,” she told him, her tone nothing short of patronizing.

“It belongs on Katsuki’s,” he corrected lowly, just a tad bit snappishly. But Mitsuki heard him.

Mitsuki’s eyes widened at his tone before she growled, slapping her hands down on either armrest. Her mate had never dared to speak to her like that before. “You want to repeat that, beta?”

Masaru said nothing for a couple seconds before sighing, knowing that it was not worth his wife’s ire to speak his mind. Still, he could not help but say, “We should be with Katsuki right now. He will only be wed once—”

“I do not care,” Mitsuki cut in, her tone as final and uninterested as her words. “He is currently serving the one purpose an omega can, and that is to mate with an alpha and bear their children.”

“I remember when Katsuki was young, and he used to sneak into our bedroom in the middle of the night, and we’d awake to see him trying to fit one of our crowns on his little head,” Masaru recalled nostalgically, allowing himself the smallest of smiles. There didn’t seem to be much to smile about since Katsuki left their home. “All he ever wanted was to rule.”

Mitsuki sucked her teeth in annoyance. “Both of you seem to think I did not wish for my own son to take the throne after me,” she said testily. Masaru had noticed that she had not once said Katsuki’s name since his departure. “I wanted nothing but greatness for him, but an omega is an omega and tradition is tradition. How many times must I explain this?”

“You are the queen, my love,” Masaru said almost desperately. “Why must tradition be followed if it means tearing our family apart?”

Mitsuki scoffed uncaringly. “How dramatic. The brat is already gone, and yet, you continue to bemoan his absence. His fate is set in stone.”

“To send him off to Adria of all places,” Masaru muttered. Although, he supposed anywhere was better than Villiass. “It would have been nice to at least meet the Adrian prince…To see what kind of person he is.”

“Adrians are barbarians who think with their swords rather than their brains,” Mitsuki offered. “As headstrong as the brat is, I cannot imagine he and the prince would have much in common.”

“If we had gone to the wedding—”

“You know how I detest making small talk with those small-brained royals of other kingdoms.”

“We can visit after the wedding, then. Once they have all left—”

“And leave Tulia without a ruler at a time like this? Nonsense.”

“Then I will go alone!” Masaru yelled, thoroughly fed up with his wife’s stubbornness. He replaced the crown atop his head and got to his feet, a fierce glare fixed on his wife as she stared apathetically back up at him. “You can sit right where you are and pretend that Katsuki is no longer our son, but I will not!”

“Masaru,” Mitsuki called out to him calmly, halting him at the doors. “You will not be going anywhere.”

Masaru turned to her slowly in disbelief. “Mitsuki, you cannot—”

“I can,” she interrupted smoothly, inspecting her nails as if they were having a simple, casual conversation. “I am your alpha, after all, and what I say goes.” She gazed back at her mate, then, her eyes flashing dangerously. “Now…sit.” The Alpha Command had Masaru marching over to his throne and plopping down before he could even process the word. “I do not like having my authority questioned, my love,” she said warningly, the term of endearment not masking the hidden threat behind her words. “Do you understand me?”

Obediently, Masaru said, “Yes, alpha.”

Just then, one of the guards burst through the doors, startling both the king and queen and thankfully breaking the tension between them. Mitsuki rolled her eyes, already waving the guard away before he could even speak. “No more messages. Begone.”

“Your Majesties,” the guard panted, out of breath and frantic. “There is trouble in the capital. You both need to get to safety. Now.”

Many lands away, it was time to begin the battle royale. Katsuki could almost feel the anticipation within the grand colosseum as he took his seat on the other side of Eijirou. Katsuki noticed that on Eijirou’s other side, Crimson Riot sat beside an empty throne. Anyone could guess that it belonged to the late queen; the four thrones surely meant for a complete family. Katsuki silently vowed to give Eijirou his own family one day as he took his hand in his own, receiving an answering squeeze and a blinding smile before Eijirou faced forward to take in the scenery.

Katsuki had to take a few moments to fully take in the scene himself. The colosseum gave the illusion of dwarfing the castle itself, and although Katsuki had seen the structure in the distance many times and knew this to not be the case, he still felt unbelievably small within its walls. There was no ceiling, of course, and Katsuki briefly wondered what it would be like to battle beneath a starry sky.

Katsuki jumped, knocked from his thoughts, at the feeling of Eijirou’s hand against his cheek. He turned to his alpha, heat overtaking his face at the look in his fiancé’s eyes. “W-What?” he stuttered as he automatically placed his hand atop Eijirou’s on his cheek, subconsciously leaning into the familiar, yet no less exhilarating touch. Katsuki didn’t think he’d ever be able to handle Eijirou looking at him like he single-handedly hung the moon in the sky.

Eijirou smiled warmly in reply. “This will be your first of many Battle of Warriors,” he said. “I’m excited.”

Katsuki bit his lip to hold back a grin. “I am as well,” he admitted quietly, perhaps too quiet for all the commotion around them as people entered the colosseum and fighters prepared below, but of course, Eijirou heard him all the same.

Eijirou’s smile only brightened, and Katsuki’s heart swelled at the sight. It was almost laughable that Eijirou was so adamant about reminding Katsuki of his beauty while the alpha seemed oblivious to his own.

The two wordlessly met for a kiss, soft and quick. Far more innocent than any of the kisses they shared in public before, and yet, this kiss seemed to hold so much more meaning. They parted just moments later, and Eijirou removed the hand atop his to begin peppering kisses across the skin. Katsuki, as to be expected, flushed hotly at the action, but he refrained from pulling his hand away.

“You have beautiful hands, angel,” Eijirou whispered between kisses. “So small, delicate, and soft. So, so beautiful.”

Katsuki gasped softly at the words. He knew that Eijirou knew how much of a compliment that was. “Thank you,” Katsuki whispered in return. “I, um, really like your hands as well.”

Eijirou hummed, clearly pleased by the hesitant praise. He then leaned even closer, speaking lowly into his fiancé’s ear. “Do you like my hands on you, angel?”

The omega quickly leaned away, his face bright red now. “Eijirou, we are in public!” he hissed.

The redhead simply chuckled, unbothered. “It’s the day before our wedding,” he pointed out. “I highly doubt anyone is expecting the two of us to keep our hands to ourselves.” Katsuki frowned but didn’t deny the statement. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

“You know I do,” Katsuki mumbled, refusing to make eye contact anymore. “I have half a mind to ban you from touching me until we are actually married.”

“Well, that’s just cruel,” Eijirou mumbled, but he dutifully settled back in his seat, hands on his lap and to himself.

“Izuku-kun,” Ochako began unsurely as she sat down beside her friend somewhere in the stands. She noticed they had an optimal view of the arena below, although she wasn’t so sure if she would end up appreciating or regretting this once the battles commenced.

Izuku turned to her in askance at the sound of his name, drawing his attention away from his silent scan of the fighters below. He spotted Denki and Mina down there, among many other knights and even more faces he did not recognize.

“What is it, Uraraka-san?” he asked, although from his tone of voice, Ochako would wager that the omega was fine with the two of them not speaking. Had Ochako not stuck so close to the noble, she was sure he would have claimed a seat somewhere far from her.

“You seemed upset with Katsuki-sama earlier. Did something happen?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

Izuku’s face twisted, and Ochako winced for Katsuki’s sake. Izuku was clearly still furious with their prince, and even if she personally was on Katsuki’s side with this whole thing, the beta could understand Izuku’s frustration with the way Katsuki went about it. She now supposed it was a good thing they weren’t allowed above where the royal family sat. “Nothing that you need to concern yourself with.”

Ochako wanted to scoff. She wanted to push further, but she knew just how stubborn the omega could be. She was actually starting to think it was a trait all omegas possessed. “If you say so,” she murmured. “I would hate for you two to argue. You both mean the world to each other,” she said. It would not be the first time the two did not see eye-to-eye, but their arguments were usually more annoying for those around them than the omegas themselves.

“Well, sometimes,” Izuku began testily. “Kacchan does not know when to let others handle things themselves.”

Ochako was sorely tempted to shake Izuku for that purposefully vague response. Instead, she simply sighed. “Well, Katsuki-sama wanted me to give this to you in his place,” she said, pulling out the dagger that she had kept concealed on her hip. “It is a gift.”

She watched as her friend’s eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and excitement as he gingerly grasped the dagger in his ow hands. However, a second later, Izuku was back to frowning. “He thinks he can buy my forgiveness,” he assumed, clearly upset at the thought.

“No,” Ochako stressed gently. “Katsuki-sama bought this for you because you are a fighter, and in Adria, you do not have to hide that.”

The beta could see the confliction in Izuku’s eyes at her words, but beyond that she could see something akin to relief in them. Softly, Izuku said, “I suppose I should thank him. Although, I am still upset with him.”

Ochako still wished Izuku would talk to her, but she was glad he at least accepted the gift. It looked like it belonged in his grasp.

“It is still not too late to join the tournament,” she said, mostly joking. “Perhaps if you win, you can challenge Katsuki-sama and beat some sense into him.”

Izuku chuckled at that, but inevitably shook his head. “I could never,” he said despondently. “To try and compete with these battle-hardened knights would be pure insanity. Who would try such a thing and expect to win it all?”

“I bet you could,” Ochako said encouragingly.

Izuku didn’t meet her eye, but Ochako could tell that he’d heard what she said. “The battles are about to begin,” he said in lieu of answering.

Ochako held back her sigh as the two, along with the rest of the spectators within the grand colosseum, watched as the numerous fighters below all moved to the inner ring of the arena, leaving the middle empty of anyone. Still, everyone knew that in just a few moments, it would be filled with people battling it out until only one person was left standing.

The Tulians expected some kind of signal to tell the fighters to begin, but what they didn’t expect was for Crimson Riot himself to get to his feet and bellow, “Let the Battle of Warriors begin!”

Immediately, all the fighters within the ring began fighting. A few fighters were incapacitated within mere minutes: slices to the legs that had them falling to the ground, blows to the skull that rendered them unconscious, and just an overall blur of swords, shields (although less than a handful to count), and various other weaponry swinging about as the crowd thinned.

There was one fighter that many spectators began to take notice of as the battle royale dragged on. While most fighters reveled in challenge and victory of battle and some were simply eager to shed some blood, sweat, and tears, no fighter had ever even considered hiding their face from the view of others in battle. And yet, for the first time that any Adrian could remember, there down below stood a masked person battling like the rest. Their entire head was shrouded in a cloth mask, not even a follicle of hair to be seen.

Murmurs began to spread across the colosseum, everyone wondering who the mysterious fighter could be. Some berated the figure, thinking them to be too cowardly to face others without the mask, too afraid to be known if they were to fall or face defeat. Others felt excitement, even beginning to cheer specifically for the masked fighter, wanting to see the grand reveal surrounded by their fallen foes.

“Do you think—?” The roars of the crowd as the masked figure claimed yet another victory over a knight made the prince jump, his question cut off. Once the excitement had died down just slightly as the battles continued, Tenya cleared his throat to ask again. “Do you think it…inappropriate to…pine after someone not of royal blood?”

Since the prince had asked this just loud enough that only Shouto and Momo could hear, the two royals were free gaze at their fellow alpha in shock. Even if unbeknownst to Tenya, that same question had plagued their minds for days, the two still felt as if they had been found out somehow.

The casual chatter of those around them combined with how easily their families could overhear them if they turned their attention away from the battle beneath for even a moment had the young royals’ nerves frayed. They had to make sure to keep their voices down, as if they were conspiring some illicit scheme rather than discussing affections like a bunch of juveniles.

Momo was the first to gather her bearings, although her cheeks were still suspiciously red. She supposed it was a blessing that neither man could bring themselves to look her way. “Well,” she began, although her voice was not nearly as self-assured as it usually was. “I believe that any affections you may hold for others should never be taken lightly, but it is important to remember our roles in society.”

Tenya sighed quietly. “So, then, you believe it to be a waste of time,” he surmised.

“Is it not?” Shouto asked, finally voicing his own opinion on the matter. “It is unrealistic and foolish to believe you could ever have a future with him,” the dual-haired alpha said sternly, his heterochromatic eyes narrowed in what appeared to be anger directed towards Tenya but was really for himself.

Tenya’s eyes widened in shock at the other prince’s words before he quickly collected himself. “I never said I was actually interested in anyone, much less a ‘him,’” Tenya pointed out, although it was clear no one believed his poor denial.

Shouto and Momo exchanged a look, and Tenya felt his face flush with embarrassment. “So, what, you’re asking for a friend?” Shouto asked sarcastically.

“Now, now, let’s be civil,” Momo said, briefly patting both of the princes on their shoulders. “But Prince Shouto, haven’t you been getting awfully cozy with that omegan friend of Prince Bakugou?”

The dual-haired prince bit back a scowl at the question, feeling called out and not appreciating it. “I have no idea what you mean by ‘cozy,’” he denied.

“Oh, there’s no need to be shy,” Momo giggled. “He is quite a cute one. Tulian omegas are known for their—”

“I have absolutely no interest in such an omega,” Shouto interrupted snappishly, and Momo snapped her mouth shut with an unhappy frown.

“I thought you liked him,” Momo said hesitantly, but when Shouto’s head snapped over to her with a surprisingly fierce glare, she was quick to add, “As a friend.”

Shouto seemed appeased at the correction, huffing to himself and facing forward again. “Just a friend,” he agreed, his voice somber in a way neither Momo nor Tenya would expect from someone who truly wished for “just friends.”

Momo could not seem to erase the frown marring her normally prim features. “What if this person—this commoner—were to connect to you in a way that no one else could ever hope to?”

“Then, this person must be special in every way,” Tenya said, tone knowing and beyond understanding. “To make you dream of breaking every rule you used to think made sense, just to spend one more moment with them.”

Shouto sighed wistfully, succumbing to the fact that he was on the same boat as his fellow royals. “This person would be worth it, don’t you think?”

The three fell silent after Shouto’s nearly whispered question, their expressions grim as the mulled over their choices. Tradition or desire? Propriety or happiness? A life as they know it or a love they have never experienced before?

Finally, after moments of silence, the three came to a consensus that seemed so obvious in hindsight. Together, they answered, “Surely not.”

It was not long—or at least not as long as Katsuki expected—before there stood only four fighters in the arena. The day was drawing to an end, but the battles carried on undeterred by the increasing lack of light as the sky turned darker and darker.

Down below stood a female knight Katsuki had seen once or twice before but didn’t know the name of, a no-name blacksmith who was far less skilled than Shouji in Katsuki’s opinion, Denki, and the most elusive masked figure. All four stood similar states of exhaustion, covered in the usual grime and blood that come from battle.

Secretly, Katsuki was rooting for Denki. As annoying at the other blond was, he was an exceptionally skilled fighter. Not to mention, Eijirou was likely rooting for his friend, as well. As if to prove his point, Eijirou whooped loudly once Denki struck down the knight, knocking the sword from her hands and sending it flying across the arena. The two knights stared at the sword for just a second before the woman was flipping Denki off with a bitter smile and stomping off. Denki’s joyous laugh could be heard throughout the colosseum, but he didn’t let yet another victory distract him for very long.

Everyone watched as the blacksmith and the masked fighter duked it out, Denki slowly inching closer, preparing to strike the victor the moment it was decided. To everyone’s clear joy, within minutes the blacksmith was knelt on the ground, ironically without any semblance of weapon. The crowd went wild at the sight, but even without weapon, the blacksmith seemed reluctant to give up. He charged at his opponent, but the action proved futile as he was quickly knocked upside the head with the hilt of the unknown fighter’s sword.

Denki whistled, impressed, and before anyone could even blink, the masked figure was swinging his sword down on Denki’s head. Of course, Denki blocked just in time, and the spectators settled in for the moment they’d been waiting for. Denki would take down the masked fighter, and everyone would finally see who had all of Adria on the edge of their seats.

“If Denki does not win, I will never let him live it down,” Katsuki said about seven minutes into the duel. Denki clearly had the upper hand, but the masked fighter was holding their own.

Eijirou snickered at the omega’s words. “I’m sure no one will.”

It was clear that the battle was drawing to a close once Denki managed to cut through his opponent’s armor, the masked figure jumping back just before it could do any real damage. Denki’s next attack was blocked and countered with a quick swipe at his ankles that he narrowly avoided. The omega stumbled slightly, but it was all his opponent needed to end the duel once and for all.

The masked fighter pointed his sword at Denki’s throat before the knight could retaliate. “Yield,” he commanded, his deep voice ringing through the sudden, stunned silence of the colosseum. Denki had been the obvious victor up until that very moment, and the fact that the one who defeated him was some unknown fighter only added to the shock everyone was feeling.

Everyone watched as Denki put his hands up in surrender, his sword clattering to the ground. The blond had a scowl twisted into his usually cheerful face, but there was a fire in his eyes that said clear as day that he would be more than willing to keep the fight going.

The colosseum practically roared at the masked figure’s victory over a well-known fighter, leading to a handful of guesses to the still unknown identity of the person. Katsuki was taken aback by the sheer volume, and he was only mildly annoyed by Eijirou’s own screaming in his ear.

A random knight ran over to the two, grabbing the masked fighter’s arm and lifting it into the air. “Our victor!” he announced, the crowd somehow growing even louder. Katsuki watched as Eijirou and Crimson Riot both stood from their thrones, clapping for the mystery fighter.

Finally, as everyone had truly been waiting for, Crimson Riot’s booming voice rang through the stadium, “Mystery challenger, you have been crowned as the victor of the Battle of Warriors! You have the honor of challenging anyone within the colosseum to a duel! Who do you wish to challenge?”

The masked figure said nothing for a moment before reaching up and removing his mask. Nearly everyone in the colosseum gasped when the man was revealed to be Yamada Hitoshi.

“Holy shit,” Hizashi said, clearly shocked to see his son down below. He turned to his mate, mouth agape and eyes wide.  

“That little shit,” Shouta said, just as shocked as his husband, but feeling a surge of amusement and pride all the same. “I was wondering where he ventured off to.”

“Hitoshi-san?” Izuku blurted in shock as he rose from his seat, but his shout went unheard beneath the countless other voices ringing throughout the arena. “He has actually done it…” he trailed off, his eyes wide in a mixture of awe and admiration.

In another area of the stands, Shouto, Tenya and Momo sat side by side, similarly shocked by the turn of events. “I had no idea he was a fighter as well,” Momo murmured.

“Quite the shock indeed,” Shouto added.

Tenya, however, was shellshocked for an entirely different reason. “Yes,” he agreed absentmindedly, barely hearing his friend. “He never ceases to amaze me. He is truly…special.”

It was almost comical how unaffected Hitoshi looked by his victory, but on the inside, his heart had yet to stop racing. Slowly and with purpose, Hitoshi raised his sword and pointed it at the stand where the royal family was. Everyone’s eyes followed his sword, coming to find it pointed directly at Katsuki. It seemed he had chosen his opponent.

Katsuki’s eyes widened, his mouth gaping open as he sat frozen stiff. Eijirou smirked, looking between the two omegas with nothing short of excitement. “He’s challenging you, baby,” he said needlessly. Katsuki looked to him for some idea of what to do, but Eijirou only smiled encouragingly at him. Katsuki gulped, gazing back at the omega below.  

Hitoshi narrowed his eyes challengingly. “Are you afraid, Your Highness?” he bellowed.

Katsuki’s face twisted into a scowl at the insinuation, and he finally stood from his seat, all of his nerves instantly vanishing in the face of a challenge. He stomped forward until he was leaning over the ledge and looking down at the man below. From such a height, he could just barely make out Hitoshi’s smug expression. “Do not flatter yourself,” Katsuki snapped, his voice easily louder than anyone’s. “You may have just won, but you are the least threatening person in this colosseum!”

The entire colosseum sprang to life once again with laughter and jeers at that, but neither omega paid them any mind. Their gazes remained focused solely on their soon-to-be opponent. Hitoshi chuckled to himself before loudly saying, “Then, accept my challenge!”

Katsuki huffed, belatedly thinking that he should have expected this. He supposed Denki had not been exaggerating. “Fine! I accept your measly challenge for a duel!” Katsuki declared, prompting more cheers from the people.

Hitoshi grinned victoriously, as if he had already won. “We can fight with no weapons, if you’d prefer,” he offered, a touch snidely simply because he could not help himself.

Katsuki huffed, feeling as if he were being belittled. “No need,” he shouted, surely taking many by surprise. He could already hear the protests from Eijirou—and likely Izuku and Ochako had they been nearby—but the blond was moving before anyone could utter a word.

Katsuki caught sight of the giant banner hanging from the balcony, grabbing ahold of the thick fabric and heaving himself over the edge with alarming ease. Eijirou let out a panicked shout before realizing that Katsuki wasn’t about to plunge to his death. The blond used the banner to slide from the top of the balcony all the way to the ground, falling the rest of the way and landing gracefully on his feet. He drew the sword Eijirou had gifted him from his sheath—the weight of it feeling perfect in his hand—and sauntered towards a shell-shocked Hitoshi.

Katsuki stopped a distance away from the other man, a smug grin on his pale face while Hitoshi’s expression abruptly returned to its usual staidness. “Was that really necessary?” the native-born Adrian asked, mildly amused.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. “I could ask you the same thing,” he said slyly, a knowing twinkle in his eyes. “Trying to prove something, are you?” he asked rhetorically.

“You think so?” Hitoshi asked, unbothered at being called out. It was obvious to anyone here that he wanted to prove himself by challenging the prince. “I think that we both have something to prove,” he continued, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t you, Your Majesty?”

Katsuki raised his sword up to the other’s throat, a sudden hush falling over the crowd as they watched the scene unfold, completely oblivious to the conversation happening between the duelists. The blond had to reel in his growing rage, knowing Hitoshi was likely purposefully riling him up. “Do not mock me,” he snapped, fighting to keep his voice level. “It could very well be the last thing you ever do,” he threatened, ironically lowering his weapon as he did so.

With an insufferably carefree smirk, Hitoshi got into a fighting stance, his own sword poised to strike at any moment. “That would be most unfortunate,” he drawled, and he could visually see the prince’s temper snap right before the referee signaled for them to begin their duel.

There was brief moment in which silence hung over the colosseum and neither fighter moved an inch, but that was soon broken as the two rushed at each other, the only sound to fill the area being their swords colliding.

There was no build up in their battle; the two omegas fought knowing fully well that they had everything to prove to the mass of spectators. Katsuki finally had the perfect opportunity to prove his worth as both a warrior and a future queen. He would show everyone that he would the ideal mate for Eijirou, even if no one—including the couple in question—had ever expected that to be the case.

Hitoshi, after years and years of watching the royal knights from afar and wishing he could be one of them, could display his strength at last. Joining this tournament in secret had been his first challenge but winning the Battle of Warriors was an accomplishment that not many could boast about. Even considering the smaller scale of this particular one—since the annual event was much grander and far more challenging than a royal tournament—Hitoshi knew he had taken many by surprise and opened their eyes to his potential.

I cannot lose this, was a sentiment that was bouncing back and forth within the minds of both omegas. They were warriors at heart, and they would prove that to everyone if it was the last thing they would ever do. And considering how neither man seemed willing to hold back even a little, it very well could be the last for one of them.  

It was not long before Katsuki was littered with bruises and cuts much like Hitoshi. Blood dripped steadily from their wounds, but it seemed as if neither could even tell. Matching grins adorned their faces, the thrill of the battle overpowering any sense of pain or fatigue. They were simply two destined warriors, destined to never fight, and they wanted nothing more than to make up for lost time.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting tired, Your Highness?” Hitoshi jeered as he swiped at the prince’s legs, only for Katsuki to jump into the air at the last second and manage a cut across the Adrian’s cheek. Hitoshi retreated, just barely dodging another attack as Katsuki sneered back.

“Seems to me as if you are the one growing tired. A bit over your head challenging me to a fight, are you?” Katsuki asked mockingly.

Hitoshi huffed haughtily. “No need to act so cocky. While I’ve been fighting all day, you’ve been lazing around in the stands.”

“Oh, sure,” Katsuki said easily, his smirk never leaving even as the two exchanged blows. “Use that as an excuse when I beat your ass.”

It was as Katsuki said this that the two lunged at each other yet again. Shinsou rushed forward, his hands tightening around the grip of the hilt, his blade sweeping through the air where Katsuki once stood, the prince leaping backwards at just the right time. Before Hitoshi could even complain about the blond’s uncanny reflexes, Katsuki leapt forward once more, and the next thing Hitoshi knew, his sword was out of his hands and soaring through the air before it found itself impaled in the ground a few feet away.

With a devious, overly boisterous laugh that could be heard all throughout the colosseum, Katsuki kicked the purple-haired omega’s legs out from under him, forcing the omega into his knees. He pressed the tip of his blade against the Adrian’s throat, his grin turning almost manic as Hitoshi’s glare intensified. The crowd around then went wild, and Katsuki could have sworn he heard Eijirou’s voice among them, but he was likely just imagining it.

“Satisfied?” Katsuki asked, catching his breath as he lowered his sword.

Hitoshi scoffed, running a hand tiredly through his sweaty locks. “Not in the slightest,” he answered gruffly. Sure, he got the fight he wanted, but not the victory he needed.

Katsuki chuckled lowly. “Good,” he murmured approvingly, but Hitoshi didn’t seem to hear him. After a moment of contemplation, Katsuki stuck out a hand for the other, who took it after a couple seconds of staring at the appendage in shock.

Hitoshi allowed Katsuki to help him to his feet, and from the corners of their eyes, the two omegas noticed seemingly everyone from the stands entering the arena. A good number of them simply jumped down from the stands onto the ground, apparently unbothered by the distance and potential to break every bone in their legs.

“Katsuki!”

“Katsuki-sama!”

“Kacchan!”

Katsuki groaned to himself, already preparing for the three sets of arms that wrapped around him a moment later. Eijirou, who wound up with Ochako and Izuku wrapped in his arms as well, hefted all three Tulians into the air, spinning them around in his excitement. All three shouted in protest, but their cries were overshadowed by the cheers and praise of those all around them. Even Hitoshi was being enveloped in the arms of his father and Denki.

“Kacchan, that was amazing!” Izuku praised once Eijirou finally allowed them back on their feet. “I have not seen you fight like that since we were young!” Since before Katsuki presented, he meant.

“Yes, Katsuki-sama, that was most impressive,” Ochako agreed, wiping at her clothes and sending an annoyed glance to the red-headed prince who was now fully wrapped around the blond. “I had not expected Hitoshi-san to challenge you.”

“Well,” Katsuki began, trying and failing to ignore the way Eijirou was peppering kisses across his face and neck wherever he could reach wrapped around him the way he was. “I am glad he did. It felt good to be in a real fight for once.”

Izuku and Ochako nodded along in understanding, although Izuku kept sending scrutinizing glances at the couple. Katsuki caught the look and shrugged the alpha off, slapping away his hands at the redhead made another grab for him.

Eijirou seemed nonplussed by the action; Katsuki was usually shy when it came to public displays of affection. It was more adorable than anything. “That really was incredible, angel. Now I really can’t wait for the next Battle of Warriors. Perhaps it’ll be you and me in the finals, Katsuki.”

“I think you may be forgetting about Izuku-kun and I, Eijirou-sama,” Ochako said good-naturedly.  “We may very well best the both of you.”

Eijirou guffawed, slapping his knee. “You may be right, Uraraka-san! Surely this will be the year of the Tulians!”

“Oh, what’s this I hear?” Mina sauntered over with Hanta, Denki, and Camie in tow, their faces all grins. “Already admitting defeat, Your Highness?”

“Just admitting to the possibility,” Eijirou corrected. “You know I never go down without a fight, Mina.”

Mina winced at a particularly painful memory of such an occasion. “Don’t I know it,” she mumbled.

“Well, I feel disgusting, and I wish to bathe,” Katsuki said, turning to leave for his chambers.

Eijirou was right on his tail while everyone else parted ways, likely to find some food. “I’ll come with!” he said excitedly. Katsuki sent him a look. “I mean, I’ll walk you to your room,” he corrected quickly.

Katsuki rolled his eyes fondly, but discreetly grabbed the alpha’s hand as he continued his walk to his room.

Hitoshi just barely managed to evade any people he knew after his duel with the prince. He had no desire to hear any pitying or congratulatory words from a bunch of people he was not close to, and he definitely didn’t want to see his parents. He could only imagine their reactions.

And yet, despite the omega’s best efforts, he was still approached by the last person he expected to see.

“You were amazing, Hitoshi-san!” Tenya gushed as he stopped in front of the omega, his cheeks still a faint red from exertion from the jog over. He assumed Hitoshi’s own cheeks were red for the same reason. “I had no idea you were such a gifted fighter!”

Hitoshi blinked slowly, seemingly at a loss for words. After a moment, he cleared his throat, turning his gaze away as his cheeks reddened even further. “Well, I practice my sword fighting quite a bit in secret.”

“I can tell,” Tenya said honestly. “My, if I had a knight like you by my side, I would never have to fear a thing,” the prince said. His tone was joking, but his words struck a chord deep within the omega.

“Oh,” was all the Adrian could muster.

Tenya hummed to himself. “It’s just a shame you were defeated in the end. I was so sure you had the win over Prince Bakugou there,” he said, shaking his head and frowning as if Hitoshi’s defeat was his own.

“Hmm,” Hitoshi intoned, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, his gaze turning titillating. “You think I deserve some kind of prize, Prince Tenya?”

The omega watched the alpha's Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed at the use of his given name. “I—Well—Um—” The prince cut himself off with a barely audible gasp as the omega suddenly took a large step forward into his space. Tenya watched with wide eyes as the omega planted his hands atop broad shoulders and leaned forward until their foreheads were quite nearly touching. “Hitoshi-san?”

“Would you like to be my prize, alpha?” Hitoshi whispered, his lips brushing against the other’s, his voice low and seductive and causing all of the alpha’s blood to rush further south than appropriate for their surroundings.  

“Oh,” Tenya breathed, his knees nearly giving out as the omega’s inviting scent and his own arousal overwhelmed him.

Hitoshi raised an eyebrow. “No?”

“Yes!” Tenya was quick to correct. In fact, he was so quick to do so, that Hitoshi couldn’t help but chuckle at the prince’s obvious excitement.

Hitoshi then smirked, secretly relieved to know his advances were more than welcome. “Yeah?”

“You are quite the forward omega,” Tenya said, although he sounded more in awe than put off.

“Well,” Hitoshi said. “If I waited for you, I believe you’d be back in Ingenium before you even realized my interest.”

Tenya’s gaze wavered, suddenly feeling unsure once again. “I had been fighting within myself between what I desired and what I deemed appropriate,” he admitted. “I did not wish to risk two things I valued greatly.”

“And those things are?” Hitoshi asked breathily, not unaware of the way the prince’s hands danced across his waist, pulling him closer and closer with each spoken word and unspoken promise.

“Of course,” Tenya began, bringing the omega into his space until but a hair’s breadth was between their bodies. “My duty to the people of Ingenium as the crowned prince,” he said, listing the first.

“Of course,” Hitoshi agreed, his lips fighting against the smile that threatened to spread across them. Instead, he focused on the feeling of Tenya’s shirt between his fingers as he played absentmindedly with it. “And what else, Tenya?”

Hitoshi knew he was playing with fire by calling the royal by his given name with not a note of formality held in it. But Hitoshi thought that if he got burned, it would be okay if it was by Tenya’s hands.

When Tenya gave his answer, his lips were against the skin of Hitoshi’s neck, teasing oh-so close to his glands and setting the omega’s nerves ablaze. “My relationship with you, Hitoshi,” he said, and whether his voice was actually a whisper or Hitoshi just couldn’t hear over the rest of his senses going haywire at the feeling of the alpha’s mouth against him, the omega couldn’t be bothered to care. “Of course.”

“Kiss me,” Hitoshi gasped, his hands fisting the back of what had to be the most expensive shirt the Tulian had ever touched.

“You drive me insane, Hitoshi,” Tenya groaned, his hands finding their place on Hitoshi’s cheeks, his eyes gazing deep into Hitoshi’s own. “I feel drawn to you in a way I had never dreamed possible before. This entire week, I have found myself thinking of you constantly, wondering when I would see you next.”

But Hitoshi wasn’t feeling patient enough to listen to Tenya’s romantic spiel at the moment. “Alpha, kiss me.”

“That would not be appropriate,” Tenya said, and Hitoshi’s eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock. He opened his mouth to tell the prince off for whatever this entire display had been, but Tenya’s lips were on his before he could even utter a word, and Hitoshi found there was nothing more he wanted to say anyhow.

“Well, I guess this is goodnight,” Eijirou said as he and Katsuki stopped in front of the omega’s door. “Ya know, come tomorrow night, you’ll finally be sleeping with me instead of in this boring old room.”

Katsuki bit back a smile. “I worry we will not actually be sleeping much,” he joked.

“Definitely not,” Eijirou chuckled, leaning down to kiss Katsuki. The blond turned his head at the last minute, getting a kiss to the cheek instead. Eijirou pouted childishly at being denied his kiss. “Aw, come on, angel. No goodnight kiss?”

“No more kissing until tomorrow,” Katsuki said sternly.

“Well, that’s a harsh rule,” Eijirou said, only half-joking. “Can I at least get a hug?”

Katsuki really did smile this time. “Of course, you can,” he answered. “Such a needy alpha.”

Said alpha laughed and nodded. “Prepare for this for the rest of your life because I’m only gonna get needier,” he promised, fully sincere, as he pulled the smaller male into his arms, instantly burying his face into his neck and inhaling his sweet and irresistible scent.  

“I think I can live with that,” Katsuki whispered, running a hand through Eijirou’s hair, marveling at the unexpected softness. “From tomorrow on, we are both stuck with each other.”

“I think I can live with that,” Eijirou parroted, lifting his head to gaze into Katsuki’s eyes. He pushed their foreheads together, and both of their eyes slid shut simultaneously as they simply basked in the other’s touch. “Tomorrow marks the start of the rest of our lives. You’ll make a wonderful queen once when we take the throne.”

“Obviously,” Katsuki said confidently, but his flushed cheeks told the alpha how pleased he was at the praise. “But tonight, I would like to wash off this sweat and dirt, if your do not mind, Eijirou,” he continued, gently shoving the alpha away, severing their connection and ending their small moment.

“Okay, okay,” Eijirou conceded, taking a few steps back. “Goodnight, my omega,” he said softly, his gaze filled with nothing but love and affection.

Katsuki’s cheeks darkened, the redness thankfully hidden by the darkness of the corridor. “Goodnight, my alpha,” he returned just as softly.

Eijirou slowly turned, as if waiting for Katsuki to stop him, and sighed exaggeratedly when the omega simply snorted in amusement and opened the door to his chambers. “I probably won’t even be able to sleep tonight,” he said conversationally as he slowly trudged away.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, paused in his doorway as he watched the ridiculous alpha. “Goodnight, Eijirou,” he stressed this time.

The alpha laughed, the sound echoing throughout the hall and causing Katsuki’s smile to widen without his knowledge. “Until tomorrow, my love,” Eijirou called down the hall, disappearing out of sight moments later.

Finally, Katsuki went into his room, but not before speaking into the silence longingly, “Until tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

Bakugou Katsuki woke up slowly, the morning sun’s rays shining through the slits in the white curtains over his windows. He groaned and pulled one of his many pillows over his head to block out the sun, planning to simply fall back asleep until Camie barged into his room to wake him up like usual. It was only a second later that the omega was shooting up in bed and throwing the covers off of himself in a haste, grinning wider than he could ever remember.

“Holy shit,” he breathed, the reality of just what day it was hitting him all at once.

It was his wedding day.

“Holy shit!” he repeated giddily, jumping out of bed. He barely noticed the coolness of the floor beneath his bare feet as he began jumping up and down in his excitement. He knew he likely looked ridiculous in his nightgown, hopping around like a lunatic, but he could not find it within himself to care at the moment.

He did stop, however, at the insistent knocking he heard at his door. Figuring it was Camie to begin his morning routine of him washing himself and ignoring her presence entirely, Katsuki schooled his expression and went to open the doors. Upon doing so, he realized that Camie was fully prepared to completely makeover Katsuki’s appearance if the kit in her hand was anything to go by. Over her other arm laid what Katsuki assumed to be his wedding dress, and the blond was feeling excited all over again.  

“Good morning, Bakugou-sama,” Camie said, grinning almost as wide as the prince. Katsuki raised a curious eyebrow at the use of such a title. “Are you ready for your fabulous makeover before you become a Kirishima?”

“I did not realize a ‘makeover’ was included for today,” Katsuki drawled as he walked over to sit on his bed.

Camie winked. “Oh, no worries, Katsuki-sama,” she said as she carefully laid the dress on the bed beside the prince, smoothing out any wrinkles. She then moved over to the untouched vanity in the corner of the room and dropped the kit onto the surface. “There’s not much to be done. You’re already such a beauty.”

“Obviously,” Katsuki mumbled absentmindedly, far too absorbed in running his hands over the fabric of his dress. It had been days since he first laid eyes on it, but it was still so magnificent. The red to match Eijirou’s hair and eyes (and Katsuki supposed his own as well), the length of the garment combined with the tantalizing slit down the side, and best of all, the ornate belt around the waist to hold his dagger. Katsuki truly could not have hoped for a better dress for his alpha to see him in (and hopefully later take off of him).

“Would you like me to bathe you, Katsuki-sama?” Camie asked as she always did, and as always, her voice was just a tad too hopeful for Katsuki’s liking.

The omega rolled his eyes, attention drawn away from the dress. “This is literally the last time I am going to have to say this,” he began. “Absolutely not, woman.”

The seamstress pouted, but she didn’t say anything more as Katsuki moved to the bathroom. She simply checked the dress one last time for any wrinkles or dreaded stains before preparing the makeup she intended to use on the prince. She hummed loudly to herself as she moved about the room, gathering a pair of pantyhose and a single garter for Katsuki to wear before rethinking it and putting the pantyhose back. She instead reached for a pair of black stockings, believing they would look better with Katsuki’s dress (and show a bit more skin as an added bonus).

Camie deemed herself satisfied with the full outfit, and she walked over to the bathroom door. She knocked, and just moments later Katsuki was creaking the door open just enough for Camie to slide her arm through. “If you need any help with anything, just let me know,” she told the prince right before he shut the door.

Through the wood, she heard him grumble, “I do not need help getting changed. I am not a child.”

“Yeah, sure, Your Highness,” she said sarcastically. Under her breath she said, “Not like Eijirou-sama called on me to help you in the first place.”

Thankfully, Katsuki didn’t hear her, and he didn’t hear the following knock at the door. Camie felt a grin spread across her lips, already knowing who it was. She hurried over to the door, swinging the double doors open with more flair than was strictly necessary, coming face to face with multiple familiar faces.

“Hey, babe,” Mina said cheerfully before pecking Camie on the lips and stepping into the prince’s room, followed by a much less enthusiastic (and far more confused) Ochako and Momo.

“You guys are right on time,” Camie told them, pulling Ochako and Momo into the room when they still seemed unsure of whether or not entering the prince’s room was actually allowed. “Katsuki-sama is getting changed as we speak.”

“Sorry, why am I here?” Momo piped up questioningly. “Ashido-san fetched me from my chambers, but she failed to tell me why I was needed.”

Mina answered her. “We’re gonna give Katsuki-sama a makeover.”

“I do not think Katsuki-sama needs a…makeover,” Ochako said, looking more and more anxious about being in Katsuki’s bed chambers.

“I do not believe it is appropriate for me to be in an omega’s room,” Momo said sensibly. She dreaded to even imagine Eijirou’s reaction to knowing she was in his fiancé’s chambers without his knowledge. “Especially not one who is to be married in a few hours’ time.”

Ochako nodded quickly in agreement from behind her, but Mina and Camie seemed unconcerned about propriety. “Oh, don’t stress about something like that, princess. I’m sure Katsuki-sama won’t mind,” Camie chirped.

Momo and Ochako glanced at each other, both silently thinking that there was little chance of that being true. Any moment now, Katsuki would exit the bathroom and they would be faced with whatever emotion hit the prince first.

As if to prove their point, the door to the bathroom opened just moments later, and all four women held their breath as the blond entered his bedroom. No one dared to move as Katsuki started to walk over to the bed, unaware of their presence as he dried off his hair with a towel, another towel thankfully wrapped around his waist to protect his modesty.

Katsuki finished drying his hair and he tossed his towel onto the bed, turning to where Camie had last been at the foot of his bed. Only this time, he saw three other faces along with hers, and he froze in shock. Ochako and Momo were both bright red, doing their upmost to avoid any and all eye contact with the half-naked prince.

“What the fuck?” he yelped—which he would later vehemently deny upon threat of death to anyone who claimed otherwise—and grabbed at his towel to make sure it stayed in place. “Why the fuck are there so many people in my room?”

Camie grabbed for her makeup and held it up in answer. “Makeover,” she said simply.

“Every single one of you better get the hell out of my room before I kill you,” Katsuki threatened as his face twisted into a menacing scowl.

Momo was the first to go.

Katsuki rushed out of his bedroom and through the halls once Camie and Mina (both who refused to leave) finally deemed him “ready to marry his hunk of an alpha.” Katsuki still didn’t know how he should feel about them calling Eijirou a hunk. On one hand, it was obviously true, but on the other hand, Katsuki wasn’t exactly keen on hearing it from other people.

Either way, that was finally over with, and Katsuki was now determined to find his childhood friend. It wouldn’t sit right with him to know that Izuku was so upset with him on what should be the happiest day of Katsuki’s life. Of course, Katsuki hated that he had upset Izuku at all, and he refused to let his lifelong friendship with Izuku suffer because of an argument over some stupid alpha.

In his haste through the castle corridors, Katsuki barely noticed the many appreciative gazes of those wandering throughout (and the catcalls from the more daring knights of the Royal Guard). Surely, he would have words with them later about where they should keep their eyes and shove their compliments, but for now, Katsuki was more concerned with finding a certain green haired omega.

It wasn’t long until Katsuki spotted the telltale tuft of green curls walking towards the library—because of course—and Katsuki nearly tripped over himself as he reached out to the other omega. The blond was infinitely glad no one else was around the area. The corridor around the library was typically devoid of people; Katsuki was fairly certain he and Izuku were the only two to actually make use of it in years.

Izuku startled when he felt a hand grab at his elbow, halting his progress into the library. He twisted in Katsuki’s grip, his left arm flying out as if to push Katsuki while his right flew down to his hip. Katsuki’s eyes followed the movement, his own arm coming up to block Izuku’s shove without even needing to think about it, his hand locking around Izuku’s wrist. There on Izuku’s hip was the dagger Katsuki had gifted him. Sure, it had been though the hands of Ochako, but Izuku had to know Katsuki had gotten it for him.

“You are wearing it,” he pointed out needlessly, feeling unreasonably shocked by that knowledge.

Izuku scoffed at the observation, relaxing minutely now that he realized the person who had suddenly grabbed him was Katsuki and not some assailant. Still, Izuku tugged at his arms, hoping Katsuki would take the hint and release his hold on his wrist and elbow. “Kacchan,” he admonished quietly when the blond still didn’t let go. “I know you are quite comfortable with Eijirou-sama touching you all the time, but I am not him,” he bit out.

Katsuki yanked his hands away at that, not having been aware of his hands for a moment. He probably was becoming too accustomed to touching people because of Eijirou. The blond’s cheeks flushed red, but he paid it no mind. “Right,” he coughed. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“I believe we have both said all the things we needed to say,” Izuku said, his tone as scathing as Katsuki had ever heard it. The noble crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze flitting away and landing on another figure approaching them. Izuku’s eyes widened in surprise before narrowing just a moment later. Under his breath he muttered in annoyance, “You have got to be kidding me.”

Katsuki turned in the direction Izuku had looked and saw Shouto approaching them in a fast-paced strut, his eyes trained on Izuku and Izuku only. “Oh, are you fucking serious?” Katsuki hissed, stepping in front of Izuku just as the alpha reached them. The blond didn’t hear whatever Izuku mumbled under his breath at the unnecessarily protective action, too focused on the man before him. “What the hell do you want, Todoroki?”

Shouto ignored the blond, his eyes never leaving Izuku’s steadily reddening face. “I wish to speak with you,” he said.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes, but Izuku spoke up before he could. “I do not wish to speak with either of you,” Izuku snapped, taking both royals by surprise. “Now, if you both will excuse me, I would like to go to the library and read in peace.” And with that, Izuku turned with the intention of doing just that, but two hands on either of his wrists stopped him in his tracks. Izuku sighed exasperatedly, feeling a headache coming on.

Of course, Izuku should have known a couple of royal brats wouldn’t take “no” for answer.

“Fuck off, Todoroki,” Katsuki growled, the threat in his eyes clear as day. He used his grip on Izuku’s right wrist to tug him closer to himself.

Shouto, however, stood his ground. “This does not concern you,” he growled right back, using his own grip on Izuku’s left wrist to pull him in the opposite direction, the omega nearly careening into his chest.

“Oh, will you two stop it!” Izuku yelled, snatching his hands out of their grips when they loosened in shock. He rounded on the two princes, his face pulled down into a deep frown, but his eyes were fierce with anger. “What is wrong with the both of you? Deciding things for me, talking behind my back…” Izuku trailed off with a tired sigh, running a now freed hand through his hair. “I do not belong to either of you,” he said with finality.

“I was only trying to protect you,” Katsuki said quietly, weakly.

“I do not need your protecting, Kacchan,” Izuku responded. “Not from Prince Todoroki.”

Katsuki looked like he had something he wanted to say, but he wisely stayed silent. Shouto, on the other hand, stepped forward just slightly. “Midoriya-san—”

“Please, Your Highness,” Izuku cut in, and even though neither his words nor his tone was unkind, Shouto flinched as if the omega had hurled some devastating insult his way. “Kacchan already told me about the…conversation the two of you had about our…relationship, if you will,” Izuku began testily, and Shouto gulped audibly. “I am not quite sure what your intentions towards me are, but—”

Shouto was already shaking his head even though Izuku was no longer looking his way. “Midoriya-san—”

“But—” Izuku plowed on, snapping his glare over to the prince at the interruption, and the alpha wisely decided to keep his mouth shut. “It would appear as though you have already made up your mind, so there is not much more to say.”

Shouto waited a moment, but when it seemed Izuku had no more to say, he softly declared, “I would like to speak with you in private.”

Katsuki scoffed incredulously at the audacity of the alpha. “There is no way in hell!” he was quick to snap. Izuku scowled at him in annoyance, not appreciating Katsuki speaking on his behalf, but the blond didn’t care. “You can glare at me all you want, but there is no way I am leaving you alone with this bastard.”

Izuku opened his mouth—surely to argue—but Shouto sighed resolutely before he could utter a word. “Fine, then. I will say what I need with the very unwanted, extra company,” the alpha said snidely, not even glancing Katsuki’s way to see the glare he knew he received for that comment. Hesitantly, he added, “If that is alright with you, Midoriya-san.”

Said omega sighed, silence reigning amongst the three for a few tense moments before Izuku nodded, his gaze fixed on his shoes, unwilling to meet the eyes of either royal. “If that is what you wish.”

Shouto took a deep breath. “I would first like to apologize for my actions since my arrival in Adria.” The tensing of Katsuki’s shoulders was barely noticeable, and for a brief, horror-filled moment, Katsuki wondered if Shouto would really dare to admit to kissing him. But then the prince continued, and Katsuki relaxed minutely. “When I first approached you, my only intentions had not been pure.” Both Izuku and Katsuki rolled their eyes at the obvious statement, and Shouto felt himself flush at their reactions. “It was not until we began to speak more that I developed feelings for you, but in my naivety, I never truly considered what that would mean for a relationship between us.

“Obviously, I am a prince of a foreign kingdom, and even though you are of noble blood, a relationship between us would be optimistic at best.” Katsuki couldn’t help but glare at the prince for his blunt words, even if he had said pretty much the same things just the day before. Izuku found himself holding back tears. Hearing it come from Shouto himself hurt worse than he could have ever anticipated. Even if deep down he already knew this to be true. “Still,” Shouto continued, not unaware of the two omegas’ reactions but needing to finish his train of thought before addressing them. “I wished to spend as much time with you as possible, even under threat from someone who cared for you and knew my involvement in your life would only lead to suffering on your part.”

“Why?” Izuku asked emotionally, unable to resist the temptation of hearing an answer. It had been plaguing him in every interaction he’d had with the prince since meeting him. “Why me? Why go so far if you know if could never truly go anywhere?” he demanded, the anger in his voice becoming more palpable with each word spoken. “Was this all just some kind of game for you? A power play?”

Shouto, to his credit, took each accusation in stride, even though he seemed marginally thrown off by the outburst. “It is not a lie that I…care deeply for you, Izuku,” he said softly, but the unbridled affection in his gaze spoke volumes. Izuku choked on air at the sound of his given name leaving the prince’s mouth, conflicting emotions rising within him. “I do not want that to be in question. You are intelligent, kindhearted, brave, and so absolutely beautiful that my heart constricts just looking at you. I can barely take it.” Izuku was full on crying now, his arms coming up to cover his eyes, but the tears fell regardless. Katsuki instantly took a step forward, wanting to comfort his friend, but Shouto took the opportunity to approach the noble first, placing his hands tentatively on the omega's lithe waist. Izuku tensed but surprisingly did not push the alpha away. Katsuki watched silently, his mouth twisted into a tense scowl, as Shouto pressed their foreheads together, speaking softly so only Izuku could now hear. “You are everything I could ever want but never have in an omega, and I am sorry that I have failed you as a potential alpha.”

Izuku hiccupped wetly, lifting an arm just slightly to peek up at the alpha. “I never said you had,” he returned just as softly.

Shouto didn’t dare to get his hopes up. “I have been selfish.”

Izuku hummed in agreeance, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “When are you princes not?” he asked rhetorically.

“I had not considered your feelings,” Shouto went on to say.

“Now you can,” Izuku said simply.

Shouto could feel his heart start to beat faster, and he briefly wondered if Izuku could hear it. “Then, what would you like me to do?”

Izuku slowly lowered both arms, his hands coming to hover hesitantly at Shouto’s sides before he seemed to steel himself and grip the prince’s suit jacket. He could not seem to meet the alpha’s eyes, however. “I would like for you to kiss me now.”

Shouto nearly did the moment the words left Izuku’s mouth, having wished such a thing himself for days now. But he stopped himself, leaning away from Izuku’s steadily reddening face and those gorgeous, wide emerald eyes as they snapped up to meet his own mismatched pair in surprise at the movement. “We cannot be together,” he reminded the omega, as if Izuku had somehow forgotten.

Frowning at the alpha, Izuku repeated himself. “I would like for you to finally kiss me, Prince Todoroki,” he said just a touch sterner this time around, his hands siding up to rest upon the prince’s broad shoulders.

Still, to Izuku’s immense frustration, Shouto shook his head. “We can go no further than what we are now. It would only hurt us both in the end.”

This time, Izuku rolled his eyes and groaned in annoyance. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, Shouto, just kiss me already!” he snapped.

Shouto’s eyes widened at both the omega’s use of vulgarity and his name without any title or honorific before he flushed a bright red once the words themselves sunk in. “You really are quite attractive when you’re demanding,” he said breathily, chuckling despite himself.

“All the more reason for you to kiss me, then,” Izuku grinned, knowing he had won.

Shouto licked his lips, leaning just close enough that his lips brushed against Izuku’s as he spoke. “I suppose I cannot argue with that logic.”

Izuku’s gasp was swallowed up by the alpha when he finally, finally captured his lips. Izuku, of course, had never been kissed before, and this became readily apparent as he sloppily tried his best to follow Shouto’s lead. The alpha, of course, had far more experience than the former Tulian. Shouto was quite happy to take the lead, though, knowing that he would have to make up for lost time and the time they would never get the have together following this moment. He needed Izuku to remember this moment for the rest of his life because Shouto was already certain that he would never forget. No matter how long he lived, no matter who he actually wound up with, Shouto would never forget Izuku’s unbelievably soft lips against his own, the omega’s arms wrapped around his shoulders as he was forced to stand on the tips of his toes, or his small, pleasured sigh as Shouto deepened the kiss.

Neither really knew how long it was before they finally pulled away from each other. “I should have done that the first time I saw you,” Shouto mused lowly, running his thumb across Izuku’s bottom lip with a look of either fascination or desire—Izuku couldn’t be sure.

“I am not sure I would have welcomed a kiss so soon, Prince Shouto,” the omega said, giggling at the memory. “I seem to recall you mistaking me for a concubine.”

Shouto fought down a blush at the reminder. Of course, Izuku had not forgotten about his embarrassing blunder. “Ah, yes, well, I meant no offense,” he blurted. “I hope you can find it within yourself to forgive such a foolish as myself,” Shouto then said, and Izuku was not so oblivious as to miss the hidden question there.

“Well,” Izuku began, gently removing Shouto’s hand from his face and smoothly linking their fingers together, his gaze trained on the sight he never imagined he would see in his lifetime. His hand intertwined with another, even if Shouto was not someone he could truly call a partner—let alone a lover—Izuku could nevertheless feel his heart beating rapidly in chest. “I am not one to hold a grudge.”

“Well, thank goodness for that. I really am quite lucky.”

Izuku giggled bashfully, “Yes, I suppose so.” Shouto leaned down to kiss that bashful smile, but Izuku stopped him with a hand on his mouth. “Wait! Kacchan is still—!”

“He left a while ago,” the alpha was quick to say, his words coming out muffled with Izuku’s hand in the way. He was slightly peeved by the interruption and eager to get back to kissing. Shouto promptly removed the omega's hand, placing a kiss on the back and each finger. Izuku’s face flared at the action, but he realized that Shouto was right. The entire corridor was now devoid of his childhood friend.

Izuku felt a bit bad, remembering that Katsuki had also wanted to speak to him, but he had gotten too caught up in his conversation with Shouto. And the kissing.

Izuku his face in Shouto’s chest, feeling more and more embarrassed the longer he thought about what happened. He groaned softly into the fabric of Shouto’s shirt, but the alpha seemed nonplussed by his strange behavior, merely wrapping his arms around the omega and pulling him even closer. Izuku wanted to be annoyed or push Shouto away and maintain some semblance of dignity and propriety, but Shout also smelled absolutely heavenly, and Izuku would be remiss to pull away any time soon.

Oh, what am I doing, he silently wondered. I didn’t even get to compliment Kacchan on his dress.

Katsuki was positively livid, and every single person who passed by his as he stomped through the castle could tell from just a glance. The blond was seething, and even if Katsuki wasn’t going to become their prince’s mate in just a few hours’ time, he would have been no less intimidating to every surrounding Adrian.

Well, almost every surrounding Adrian.

“Woah there, Your Highness,” a familiar and unwelcome voice drawled from somewhere behind Katsuki as he passed by the entrance to the training grounds. A face appeared to match just a moment later, leaning into Katsuki’s space daringly. “What are you doing walking around looking so angry for on your wedding day?” Denki asked, smiling wider each time Katsuki’s glare deepened.

“I am not in the mood to deal with you right now,” was Katsuki’s response, and he moved to leave, but Denki wrapped an arm around his shoulders before he could get far. Katsuki silently cursed the other blond’s strength as he was locked in place. Of course, Katsuki could get out of the other’s grip if he so wished, but he knew that was a struggle not worth going through at the moment. “Fucking hell,” he groaned in annoyance.

Predictably—but no less frustratingly—Katsuki spotted Hanta making his way over as Denki started blathering on about something or another. “You only get married once, ya know, so you should look happier, Katsuki-sama!” Denki was saying as Hanta came to a stop in front of them.

“Hey, Katsuki-sama,” Hanta greeted casually, his eyes flickering between the two blonds amusedly. “Is Denki bothering you?”

Denki gasped, insulted by the accusation. “What? I’m trying to cheer Katsuki-sama up! He was walking around looking like he wanted to murder someone!”

“And I think that someone is you, babe,” the raven-haired alpha laughed. “Did something happen, Katsuki-sama?” he asked, slightly more serious.

Katsuki let out an aggravated breath. “Just sick and tired of fucking alphas, is all.”

Hanta and Denki sent each other bemused looks. “You do realize you’re marrying an alpha, right?” Hanta asked, but Katsuki didn’t seem to be paying them any mind.

“They just walk around doing whatever they want without a care in the world!” the prince suddenly bellowed, startling both knights. “Do they have no concept of consequences, or do they just not care? Arrogant, self-centered, simple-minded assholes!”

“Sounds just like you, Hanta,” Denki said, nodding along with everything Katsuki was saying.

“Oh, fuck off,” Hanta snorted, knowing his mate wasn’t serious. Still, it left the alpha wondering just who Katsuki was ranting about. “Who’s got you so heated, Katsuki-sama?”

Katsuki’s eyes narrowed dangerously at nothing as he hissed, “That Todoroki bastard.”

Denki hummed. “Which one?” he asked simply, and Hanta snorted beside him.

Katsuki’s mouth ticked up in one corner, teasing at a smile. “Fair point. They are both fucking assholes,” he said. “But I mean Prince Todoroki.”

“Ah,” Hanta said in immediate understanding. “Is this about Izuku?  Prince Todoroki has been sniffing around him quite a bit this entire week.”

“I can’t tell if they’re trying to be discreet or not,” Denki commented. “What’s the progress report on those two, anyway?” he asked Katsuki curiously.

Katsuki sneered in disgust at the reminder of their kiss. “They fucking started making out in front of me, so you can guess their progress.”

“Holy shit,” Hanta and Denki both said.

“Guess Izuku’s gonna become the next queen of Endeavor,” Denki jested, grinning amusedly.

Katsuki glared at him, and the grin disappeared from Denki’s face. “Do not even fucking joke about that,” he growled. “That alpha bastard has no intention pursuing a relationship with Izuku, and yet Izuku is just going along with him anyway.”

“Maybe Izuku just wants a fling,” Denki suggested with a shrug.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow in confusion. “A fling?” he repeated.

Denki waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Ya know, a one-night thing?”

“Izuku would never!” Katsuki snapped.

“You never know, Katsuki-sama. Perhaps their desire for each other is too strong to resist.”

Katsuki stared at the duo in silence for a long moment before he wordlessly turned in the opposite direction. “I am going to find Eijirou. I am about five seconds away from starting a war with Endeavor.”

“Yikes,” Hanta said wisely. “Maybe don’t do that.”

“You can’t let Eijirou see you! It’s your wedding day!” Denki piped up frantically. “He’s not supposed to see you until the ceremony!”

“That is a stupid fucking tradition, anyway!” Katsuki yelled defiantly.

“What? It’s your fucking homeland’s stupid tradition!” Denki yelled in return.

Hanta sighed exasperatedly, yet fondly, “You two.” He then wrapped his long arms around the two omega’s necks, pulling them in the opposite direction Katsuki had been going. “Come on, Katsuki-sama. Why don’t we go spar for a bit until it’s time for the ceremony? Just a couple of hours,” he suggested. “That way you can take out all your frustration on Denki.”

Denki made a noise of protest. “Why me?” he screeched. “I’m still sore from yesterday, you know!”

Hanta blinked at him innocently. “Huh? Why? You didn’t even win.”

The blond knight gritted his teeth, glaring up at his alpha as that shit-eating grin he both equally loved and hated spread across his lips. “Shut up! I was a finalist!”

Katsuki rolled his eyes at their antics, but he had to admit a spar sounded pretty tempting at the moment. Or… “Maybe I will practice my archery,” he said instead.

Hanta turned back to Katsuki at his words. “Hm? Well, yeah, okay—”

“I will pretend that the target is Todoroki Shouto’s face,” Katsuki decided with a maniacal grin.

Denki barely bit back a laugh, and now Hanta was rolling his eyes. “Yeah, that sounds healthy.”  

Ochako tapped her foot impatiently as she waited outside Izuku’s chambers for him to get ready. She didn’t know where Izuku had been all this time because he hadn’t been in the library like he usually was, but she figured she could grill him about it later. The ceremony was set to begin in just under half an hour, and Ochako refused to be even a second late.

“Izuku-kun, please hurry!” she called through the door. More and more people passed by Ochako on their way to the ballroom where the ceremony was being held, the room having been redecorated to better fit a wedding than a banquet. Each person that walked by her just made the beta more anxious. “Izuku-kun—!” The door abruptly swung open in the middle of her sentence.

“I heard you the first time, Uraraka-san,” Izuku said exasperatedly, fully stepping out the room and showing off his dark blue suit. “You look nice,” he complimented sincerely.

Ochako ran her hands down her pink and white dress self-consciously, blushing despite herself. “Thank you. You do as well.”

Similar to Ochako, Izuku was not the best at receiving compliments, and he rubbed the back of his neck with a blush. “T-Thank you,” he stuttered. “I guess we better go.”

The two fell into step together, a companiable silence falling over them as they walked until Ochako decided to break it. “Have you spoken with Katsuki-sama today?”

“Ah, well, sort of,” he said vaguely.

Ochako squinted at him suspiciously. “What does that mean?”

Izuku chuckled nervously at the look being thrown his way. “Um, well, Kacchan came to find me at the library, but then Shou—I mean, Prince Shouto came to speak to me as well.”

The brunette’s eyes widened at that information. “What? Please do not tell me you ditched Katsuki-sama for Prince Todoroki!”

“Of course not!” Izuku was quick to defend himself. “I just, um, never got the chance to really talk to Kacchan since he left while I was talking to Prince Shouto.”

“Why would he do that?” Ochako asked in disbelief. She could imagine Katsuki physically dragging the alpha prince away before simply leaving if he truly wished to speak to Izuku.

“Well,” Izuku began nervously, silently wishing their rooms were closer to the ballroom so he could have avoided this conversation. “Prince Shouto and I maybe have been…kissing…at the time.”

Ochako stopped dead in her tracks, and Izuku contemplated sprinting away at that moment, but he bravely turned to face his friend. His friend who was staring at him with a disturbingly blank expression on her face. “So, you ditched Katsuki-sama to go make out with Prince Todoroki,” she said, and it wasn’t a question.

Izuku figured there was no point denying it, and she wasn’t exactly wrong either. “It just kind of happened,” he tried to explain.

Ochako sighed before mumbling something under her breath that Izuku didn’t catch. Before he could ask her to repeat herself, she had started walking again. “Alright then. It is official,” she said without explanation.

“What is?”

She turned to him, her expression grave. “You and Katsuki-sama are both idiots when it comes to alphas.” Izuku opened, but he had no words to defend himself, and Ochako was already moving on. “We better hurry. I want to sit towards the front.”

Hitoshi made his way to the ballroom where the ceremony was being held with an alpha hot on his heels. Of course, it was Tenya, who even before their passionate kiss yesterday seemed reluctant to be anywhere Hitoshi wasn’t, but now the omega couldn’t seem to shake him off. Not that he wished to by any means. It was actually extremely flattering to have a prince’s undivided attention and unabashed affection so blatantly shown at all times. Although, he supposed in the presence of others—and the alpha’s own parents—Tenya would distance himself at least a bit.

Hitoshi honestly should have figured that wouldn’t be the case.

The moment the duo walked through the ballroom doors, Hitoshi felt like everyone’s eyes were on them. Granted, he was likely feeling overly self-conscious considering not even twenty-four hours ago he had his tongue down a prince’s throat, but it wasn’t like anyone else knew that. He was fairly sure Tenya wasn’t the type of alpha to kiss and tell.  

So, even though no one had really been paying them any mind when they first walked in, that all changed the moment Tenya tenderly kissed his hand before heading over to where his mother and father sat. Hitoshi turned beet red at the careless action, and he couldn’t tell if it was due to embarrassment over having nearly everyone’s eyes snap to him in shock or the simple act itself.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Hitoshi hissed quietly, and Tenya drew to a stop.

He turned to the omega, innocent confusion written all across his face that had Hitoshi simultaneously wanting to punch him and kiss him. “What’s wrong, Hitoshi-san?”

Before Hitoshi could state the obvious, King Iida stepped up behind his son, his face set into a hard frown that was pointed straight at the Adrian. Well, this should be good, he thought sarcastically.

“Tenya,” King Iida said, and Tenya quickly turned to face him, his body tensing unconsciously. Whenever his father used that tone of voice, Tenya knew he was in some kind of trouble. “I had expected you earlier,” he stated, but the underlying question could still be heard.

“I was with Hitoshi-san,” Tenya informed him, and Hitoshi nearly choked on his own tongue at the honesty. If his either of his parents had been here at this moment, he surely would have—

“Hitoshi.” The omega startled at the sound of his name, and abruptly spun around to see both of his parents standing behind him because of course they were. His mother was frowning heavily, while his father merely seemed curious. Well, at least he’d only be getting one lecture it seemed. “What is the meaning of this?” Shouta demanded.

Before Hitoshi could think of an explanation that wouldn’t send his mother into one of his tired and exasperated tirades, Tenya piped up to answer. “Hitoshi-san and I have recently become lovers,” he said simply, as if it were actually that simple.

Everyone turned to look at Tenya like he had sprouted a second head. King Iida scoffed in disbelief. Surely his son was playing some kind of joke. He glanced at Hitoshi appraisingly. “This is the boy who won that tournament yesterday, correct?” he asked his son, keeping his eyes on the omega all the while.

“Yes!” Hizashi chirped proudly before Tenya could answer. “Our son is quite the fighter, isn’t he?” he boasted.

“Hizashi, be quiet,” Shouta grumbled, elbowing his husband in the side. Now was not the time for that. Shouta then turned back to their son. “Is this true, Hitoshi? You are involved with Prince Iida?”

Hitoshi opened and closed his mouth soundlessly a few times before deciding that nodding was simply easier. Tenya beamed at his side, and he wrapped an arm around Hitoshi’s waist without preamble. The omega was starting to piece together that Tenya could not care less about their difference in status at the moment.

“I plan to make Hitoshi-san my mate,” he confidently told everyone, and yeah, that confirmed it.

Hitoshi swore he must have misheard. “Huh? When the fuck was this established?” he asked incredulously.

“So crass,” King Iida muttered disapprovingly, but no one paid him any mind.

“Wait, hold on, what is happening?” Hizashi exclaimed, his voice carrying throughout the ballroom effortlessly. Many heads turned to look at them, and a few people even stood from their seats thinking a conflict was brewing.

Tenya looked at Hitoshi like he was the one acting weird right now. “I thought that was a given considering our affections for each other, as well as the night we spent together—”

“Oh, please, spare us the details,” Shouta groaned, and the fathers of the group nodded in agreement.

Hitoshi blushed. “It’s not—we didn’t—” he floundered before shaking his head and rearing on the alpha who still had his arm around him. “Don’t make it seem like we had sex!” he hissed. While it was true that Hitoshi had spent the night in Tenya’s temporary chambers within the castle, the furthest they had gotten was some heavy petting.

Tenya had the audacity to huff. “Well, since I am planning to make you my omega, our first time together would be our mating. It’s only proper.”

Hitoshi nearly facepalmed. “So is asking the omega if he even wants to mate with you first,” he said dryly before sighing deeply. “Where is this even coming from? I thought I was just another one of your conquests.”  

The prince reeled back in shock. “Why would you think such a thing?” he asked, and he sounded almost sad. Now, Hitoshi felt like an asshole.

King Iida cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to him. “Tenya, clearly this boy is not interested,” he said stonily. “It is for the best. There is no way you could marry a mere commoner. It was unrealistic and foolish of you to think so.”

Tenya’s face fell, and Hitoshi desperately wanted to wrap his arms around the alpha, take back everything he said, and confidently tell him his father was dead wrong, but…he couldn’t do that.

“Now, hold on a second!” Hizashi blurted angrily, about to defend his son, but it seemed as though others were finally coming over to break things up.

King Yaoyorozu clapped a hand on King Iida’s shoulder as he came up behind him, his wife at his side and looking between the two families with a knowing little smile. “You guys are causing quite the commotion,” he said, and even though his tone was light, his face was hard. “I hope there’s no trouble.”

King Iida shrugged off his touch. “No trouble at all. My son seems to have fallen for an Adrian commoner, but all has been resolved.”

“Father—” Tenya began, but his father held up a hand, instantly silencing him.

King Yaoyorozu hummed noncommittally, and the queen piped up by his side, “Oh, I fear our daughter has fallen under the same spell. Love surely seems to be in the air this week!” Unlike the Ingenium king, she sounded far from concerned about this. “I hope you’re not giving him a hard time, Iida. Young love is a wonderful thing,” she said disapprovingly.

When King Iida only rolled his eyes in response, Shouta took the opportunity to leave. “Perhaps we should take our seats now. I believe the ceremony will be starting soon,” he said, and without waiting any kind of response of acknowledgement, he grabbed Hitoshi by the arm and hauled him away to where he and Hizashi had been sitting before they witnessed a prince kissing their son’s hand. Hitoshi went along, knowing any protest would be futile, but he couldn’t help sparing once last glance Tenya’s way.

Tenya was already looking at him, his eyes sadder than they had any right to be. Had the prince not understood their situation from the start? Had Hitoshi inadvertently given him false hope for something more, even though the omega had to tell himself it could never be time and time again? Hitoshi gritted his teeth, looking away. He had known things with Tenya would end, but he hadn’t imagined it would be like this.

Momo startled when the chair next to her was suddenly filled with the last person she was prepared to see. “K-Kyouka-san?” she asked in surprise. “What are you doing here?” she hissed quietly, side-eyeing her parents to see if they were paying her any mind. Luckily, they were too consumed in commenting on everyone else’s chosen outfits. Or, at least, her mother was. Her father, as usual, was stuck listening to his wife and nodding along as if he could ever hope to follow.

At the question, Kyouka raised an eyebrow. “Well, my prince is getting married today, and as a proud Adrian citizen, I felt it within my interest to attend,” she answered, looking at the princess weirdly, but Momo could see the amusement in her eyes.

Huffing, Momo said, “You know exactly what I meant! Why are you sitting next to me?”

“Am I not allowed to sit here?” Kyouka questioned in a far calmer manner than the alpha. “Would you prefer I sit somewhere else?” she then asked, and Momo could hear the challenge in her voice, but she could also see the hope in her eyes.

“I…” Trailing off, Momo found herself unsure. “I suppose not,” she said at last, refusing to meet Kyouka’s knowing gaze.

In response, Kyouka smiled in satisfaction, mildly amused by the way the princess never failed to give her bashful reactions. “Well, that’s a relief,” Kyouka said cheerfully. “There is no one else I would rather be beside.”

Momo’s eyes widened at her words, momentarily wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her and the beta’s words held no deeper meaning within them. She told herself they couldn’t. Why would they? And yet, Momo silently wished Kyouka’s simple words conveyed the feelings Momo so desperately—so secretly—wished she shared. In as composed of a voice as she could manage, Momo finally responded, “Your feelings are shared, Kyouka-san.”

Beside her, Kyouka’s shoulders relaxed so subtly Momo likely wouldn’t have noticed had she not been staring so intently at her person, frantically trying to remember every detail of Kyouka’s face, frame, voice, and demeanor in preparation of this moment—this day—ending. Just then, Kyouka turned to her, as if the musician had the same idea, and a small, tentative smile spread across her thin lips.

“Recently,” she began, her voice cracking from nerves, and she cleared her throat with a blush that nearly distracted Momo from the rest of her sentence. “I was considering resuming my travels.”

Momo blinked. “Travels?” she repeated in question before the answer surfaced suddenly in her brain. “Oh! For your music studies,” she surmised.

Kyouka nodded, fidgeting with the hair behind her ear in another rare show of nervousness. “Perhaps I may even spend some time in Creati. I’m sure there’s been advancements in the music there since I’d last been.”

The princess felt her heart beat just a bit faster. With just that bit of knowledge, all the hope Momo had just moments ago thought was wiped away suddenly returned with a force that nearly had her jumping out of her seat with joy. The only reason she remained seated was because they were in public, and that would be very un-princess-like. Shakily, she drew in a breath, and she prayed no one noticed. “If you would like, I would be happy to serve as your guide.”

The musician grinned, and Momo couldn’t help but return it. “A princess as my guide? Well, I sure am lucky,” she teased before quickly mellowing. “I might just have to take you up on that.”

“Why, if I had my way, you’d be the royal musician,” Momo said, only jesting, but truthfully the thought was quite pleasing to her. “That way I could hear you play for me every day. Even if it was just to spend time together—” Momo’s mouth snapped shut audibly, her face turning a brilliant red as her thoughtless words caught up to her.

“Is that an offer, princess?” Kyouka asked, her expression unreadable.

Momo realized that Kyouka was leaving everything entirely up to her. She had already shown her hand, and now it was Momo’s turn. “Obviously, you would need to appear before the royal family so we can determine your skill. If you prove to be gifted, then perhaps you would so honored to play regularly for us,” she said, trying and failing to appear unaffected. Kyouka could see right through it.

“’If you prove to be gifted,’” she repeated amusedly. “Is this really coming from the princess who instantly became infatuated with my music?”

Blushing yet again, Momo turned her head away with a small huff. “I hope you bring this confidence with you to Creati. I would hate to be disappointed, Kyouka-san.”

“And I would hate to disappoint, princess.”

“Please, be seated,” Crimson Riot boomed the moment he entered the ballroom, commanding the attention and obedience of everyone within.

Everyone had dutifully settled into their seats, although many were forced to stand even in this grand ballroom.

It was moments later when Eijirou finally entered. Any sounds within the room ceased until the orchestra began playing a beautiful melody. It was one many Adrians did not recognize, but it had the born and raised Tulians perking up in their seats. It was the traditional wedding march played during Tulian weddings, usually reserved for nobility and royalty. Ochako and Izuku were sure Katsuki wouldn’t have asked for any specific kind of music—such a thing seeming insignificant in the grand scheme to him—and their hearts swelled as they looked towards Eijirou.

The alpha was all smiles, his head held high, and his chest puffed out proudly. He honestly looked a little silly grinning like he was while being dressed so impeccably in his tuxedo that looked to be a mixture of Adrian and Tulian styles. However, his excitement was palpable, and it had nearly everyone smiling along with him.

Eijirou himself felt the happiest he had ever been, although he was sure that would be overshadowed once he and Katsuki were officially, finally married. This feeling right now couldn’t possibly compare because Katsuki would be his forever and always, and he would be Katsuki's. He couldn’t imagine anything more fulfilling.

Of course, the moment Katsuki finally stepped through those ballroom doors, Eijirou realized he had been mistaken. Eijirou was sorely tempted to throw tradition to the wind and sprint down the aisle to Katsuki and pull him into a fierce kiss. If Tulian tradition didn’t dictate the omega walk down the aisle to their alpha, Eijirou would be all over Katsuki right now.

The blond was absolutely breathtaking.

Well, Katsuki was quite literally always breathtaking in Eijirou’s eyes, and Eijirou sincerely believed that Katsuki could wear anything and still look more beautiful than anyone else in the room. This dress—the dress made specifically for Eijirou’s eyes—was no different.

Although Eijirou had been expecting a tradition Tulian wedding dress, he couldn’t say he was disappointed. Tulian wedding gowns for omegas were typically modest, white gowns. Wedding ceremonies didn’t seem to be nearly as big of a deal in Tulia as they were in Adria, so more attention was paid to successfully consummating what was usually a simple political marriage. For this reason, after the ceremony in weddings between alphas and omegas, the omega would change into what was essentially lingerie that was designed to slid off the shoulders like water once untied. When Eijirou had dumbly said that Katsuki should wear that, Katsuki had walked away with a huff and red cheeks, and Eijirou had a feeling he would never be seeing that particular dress in his lifetime.  

Katsuki’s actual dress was definitely a stark difference to the dress Katsuki had described to him. The dress was a deep red that contrasted beautifully with Katsuki’s pale skin yet complimented the orange jewel of Katsuki’s necklace. The straps of the dress were ruffled, hanging partially down Katsuki’s broad shoulders. The front of the dress dipped down, revealing a teasing amount of cleavage that Eijirou briefly pictured pressing his face into, and it had shiny, black jewels sewn into an intricate pattern in the middle. The ankle-length skirt split into a long slit down left side of the dress, showing off Katsuki’s leg wrapped in a pretty, black stocking. Eijirou wanted to slowing peel those stockings off and run his tongue from thigh to ankle, tasting every inch of newly exposed skin, but he supposed that would have to wait.

And as if Katsuki couldn’t get any more perfect, Eijirou spotted the blond’s dagger hanging from the black belt around the dress’ waist.

Katsuki’s cheeks were flushed an attractive pink, or maybe that was his makeup. Eijirou could hardly be bothered to care which when Katsuki was looking at him with such intensity, his gaze never wavering despite each step he took. He also had a smug little smile on his face, as if he could read Eijirou’s mind and all the dirty thoughts racing through it. Eijirou would feel more embarrassed, but he now found himself distracted by Katsuki’s painted red lips. They looked more kissable than ever, and Eijirou needed to get his hands on Katsuki this instance. If the blond didn’t start walking faster, Eijirou was going to lose his damn mind.

“I remember walking down the aisle with your mother,” his father said as he also watched Katsuki’s descent down the aisle, his voice only for Eijirou to hear. His words snapped Eijirou from his less than innocent thoughts, but the alpha kept his eyes on the blond as he neared. “Walking beside her as equals as we prepared to be tied together for the rest of our days will forever be one of my happiest memories.” Eijirou swallowed heavily, emotions swirling within him at thoughts of his mother. His grin nearly slipped from his face, but he caught Katsuki’s eyes again, and all negative thoughts simply vanished. “I must admit,” Crimson Riot continued. “I imagine a view like this would have been quite something as well.”

Eijirou chuckled quietly at his father’s words, his eyes never leaving his omega. As Katsuki drew near, Eijirou felt thankful for his idea to mix Tulian and Adrian wedding traditions this entire week. He had gathered so many memories with Katsuki he was sure he would never forget, and watching Katsuki walk down the aisle in a dress as red as his hair with the dagger he had gifted him what feels like so long ago attached on his slender waist ranked somewhere near the top of his cherished memories.

Meanwhile, Katsuki swore his heart was in his throat. He could barely feel the ground beneath his feet or hear the familiar wedding march playing. All of his senses focused solely on his alpha. He nervously clutched the bouquet of flowers Eijirou had given him on the day of the parade—and that Katsuki had very discreetly asked Tsuyu to keep alive—to his chest, biting into his lip when he saw the way Eijirou was looking at him. It continuously slipped between looking at Katsuki like he was a work of art and looking at him like he was a piece of meat. Katsuki could understand the sentiment. Eijirou was no less handsome than he had been any other time Katsuki saw him, and once he recognized the Tulian-styled sewing of his tuxedo, Katsuki felt all the air in his lungs leave him at once. Between the ballroom, their impromptu “First Dance,” Katsuki getting to walk down the aisle alone, the wedding march, and now this…

Fuck, Katsuki truly loved this man.

It felt like much longer than the minute or so it took Katsuki to walk down the long strip laid out in the ballroom, peppered with petals and candles, that served as the aisle before Katsuki finally reached Eijirou. The alpha already had his hand out, and Katsuki took it without hesitation. Eijirou pulled Katsuki towards him, smushing the bouquet between their bodies as Eijirou placed both hands on Katsuki’s waist, tracing a finger absentmindedly across the dagger’s sheath as he looked Katsuki over.

“You’re so beautiful,” Eijirou blurted passionately, as if he couldn’t possibly contain the thought any longer. Katsuki sucked in a breath, his cheeks no less pink, and people cooed from the audience at the display.

Katsuki then smirked, placing his free hand on Eijirou’s chest and pushing him back just slightly to put a bit of distance between them. “Careful, big guy, there’s people around,” he said with clear mirth. He knew just how handsy Eijirou could get, even if there were other people around. Katsuki turned his head to look at said audience, meeting Izuku’s gaze and smiling just slightly. Without warning, he tossed his bouquet at the other omega, who easily caught it despite the suddenness of the action.

Eijirou didn’t even seem to register the action, his attention focused entirely on Katsuki's chest now that he could actually look down the dress. The only thing that took Eijirou’s attention away was the feeling of Katsuki's hand moving across his chest. “You look quite handsome yourself,” the blond said in a near whisper, his own gaze following his hand. “I quite like you in this.”

“Yeah?” Eijirou asked dumbly, his brain not quite working as usual with the omega practically fondling his chest. It was nice knowing he wasn’t the only one affected, though.

“Shit, yeah,” Katsuki cursed quietly, taking Eijirou by surprise. Okay, so, very affected. “You look really good in this. I might just keep you in this forever,” he tacked on jokingly before removing his hands and placing them on either of Eijirou’s arms instead, smiling innocently up at the alpha as if he hadn’t just ruined any chance of Eijirou keeping his hands off the blond until it was appropriate.  

“Fuck, Katsuki,” Eijirou breathed reverently as he slowly ran his hands up and down Katsuki’s sides as if in a trance. His eyes continued to trace over every inch of the omega before he deemed himself unsatisfied and repeated the process yet again. “This dress looks absolutely stunning on you.” Katsuki smiled at that, pleased by the praise, but Eijirou’s next words had him flushing hotly. “I can’t wait to tear it off of you.”

Crimson Riot pointedly cleared his throat, sending his son a look as if to tell him to wait until later for talk like that. Remember where you are, son, his eyes said. Eijirou reluctantly pulled his hands away, but he refused to take his off of Katsuki for even a second. Katsuki didn’t seem to mind, since he was in much the same boat.

Crimson Riot clapped his hands together loudly and linked his fingers before he started his grand speech. “I am proud to stand before you all in the joining of these two young warriors on this day. The Kirishima family started this tradition at the beginning of their reign, and I must say that I’m glad it’s stuck around for so long. My great grandfather ordained my grandfather, who ordained my own father, who allowed me to marry my beautiful, late wife and your former queen. And now the time has finally come for me to promise my son to the love of his life.”

Katsuki could feel his face flush at the king’s words. Eijirou smiled down at him as if to say it were true.

“But seriously, it’s been a long and frustrating battle—the hardest I have ever had to endure—to get Eijirou to pick a goddamn mate already,” Crimson Riot said with a raucous laugh. All Adrians in the crowd laughed along with him. “I honestly thought he’d never find someone, but that all changed when Prince Bakugou Katsuki of Tulia came to our kingdom. At first, no one was happy about his being here. In fact, everyone was quick to label him as no more than a pretty face,” he said, gripping Katsuki’s shoulder and gazing down at him with a look Eijirou could not decipher.

Katsuki nodded back to him with a small smile and Crimson Riot returned it tenfold. He turned back to the crowd and continued his speech. “And yes, he is quite pretty. I can’t wait to see the grandchildren you two will give me.” Eijirou and Katsuki sent exasperated yet fond looks to the king who only winked back at them. “You two have proven to be a match made in the Heavens, and I know you will lead this kingdom like the true warriors you have proven yourselves to be once I am gone,” he declared, sincere and convinced.

Eijirou could feel his eyes watering and he even sniffled loudly, causing Katsuki to roll his eyes fondly and a few close friends of Eijirou’s to chuckle. “Alright, no crying, boy. This should be a momentous day for you. Hell, if anyone should be crying, it’s me,” Crimson Riot joked, drawing even more laughs from all of the crowd now. The king held up a hand after a moment and everyone quieted. “Now, it’s time for the main event,” he declared before placing a hand on each prince’s shoulder. “Today marks the day of a union between two warriors. Prince Kirishima Eijirou of Adria and Prince Bakugou Katsuki of Tulia stand before us all, ready to begin a new chapter in their lives.”

Eijirou and Katsuki took each other’s hands, smiling between themselves. Had either been able to tear their gaze away, they may have spotted Izuku and Mina crying in the audience. “With this ritual, Eijirou and Katsuki will vow to promise their souls and bodies to each other, to fight alongside the other for eternity, in life and in death. With this, they will become one. An unstoppable force to power through any enemy, and immovable in their love for each other.” Katsuki’s eyes widened slightly at the word “love,” but the look in Eijirou’s eyes told him that it was exactly the right word to use.

“Does anyone object to the bonding of these two young souls?” Katsuki thought to himself that if anyone did, he would cut them down without remorse.

“Just kiss already!” some yelled from the audience, prompting cheers and jeers to fill the grand room. Eijirou was willing to bet his entire worth that it was Hanta. The redhead shook his head exasperatedly, but he couldn’t find it within himself to be too annoyed with his friends. He was far too happy.

“Well, you heard the man,” his father chuckled, releasing their shoulders, and Eijirou wasted no time before leaning down to kiss his husband.

Before their lips could connect, Katsuki blocked the alpha’s mouth with his hand, much to everyone’s surprise. Eijirou leaned back, eyes wide. “Katsuki?” he asked with alarm, mildly ticked that he had been denied his kiss.

Katsuki sent him a reassuring smile as he reached for his dagger. Camie jumped to her feet in alarm next to Mina in the front row. Eijirou didn’t seem the least bit scared by the sight of the weapon, even as murmurs of alarm spread among their people. However, when Katsuki met his confused gaze and held out the dagger, he was beyond puzzled.

Katsuki said nothing, only nodding for him to take it, which the alpha did after a long moment of hesitation. Then, Katsuki held out his right hand, palm facing upwards. Eijirou’s breath caught in his throat, finally catching on. A few people gasped, realizing the significance of the gesture, while many of the foreigners remained befuddled. Crimson Riot stood back and watched with a wide, joyous grin.

“Are you sure, Katsuki?” Eijirou asked shakily.

Katsuki wasted no time in answering. He had resolved himself a long time ago. “Yes, Eijirou. I swear to be eternally loyal to you.”

Eijirou looked close to tears once again. “And I, you,” he said wetly.

The alpha gently took hold of his omega’s hand, the bracelet his father had gifted him wrapped around his wrist and bringing a smile to the alpha’s face as he thought about his own wrapped around his opposite wrist. Eijirou carefully placed the blade of the dagger against his unblemished skin, not wanting to break skin quite yet. His palm was slightly tougher than it had been the first time Eijirou touched this hand—signs of Katsuki’s inner warrior finally making a reappearance—but it felt no less delicate, no less meaningful, in Eijirou's grasp.

Katsuki fought not to hiss in pain as Eijirou made a small cut into the palm of his right hand, watching as red trickled out. Eijirou handed back the dagger, and Katsuki quickly but carefully made a small cut in Eijirou’s left hand. Katsuki dropped his dagger to the ground, forgotten for now, as he and Eijirou took each other’s bleeding hands in their own. Their blood smeared together, and the omega’s hand was throbbing, but Katsuki thought it was perfect.

Crimson Riot pulled a red sash from the pocket of his coat, Katsuki and Eijirou looking at him with surprise. He winked. “I had faith that you would come around eventually,” he whispered to the blond. Katsuki smiled back at him.

Crimson Riot tied an intricate knot around their joined hands, grasping their hands in his own and raising them high for all to see. The room erupted in cheers, praise and the like. Eijirou pumped his free hand in the air, growling with victory as if he had just won a long and strenuous battle. Katsuki gave an answering purr of his own—which he would never admit to doing once this moment passed—to draw his alpha’s attention, before standing on his toes and placing a hard kiss to his lips. Eijirou cupped the back of his head with his free hand, fisting the soft, blond locks as he deepened the kiss. Katsuki moaned unabashedly, uncaring of the eyes of his friends, strangers, and father-in-law on him.

He was the happiest he had ever been.

With the main part of the ceremony concluded, the time for the newlywed couple to make their rounds making small talk with their guests had finally arrived. Katsuki could not say this part excited him. Surely not as much as it seemed to excite the overly-sociable alpha he was tied to, both figuratively and literally. His alpha, he had to remind himself, a grin tugging at his lips without his permission.

He gave up fighting against it pretty quickly.

Pretty much every guest in the ballroom—excluding the obvious spoilsports—were calling for the newlyweds to give their congratulations. Eijirou and Katsuki found themselves attempting and failing to pull the other in opposite directions, momentarily forgetting about their conjoined hands each time.

After the obligatory congratulations from the visiting royals—which strangely entailed both a begrudging word of congratulations from Enji followed by a tearful tirade of good wishes from Queen Yaoyorozu—Katsuki and Eijirou found themselves being pulled around by some more familiar and welcome faces.

“You two make such a lovely couple,” Usagiyama Rumi said kindly, keeping her words to the couple short but meaningful. “I look forward to the years to come under the rule of the new King and Queen Kirishima.”

Eijirou had been in tears when Toyomitsu, Tamaki, and Mirio approached to give their felicitations. “You sure have landed yourself quite the omega, Eijirou!” Toyomitsu declared, laughing all the while. “He had us all quite surprised with the hand cutting ritual.”

“Honestly, I was worried you were preparing to attack Eijirou-sama!” Mirio laughed along with his father-in-law.

Katsuki merely smirked. “Well, there is still time for that.”

Toyomitsu and Mirio both seemed to find that hilarious, simultaneously slapping Katsuki on the back, apparently unaware of their strength. Katsuki held back multiple winces over the next few minutes.

Tamaki was much more mild-mannered in comparison. “Congratulations to you both,” he said, his voice and smile soft. “I hope you take care of each other.”

“I plan to do nothing else,” Eijirou said in response, his grin wide and carefree.

Izuku found his way over to the couple after a while, and Katsuki instantly brightened at the sight of him. He was still holding onto Katsuki’s bouquet, and Katsuki noticed him nervously messing with one of the petals on an orange blossom. How ironic.

“Midoriya-san!” Eijirou greeted cheerfully. “Did you enjoy the ceremony? A nice mix of Tulia and Adria, wasn’t it?” he asked excitedly, clearly proud of their unique wedding.

Izuku nodded, unable to hold back his smile at Eijirou’s obvious joy. It really was contagious. The noble then turned to Katsuki, his smiling dropping just slightly. “Hi, Kacchan. Sorry about, um, earlier,” he said awkwardly.

“No worries,” Katsuki said, raising an eyebrow, his painted lips spreading into a smirk, and Izuku mentally prepared himself for whatever the prince’s next words would be. “You were busy sucking on Todoroki’s tongue, so—”

Izuku groaned in embarrassment, hiding his reddening face behind the flowers. Eijirou made a noise of surprise at Katsuki’s comment, looking between the two omegas with clear intrigue. “Kacchan, please,” Izuku nearly begged. He wasn’t sure he could handle his friend’s teasing.

Katsuki waved his worries away, although his smirk was still present. “I will not say anything more about it, Izuku. Your terrible taste in alphas is your business alone,” Katsuki said, taking the other by surprise. “But if that bastard ever does anything to upset you—and  mean anything—I will personally end him, got it?”

Izuku could have cried right then and there—actually, he wasn’t entirely sure he wasn’t about to—and he pulled Katsuki into a hug. It was a little awkward since Eijirou was pulled forward a bit as well, but neither omega seemed to mind. “Uraraka-san called us both idiots when it comes to alphas,” Izuku told him, and Katsuki huffed a laugh against his neck. “I suppose she may have a point.”

Katsuki pulled back from the embrace, brushing a finger under Izuku’s eye and wiping away the tears that had built there. “I suppose it must be an effect of our idiot alphas.”

“Well, that’s not a very nice thing to say about your husband,” Eijirou spoke up, chuckling despite his words.

“You should probably get used to that, Eijirou-sama,” Izuku giggled.

Eijirou was the first to spot Ochako speeding towards them from across the room. “I cannot believe you allowed Eijirou-sama to cut into your hand, Katsuki-sama,” was the very first thing Ochako said when she stopped in front of them, nearly bumping into Izuku in her haste. “Does it hurt?”

“Oh, incredibly so,” Katsuki said easily, chuckling when Ochako’s worry visibly grew. “I do not regret it at all. Any way of showing my eternal commitment to Eijirou, I am more than willing to do.”

A group of knights had steadily been gathering around the couple, and they all appeared to approve of Katsuki’s response. Kendou and Tokoyami were nodding along in clear approval, Mina and Denki cooed teasingly, although it was clear they were both happy for the pair, while Tetsutetsu attempted and failed to pull Katsuki into a hug. The blond sidestepped him with ease and a glare, so the alpha just grabbed Eijirou instead, who was more than happy to hug his friend.

“Someone’s definitely getting laid tonight,” Hanta leered, waggling his eyebrows. Ochako punched him in the arm for that comment, and when Eijirou waggled his brow in return, Ochako punched him as well. Everyone laughed loudly at the prince’s look of shocked betrayal.

Katsuki and Eijirou’s hands were still tied together when entered the forest for the final hunt. Katsuki had spotted Izuku and Hitoshi dragging along Shouto and Tenya respectively, and it looked like Kyouka was walking alongside Momo hand-in-hand. Katsuki’s eyebrows shot up at the sight. The blond hadn’t realized that so many other couples were forming around him; Ochako and Tsuyu, and Mina and Camie had been surprising enough. And Katsuki couldn’t say he was completely on board with a certain relationship, but as long as Izuku was happy, Katsuki supposed he would allow the Endeavor prince to live for now.

As everyone spread around the forest, all searching for optimal spots to hunt for the biggest and tastiest prey, Eijirou continued to lead them further and further into the forest. Katsuki followed, feeling excitement course through his veins. They would either finally be hunting together as planned—which Katsuki honestly looked forward to—or they would fool around without having to worry about being caught. As much as he enjoyed the idea of that, he really wanted to fully experience an Adrian wedding. The hunt was just as important as the ceremony, if how everyone talked about it was any indication.

Before long, Eijirou pulled to a stop and untied their hands, letting the sash fall to the ground. Katsuki opened and closed his hand a few times, finding that most of the pain had died down. He could already tell that he’d have a scar on his palm, but he knew Eijirou would have one to match. The omega felt no regrets as a smile spread across his lips.

Katsuki looked around to see if he could spot any wildlife himself to hunt, but the area looked pretty barren of animals. He turned to his husband, guessing that the latter would be coming true after all, only to be tugged into a fierce kiss. Katsuki instantly let himself go, wrapping his arms around the taller man’s neck and opening his mouth to allow Eijirou entrance.

Both moaned loudly into the quietness of the forest, their tongues sliding against each other wetly and Eijirou’s hands daringly moving down to grope Katsuki’s rear. The omega’s eyes shot open, and he whined at the feeling of the other’s hands squeezing and spreading his cheeks over his clothing. He allowed Eijirou a minute of groping before pushing him away, his cheeks redder than the alpha's hair. Eijirou pouted at being pushed away, but Katsuki’s next words released a predatory growl from deep within him.

“You can have all of me, alpha, but only if you catch me,” he said before sprinting away through the darkening forest. Eijirou smirked, giving Katsuki a head start before he took off.

For the next half hour, Katsuki expertly maneuvered between hiding spots, sneaking away any time he saw even a glimpse of the alpha. He also made sure to keep track of his surroundings lest he get lost. Still, even with his stealth, Eijirou eventually caught up to him. Katsuki peeked around a tree only to come face to face with Eijirou who readily swept him into his arms. Katsuki yelped in shock before giggling gleefully, not at all upset at being caught. He had been hoping for that, after all.

“You caught me, alpha,” he breathed. “Now I am yours.”

“You were always mine,” Eijirou growled possessively. “And I plan to show you that tonight.”

Katsuki wrapped his legs around the other’s waist, grabbing his face in his hands. “Why not right now?” he purred seductively.

Eijirou’s pupils dilated with arousal, his scent becoming more aggressive and aroused as well. Katsuki bit back a moan. “Don’t tempt me, omega. I plan to do this right,” he said.

Katsuki smirked. “Then you better kill the biggest fucking animal in this forest for me.”

Eijirou returned the smirk. “You bet your sweet ass I will, baby,” he said before placing a series of kisses to Katsuki’s throat. He grabbed at the omega’s thighs, running his hand fervently over the one that slipped out from the slit in his dress, slipping his finger over the top of the stocking. Eijirou briefly contemplated ridding Katsuki of all his clothes like he so desperately wished to, but all thoughts left him when he caught sight of the garter around Katsuki’s upper thigh, having been barely hidden away by the skirt of his dress. Eijirou wanted to pull it off with his teeth.

Katsuki chuckled breathily, having an inkling of his husband’s inner turmoil. “You might need to let me go for that, knothead,” he joked before whining as Eijirou started sucking on his scent glands and slid his hand further up and under the skirt of his dress and panties, grabbing at his bare ass.

“I can’t wait to bite you. Show the whole word that you’re mine forever,” Eijirou whispered against his skin and Katsuki bared his neck slightly, not quite submissively. Eijirou’s teeth scraped against his skin, teasing at a bite mark.

Bite me, Katsuki wanted to say, but that was for later. He needed to be patient as well, even as his body was craving Eijirou’s touch and his mark.

“Eijirou!” a yell of the alpha’s name caused the two to draw apart. They turned to see Hanta running over to them, out of breath and expression frantic. “Eijirou, you need to return to the castle. It’s your father.”

Both of the princes’ eyes widened at that, and Eijirou let Katsuki down. The omega quickly fixed his dress without taking his eyes off of the two alphas. “What happened?” Eijirou asked fearfully.

Hanta bit his lip, face twisting in agony. “He collapsed during the hunt.”

That got Eijirou moving, Hanta and Katsuki having to struggle to keep up with him as they all raced back to the castle.

Eijirou burst through the doors leading to his father’s chambers, seeing his father lying on his bed looking worse than he had ever seen him. “Father!” he yelled as he rushed to his bedside, the doctors and nurses moving aside to let him past. All of the knights of the Royal Guard stood to one side of the room, expressions devoid of all the joy they held not even an hour ago. Hanta and Katsuki entered the room just as Eijirou began speaking to his father. “Father, please, speak to me,” he pleaded. “Tell me what’s happened.”

Crimson Riot struggled to open his eyes enough to look at his son, painstakingly lifting his deathly pale hand to touch his son’s face. Eijirou barely even registered how sweaty it was against his cheek. “My boy,” the king rasped, voice croaking at the end and triggering a coughing fit.

“Father!” Eijirou shrieked in alarm.

The doctors moved closer, all reaching out. “Your Majesty!”

Crimson Riot waved them all away, the doctors and nurses reluctantly but dutifully stepping away. Crimson Riot looked back towards his son to see his omega standing behind him, eyes filled with devastation. “You two,” he addressed them. “Take care of my kingdom for me.” Katsuki slapped his hands over his mouth to hold back a saddened gasp, his healing wound completely forgotten about.

Eijirou shook his head frantically. “Don’t speak like that,” he said desperately. “You are not dying today!”

Crimson Riot smiled sadly. “I’m sorry, Eijirou, but this looks like the end of my rope.” Eijirou began crying openly, yet silently, a few of the knights doing so as well. “It may not have been by the hands of a formidable warrior, but I am grateful that I lived long enough to see you marry your ideal mate—just as you always dreamed of.” Eijirou lowered his head as the tears continued to fall, gripping his father’s hand in his own.

“Wait,” Katsuki began unsurely. “There must be some kind of medicine that can—” The king was already shaking his head, so Katsuki snapped his mouth shut.

“I’m afraid not, Katsuki-kun,” he coughed. Everyone was alarmed to see blood in his hand when he pulled it away. The king forced a smile. “Don’t tell me you’re all scared of a little blood? We are warriors!” he rasped. “Never forget that, children,” he said meaningfully to everyone in the room, his voice growing weaker with each word.

“Please, don’t leave me,” Eijirou whispered brokenly, and Katsuki’s heart broke along with his. “I can’t do this without you.”

“I will always be with you, Eijirou,” he promised, eyes slowly sliding closed.

Eijirou stood from his kneeling position, leaning over his father. “No, no, no! Open your eyes, father!”

“Become the best man you can be, my son,” Crimson Riot said, giving his final order as his slid completely closed, never to open again.

“No!” Eijirou gave a heartbreaking scream, falling to his knees and sobbing. Katsuki rushed over to comfort him, wrapping his arms around him and attempting to envelope him in a soothing scent to counteract the scent of grief and anguish pouring off of the alpha and threatening to engulf the entire room.

“Eijirou,” Katsuki whispered sadly, unsure of what to do to comfort his husband.

Eijirou didn’t seem wanting of his comfort, however, and roughly broke free from his embrace. Katsuki and the knights watched as he stomped over to the doctors, his normally cheery features twisted viciously with distress. “I demand to know how this happened!” he shouted into their faces, many of them cowering in fear.

Katsuki and a few knights all hurried to step between them before it could escalate. “Eijirou, you need to calm down,” Denki said severely.

Eijirou glared down at him. “Calm down?” he repeated angrily. Denki recoiled and Hanta stepped in front of him protectively, his alpha instincts taking over and telling him to protect his omega from a potentially dangerous alpha.

“Eijirou, we know you’re grieving, but you need to remember that we are not your enemies,” Hanta said fiercely.

Eijirou only growled and bared his teeth aggressively, and it took for Katsuki forcing him to look at him for him to stop. “Alpha, please,” he whispered, and that finally seemed to do the trick as all of Eijirou’s muscles untensed at once.

Now that Eijirou was significantly calmer, Mina turned to the group of doctors. “What happened, doctor?” she asked them, her voice cracking at the end and her lower lip wobbling. Still, she knew she needed to stay strong. Eijirou needed that right now.  

One of the doctors who worked in the capital stepped forward. “We believe he was poisoned,” she said solemnly. “His Majesty hid it well, but we believe the poison has been in his system for quite some time.”

“What?” Eijirou’s head snapped over to look at her. Katsuki had to give her credit for not cowering under his intense gaze. “Who would do such a thing?”

Katsuki suddenly looked as if he had been struck across the face. “Villiass,” he whispered. “They are after me.”

Eijirou turned to him. “If they are truly behind this, then I will protect you,” he vowed. “And then, I will kill every single one of them.”

Katsuki bit his lip, curling in on himself. “This is my fault,” he cried, voice filled with sorrow and dread.

“Katsuki, no, you can’t blame yourself for this,” Eijirou said, grabbing Katsuki by the shoulders, his grip tightening to an almost painful degree.

“Eijirou, the killer could still be within the castle,” Hanta interrupted regretfully.

Eijirou glanced at him, his hands falling away from his husband, and they both could physically feel an ache from the loss of contact. “You’re right,” the alpha said, a new determination in his voice. He glanced briefly at his father’s lifeless body before turning back to his knights. “Block all the castle exits and post knights at the outskirts of the kingdom just in case. Prevent anyone from leaving Adria, and I mean anyone.”

The knights in the room all nodded, rushing out to secure the castle. Eijirou stopped Tamaki before he could exit, the raven nodding for his mate to go on without him. Mirio looked hesitant, glancing between his mate and the two princes before finally retreating.

“Tamaki-san, will you watch over Katsuki for me?” Tamaki instantly nodded while Katsuki frowned.

“No, Eijirou, I will stay with you.”

Eijirou shook his head. “I just need a few minutes alone,” he mumbled. Katsuki hated seeing him so lifeless. “Tamaki-san will protect you. You can trust him.”

Katsuki didn’t even glance at the other omega. “I do not need protecting,” he protested. “You need—”

Eijirou growled low in his throat, catching both omegas off guard. “Katsuki, just listen to me and go! I can’t afford to lose you as well!” Katsuki had no response to that, so he quietly followed Tamaki out of the room, giving Eijirou a tender kiss on the cheek before he left.

Out in the hall, Tamaki and Katsuki stood side by side against the wall. Katsuki had been pacing back and forth restlessly until the raven meekly asked him to stop since all of his pacing was beginning to make him anxious as well.

“Who could have poisoned him? He and Eijirou eat every meal together,” Katsuki wondered aloud. Tamaki shrugged helplessly, feeling just as lost as the prince. “Oh, no,” Katsuki said, suddenly remembering something vital. “The day we went into the capital, Crimson Riot ate alone.”

Tamaki straightened at that. “But that was over a week ago,” he pointed out.

“Could it be a slow-acting poison?” Katsuki suggested. “The doctor did mention something like that.”

Tamaki shook his head. “I have never heard of such a thing. Not without multiple doses of poison.”

That does not make it impossible, Katsuki thought to himself. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Ochako watching them from around the corner. She was so far down the hall that Katsuki had to squint to make her out. She waved him over before disappearing around the corner. “I will be right back,” Katsuki told the other omega.

Tamaki watched with narrowed eyes as Katsuki turned the corner and vanished from sight. He was about to follow him, but he rationalized that Ochako could protect him if the need arose. And besides, they were right around the corner.

And just around the corner, Katsuki saw Ochako, but her back was turned to him. The blond looked around curiously. “Where are the others?” he asked. “Why did you not go with them?”

“They will be here soon,” Ochako said simply.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. “Uraraka? Are you feeling okay?”

The beta giggled as if Katsuki had told a joke. It was then that Katsuki noticed a few things. One, Ochako’s usually neutral scent was strangely tangy, almost like an omega’s. Two, the woman’s voice sounded different than usual; more high-pitched and almost sinister. And finally, her skin had far too much color to it. Katsuki sprinted around the woman, stopping in front of her so he could see her clearly in the lighting of the hall. There was another thing Katsuki noticed as he looked into her eyes.

This was not Ochako.

Before Katsuki could reach for his dagger, a cloth covered in some kind of sweet-smelling liquid was pressed over his mouth and nose from behind. The fake-Ochako smiled gleefully as his consciousness began to fade, and Katsuki thought to himself that she would look scarily similar to Ochako in the dark before everything faded away.

Five whole minutes passed before Tamaki began to grow concerned by Katsuki’s continued absence. He walked briskly to where Katsuki had turned the corner, poking his head around only to see the hall completely empty. Panic instantly took over.

“Katsuki-sama?” he yelled down the corridor, running down to the other end only to find nothing once again.

He may not know much about Katsuki, but he doubted the blond would leave without saying a word, not at a time like this. Starting to truly panic, Tamaki sprinted back to the king’s room, banging on the door. He would apologize for his rudeness another time.

Eijirou opened the door, clearly angry at being interrupted during his mourning but as he saw the omega’s face, his eyes widened in panic. He quickly took notice of Katsuki’s absence, putting two and two together. “Where is my omega?” he demanded, voice low.

Tamaki gulped, sincerely fearing for his life at the moment. “I’m so sorry, Eijirou. I have no idea.”

Chapter Text

Kirishima Katsuki awoke suddenly, panic rising in him when he realized his hands and feet were bound to a chair with a cloth stuffed in his mouth surrounded by multiple unfamiliar scents.  

An unknown face suddenly filled his vision, and Katsuki instantly knew who it was despite never having seen the man before. King Shigaraki Tomura smiled wide at the omega, his pale, dry skin cracking around his mouth. It was unsettling to say the least.

“Hello, pretty omega,” Shigaraki purred, sending unpleasant shivers up and down Katsuki’s spine. His voice was even worse than his face. “You are much more beautiful in person, Bakugou Katsuki. Or, I suppose, I’d have to call you  Kirishima Katsuki now.” Katsuki began to struggle, thrashing left and right while Shigaraki laughed at him. “No need for all of that. I would never hurt you. In fact, I want nothing more than to make you happy,” he said, reaching out a gloved hand to stroke Katsuki’s face. The omega quickly turned his head away before he could. Shigaraki sighed exasperatedly. “I had a feeling you would be difficult.”

Katsuki stared down at the hand that tried to touch him, beyond confused at the expensive Tulian glove he saw there. “Confused, omega? No need to be. I am not Tulian, but I know how important your people find beautiful hands…like yours.” Katsuki glared at the man when he leered at the omega again. “Unfortunately, life has not been as kind to me as it has been to you, as you can tell from the state of my skin, so I have donned one of your people’s gloves.”

Katsuki wanted to yell and scream that his life had not been easy, especially not with creeps like Shigaraki walking the earth. He had suffered through hardships and tragedies just like any other person. He loathed to hear this delusional alpha speak as if he knew anything about Katsuki’s life. Unfortunately, though, Katsuki could say none of that.

“Look,” Shigaraki continued, thrusting his hand right in front of the blond’s face. “I went through a lot of trouble to obtain such an exquisite glove. Do you like it?” Katsuki glared harder but the alpha paid him no mind. “Perhaps one day you will let me touch you without the gloves.” Katsuki’s eyes widened at his words, and he began struggling again. Shigaraki suddenly grabbed Katsuki’s face in his gloved hand, turning his head left and right before bringing their faces dangerously close. As he spoke, his dry, cracked lips nearly touched Katsuki’s own. “No bite, I see,” he noted, and Katsuki’s heart plummeted. “Thankfully, that Adrian prince left you untouched. I was hoping to be your first.”

Katsuki whimpered and turned his face away, unwilling to let this alpha see his tears. Shigaraki shushed him as if he were a child. “There’s no need to cry, pretty omega. I’ll be gentle.” His lips brushed against his cheek with his words. Katsuki squeezed his eyes closed when he felt the Villiass king’s tongue sweep slowly across his cheek. “Make you feel so good.” The man then moved to nose at Katsuki’s mating glands, deeply inhaling the omega’s sugary, caramel scent. He exhaled on the sensitive area and Katsuki choked back a sob. “You smell so wonderful, omega. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into you.” Katsuki was freely crying now, and Shigaraki happily licked away a tear.

“I do not understand,” Ochako mumbled from her seat within the ballroom, sitting amongst every other person who had been present within the castle prior to and after Crimson Riot’s collapse. They had all be tracked down and moved to the ballroom for either safekeeping or later questioning. Ochako feared the reality of either possibility. “How can you say that Katsuki-sama went over to speak with me when I was here the entire time?”

Tamaki had his face in his hands, hunched over with Mirio rubbing calming circles into his back. Unfortunately, neither the alpha nor anyone else in the room felt all that calm either. “I have no idea,” he bemoaned. “Whoever that woman was, she looked just like you.”

“But how is that possible?” Ochako cried loudly, drawing the attention of others. “I suddenly have a doppelganger roaming around the castle?”

“I don’t believe it was sudden. They must have been among us for quite some time now,” Tamaki said ominously.

Queen Yaoyorozu overheard, putting a hand to her mouth as she gasped in shock. “Oh! Well, that’s quite the terrifying thought,” she said to the agreement of everyone.

“Why do you say that?” Camie asked Tamaki, also having been escorted and locked in this room with the others.

Tamaki hesitated, looking around the room filled with various foreigners and, as loathsome as it was to admit, suspects. Currently, everyone was likely to be treated as a suspect, and it had the air around them tense with fear and doubt. “The doctors believe that he was poisoned over time or with a slow-acting poison of some kind.”

“What kind of poison kills you that slowly?” Shouto asked dubiously.

“Definitely not a commonly used one,” Izuku said. Izuku read a lot, and in all of his readings about various types of poisons, he had never stumbled across one that was fatal within no more than a few hours. “But how could they have been within the castle so long without anyone noticing? I mean, the real Uraraka-san was still here the entire time.”

“Someone had to have come across her,” Camie murmured.

Izuku’s eyes suddenly widened, his body beginning to shake. “I did,” he breathed. Everyone turned to him in surprise. Izuku’s gaze went to the beta beside him, his voice shaky as he asked, “Uraraka-san, why were you outside of Kacchan’s room the first night we went into the capital?”

Ochako frowned in confusion. “I was never outside of Katsuki-sama’s room,” she said. A light flush spread across her cheeks. “I was with Tsuyu-chan that night,” she confessed before hurriedly adding, “We did nothing improper. We only talked!”

Tsuyu nodded from beside her. “I can attest to Ochako-chan’s claim,” she said.

“So, then the Uraraka you spoke to…” Shouto began, putting the pieces together.  

Izuku nodded. “Was the imposter,” he finished, shaking his head as guilt filled him. “You had been acting so strange all day that I thought nothing of it. I should have known.”

“You can’t blame yourself for this, Izuku-kun!” Mirio said passionately from where he was standing by the doors, acting as a guard under Eijirou’s orders. He maintained a tight grip on the hilt of his sword, even as he listened in inquisitively.  

“This is ridiculous,” Enji suddenly scoffed. Everyone turned a glare on him, but he seemed nonplussed. “Adria is supposedly the strongest kingdom there is, yet all in one day the king was poisoned and the future queen kidnapped. I may have to reconsider our alliance with you all.”

“By all means, go right ahead,” Mirio growled lowly.

“Father,” Shouto began more patiently than he or anyone felt. “I don’t think now is the best time for that kind of talk.”

Enji merely rolled his eyes uncaringly. “I cannot possibly fathom what all the panic is about. Prince Kirishima can just find a new omega to marry. I’m sure there are many to choose from,” he said. “Once Shigaraki’s got a hold of him, not even the most desperate and undesirable of alphas would want what’s left of that omega.”

Izuku stood from his seat on the floor, his hands balled tightly into fists and eyes wet with angry tears. “How can you talk about him like that?” he yelled. “Kacchan was just kidnapped, and you are already talking about Eijirou-sama finding a new mate? What is wrong with you?”

Enji narrowed his eyes menacingly. “Watch that tone of yours, omega,” he warned. “I’m only being realistic. Every king needs an omega to provide them heirs, and quite frankly, any omega is capable of that.”

Izuku gasped, appalled. “You son of a bitch,” he hissed venomously, taking the room by surprise. Izuku was rarely one to curse, least of all at a king.

Enji growled, “You little—” Enji stopped himself, motioning flippantly to his son. “Shouto, deal with this omega. I have no time to entertain children,” he ordered. Shouto looked anything but eager to follow that order.

“No,” Izuku said, eyes locked on the king. “What seems to be the problem, Todoroki?” he asked, purposefully not using a proper title just to upset the man. It seemed to work if Enji’s glare was any indication. “Are you too afraid to ‘deal with’ me yourself? You need your son to do everything for you?”

That got the intended result as the king jumped to his feet, towering over the much smaller omega. “How dare you speak that way to me, whore?” he roared, the boom of his voice almost shaking the room.

Shouto and Ochako both shot to their feet, ready to fend off the king if the need be, but Izuku looked the furthest thing from fearful or intimidated. “You cannot possibly think that you scare me,” he scoffed mockingly.

Enji snapped, raising his arm to strike the omega across the face. A resounding slap filled the room, but it was not Izuku who had been struck. “Shouto!” Izuku cried, rushing over to where Shouto lay crumpled on the ground. The noble gently cupped his face, forgetting all about their surroundings or how this would surely look. “Why would you do that?” he asked frantically.

Shouto managed a smile, his cheek a glaring red under Izuku’s hand. “I couldn’t let him hurt you, Izuku,” the prince said as if it were obvious. “Besides, I can take his hits just fine,” he added, clearly speaking from experience, and Izuku’s eyes widened in tragic understanding.

“You’re pathetic, Shouto. Absolutely useless,” Enji spat from above them. “Look at how you have this little omega fawning over you,” he said derisively, shaking his head in disappointment. “You couldn’t even seduce the right omega.”

“What?” Izuku asked, looking at Shouto in question.

“Father,” the prince hissed.

The king was unbothered by his son’s display of anger. “Oh, don’t get haughty with me, boy. I gave you such simple orders, and now look at you. You’ve seem to have grown attached to some common whore. I bet you’re only fucking this one because I told you to seduce Prince Bakugou. You always love being rebellious.”

“What?” Izuku gasped, ripping his hands away as if burned. Shouto reached out to him, but Izuku jumped to his feet and backed away, face steely. “Your father told you to seduce Kacchan?” he questioned, dreading the answer.

Shouto gritted his teeth and exhaled heavily. “Yes,” he admitted. “But obviously I did not go through with it. I have no interest in Prince Katsuki!”

Enji scoffed cruelly. “Yet you use his name and held him in your arms,” he rebutted. “Does a kiss mean nothing to you, Shouto?” he mocked.

“You kissed Kacchan?” Izuku asked, voice nearly a whisper.

Ochako made a noise of outrage at the insinuation. “Katsuki-sama would never be unfaithful to Eijirou-sama! You are lying!”

Enji glared at the woman balefully. “You are foolish if you truly believe that. Omegas are fickle creatures who will spread their legs for any alpha they can.”

“Katsuki-sama isn’t like that!” Camie yelled, lip trembling in her frustration.

“Ask the boy, then.”

Everyone turned to look at Shouto, but the alpha himself kept his gaze only on Izuku. The poor omega looked close to tears, and Shouto hated the words he was about to say. “I did kiss him,” he admitted. Izuku gasped, the tears spilling freely now. “Izuku, you have to listen to me. This was all my father’s doing!”

“But you did what he asked!” Izuku shouted, causing Shouto to flinch as if he had been slapped again.

Izuku glared down at him, eyes filled with distrust, anger, but most of all, sadness. Shouto hated that he was the one who had put that look on the omega's face. “How could I have ever trusted you?” he asked himself. “Uraraka-san warned me, and I should have listened. No wonder Kacchan was so wary of you!”

“Izuku,” Shouto began, voice pleading, but Izuku shook his head, placing a hand against his mouth as he felt bile rise in his throat.

“You disgust me,” he spat, turning away with finality, and Shouto’s heart snapped in two before crumbling to the ground.

The doors to the room opened then, revealing Eijirou and a handful of knights, and every soul in the room snapped to attention. The prince’s expression was grave as he looked around the room, taking in Shouto’s poor state and his father towering over him. “What is going on here?” he demanded.

“There’s no need for concern, Your Highness,” Enji said smoothly, and a few people shot glares his way.

“No?” Eijirou intoned dubiously. “Then why is Prince Todoroki on the floor with a reddened cheek?”

Enji smirked slightly, an air of nonchalance around him. “Well, you can imagine that after such tragedies, things are fairly tense in here.”

Eijirou narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “And I think even you can imagine that after such tragedies, I would much rather not have to deal with whatever petty squabbles the lot you have,” Eijirou returned snidely, and the knights looked at him in slight surprise. Obviously, none of them could even begin to imagine how Eijirou must be feeling after the loss of his father and omega in a day, but for the prince to so blatantly disregard another’s problems entirely…it was just off.

The Endeavor king didn’t seem nearly as amused anymore, huffing slightly. “Surely you do not plan to keep us holed in this room for much longer,” he said in clear annoyance.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,” Eijirou began sarcastically, and Enji’s brow ticked in aggravation. “At the moment, everyone is being treated as a possible suspect.”

“What reason would I possibly have to poison Crimson Riot or steal away your omega?” Enji roared in outrage.

From the floor, Shouto scoffed. “I fear it would be quicker to list the reasons you wouldn’t,” he said knowingly, and Enji turned to him menacingly.

“You watch what you say, boy, before you go accusing me of such things,” he growled warningly.

Izuku stepped forward cautiously. “Surely, I am not a suspect,” he said dubiously, but the glare Eijirou threw his way hit him like a slap to the face. Distantly, Izuku felt Ochako steer him back to his seat with a hand on his shoulder, her own face cast in the shadows as she too realized she was a suspect like the rest of them.

“It is only procedure, Izuku,” she said sympathetically.

“This is ridiculous!” Enji raged loudly. “Who out of us could have even had the opportunity to kill your father in our time here? His drink or food must have been poisoned! It is quite clear that you have a spy among your royal staff!”

“Perhaps,” Eijirou said easily enough, and the members of said staff within the room all stiffened in fright. “But it is also true that all of the honored guests had access to the kitchen as well. Not to mention, the possibility of one of you being an accomplice cannot be overlooked. There are knights wandering the castle at all times of the day, and everyone knows everyone’s face. The fact that someone from Villiass was able to remain in the castle for what we suspect to have been days straight without being found out is hard to believe.”

“It was all that imposter who looked like me!” Ochako shouted.

“And then, there’s that,” Eijirou said slowly, pointedly, and Ochako’s eyes widened in indignation.  

“You think…?” she trailed off as Eijirou’s expression hardened with distrust. Her face suddenly twisted in fury, appalled that Eijirou would even truly consider to be connected to his father’s death or Katsuki’s kidnapping in any way. “You bastard!” she hissed, unthinkingly taking a threatening forward only to be stopped with a sword pointed at her throat.

Mina stared her down, eyes cold, as she kept the beta from trying anything. “Don’t be stupid, Ochako,” she said sternly, but her eyes were almost pleading.

Ochako swallowed, the tip of the sword scraping softly against her neck. She bared her teeth, her wrath not subsiding in the slightest. Izuku quickly stepped in, placing his hand atop the width of Mina’s sword and lowering it slowly. “Uraraka-san is not an enemy,” he said gravely before turning to the brunette woman. “And neither is Eijirou-sama. We all want the same thing.”

Ochako relaxed at the omega’s words, but Mina still seemed upset. “Not an enemy, huh?” she hummed thoughtfully. “Perhaps not. But you are both a threat at the very least,” she said decisively.

“What?” Izuku asked in confusion.

“You have brought nothing but trouble to our kingdom!” she suddenly shouted, clearly overwhelmed by the day’s events as she ceased to think clearly. “Our king is dead because of you and your prince!” she accused, and Ochako and Izuku stared at her in devastation.

“Mina!” Eijirou snapped angrily, and the pink haired woman flinched heavily. “Don’t go around pointing fingers at the wrong people,” he reprimanded. “No one is to blame for Villiass’ actions. Neither Midoriya and Ochako nor Katsuki are to blame. My father was the one to agree to the treaty, after all.”

“For whatever reason,” the knight muttered.

Eijirou gave her a look. “Well…he had his reasons,” he said vaguely, even if a small part of him began to question if the alleged reasons his father had given were worth his own demise. “Either way, everyone here needs to be questioned and searched, and that, of course, includes all of your rooms. For the staff, this will also include your homes.”

“Preposterous,” King Iida grumbled quietly, finally speaking up for the first time since entering the room, his wife impassive at his side.

His son looked at him sideways, his hand wrapped tightly but discreetly around Hitoshi’s as the omega sat slumped over in his chair beside him. The two had been ushered into the room by a royal knight at the same time, and after sitting in silence for a few long, tense minutes, the omega had wordlessly taken the prince’s hand in his. Tenya was unsure if the action was a gesture of comfort for him or Hitoshi, but he bring himself to care either way. “Father, it will be over before long. Please, just bear with it,” he said beseechingly.

King Yaoyorozu leaned forward in his seat from where he was sitting behind the Iida family. “I never once trusted those Todorokis,” he said conspiratorially. “I would bet my entire fortune that good ole Enji is plotting something.”

King Iida scoffed. “When is the bastard not?” he said disinterestedly. He could care less about the conflicts between other kingdoms.  

“Father, please, refrain from starting any ridiculous theories,” Momo piped up exasperatedly from beside her mother, her arm wrapped around a tearful Kyouka. She paused in her attempts to console the musician in order to stop her father from saying anything that might start problems among the royals. “I doubt King Todoroki is even involved.”

“I just feel so bad for poor, little Eijirou-kun,” her mother said morosely, wiping at a stray tear with a manicured finger. “To have lost both parents so young, it’s simply heartbreaking.”

The queen’s words hung heavy in the air around them, the mood souring even further as the knights began their rounds questioning the many possible suspects in the ballroom, the decorations from Eijirou and Katsuki’s wedding ceremony all around as a sullen reminder of how joyous this day had started. 

The room Katsuki was trapped in was decrepit to say the least. It appeared to be an old, rundown bar, but Katsuki had no clue where this place was located in relation to Adria. For all he knew, he could already be in Villiass, as far away from Adria as possible.

Shigaraki was sitting across the room on one of the barstools, simply watching Katsuki from his seat. Katsuki glared at the man, making sure to also keep an eye on the four others in the room with them. Two of them were masked, one was wearing a hood, one was a girl who looked to be around his age, and the other was a man who looked as if he had been terribly burned in a fire. Each of them was watching Katsuki with either wonder or indifference, but it seemed as if no one was willing to break the silence before their king.

Finally, Shigaraki made his move, although he didn’t come any closer to the tied-up blond. “Twice,” he called, and one of the masked men turned towards him in surprise. “Untie my bride,” he ordered.

Katsuki’s answering growl was mostly smothered by the cloth in his mouth, but everyone seemed to pick up on how much he hated the title. The masked man, Twice, looked to his accomplices as if for help before turning to the king. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Your Majesty? That little bitch looks ready to attack at any moment!” he said, and the strange way he spoke as if having simultaneous, conflicting thoughts reminded Katsuki of something, but he could not place it at the moment.

Shigaraki gave an impatient wave of his hand. “Sure, sure. If it makes you feel any better, you can only untie his feet.”

Twice wrung his hands nervously as he inched towards the blond, as if the man had any reason to be more afraid of Katsuki than Katsuki was of him. Katsuki flinched the moment the man’s gloved hands touched his skin, but Twice continued with his task undeterred. The moment both of his ankles were freed, the man jumped back as if burned. Katsuki stomped his foot and jerked his chin towards the man with a fierce glower, silently ordering the man to ungag him as well.

Shigaraki chuckled darkly from the corner of the room. “Go ahead, Twice,” he said. “I wanna hear that pretty voice of his.”

When Twice made no move to follow the order, the man with the burn scars stepped forward, shouldering Twice out of the way as he passed. He reached behind Katsuki’s head to where the knot was tied, purposely stroking the skin just above his mating glands. Katsuki cringed, attempting to move away, but the man was already untying the knot. The moment the cloth fell from Katsuki’s mouth, the blond spit into the alpha’s face.

He jerked back and wiped at his face in disgust. He lifted a hand to strike the omega, but Shigaraki grabbed his wrist before he could bring it down. “Dabi,” he growled in warning. “You are not to harm my omega.”

“I am not your fucking omega, you ugly, dry-skinned motherfucker!” Katsuki yelled, causing everyone to jump at the sheer volume.

Dabi sneered at the both of them and snatched his hand away before stomping away and back to his seat. Shigaraki, on the other hand, was smirking down at the blond. “Perhaps not yet,” the king said. He grabbed Katsuki’s chin, the leather of his gloves uncomfortable against Katsuki’s skin. The omega tried to jerk his head away, but the alpha was a lot stronger than he looked. “But you will be mine before long, Katsuki. Mine to touch.” He stroked Katsuki’s cheek before rubbing his thumb along his bottom lip. “Mine to kiss.” He leaned down to kiss the blond, but Katsuki turned his head away. Shigaraki felt a smirk tug at his lips as he whispered into the blond’s ear, feeling him shiver. “Mine to knot.”

Katsuki turned to glare at the alpha. “That will never happen,” he snarled.

“I quite like how feisty you are, Katsuki,” Shigaraki said, unbothered by the omega's anger. “It was part of what drew me to you in the first place. Your defiance and your will. It is such a shame that you were locked away in a palace for so long,” he said, eyes lidding as they trailed across Katsuki’s frame. They lingered on the skin of Katsuki’s thigh showing through the slit of his dress uncovered by the black fabric of his stocking. “The moment I saw you, I knew you were meant to be mine,” he whispered.

Katsuki’s eyes widened in bewilderment at the alpha’s words. “What are you talking about?”

“You wouldn’t remember,” the alpha said. “We were both so young, and I was hidden amongst a crowd. You had not noticed me, but I noticed you, omega. So bright, and beautiful. We were destined to be, and I knew it the moment you presented as an omega and I, an alpha. You are far too beautiful and delicate to be an alpha, after all.”

“I feel like I would have remembered an ugly piece of shit like you,” Katsuki spat, seething at being called delicate. Behind Shigaraki, the man called “Dabi” laughed. Katsuki could not tell which one of them he was laughing at. “And there is no way I could ever be destined to be with scum.”

Shigaraki hummed noncommittally, seemingly unaffected by the slight at his expense or Katsuki’s doubt, and yet, he suddenly struck Katsuki hard across the cheek, knocking the wind out of the omega. Half of their audience was laughing maniacally now, and Katsuki’s cheeks flared from the humiliation even more than the slap.

“You would think a Tulian omega would understand how to properly speak to an alpha, but I suppose your short time in Adria has tainted you,” the king said coldly, the stare Katsuki feared to meet filled with unbridled rage. “It seems I will have to reteach you some proper manners.”

The next thing Katsuki knew, Shigaraki had slid his hand up Katsuki’s dress and started rubbing him through his underwear. Katsuki gasped, futilely trying to get away from the unwanted touch. Shigaraki chuckled as he watched him struggle, uncaring of the eyes of his subordinates watching. “Panties, huh? Were you perhaps hoping that foolish prince would deprive you of your virginity tonight, Katsuki?” he asked, slipping his hand into the blond’s panties.

“No! Stop!” Katsuki thrashed in his restraints as Shigaraki pulled his cock out and slowly stroked him to hardness. Katsuki couldn’t help but moan, the feeling both pleasurable and disgusting. He didn’t want it; he only wanted Eijirou’s touch, but his body was reacting against his will.

Katsuki bit his lip until it started bleeding to keep the noises at bay, and Shigaraki laughed when he noticed. “Does it feel good?”

“No!” Katsuki’s body betrayed his words when hips started thrusting into Shigaraki’s hand. Katsuki stopped his hips once he realized, but the alpha had already noticed.

 “See how good I can make you feel?” Shigaraki made quick work of Katsuki’s underwear and stockings, licking his hips hungrily at all the pale skin now on display. He then grabbed Katsuki’s thigh and lifted his leg high up in the air, grinning perversely when he realized the omega’s knee nearly touched his chest. He then maneuvered so that Katsuki’s other leg was stuck between his own, unable to move an inch. “That Kirishima could never handle you, not like I can,” he continued and Katsuki gritted his teeth in anger, trying to break out of the hold but his body just wouldn’t listen to him. The blond felt the alpha’s gloved finger trail slowly along his taint before circling his rim. Katsuki’s breath caught in his throat, and he clenched his entire body, bile rising in his throat. “He is a pathetic excuse for an alpha. You will be much happier under my rule. You and Tulia.”

Those words struck a chord in Katsuki, and he abruptly jerked the leg that was in the air to the side in a harsh motion, managing to connect his calf with the side of Shigaraki’s head. The alpha reeled back, letting go out of shock more than anything, but it was all Katsuki needed to shove his foot as hard as he could into the alpha's crotch, bringing the man to his knees as he groaned in pain like the pathetic excuse for an alpha he was. With a vindictive grin, Katsuki landed one final kick to the alpha’s nose, hearing a satisfying crunch that surely meant his nose was broken. Shigaraki flew backwards from the force of it, colliding with both Twice and the hooded man who had gotten to their feet after the first kick. The three landed in a painful heap on the floor, and Katsuki sneered victoriously down at the king.

“Eijirou is a thousand times the alpha or king you could ever hope to be! You are nothing but a disgusting, pathetic, shrimp-dicked asshole who could never get an omega of his own!” he hollered.  

Dabi whistled, smirking in amusement at the scene. “Quite the flexible little whore you’ve found yourself,” he said, looking straight at Katsuki as he did. “Defiant, too. You know, I hear omegas are a lot more pliant after they’ve gotten a knot in them. If you want, Your Majesty, me and the boys can play with him a bit. Maybe…loosen him up for you,” he suggested with an evil grin and a lick of his lips.

Shigaraki shakily got back to his feet and dusted off his clothes, his expression set into a vicious scowl as he held a hand over his bloody and broken nose. He glanced at Katsuki’s discarded panties on the floor by his feet, and Katsuki watched in unbridled disgust as the alpha picked them up and shoved them into his pocket. Shigaraki stomped towards the blond and grabbed him around the neck in a deadly hold, strangling him. Katsuki instantly began struggling, kicking at the alpha’s legs as he fought to breathe.

“I will be his first and his last,” Shigaraki growled, addressing Dabi, who merely shrugged uncaringly at the response. The king’s eyes never left Katsuki, however. “I have tried to be understanding with you, omega, but you have disrespected me at every turn.”

Katsuki would say something scathing in reply if he could get a word out. “St-Stop—” he managed before Shigaraki squeezed tighter.

“Well, you don’t deserve my kindness anymore. Once we get home, I’m going to chain you to my bed and fuck that little hole of yours again and again until it bleeds,” he declared. Katsuki could feel his consciousness fading, but what horrified him the most was the sensation of tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’ll force you down on my knot each time, no matter how much you beg and plead for me to stop. I find your tears much more arousing.”

“My king,” the unknown masked man called, his tone impatient.

Shigaraki didn’t even seem to hear him. “I’ll pump you so full of my cum, you’ll have no choice but to bear my children. And I still won’t let you go. I’ll fuck you throughout your entire pregnancy, and then get you pregnant all over again. You’re going to be my fuck toy for the rest of your miserable life.”

Katsuki’s answering whimper was overshadowed by the masked man’s shouting. “My king!”

“What?!” Shigaraki roared, rounding on the beta and releasing Katsuki’s throat as a result. The omega coughed and took in some much-needed air, his vision slowly coming back to him.

“We need to strategize,” the masked man said urgently, although it was hard to read him without being able to see his face. Unlike Twice, who somehow expressed so much emotion even through his mask, this man was unreadable.

Shigaraki growled in annoyance. “For what? I won! I have Katsuki now!”

Katsuki glanced at the alpha from the corner of his eye, expression incredulous. The beta said exactly what he was thinking. “You must be joking. There is still a war at play, and because we stole Prince Kirishima’s omega, Adria is now going to come after us! How have you already won?”

The king said nothing for a moment before turning to Katsuki. His lips stretched unnaturally into a slow grin that was all teeth, his chapped lips cracking around the smile. Katsuki flinched at the sight, the man looking the scariest he had all night. But the true fear came when he spoke next. “As long as we have Katsuki, neither Tulia nor Adria will dare to touch us.”

Dabi raised an eyebrow, looking up from where he had been inspecting his nails. The young girl sitting next to him perked up as well, her legs swinging back and forth absentmindedly. “How do you figure?” Dabi drawled in clear disbelief.

“Oh! Are we holding him hostage, then?” the girl asked excitedly, glancing at Katsuki with a manic grin.

“Adria needs Katsuki to keep their future king happy, and Tulia needs Katsuki to keep Adria happy. Now, imagine if they—for whatever reason—were to believe that we had intentions of killing Katsuki. They would be much more understanding, don’t you think?” Shigaraki looked around the room once he finished speaking, as if looking for someone to agree with him. When the king’s eyes landed on Twice, the man nodded before shaking his head and then nodding again.

The masked man sighed, “This is why we need to strategize.”

Shigaraki sucked his teeth in annoyance. “Fine, Compress. We’ll talk outside,” he grumbled. He pointed to his four remaining henchmen before thrusting his finger in Katsuki’s direction. “Watch. Him. Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” The door shut loudly behind the two men as they exited, and Katsuki stared down the four others in the room as they all stared at him in silence.

“As you all are aware, my father has passed and my husband has been kidnapped,” Eijirou said bluntly hours later, his voice deceptively level as he addressed everyone in the strategy room. Around the table stood a handful of his most trusted knights, as well as the foreign leaders of Adria’s allied kingdoms. Ochako and Izuku had snuck their way in when the knights had been ushering people out of the room they were being held in, but Eijirou knew there was no point trying to get them to leave. So, they stayed quiet leant up against the wall in one of the corners of the room. “I hate to ask this of you, since just hours ago you were honored guests at my wedding, but I request that you all return to your respective kingdoms at the earliest possible moment.”

“That was already my intention,” Enji immediately huffed, still upset over the search and questioning he had been subjected to earlier, and Eijirou bit his tongue to prevent himself from lashing out.  

Queen Yaoyorozu suddenly slammed her hands on the table in the center of the room, her pretty features twisted into an ugly scowl. “For once in your damn life, Todoroki, have some tact!” she snapped angrily.

“My love,” her husband spoke up, placing a hand on his wife’s shoulder. The queen seemed to calm slightly at the simple touch. “I understand your frustration, but this is not the time nor place.” The queen nodded, knowing her husband was right, and although she still looked angry, she remained quiet as others piped in.

“Prince Eijirou, I know you are a fine warrior, but you have just lost your father,” King Iida said with concern. “To rush straight into battle—”

“I have little other choice,” Eijirou interrupted, clearly resolved to see this through, even if all of his carefully laid out plans were now ruined. This would be a harsh battle, but it was a battle Eijirou could no longer postpone.

King Iida frowned at the interruption. “Well, if you insist, then I see no reason to stop you. I just hope you do not follow your father and omega to the grave.”

“Oh, these damn men,” Queen Yaoyorozu mumbled under breath in disbelief.

Eijirou’s eyes widened at the king’s words, seemingly at a loss for words. He had absolutely no intention of falling in battle—he never did—but that was not what struck him despite King Iida’s lack of tact.

Not once had Eijirou considered Katsuki could be dead.

“Kacchan is not dead!” Izuku yelled, taking everyone by surprise. People had forgotten he and Ochako were even there, and now the omega looked about ready to rampage despite the fresh tears in his red-rimmed eyes and Ochako’s arms holding him in place.

King Iida and King Todoroki looked apathetically at the display, but everyone else could feel Izuku’s pain. Ochako and Eijirou more than anyone.

“I am only pointing out the mere possibility,” King Iida said simply, but he seemed to cower beneath Eijirou’s answering glare. “I hope for the prince’s safety just as the rest of you do, but we need to face reality! Who knows what his captors have planned for him.”

“You needn’t worry about that, Your Majesty,” Hanta said dismissively when the silence in the room had carried on for a few moments too long. “Adria will handle everything from here on out.”

“Please, just send your prayers our way,” Denki tacked on, smiling insincerely at the alpha king.

King Iida sniffed derisively, glaring down at the omega, but the moment Hanta’s glare turned on him, he cowered and turned away. The king looked back at Eijirou who had remained deathly silent since his comment about his father and Katsuki. “Will it even be safe for us to travel back to our homes?” he questioned snidely, clearly thinking the young prince hadn’t thought this through fully.  

Eijirou sighed heavily, the sound filling the room. “None of you are targets for Villiass, so I highly doubt they would expel the energy to seek you out.” King Iida opened his mouth, no doubt about to protest, but Eijirou continued before he could get a word out. “Of course, that is only a guess. Villiass has always been slightly unpredictable, so you may very well become a target, King Iida. If you are still too afraid to travel, I will have a few of my knights escort you.” Eijirou’s gaze turned sharp and dangerous. “I would hate for you to follow my father and omega to the grave.”

King Iida clearly didn’t appreciate having his words thrown back at him in such a way or his strength being questioned so blatantly. With a fierce growl, the king turned on his heel and stormed from the room, his wife bowing to everyone before following after him, silent as always.

Eijirou let out a breath once the king had vacated the room. Enji was watching Eijirou with a poorly concealed smirk, finding amusement in the way Adria was falling apart before his very eyes, and it was King Yaoyorozu who caught the expression.

“Perhaps it would be prudent for us to depart as well, wouldn’t you say, Enji?” he asked pointedly. Enji narrowed his eyes but turned and left without a word. “Eijirou-kun,” the king said, drawing the prince’s attention back to him after he had been watching Enji walk away with an unreadable look on his face. “The kingdom of Creati would be honored to fight alongside you to defeat Villiass.” Eijirou’s eyes widened exponentially at that. He hadn’t expected anyone to offer their own military forces. “Honestly, I would love teach those bastards that a Riot is not to be messed with.”

Eijirou breathed out a laugh, but his smile was sad. “With my father gone, the Riot name is gone along with him,” he said despondently. “I have not earned such a title, and at this point, I doubt I truly deserve one.”

King Yaoyorozu had no idea what to say to that, and neither did anyone else in the room. There had never been any doubt before that Eijirou would one day have his own title of Riot, but if Eijirou himself doubted it…

“I’m sorry, King Yaoyorozu, I know you were close with my father, but Adria must face this threat alone,” Eijirou said finally, and King Yaoyorozu could not argue against such steadfast determination.

Once only Eijirou, his knights, Ochako, and Izuku remained in the room did Eijirou let himself fall to his knees, his hands gripping tightly onto the table the only thing keeping him from hitting the floor entirely. Everyone rushed to his side, fearing the worst after the events of today. But when they got to him, the redhead was holding back tears, blood dripping from where his sharp teeth dug painfully into his lips, desperately holding back any sounds from escaping as his body shook violently. It was painful to see their prince like that. Not simply because of his tears, but because Eijirou had never been known to hold back his emotions before, and now he felt he had no choice but to do so.

Even if Eijirou would not let himself cry, the others could not hold back their tears at the sight of their prince.

King Iida stomped through the corridor with his wife’s hurried footsteps following behind him on his way to where his son was still being held along with everyone else. Even though everyone within the castle—wedding guests, knights, palace staff, and commoners alike—had been cleared as suspects, Eijirou had posted two knights outside the doors to prevent anyone from leaving or wandering around.

Well, Iida was ready to leave. He would take his wife and his son and leave Adria behind to crumble into nothingness. If that brat thinks he can handle this himself, then so bet it. Adria was a valuable ally when Crimson Riot was alive, but Eijirou is too young, too naïve. Adria will surely fall, he thought, sure of himself in that regard.

He approached the room, and Mina and Kendou were leant against the door, and the ladies straightened when they spotted the foreign king. “Hello, Your Majesty,” Kendou greeted politely. “I thought you would still be with—”

“Silence, woman,” he snapped impatiently. “Move aside so I can grab my boy and leave.”

Kendou and Mina glanced at each other before stepping aside. The king entered the room, instantly spotting his son sitting far too close to that common omega for his liking. Tenya got to his feet when he saw his father, his eyes filled with questions and concerns alike. "Father, what—"

“We’re leaving,” he informed his son.

Tenya blinked in shock. “What? We can’t leave now. We should stay and help!” he declared passionately. Behind him, Hitoshi looked at the king warily.

“And when did my word become up for debate, boy?” his father asked stonily, and Tenya instantly deflated.

The prince’s face fell to the floor beneath his feet, silent for a few long moments, knowing he should listen to his father but wanting to stay in Adria and offer his assistance in any way he could. In the end, Tenya sighed and said, “My apologies, father.”

King Iida smirked in satisfaction. “Good. Now, we need to—”

“I am afraid I cannot return home with you at this time,” Tenya said determinedly. “I wish you and mother safe travels.”

His father ground his teeth together in anger and disbelief, grabbing his son by his shirt and hauling him onto the tips of his toes. “You would dare defy me?” he questioned dangerously, at the end of his rope and his hand rose beside him to form a fist. Before King Iida could strike the young alpha, Tenya was pulled from his grasp, Hitoshi stepping in front of the prince protectively.

“What kind of man puts their hands on their son?” he shouted furiously, glaring balefully up at the larger man. But Hitoshi had fought bigger, scarier men and women yesterday.

Tenya looked at Hitoshi, baffled that he would step in to help. Openly defying a king was no easy task, and Tenya was once again reminded of what he found so attractive in the omega. King Iida, on the other hand, was staring at Hitoshi like he was some kind of alien creature. A tense moment passed between everyone in the room before the king sighed.

“Oh, I see now,” he said, almost to himself. “You’re the reason he wants to stay.”

Both Hitoshi and Tenya gaped dumbly at the statement, and Tenya blushed a bright red as he quickly shook his head. “No, father, I just wish to help Adria in their time of need, as I know they would do for us.”

“Well, that’s fine,” King Iida said, having a baffling change of heart. “As long as you don’t foolishly throw yourself into battle. I imagine this omega will, as that is all Adrians seem to think about, and when he perishes, this ridiculous rebellious phase of yours will come to an end.” And with that, King Iida turned on his heel and stormed out of the room in much the same way he entered, his wife following silently behind, but her eyes stayed fixed on her youngest son for just a moment before she disappeared from sight.

Hitoshi was silently glad that his parents had left the castle after the ceremony, having opted out of the ceremonial hunt that follows, so Hitoshi hadn’t been left in the state Tenya was currently in, staring blankly after his parents and unsure of everything. The omega wanted to say something, anything to comfort the alpha, but it seemed that the angry royal parade had yet to come to an end.

Hitoshi heard Shouto curse under his breath from where he was seated a bit away from where they were standing, and the alpha seemed to unconsciously cradle his bruised cheek at the sight of his father.

“Shouto, let’s go,” Enji ordered sternly upon seeing his son. “There’s no need for us to remain in this kingdom any longer.”

Shouto didn’t bother arguing, knowing that he would inevitably be forced along with his father in the end. The prince got to his feet, not unaware of the glares and distrustful murmurs that followed after him and his father as they left the ballroom, his father’s head held high while Shouto’s hung low.

King and Queen Yaoyorozu passed them on their way, and they all nodded to each other once in greeting. “Safe travels,” King Yaoyorozu said pleasantly.

“Yeah, yeah,” Enji grumbled as he continued on his way, uncaring of the other king’s affronted scoff in response.

Just as they were nearing the entrance of the castle, those who had remained in the strategy room emerged from within, stopping short at the sight of the Todoroki men. Enji and Shouto took in the handful of knights surrounding their prince almost protectively, but what truly stood out were Eijirou’s red-rimmed eyes, clearly fresh from mournful tears. Shouto felt his heart constrict painfully, and he steeled himself as he decided what he truly needed to do.

“Father,” he said, halting his father in his tracks as they passed by the Adrians without a word. Enji turned to him in question. “I am going to stay within Adria for a while longer,” he spoke with conviction, not askance.

“What?” his father asked lowly, dangerously, and Shouto squared his shoulders defiantly.

“At least until Prince Katsuki’s safety is ascertained,” he professed. “I cannot, in good conscience, return to Endeavor until then.”

“What the hell do you care?” Enji asked in plain befuddlement. The thought of caring about another’s wellbeing if it didn’t directly affect him was utter nonsense. “We have no further use for the omega.”

Shouto gritted his teeth at that. “I am not staying behind because of whatever ridiculous scheme you had in mind,” he hissed. “I still cannot even fathom what you were trying to accomplish, or why you seem so desperate for Tulia to be under your control.” He sighed heavily. “…Or why I went along with you in the first place,” he added ruefully.

Enji huffed, unimpressed. “So, suddenly, you care about the prince?” he questioned dubiously.

Truthfully, Shouto felt guilty, and he knew he was really only staying behind for his own peace of mind. He had done more than enough damage in his short time in Adria, and he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he left things as they were. Without waiting for his father’s protests, Shouto sprinted away back towards the ballroom. He was unaware of the eyes following him in shock as he passed by Eijirou in the opposite direction, wholly ignorant to Izuku’s conflicted stare as the omega exited the room in time to see Shouto run past, his expression determined.

It had been silent in the tavern for hours after the departure of Shigaraki and “Mr. Compress,” as the girl had happily informed him when Katsuki asked just who they were. She had neglected to give her own name, since Dabi cut her off quickly after only revealing Twice and Mr. Compress’ aliases, furiously demanding that no one give Katsuki any more unnecessary information. Twice had come to her defense, insisting it was fine since most of them didn’t use their real names, but Dabi ignored them both.

He turned a glare on Katsuki, knowing exactly what the cunning blond was up to. “You can try to collect as much information on us as you want, but it’s useless. You’re not going anywhere, omega,” the alpha growled menacingly, and Katsuki seethed silently. Between him and the masked man, Katsuki wasn’t going to have an easy time of escaping. Twice and the girl seemed to be less of a concern, but Katsuki knew he’d had to get rid of all four of them somehow if he wanted freedom.

The girl suddenly hopped down from the barstool she sat on and skipped over to the omega, planting her hands on either of his thighs as she leaned close to his face. “Hi, Katsuki,” she said cheerfully, as if she hadn’t personally helped in kidnapping him. “You can call me Himiko. I hope we can be friends.” Katsuki said nothing, keeping his gaze on one of the holes in the floor. Dabi sighed in exasperation from somewhere behind her. “Nothing?” she continued at the blond’s stubborn silence, pouting slightly. “That’s fine. I can fill the silence,” she giggled.

“Please, don’t,” Dabi grumbled.

“Toga-chan, get away from him! He’s vicious!” Twice said anxiously from behind her.

Himiko ignored them both. “You know, Katsu-chan,” she began. Katsuki cringed at the nickname. “I really love omegas. They have such sweet smells, and they’re so soft and cute. I’m also an omega, you know!” Katsuki sent her a weird look. He couldn’t smell anything from her.

She giggled, catching his confused look. “I know, I smell like a beta. It’s so boring. It’s the oil King Shigaraki makes me use. Villiass specialty!” Katsuki fought to keep his expression neutral, but this revelation was astounding. There was nothing that existed that could fully mask someone’s scent. Until now, it seemed. “Anyways! That omega friend of yours—the really cute one. Izuku-kun! I like him a lot. I wish we could have taken him with us. I would have loved to get inside him,” she said, sighing wistfully and causing Katsuki’s heart to plummet.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, don’t say it like that!” Dabi hissed in disgust.

Himiko gave him a look as if he were stupid. “Obviously, I meant cutting him up! Don’t be gross, stupid!” Katsuki watched as she pulled a dagger from seemingly nowhere, flipping it around her fingers a few times before placing it right against Katsuki’s throat. He could feel the cold metal just barely graze his mating glands, but the sudden, sharp pain had Katsuki flinching away violently. “You, though,” the alleged omega began, her voice eerily quiet now. “You don’t seem as much fun as Izuku-kun. I mean, I’d still love to see you all covered in red, but it wouldn’t be as satisfying, you know?” At that, she smiled wide.

“Leave the bitch alone, Toga,” Dabi said exasperatedly, and Katsuki hated how he was the most nonchalant about all of this.

Himiko pouted, but she did skip back over to her seat after a moment. Katsuki’s eyes followed her in intrigue. “How did you make yourself look like Uraraka?” he asked. He needed to know. The question had been plaguing him since he realized the trap he’d fallen into.

“Who?” she asked at first before remembering. “Oh! I put a lot of effort into that, you know! It took forever to make it believable! You better appreciate it!” Himiko shouted, pointing her dagger at Katsuki accusingly. “It’s not easy to copy someone’s appearance and voice after only seeing and hearing them once! But then, I am a specialist, so it was easy for me,” she said braggingly.  

“What the hell are you…?” Katsuki trailed off when it became clear to him why Himiko and Twice seemed so familiar. “You two are the travelers we encountered on the way into Adria,” he said in dawning realization, his expression twisting in despair as it became apparent just how long this abduction had been in the making.

“Yes, good job, Katsu-chan! That other cute, little omega had tried to hide you, but I knew you were there!” Himiko chirped proudly, kicking her legs excitedly. “I figured Ochako-chan would be the easiest to impersonate, and I was right! I could come and go from the castle whenever I wanted with her face.” Himiko leaned forward, grinning so wide her teeth were on full display for Katsuki. “I could even walk into the kitchen and poison the king’s food without anyone batting an eye!” she drawled evilly before cackling manically. She was clearly unhinged, and Katsuki knew he wouldn’t be able to talk his way out of this with her there.

But while she was being so forthright with information… “That poison you used to kill Crimson Riot, what was it?”

“Oi, omega,” Dabi said darkly, and Katsuki’s eyes snapped to him. “Don’t test my fucking patience,” he murmured, but Katsuki wouldn’t let himself be scared.  

“Why are you even doing this?” he asked the four of them.

Dabi rolled his eyes at the cliché question. “His Majesty’s orders,” he said simply.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. “I meant, why is your batshit insane king making an enemy out of two powerful kingdoms like Tulia and Adria?” he amended. “You know, besides the fact that he is batshit insane.”

Dabi snorted in amusement. “Don’t you get it yet, you idiot?” he asked snidely. “You’re his ‘prized possession.’ The secret, lonely omega prince who was locked away in his tower just waiting to be touched,” he finished sarcastically, and Katsuki grimaced in disgust as the insinuation.

“I would rather die than have to be touched by that dry-skinned fuck for the rest of my life,” he said passionately.

“Should an omega really be so vulgar?” the hooded man asked suddenly, causing Katsuki to jump. He hadn’t expected to hear the man speak, to be honest.

“What is the deal with you, anyway?” Katsuki sneered. “Are you so fucking ugly under there that you need to wear a hood?” he jeered. “You and your fucking masked friends are probably as fucking hideous as burn victim over here.”

Dabi sighed once he was called out, while Twice and the hooded man simply remained silent. “You really don’t know when to be quiet, do you? Keep annoying me, and it won’t matter what my king has to say about it. I’ll rape every single hole you have, you stupid omega bitch.” Katsuki flinched at his words, sensing the sincerity behind them and actually feeling fear towards the alpha. Dabi sighed again, seemingly bored with the omega’s docile reaction. “I need some alcohol,” he suddenly groaned.

“Hey, omega,” the hooded man said, drawing Katsuki’s attention back to him. “You really have no clue why Shigaraki-sama is so interested in Tulia?”

“It’s super obvious!” Twice yelled. “Wait, I don’t have a clue either!”

“As far as I know, Tulia has no outstanding resources or trades that would warrant all of this,” Katsuki said in reply to the hooded man. Tulia, for all its wealth and elegance, paled in comparison to other kingdoms’ unique resources.

“If that were the case, then why would Adria ever ally themselves with a weak kingdom like yours?” the hooded man asked dubiously, and from the tone of his voice, he probably thought Katsuki was daft. Katsuki seethed.

“For me, I imagine,” Katsuki answered.

Dabi snorted in amusement. “Someone thinks they’re special,” he mocked. Katsuki glared at him but kept silent, not wanting to risk upsetting the alpha and having him follow through on his earlier threat.

“Tulia really never planned to crown you as king, huh,” the hooded man commented in realization, and Katsuki gritted his teeth. He knew that already. He didn’t need someone else telling him that! “You were never told about the rare metal that is found only in Tulian soil, so strong that no current weapons could ever hope to put a dent in anything crafted from it.”

Katsuki’s eyes slowly widened, and he looked to everyone in the room to gauge their reactions. None of them looked shocked by the revelation—except for Twice, who was gaping dumbly—and Katsuki had to wonder how foreigners knew more about his native kingdom than he did. “I have never heard of such a thing,” Katsuki declared, refusing to believe the words of a Villiass criminal.

“Clearly,” Dabi muttered under his breath.

“It’s no wonder, really,” the hooded man continued, waving a gloved hand flippantly. “Tulia is notorious for its secrets. Even its own citizens don’t know about it. Only the king and queen, as well as a few other royals they had attempted to bargain with.”

Katsuki thought about how determined King Todoroki seemed to get he and Shouto together, and he wondered if the king had discovered the existence of this “rare metal” during a failed negotiation with his mother. It must have gone wrong on Endeavor’s end because Katsuki knew his mother would not have hesitated to marry him off to an alpha like Shouto. It also left Katsuki to wonder if Crimson Riot had known about the “rare metal,” and that was why he accepted the treaty. It made much more sense than the half-assed reasons Crimson Riot and Katsuki’s parents had told he and Eijirou, but it also meant that Eijirou knew about it as well. That did not sit right with Katsuki.

“How did your king find out about it, then?” Katsuki asked doubtfully. “No kingdom would ever even contemplate forming an alliance with Villiass.”

“Good question,” the hooded man said, as if he were a teacher praising his star pupil. “It’s simple really. Shigaraki-sama knows another secret about—”

“Spinner,” Dabi interjected, his voice hard as steel. His face was impassive, but Katsuki could see the warning in his eyes. “He doesn’t need to know all this shit. He’s just a hole,” Dabi said. Katsuki grit his teeth. He decided he was going to kill this man first.

The hooded man, who apparently went by the alias “Spinner,” turned away with a huff. “Look, Dabi,” he said. “I know a thing or two about being held captive without a clue why you’re there. Especially if you have no idea what your captors plan to do to you. I was just making conversation.”

Dabi rolled his eyes before jumping to his feet, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as if this entire situation bored him. “I'm out of here,” he drawled. “His Majesty wants me elsewhere in three days, so I better get a move on now.” Katsuki desperately wanted to ask where he was going and for what purpose, but he doubted he would get a clear answer—if he even got one at all.

“Bye, bye, Dabi!” Toga said cheerfully, waving the hand holding her dagger back and forth.

“Don’t disappoint,” Spinner called after him, while Twice seemed about ready to combust.

“Dabi, wait! What are we supposed to do with the prince?” he asked frantically.

Dabi shrugged. “He’s not really my problem anymore. Just try not to kill him or maim him,” Dabi said, swinging the door open and leaving just like that. A moment later, he stuck his head back inside with a smirk. “And don’t fucking let the bitch escape, you morons.”

As the door shut behind Dabi for the last time, Spinner sneered angrily. “Dick.”

“Pot, meet kettle,” Katsuki muttered under his breath, silently wondering how he would manage to escape this tricky predicament he found himself. He needed to get back to his alpha as soon as possible.

Chapter Text

Masaru was pacing back and forth in Katsuki’s old bedroom, his mind racing with thoughts of his son. After the reports of an unknown, extremely large man rampaging in the capital only to vanish without a trace, Masaru couldn’t help but worry if similar attacks were happening elsewhere. If all things went according to plan, Katsuki and the Adrian prince had married just the day before, and Adria would soon hold up their end of the deal and send word of their next course of action in their battle against Villiass.

In his worry, he almost didn’t notice the carrier pigeon that landed on the windowsill, its shadow passing through the morning rays of light as it cooed loudly, as if to draw his attention. The king startled, staring at the bird in confusion. It wasn’t a breed he had seen before; he could usually recognize the various breeds of carrier pigeons from Creati, Endeavor, and Ingenium. He had never heard of Adria delivering messages in this way—much preferring the fairly old-fashioned and inconvenient method of sending an in-person messenger—so that only left Villiass.

Masaru stumbled towards the open window in a panic once the realization hit. A message from Villiass! He had no idea what it could be, but he knew it could only be trouble.

Masaru looked for a slip of rolled up paper around the bird’s neck, and he pulled it free with shaking hands. The bird took off the moment Masaru stepped back, and Masaru watched it go as he took a deep, steadying breath to calm his nerves. It did little to help, so he just unrolled the paper, something larger and heavier slipping out and falling to the ground in the process.

Masaru jumped back in shock, somewhat expecting a bomb or severed finger, but all he saw was an eerily familiar necklace. The necklace Masaru had gifted his son before he left for Adria was laying at his feet unassumingly, glittering in the sunlight that shone through the window. Masaru felt his heart plummet into his stomach and his breath draw short.

The door to the bedroom slammed open suddenly, and his wife marched into the room, her pretty features twisted into a nasty scowl when she spotted the king. “There you are!” she hissed. “You have some nerve making me search all over this palace for you, Masaru!”

When the beta didn’t react to her words at all, Mitsuki frowned and walked over to him. She noticed the note in his shaking hands, taking the paper from him. It had a simple message: “Thought I would return this to you.”

Mitsuki looked at it in confusion. “Return what?” she asked her husband.

“—illiass.” Mitsuki heard the end of a mumble, and she sucked her teeth, growing annoyed with her husband’s strange behavior. Masaru turned to look at her, and the woman finally saw how pale and terrified the beta looked. “That was sent here by Villiass,” he repeated. He then bent over, picking up the necklace and cradling it protectively against his chest, desperately wishing it were his son instead.

“What is that cheap looking thing? Why would Villiass send that to us of all things?” Mitsuki questioned impatiently.

“I bought it for Katsuki before he left for Adria,” he told her.

“As if the brat was not pampered enough,” the alpha scoffed, and Masaru looked at her in shock before he glared viciously at her.

Masaru made a grab for her, taking the queen by surprise as he roughly shook her shoulders. “Do you not understand what this means?” he asked angrily, appalled by his wife’s flippant reaction. “Katsuki could be in danger—no—he almost certainly is! Shigaraki Tomura has him! Adria could not protect him!” Masaru rambled, the panic within him rising with each word.

Mitsuki simply glared at her husband, slapping his hands off of her. “You have some nerve to grab me like that,” she spat dangerously. “Furthermore, that omega is no longer our concern. He has given us enough trouble as is.”

Masaru gaped at his wife, disgusted with her for her continued horrible treatment of their child, and perhaps even more disgusted with himself for having let it continue for so many years. Shaking his head in resignation, knowing his wife would never break out of her ways, Masaru turned and left the room. He supposed he would just have to send word to Adria himself.

“Stop wiggling, already,” Spinner demanded, annoyed with Katsuki’s incessant twitching as he remained strapped to the chair.

Katsuki glared his way. “I have been holding in my pee for hours—!”

“We have a bucket,” Twice chirped helpfully, and Katsuki looked at him in annoyance.

“I am not using that again,” Katsuki said gruffly, his cheeks coloring just at the memory of Spinner “assisting” him the night before, refusing to untie his hands for even a moment. Katsuki was at least relieved that the man wore gloves at all times, unwilling to imagine bare skin touching him in such ways. “I would rather piss myself.”

“Then, piss yourself,” Spinner said uncaringly, relaxing further into his reclined position against the wall, his eyes sliding shut. “Just be quiet, so I can nap.”

Katsuki gritted his teeth, glaring hatefully at the hooded man even though Spinner wasn’t looking at him anymore. Twice piped up once again. “You know, it’s unhealthy to hold in your urine,” he stated conversationally.

“Really?” Himiko asked in surprise, pausing in her rummaging behind the bar to look at Twice. Katsuki didn’t know what she was looking for or what she expected to find in an abandoned tavern, but as long as it kept her from speaking to him, he didn’t care. “What happens if you do?”

Twice held up a finger, smirking under his mask. “I know all about it! I don’t know a damn thing!”

Himiko hummed as if Twice had given her a great understanding of the subject before glancing at Katsuki appraisingly. “You should probably just pee on yourself, then,” she said casually, smiling at the end like she had just offered the other blond some kind of sage advice.

Katsuki scowled at her. “You should probably just shut the fuck up,” he hissed in return.

“Don’t be rude to Toga-chan!” Twice reprimanded, and Katsuki bit his lip to hold back a scathing reply.

“If you’re gonna be so rude, Katsu-chan, then I won’t offer to help you!” Katsuki definitely didn’t want her hands anywhere near him.

“No, Toga-chan, you can’t! It’s improper for a lady to touch a man in such ways! I’d be so jealous!”

Katsuki growled in the back of his throat, and Twice gaped at him in shock at the sound. “Then, just untie me so I can do it myself!”

“Uh, no, I can’t do that,” Twice said, but he sounded unsure. Katsuki didn’t waste the opportunity.

“Come on, Twice,” Katsuki said gently, making sure to use the beta’s alias to catch him by surprise. “You can imagine how humiliating it is to have someone help you relieve yourself. I know you are a nice guy. You just want to help people, so help me?” Katsuki knew that part was true, at least. Twice seemed to only be around to be used as an errand boy at best. Katsuki would have almost felt bad for the way his accomplices seemed to think nothing of him (except maybe Himiko), but Twice was one of his kidnappers, so any sympathy was quickly washed away.

His words seemed to work on the beta, much to Katsuki’s relief. It looked like he was considering untying Katsuki’s hands after all, his eyes twitching over to the slumbering Spinner every few seconds as he inched towards the blond.

“That’s not very nice, Katsu-chan,” Himiko suddenly said, her voice hard as she stared the other omega down distrustfully.

Katsuki’s lips thinned, and he silently hoped she wasn’t about to interfere. Still, she remained behind the bar, not looking as if she planned to move any time soon. “What are you talking about?” he asked, thankful that his voice was even despite his racing heart.

Himiko sighed disappointedly. “How mean,” she said with a small shake of her head. “You’re trying to use Twice to escape,” she said with a certainty that had Katsuki tensing where he sat.

“He is?” Twice shouted in clear shock. “I knew it!”

Katsuki was quick to deny. “I was not—!”

“Liar,” Himiko mumbled, suddenly lifting her dagger and launching it at Katsuki. The blond cut off with a short scream as the blade planted itself in the wall beside his head. Smiling sinisterly, Himiko pulled out Katsuki’s dagger from where she had apparently had it hidden under her clothes all this time, waving it tauntingly at Katsuki before placing it on the bar behind her as her face hardened. “Don’t be mean to Twice,” she said sternly, and Katsuki stared at her with wide eyes before they slowly filled with defeated tears, the blond’s head falling forward as sobs wracked through his body soundlessly. “Oh, now he’s crying,” Himiko said in slight surprise.

Katsuki tried to hold back his tears, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t be stronger. And he was starting to think he couldn’t escape on his own. Maybe if there were only one kidnapper remaining, he could possibly find some means of escaping if he played his cards right. However, with at least two eyes on him at all times, he needed his hands to get out of here. Without the use of his hands, Katsuki would basically be sitting in wait for Shigaraki’s return.

Would Eijirou be able to find him before that? Katsuki wasn’t so sure anymore.  

Twice started panicking at the sight of Katsuki crying. “No, no, don’t cry, little omega,” he cooed awkwardly, trying to be comforting but failing miserably. “I know! I’ll help you with the bucket!” he offered, but Katsuki only sobbed harder. “Stop crying already!”

“Untie me!” Katsuki yelled in response, glaring fiercely up at the beta even as tears streamed down his pale cheeks.

Twice reeled back in shock at the volume. “I can’t,” he said, actually sounding regretful. “Toga-chan said I shouldn’t, and Spinner would probably get mad. And you should be quiet, or he might wake up. He’s almost as mean as Dabi,” he rushed out in a whisper, but Katsuki didn’t care. “Come on, don’t cry. I’ll help you with the bucket,” he offered again, hoping that would appease the blond.

Of course, it didn’t. “Just leave me alone,” Katsuki hissed. At this point, Katsuki was actually considering soiling himself. Maybe it would keep Shigaraki from touching him again if the man came back.

“Don’t be like that. I’m trying to help you, jerk,” Twice mumbled, moving to help the blond stand, making sure to keep a hold on his bound wrists as the blond automatically struggled. “Be still! I’ll make sure no one looks at you. And I promise I won’t peek at all!”

Katsuki stopped struggling as Twice maneuvered them over to the bucket in the corner of the room, the beta standing behind Katsuki to shield him from Himiko’s view. Katsuki instinctively squeezed his thighs together as Twice lifted his dress, his tears returning silently now as Twice helped him relieve himself, the beta only glancing down momentarily to make sure he was aiming Katsuki in the right place.

“Just tell me when you’re done, okay?” Twice said gently, and Katsuki bit his lip to hold back another embarrassing sob. “Be quick about it!”

When Twice led Katsuki back to his chair, the blond was still silent. In fact, Katsuki didn’t utter another word for the rest of the day. No matter how much Himiko or Twice prodded at him, Katsuki remained sitting motionlessly, staring unseeingly at the floor beneath his feet.

Hanta exhaled tiredly as he made his way to the strategy room that afternoon, nodding in greeting to the two knights leant against the wall on either side of the door, deceptively casual even as their dominant hands rested on the hilts of their swords on their belts. Hanta pushed open the doors, and instantly, the tension in the room was nearly palpable despite there only being one occupant present.

“How much sleep did you get last night, Eijirou?” Hanta asked concernedly after taking in the state of his prince hunched over the table, mumbling to himself as he traced a finger over a map of their kingdom. The man was still wearing his wedding suit.

The raven-haired alpha had just returned from another overnight search of the vast woods surrounding Adria, but his search party had come up with nothing good to bring back to Eijirou. Ever since Katsuki’s disappearance yesterday, there had been no trace of the omega or his captors anywhere. It was clear that it was driving Eijirou crazy from the state of his disheveled clothing paired with the dark bags underneath his red-rimmed eyes.

Eijirou turned to Hanta, his eyes narrowed in a mixture of confusion and annoyance at the question. “You expect me to be able to sleep?” he asked, seeming offended by the mere thought, and Hanta looked away shamefully. “I will not sleep until my omega is by my side again.”

“You can’t function on no sleep, Eijirou,” Hanta protested, but when Eijirou’s frown deepened into a scowl, the knight held his hands up defensively. “Just a few hours, Ei, that’s all I ask,” Hanta pleaded, but Eijirou was shaking his head before his friend even finished the sentence.

“I can’t,” he whispered.

The doors to the strategy room opened then, and both alphas in the room turned to see Denki and Izuku enter. Neither omega looked surprised to see the two of them there, but they also didn’t look pleased.

“Hanta,” Denki said in greeting, but his voice was hard, and his eyes were tired. “You just got back from a search, didn’t you? Why are you here?”

Hanta smiled nervously, jerking a thumb at the redhead beside him. “I was trying to get this idiot to sleep before he wore himself out,” he told the blond, and Denki’s annoyed gaze snapped over to Eijirou instead, allowing his mate to let out a sigh of relief.

“You need to sleep, Eijirou,” Denki told the prince sternly.

At Denki’s side, Izuku smiled sympathetically at Eijirou. “I understand how you feel, Eijirou-sama. I could barely get even an hour of sleep last night,” he confessed. No one would dare to say it, but it showed. If anyone was taking Katsuki’s kidnapping as badly as Eijirou, it was Izuku. “But Kacchan would hate to know that you were losing sleep over him.”

“Katsuki has been taken by some of the most dangerous people you will ever know,” Eijirou said through gritted teeth, and Izuku’s sympathetic smile faded away. “Quite frankly, I could not care less if I run myself into the ground. I will find my omega, and I will kill those who dared to take what is mine,” he growled. Everyone else in the room looked at each other warily at the possessive language, finding it surprising from an alpha like Eijirou. Eijirou caught their looks, misinterpreting them as defiance. With a vicious, threatening growl, he added, “And anyone who tries to get in my way.”

Izuku’s eyes widened fearfully at the blatant threat, but his view of the prince was cut off my Hanta who had stepped in front of Eijirou. He shielded the two omegas from sight, his own expression grave as he met Eijirou’s glare head-on. “Eijirou, I think the lack of sleep is starting to get to you. We are not your enemies. We want Katsuki-sama back home safe and sound, just like you.”

Eijirou merely scoffed in response as he looked back down at the map below him. On it was marked all the areas of the surrounding woods that had been searched with no sign of Katsuki or his father’s killers. Most of the woods remained unmarked, and Eijirou was starting to wonder how much longer it would be before his husband was back by his side where he belonged. “Then, don’t tell me I need sleep again,” Eijirou ordered, his tone final.

Hanta sighed, a mixture of exasperation and relief that the other alpha had at least calmed slightly. Behind him, he could hear Denki and Izuku whispering amongst themselves, but Hanta ignored that for now. “Alright, we won’t,” he agreed, simply to appease the prince. He had little doubt that Eijirou would wind up collapsing if he kept this up, but there was a scarce chance of convincing the alpha to leave at this point. “Just promise me you won’t go out searching on your own again.”

“We don’t need to send out even more search parties for you, Eijirou,” Denki tacked on, clearly still aggravated from the earlier confrontation.

While Hanta silently wished his mate would lighten his tone lest he set off the emotionally unstable alpha again, the knight definitely agreed with the omega’s sentiment. Sometime in the middle of the night, Eijirou had decided it would be a great idea to venture into the woods in search of his husband all by himself, and the castle had been in a panic for a few hours. Everyone thought Eijirou had been the next victim, but a search party had happened to be nearby to the prince and returned him to the castle without too much struggle. Eijirou had been far from happy, but a group of knights managed to painstakingly convince him to remain in the castle for his protection.

The prince didn’t say anything for a few seconds, and Hanta began to worry that Eijirou would insist on searching for Katsuki himself. Thankfully, Eijirou instead said, “Fine. But have the knights outside the doors switched out with someone else, so those two can sleep.” The other three occupants looked at each other in surprise. They hadn’t realized Eijirou knew he was essentially being guarded, and the fact that the prince seemed alright with that was even more startling. Most Adrians would find such a thing offensive or an insult to their strength. “I’m not an idiot, you know,” Eijirou said when he caught their looks. “Now is not the time to be worrying about my pride or ego. After all, had I protected my father and Katsuki, they would both still be here.”

“You can’t blame yourself for this, Eijirou,” Denki said vehemently. “No one could have seen your father’s death coming. And I hope you don’t blame Amajiki-san—”

“I don’t,” Eijirou was quick to say, and he meant it. “But I should have been the one to keep him safe. I’m his husband, his alpha, but I let my emotions get the best of me, and Katsuki has to suffer because of it. I will not make that mistake again,” he vowed, his eyes never leaving the map as he spoke.

“Eijirou-sama,” Izuku breathed in shock, but he had no words to follow.

Hanta placed a comforting hand on the alpha’s shoulder, squeezing just slightly as he said, “Don’t for a second think that you’ve failed Katsuki-sama as a mate. You’ll have Katsuki-sama back by your side before you know it, and we’ll take down Villiass once and for all.”

Eijirou glanced at his friend, his eyes tired and sorrowful, but no less grateful for those words. However, before the redhead could think of a response, there was a frantic knocking at the doors, and everyone’s attention was drawn over as Eijirou called for whoever it was to enter.

The two knights from outside entered followed by Ochako and Tsuyu, their footsteps hurried and expressions distraught. Izuku gasped loudly at the sight of a black-feathered bird clasped between Tsuyu’s hands, struggling wildly to escape as its panicked cooing filled the space. Hanta and Denki watched in confusion, none of the Adrians recognizing the species of bird, and Izuku was quick to fill them in with more of that random knowledge of his.

“That is a Villiass species of pigeon,” he told everyone in the room, and all heads turned to him in shock. “I have only ever seen them in nature books, and they are quite rare. What is that doing so far down south?”

“It was spotted flying around the castle entrance,” Ochako responded. “It looked like it was trying to find an open window, so Tsuyu-chan climbed the castle to catch it.” A few of the Adrians looked as if they wanted to ask how the gardener managed to scale the castle walls and grab a flying bird, but Ochako barreled on before they could utter a question about it. “I thought it was fairly suspicious, and I suppose my suspicions were not unfounded.”

“I am trying not to hurt it,” Tsuyu piped up with a tense frown as the bird continued to struggle. “There is something wrapped around its neck, though.”

Eijirou walked forward then to look closer at the bird, and he noticed some kind of thick ring hanging around the bird’s neck. Gingerly, Eijirou removed the object, and a rolled-up slip of paper fell to the ground with its removal. The alpha barely took notice of it, however, since his gaze was glued to the jewelry in his hand. Now that Eijirou could really get a good look at it, he could tell it wasn’t a ring at all, but rather a familiar bracelet.

Numbly, Eijirou looked between the bracelet in his grasp and the matching one on his left wrist, and he felt all the air in his lings leave him as he fell to his knees. Everyone except Tsuyu rushed to the alpha’s side, the gardener making sure to keep her grip on the bird secure but not painful.

“Eijirou-sama, what is it?” Ochako asked worriedly, her gaze flickering between the prince and the bracelet in his hand in oblivious confusion.

Denki, however, noticed right away. “Isn’t that Katsuki-sama’s bracelet?” he asked shakily.

“What does this mean?” Eijirou asked hollowly, but no one was sure who he was asking exactly. Maybe all of them, and maybe none of them. “What have they done to him?” Eijirou suddenly growled viciously, his emotions running wild inside of him as he pounded a fist on the ground. “What have they done to him?” he screamed in anguish.

“Eijirou, wait, just calm down,” Hanta said as gently as he could manage, holding out the forgotten rolled-up paper to the prince. “See what the message says.”

Eijirou snatched the paper from him, his eyes scanning over the messily scribbled text frantically. “I’m taking good care of my new omega. Don’t bother trying to find him. He doesn’t seem to miss you at all,” Eijirou read aloud, each word coming out angrier than the last. By the end of it, Eijirou was breathing heavily, the paper crumpled between his fingers and his face twisted in his furiousness.

“Those bastards,” Ochako muttered in disgust. Everyone silently agreed, their concerned gazes all trained on the prince as he shook from his rage.

Eijirou dropped the paper to the ground and got to his feet, slipping Katsuki’s bracelet onto his bare wrist. Everyone watched with bated breath, waiting for the prince’s next words. “Carrier pigeons return to the sender, right?” he asked the room quietly.

“Oh, yes,” Izuku said hesitantly, unnerved by the alpha’s sudden calmness. He had expected more yelling or threats of violence, but this was somehow more frightening. “Are you…planning to send a message back?”

The redhead sent the omega a dark smirk in response. “If those fuckers think they’re gonna have the last laugh, then they’re in for a surprise.”

The morning sun’s rays fought to shine through the slits in the boards that covered the tavern’s windows, giving Katsuki a faint idea of just how long he’d been trapped with these people. Two days ago, Katsuki suspected, was when everything had fallen apart. Granted, it could have been longer.

Katsuki felt drained, tired, and hopeless. He had not eaten or slept since before his wedding, not trusting his kidnappers to not try something while he was unconscious, and he had not been offered food in all his time here (not that he would have eaten it anyway). His throat was dry and sore from a lack of water and excess yelling. There were dried tears and snot on his face, and despite how humiliating the entire situation was, Katsuki could physically do nothing at all to rectify it. He couldn’t even wipe his face.

Through barely open eyes, Katsuki watched as Twice moved from where he was laying next to a sleeping Himiko to crawl over to Katsuki. He stopped right in front of the blond, staring up at him from where he was perched on his knees.

Katsuki’s brow furrowed in confusion when Twice said nothing and simply stared at him. “What?” he rasped, his voice only audible due to the complete silence within the room.

“Oh, you’re talking again,” Twice said, his voice much louder than the blond’s, and Spinner made a sound of annoyance behind them. “I thought maybe I made you mad yesterday…”

Katsuki exhaled softly through his nose, wondering how he should even respond to that. Or if he should. In the end, he settled on, “Why would you care?”

“You’re gonna mate with our king, so you’ll become our queen,” Twice said slowly, speaking as though Katsuki may have forgotten and needed reminding. “It’ll be bad if you’re mad at me. I know Dabi and Spinner have been mean to you, but that’s just how they are. It’s nothing personal!”

It definitely felt personal, Katsuki thought disbelievingly. “Why are you doing this?” Katsuki asked quietly, and Twice looked at him with wide eyes under his mask.

“King Shigaraki—” he began, but Katsuki shook his head.

“No, not that rehearsed bullshit the others keep spewing,” he grumbled. “Why are you doing this? You are not like them.”

Twice glanced over at his companions, but neither were paying them any attention. Glancing back at Katsuki, Twice hesitantly said, “You’re trying to trick me again…”

“No,” Katsuki denied. “I mean it. You are a criminal, and Adria will show no mercy to you, but you are the only one who has been even remotely kind to me. Why?”

“You aren’t bad. And I’m not bad, either! I just want to be of use to my king and friends.”

“If they are your friends, why are they so mean to you? Why do they make you help them with their crimes?” Katsuki questioned dubiously.  

Twice frowned at the questioning. “You don’t know what you’re talking about! Just shut up already!” There were times when Twice’s voices (personalities?) almost seemed to agree, but Katsuki wasn’t exactly sure what that meant for the beta’s mental state. At the moment, he just seemed distraught and confused. “I’d do anything for my friends! Especially Toga-chan!”

“Just stop talking to him already, moron,” Spinner snapped from across the room at Twice’s outburst.

Twice turned to his “friend” in surprise. “But he—!”

“Twice, be quiet. Wanna sleep,” Himiko whined from where she lay on the floor before seemingly falling right back to sleep.

Twice seemed to droop at the girl’s words. “But Toga-chan…” he mumbled.

“Twice, just shut up,” Spinner said sternly.

Twice slinked away from the blond in defeat. Faintly, Katsuki could hear him faintly mumble, “They’re my friends…”

The next morning, a round of Adrian knights watched as their prince paced back in forth in front of the king’s throne. Eijirou had still yet to sleep or eat much of anything, and even more so than that, the redhead absolutely refused to even glance at the throne that just days ago belonged solely to his father.

“Eijirou,” Mina called for what had to be the seventh time, but like the previous six times, Eijirou didn’t even acknowledge her. She couldn’t tell if this was intentional or not; whether the prince was silently telling them to leave his presence, or he was just so wrapped up in his own racing thoughts that he was barely cognizant of them. Either way, Mina decided to try again. “Ei-ji-rou!” she shouted, stressing each syllable of his given name.

Finally, the redhead’s attention snapped to the pink-haired woman. “What?” he asked confusedly, and his eyes only now seemed to take in the multiple people within the room. “What?” he asked again, more snappish this time.

Mina placed her hands on her hips with a small huff, mentally reminding herself that her friend was not himself at the moment. “I have been trying to get your attention for ages!” she said exaggeratedly.

Tetsutetsu stepped forward then, a small scroll in his hand that he held out to the prince. “There has been another message—”

“So, they continue to taunt me?” Eijirou blurted angrily, catching everyone by surprise from the sheer volume. He stomped along the ornate, red carpet, approaching the knight quicker than Tetsutetsu was prepared for, and the knight’s eyes widened with each step closer as he fought to remain in place. Eijirou looked like a complete stranger, and the shortening distance between them did not change this. “Villiass thinks I will not slaughter each and every one of them for this mockery? I swear on my father’s grave that I will make them all suffer for what they have done! I will drain the blood from their—”

“Fuck, Eijirou, it’s from Tulia!” Tetsutetsu shouted, only slightly showing his unease. He had seen Eijirou in battle many times before. He had been fighting right beside him almost as long as the prince had been fighting himself, after all, but this… “It was attached to some dainty looking, little, white pigeon. Midoriya and Uraraka both said they recognized it as one of Tulia’s.”

Eijirou blinked dumbly, all anger leaving his at once as his shoulders relaxed. No one else seemed able to. “Oh,” was all he said as he wordlessly took the scroll from Tetsutetsu who automatically took a few large steps backwards after. Eijirou didn’t even glance his way again as he began reading. It was deathly silent in the throne room for a few minutes as the prince read. Finally, he rolled the scroll back up before sticking it into his wedding suit. “It’s from King Bakugou. He fears that Katsuki is in danger, and he wants Adria to tell them of their next course of action,” he told them dryly. 

“Not surprising,” Hanta said after a long moment when no one else dared to speak. “You said our alliance with Tulia was built on your marriage to Katsuki and our assistance in the war against Villiass. So, what are we going to do?”

Eijirou raised an eyebrow. “Nothing,” he said simply. “Katsuki hasn’t returned to me.”

Hanta’s eyes widened in surprise. “Well, of course, we’re not going to stop looking for Katsuki-sama, but we can’t ignore Tulia’s call for help,” he said.

“If Villiass has already made a move on Adria, then surely Tulia is soon to follow,” Tetsutetsu chimed in.

Eijirou shrugged. “I’m sure that’s true, but Adria is not in a place where it can enter battle at the moment,” he said, his tone frustratingly impassive.

“Bullshit,” Mina snapped. “We are always ready for battle! Do you not intend to make those bastards pay for what they’ve done?”

“Villiass will get what’s coming to them,” Eijirou said surely. “That is not in question, Mina.”

Kendou stepped forward then, coming to stand beside her mate. “And what of the people—the Tulians who will die at Villiass soldiers’ hands?”

Eijirou’s gaze fell from his trusted knights to the ground at their feet. “They will die. It is as simple as that.”

“Have you lost your mind, Eijirou? Who even are you?” Mina shouted in outrage at the cold response. “The Eijirou I know would never care so little about others! What’s happened to you?” she demanded, but the moment the question left her lips, she realized her mistake.

Eijirou’s face twisted into something ugly, and he grabbed the beta woman by the protective armor she wore, growling dangerously into her face. Everyone took an aborted step forward, but Mina held a hand up at her side to halt them. “My father was killed, and my omega was taken from me, in case you have forgotten,” he spoke lowly. “My only concern right now is bringing Katsuki home. Tulia is the last thing on my mind. As far as I’m concerned, Tulia could crash and burn, and while Villiass is distracted with that, I can get my husband back.”

Mina swallowed nervously, and her next words came out surprisingly even. “You don’t mean that, Eijirou. You’re hurting right now, and you’re not thinking rationally. I understand that, but Tulia is Katsuki-sama’s home,” she said in a near whisper.

“Adria,” Eijirou hissed, his expression turning thunderous. “Is my omega’s home.”

Mina pursed her lips. “Yes,” she eventually said in agreeance.

Eijirou released her before stepping back. He moved his gaze over the rest of the knights in the room then, his expression not easing in the slightest. “Something else you all have seemed to have forgotten,” he began, and everyone tensed. “I am not just your friend. I am your prince. With my father gone, my word is final. It is not up for debate. If I tell you to do something, you will do it. The next open act of defiance will be treated as treason.”

Everyone’s eyes widened in shock at that, and Denki stepped forward unthinkingly. “Eijirou—”

Eijirou’s head snapped to him so quickly it was a miracle his neck didn’t crack. “Were my words confusing for you, Denki?” he asked harshly.

The omega’s lips thinned. “No,” he said through gritted teeth. He roughly shrugged off his alpha’s hands when Hanta instantly moved to comfort him.

“Good,” Eijirou muttered. “I presume you all understand clearly now?” he asked needlessly.

Together, feeling equally miffed and concerned, the knights all said, “Yes, Your Highness.”

“Good,” Eijirou repeated. He continued down the red carpet, following its path to the large doors of the throne room. He pushed the doors open, the muscles in his arms barely straining in the process. “Hanta and Tetsu can act as my guards for today, if that will make you all feel better,” Eijirou threw out right as he exited the room, and the two knights in question moved to follow after the briefest moment’s hesitation.

With Eijirou’s departure, the knights of the Royal Guard felt they could breathe easier now. Denki instantly hurried over to Mina, placing a hand on her shoulder as he looked at her in worry. “Mina, are you alright?”

“Fuck,” Mina cursed under her breath. She couldn’t get the image of Eijirou hollow gaze out of her mind. “Not even a little bit.”

“Twice,” Katsuki called over to the man, watching as his head shot up at the sound of his alias. Twice looked around the room, glancing at both Himiko and Spinner in confusion before his gaze finally fell on Katsuki. With the man’s attention, Katsuki made his move. “I need to use the bathroom,” he said softly, making his voice and expression seem as embarrassed as he could.

Twice jumped to his feet, walking over to Katsuki. “Oh, okay,” he said easily. “We have to use the bucket, though. No complaining this time!”

“Twice,” Katsuki said once the man was close enough to reach out and touch him. He lowered his voice so the other two wouldn’t hear and asked, “Can I go outside this time?”

“Not this again,” Twice mumbled exasperatedly. “You’re not tricking me this time!”

Katsuki shook his head. “There is no trick,” he insisted. “But this is no way to treat an omega, you know. We need privacy for things like this.”

“But—”

The omega quickly cut off any protest, knowing he needed to get through to Twice before the beta could be swayed the other way again. “You would never make Toga-chan pee in a bucket, would you?” he asked knowingly, intentionally using the nickname Twice used for the girl.

Twice’s eyes widened. “Of course not! I would die before doing that!” he shouted, affronted by the mere idea.

“Exactly,” Katsuki said eagerly. “So, let me go outside. I promise not to run. With how tired and hungry I am, I probably could not get far anyhow.” That was likely true, and that was why Katsuki knew he needed to make sure he couldn’t be followed.

“I don’t know,” the beta said hesitantly, much like the day before. Katsuki definitely had a point, he thought, but he still looked torn.

Katsuki watched the man’s inner turmoil silently, knowing that he was close to breaking him. “I know you are a good person,” Katsuki said quietly, but he didn’t know that. He knew Twice wasn’t as cruel as his associates, but the blond was of the mindset that “good” people didn’t make a habit of kidnapping others. Still, Katsuki would say just about anything to escape, and it was clear Twice was the only one he was likely to get through to. “Help me, Twice.”

Twice was clearly moved by his words, and Katsuki had to fight to not cry in relief as the beta started untying Katsuki’s wrists. The blond noticed Spinner sit up fully, watching Twice in shock, so Katsuki made a split-second decision. Just as the rope fell from Katsuki’s wrists, the blond headbutted Twice with as much strength as he could muster, successfully knocking him unconscious.

Spinner was immediately on his feet, ready to attack, but the only other person in the room moved just a bit slower, and Katsuki was able to cut his ankles free, grab his dagger from the counter, and get behind Himiko with a knife against her throat.

“I will slit her fucking throat if you do not let me go,” he threatened coldly, and Himiko giggled despite the knife against her throat.  

Spinner huffed. “Go ahead, then, kid,” he said, calling Katsuki’s bluff. He could see the omega’s hands shaking, and he knew Katsuki wouldn’t be so quick to spill any blood. Perhaps if he had been born Adrian, but as adamant as Katsuki had been that his loyalties lay with Adria now, he was still a Tulian at heart.

The two continued their standoff for a while, Spinner inching closer as Himiko continued to laugh under Katsuki’s blade. Eventually, Katsuki realized Spinner would get too close, and the beta would easily take upper hand over the tired and hungry omega. Before Spinner could take another step, Katsuki knocked Himiko out with the rounded pommel of his dagger, and Himiko fell limply to the floor with a loud thud. The tavern fell completely silent as her incessant giggling finally came to a stop.

Spinner lunged at Katsuki, then, but Katsuki expected the attack and dodged to the left just in time. Spinner pulled out his own dagger, slicing through the air as Katsuki dodged and weaved. Spinner was clearly trying to immobilize Katsuki, only aiming for his arms and legs, but the blond just managed barely evade his every attack.

Unfortunately, after one evasion, Katsuki tripped over a raised floorboard, and he nearly lost his balance. Spinner cut deep into his arm while Katsuki righted himself, But the damage had already been done. The next of Katsuki’s moves lacked speed and he earned a few more cuts across his skin, the blood loss causing to him slow down and get sloppy. Katsuki could feel himself getting woozy, and this time when Katsuki stumbled over his own feet, he wasn’t able to stop his fall.

Spinner instantly moved to pin his arms and legs. His grip on Katsuki’s wrists tightened painfully, nearly crushing the bone beneath his grasp, and the dagger slipped from Katsuki’s grip onto the floor as he held back a pained scream. Even as Katsuki struggled, they both knew it was futile. He didn’t have the strength to fight back against the beta due to an empty stomach and bleeding arm, but Katsuki refused to think he’d already lost. Not after all of this. He wouldn’t give up. Not until he was dead.

“None of this is personal,” Spinner said as Katsuki glared up at him, his chest heaving as he continued to struggle. “We fear Shigaraki just as much as you do,” he added, but Katsuki was not impressed by his words.

“You are not the one who was kidnapped and is being given away to become a breeding hole!” Katsuki hissed. “And for the fucking record, asshole, I am not afraid of your piss-poor excuse for a king!” he yelled just before spitting into Spinner’s face.

The hooded man recoiled in disgust. The moment his guard was down, Katsuki attempted to break free once more, but Spinner regained his bearings just in time to not lose his grip on Katsuki. In their further struggling, Spinner’s hood slipped from his head, revealing his face for Katsuki’s eyes.

The blond took in his deformed, almost lizard-like features in repulsed horror. Katsuki suddenly remembered a book he read when he was young about human experimentation in Villiass. It was the biggest reason so many kingdoms turned against them so long ago. Katsuki had thought it to be ancient history, but he suspected Spinner was a victim of recent experimentations. Perhaps even Twice and Dabi. Did an alias mean a loss of their previous identity?

Katsuki shook his head to clear his thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to ponder that.

Spinner quickly realized his hood fell off at the sight of the blond’s expression, and he instantly panicked, scrambling to cover himself back up. This time, Katsuki grabbed his dagger with his newly freed hand and plunged it deep into the other man’s neck without hesitation. Blood gushed over Katsuki, and he watched the life drain out of the man’s eyes as he almost comically attempted to hold in his own blood with his hands after pulling out the knife himself. Of course, that had been his mistake, and within seconds, Spinner had collapsed lifelessly onto blond.

Katsuki grunted at the impact, hurriedly pushing the dead body off of him as he began hyperventilating. Hastily, he ripped off a piece of his dress to frantically wipe off as much blood as possible. His hands were shaking severely now as he reached for his dagger, cleaning it off as well. Doing his best to avoid looking at Spinner’s corpse, Katsuki moved to search for some kind of medical kit. In one of the bags his kidnappers had kept with them, Katsuki managed to find some bandages, and he deftly wrapped his bleeding arm. The rest of his cuts were superficial, so he knew he could worry about them later.

It was as he was doing this that he heard Himiko stir from the floor. Katsuki was still shaken from killing someone, but he knew that he would be in danger if either Himiko or Twice woke up. Reluctant, but resolved, Katsuki crawled over to the girl’s body, watching as she slowly came to.

“Katsuki-chan, don’t,” she whimpered, barely coherent enough to fight back against what Katsuki was about to do. Katsuki noticed blood trickling from a head wound, likely from when she hit the floor, but Katsuki ignored that. That just made it easier for him.

Still, Katsuki swallowed heavily at the pleading words. He averted his gaze and counted to three before finally building up the courage to plunge his dagger into her chest, right between her breasts. Himiko’s eyes shot open wide before they slowly slide closed again.

Katsuki staggered back, his dagger falling to the floor by his feet as he wiped at his eyes furiously when he felt tears prickling at the corners. He almost threw up when he caught sight of the fresh blood on his hands, knowing it was likely now all over his face.

It was a few long minutes before Katsuki glanced over at Twice. Katsuki truly hesitated this time. Still, Katsuki knew he needed to kill him as well before Shigaraki and his other companion, or even Dabi, came back.

Twice was still unconscious when Katsuki crawled slowly over to him, his dagger gripped tightly in his blood-stained hands. When Katsuki brought the knife down, thrusting the blade deep into the man’s stomach, Katsuki thought that he at least wouldn’t have to see his two of his friends dead. Katsuki wasn’t so sure his future was as fortunate.

Katsuki burst out of the tavern, falling to his knees and taking in a deep breath of air. It felt like the first time he had been able to breathe in days. He lifted a hand absentmindedly to his throat, thinking as if he could feel the dark, hand-shaped bruise striped across his throat in his delirium. It was also then that Katsuki realized his neck was bare, devoid of his father’s necklace. Panicking for an entirely new reason now, his gaze snapped down to his wrists, checking both for his bracelet but finding nothing there but matching bruises from the ropes and Spinner’s hands.

Desperate and filled with a newfound anger, Katsuki nearly went back into the tavern to look for his jewelry, but deep down he knew they wouldn’t be there. Katsuki needed to get back to Adria. Back to his home. Back to his alpha. And so, without further hesitation, Katsuki took off into the dark of the night, his footsteps seemingly the only sound besides the crickets chirping and the wind rustling through the leaves on the trees over his head.

He had no idea where he was. He just hoped it wasn’t Villiass. Since there was no snow on the ground and Katsuki was shivering from fear rather than the cold, the blond concluded he was further south rather than north on the continent. Still, he could only hope that he was still within Adria’s borders. He had no idea what direction he was going, but he could hear the sound of running water somewhere in the distance.

He started towards that before remembering something Eijirou had told him what seemed like ages ago now. “Furthest south lies the end of our land. There is only ocean to be found,” Katsuki repeated under his breath, remembering. He gasped aloud before sprinting in the direction opposite of where he heard the water in a sudden burst of energy as he realized he might actually be able to find his way home.  

He ran for what felt like hours before he tripped over a large rock on the ground, falling face first on the hard terrain. He groaned as he sat up, scrapes and dirt covering his body atop the blood staining his skin and clothes. His wedding dress was completely ruined, and he was lost without a way home, a way back to Eijirou. In the silence of the night, surrounded by the uncaring and unforgiving forest, Katsuki curled into himself and cried.

Earlier that same day, Shigaraki could be found riding fast along the trails, his underling right on his heel as they traveled north. Their destination felt so close, but their goal was still so far.

Shigaraki’s dry, cracking lips spread into a maniacal grin. “We’re gonna win!” he yelled for the wilderness to hear, unconcerned of who else might.  

Mr. Compress sighed in frustration, but the sound was overshadowed by the galloping of their steeds. Loud enough for the king to hear, he said, “Your Majesty, let’s not be too hasty. There is still much to be done before our victory can truly be set in stone.”

“I have Prince Katsuki! Once I claim him and take over Tulia, I will have everything! Adria can do nothing to stop me!” Shigaraki said fervently. “I will plan a lovely ceremony for my new bride. Prince Kirishima’s will pale in comparison!”

Mr. Compress decided to ignore that for now. His king could truly be so childish. “We will arrive in Tulia sometime tomorrow,” he informed the other alpha. “That barbarian and the boy you recruited should be ready to raise hell at any moment, Your Majesty. Adria will likely still be wasting their time looking for Prince Katsuki by then, and even if they prioritize the battle against us, their travels will still grant us plenty of time to take down Tulia before they can arrive.”

“And Dabi?” Shigaraki asked, his voice weirdly serious.

“If he has followed your orders—” Mr. Compress began before sighing lightly. “—And that is a big ‘if,’ Your Majesty—then he should be in Adria as we speak. Who truly knows where that idiot is? I only hope Spinner has managed to keep Toga and Twice in check.”

“You worry too much, Compress,” Shigaraki grumbled in annoyance, but his attention was stolen away by two shadows passing over their heads. He titled his head up, spotting his two messenger birds swooping closer to him. “Hello, little birdies,” he cooed in greeting, releasing his hold on his horse’s reins and lifting both arms for each bird to perch on. The pose was precarious to say the least, but Shigaraki looked unconcerned.

“I honestly didn’t expect both of them to come back alive,” Mr. Compress commented absentmindedly. “I wonder how they took your messages, Your Majesty.”

Shigaraki snickered amusedly. “It seems that the Adrian prince has sent me a message back.” He then inspected the bird perched obediently on his other arm, noticing no message or anything of the sort strapped to it. Shigaraki hummed in disappointment. “How boring. I thought the parents of such a rambunctious omega would be more fun,” he drawled before abruptly shaking his arm, dislodging the bird and sending it flying back north home.

“It’s no matter. They now understand that we have the upper hand. That was the whole point,” Mr. Compress reminded the king. “What does the message say?”

Shigaraki huffed, clearly still upset, but he loosened the slip of paper from around the bird’s neck anyway. He started to unfurl the message, but the increasingly rough terrain beneath his steed’s hooves caused the king to nearly lose his balance, and Shigaraki just barely reacted in time to singlehandedly grab hold of the reins before he fell. The bird that had been on his arm startled at the sudden movement and flew away to follow the other home.

“Your Majesty!” Mr. Compress shouted in shock and just a tad bit of audible exasperation as the king righted himself.

“Calm down, jeez,” Shigaraki grumbled, rolling his eyes as he continued his ministrations with the message. He eyes roamed over the paper, a smile spreading across his lips as he read before he burst into raucous laughter and tossed the paper behind him. It floated to the ground, landing in a puddle as its words became smeared and indistinguishable.

“What did it say, Your Majesty?” Mr. Compress asked curiously as he watched the letter’s descent and quick demise, but the king ignored his inquiry.

Only Shigaraki would ever know what Eijirou’s letter said, and that was just as well.  

Katsuki reached the outskirts of Adria sometime later, attracting much attention from commoners as they inched towards him curiously, but no one seemed keen on approaching the omega, clearly in shock and disbelief at the very sight of him after all the commotion in and around the castle the past three days. Before long, Katsuki found himself within the capital. There, people swarmed him, both relieved with his reappearance and concerned over his appearance. Katsuki did his best to assure them that he was fine, even if he did not feel it or look it, and the people clearly did not believe him for a moment. Still, they allowed him to pass without hinderance, eyes filled with wonder as their prince’s mate had apparently returned to his kingdom all on his own.  

Slowly but surely, the exhausted and limping omega made his way to the castle stairs, the noise of his people’s cheering overwhelming him as more and more citizens took note of his presence. Still, Katsuki held up a hand each time someone neared to offer their assistance. Even as the prince limped towards the castle, blood and sweat dripping from all over his body, he did not allow the knights posted outside the castle to help him up the stairs. One ran inside, while the rest watched their soon-to-be queen struggle up the stairs in a mixture of worry, confusion, and admiration. Katsuki did not want their help. He did not want their touch. The only person he wanted touching him ever again was—

The doors to the castle flung open, revealing Eijirou, Izuku, Ochako and a round of knights including the one who must have alerted them to Katsuki’s reappearance within the capital. “Katsuki!” Eijirou called in surprise, his eyes wide and filled with relieved tears.

At the sight of Katsuki, Eijirou sprinted over to him, breathing out his name over and over as if he couldn’t believe he was really there. He reached out a hand for his omega as he neared, and Katsuki wasted no time in climbing the rest of the steps, suddenly invigorated. Katsuki grabbed hold of the outstretched hand, and he was pulled into the strong arms of his alpha as Eijirou enveloped him desperately. Katsuki instantly felt safe again, wrapped in Eijirou’s hold and surrounded by his strong, comforting scent. The omega finally allowed himself to relax, promptly passing out against the alpha, Eijirou’s heartbeat and the sound of his name on his husband’s lips being the last thing he heard before unconsciousness overtook him.

Eijirou buried his face in the omega’s dirty hair, inhaling his scent, faintly picking up his sweetness under the dirt, sweat and blood covering his skin. The alpha belatedly hoped the blood was not his; preferably it’d be the blood of the fools who dared to touch his omega.

“Eijirou-sama, is Kacchan okay?” Izuku asked worriedly from his side, his hands reaching out to touch the blond. On instinct alone, Eijirou pulled the omega away from the other, a threatening growl leaving his throat. Izuku shrunk back at the sound, his eyes widening in fear and confusion. “Eijirou-sama?”

Hanta came forward and placed a hand on the omega’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Izuku, it’s only instinct to protect his injured omega. He knows you’re not a threat to Katsuki-sama.” Izuku nodded in understanding, but he still looked upset about it. Hanta couldn’t blame him, either of them. They had both been the most worried about the omega's kidnapping. At least he was home now.

Ochako stepped forward, her voice stern. “Eijirou-sama, we must bring Katsuki-sama to the doctor to be examined.” Eijirou continued to growl at all of them, seeing not his trusted friends but potential threats to his injured mate.

“My king,” Hanta said, surprising everyone. Technically, Eijirou was not yet their king. He would still be a prince until his coronation ceremony, which would likely be sometime after they finished off Villiass. Still, they had always known Eijirou would be their king, and with Crimson Riot gone, Eijirou might as well already be. To solidify this idea, Hanta steadfastly added, “We would never dare to harm our queen.” Those eight words finally caused Eijirou to stop growling, his own eyes widening as they sunk in.

Denki quickly followed his alpha’s lead. “Our queen has bravely returned to us. All we wish is to assure his health.”  

Eijirou blinked, coming back to himself. “I apologize,” he said shakily to everyone. “I don’t know what came over me. I know you would never dream of hurting Katsuki.”

“I mean, there are times I want to punch him but…” Denki joked.

“Oh, we all have those moments,” Izuku joked back, startling a laugh out of the others. Eijirou smiled just slightly, picking up the omega effortlessly and carrying him bridal style. He had imagined carrying Katsuki like this, showing the omega their bedroom for the first time, but there had been no chance. He did not mind. As long as his omega was safe in his arms, he was beyond satisfied.

Katsuki was home, and that was all Eijirou cared about.

Chapter Text

Katsuki jerked awake, attempting to sit up and coming to regret it immediately. His body hurt everywhere. His vision was suddenly filled with red, but this time there was no blood to be seen, only Eijirou’s handsome face grinning down at him. “Hello, beautiful.”

Katsuki hated that his cheeks grew red at that. No matter how many times Eijirou called him beautiful, he would never get used to it. The omega finally managed to sit up with great effort. “Where…?” Katsuki tried to ask, but his voice came out dry and raspy. Right, he was probably severely dehydrated and malnourished.

Eijirou shushed him gently, pulling a cup of water out of seemingly nowhere. “You’re in the infirmary within the castle. You’ve been asleep for about half a day.” The alpha tried to hold the cup to Katsuki’s mouth to help him drink, but the omega snatched it from his grasp with a glare. Eijirou chuckled fondly at his stubborn omega. “We were all worried about you, so we’ve just been waiting for you to wake up,” he said as Katsuki took large gulps of the water.

Katsuki looked over to see just who “we” referred to. To his surprise, it was far more people than he expected. Of course, Izuku and Ochako were standing there, equally fond smiles on their faces. Katsuki probably should not have been shocked to see Denki, Mina, and Hanta there, but he was. Other knights like Tokoyami, Ojiro, Tetsutetsu, Kendou, Tamaki, and Mirio were in the room as well. Even Toyomitsu, Tsuyu, and Camie were there.

“I am gratified to see you are well, Katsuki-sama,” Toyomitsu said, grinning large. He was by far the largest alpha in the room. Katsuki found it slightly humorous that even Eijirou and Hanta looked tiny compared to him.

“You look much better than you did when you showed up, Katsuki-sama,” Camie added. Mina nodded in agreement at her side.

“It was pretty terrifying to see you stumble into town covered in blood,” Kendou said.

“Knowing it’s someone else’s blood makes it pretty cool, though!” Tetsutetsu exclaimed. Kendou rolled her eyes exasperatedly at her lover, but she had a smile on her lips.

“It is quite something that you were able to escape relatively unscathed,” Tokoyami said.

“As if the future queen of Adria could be bested by a bunch of lowlifes from Villiass of all places,” Denki boasted, causing everyone to raise an eyebrow at him. “What?” he questioned defensively.

“You were the most adamant about Katsuki-sama not being a fit queen since the beginning,” Hanta reminded.

“Quite rudely, at that,” Ojiro mumbled, but he only smiled when Denki frowned up at him.

“Grounds for insubordination, I’d say,” Hanta tacked on with a chuckle.

Denki flushed with shame. “You be quiet. Obviously, I’ve changed my mind a long time ago!”

“Yes, I’d say that the prince has shown he will certainly be a marvelous queen!” Mirio announced to the room, sounds of agreement following his words.

Quietly, almost timidly, Tamaki leaned over to the other omega and said, “I’m glad you’re safe, Prince Katsuki. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if anything happened to you, and Eijirou was extremely distraught when you were gone.”

Katsuki looked over at the alpha in question who was laughing along with Tetsutetsu and Mirio about something, one of his hands holding Katsuki’s on the bed they were sitting on. Katsuki bit his lip guiltily, hating that he had caused so many to worry about him. He really was still too weak.

Ochako approached the bed, her eyes searching. “What do you propose to be our next course of action, Katsuki-sama?”

“Me?” he asked in surprise.

Eijirou stroked his hand soothingly. “At this point, you know the most about our enemies. What they look like, where they were hiding, what they want,” he explained. “What’s next for us, my love?”

Katsuki looked around the room at all of the people he knew he could trust with his life. Straightening himself as best he could with his sore body, Katsuki cooled his expression into one of leadership. Everyone in the room responded to the change in him, standing at attention as if awaiting an order. And that’s just what Katsuki gave them.

“Three are already dead,” Katsuki said bluntly. The implication of that was impossible to miss. “We will track down the rest of those assholes and eliminate them all. They will regret the day they decided to make an enemy of Kirishima Katsuki.” Eijirou’s eyes flashed with a new kind of hunger at hearing Katsuki use his surname so proudly. Not for the first time, Eijirou was thankful that Katsuki was his husband.

Everyone else grinned at his words, simultaneously dropping to one knee in a bow. “Yes, my queen,” they chorused. Katsuki never thought being addressed as queen rather than king would be so fulfilling.

Eijirou placed a kiss to his knuckles, gazing up at him lovingly. “I will kill every single one of them for you, angel.”

Katsuki smirked, knowing the words to be true and reveling in them. “No need. There will be nothing left of them when I am finished.” Eijirou knew without a doubt that if they were alone, he would have taken Katsuki right then and there. Based on the smug, knowing look his omega was giving him, Katsuki was aware of his thoughts.

The door to the infirmary then opened, revealing a tiny beta woman dressed in all white clothing. Katsuki guessed she was the doctor. She had a box in her hand, likely filled with medical tools. Everyone stood once again and made room for her as she entered. She smiled brightly when she saw that Katsuki was conscious.

“I see you’ve finally awoken, Prince Katsuki. My name is Shuuzenji Chiyo, the doctor for the royal family and knights. You may call me Chiyo-san, if you’d like.” Katsuki nodded in greeting. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” Katsuki answered honestly, earning a few chuckles. “Also, hungry.”

“Then we need to get you some food! I’ll have Satou make you a feast!” Eijirou blurted, getting far too close in the presence of so many people.

Chiyo-san chuckled at the scene. “Now, now, my prince. No need to get so worked up. His body could only take so much food at the moment, anyway.” Eijirou reluctantly moved back, but his firm grip on Katsuki’s hand remained. “Now, I need everyone except the happy couple to leave the room. I need to examine the boy.” She shooed them away, most leaving without argue but Izuku and Ochako of course protested. Chiyo-san huffed. “You can come back in once I’ve finished, but I doubt Eijirou-sama would appreciate anyone else seeing his mate naked.”

Ochako blushed, mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Izuku simply nodded quickly before pulling Ochako from the room and closing the door behind them. Chiyo-san then turned to the royals, waving away their wary looks. “No worries. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” she said. “Now, please strip, Your Highness.”

“What?” Katsuki asked incredulously.

“I need to tend to your injuries, and I can’t really do that if your clothing is covering them up,” Chiyo-san explained patiently.

Katsuki felt his face grow hot, but he obediently started to undress. Thankfully, both Eijirou and the doctor stayed quiet as his full body came into view, his bruises and cuts included. Katsuki felt Eijirou's gaze trailing across his body intently the entire time Chiyo-san spent checking him over, and it had the blond on edge, just waiting for the alpha to say anything. But Eijirou remained quiet.

“Alright, all done,” the doctor said after a half hour had passed.

Katsuki hurriedly fixed his clothes, feeling more embarrassed under Eijirou’s intense gaze rather than having just been fully nude in front of the doctor. Chiyo-san seemed completely unbothered by the prince’s nudity or his husband’s possessiveness. Like she had said, it was nothing she had not seen before, and Eijirou’s hovering was par for course. She couldn’t even count on two hands the number of times one of the knights would wind up in her infirmary (far too often for her liking, at that) and their alpha would be hovering over her shoulder the entire time she tended to their injuries.

Denki and Hanta actually happened to be the most frequent examples of this.

So, while Eijirou stared his omega down as if Chiyo-san would have possibly missed a single scratch, the beta woman simply packed her medical equipment and stood to leave. “Well, my work here is done. Your bruises should fade by morning, and those cuts of yours will be healed within the day thanks to that Creatian healing salve. Make sure to keep your arm dry, Katsuki-sama. Your stiches should heal fairly soon,” she told the omega.

Katsuki nodded in understanding, absentmindedly swatting away his husband’s hands when they automatically reached out for his bandaged arm at the doctor’s words. “I understand,” he said. “Thank you, Chiyo-san.”

Chiyo-san smiled kindly. “Oh, well, you are much more polite than your alpha there,” she said pointedly, eyeing the alpha in the room. Katsuki bit back a snort, since that was definitely not true in any other situation. Chiyo-san probably knew that, though, and was just teasing the alpha. “Eijirou-sama, leave the poor boy alone,” she chided lightly when she noticed Eijirou fiddling with one of the straps on Katsuki’s dress now. “You need some new clothes, Katsuki-sama. And a bath.”

“That would be nice,” Katsuki mumbled. “I have been wearing this for the past four days. Or is it five?”

“It’s the middle of the day, so four,” Eijirou answered.

Katsuki then looked his husband up and down, scrunching nose (cutely, if you asked Eijirou) in distaste. “You need a bath as well, I imagine. You are still wearing your wedding clothes.”

Eijirou smirked in amusement. “This coming from the guy still in his wedding dress,” he teased.

Katsuki sent him in an unimpressed glare. “Oh, shut up.”

“Are you still feeling tired? We could take a bath together,” the redhead suggested innocently enough, but Katsuki could see a familiar heat in his eyes.

“Katsuki-sama needs as much rest as possible, Eijirou-sama,” Chiyo-san said before the blond could answer. “Please, try to get some more sleep, Katsuki-sama. I will have that seamstress of yours bring you some clean clothes.”

Eijirou pouted while Katsuki nodded. Satisfied, the doctor left the room, the door closing shut behind her with a soft click. The room fell quiet, and through the door, Eijirou and Katsuki could hear Chiyo-san speaking faintly with someone. A few moments later, a familiar green head peaked into the room.

“Kacchan, how are you feeling?” Izuku asked as he entered the room fully, Ochako right behind him with a basket of bread.

Katsuki’s stomach growled loudly when he caught sight of the bread, and his face flushed hotly in embarrassment. Izuku and Eijirou snickered, and Ochako placed the basket on the bed beside Katsuki with an amused smile. “Hungry, I would guess,” she chuckled. “I fetched some bread from the kitchen. Courtesy of Satou-san. Please, Katsuki-sama, eat your fill.”

“Take your time, though,” Eijirou added.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. “I know how to eat. You three can be so overbearing,” he grumbled, although he did reach for a small roll of bread. Everyone watched as Katsuki ate, and as the minutes dragged on and the prince’s belly filled, Katsuki felt himself growing more and more uncomfortable by the silent scrutiny. “Stop staring at me, already! You three are creeping me out,” he hissed once he’d had enough.  

“Oh, sorry, Katsuki-sama,” Ochako said sheepishly, comically moving her gaze to the ceiling.

Eijirou seemed far less guilty for the incessant staring. “As your alpha, it is my right to stare at you as much as I want,” he said jokingly, smirking when Katsuki only rolled his eyes again. He quickly sobered, though. “The three of us were really worried, angel.”

Katsuki’s eyes widened at the shift in mood, his lips thinning as he placed the half-eaten bread he had been nibbling on back into the basket before looking between the three people closest to him in the world. “Sorry,” he said somberly. “If I had been stronger—”

“You were strong enough to come back to us,” Eijirou cut in quickly. He didn’t want Katsuki putting the blame on himself. Eijirou was the only one here who should feel ashamed. “It’s me who should have been stronger—who needs to be stronger. I couldn’t protect you. I have failed you as a husband and an alpha.”

“Do not be ridiculous. I do not think that at all,” Katsuki said adamantly.

“Eijirou-sama, you are not the only one who has vowed to protect Katsuki-sama. If you have failed him, then we have as well.”

A hiccupped sob caught everyone’s attention, and they all turned to realize that Izuku was crying. Tears streamed down his face as he held his hands over his mouth, his watery gaze trained on Katsuki. He was shaking where he stood, and he took a couple wobbly steps towards the bed before he suddenly launched himself at the blond. Katsuki gasped loudly when Izuku’s arms wrapped around his frame, nearly knocking the breadbasket to the floor as he cried into Katsuki’s neck.

Katsuki placed his hands on Izuku’s back, rubbing soothingly as he did his best to envelop Izuku in a calming scent. “Izuku, you do not have to cry,” he said gently.

“I am so sorry, Kacchan,” was the omega’s sniffled response.

“You have no reason to be sorry.”

“I am so, so sorry,” Izuku cried, and Katsuki furrowed his brow concernedly.

“I already said you have no reason to be sorry, idiot,” he said softly despite the insult, but Izuku just continued crying and apologizing repeatedly. Katsuki sighed before grabbing Izuku by his freckled cheeks and lifting his head. The noble’s face was an absolute mess of tears, but Katsuki pressed their foreheads together anyway. “You have always been such a crybaby, Izuku,” he teased lightly, and Izuku heard himself laugh despite himself. “Now, why the hell do you keep apologizing? Do you need to get your hearing checked?”

Izuku shook his head in Katsuki’s hold, lifting a hand to wipe as his face. “I should have listened to you,” he mumbled vaguely, and Katsuki’s eyes narrowed in confusion.

Ochako watched the two omegas, similarly confused by Izuku’s outburst. Eijirou, on the other hand, couldn’t help but stare at the two with a bitter frown, feeling unreasonably jealous of the tender way Katsuki was holding Izuku. Logically, Eijirou knew there was absolutely no reason to be jealous. Izuku was an omega and Katsuki’s best friend, and it was Eijirou the blond was married to. Katsuki had Eijirou’s last name, and he was only comforting his friend, so why was Eijirou so tempted to rip the green-haired omega away from his omega?

He watched with gritted teeth and a barely concealed growl as Katsuki helped Izuku wipe away his tears, smiling softly as he moved to cup his cheek. Before he could even process the motion, Eijirou was grabbing Izuku by the back of his shirt and pulling him off the bed.

“What the fuck, Eijirou?” Katsuki asked, shocked and outrage as Izuku barely reacted in time to get his feet under him so he wouldn’t fall onto the floor when Eijirou abruptly released him.

“Izuku-kun, are you alright?” Ochako asked worriedly, glancing between the omega and Eijirou in bafflement.

“Yeah,” Izuku answered absentmindedly, glaring daggers at the alpha, the drying tears on his face doing nothing to lessen his glare. “Is there a problem, Eijirou-sama?” he questioned dryly, looking as though he had already figured out the situation perfectly.

Eijirou swallowed heavily, only just now realizing what he had done. Izuku, Katsuki, and Ochako were all glaring at him now, and Eijirou did his best to seem casual. “It’s just, uh, Katsuki needs to rest,” he said unconvincingly.

Izuku huffed, clearly not buying his reasoning, while Katsuki and Ochako raised matching dubious eyebrows. “That is no reason for you to grab Izuku-kun like that!” Ochako snapped.

“Right. I’m really sorry, Izuku,” Eijirou said quickly, and he meant it. He truly didn’t know what came over him.

“What is going on with you?” Katsuki mumbled at his side, and Eijirou looked down at his shoes ashamedly. He heard Katsuki huff when he didn’t answer, and the blond turned to address his friends. “Izuku, Uraraka, you two should probably go. I am a bit tired,” he said, but everyone knew he was mostly saying that for Eijirou’s sake, even if they wouldn’t say it. “I should be all healed up by tomorrow, so there will be a lot of planning to do before we can take down Villiass.”

Ochako nodded, glancing briefly at the alpha in the room. “Of course, Katsuki-sama.”

“Sleep well, Kacchan,” Izuku with a smile, but it slipped into a frown when he turned to Eijirou. “Sorry to have bothered you,” he said, just as dry as before, and Eijirou winced.

The two left the room then, and Katsuki let himself fall backwards onto the bed, running a hand over his face as he sighed loudly. He was actually starting to feel tired again, but not due to fatigue. At his side, Eijirou busied himself with moving the breadbasket to the bedside table so he wouldn’t have to meet his husband’s frustrated gaze.

Eventually, though, Katsuki called out to him. “Eijirou, do you want to explain why you looked ready to murder Izuku earlier?” he inquired, his voice deceptively neutral.

“I wasn’t going to murder him,” Eijirou muttered, but Katsuki didn’t seem appeased by his measly response. “I’m sorry, angel.” Katsuki didn’t seem very happy with the pet name at the moment either, and Eijirou groaned in despair. “My inner Alpha didn’t like the way you were touching him,” he confessed quietly after a moment.

Katsuki said nothing for a while, simply staring at Eijirou with an unreadable expression. After what felt like hours to Eijirou, Katsuki turned onto his side and showed Eijirou his back. “If you do something like that again, I will make you regret it,” he said.

Eijirou let out a quiet sigh of relief, knowing that he had gotten off easy despite the fact that Katsuki was clearly pissed off. The redhead plopped back down onto his seat, silently watching his omega. Even if Katsuki was mad at him, Eijirou wouldn’t leave his side. Never again.  

The hours of the day dragged on, and before long, the moon had begun to rise in the night sky. Katsuki was sound asleep, his face looking more relaxed than it had in days now that he was fed and healing properly. Faintly, Katsuki could feel a hand running through his hair as unconsciousness slipped away bit by bit. The blond’s eyes blinked open gradually, just coherent enough to know it was Eijirou’s touch from his scent encompassing the room, making Katsuki feel nothing but safe and content.

The hand left his hair after a moment as Eijirou leaned back in his seat, and Katsuki nearly whined at the loss. He turned onto his opposite side, and upon doing so, he saw Eijirou sitting right where he had last seen him in the chair beside the bed. Eijirou didn’t seem to notice that Katsuki had awoken, evidently lost in his own thoughts, so the blond had free reign to simply stare at his husband for a few moments.

Eijirou was handsome, as usual, but his features were pulled down into a terse frown. Katsuki could understand; Eijirou had been through a lot in the past few days alone. The alpha had seemed to stick to Katsuki more than usual, unwilling to be away from him for even a moment, and Katsuki supposed that made sense too. Still, Katsuki wanted to ask about it, feeling like the alpha has been a bit off ever since the day Crimson Riot was killed.

Eijirou had lost both of his parents now, and Katsuki was sure Eijirou was experiencing a tremendous amount of grief and possibly even guilt. Even though Eijirou could not logically be blamed for either his father’s death or Katsuki’s capture, the alpha had an incredibly strong sense of responsibility, so Katsuki wouldn’t be surprised if he blamed himself for his father’s death in the same way he blamed himself for Katsuki’s kidnapping.

There was sudden change in Eijirou’s scent, the faint smell of grief and frustration now overpowering Eijirou’s normal scent. Katsuki flinched where he laid in the infirmary bed, his nose wrinkling again at the unpleasant stench even as he pushed out his own comforting scent towards the alpha.

Eijirou’s head snapped over to him when the omega’s scent hit his nose, and Katsuki smiled hesitantly up at the man. All tenseness disappeared completely from Eijirou’s body the moment he laid eyes on the omega, a small smile of his own spreading across his lips. “Hey, beautiful,” Eijirou greeted softly, his voice quiet.

“Hey, handsome,” Katsuki returned, biting his lip to hold back a giggle when Eijirou blushed in response to that. “Come lay down with me?” Katsuki said, just as quiet as Eijirou, holding up the thin sheet over his body in invitation, belatedly realizing that Eijirou must have tucked him in after he fell asleep.

Eijirou didn’t even pause to think as he maneuvered himself until he was laying on his back with Katsuki’s head pillowed on his broad chest and his hand running gently across Katsuki’s scalp. Katsuki felt a purr building in the back of his throat, feeling completely and utterly content. The two laid in silence for a while, simply basking in each other’s presence after just days before being unsure if they would get the chance to again.

But Eijirou eventually broke the silence, snapping Katsuki awake when he started to drift off again. “Did they hurt you?” he asked suddenly.

Katsuki blinked. “What? Those Villiass assholes?” Eijirou nodded just slightly, his gaze fixed on the ceiling instead of the omega. “Well…yeah. I mean, they fought back when I attacked them, so I have a few cuts and bruises—”

“That’s not what I meant,” Eijirou interrupted snappishly, and Katsuki felt the alpha’s chest begin to rise and fall at an alarming speed under his head. Katsuki sat up fully to look down at the alpha in concern, but Eijirou still wouldn’t meet his eye. “Did they—?”

“No,” Katsuki quickly said, realizing what Eijirou was asking. He then quickly amended his answer, looking off to the side as humiliation and shame filled him at the memory of Shigaraki’s touch. “Shigaraki did touch me, but I kicked him away before he could…do much,” he revealed, and he heard Eijirou suck in a breath before the alpha abruptly sat up.

“Where did he touch you?” the redhead growled, and Katsuki flinched heavily.

“Eijirou, I do not really want to…” Katsuki trailed off, hating the way his voice shook as tears pooled in the corners of his eyes. Eijirou got the message, thankfully. He cursed under his breath and gripped his hair in frustration. Katsuki watched, feeling inexplicably guilty. “Sorry,” he mumbled weakly, and Eijirou looked at him in shock.

“No, Katsuki, don’t—” Eijirou took a deep breath, knowing he needed to calm down. He was clearly making Katsuki nervous, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. “Katsuki, don’t apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

Katsuki bit his lip, not sure if he believed that. “It is just that…” A hiccup cut him off, and Katsuki turned away as he started truly sobbing. “F-First Todoroki a-and now S-Shigaraki,” Katsuki cried, wrapping his arms around himself.

Eijirou’s heart broke at the sight, and he quickly pulled the omega into his arms, enveloping the blond in his embrace. “Katsuki, none of that was your fault,” he said gently. “Please, tell me that you know that,” he nearly begged.

Katsuki sniffled, burying his face in the alpha’s chest. “Okay,” he mumbled, and Eijirou feared that the blond didn’t believe him.

“What Shigaraki did was terrible, and I’m definitely going to rip the bastard’s arms from his body when I find him, but Todoroki kissing your hand—Katsuki, you don’t need to stress over that. I’m pretty sure the jerk only did it to piss me off.” Katsuki tensed noticeably when Eijirou said what he did about Shouto, and the alpha furrowed his brow worriedly. “I’m not saying you can’t be bothered by it, of course! He shouldn’t have done that!” Eijirou was quick to backpedal, but when Katsuki remained frozen against him, Eijirou grew seriously concerned. “Katsuki, what is it?” Katsuki pushed away from the alpha slightly, his watery eyes finding his. Eijirou couldn’t fathom why Katsuki still looked so guilty. “Katsuki?”

“He told me not to tell you,” Katsuki said vaguely.

“Tell me what?” Eijirou asked hesitantly.

Katsuki bit his lip, clearly breaking skin this time, but the blond seemed to not even realize. “He kissed me,” he eventually admitted softly.

Eijirou blinked dumbly at him. “What?”

“I am so sorry, Eijirou! I wanted to tell you!” Katsuki cried frantically.

Eijirou’s expression flattened instantly. “When did this happen?” he questioned.

“Um…t-the day of the feast,” Katsuki answered.

Eijirou removed his arms from around Katsuki as he tried to steady his breathing, mentally reminding himself that now was not the time to get angry. “Okay,” he said in forced calm. He looked at Katsuki’s tear-streaked face, slowly wiping away a tear on the omega’s cheek. “Okay,” he said again.

“I pushed him away,” Katsuki told him desperately, grabbing Eijirou’s wrist, sniffling wetly as he leaned into the touch.

Eijirou managed a small smile. He knew Katsuki thought Eijirou was mad at him—and he was, a little bit—but Katsuki was by his side again, and that was all that mattered. Eijirou would gladly deal with Shouto later. “Good omega,” Eijirou praised, and Katsuki slumped in relief against him. Katsuki peered at Eijirou longingly, and Eijirou pulled him into the kiss they both so desperately craved. Eijirou held Katsuki’s face in his hands, keeping the kiss slow even as Katsuki seemed to get needier and needier. “Just relax, baby, I’ve got you,” Eijirou said against his lips.

Katsuki whined pitifully. “Touch me, please,” he begged softly, and Eijirou stared at him in surprise.

“Katsuki, I don’t think that’s a good idea right now,” he said uncertainly.

In response, Katsuki laid back on the bed, pulling Eijirou directly on top of him. The alpha exclaimed in shock, just barely catching himself before he crushed the omega under his weight. He rested just inches above Katsuki on his forearms, and Katsuki pulled him into another kiss, deeper this time. Eijirou moaned into the kiss before remembering himself and pulling away.

“Katsuki, you should be resting,” he said, but Katsuki was shaking his head before he even finished his sentence.

“I want you, Eiji. I need you,” he whispered sensually.

“Fuck,” Eijirou cursed, Katsuki’s words slowly chipping away at his resolve. “Are you sure, angel?”

“I wanted you to make love me on our wedding day,” Katsuki said in answer.

“Yeah,” Eijirou agreed breathlessly, his cock twitching in interest despite his reservations.

“Make it up to me?” Katsuki purred, knowing very well what he was doing to the alpha, and Eijirou’s unrestrained growl was proof that it was working as planned. Eijirou captured Katsuki’s lips for a third time, practically pinning Katsuki to the bed with his body as he kissed him like his life depended on it. Still, the alpha’s hands were gentle—way gentler than Katsuki wanted—as they ran along the omega’s body, and Katsuki felt a spike of annoyance. “Eiji,” Katsuki whispered between kisses. “Remember what I said? Don’t be gentle.”

Eijirou sucked in a breath. “Oh, angel, I don’t think you know what you’re asking for,” he said, his voice nearly a growl. Three days without his omega, and now the blond wanted to tempt him? Eijirou didn’t think he would be able to resist.

Katsuki smirked. “I think I do,” he purred, an actual Omegan purr that had Eijirou growing hard in his pants instantly.

Katsuki slid his leg up and over Eijirou’s waist, and the alpha’s hand found its way to the skin on display, seemingly unconsciously. Eijirou claimed Katsuki’s lips once again, his nails making indents in the omega's skin from how tightly he was gripping him. “Oh, baby,” he whispered once he pulled back. “I’m gonna have you begging for my knot within minutes,” he growled, ignoring Katsuki’s answering gasp.

Katsuki bit back a whine at the sight of Eijirou above him, eyes dark with lust and teeth bared as if ready to bite. He grabbed Eijirou by the hair and pulled him down, their lips connecting violently as they devoured each other's mouths. Katsuki felt Eijirou spread his legs, his hands dipping towards his crotch the next second. The redhead’s fingers trailed along his inner thighs, a furious growl building in the back of his throat when he realized Katsuki wasn’t wearing any underwear.

He ripped his mouth away, a string of saliva connecting their lips. He gazed down at the omega below him, taking in his lidded eyes, kiss-bitten lips, pink cheeks, thin waist, milky-white thighs, and small, erect cock. “Mine,” he growled possessively, hating the knowledge that someone else dared to touch what was his.

Katsuki shivered pleasantly, nodding his head. “Yours,” he agreed breathlessly, reaching shaking hands up to wrap around the alpha’s neck. “Eiji, make love to me, please.”

The alpha licked his teeth hungrily, his eyes never leaving the omega’s twitching erection. He very much planned to make love to Katsuki, and just as the blond asked, he was not going to be gentle. Eijirou leaned down until his breath brushed against Katsuki’s member, the shaft twitching and leaking precum as the omega’s aroused scent filled his nose. Katsuki held his breath, more turned on than he had ever been before at the sight of Eijirou’s face so close to his genitals.

Is he planning to…? Katsuki’s thoughts trailed off, his face flaring at the mere idea. Did alphas even bother doing such a thing for an omega? Katsuki was feeling extremely nervous, but he wanted this. Oh, how he wanted this.

Suddenly, the door to the infirmary slammed open, taking the couple by surprise and causing Katsuki to cover himself in a panic. Chiyo-san stood at the entrance, her small frame seeming almost intimidating as she stood with her arms crossed and a disappointed—but unsurprised—look on her face. “Hands off of the patient, Your Highness,” she clipped. Eijirou reluctantly pulled his hands away, albeit running his hands slowly along Katsuki’s thighs as he did so. “Now, why am I not surprised that you’re already trying to have your way with the boy, and he only just got back?”

Before Eijirou could think of a good answer, Camie was stepping into the room after with what Eijirou assumed to be fresh clothing for Katsuki. She blinked at the sight of Eijirou knelt between the omega’s legs before a lecherous grin spread across her face. “Oh, did we interrupt something, Chiyo-san?” she asked the head doctor.

Katsuki sat up fully, hoping his dress properly concealed his erection. “Just shut up and hand me the clothes, woman,” he growled out in embarrassment.

Camie snickered amusedly, but she did as told without any further comments. Both she and Chiyo-san turned away respectively as Katsuki changed, and Camie gathered his soiled dress in her arms after Eijirou finally gave them permission to turn back around. “Camie, would you run a bath for Katsuki? I want to bring him back to our room now.”

Chiyo-san huffed. “Oh, no, young man. The prince needs rest, not sex,” she said sternly with a wag of her tiny, wrinkled finger, and both Katsuki and Eijirou flushed hotly.

“I just want him to be more comfortable!” Eijirou insisted, and while that was true, he was also looking forward to taking his time with his husband without chance of interruption.

The doctor hummed thoughtfully before conceding. “Fine, then,” she said, but Eijirou could tell she knew what the alpha was truly thinking. “Do not be too rough with him, Your Highness.”

Eijirou and Katsuki glanced at each other, both smiling secretively. “I don’t know if I can promise that one, Chiyo-san,” Eijirou said after a moment, and Chiyo-san sighed long-sufferingly.

Katsuki’s legs were still tired and sore, so Eijirou helped him walk with a hand around his waist. The alpha had offered to simply carry the blond, but Katsuki had not been too fond of the idea.

As the couple slowly meandered there way towards their chambers, they passed by a crowd of their friends further down the hall from the infirmary. Eijirou smiled slightly at the sight of them, knowing that they had been camping outside the room in worry for the blond prince. “Hey, everyone!” Eijirou greeted cheerfully, drawing everyone’s attention to himself. Amongst the crowd were a handful of knights, including Denki and Mina, as well as Izuku and Ochako.

“Kacchan, how are you feeling?” Izuku asked as he jogged over to the couple. He reached out for the blond, his eyes snapping over to Eijirou’s in askance, and the alpha reluctantly relinquished his hold on Katsuki so Izuku could take over. Katsuki allowed himself to be switched between the two, even if he did grumble in annoyance the entire time.

“I feel fine. I just want to go back to my chambers and sleep,” he grouched.

Mina snickered at the response. “Not sure if sleeping is all that’s gonna happen, Katsuki-sama,” she said teasingly, and Katsuki felt his face heat up.

“Shut up!” Katsuki yelled, and all the knights seemed to find that simply hilarious.

Just then, two sets of footsteps could be heard steadily approaching, and the frames of Shouto and Tenya came into view not a moment later. Eijirou bit back a growl at the sight of Shouto. “I guess later is now,” he mumbled angrily, much to Katsuki’s confusion.

Tenya seemed to light up at the sight of Katsuki, clearly relieved that he was up and about. “Prince Bakugou, I am gratified to see you are doing well!” he said jovially in greeting.

“It’s actually ‘Kirishima’ now,” Eijirou reminded the other proudly.

“Oh, right, my apologies. I still need to get used to that,” Tenya said.

Shouto, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward. “I, too, am glad to see you are doing well,” he said softly, but Katsuki noticed he didn’t make eye contact with either he or Izuku. He also felt the way Izuku’s grip on him tightened—almost protectively—as the prince neared them. “I had wished to speak with you about a…private matter.”

“Absolutely not!” both Eijirou and Izuku snapped heatedly. Katsuki turned to his childhood friend in surprise. The last time he had seen the two, they had been quite fond of each other (to say the least), and now Izuku was openly scowling at the Endeavor prince. Izuku seemed to catch his look, and his expression softened exponentially as he turned to the blond. “I know what he did to you now, Kacchan. I should have listened to your warnings. I…I am so sorry,” he said, and each word dripped with tremendous guilt, and now Katsuki understood his earlier hysterical apologies.

“How—?”

“We all know already, Prince Todoroki!” Ochako suddenly hissed, and Katsuki’s head snapped over to her in shocked devastation. “Your father already spilled the beans. There is no point in trying to hide what you have done anymore!” Katsuki could do nothing but stare, mortified that apparently everyone knew of his unfaithfulness and deceit.

Shouto breathed out a heavy sigh, feeling awkward with so many hateful and judgmental eyes on him. “That is what I wanted to speak with him about,” he insisted.

Eijirou stepped forward threateningly, and to Shouto’s credit, he barely flinched. “Anything you’d like to say to my omega, you can say in front of me,” Eijirou growled.

Shouto looked him dead in the eye. “I planned to speak with you both, actually,” he told the other alpha.

Eijirou scoffed, “I don’t think either of us care much for whatever you have to say.”

“Eijirou,” Katsuki called, and the alpha turned to him in surprise. “Just let him say it already. I just want to be done with all this,” he murmured despondently.

Eijirou exhaled through his nose, torn. “Fine,” he said after a moment. He turned back to Shouto, crowding into his space. “Be glad Katsuki is willing to hear you out. If it were up to me, you’d be lying in a pool of your own blood right now,” he said dangerously.

Shouto gulped audibly. He was not usually one to be easily intimidated, but he had little doubt Eijirou could easily carry through on his threat. Potential for war be damned. “I understand. I won’t be long. Is there somewhere we can speak in private?”

“No,” Katsuki said tiredly. “Hurry up and say whatever you wanted to say so I can pass the fuck out.” Shouto’s eyes widened at that, glancing around anxiously. He hadn’t expected an audience for this. Still, the prince sighed resolutely. It had been long enough.

To everyone’s shock, the crowned prince of Endeavor, a kingdom known for their pride and prowess, dropped to his knees, prostrating himself on the floor at Katsuki’s feet. Eijirou and Izuku looked down at him from either side of the blond, gaping openly. “Firstly, I want to sincerely apologize to you, Prince Katsuki,” he said, his face twisting into something truly regretful. “I feel I had never properly apologized for what I did. When I…kissed you without your consent, I had done so for my own selfish reasons. My father had ordered me to get closer to you, and out of my own desire for self-preservation, I pulled you into my own problems. I realize now that there is no excuse for my actions, and my disregard for your feelings on the matter was downright deplorable. To do something like that to an omega days before their wedding…”

Shouto took a deep breath before continuing. “I also need to apologize to you, Prince Kirishima. I am not sure when you became aware of the situation, but I hope you do not blame Prince Katsuki for it. I had pressured him to not tell you anything under threat of possible conflict between you and I, and even possibly our kingdoms. Again, I had only been thinking of myself, and for that I am deeply sorry. Even though many of my actions towards your husband had been under my father’s orders, they were still my own.” Shouto finally lifted his head just enough to look between the two princes. “I only hope that you can come to forgive me.”

Silence reigned in the corridor for a few long minutes, no one sure of how to react to Shouto’s apology and wary of either Katsuki or Eijirou’s reaction to it. However, to the surprise of many, Eijirou calmly said, “I hadn’t realized the full extent of the situation. I understand.” He stepped over to the prostrated prince, holding out a hand, his face carefully blank. “Come on, get up. That’s no way for a prince to be acting.” Shouto breathed a sigh of relief as he took the offered hand, letting Eijirou pull him to his feet. The redhead patted Shouto on the shoulder, smirking slightly. “You really caught me off guard with that, man,” he chuckled lightly before abruptly punching Shouto clean across the cheek.

“Eijirou!” Katsuki shouted in shock, and everyone seemed to be in a similar state as Shouto flew backwards, hit back hitting the floor with a painful sounding thud. His body slid across the solid ground a few feet before he slumped against the ground, groaning loudly in pain.

Eijirou watched impassively as he sauntered over to where the Todoroki laid, the other’s prince’s eyes widening in fear as he drew near. “Get up,” Eijirou commanded coldly. Shouto remained frozen in place, and with a furious growl, Eijirou grabbed the alpha by the scruff of his shirt and hauled him up until he was basically kneeling on the ground. “You think a fucking apology will solve anything, you son of a bitch? You made my omega cry, and you had the nerve to put your filthy hands on what’s mine, and you think you can just apologize?” he roared, drawing his hand back to deliver another punch directly into the alpha’s nose. Shouto cursed loudly, his head falling back as blood poured from his nostrils and trickled out the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t move to fight back or even break free from the hold. Eijirou felt himself grow even angrier at the feeble display. “What? So, you’re not even going to fight back?” he questioned furiously.

Shouto’s eyes fell to his, a steely determination held within them. “I can take a beating if you think it will satisfy you,” he said simply. “You don’t have to worry about it getting back to my father.”

“And if I decide that only your death will satisfy me?” Eijirou questioned darkly, and few gasps rang out from those who had been watching in stunned silence.

Shouto’s lips thinned, but still he said, “I would rather avoid a full-blown war, but I will not stop you.”

“What in the world are you two doing?” Tenya asked incredulously, his voice shaking.

“Eijirou,” Katsuki called sternly, his face twisted weirdly as he looked at his alpha like he didn’t even recognize him. “Let him go.”

“You’re defending him now?” he screamed at the blond, and both Katsuki and Izuku flinched in each other’s holds as the alpha’s vicious scent surrounded them.

Katsuki shook his head wildly. “No, of course not! You need to calm down before—”

“Calm down?” Eijirou repeated testily. “Calm down after this piece of shit kissed you, and you kept it from me for weeks? How can you possibly expect me to calm down, Katsuki?” he demanded, glowering at his husband, his rage beginning to cloud his mind. Katsuki’s mouth snapped shut, his eyes widening—truly fearful now—as Eijirou abruptly dropped Shouto and stormed over to him. Izuku moved in front of Katsuki defensively, and Eijirou glared down at him. “Get out of my way.” Izuku shook his head defiantly, not trusting his voice to not waver under the alpha’s intense gaze. Eijirou growled, and Izuku bit back a whimper. “Get out of my way,” he repeated, and Izuku’s face fell in disbelief before his eyes glazed over and his legs carried him away without his control.

Eijirou moved the moment Izuku was out of the way, grabbing at Katsuki and hefting the omega over his shoulder. Katsuki cried out at the motion, his wounds aching from where they pressed against the alpha’s broad shoulders and upper back. “Eijirou, what—?”

“Be quiet, omega,” the alpha said, and Katsuki suddenly found himself physically unable to speak. He could feel angry, humiliated tears gathering in the corners of his eyes, and he banged on his husband’s back angrily in retaliation. Katsuki started struggling in the man’s hold, but Eijirou easily kept him in place much to Katsuki’s further aggravation. Without another word, Eijirou turned to continue his journey to he and Katsuki’s chambers, but Denki jumped in front of him after the first step.

“Eijirou-sama, I think you should put Katsuki-sama down,” he said slowly, his hands held up in front of him in a non-threatening manner.

Eijirou narrowed his eyes down at the knight, one of his closest friends. “Are you trying to tell me what I should do with my own omega?” he asked menacingly.

Denki quickly shook his head, silently wondering what in the world was going on with his friend right now. “No, it’s just that his injuries—”

“Denki,” Eijirou cut in impatiently. “Don’t make me use a Command on you as well,” he finished warningly. Denki frowned but wisely stepped away, and Eijirou turned to the rest of their impromptu audience. He took in Shouto’s limp and defeated form, Tenya’s wary expression, Izuku’s enraged scowl, his knights’ open-mouthed stares, and Denki and Mina’s disapproving frowns. “Do not dare to stop me,” he said, addressing them all pointedly. “Unless you wish for me to test how effective a Command would be on all of you.”

No one said a word, and with a satisfied huff, Eijirou walked out of sight with Katsuki slung over his shoulder.

Minutes passed, and no one moved a muscle or uttered a single syllable. The air was tense, everyone effectively on edge after what they just witnessed. Shouto groaned from the floor when he tried to sit up, and that seemed to snap everyone back to reality.

Tenya gasped, rushing over to the fellow prince. “My word, Shouto, you need to go to the infirmary,” he said concernedly, momentarily forgetting about titles and propriety.

Shouto shook his head slowly. “I’m fine,” he lied.

“You’re bleeding, is what you are,” Tenya countered, gingerly helping the other to his feet. “Come on, I’ll help you there.”

“I can walk just fine,” Shouto said, but just as the words left his mouth, he felt himself wobble from the blood loss. “Fuck, okay, maybe I should sit down,” he amended.

Tenya pursed his lips, still believing the prince should be looked at by a doctor, but he helped the prince over to a random chair that was for some reason placed between two armor stands further down the corridor. Tenya would never understand the thought process that went behind the interior decoration of this castle.

Denki watched the spectacle with narrowed eyes before letting out a long, frustrated sigh. “This is such a fucking mess,” he grumbled unsympathetically.

Tenya looked at the omega in clear disapproval, but Shouto couldn’t say he blamed him. Shouto had fully expected Eijirou to want to fight him when he confessed to the kiss (and he probably deserved worse than what he got), but he had not expected the alpha’s level of anger at everyone else. To Shouto, if felt like something much more was going on there.

A shadow cast over Shouto’s feet, and the prince looked up to see Izuku standing over him, his face pinched in frustration. Shouto’s eyes widened in surprise at the fact that Izuku had willingly approached him. “I hope you do not think that this changes anything,” Izuku said, and Shouto smiled self-deprecatingly while Tenya huffed in displeasure.

“Is now really the time for this?”

“It’s okay, Prince Iida,” Shouto said easily, although his voice was slightly strained due to his broken nose. Tenya shook his head silently before walking away. “Honestly, the thought never crossed my mind. I had been fully prepared to never have the chance to speak with you again—to get to hear your voice. I’ve missed it,” he answered to Izuku softly, sincerely. “But that apology was not for you, Izuku.” The omega flinched almost imperceptibly at the use of his given name, and Shouto’s smile turned sad. “Midoriya-san,” he corrected without prompting. “That apology was truly for Prince Katsuki and Kirishima. I hurt Prince Katsuki, and then I never properly apologized for it. And then, I grew close to his closest friend despite his protests. I can only imagine the pain that I put him through.”

“And me?” Izuku questioned shakily.

“I should have told you what I had done,” Shouto said ruefully. “I didn’t want you to hate me or distrust my intentions towards you, but now you do anyway. I don’t blame you, of course. I am not deserving of your love. I probably knew that deep down all along, but it is clear to me now.”

Izuku exhaled heavily. “If…you are just trying to play the ‘sympathy card,’ then—”

“No, Izu—!” Shouto quickly cut himself off with a pained sigh. “Midoriya-san…please, listen. This is likely the last time we will ever speak, so I need you to hear this,” he pleaded desperately. Izuku held his breath in anticipation of the words to follow. “I’m sorry…and I love you.” Izuku gasped audibly, his hand flying over to cover his mouth as he stumbled back a step, dumbstruck and speechless. Shouto bit his lip anxiously at the strong reaction. “I…am not telling you this to change your own feelings about me, although I know saying that after the fact seems disingenuous. I just needed you to know that.”

Shouto wiped absentmindedly at the dried blood under his nose, instantly regretting the action when his finger brushed against his nose. “You need medical attention,” Izuku said belatedly, still somewhat reeling from the alpha’s sudden confession. He knew his face was red, but he ignored it for the moment, even if Shouto seemed particularly captivated by the sight of his flushed cheeks. “Um, I can help—” Izuku began like the kindhearted soul he was, but Shouto raised a silent hand to stop him.

“I can’t ask you to do that,” he said as he got to his feet, finding it just slightly easier to walk now. “I think I’ll just go clean up in my room and stay out of everyone’s way.”

“Are you leaving Adria?” Izuku asked hesitantly, not even sure why he cared one way or the other.

Shouto seemed equally surprised by the question before his expression turned serious. “I will if Prince Katsuki or Kirishima demand it, but I had planned to fight alongside you all,” he responded, throwing Izuku for a loop. “It’s the very least I could do.”

“You could die in battle,” Izuku pointed out needlessly, as if every single person within these castle walls wasn’t aware of the great danger Villiass now most certainly posed.

Shouto chuckled humorlessly. “I half expected Prince Kirishima to kill me when he found out. I’ve already cheated death once, perhaps I can do it again,” he jested, but Izuku knew the prince well enough to hear the sadness within his words.

“And if you cannot?” he asked in a near whisper.

Shouto turned his head away. “Then, I suppose this really will be the last time we speak,” he said quietly, resolutely. Izuku found that he had nothing to say as he watched the prince vanish from sight.

Eijirou opened their bedroom doors with more calm than he felt, Katsuki still silent where he lay over shoulder. Granted, Eijirou had used a Command, so there was no way the omega would be able to utter even a sound without his blessing. Eijirou cursed under his breath, and he felt Katsuki flinch in his grasp. The guilt started pouring in then. He had completely lost it. He knew that no one had any idea why he had so completely flew off the handle the way he did, and truthfully, Eijirou barely understood it himself.

As gingerly as he could—as if to make up for his earlier treatment—Eijirou laid Katsuki down on the bed. The omega still bounced a little on the bed, momentarily marveling at the soft sheets beneath his hands before glancing tentatively up at his husband. The alpha stared down at him, conflicting emotions flitting across his features, and Katsuki swallowed anxiously. He opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out, and his lips thinned in annoyance.

Even now, the alpha could still feel the anger and frustration swirling inside him, and without meaning to, he found himself using a command on his omega once again. “Strip.” Katsuki jolted before his eyes instantly glazed over, and the alpha swallowed heavily as Katsuki got to his feet. Eijirou watched silently as Katsuki stripped himself of his temporary clothes, making a mental note to have Katsuki’s wedding dress washed and tailored until it was back to its original quality.

As the clothing slipped from Katsuki’s frame and down his body, Eijirou could feel himself hardening in his slacks, but he ignored it. Now was not the time. He did, however, allow himself the opportunity to take in the omega’s blessedly nude form, marveling at his soft curves, subtle musculature, and the light scars across parts of his body. He truly was gorgeous, even under the grime and blood covering his body that had yet to be fully cleaned off.

Katsuki was clearly growing shy under his intense and hungry gaze, moving his hands to cover his himself as he felt himself growing hard. His mind was racing just as quickly as Eijirou’s mood seemed to be changing. Eijirou licked his lips, pleased that the omega was once again aroused without him even needing to lift a hand, and he raised his eyes to meet Katsuki’s.

“Come here, angel,” he said softly, and Katsuki let out a relieved sigh at the gentle tone and familiar pet name as he stumbled towards him, clearly fighting between nerves and excitement. Eijirou pulled the omega into a deep kiss, running a hand along Katsuki’s chest, feeling the way the blond’s heart was beating fast beneath his palm. “Go into the bathroom,” he ordered just as gently, and Katsuki whined in a mixture of confusion and disappointment. “You still have dirt and blood all over you, sweetheart. I’ll wash you off,” Eijirou explained, and far too eager, Katsuki instantly turned and rushed into their bathroom, his jiggling, bare ass on full display for the alpha.

Eijirou briefly palmed himself to get some much-needed friction now that Katsuki’s back was turned before he joined the omega in the bathroom. Katsuki stood in front of the large ceramic tub, fidgeting with his hands. Eijirou was happy to see that Camie had done as he’d asked and filled the tub, a sweet aroma and steam filling the room. He began disrobing himself, purposefully starting with his pants and pretending to not hear Katsuki’s gasp when his hardened cock sprung free of its confines. By the time Eijirou finished undressing, Katsuki had covered his eyes, face a dark red.

“You can look, baby,” Eijirou said quietly. Katsuki tensed at his words, but he did not move his hands from over his eyes. Eijirou frowned slightly before realizing what was going on. “Look at me, Katsuki,” he said, just shy of another Command. Just as he expected, Katsuki dropped his hands, as well as his eyes. They widened at the sight of his cock, his mouth falling open and his own erection twitching. Eijirou smirked, pleased with the omega’s reaction. “Come here. Let me touch you.” Katsuki practically tripped over himself in his haste to get closer to the alpha, Eijirou catching him around the waist with a laugh. The redhead let himself run his hands along Katsuki’s body for a few moments, enjoying the omega’s soft whines when his hands brushed over his stomach or nipples. “You’re perfect, you know that?” Eijirou said absentmindedly, and Katsuki moaned softly at the praise. “And all mine,” Eijirou tacked on, his voice nearing a growl.

Katsuki wanted to complain, maybe question the alpha about his sudden possessiveness, but instead he found himself moaning even louder this time. Eijirou grinned predatorily at the reaction as he trailed a single finger up the length of Katsuki’s prick. The blond gasped at the new sensation and curled in on himself, his face smushing against Eijirou’s chest as he tried to move away from the touch in his surprise. Eijirou’s hand on his hip kept him from moving much as the alpha wrapped a large hand around his small cock. Katsuki’s moan was muffled by his chest as he stroked the blond a few times, watching as Katsuki couldn’t seem to keep still, his ass shaking as if begging to be filled.

Eijirou removed his hand and grabbed the omega by the shoulder to make him stand up straight. Katsuki didn’t seem to mind the manhandling, eyes foggy with pleasure as Eijirou grabbed him around the waist and lifted him into the tub as if he weighed nothing. The alpha then got in himself, situating the two until Katsuki was sitting with his back to Eijirou’s chest. The blond bit his lip at the feeling of Eijirou’s cock against his ass, daringly moving his hips to feel the alpha’s manhood slide between his cheeks. Eijirou moaned softly as his hands found Katsuki’s hips under the water, seemingly content to let Katsuki move as he pleased. For now.

The omega’s hips stuttered when Eijirou brushed against his entrance, a gasp that trailed off into a whimper leaving his lips. At the sound, Eijirou seemed to snap. He abruptly lifted Katsuki, but instead of sitting him on his cock like Katsuki half-expected (and hoped), Eijirou pulled him back against his chest and hissed, “Don’t move.”

Katsuki froze, another whimper leaving his throat. Eijirou ignored him, grabbing the soap and wetting it in the bathwater. Katsuki relaxed against the alpha as he began washing him, the process both soothing and incredibly intimate. Katsuki had never heard of an alpha washing their omega, although the reverse was quite common.

There were a few times when he struggled to remain still as Eijirou had told him to, like when the redhead rubbed the soap across and around his nipples for longer than necessary to clean his chest, or when he dipped his hand below the water to clean his inner thighs, dangerously close to his still erect penis.

“I want to taste every inch of you,” Eijirou whispered suddenly into his ear before placing a kiss to his neck. “Would you like that?” he asked, and Katsuki nodded frantically, but his earlier Command had yet to be revoked, so no words came out along with it even as Katsuki’s mouth fell open. “Answer me.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” the omega babbled instantly, glazed eyes slipping shut as he leaned fully into the alpha’s embrace.

“Good, omega,” Eijirou praised.

Katsuki was panting heavily at this point, so turned on he couldn’t even think straight. He was both disappointed and relieved when Eijirou finally put away the soap. He wasn’t given much time to gather his wits before Eijirou was prodding at his entrance with his finger. Katsuki looked down in shock, hole clenching on nothing in anticipation. “Your finger?” he gasped just before Eijirou pushed his middle finger in all the way to the knuckle, quickly shoving two fingers on his other hand into Katsuki’s mouth when it opened on a scream.

Eijirou kept his finger still for a few moments to let the omega adjust, knowing that omegas were not incapable of feeling pain when penetrated like many people wrongly assumed. It wasn’t long until Katsuki was groaning around his fingers, hips moving as he grew used to the feeling of the single digit inside of him. Eijirou wondered if Katsuki had never done this to himself based on his reactions as he began slowly thrusting his finger in and out of his tight hole.

The omega moaned uncontrollably, unable to stop himself from fucking himself back on Eijirou’s finger as he sucked on the two in his mouth greedily. Eijirou nearly came from just the sight of Katsuki so disheveled in his lap, grinding against him so unabashedly and sucking on his fingers the way Eijirou imagined he would suck on his cock.

“Never gonna let anyone touch you again,” Eijirou whispered passionately, and Katsuki hummed around his fingers. In response, Eijirou pushed his fingers further down Katsuki’s throat, making the blond gag. Katsuki grabbed both of his wrists, not pulling his hands away but instead holding on to keep himself grounded. Eijirou was tempted to slip a second finger into Katsuki’s tight, wet heat, but he didn’t want Katsuki to cum quite yet.

He carefully pulled away both hands, and Katsuki instantly whined at the emptiness. He turned to the alpha with watery eyes, silently pleading for his touch, but Eijirou started kissing along his throat, keeping his hands firmly on Katsuki’s hips. Katsuki let out a frustrated growl and started thrashing angrily in the water, throwing a full-blown tantrum. “Put it back, alpha!” he yelled, but Eijirou was having none of that, not tonight.

He growled low in his throat, wrenching Katsuki’s head back with a hand in his blond hair. Katsuki immediately stopped moving, his eyes wide as every muscle in his body locked up and he bit back a truly embarrassing moan as his cock twitched repeatedly below the water. “You will not be giving the orders tonight, omega,” he growled, reveling in the whine it drew from the blond. “You’ll do what I tell you to. Understand?” Katsuki nodded his head as much as he could with Eijirou’s hand still in his hair. “Good.”

Eijirou released his grip on his hair and hauled Katsuki to his feet by his armpits, the omega pliant in his arms. He pulled Katsuki against his chest yet again and cupped a round breast, rolling his hard, pink nipples between his fingers. Katsuki gasped loudly, raising a hand to cover his mouth. Eijirou hissed in his ear, “Keep your hands at your sides. You’re not allowed to touch yourself either.”

Katsuki obediently dropped his hands, pinching his lips together to hopefully muffle all of the embarrassing noises he was making as Eijirou ruthlessly played with his chest. If not for the alpha holding him against his body, Katsuki’s knees surely would have given out by now. His cock was dripping precum into the water below and he was pretty sure that was his slick sliding down his thighs. He felt like he was getting dirty all over again, and Katsuki felt both humiliated and aroused. Eijirou didn’t seem to care despite the way his painfully hard cock was digging into Katsuki’s back. Katsuki desperately needed to cum, feeling like he was about to lose his mind, but Eijirou didn’t seem to care about that either.

Katsuki’s mouth had since fallen open, unable to keep himself quiet as Eijirou continuously teased at his oversensitive chest and sucked on his scent glands. Slick continuously gushed out of his hole with each swipe of his tongue, and Katsuki silently craved the feeling of Eijirou's teeth finally sinking into his skin. Katsuki’s hole tightened on nothing, feeling dreadfully empty all of a sudden.

“Alpha, please,” he whined pitifully, not really knowing what he was asking for.

Eijirou shushed him as he kissed around his mouth, and Katsuki turned his head to sloppily connect their lips. Katsuki ripped his head away with a raucous moan when Eijirou started thrusting against him, his cock sliding firmly between his cheeks and rubbing against his rim.

Eijirou’s breath was heavy against his neck as he started whispering into Katsuki’s ear again. “You’re so beautiful, angel. So fucking perfect for me.” Katsuki moaned continuously as Eijirou gushed praise. “You did such a good job coming back to me, Katsuki. I’m so happy that you’re mine. I can’t wait to mark you, show the whole world who you belong to. You can even mark me too, show everyone that I’m yours.” Katsuki really liked the sound of that. “I’m so proud of you, angel. Do you want to orgasm?” Katsuki nodded frantically, eyes desperate. Eijirou smirked, saying one last Command. “Cum for me, Katsuki.”

Katsuki’s eyes widened as his orgasm was ripped out of him so forcefully that it almost hurt. He came more than when he had touched himself to thoughts of Eijirou or grinded against his thigh in the library. Some of his cum even landed outside the bathtub as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He cried out with each spurt, hips jerking wildly. Eventually, when he could cum no more, his knees gave out and he sagged against his husband.

Eijirou held him up with a gentle hand on his throat and another on his hip, placing kisses along his face as he waited for Katsuki to catch his breath. “Good boy,” Eijirou praised him and Katsuki whined, his cock giving one final twitch.

“Fucking hell,” Katsuki breathed after a few minutes, throat hoarse from all the screaming. Eijirou chuckled at that, easily lifting Katsuki bridal style and carrying him out of the tub, being careful to avoid the cum splattered on the steps. He walked over to where the towels were laid out and put Katsuki down, the omega struggling a bit to stand on his feet. He wound up having to hold onto Eijirou’s arms to avoid falling. His face went completely red as what just transpired dawned on him.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Eijirou asked, growing concerned over Katsuki’s sudden silence. He really hoped Katsuki wasn’t regretting any of it, or that Eijirou had been too rough. Even though Katsuki had asked for the alpha to not be gentle, there was still a chance Eijirou had gone too far and had done too much too soon. The redhead watched as Katsuki only nodded quietly, seeming to turn even redder at the pet name.

“Eijirou,” he began, refusing to look at the alpha. “My thighs.”

Eijirou furrowed his brow in confusion, dropping his gaze to the omega’s thighs and quickly realizing the problem. Katsuki was simply embarrassed by the amount of slick coating his thighs. Eijirou licked his lips and inhaled, faintly picking up the scent of Katsuki’s sweet smelling slick under the scents of soap, cum, and his natural scent. “Would like me to clean you up?” he asked, voice rough and eyes glazed over with lust once again, all worry falling away from his expression.

Katsuki still refused to look at him, so he failed to see the alpha’s telling expression, but his nose picked up the spike in his scent. He nodded against Eijirou’s chest, too embarrassed to look at him. Katsuki was suddenly spun around and pushed against the wall, his cheek smushing against the tile as he tried to look behind him. The tile felt cold against his too-hot skin, but Eijirou’s touch was burning hot where his hands trailed across his back almost reverently before squeezing his ass.

“Wha—” he cut off with a gasp as Eijirou began licking the slick off his thighs, hands holding his legs in place.

Eijirou moaned at the taste, biting into the meat of his thigh and making Katsuki moan. “You taste so good, omega,” he growled before moving to his other thigh and licking up his slick there as well.

The redhead’s tongue was steadily getting closer to the omega’s taint, and Katsuki pushed against Eijirou’s head to get him away once he realized his destination. “W-Wait! What are you doing?”

Eijirou let himself be pushed back, although he wasn’t very happy about it. “I’m gonna eat you out,” he told the blond, and Katsuki gave him an adorably confused look. Eijirou had to remind himself that Katsuki was not only a virgin, but also entirely naïve about almost everything sexual. Eijirou used one hand to spread Katsuki’s cheeks and the other to rub around his rim. Eijirou grinned, showing off all his teeth. Katsuki swallowed, suddenly feeling like he really was about to be eaten. “I’m going to put my mouth here,” he explained. Katsuki eyes widened, even as he subconsciously pushed back on the finger. “And make you cum on my tongue.”

“C-Come?” he asked, not understanding what that word could mean in this context, but he knew that Eijirou had said it before too. When he…

“It means I’m going to make you orgasm,” Eijirou explained, chuckling when Katsuki flushed brighter.

Without further ado, Eijirou spread Katsuki’s ass with both hands and licked a line from his perineum to his asshole, slick gushing out and onto the redhead’s face. Eijirou wasted no time in sucking it up, flicking his tongue against his hole as slick continued to spill out and cover the lower half of his face. Katsuki scratched at the wall, whining and moaning with tears in his eyes as Eijirou ate him out like his life depended on it. Eijirou moaned in return at the mouthwatering taste, sucking hard at Katsuki’s rim.

Katsuki screamed as if he were dying, and suddenly there was a waterfall of slick pouring into Eijirou mouth, down his chin, and onto the floor. He swallowed his fill, continuing to suck as he squeezed Katsuki’s plump, pale ass in his hands, and Katsuki came hard against the wall in front of him. Once Katsuki finally stopped dripping slick onto his tongue, the alpha pulled away. Eijirou watched his tiny, pink hole clench around nothing as Katsuki watched his own release slide down the wall.

Eijirou hungrily licked his lips, eyes dark as he appraised the marks he’d left on Katsuki’s thighs and neck, as well as the red handprints he’d left on his ass. The alpha smirked, loving the sight of his omega so debauched and fucked out, all by his hand (and mouth). “Felt good, right, baby?” he asked smugly.

Katsuki sent a glare over his shoulder before seeing the slick still glistening on Eijirou’s chin. He twisted back around, cheeks bright red. “Pervert,” he hissed.

Eijirou chuckled before grabbing a clean towel and properly cleaning Katsuki off, taking care to be gentle around his sensitive areas. He gently turned Katsuki around until the blond was facing him, finding the way he was avoiding looking directly at him amusing. He stood up to kiss the blond, but Katsuki shoved him away by his forehead.

The redhead’s neck snapped backwards painfully as Katsuki yelled, “Clean off your face, you pervert!”

“Alright, calm down,” Eijirou sighed, using the towel to wipe his face clean. The towel smelled of Katsuki’s slick and cum, and Eijirou couldn’t resist pressing it against his nose and deeply inhaling the scent.

“Eijirou!” Katsuki gasped, scandalized. His gaze dropped down so he wouldn’t have to watch the redhead do something so indecent, and it was then he realized that Eijirou had yet to orgasm himself. Katsuki felt himself pouting, realizing that this marked the second time Eijirou had brought him to orgasm without Katsuki returning the favor. “Eijirou, you are still hard,” Katsuki said, reaching out to wrap his hand around that massive cock.

It was so different from Katsuki’s own; large and veiny while Katsuki’s looked tiny in comparison. It appeared almost angry, as red and throbbing as it was. Katsuki desperately wanted it in his hands, and definitely inside of him too. Eijirou grabbed his hand before he could touch it, though. The alpha was not sure he wouldn’t cum the moment Katsuki so much as grazed him.

“Don’t worry about me, Katsuki. Tonight’s just about you, okay?”

Katsuki scowled, upset at being denied. “Well, I want to touch you,” he snapped, tugging his hand away in annoyance. “You put on this overly-possessive meathead act all day, and now suddenly I do not get to touch my own husband?” he questioned heatedly, and Eijirou gaped at him.

“Overly-possessive meathead?” Eijirou repeated dumbly. “Um, well, okay,” Eijirou said, suddenly awkward and embarrassed, and Katsuki relaxed at the return of his usual alpha.

“You keep saying that I am yours,” Katsuki began seductively, running his hands over the alpha’s chest with hooded eyes. “So, prove it.”

Eijirou pulled Katsuki into a desperate kiss at those enticing words, a hand sliding down his back to cup his backside. “Go get in bed, angel,” he said after breaking the kiss, his voice much more confident.

Eijirou slapped the omega’s ass as he passed, and Katsuki stared at him in shocked chagrin. Katsuki huffed in response and made to do as told, climbing into the ridiculously massive bed while Eijirou quickly cleaned up. There was no way he was leaving puddles of slick and semen for Camie to clean up in the morning. The woman would have a field day with that the next time she saw them.

Katsuki could feel his eyes slipping closed as all of today’s exhaustion caught up with him and Eijirou’s scent infused into the sheets and pillows wrapped pleasantly around him, uncaring that he was completely nude as sleep overtook him without his permission.

He was sound asleep a few minutes later when Eijirou finally came into the room, an amused smile spreading across his lips at the sight of the snoring blond. The alpha allowed his gaze to travel across Katsuki’s nude form, mildly disappointed that they would be going another day without mating, but Eijirou wasn’t so much of an asshole—despite earlier actions—to wake up the exhausted blond.

Eijirou walked over to their wardrobe, and he was pleased to see that Camie had the foresight to move Katsuki’s clothing into this room. The redhead grabbed what he was fairly sure was Katsuki’s usual nightgown, and he carefully dressed the omega, making sure not to accidentally wake him in the process. Satisfied with his work, Eijirou then crawled into bed beside his husband and wrapped the smaller male in his arms.

Chapter Text

Katsuki awoke to the sun’s rays beating down on his face through the window and Eijirou’s eyes looking into his own. He nearly screamed, jumping back in shock and almost teetering off the side of the bed.

Eijirou caught him just in time and tugged him back onto the bed, laughing his head off. He ignored the blankets falling to the floor, figuring he could retrieve it later. For now, he had a beautiful omega in his bed to worry about. Eijirou rolled over and onto his back, pulling Katsuki on top of his chest. Katsuki slapped him on the arm, embarrassed both by the fact that he almost fell off the bed and the fact that Eijirou had apparently decided to sleep nude.

“What the fuck, asshole?” he grumbled. Memories of yesterday’s events suddenly flooded back into Katsuki’s mind, and a mix of emotions filled him.

Katsuki remembered the alpha had been furious after the confrontation with Shouto, but he had seemed to calm significantly once they were alone. He had touched Katsuki the way he had fantasized about, the way they had both been craving for so long, and it had been wonderful. Eijirou had shown Katsuki the kinds of pleasure an alpha could give an omega, and his heart raced just at the memory of what they had done last night.

However, there was another matter the blond had nearly forgotten about during all this.

The blond reached up to grab Eijirou’s nose in a death grip. “You fucking asshole!” Katsuki shouted, twisting his hand for good measure, and making Eijirou cry out in pain.

“Ow! What did I do?” Eijirou asked frantically, slapping away the blond’s hand.

Katsuki sucked his teeth, glaring balefully down at his husband as the redhead held his hands protectively over his nose. How ironic. “You used a Command on me!” Multiple times, but Katsuki figured that went without saying.

Eijirou’s eyes flitted to the side guiltily. “Yeah, I do feel terrible about that—” Katsuki slapped the alpha upside the head before he could finish, and Eijirou wrapped both arms around Katsuki’s upper body to prevent another hit. “Will you stop hitting me?” he asked in annoyance.

“Fuck you!” Katsuki growled, kicking at Eijirou’s legs as best he could in the new position.

Eijirou let him since that didn’t hurt nearly as much as his hands did. “Why are you suddenly so angry?” Eijirou asked incredulously. “You seemed fine last night.”

Katsuki felt himself flush at the reminder. “You distracted me!” he yelled. Really, Katsuki shouldn’t have let himself get distracted, but when Eijirou looked at him like that—as if he wanted to cherish and devour Katsuki all at once—the blond was hopeless to do anything but let him.   

“Wha—?” Eijirou’s expression abruptly turned worried, his grip on Katsuki loosening. “Do you…regret letting me touch you?”

Katsuki froze, his own expression twisting into one of confusion. “No,” he said, and Eijirou relaxed. “I never said that. I thought it was clear that I liked it,” Katsuki finished despite his embarrassment. Even after everything they did, it was still embarrassing to talk about.

Eijirou smiled just slightly, still looking a bit unsure. “You can still regret it…”

Katsuki looked at him weirdly. If he liked it, then why would he regret it? Did Eijirou regret touching him? Had Eijirou not liked it as much as Katsuki had? Eijirou had said he just wanted to focus on Katsuki, after all. Was he upset that Katsuki had fallen asleep without making him feel just as good? “Are you mad?” he asked abruptly, only marginally nervous to hear the answer.

But the alpha only raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Pretty sure that’s my line,” he said, and Katsuki felt himself relax just slightly. “Fuck, I need to apologize to Izuku and Denki, don’t I?” Eijirou groaned, wishing he could go back and punch his past self in the face.

Katsuki frowned a bit since he hadn’t really been talking about that in particular. Still, it was good that Eijirou seemed remorseful. Katsuki wasn’t sure how he would have reacted had the alpha immediately tried to defend himself. He had been way out of line multiple times yesterday. “Apologize to Izuku for grabbing him in the infirmary or using a Command on him?” Katsuki asked tersely.

Eijirou squeezed his eyes shut in mortification. “Yeah,” was his only answer.

Katsuki huffed. “Annoying, idiot, possessive, asshole, idiot alpha,” he grumbled.

“You said ‘idiot’ twice,” Eijirou pointed out lightly, not really feeling like he had any right to be offended by it.

“And I meant it twice,” Katsuki replied snappishly. He felt Eijirou suck in a breath before exhaling heavily, the alpha wisely staying silent. “Never use a Command on me like that again,” Katsuki demanded.

“I won’t,” Eijirou said immediately. Then, “I’m really sorry, angel. I was just so angry that I lost control of myself there. I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately.”

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. He was glad Eijirou apologized, but he didn’t feel all that much better. “I can name quite a few things,” he hissed. He felt Eijirou flinch, and Katsuki tried to push out of his hold. “Let go of me, Eijirou.”

Eijirou didn’t want to. He didn’t want to ever let go of Katsuki again. But he did, because the blond asked, and Katsuki immediately shot off the bed and marched over to their wardrobe. Eijirou sat up himself, watching as Katsuki flung open the wardrobe with more force than was strictly necessary before rummaging angrily through the clothing within.

“Katsuki,” Eijirou called cautiously, but Katsuki didn’t even react to his voice. “I’m sorry for using a Command on you.” Still nothing. “And for…using it on Izuku too. I was planning to apologize to him. And everyone else.” Silence, once again. Eijirou sighed. “Are you really giving me the silent treatment?” he asked sadly.

Katsuki still said nothing, merely grabbing clothes from the wardrobe and throwing them angrily to the floor. Eijirou noticed they were all his clothing, and he silently watched the pile on the floor grow, wondering if Katsuki was planning to throw them out the window next in his anger or something.

It seemed like Katsuki was getting more and more annoyed with each article of clothing he pulled out, so Eijirou tentatively told him, “Your clothes are the ones behind mine.” Katsuki froze from where he had been reaching for another of Eijirou’s shirts, slowly turning to glare balefully at his husband. Eijirou nearly shrunk into himself at the look, feeling chastised even without words. “I was just trying to help,” he muttered weakly.

Katsuki’s glare hardened, but the blond turned back around without saying anything. He aggressively shoved Eijirou’s clothes (or what remained, at least) aside and finally saw his own clothing hanging behind them. Eijirou thought he heard Katsuki mumble something about a stupid design, but he couldn’t be sure. Katsuki grabbed what looked like a random shirt and a pair of tights before sliding off his nightgown.

Even with the uncomfortable atmosphere between them, Eijirou couldn’t help but to appreciate his husband’s body. He didn’t feel the usual spark of arousal, though, since Katsuki was in less than a good mood. Sometimes he just liked to watch his husband. That was what he had been doing before Katsuki woke up, but now the blond was angry with him. His calm, serene features were replaced with a fierce, mean scowl.

Katsuki must have felt his eyes on him because he glared at the redhead from over his shoulder until Eijirou looked away. The alpha was a bit miffed at that, but he kept his gaze averted until Katsuki was fully dressed. Only then did Eijirou speak up again.

“Katsuki, can we at least talk?” Eijirou asked pleadingly, belatedly realizing how ironic this entire situation was. Eijirou had taken away Katsuki’s voice, and now that Eijirou wanted him to talk, Katsuki was purposefully not speaking. Unsurprisingly, Katsuki said nothing, and Eijirou felt himself start to get frustrated. “Would you just—?”

Katsuki suddenly rounded on the alpha, his face twisted into a vicious, furious scowl. “Would I just what?” he roared. Eijirou could only gape dumbly at him, his mouth still hanging open from when he had been speaking. “Go ahead, alpha. Make me talk.”

Eijirou’s lips thinned, looking down at his hands when he found himself unable to meet the omega’s gaze. “So, you do regret last night,” he mumbled.

He heard Katsuki groan above him. “I already said that I do not. I am not upset that you touched me. I am pissed that you used a Command on me.”

“So, you’ll still let me touch you?” Eijirou asked hopefully, holding out his arms in askance. He wanted to hug the omega, but Katsuki took a step back, and Eijirou’s face fell along with his arms.

“Did you even—?” Katsuki abruptly cut off with growl, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked away. “Fuck, just put some clothes on, Eijirou,” he ordered tiredly.

Eijirou quickly moved to do as told, hoping Katsuki would let the alpha hold him then. Katsuki watched with a strange sort of expression on his face as Eijirou grabbed whatever was at the top of the pile on the floor and hastily dressed. The moment Eijirou was fully clothed, he reached out for the blond, but Katsuki stepped away once again.

“Katsuki?” Eijirou asked disappointedly, his arms still held out in front of him.

Katsuki frowned. “I never said you could touch me,” he pointed out coldly.

Eijirou felt his heart plummet into his stomach, his mind racing as he desperately tried to figure out how to make the omega stop being mad at him. “Angel, I—”

“I do not want you to touch me right now,” the blond cut in harshly, shattering any hope Eijirou might have had.   

To Katsuki’s absolute shock, Eijirou immediately started crying. “No, omega, please, don’t punish me like this,” he said all in one breath, and Katsuki’s eyes shot wide open in surprise. “I’m so sorry. I’ll be good, omega, I promise. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I only want to protect you! I’ll keep you safe, omega, okay?”

“What the fuck? Why are you crying?” Katsuki asked incredulously, bewildered by the sight before him. He could barely even take the time to process the alpha’s words. He had never seen Eijirou like this. It was honestly more unnerving than his anger from yesterday.

“Because I hurt you!” Eijirou cried, tears and snot streaming down his face. His entire body wracked with sobs as he stood shaking in place, his arms still head out towards the blond. “You don’t want me to touch you anymore because I h-hurt you!”

Eijirou’s mind was racing a mile a minute, all of his thoughts consumed by the omega in front of him. He was supposed to be Katsuki’s alpha, but he had hurt his omega. His omega was angry with him for something he’d done. His omega didn’t want him to touch him anymore. He needed to make it right. He needed to make his omega happy again.

Katsuki slowly stepped closer, hesitantly raising his hands to wipe away the alpha’s tears. The alpha stopped crying the moment Katsuki touched him, but Eijirou’s eyes were wide now as he looked down at Katsuki. “You did not hurt me, Eijirou. I am just angry. And I never said that I would never let you touch me again, did I?” Katsuki kept his words and hands gentle, and it was a while before Eijirou seemed to register what he said.

“I didn’t hurt you?” he asked wetly.

Katsuki shook his head. He wasn’t even sure where Eijirou had gotten that idea. “No. Besides the Commands, I liked everything we did in the bath.” And it was true. Had Katsuki not fallen asleep the moment his head hit the mattress, they likely would have gone all the way. Katsuki wouldn’t say it aloud, but considering Eijirou’s current state of mind, he was mildly relieved they had not. Katsuki was just as impatient to mate with Eijirou, but…maybe they needed more time.

Eijirou took a while longer than Katsuki thought normal to process his words. “I made you feel good?” he asked slowly.

The omega felt his cheeks heat at the question, but he nodded anyway. “Yes, Eijirou,” Katsuki assured him. So good that Katsuki had gotten swept away in his lust. He should probably be more concerned by how easy it was for him to lose himself to pleasure, but that was a worry for later. “You always do. Now, will you calm down?”

Eijirou blinked slowly at him, and Katsuki was really starting to get worried by his behavior. “Omega, will you let me touch you now? I promise to make you feel good.”

Katsuki abruptly ripped his hands away, anger filling his chest so suddenly it was hard to breathe. The alpha whined pitifully at the loss of contact, and that only served to make Katsuki angrier. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he demanded, and Eijirou flinched severely. “Are you seriously asking for sex right now? Is that all you can fucking think about?”

Eijirou didn’t understand why his omega was angry again. He had courted Katsuki. He had married Katsuki. Why couldn’t he mate with him? “But…my bite…” Eijirou whispered, and Katsuki hated how pathetic he sounded.

“So, you just want to claim me, then?” he hissed. “Is that all you fucking care about? Making me yours?”

Eijirou looked close to tears again, but Katsuki didn’t care this time. “B-But you’re supposed to be m-my omega. I-I was s-supposed to protect you, but other a-alphas touched you, and I c-couldn’t keep you s-safe,” he babbled, wet hiccups making his words stutter. “I p-promise I’ll be b-better, omega. I-I’ll m-make you feel good, and then you’ll be m-mine. We can be h-happy again!”

Katsuki wasn’t sure what part of that to focus on first, so he settled on what he thought was the root issue. “I know you are upset about Todoroki and Shigaraki,” he began gently, and Eijirou started growling at just the sound of their names. “Stop!” Katsuki reprimanded, perhaps a tad too harsh considering the way Eijirou flinched. The blond sighed, making his voice softer as he spoke next. “Eiji, you do not have to claim me just because other alphas touched me. A bite will not wipe away their touch.” Katsuki doubted there was anything that would.

“You…don’t want my bite?” Eijirou asked fearfully.

“I did not say that,” Katsuki was quick to stress. The alpha was all over the damn place. “Of course, I want to mate with you, Eijirou.”

The redhead perked up hopefully. His omega still wanted him! “Then—”

“No, calm the fuck down,” Katsuki interrupted sternly, and Eijirou visibly deflated. “We are not going to do…that right now.”

“You don’t want to,” Eijirou said dejectedly. “Different alpha,” he then muttered, and Katsuki looked at him in confusion.

“Different alpha?” he repeated, hoping Eijirou would elaborate on what he meant by that, but the redhead only looked down at his feet. At least he wasn’t crying anymore. “Fine, whatever. It is not that I do not want to, Eijirou. I just think we should…maybe wait until after we return from Adria.”

Eijirou suddenly shot forward, pulling Katsuki against him as he shook his head wildly. “No! Not after! Omega, no!” he yelled hysterically. He was sure he would lose Katsuki if they waited any longer!

Katsuki shoved out of his hold, stumbling backwards until his knees hit the bed and he fell onto his butt on the mattress. He stared up at Eijirou in equal parts alarm and panic. “Eijirou, what the hell! Calm down!” he hollered frantically. “You are seriously starting to freak me out!”

The alpha stopped dead in his tracks, his expression filling with dread. “Omega scared?” he asked brokenly, and Katsuki’s heart stopped. Something was seriously wrong.

Before he could even really think through the action, Katsuki had jumped up and slapped both hands onto the alpha’s cheeks, hard. Eijirou’s eyes shot wide open, but Katsuki didn’t think it was entirely because of the slap. Eijirou blinked rapidly a few times, his eyes roaming around the room as if he didn’t know where he was before finally landing on Katsuki.

“Wha—? Katsuki…?” Eijirou questioned confusedly, and Katsuki nearly breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of his own name leaving the alpha’s lips. Apparently, Katsuki had managed to literally slap some sense back into the alpha.

“Are you back with me, dumbass?” Katsuki asked, his tone far kinder than his words.

Eijirou suddenly looked sheepish, gingerly removing Katsuki's hands from his face and stepping away. “Sorry,” he said lowly, refusing to look at the blond. “I don’t—I’m sorry.”

Katsuki frowned at the timid response. Eijirou was threatening to give him whiplash with these mood swings. “What was that all about?” he asked quietly, still perplexed by the entire spectacle. Eijirou said nothing, and Katsuki’s frowned deepened in annoyance. “Eijirou!”

“I don’t know!” Eijirou blurted, looking at Katsuki wild-eyed. Eijirou sucked in a deep breath before quietly repeating, “I don’t know.” He rubbed his arm awkwardly. “That’s never happened to me before. That was—I don’t even—Fuck, I don’t know.”

Katsuki pursed his lips in thought, not really satisfied with that answer. Or lack thereof. But Eijirou seemed just as distraught—if not more so—at his loss of control. There was still a lot more Katsuki wanted to say, in all honesty. So many more questions on his mind. Why had Eijirou lost control like that? Why was the alpha suddenly so possessive over Katsuki? Would he have actually killed Shouto yesterday if Katsuki hadn’t stopped him? Was yesterday’s incident just a one-time thing? Was today’s? Should Katsuki be worried?

In the end, Katsuki wasn’t sure if he was ready for any of those conversations. He didn’t think Eijirou was either, so he decided it would be best to avoid them all together.

“Okay,” Katsuki said with finality. “Are you…feeling better now?” he then asked hesitantly.

For a few long seconds, Eijirou said nothing. Katsuki started to feel himself grow anxious again just as Eijirou whispered, “Yeah. Just give me a minute, please.”

Katsuki nodded even though Eijirou wasn’t looking at him. “You should sit down,” Katsuki suggested lightly, gently moving the alpha over to sit on the edge of the bed without waiting for his reply.

Eijirou let himself be moved, his eyes downcast and his expression more tired than Katsuki had ever seen it. He looked the way he had after his father died, and the blond’s chest ached at the sight. Katsuki stood in front of him awkwardly, wringing his hands together as he glanced towards the door. Should he just leave or did Eijirou want him to stay? Katsuki couldn’t figure out what was expected of him in this situation. Not as Eijirou’s husband, not as his omega, not as queen. He felt lost.

“Katsuki,” Eijirou suddenly called, and Katsuki jerked in surprise, turning to see the alpha staring up at him with an unreadable expression. “I need—” He stopped, thinking better of his words. “Would it be okay if I hugged you?” he asked beseechingly.

The omega visibly hesitated, and Eijirou mentally prepared himself for a rejection. Katsuki surprised them both when he warily said, “Only a hug.”

Eijirou nodded quickly. He hadn’t even been thinking of anything more. He just needed to hold his omega. “Anything you want, Katsuki. Just—please.”

Katsuki surprised Eijirou yet again when he climbed into the alpha’s lap, his arms coming to wrap around Eijirou’s neck tentatively. Eijirou wasted no time in pulling the blond closer, burying his face into his neck and squeezing tight as if Katsuki would disappear the moment he let go.  

Katsuki winced, and he patted Eijirou on the back insistently. “Eijirou, that hurts,” he said before nearly falling onto the floor when Eijirou abruptly released him and jerked away. He managed to grab the alpha’s shirt and right himself, looking into the alpha’s unnecessarily remorseful gaze. “Jeez, Eijirou, just not so tight, okay?” Katsuki said, a tad bit exasperated. Eijirou was still being weird, and it had Katsuki on edge.

The redhead timorously moved his arms back around Katsuki’s waist, as if afraid the blond was going to push him away or scold him again. When Katsuki only sat in place with a tense frown, Eijirou fully wrapped him in his embrace, making sure to not be too rough this time. The alpha sighed heavily into Katsuki’s neck. “Thank you.”

The omega didn’t exactly know what Eijirou was thanking him for. Was it for the hug? For bringing him back to his senses? For not leaving? Katsuki figured it didn’t really matter. “Of course,” he said tenderly. Eijirou started shaking again, and Katsuki could feel his shoulder grow wet with the alpha’s tears, but he said nothing.

Time passed just like that for the next few minutes, with Eijirou holding onto his husband tightly while Katsuki soothingly stroked his back. Katsuki still didn’t fully understand how he had become the one comforting the other, but Eijirou’s earlier outburst still had him reeling. Eijirou was an emotional person, and Katsuki loved that he always wore his emotions on his sleeve, but it was now twice that the alpha had seemed to completely switch personalities. Katsuki wasn’t sure what to make of it.

It was at that moment that there was an insistent knocking at their door, and Katsuki felt Eijirou tense underneath him. The blond had half a mind to ignore whoever was outside, but when the knocking continued without any indication they intended to stop, Katsuki reluctantly pulled away from the alpha with a frown.

Eijirou whined when Katsuki pulled away, reaching out to him needily for a split second before he seemed to remember himself. His hands instantly fell to the bed, his face twisted into a scowl as he stared down at his own lap.

Katsuki got to his feet with a sigh. He had just woken up, but he suddenly felt exhausted again. The blond hurried over to the door and wrenched it open, growing increasingly annoyed with the knocking. “What?” he hissed before even checking to see who it was.

“Fucking finally,” Hanta grumbled when Katsuki’s face came into view, apparently unbothered by his anger. “We need you in the council room right now,” he said urgently. Hanta pushed open the door further so he could eye the alpha on the bed. “Both of you.”

Eijirou didn’t even glance up, but Katsuki could see his face was devoid of expression. “Can’t it wait?” Eijirou asked in a mumble.

Hanta sent him a look. “There is a war at play. There really isn’t time to wait,” he replied in deadpan.

“He just needs a few minutes,” Katsuki said to the knight, and Hanta looked at him questioningly. “Just a few minutes,” he repeated sternly because he didn’t think Eijirou could handle other people right now.

 Hanta must have seen something in his expression because he agreed without complaint. “Sure, Katsuki-sama. Are you staying with him?” he asked, not revealing his thoughts on the matter one way or the other.

Katsuki glanced back at Eijirou, his lips thinning as he took in the sight of his husband. Honestly, Katsuki didn’t really want to be around Eijirou right now, but he also felt bad leaving the alpha alone as he was.

Eijirou could probably guess what Katsuki was thinking, since after Katsuki didn’t answer right away, he flatly said, “You can go, Katsuki.”

The blond nodded even though Eijirou couldn’t see, marginally relieved. Even so, he still felt bad as he closed the door behind himself and followed Hanta out of the room. The raven’s eyes had been on him throughout the entire exchange, and Katsuki could have sworn he saw the alpha’s eyes drop down to his neck, but Hanta was instantly turning away.

Katsuki held a hand to his bare neck self-consciously. “We…decided to wait,” he said, feeling the need to explain his lack of mating mark for some reason.

“I didn’t say anything,” Hanta said in reply, keeping his eyes forward as they walked with Katsuki trailing just a bit behind him.

Katsuki immediately removed his hand, feeling silly since Hanta wasn’t even looking his way. There was a short lull in conversation before Katsuki hesitantly spoke up again. “Hanta, what is an alpha like when they go feral?”

Hanta glanced back at him, a single eyebrow raised in surprise at the sudden question. “I wouldn’t really know. It’s not like that’s something that happens,” he responded. “You think Eijirou is going feral or something? That that’s why he acted that way yesterday?” he then asked, already putting two and two together.   

Katsuki’s eyes widened nearly imperceptibly. He didn’t remember Hanta being there. “You know about that?” he asked needlessly. He didn’t think it was prudent to mention Eijirou’s second outburst from just earlier, so he kept that to himself.

“Denki told me.” Of course. Katsuki should have figured that. “Ei’s not going feral, Katsuki-sama,” Hanta said reassuringly. “He’s not literally losing his mind. Give him some credit.”

Katsuki didn’t like the way the alpha stressed the word “literally,” but it was good to know. He hadn’t seriously been considering that anyway. Feral behavior was a thing of the past. Even Katsuki knew that, as uninformed as he was about most things secondary gender related. “Has Eijirou ever acted like that before?” he wondered.

Hanta hummed in thought. “Similarly in the past. About three years ago, I think,” he said after a moment. “It wasn’t nearly as severe, though. Maybe because he didn’t have other things to stress about as well. You wouldn’t have known about it, since you haven’t known him for that long.”

Katsuki’s lips thinned at the alpha’s candid remark. That went without saying, so why did he have to say it? It really irked Katsuki for some reason. “When was this?” he asked instead of thinking about that further.

Hanta’s gaze fell forward again, but Katsuki caught the distraught expression on his face right before it vanished from sight. “When his mother died.”

They both fell silent after that.

Hanta held open the door for Katsuki when they finally reached the council room. The moment the blond entered, Denki and Izuku instantly shot to their feet and rushed over to him. Even Camie, who honestly had no business being there, invaded his personal space before Katsuki could even process it. Katsuki vaguely noticed Hanta walk past them to join the rest of the few knights who were gathered in the room, all apparently having been waiting for he and Eijirou to arrive.

“Kacchan, how do you feel?” Izuku asked frantically, his big green eyes even wider than usual. Katsuki was getting really tired of that question.

“Perfectly healed,” Katsuki said. Or at least, he assumed he was. He hadn’t really thought much of his injuries since waking up, but he felt fine.

Izuku only shook his head, however, and leant forward to whisper to his friend. “I mean, did Eijirou-sama hurt you at all?” he asked worriedly, his eyes flitting around anxiously as if expecting the alpha to burst through the door at the sound of his name.  

“Eijirou-sama would never,” Denki said adamantly before turning to Katsuki. “But if he did, I would help you hide his body,” he added quietly, deathly serious.

“He didn’t, though, did he?” Camie asked for confirmation.

Katsuki eyes widened in their sockets. “No, of course not,” he said instantly. “How could you even entertain the thought of that?” he asked, feeling offended on his husband’s behalf.

Izuku bit his lip, looking contrite. “It is just…he seemed so angry last night. So, I was worried. I mean, when my father would get angry, he would—”

“Izuku,” Katsuki was quick to cut him off. He knew very well the kind of alpha Izuku’s father had been. “Eijirou did not hurt me. At all. I promise.”

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay. Alphas can be pretty scary, though.” The two omegas beside him nodded in agreement, but Katsuki wanted to tell them that he wasn’t scared of Eijirou. The redhead had just been angry, and things had escalated too far, but Eijirou wasn’t a threatening person.

And yet, all Katsuki said was, “I guess.”

Camie suddenly grabbed Katsuki’s chin, turning his head to and from despite the blond’s shout of protest. “Where the hell is your mating mark?” she demanded. “I heard he stomped off with you over his shoulder like some kind of primitive alpha caveman or something, but you guys didn’t even mate?” Katsuki’s face twisted in displeasure. Did everyone in the castle know about yesterday?

“Wait, what?” Denki asked, looking at his mating glands and even the back of his neck where a mark could also go. “Eijirou didn’t claim you?” he asked in a whisper, as if talking to himself. He then sent Katsuki an accusing look, as if the other blond were pulling some kind of trick on them. “But his scent is all over you!” he nearly yelled.

Katsuki put a hand over his ear and shoved him away, face glowing red. “Shut the hell up! It is none of your business!”

“You two really didn’t have sex?” Camie asked incredulously, not quite believing it. “You guys were all over each other in the infirmary. And you got interrupted before you could, ya know, on your wedding day.”

“Maybe Kacchan did not want to,” Izuku said pointedly, speaking before Katsuki could get a word in. “Eijirou-sama used a Command on him after all. That is completely unforgivable!”

Denki sent him a look. “I think you’re being too harsh,” he said. “He could’ve reacted a lot worse.”

Katsuki opened his mouth to point out that didn’t really change anything, but he was beat out by Izuku yet again. “Worse than that? Is that supposed to be reassuring?” he asked dubiously.

Camie hummed thoughtfully. “Well, I’ve never had an alpha use a Command on me before, so I guess I wouldn’t know how it feels,” she mused, conceding his point.

“It feels horrible,” Izuku said heatedly. “Right, Kacchan?” he then asked, hoping his friend would agree.

Katsuki looked caught off guard by the question. “Well, I definitely did not like Eijirou forcing me into silence,” he offered after a moment. He wouldn’t dare mention the other Commands Eijirou issued after they had entered the privacy of their room together, since those felt much different from his angered Command of silence. Katsuki still didn’t appreciate being commanded without warning, though. “I had not expected him to act so controlling.”

“Well, an alpha is an alpha,” Izuku muttered bitterly. Katsuki frowned worriedly at that. Izuku hadn’t had thoughts like that for a while, but he supposed the alphas around him had him second guessing himself recently. “They only think about themselves.”

Denki sighed at the exchange. “I’m just saying that alphas are wired differently from us.” The three other omegas took the time to ponder that. “Alphas are naturally possessive of their mates—potential or otherwise—so it’s not surprising he’d lose his temper. I could imagine Hanta losing his mind too if he found out some other alpha kissed me. Not to mention Ei’s already been on edge since—” Denki paused, glancing at Katsuki awkwardly. “Well…you know.”

Katsuki looked down at his feet shamefully. “Eijirou was angry that I had been unfaithful and waited so long to tell him,” he said weakly. This was all starting to feel like his fault.

“You were not unfaithful, Kacchan,” Izuku defended adamantly. “It is Prince Sho—Todoroki who is to blame,” he finished bitterly. Katsuki only looked even guiltier at his friend’s words, and it left Izuku feeling lost for what to do.

“Is that jerk even still in the castle?” Camie asked in a huff. “Maybe I should give him a kick to the balls for good measure!”

Katsuki snorted in amusement at the imagery, but his amusement soon left him. “I suppose you are right, Izuku,” he reluctantly agreed. He still felt like he had betrayed Eijirou’s trust, even if he had not wanted the kiss. It was getting harder for Katsuki to tell himself that the alphas in question were the only ones in the wrong here. “I probably would have been angry had our situations been reversed.”

“Oh, I would for sure beat the shit out of anyone who kissed Hanta,” Denki instantly said, completely deadpan. “I don’t know about all that other shit Ei did, though. I’ll admit that was going too far, but it’s in the past.”

“He should at least apologize,” Izuku insisted.

Denki waved him away. “And I’m sure he will. I’m moving past it, though. There’re more important things to focus on right now. Ei’s temper tantrums can be put on the backburner until after Villiass isn’t declaring war on kingdoms left and right.”

Izuku pouted, although he had to admit the blond had a point. Still, he was no less peeved about it. “Alphas are far too irrational,” Izuku stated irritably.  

Camie sent him a look. “Yeah, we omegas are always completely rational,” she drawled sarcastically. “Especially during our heats.”

Izuku nearly rolled his eyes, but he did blush faintly at the casual way she mentioned going into heat. “That is completely different. Eijirou-sama was not going into rut. And we do not get so…” Izuku sucked in a breath, trying to get his thoughts together. “Aggressive,” he finished for lack of a better word.

“I mean, isn’t that how alphas are?” Camie wondered aloud, and each omega turned to her in bewilderment. “Obviously, not always, but, like, alphas are all about ‘protecting what’s theirs,’ and ‘staking their claim,’ and all that noise,” she elaborated. “Back in the primitive days, alphas killed for a lot less than what Prince Todoroki did.”

Katsuki looked at her like she’d gone crazy. “Yeah, in the primitive days,” he stressed pointedly.

Camie held up her hands defensively. “I’m just saying, I think you guys are excepting too much from such simpleminded creatures.”

Denki snorted a laugh. “See, now it just seems like you’re expecting too little of them,” he remarked amusedly.

Katsuki looked between the two of them bemusedly. He had to admit it was…interesting to hear such differing points of view. Izuku held such clear distaste for an alpha’s more aggressive traits, while Camie seemed to disregard them as genuine issues at all, and Denki displayed an almost sage acceptance of such behaviors. It surely helped to give some insight, especially since Katsuki was still unsure of what to make of Eijirou’s behavior himself.

“Nonsense,” Camie said flippantly in response to the knight. “And are you guys really gonna stand here and say you don’t like a little aggressiveness in your alpha?” she asked skeptically.

“Uh, no?” Izuku said slowly, looking at her weirdly, and Katsuki pointed his way to show he agreed. Denki stayed suspiciously silent, and Camie zeroed in on him knowingly.

“You totally do,” she leered, waggling her eyebrows.

When Denki blushed in response, Izuku and Katsuki rounded on him in incredulity. “Hey, I’m not saying I like being smacked around or anything,” Denki defended. “But Hanta is pretty hot when he gets all ‘alpha’ on me in bed.”

Camie chuckled at their reactions. “I get what you mean. I used to love that about alphas. It’s totally natural,” she claimed.

“How so?” Izuku asked in confusion.

Camie adopted an expression akin to one a wise, old scholar would have when speaking to a pupil of theirs. “It only makes sense that we’d be into being bossed around a bit since omegas are naturally submissive.” Katsuki and Denki immediately scoffed, and Camie shot them both unimpressed looks. “Okay, ignoring an omega’s individual personality, when it comes to sex, it’s pretty much all the same story.”

“I mean, not always,” Denki began reluctantly, glancing over at his mate across the room, but Hanta wasn’t looking their way. “There’s, like, a certain look that gets me like that, you know?”

The seamstress eagerly nodded in agreement, apparently knowing exactly what he was referring to even without further elaboration. “Exactly! Every omega gets all gooey and pliant when their alpha gives them that look that says, ‘get over here so I can ravish that bod!’ Even our favorite, headstrong omega, Katsuki-sama.”

“Wha—? I do not!” Katsuki denied embarrassedly—because he definitely did—and someone on the other side of the room loudly cleared their throat.

“You all do know everyone can hear you, right?” Tokoyami asked awkwardly, and most of the knights next to him seemed just as uneasy. The beta’s cheeks were a dark red as he avoided meeting Katsuki’s gaze in particular, and the prince very belatedly realized they had all ceased speaking in whispers a while ago.

Camie waved away the knight’s words, not seeming the least bit ashamed or bashful. Denki, equally as shameless, only snickered at Katsuki and Izuku’s matching looks of mortification at being overheard talking about sex of all things.

“Do I make you all ‘gooey and pliant’ when I give you that look?” Mina asked suddenly, grinning lecherously at her lover, and Katsuki’s nose scrunched up in disgust. He really didn’t want to think about the two women in any sexual context.

Camie returned her grin, even though she shook her head. “It’s a bit different with an alpha, but you are more than enough, babe,” she ended with a wink.

“Gross,” Katsuki said bluntly, his cheeks still pink with embarrassment from being directly called out earlier.

The doors to the council room opened then, and Eijirou strolled in looking dead on his feet. Katsuki frowned at the sight of him, and it only deepened when he saw Izuku move behind Denki in his peripherals, the noble’s eyes wide and calculating as they watched Eijirou trudge further into the room.

Eijirou didn’t acknowledge anyone, merely making his way right over to Katsuki with a grave expression. Katsuki’s eyes widened in confusion the closer he got until Eijirou suddenly stopped, standing just inches from Katsuki. He stared down at the omega wordlessly, and Katsuki fidgeted underneath his gaze uncomfortably.  

Hanta cleared his throat loudly. “If you two are ready, we need to actually plan our attack,” he said tersely, and Katsuki’s eyebrows shot into his hairline at the tone.

Katsuki and Denki looked between their alphas in confusion, since they were both acting a bit strangely. The atmosphere in the room was noticeably stiff; everyone was still on edge from yesterday’s events, and Eijirou current behavior wasn’t really helping to ease anyone’s nerves.

Katsuki spared one last glance at his alpha before he stepped up to the table in the heart of the room, looking down at the old battle plans from weeks before. They were practically useless now that Adria would no longer have the upper hand in battle, since Villiass had unexpectedly made their move so soon.

“We need to completely rethink our strategy,” Katsuki told the room, easily slipping into an authoritative persona. Everyone responded to the change in him, directing their complete and undivided attention onto the blond as he spoke. “I have discovered a few things about Villiass in my time with my captors, and honestly, much of it is concerning.”

Eijirou’s hands had slipped around Katsuki’s waist as he was speaking, momentarily distracting the omega. He twisted his head to look at the alpha, but Eijirou promptly burrowed his face into the blond’s neck. Everyone looked at Katsuki in utter bafflement, but the blond could only return their looks with his own confusion. Katsuki nearly removed Eijirou’s hands from his person, mildly annoyed that the alpha was touching him without permission after what they “discussed” before, but the blond felt Eijirou start to shake nearly imperceptibly against him, so the blond let him be for now. Katsuki would really rather not have a repeat of his earlier breakdown.  

With a quiet sigh, Katsuki focused his attention back on the others. “First things first, Villiass clearly has access to poisons that other kingdoms do not, and it is likely that poisons are used on their enemies in battle beforehand to dwindle their numbers,” he said. Katsuki felt Eijirou tense behind him, and the omega placed his hands on the alpha’s arms around him, releasing a bit of his scent as he stroked his arms soothingly. Katsuki probably should have worded that better. “We have to avoid that, of course,” he continued only when he felt the redhead relax. “Nothing we plan will matter if our forces are wiped out before we can even raise our swords. We can assume that Villiass somehow poisons their enemy’s food or water, but we cannot be sure.”

“So, what should we do about that?” Ochako questioned anxiously. “Villiass knows we are coming for them. They could easily have a surprise attack or traps set up for us.”

“I considered that while I was…incapacitated,” Katsuki said, refusing to use the word “kidnapped,” even if everyone knew that was what he meant.

Mina blinked in surprise. “Wait, you were thinking about the battle against Villiass while you were with them?” she asked in amazement. “I would have been scared shitless. That’s impressive, Katsuki-sama.”

Katsuki fought a blush at the praise, clearing his throat as he continued. “I cannot be sure of this, but Shigaraki seems to keep a small group of lackeys that he trusts to some extent. There were a total of five there when I first woke up, but one that goes by the name ‘Mr. Compress’ left with Shigaraki on the first day. Another, ‘Dabi,’ left soon after, but I am unsure if he went to Tulia with Shigaraki or not. The three who remained are no longer a concern, but I suspect there are a few more who may be working directly under him.”

“Huh? Why?” Tetsutetsu asked.

“Before the alliance with Adria was settled, my parents received word from a scout that a number of suspicious persons were active in Villiass. Out of the nine mentioned, only five of them were ever in my presence,” he explained. “There were posters of them plastered around the capital, but I had never seen them since all of my time was spent indoors. I know the Royal Guard was familiar with their descriptions, however.” Katsuki turned to look at Ochako. “Uraraka, can you remember?”

Ochako nodded determinedly. “Yes, Katsuki-sama. I memorized all of their identities. That was how I first recognized Toga Himiko when we were traveling to Adria,” she said, sounding proud of herself. “Besides the two you mentioned and Toga Himiko, the others on the watchlist were Twice, Magne, Spinner, Kurogiri, Muscular, and a young boy whose name and origins are still unknown,” she recounted.

“Twice, Spinner, and Toga Himiko are dead,” Katsuki said bluntly.

Izuku gasped. “Kacchan, you…”

“I did what I had to do,” the blond said, his tone hard. “Anyway, that just confirms it. There are four others to watch out for: Magne, Kurogiri, Muscular, and the boy. I would not be surprised if there were no accurate descriptions of them, since Toga Himiko was the only one of Shigaraki’s lackeys who showed their face. They likely wear masks or disguise themselves in some way.”

“Masks?” Denki muttered. “How annoying.”

Katsuki definitely agreed. “One of Shigaraki’s men had kept a hood over his head, but I happened to see his face before I escaped. He had almost…lizard-like features.”

“Lizard…what?” Tetsutetsu asked confusedly. “How is that possible?”

“The reason so many kingdoms turned on Villiass back in the day is because of their human experimentations,” Katsuki said, and everyone’s eyes widened as realization dawned on them one by one. “Over time, Villiass’ population has decreased drastically, and I suspect I know why. They never stopped with the experiments, but they merely kept them under wraps. Those who did not leave Villiass after the war were likely used as test subjects. I think at least some of the people directly under Shigaraki may have been some of the survivors of said experiments.”

“So…these experiments alter their appearances?” Kendou asked for confirmation.

Katsuki shook his head. “I doubt that is the only result,” he said gravely. “I suspect Twice may have also undergone experimentation, but the possible results seemed to mostly affect his mental state. However, there is no way of knowing now. There are likely records of each experiment within Villiass, but there is neither time nor need to acquire those. It would probably be safe to assume that any masked or disguised person we encounter in Tulia has been experimented on in some way. The effects could be anything, which means they could also pose a serious threat.”

“Fuck,” Mina said concisely.

“Yeah, fuck,” Katsuki said in agreement. “Honestly, I had been hoping that a few of our own would already be in Tulia awaiting the Villiass soldiers, but that does not seem to be the case.” Katsuki shrugged his shoulder to get Eijirou to look at him. “Did the thought not occur to you?” he asked, only mildly accusing.

“I had no intention of mobilizing any forces until you returned,” Eijirou told him simply, standing to his full height but not letting go of the blond. “That is why we are discussing this now. With you.”

Katsuki frowned. “And what if Tulia is already under attack?” he snapped.

“King Bakugou actually sent a letter asking for help,” Denki helpfully informed the other blond. “That was before you returned, however.”

Eijirou glared at Denki in annoyance while Katsuki glared at his alpha, jerking out of his hold angrily. Eijirou’s face twisted into a scowl immediately, but Katsuki didn’t care. “My father sent a distress message, and you did nothing?” he asked in outrage.

“Did you not hear what I just said?” Eijirou returned. “Your safety was more important—!”

“My safety was more important than the lives of thousands? Of my parents?” Katsuki shouted incredulously.

Ochako quickly stepped between the two, hoping to mediate things before it escalated. Between the two, Eijirou and Katsuki had quite the tempers, and Ochako was sure a full-fledged fight would break out if things continued as they were. “Both of you calm down! There is no point to arguing about it now. What is done is done,” she said sternly. Admittedly, she was just as pissed by this new information as the blond was, but there was no time for bickering.

Katsuki huffed, sending one final glare at the alpha before turning back to the rest of the room. “Assuming that all of Tulia is not already gone,” Katsuki began bitterly, and behind him, Eijirou scoffed. “The borders of the kingdom will likely be blocked off or heavily guarded. Fortunately, you lot have three natives who can guide the way, so we still have a chance of catching them by surprise.”

“It sounds like you already have a plan in mind,” Tokoyami said from the corner of the room, and they would have been surprised to hear his voice suddenly emerge from the shadows, but that was pretty much what he always did.  

“Villiass is expecting us, right? So, if they have any brains at all, they will surely have something waiting for us when we arrive,” Katsuki said, and everyone nodded along. “Adria is a kingdom that prides itself on its battle prowess. To most, Adrians are seen as ruthless brutes who run into battle without thought.”

“Is there a point to this, or are you just insulting your own kingdom for fun?” Eijirou asked testily, and a few of the others sent him exasperated looks.

Katsuki threw his husband a withering look. “If you would shut up and let me finish, you would know where I am going with this,” he hissed. Eijirou’s lips thinned, but he stayed quiet as Katsuki continued. “As I was saying, that is what is expected. You charge into battles head-on, and you come out victorious every time so there is no reason to stray from that routine. That is why we are going to do the opposite.”

“The opposite? But we’ve already lost any chance of a surprise attack,” Denki said doubtfully.

The prince shook his head. “Not necessarily. They will not be expecting us to divide our forces to enter Adria at all corners. There are multiple, smaller routes that most people do not know about. They are really only used by the royal family and its guards, and not even the citizens know of them.”

“What are they used for?” Tamaki asked quietly, as if knowing it was a great secret of Tulia’s. Although, at this point, Katsuki was pretty sure his voice was just always that low.

Katsuki visibly hesitated with his answer, mentally debating if he should give out such information. His birthplace was a very secretive place, after all. In the end, the blond must have come to a decision because he said, “Typically trading routes. Secret trading routes. My parents always tried to keep it hidden, but I had discovered long before I presented that Tulia made secret, black market trades with neighboring kingdoms. Typically Endeavor and Ingenium, I believe.”

“Wait, what?” Izuku blurted incredulously. “Secret trades? Black market? What?”

“Oh, did you not know?” Ochako asked in surprise. It had been fairly common knowledge among the Royal Guard, even if they had been forbidden from speaking on or against it.

Izuku huffed a breath. “What is even the point of being nobility?” he asked no one.

“Wait, is this information you should be sharing, Katsuki-sama?” Kendou asked worriedly. “Not only is that quite the revelation, but it also implicates Endeavor and Ingenium in some very risky business.”

Katsuki appeared unconcerned. “Well, obviously, none of you are going to breathe a word of this to anyone outside this room,” Katsuki said with certainty, and the unspoken threat was heard clear as day.

“Wait, but Endeavor and Ingenium are not even allied with Tulia. Could Adria have been involved in any of these trades, then?” Izuku questioned, his brain working a mile a minute as always, and all heads turned to Eijirou.

The redhead held up his hands defensively. “How would I know? My father handled all of the dealings with neighboring kingdoms! But I doubt that he would ever deal in such sketchy stuff!”

Katsuki thought back to what Spinner had told him about that supposed “rare metal.” He pursed his lips. “Well, maybe,” he said noncommittedly.

Eijirou turned to him with narrowed eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Katsuki sighed, figuring now wasn’t the time to worry about that. He still didn’t even know if it was true. “Look, the point is, there are three of these trading routes as well as the main route into the kingdom. That means we can split our forces into at least four groups to enter at multiple access points.”

“Now, hold on, Katsuki-sama,” Tetsutetsu piped up. “I know that last time you said our usual formation wasn’t gonna work on these bastards, but we do things a certain way for a reason, ya know?”

Katsuki looked unimpressed. “Do you plan to just march into Tulia and have half of our people wiped out before we can even blink?”

Tetsutetsu reeled back in shock at the blunt question. “Well, no, but—”

“Then, shut up,” Katsuki snapped. Tetsutetsu’s mouth clicked shut, his face twisting into a scowl. “If you wanted your opinion to be heard, then maybe you should have married the crowned prince.” The alpha made a noise of outrage, but it was overshadowed by the snickering of his fellow knights.

“Who do you propose leads these four groups?” Kendou asked, ignoring the way her mate turned to her in betrayal.

Katsuki was silently pleased that no one else seemed to take complaint with his plan. “Well, of course, Eijirou and I will lead our own groups,” he said, but that apparently had not been obvious to anyone, since all Katsuki got in response to that were looks of shock.

“You…plan to lead a group by yourself? Without me?” Eijirou asked, sounding more hurt than Katsuki thought was called for.

“Is that a problem?” Katsuki asked testily.

“Other than the fact that you’d be alone?” Eijirou shot back incredulously.

“I would not be alone,” Katsuki denied exasperatedly. “Bearing in mind how many knights there are in the Royal Guard alone, there will be more than enough fighters to split among the four groups.”

Eijirou frowned, knowing that the blond was being deliberately obtuse. “Katsuki.”

“Eijirou,” Katsuki shot back. He needed to do this. Tulia was his birthplace, and its people were suffering because of Katsuki. He couldn’t be in Eijirou’s shadow for this.

“Who are the other two leaders, then, Katsuki-sama?” Mina quickly stepped in, sensing another fight on the precipice.

Katsuki turned to her. “I was thinking you for one group, and Denki or Hanta for the other.”

“Eh? Why can’t I lead my own group?” Denki pouted, successfully lightening the mood a bit when it earned a few laughs.

Unfortunately, Katsuki’s response shattered any hope for a lighthearted end to this conversation. “I figured you and Hanta would want to be with each other in battle.”

“So, that logic does make sense to you,” Eijirou said bitterly. “And yet you want us to be separated!”

“This is different,” Katsuki said thought gritted teeth.

“How?” Eijirou demanded, and Katsuki finally snapped.

“Because I do not want you fucking coddling me the entire time I am trying to fight!” he yelled, and the only sounds to be heard in the room after that were Eijirou and Katsuki’s harsh breathing as they glared at each other.

“Coddling?” Eijirou repeated lowly after a moment. “You mean protecting my omega from harm?”

“I am not just your omega,” Katsuki replied, and Eijirou’s eyes widened. “I am a fighter as well, and I do not need you protecting me like I am some kind of weakling!”

Eijirou jerked back in shock. “Wha—! I don’t think you’re weak, Katsuki! This has nothing to do with that!” Eijirou shouted incredulously. “You only just escaped from being kidnapped! Did you forget that?”

“Of course, I have not forgotten!” Katsuki nearly screamed, and every single person in the room flinched at the sheer volume and amount of rage and anguish in his voice. “I will never forget that! But that does not matter right now! People are dying, and if you gave a shit at all about it, we would not be having this meeting in the first place! So, get the fuck over yourself already!”

Katsuki was breathing heavily by the end of his rant, and his husband stared down at him with the blankest expression he had ever seen upon his features. When Eijirou finally spoke after minutes of tense, nerve-wracking silence, his voice was flat and without inflection. “Tetsu, gather a few other knights and go door-to-door. Round up as many willing citizens as possible. Everyone else, start preparing. We leave first thing in the morning.”

“We leave tonight,” Katsuki corrected, his tone booking no room for argument. His back was turned to Eijirou now, refusing to even look in his general direction.

Eijirou frowned, but brusquely said, “Fine.” He noticed a few of the others within the room sag with relief—probably at the lack of fight—and he decided to ignore that. “We’ll reconvene at sundown in front of the castle. You’re all dismissed.”

Everyone awkwardly shuffled out of the room to do as ordered by their prospective king and queen until only Hanta remained with them. The knight was silently leaning against the wall with his arms crossed; the same position he had been in this entire time. He was staring hard at Eijirou, his expression pulled tight into a deep frown.

Eijirou raised an eyebrow. “Is something wrong, Hanta?” he asked concernedly. Katsuki paused in his own exit at the question, turning back to look at the two alphas curiously. He had noticed Hanta was uncharacteristically quiet this entire meeting, and he had seemed unusually snappish earlier.

Hanta pushed off from the wall, walking slowly over to Eijirou. The frown never left his face. “Eijirou, I know this week has been hard for you,” he began quietly, and Eijirou tensed. He didn’t understand why everyone felt the need to remind him of that. “I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through.”

“I—Yeah,” Eijirou stuttered hesitantly.

“That being said, there are certain lines that should never be crossed,” Hanta continued. “I consider myself to be a pretty patient guy, but I can’t just ignore this.”

Eijirou’s eyes widened in surprise, and Katsuki was similarly shocked by the knight’s words. Eijirou’s mouth opened and closed uselessly before he gathered his thoughts. “Hanta, what happened in the throne room—”

“You threatened to use a Command on my omega,” Hanta interrupted—a theme of today, apparently—and the air in the room turned cold. The redhead’s mouth snapped shut, his expression turning remorseful while Hanta’s remained eerily calm. “Denki is perfectly capable of defending himself, and this isn’t even about possessiveness or bullshit posturing. Hell, Denki isn’t even upset about it anymore, not that you fucking apologized for it. He only told me because he knew I’d hear about it from somewhere else if not from him. Me, on the other hand? I’m still pretty pissed.”

Eijirou’s expression only continued to fall throughout Hanta’s speech. “You know I would normally never use a Command on someone—”

Hanta let out a sigh, cutting off the other alpha. “Do you know what it means to use a Command on another alpha’s omega?” he asked, but before Eijirou could even answer he was barreling on. “You used a Command on Katsuki-sama, but he’s your omega, so it’s not really my place to comment on it. But Izuku-san is unmated, and Denki is mine. You have no right to take their control away from them like that.”

“I know,” Eijirou said ashamedly. He couldn’t even remember why he’d felt the need to do it at the time, but he knew his mind had been screaming throughout the entire confrontation. He had been moving without thinking, and now that he could think clearly, he felt like shit.

Hanta suddenly grabbed Eijirou by the scruff of his shirt and brutally slammed him against the wall, his expression thunderous. It almost reminded Katsuki of the first time he met the alpha, when he had grabbed Ochako for reaching for her sword in Denki’s presence, but Hanta was clearly far angrier in this moment. The blond had nearly forgotten that Hanta could get this way, since the man was typically so levelheaded and easy-going compared to the people he was usually surrounded by. Katsuki had never seen him look so close to snapping, though, and the omega found himself frozen in place as felt at a loss for what to do. His inner Omega told him not to get caught between two upset alphas, but his rational mind wanted to assist his husband and prevent Hanta from doing something he’d surely regret.  

“If I ever find out that you used a Command on Denki unless the situation absolutely called for it, I don’t care if I am hanged or beheaded for it, I will beat you to within an inch of your life,” Hanta said coldly before abruptly releasing the prince and storming out of the room without another word. Katsuki flinched instinctively when the raven whisked past him, but Hanta didn’t even seem to register his presence in the room, his face still twisted into a vicious glower.

Eijirou kept his gaze on his feet until the doors shut firmly behind the knight, the sound so loud in the sudden silence of the room. He wanted to be upset with his friend for what he just did, but Hanta had every right to be angry with him. Eijirou knew Denki, Izuku, and the others deserved apologies, but he didn’t know it he could properly face them at this point.

Eijirou raised his eyes to meet Katsuki’s, and the blond looked torn between wanting to comfort his alpha and wanting to follow Hanta’s lead and storm off like he originally planned.

“I’m sorry,” Eijirou whispered pathetically, and Katsuki’s heart broke at the sound, his mind instantly made up.

Katsuki gently lifted Eijirou’s head, cradling his face tenderly in his hands. “You seem to be pissing everyone off lately,” he said, although not unkindly.

“I really messed up yesterday,” Eijirou said ruefully. “Are you still mad?”

Katsuki wasn’t anymore. Not really. He had already known Eijirou wasn’t himself, and honestly, Katsuki felt he deserved some of Eijirou’s anger for lying to him. “Not for yesterday,” he stressed, and Eijirou heard the unspoken message there. “Do not think that just because I am your omega you get to decide things for me. We discussed this before, Eijirou.”

“But you’re not,” Eijirou said in a dejected whisper.

“Huh?” Katsuki asked perplexedly. “Not what?”

“You’re not my omega,” the alpha clarified, much to Katsuki’s shock. “At least…not really.”

“Eijirou…” Eijirou pulled Katsuki tighter to him, leaning down to mouth at the blond's mating glands. Katsuki gasped loudly, his knees shaking as his legs immediately threatened to give out under the redhead’s ministrations. “W-What are you doing?”

“You're still not mine,” Eijirou growled into Katsuki’s skin. “Even after everything, you’re still not mine.”

“I am yours, Eijirou,” Katsuki corrected breathlessly. “I always have been. No bite will change that. But we don’t have the time—”

Eijirou nibbled lightly at Katsuki’s glands, the omega’s scent filling his nose as Katsuki cut off with a gasp. “We can make the time,” Eijirou insisted fervently. “Right now, angel. Everyone will see, and it’ll all be okay again. Everything will go back to normal, so please, angel. I just need it back to normal.”

Katsuki had no idea what the alpha was talking about anymore, but he didn’t really have the time to figure it out. “There are more important things that need to be done,” Katsuki managed to get out.

Eijirou suddenly shoved himself away, his expression one of hurt and anger. “More important than mating with me?” he asked brokenly. Katsuki’s eyes widened, staring up at the alpha in shock, at a complete loss for words. It didn’t matter, however, since Eijirou looked away just a moment later. “Fine, then,” he bit out, though it was clearly anything but fine.

“There will be later,” Katsuki said softly after a full minute of tense silence.

Eijirou still wouldn’t look at him. “You don’t know that,” was his ominous reply.

“I do,” Katsuki said without doubt. He reached out to touch the alpha’s cheek, and to Katsuki’s relief, Eijirou didn’t stray from the touch. “Once Villiass is defeated, we will have the rest of our lives together. I will never leave your side again.”

“Promise me, then,” Eijirou said desperately, grabbing Katsuki’s hand. “If we both survive this, promise me that you will never leave my side again.”

Katsuki didn’t like the idea of either of them not surviving, or Eijirou’s apparent doubt on the matter, but he still gave the alpha a reassuring smile. “I promise,” he said softly before pulling his husband into a kiss. Though Katsuki wanted to keep it short and sweet, Eijirou’s desperation leaked through each brush of their lips.

When Eijirou tried to deepen the kiss, Katsuki pulled back. “Ei, come on,” he sighed. “We need to prepare to leave tonight.”

“We can leave in the morning,” Eijirou said in response, placing a kiss to the other side of Katsuki’s neck now.

Katsuki huffed in disbelief, pushing away from Eijirou completely. “And how many people die during those hours?” he questioned darkly. “Fucking hell, Eijirou, do you even care?” he wondered, fearing the answer. When Eijirou said nothing, Katsuki’s fear came true. He stepped back in shock, staring wide-eyed and horrified at his husband. “Are you serious right now?”

“Katsuki, you still need rest,” Eijirou tried, but Katsuki was shaking his head from the moment he opened his mouth. The alpha’s words surely didn’t match his actions.

“I am not the main concern right now! Fuck, I never should have been! All this time you spent wasting looking for me, you could have been fighting for Tulia!”

Eijirou jerked back as if he had been slapped. “Wasting? Katsuki, how can you even say that? How can you expect me to do anything before I know you’re okay? Before I know you’re alive?”

“I should not have been the priority!” Katsuki yelled frantically, and Eijirou had no idea how the blond could think like that. Did he think so little of himself?

“You are always going to be my priority!” Eijirou yelled back, just as emotional. “You are the only thing in my life that matters to me anymore!”

Katsuki’s eyes widened at the admission. “What? You do not mean that. You have your friends and your kingdom,” Katsuki said, not believing there was any way Katsuki was truly the only thing the alpha cared about.

Eijirou pulled Katsuki back to him, squeezing the omega into his embrace so tightly Katsuki had to hold back a wince. “I love my friends, and I love my kingdom, but you are all that has been keeping me sane.” Katsuki was starting to think he had the opposite effect. “My father is gone, and I very nearly lost you forever. I do not plan to let you out of my sight ever again.” Katsuki surely hoped his husband didn’t mean that literally. “I can’t risk losing you again, Katsuki. It would destroy me. I don’t think I could go on without you.”

“Eijirou, please, do not talk like that,” Katsuki pleaded.

“I love you, Katsuki.”

The suddenness of the confession caught the blond a bit off guard. “I-I love you too, Ei. What—?”

“I love you more than anything,” Eijirou continued, and Katsuki wasn’t even sure the alpha registered his words. “Do you love me more than anything?” Eijirou asked desperately.

“Of course,” Katsuki said slowly, a sinking feeling in his gut. “Eijirou—”

“Then, wait until morning,” Eijirou interrupted, and Katsuki was getting really tired of that. “I need you,” Eijirou whispered brokenly.

Katsuki bit his lip and looked away, clearly hesitant. “Eijirou, I cannot abandon Tulia,” he finally said, and as much as he hated to say it, it was true. Tulia needed their help, and Katsuki couldn’t bear to know people were suffering another day because of him any longer.  

Eijirou started to pull away at that, and even though Katsuki wanted to pull his alpha close again and give him everything he wanted and needed…he didn’t. “Okay,” Eijirou mumbled downheartedly. He paused, glancing at Katsuki before looking away again. “Okay,” he repeated, his voice somehow even quieter. “I’ll be in the armory, then.”

“Eijirou, wait!” Katsuki shouted, but Eijirou had already left the room, leaving Katsuki all alone.

By afternoon, half of the Royal Guard was in the armory gathering weapons and armor in preparation for battle, while the other half went out into the kingdom to go house to house in search of able-bodied and willing fighters. Still, no matter where any of the knights found themselves, they were all thinking the same thing. By the end of the day, they would begin their journey to Tulia, and whatever happened on that battlefield could determine the future state of the very continent they lived on.

Would Adria come out victorious and end Villiass’ reign of terror once and for all, or would Villiass manage to scrape by and bring Adria to their knees, conquering not only Tulia but the Land of Warriors as well? Would they be able to avenge the death of their beloved king, or would Villiass have the last laugh? Would Eijirou and Katsuki get the happily-ever-after they deserved, or would Katsuki be whisked away and forced to be with an alpha he could never hope to love?

No matter the outcome, Adria would give their all. To make Villiass pay for what they did to Crimson Riot and Katsuki.

“Fuck, my hands are literally shaking,” Denki hissed quietly, drawing his mate’s attention to him as they were donning their armor. “Why the hell are my hands shaking? We’re not even in battle yet.”

Hanta ran a hand through blond locks, scratching at his omega’s scalp to hopefully help calm his nerves. “You’re not the only one on edge, Den,” he said gently. That was definitely true. The atmosphere in the armory was tenser than any other time before Adria went off to battle. Typically, with a battle on the horizon, the knights were vibrating from excitement rather than shaking from nervousness. This was not a battle they could afford to lose. Granted, Adria never went into battle with a mindset that failure was an option, but if they somehow lost this time… “This one really means something.”

“I should be excited!” Denki said loudly, turning a few heads their way curiously. “I want to rip that Shigaraki bastard a new one!”

“Take a number!” Mirio shouted over to them from across the room, Tamaki hiding a chuckle behind his hand at his side.

“I want his head,” Ochako said seriously as she fastened a chest plate over herself, and everyone turned to look at the former Tulian in shock. She simply huffed. “As if he would be missed.”

Beside her, Izuku was slipping on a pair of thick, leather gloves that some Adrians used when wielding a sword for extended periods. It almost felt weird for the omega to be wearing gloves again. “I wonder if torture is out of the question,” he mumbled thoughtfully, and with that, the mood in the armory shifted entirely.

“What the hell, Izuku?” Denki blurted before laughing loudly, slapping at his knee as if Izuku had told a joke rather than said something truly concerning. “That innocent face of yours is a total lie, isn’t it?”

“He just straight up said ‘torture’ with a straight face!” Mirio cackled. “What a shock!”

Kendou looked around the room, taking in everyone’s laughing and amused faces, and she raised an eyebrow. “Is that not concerning to anyone?” she asked herself.

Izuku was red in the face. “I was only wondering,” he muttered.

Ochako turned to see Mina helping Camie with the straps of her combat boots. “Are you coming as well, Camie-san?” she asked in surprise.

“Well, I’m not just a pretty face and a pair of very skilled hands,” the seamstress said, and Mina snickered quietly at her feet. “I’m Adrian too. I may not be as skilled as the knights, but I can take down a few Villiass scum along with the rest of you.”

Ochako smiled. “Perhaps, there is hope for us yet, then,” she joked, and Camie laughed with delight.

The sound of the doors to the armory being pushed open caught the women’s attention, and when Eijirou through, the mood in the room immediately turned tense and somber once again. Eijirou himself looked uncomfortable as he shuffled into the room, not making eye contact with anyone even as every repeatedly shot glances his way. Izuku and Hanta continued with their tasks as if Eijirou wasn’t even there, but Denki and Mina openly scrutinized the prince as he awkwardly fitted armor onto himself. No one offered to help him with the trickier pieces of armor—not as they normally would—and Eijirou didn’t ask for any assistance.

All conversation had completely died down, and it was not like Eijirou couldn’t figure out he was the root cause. He’d heard them talking and laughing with each other through the door as he approached, and yet, the moment the prince entered the room, all mirth fled from everyone’s expressions.

Eijirou cleared his throat uneasily, glancing at the beta standing stiffly at his side, her hands holding a chest plate that she had been intently staring at for the last few minutes. Since Eijirou showed up, really. “Uraraka,” Eijirou addressed her softly, and it was the only sound to fill the room.

Ochako jumped at the sound of her name in the alpha’s voice, and everyone else failed at subtly as they turned to watch the encounter unfold. “Y-Yes, Eijirou-sama?” she asked nervously, internally cringing at her own stutter. She was acting like she was scared of the redhead.  

The alpha frowned at her reaction, his gaze flitting away as he busied himself with fastening the strap over his back meant to hold his sword. “It’s nothing. Never mind,” he said after a moment, his voice barely audible.

The beta’s eyes widened in surprise, and she watched in mild confusion when the alpha finished with his task and immediately sped out of the room. Denki’s eyes similarly followed the prince’s departure, and when the doors closed behind him, he rounded on his mate with an accusing frown.

“What did you do to him?” he hissed quietly, knowing Hanta must have said or done something to Eijirou after what happened yesterday.

Hanta returned Denki’s frown with one of his own. “Why do you assume it’s me? You saw how he was with Katsuki-sama in the council room.”

“Hanta,” Denki hissed warningly, and the alpha sighed in frustration.

“I just talked to him,” Hanta said sharply.

The omega groaned in exasperation. “Hanta, I didn’t tell you about yesterday for you to get on Ei’s case about it,” he admonished. “He’s going through a lot right now, so couldn’t you have just left it alone?”

Hanta sucked in a breath, trying not to snap at his omega for the question. “Den, he can’t just use a Command on you whenever he wants. You’re not his omega,” the alpha explained, speaking as if the blond somehow didn’t understand the situation.

Denki’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “I’m just gonna leave that one there,” he said tersely, not bothering to comment on the multiple iffy parts of that statement. “And he didn’t actually use a Command on me. I told you that.”

“Threatened to,” the alpha amended. “My point still stands.”  

Denki pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay, I get the whole ‘I belong to you’ thing, or whatever, but it’s not that big of a deal.” He watched his mate’s frown deepen, but Hanta stayed unnaturally silent. “Look, I know Commands are no laughing matter when used like that, but can’t you tone down the possessiveness a tad? I don’t usually mind, but I think you’re blowing this out of proportion.”

“Denki, don’t do that, please,” Hanta said seriously, his expression suddenly grave. “I…can’t control what my instincts tell me, but I always try to let you speak your mind and let you be you. Even when my instincts are screaming at me. Like when you act unnecessarily reckless or flirt with other people.”

The omega’s eyes widened. “I thought you didn’t mind when I flirt?” he asked concernedly. “You know it’s not serious, right?” he finished, just a touch frantic.

Hanta smiled reassuringly, and the softening of his expression had his omega instantly relaxing. “I don’t mind it, but my instincts don’t really seem to agree.” Hanta’s expression turned grim once more, and he sighed heavily. “Baby, I know you mean well, and you’re concerned about Eijirou, but don’t brush off what he did just because he’s grieving and stressed out. That’s not fair to you, Izuku, Katsuki-sama, or me. You’re basically telling me that you don’t care if another alpha tried to control you.”

Denki honestly hadn’t considered it that way. “I’m sorry, alpha. I didn’t know,” he said consolingly, placing both hands atop the alphas chest and smiling up at him. “I’m just a simple omega, you see,” he tacked on jokingly, and he successfully got a snort out of his mate.

“Shut up,” Hanta chuckled, his gaze falling down to Denki’s lips as they stretched into a beautiful grin.

“You’re the only alpha allowed to make me lose control, right?” the blond purred seductively, and Hanta couldn’t resist leaning down to capture his lips after that. Denki moaned happily, wrapping his arms around the alpha’s neck as he stood on the tips of his toes to deepen the kiss.

They were quickly—and tragically—interrupted by Mina coming up behind them and flicking Denki on the back of the head. Denki pulled away from Hanta, rubbing the back of his head with a frown.

“Are you two physically incapable of going more than ten minutes without touching each other?” Mina asked tiredly. No one had really been paying the couple any mind when they were whispering amongst themselves, but the moment they heard Denki moan, Mina had silently and unanimously been elected by the remaining people in the armory to be the one to pull them apart. “We don’t have time for you two to be fooling around. Katsuki-sama said we’re leaving tonight, so go get your things ready,” she finished sternly.

Denki pouted. “It’s still early morning. I’m pretty sure Katsuki-sama can spare us twenty minutes.” Mina flicked Denki on the head again, and the omega whined exaggeratedly. “Ow! Why am I always the one getting hit?” he asked annoyedly before gasping dramatically. “Is this discrimination?”

Mina rolled her eyes. “I’ll show you discrimination if you don’t go get your shit ready to leave!” she threatened, pushing the omega towards the door. Hanta followed behind them calmly, his face stretched into his signature grin.  

“What does that even mean?” Denki grumbled bemusedly as he let himself be shoved through the door.

It was nearing time to depart for Tulia, and the castle was absolutely crawling with knights. Katsuki wasn’t exactly keen on being around people at the moment—least of all Eijirou or any of their friends—so he started traversing further into the castle to hopefully get away from everyone. Unfortunately, no matter where he seemed to go, there was at least one person hanging around, and it was starting to piss Katsuki off.

Katsuki eventually passed by the armory, and he heard a loud thud followed by the sound of something heavy clattering to the ground come from within the room. It made the prince jump, instinctively reaching for the sword strapped to his back. Katsuki then started to feel panic, wondering if something terrible had happened. He was quick to assume the worst. Had an enemy infiltrated the castle again? One of Shigaraki’s men? Was it Dabi? Was he coming for Katsuki?

“You damn idiots!” Katsuki heard shouted beyond the door, and the familiar voice had him relaxing all at once. “I said be careful. You’re not even supposed to be in here!” the voice, which Katsuki was pretty sure belonged to Hitoshi, continued to yell in clear annoyance.

The next voice that followed sounded like Tenya, but it was more muffled than the omega’s was on account of him not actively hollering. “Well, you don’t have to be rude, Hitoshi-san,” he chided.

Katsuki opened the door then, curious as to what was going on inside. There he saw Hitoshi leaning against a crate towards the center of the room with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring exasperatedly at the alpha prince standing sheepishly over a pile of swords. Tenya must have knocked them off of the wall by accident. Katsuki then remembered that Hitoshi had said “idiots,” and he stepped fully into the room to see who else was present.

He frowned heavily at the sight of Shouto in the corner of the room, inspecting a sword with his back turned towards everyone, uncaring of the two squabbling behind him. “What are you three doing in here?” Katsuki demanded, making all three of them jump and try to look as innocent as possible. “None of you should be in here,” he said pointedly with a look at the only native in the room.

Hitoshi held his hands up defensively. “It’s completely Tenya’s fault,” he deadpanned. Katsuki raised an eyebrow at the use of a given name without a title or honorific, and Hitoshi seemed to realize what he said since he cleared his throat with a blush.

The alpha in question turned to Hitoshi in betrayal. “Wha—?” He caught Katsuki’s agitated expression, and he smiled abashedly. “Well, it is true that Hitoshi-san filled us in about your battleplans,” he began, and Katsuki’s gaze snapped over to the silent Shouto still standing in the corner. Katsuki could now see his face, and he nearly smiled at the sight of his banged-up nose. “And…it is also true that I asked him to show us where the armory was.”

“How do you even know where it is?” Katsuki asked the other omega dubiously.

“Denki,” Hitoshi replied like it was obvious. And, honestly, it kind of was.

Katsuki sighed tiredly. He didn’t have the mental capacity to handle these three right now. “Why are you here, though? What are you two even still doing in Adria?” Honestly, Katsuki had been surprised to see the both of them yesterday as it was. He was fairly sure they were the only two royal guests remaining, and he could not fathom why. 

It was Tenya who answered. “Well, Prince Todoroki and I had originally stayed to make sure you returned home safely. After your return, we both decided to help fight against Villiass, although…I am starting to think I am not cut out for battle,” he said, motioning to the swords still lying at his feet.

Hitoshi snorted. “You think?” he asked sarcastically, and Tenya sent him an unamused frown. Hitoshi then turned back to Katsuki. “Obviously, I’m fighting, but that kinda goes without saying.”

Right. Hitoshi was actually Adrian, and Katsuki could already see him wearing his own armor. It was different from the kind within the armory, obviously, since that was only for the royal family and its knights. Instead, it was a simpler kind of armor that he had seen on a few other commoners already outside the castle’s entrance. The armor still wasn’t as full body encasing as Tulian armors tended to be, but it looked sturdy and resilient, so Katsuki supposed it would serve its purpose just fine.

“You still should not be here,” Katsuki said tersely.

“I’ll leave if you want me to,” Shouto suddenly said, and the moment Katsuki’s gaze snapped over to him, he averted his own. Coward.

“You are all leaving,” Katsuki corrected, but Shouto shook his head.

“I meant Adria,” he clarified, and Katsuki’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. “If you wish for me to leave, then I will.”

Katsuki gritted his teeth, feeling an alarming amount of rage fill him at those simple words. He couldn’t tell if it was merely due to seeing the alpha’s infuriatingly blank face again and being brutally reminded of everything with Eijirou, or if it was hearing such placating words coming from someone who had never before seemed to care about what Katsuki wanted. Before he could bother to figure out which (although it was likely a mixture of both), Katsuki was pulling out his dagger from his belt and marching over to the alpha who had immediately frozen in place.

Tenya started to fret nervously as he watched Katsuki’s approach towards the other prince, and Hitoshi grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him from rushing over to them. “Just relax, Tenya,” Hitoshi whispered, seemingly unconcerned by the scene before them.

Together they watched as Katsuki got into the alpha’s space, pointing the dagger threateningly at him as he hissed, “This fucking pathetic little display you have been putting on is starting to grate on my nerves.” Shouto’s eyes widened, but it was unclear whether it was due to Katsuki’s words or the tip of the dagger hovering inches from his face. “Are you trying to garner my favor now that you properly apologized?” he questioned suspiciously.

“No, I imagine there would be no point to that,” Shouto said, fully meeting the blond’s gaze now. He was still clutching the sword from before in his hand, but his grip was loose, clearly not planning to retaliate in any way. “I only thought I would offer my help, but if you would rather I leave, then I will.”

Katsuki’s eyes narrowed into slits. “And you think fighting with us will make me forgive you?” Katsuki guessed, but Shouto shook his head.

“I already gave my apology. I don’t expect anything more from either you or Prince Kirishima,” Shouto said, and Katsuki could tell he meant it. That didn’t make the blond any happier, however.

“Right, your wonderful apology,” Katsuki said sarcastically. “Great timing with that one.”

At that, Shouto actually looked uncomfortable. “I had not known when you would be leaving for battle, and I had not expected an audience, but I—”

“Well, too bad for you,” Katsuki cut in uncaringly, but he finally lowered his dagger. Truthfully, Katsuki had wished Shouto had given them a bit more of a warning, but the blond supposed he had been the one to tell him to say what he needed to then and there. Had Katsuki not been so exhausted, he probably would have rethought that one. He probably would have rethought a few things, actually. “How embarrassing that everyone saw you get your ass handed to you by another alpha.”

Katsuki expected Shouto to look ashamed or upset at the dig, but his face remained impassive as usual. “Until you stopped him,” Shouto pointed out simply, and Katsuki bit back a scowl at the reminder. That had apparently been what really set the redhead off. “You should have let him keep going,” Shouto tacked on casually, as if that wouldn’t have meant certain death for him.

Katsuki frowned at him in confusion. “The fuck? Do you want to die?” he asked genuinely.

The alpha seemed shocked by the question, and then he actually seemed to consider it, much to Katsuki’s bewilderment. “I do not think so,” Shouto eventually settled on, looking unreasonably pensive. The two heard Hitoshi muffle a chuckle behind them and Tenya loudly whispering for him to be more respectful, but neither paid attention to them. “But Prince Kirishima likely wouldn’t be mad at you if you hadn’t defended another alpha. He was only trying to—”

“Eijirou was mad because of you, idiot!” Katsuki interrupted furiously. He glared balefully at the man, and then for good measure, he kicked Shouto in the shin just to watch his blank expression shatter. “And do not tell me what I should or should not do with my own husband! I think I would know!”

“I was only trying to give you some advice as an alpha,” Shouto mumbled, rubbing his shin with a wince. Katsuki had not held back with that kick.

Katsuki scoffed in disbelief. “What? For future reference the next time Eijirou threatens to beat someone to death?” he asked incredulously. Distantly, he realized that scenario wasn’t exactly impossible. “And you are the last person I would want advice from!” Katsuki suddenly spun around, looking towards the only other omega in the room. “Are all alphas fucking morons?” he asked, sincerely beginning to wonder.

Hitoshi laughed loudly, instantly nodding in agreement. “They totally are.”

Tenya turned to him in shock. “Am I included in that?” he asked hurriedly.

Hitoshi merely raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you an alpha?” he returned, and that was answer enough. Tenya huffed at his side, and Hitoshi patted him consolingly on the shoulder. “It’s okay, I still like you,” he said, but his grin never left.

His words suddenly reminded Katsuki of something else. He turned back to Shouto, raising his dagger again, which made the alpha sigh in resignation. “Listen, asshole,” he began, keeping his voice low so the other two wouldn’t hear him. “The shit between me and you may be in the past, but if you ever hurt Izuku, I swear—”

The alpha’s face immediately fell the moment he heard the noble’s name. “Midoriya-san doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore,” Shouto said in a near bitter mumble, mildly surprised that Katsuki wasn’t already aware of this.

Shouto watched as Katsuki’s thunderous expression morphed into one of shock, then guilt, before finally settling on relief. “Serves you right,” Katsuki said with a small huff, sheathing his dagger for good this time.

Shouto pursed his lips, looking upset for the first time since they started speaking. “It does,” he agreed lowly.

Katsuki examined the alpha for a moment longer before stepping back and motioning towards the door, raising his voice loud once again. “Alright, get the fuck out now. All three of you idiots.”

Shouto was quick to exit the room, although Katsuki noticed he took the sword with him. Katsuki still wasn’t sure how he felt about him tagging along, but he couldn’t think of a good reason to stop him from doing so (beyond simply disliking the alpha). If Shouto wanted to risk his life in the battle against Villiass for no apparent reason, then Katsuki would surely let him. Maybe he’d wind up being killed in battle, and Katsuki would never have to see his stupid, expressionless face again.

Katsuki also noticed the alpha prince rubbing his throat as he left the room, and at first Katsuki couldn’t figure out why. He had never touched him with the blade of his dagger. Katsuki then remembered the last time he had pulled a dagger on the Endeavor prince, and he nearly snickered vindictively to himself. Katsuki had to wonder if Shouto was warier of him or Eijirou. If he were even a little smart, he would fear them in equal amounts.

Tenya and Hitoshi approached Katsuki then, which made no sense considering he had just told them to leave. Tenya appeared a bit miffed at being called an idiot by both omegas in under five minutes, but still he calmly said, “I was wondering if it would be possible for me to remain in Adria after you depart for Tulia.” Katsuki looked at him, puzzled by the request. “You have knights and citizens remaining to protect the kingdom, right? I could be one of them!”

“You are neither a knight nor a citizen of Adria,” Katsuki deadpanned.

Tenya deflated slightly, but he wasn’t deterred by the prince’s lack of enthusiasm with his idea. “That is true, but after coming this far, it would not feel right to simply leave now! I am sure there are plenty of ways I can help.”

Katsuki couldn’t think of a single one. “Do you not need to return to your own kingdom? How long are you planning to stay in Adria, anyway?” he asked dubiously.

“Oh, until Hitoshi-san agrees to marry me, of course,” he said like it was obvious.

Hitoshi turned to gape at him. “We already talked about this! I can’t marry you! Princes don’t marry commoners!”

“If that is your only reason for not marrying me, then I’m afraid I cannot give up on asking,” Tenya said, nonplussed. Hitoshi pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering to himself under his breath about stubborn alphas and spoiled princes.

Katsuki watched the exchange in bemusement. Was it something in the air that was making seemingly everyone get together? “Well, if you truly wish to stay, it cannot be in the castle, obviously. I do not trust you here alone.” Katsuki knew there would still be a smattering of knights staying behind to keep watch of the castle in their absence, but Katsuki didn’t exactly feel comfortable letting someone who was essentially a stranger wander the castle when neither he nor Eijirou could keep an eye on him.

Tenya looked put out by that. “Well, then, where would I stay?”

The blond smirked, glancing mischievously at Hitoshi as he said, “Why not stay in your omega’s home? You can get to know your future in-laws.”

Hitoshi’s expression instantly soured at the idea, but Tenya lit up in excitement. “That is a wonderful idea, Prince Katsuki!” he exclaimed, and Katsuki didn’t bother asking about the use of his given name. He supposed having two people going by “Prince Kirishima” would get a little confusing. Besides, he’d been called by so many different titles since coming here, he could hardly keep track.

“No fucking way is that happening,” Hitoshi said immediately, shaking his head resolutely. “I’m not dealing with my parents asking me a bunch of questions about you. They already gave me so much shit for that stunt you pulled before the wedding.” His father was still teasing him about evidently seducing a foreign prince, and his mother was always just as amused as Hitoshi.

“I would be out on the streets otherwise,” Tenya said sadly, even though they all knew that was not true. There were plenty of taverns the prince could stay at if need be, but his overstated disappointed frown had Hitoshi caving in seconds.

Hitoshi groaned in exasperation, glaring balefully even as he shortly said, “Fine. I’ll ask.”

Tenya pumped his fist at the shockingly easy acquiescence, and Katsuki snorted amusedly. “Seems like your alpha is quite the stubborn one.”

“He’s not my—” Hitoshi stopped short, thought about it, and then blushed. “Well, I guess he is kind of my alpha,” he mumbled embarrassedly. “But you should probably worry about your own alpha.”

Katsuki frowned at that, not appreciating the omega’s teasing tone. “Y’know, for an aspiring knight, you sure are candid with your future queen,” he grumbled.

Tenya started speaking again before Hitoshi could form a proper response to that, which was probably for the best. “Right, I had meant to speak with Prince Kirishima before about this, but he has been…what’s the word…” Tenya trailed off unsurely, trying to think of a way to describe Eijirou’s recent behavior without offending his husband.

“Unstable?” Katsuki offered easily, and Tenya looked at him in surprise.

“Possibly homicidal?” Hitoshi wondered aloud, and Katsuki sent him an unimpressed look.

“I suppose Denki told you about that as well,” Katsuki grouched.

Hitoshi smirked. “Tenya, actually.”

Tenya looked guilty at his side, and Katsuki sighed tiredly yet again. He then walked over to the door, holding it open for the two with a fierce glare. “Last time,” he said, and the two finally got a move on. Hitoshi was still smirking when they left, apparently finding Katsuki’s annoyance amusing, and the blond silently thought he would probably fit right in with the rest of the Royal Guard. “Fucking asshole.”

Katsuki rolled out the large map of Tulia on the ground outside the castle’s entrance. He had nabbed it from the council room after leaving the armory, figuring now was as good a time as any to hash out the rest of his plan for everyone. Most of everyone who planned to join them in battle were loitering around the front of the castle, waiting for the signal to set out.

Knights and commoners alike immediately starting congregating around the blond as he kneeled on the ground, not even needing to be addressed and called over, their curious eyes taking in the map of the kingdom they would be fighting in. Katsuki had made note on the map of each secret route into the kingdom, as well as the main entrance through the border. The main entrance, of course, was most widely used, and therefore, it would the most open and easy to navigate to since it was connected along a direct path through the woods between kingdoms.

Katsuki had outlined each secret route in detail, making sure it was clear where each group would be going once they split. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if even one group got lost, and Katsuki hoped he would be able to convince Ochako to be in separate group from Katsuki in order to lower the possibility.

“You’ve already decided where each group will go?” Tetsutetsu asked, sounding more surprised than Katsuki thought was warranted. He, along with the rest of the Royal Guard, were hovering over Katsuki’s shoulder, inspecting the map intently. “Who’s where?”

“My group will enter here,” Katsuki said, pointing to the main entrance into the kingdom. He had decided that right away. If the largest chance of attack was going to be at the entrance, then Katsuki needed to be there to thwart it. “Ideally, Eijirou’s group would enter at this point, with Hanta’s entering here, and Mina’s here.” Katsuki then pointed to a route probably a few miles from the main entrance to the east, one that led directly into the outskirts to the west, and one that was located farther north that Katsuki knew eventually led into the capital not too far from the palace, respectively.

The only reason these routes were even able to be kept secret from Tulian citizens was the fact that the spots where they crossed the border in and out of the kingdom were masterfully disguised. Years ago, Katsuki had inquisitively wandered over to where he’d discovered one was, and he had initially thought he’d been led astray when he couldn’t find anything that even remotely resembled a path.

The woods surrounding Tulia were not frequently traversed by its citizens, since there was never any need unless you were paid to hunt for the royal family, but even then, there were designated paths open to the public for recreational purposes. It was simply that not many Tulians saw entering a dirty, untamed woods as a valuable or acceptable pastime. But Katsuki had been determined, and after much trial and error, Katsuki eventually found the hidden path beyond a dense thicket. Honestly, it the path had been unkempt and likely purposefully left unpaved, but it had clearly been used many times before. It had been easy to find the others after that since he then knew what to look for.

Katsuki felt a familiar presence stop somewhere behind him, and Eijirou’s scent immediately stood out to Katsuki even with the mass of people surrounding him. Katsuki nearly turned back to look at him instinctively, but he refrained from doing so. He didn’t think he could meet Eijirou’s eye after their fight from before. Especially not as he explained the battle formation that had them separated by miles.

Eijirou said nothing to the blond, though. He merely looked over the map along with everyone else, steadfastly pretending to not notice the either apprehensive or pitying glances being thrown his way. He couldn’t even begin to count the possible reasons behind all those looks, and he honestly didn’t even want to. For those who hadn’t been present for any of Eijirou’s outbursts over the past few days, they had quickly been filled in by those who had. Not to mention, he stood along with a good portion of his kingdom as his husband—his mate—detailed the plan he had devised himself—alone—that didn’t involve Katsuki and Eijirou fighting side by side. To every single Adrian there, this fact conveyed a deeper, more dire message than Katsuki realized or intended.

Katsuki discreetly cleared his throat, clearing his mind of any lingering thoughts about his husband. Eijirou’s mood swings and their relationship were not the concern right now. He needed to focus.

“I personally do not have any preference about who joins what group,” Katsuki began, his eyes automatically searching for his dearest friends as he spoke his next words. “But I do want Uraraka and Izuku to join a group separate from mine and each other,” he finished, and almost instantaneously, he saw the two in question push through the crowd to come to a stop in front of the blond.

“Katsuki-sama, what is the meaning of this?” Ochako asked confusedly. “I wish to fight by your side!”

Once again, Katsuki resolutely did not glance back at his husband. “I figured that,” he said easily. “But it would make the most sense for us three to be in separate groups once we enter the kingdom. We are the only ones who know the kingdom by heart.”

Ochako still looked like she wanted to protest, but neither she nor Izuku could argue that point. “Then…I will join Ashido-san’s group,” Ochako said after a moment.

“I will join Hanta-san’s group, then,” Izuku said after, pointedly not looking at the last unmentioned leader.

“Oh, we’re popular,” Hanta joked, glancing at Mina standing just behind him.

Mina grinned in response. “I am truly honored,” she said, even clumsily curtsying to Ochako who couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement.

“Should we make this into fun little wager?” Hanta then asked, his signature grin finally returning to his face. “Let’s see who gets the most people to join our groups, yeah? The loser has to do whatever the winner asks of them.”

Mina’s eyes lit up in excitement, and there were numerous mumbles of intrigue throughout the crowd. “You’re on,” she said confidently. She then raised her hands above her head and loudly shouted, “Who wants to join my super awesome group and kick some Villiass ass?” Dozens of hands immediately flew up, including Camie and Hitoshi. Mina sent Hanta a victorious smirk.

Hanta looked unbothered, raising his own hand next as he shouted, even louder somehow, “Who wants to join my badass group and slaughter some Villiass scum?” Denki was the first to raise his hand, and the raven sent him a fond smile. Many more hands joined the blond’s in the air, including Mirio (who held up Tamaki’s hand along with his), Ojiro, and Monoma. After a quick count, Hanta’s group came to have a few more members than Mina’s did. He threw a smug look towards the woman. “Never go first, Mina. That’s child’s play.”

Mina stuck out her tongue childishly. “You’re only saying that because it worked in your favor,” she insisted.

Katsuki sighed in exasperation from where he was on the ground, amazed that the Adrians were seemingly so carefree and enthusiastic. Katsuki wished he could join them in their fun, nonchalant antics, but he was feeling increasingly on edge as each second ticked on.   

“Katsuki-sama.” Katsuki looked up to see Kendou standing over him, looking down at him with a polite smile. Tetsutetsu stood behind her, but he looked frustrated for some reason. “I know you said you have no preference, but would it be alright if Tetsu and I joined your group?” she asked.

Katsuki actually did turn to look at Eijirou this time, too shocked by the question to catch himself, but all he saw was Eijirou frowning down at his feet in consternation. Katsuki held back a grimace, and he slowly turned back around to face the two knights. No wonder Tetsutetsu had looked so put out. He and Eijirou were always hanging out and simultaneously annoying their respective mates. This must have been Kendou’s idea, but Katsuki couldn’t guess the reason behind it.

Katsuki was about to turn down the woman’s offer, but Tetsutetsu was speaking up before Katsuki could. “Why do we have to be in his group, Itsuka?” he grumbled petulantly, probably trying to keep his voice low enough that Katsuki wouldn’t overhear over the chatter around them but obviously failing.

Kendou easily disregarded the other alpha’s whining. “I insist, Katsuki-sama,” she said to the omega, and he sighed in resignation.

“Do whatever you want,” he said, although he didn’t really get why she wanted to be in his group so badly.

Kendou bowed just slightly, and Katsuki silently thought that she was just about the only truly polite knight he spoke to regularly. “Thank you, Katsuki-sama.”

Katsuki waved away her thanks, but he was starting to feel a bit guilty about seemingly all of Eijirou’s close friends being in different groups from him. It wasn’t like they were going on some casual group outing, but he didn’t want the alpha to feel even more excluded than Katsuki had already made him.

“Does anyone wish to be in Eijirou’s group?” Katsuki loudly asked the crowd, and to his bafflement and frustration, only a few tentative hands went up. “Oh, come on,” he said to himself. Since when did the Adrian people stop wanting to fight beside their crowned prince? “Is that not like an honor or some shit to you people?” he asked loudly in aggravation, uncaring of how it might sound.

Eijirou leaned down so their heads were level with each other. “Just split the remaining citizens evenly between me and you. That should work fine, right?” he murmured next to Katsuki’s ear, and the blond shivered pleasantly at the close proximity and felt himself flush despite himself. Eijirou didn’t seem to notice considering his eyes never moved from the ground, and Katsuki was marginally thankful for that.

“Okay,” he whispered in return, feeling as though he shouldn’t raise his voice any higher for whatever reason. Eijirou nodded in response before straightening and stepping back, now standing further from his husband than before.  

The crowd started parting slowly as someone made their way through. Shouto’s expression was blank as it always seemed to be lately when he came into view, and it was already grating on Katsuki’s nerves. Eijirou’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the sight of the other alpha, but he said nothing as Shouto calmly approached where Katsuki knelt on the ground, making sure to keep a respectable distance and a watchful eye on the redheaded alpha glaring daggers into the side of his head.

“You need something?” Katsuki asked, surprisingly civil. His scowl said otherwise, however.

Shouto blinked. “I would simply like to know to which group I am being assigned,” he replied without inflection.

“Holy shit, he’s coming?” somebody from deep within the crowd gasped in shock, probably louder than they meant to.

“Prince Todoroki, you should join our group!” Mirio suddenly shouted, his face all grins. He held out his arms, as if welcoming the prince, and Shouto blinked in astonishment at the genuine cheer.

At Mirio’s side, Tamaki was discreetly shaking his head, frowning in disapproval at his mate. “Mirio, he cannot join our group,” he whispered urgently so only the blond would hear, his anxious gaze flitting between the two alphas.  

Mirio frowned down at his mate. “Why not?” he asked obliviously, but before Tamaki could answer, Shouto spoke up.

“If you insist,” Shouto said easily enough. He then glanced down at Katsuki. “If that is not a problem.”

Katsuki’s lips thinned. “It most certainly is—”

“Aw, Katsuki-sama, come on! If the prince wants to join the battle, then we should let him! The more the merrier!” Mirio cut in jovially. Honestly, he mostly wanted to keep an eye on the prince without having to worry about any more confrontations with Katsuki or Eijirou, but no one needed to know his ulterior motive. Besides, if Shouto was a decent fighter, then all the better. If not, then the prince wouldn’t be a concern in the long run regardless.

Katsuki glared at him in part for the interruption (he seriously needed to do something about these knights so casually cutting him off) and in part for being so insistent the prince join his group. “Are you being serious right now?” he snapped incredulously.

“Kacchan,” Izuku called, and Katsuki’s head whipped around to face him. “I do not mind,” he told the blond, knowing that his being a part of Hanta’s group as well was the root of Katsuki’s protestation.

Katsuki searched his face for any sign of a lie, but the noble looked more exasperated than uncomfortable, so Katsuki let it be. He supposed if Izuku was fine with it, then there was no need to make a scene about it. “Fine,” Katsuki said gruffly. Shouto had been looking between the three of them in clear confusion throughout the entire exchange, and when he caught Katsuki’s seething glare, he very nearly flinched. “For the record, Todoroki,” Katsuki began, his voice eerily calm despite the look in his eyes. “Every single person here has either a dagger or sword strapped to their person at all times, and the human neck is very fragile.”

Although Katsuki’s words were said like a simple observation without any threat behind them, Shouto felt himself grab his throat nervously. “I understand,” he said slowly, and he didn’t relax until Katsuki looked away. He could still feel Eijirou’s scowl on the side of his head, unwavering and unmoving, but he did his best to ignore it. He feared that if he met the other alpha’s eye he would immediately being pummeled to death.

“Now, go sit over there somewhere. Mirio can fill you in on everything later since he was so fucking keen,” Katsuki said flippantly to Shouto, gesturing behind him where the horses were all standing around in wait. No one else was in that area at the moment, of course, since they had all gathered around Katsuki.

Shouto looked between the horses and Katsuki a few times, a single, white eyebrow raised in incredulity. “With the horses?” he asked, sounding none too pleased about it. Katsuki just waved him away, and Shouto sighed under his breath. “Alright then,” he mumbled before walking away.

Katsuki turned his attention back to the map under his hands. “Now, ideally, we would have multiple copies of this map, but since this is our only one, I want the group leaders to study their respective routes fully,” he said authoritatively.

“Sure thing, boss,” Mina said easily, her eyes already scanning along her group’s route.

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Hanta said much more jestingly, both he and Denki simultaneously bowing dramatically towards the prince.

Katsuki rolled his eyes skyward. “You two are so fucking annoying,” he grouched.

“Thank you,” Hanta said genuinely, and Denki laughed brightly at his side, more laughter from the other citizens following his words.

Katsuki frowned to himself, his face hidden from view as he stared wistful at the map of Tulia beneath his hands.    

Sometime later, Eijirou sat on the stairs of the castle’s entrance, distantly watching all of his people below as they gathered up armor, weapons, and various other supplies. The sun had already begun to fall from the sky, and though the sunset looked especially breathtaking that evening, Eijirou couldn’t bring himself to marvel at its beauty.

A group of knights exited castle to join the mass below, laughing amongst themselves about something or another, and they instantly quieted the moment they laid eyes on the prince. Whether it was due to awkwardness after hearing about any of the things Eijirou had done over the past few days, or they just felt weird laughing when their prince looked so dead to the world, Eijirou didn’t know or care.

The alpha was beginning to wonder if there was even any point to all of this. He just wanted things to go back to how they used to be. Back before they had to leave for Tulia to fight for an uncertain future. Back before he had upset all his friends. Back before Katsuki looked at him with such disdain.

Katsuki didn’t even seem to want to be around him anymore, and it was tearing Eijirou apart. He had lost Katsuki before, and now he was losing him all over again, and Eijirou had no idea how to fix it. What if Katsuki decided he didn’t want to be with Eijirou anymore? Sure, they were married and the treaty with Tulia was still set in stone, but that didn’t mean Katsuki had to play the part of husband if he didn’t want to. He could very well find a new lover—a new alpha—and Eijirou would probably have no right to stop him. But if Katsuki didn’t love him anymore, then what was the point? What was the point of fighting? What was the point of—?

“Eijirou,” a voice suddenly broke through the redhead’s inner turmoil, and his head snapped up to see Mina standing just a few steps below in. Her eyes were dripping with concern, but still she tried to give the alpha a lighthearted smile.

“Oh, Mina, hey,” Eijirou said slowly, his voice quiet and tepid. It was barely audible over the sound of everyone around them, and Mina moved to sit beside the prince on the stairs to better hear. “Did you need something?” Eijirou asked curiously.

Mina raised an eyebrow. “I need you to stop looking so depressed, for one,” she said bluntly but not unkindly, and Eijirou frowned. “Then, I need you to tell me why you and Katsuki-sama aren’t speaking.” She had noticed it, of course. Everyone with a functional pair of eyes had noticed. Even ignoring the way the two had scarcely been seen anywhere near each other since that morning, when the two were just feet apart, they acted like the other wasn’t there.

Eijirou buried his face in his arms atop his knees. Where to begin? “He hates me,” he answered, his voice slightly muffled.

“Oh, boy, why are men so damn dramatic?” Mina asked herself before abruptly smacking the back of Eijirou’s head.

The alpha was jostled from his seated position and nearly fell down the stairs, more so from shock than anything. “Mina, what the hell?” he asked incredulously, holding a hand to the back of his head protectively. What was with people hitting him today?

“Katsuki-sama doesn’t hate you,” Mina said with certainty. “Sure, he’s rightfully pissed at you for acting like a total ass yesterday—” Eijirou cringed at the reminder. “—but he doesn’t hate you.”

“He doesn’t want to fight with me,” Eijirou whispered brokenly, and the significance of his words was not lost on Mina, even if they had been on his husband.

“Ei, Katsuki-sama isn’t Adrian. He doesn’t think the same way we do about everything,” she reminded him gently. “And honestly, you have kind of been coddling him since he returned.” Eijirou looked at her in dismay, and Mina was quick to add, “I get why, obviously! I don’t blame you for that, but I’m sure Katsuki-sama has his reasons for wanting to be in separate groups. It’s not like he doesn’t want to be with you.”

Eijirou didn’t seem convinced, remembering how Katsuki had said there were more important things than them mating. Eijirou certainly didn’t agree with that sentiment, and he was trying to figure out how his husband could, but he fell short every time. “I guess.”

“Once this is all over, I bet you and Katsuki-sama will go back to being all lovey-dovey again,” Mina said reassuringly.

“Once this is all over, I’ll become king,” Eijirou said, sounding far from enthused about the fact. Obviously, that would only be if he survived, but a crown would only serve as a reminder of his father’s death. Of Eijirou’s incompetence. Three times now Eijirou couldn’t keep the people who mattered most to him safe. Twice it had ended in death, both his mother and father. Would Katsuki be next? “I’m not ready for this,” he muttered.

Mina wanted to ask if he meant becoming king or entering battle, but she figured it was probably both. “We’re gonna win, and you’re going to be the best damn king Adria has ever seen with Katsuki-sama as your badass queen,” she said confidently.

Eijirou wanted to smile at that. He wanted to imagine it would be that simple. “I don’t want things to change,” Eijirou said sadly.

“They already are, Ei,” Mina said sympathetically in return, spotting Camie waving her over down below. It seemed everyone was ready. Well, almost everyone. Mina patted the prince once on the shoulder before getting to her feet and descending the stairs. “It’s time to go, Your Majesty,” she called as she went.

Eijirou’s eyes happened to meet his husband’s in the crowd, already mounted atop his horse in wait, and Eijirou found he was reluctant to follow.

Chapter Text

Eijirou was very noticeably keeping his distance from Katsuki.

At first, the blond had assumed Eijirou was still upset with him after their argument in the council room. However, his thoughts on that began to change as their first day of travel dragged on. The entire time they were riding, Katsuki felt eyes on the back of his head. When he would turn to look, he would spot Eijirou just as he averted his gaze tellingly. The moment Katsuki turned back around, that feeling of being watched returned.

No one else seemed to have picked up on the weirdness between them, or if they did, they all pretended to be unaware as they chatted amongst themselves across horseback. The mood between everyone was surprisingly jovial, especially considering they were only three or four days out from Tulia if you accounted for rest and food.

Katsuki was already starting to feel sore from sitting atop his steed for so long, and his mood only soured as the hours dragged on and he hadn’t heard a single word from his husband. Katsuki had faintly heard Eijirou speaking normally with others around him, riding just a few paces behind the blond as they were surrounded on all sides by knights. The redhead wasn’t as energetic as he used to be, but he wasn’t deathly silent as he had been before leaving Adria. His silence was clearly targeted towards his husband, and Katsuki was beginning to feel confused by the lack of communication between them.

Of course, Katsuki didn’t bother to strike up a conversation himself, and it was for this reason that Eijirou similarly remained speaking only to his close friends around him. He couldn’t help but find himself staring at times, but the moment Katsuki sensed him looking, he made sure to act as if he hadn’t been. He suspected his husband was still annoyed with him after their argument, and Eijirou had no intentions of angering him further. Katsuki seemed like the kind of person who could hold a grudge until he breathed his last breath, and Eijirou only hoped that would not be the case.

Still, Eijirou wasn’t sure how he would broach the many questions he had racing through his mind. He didn’t want to drive Katsuki even farther away from him. Beyond that, there was still the smallest part of Eijirou that was trying to move past the things Katsuki had said to him. He understood that Katsuki’s wasn’t like him. He wasn’t born Adrian or raised with the same set of principles Eijirou had been raised under. Katsuki thought differently from him, and until recently, that fact hadn’t been to prevalent in their relationship.

Eijirou could only wonder how that fact would affect their relationship in the future. If there would even be a future, and if there was, would there be a relationship anymore?

“I can cook,” Hitoshi had offered once they stopped to make camp just off to the side of the path, mostly hidden beyond the trees and shrubbery.

The sun was beginning to set, and everyone was noticeably exhausted and hungry. They had ridden through the night upon Katsuki’s insistence, never stopping for more than a few minutes to relieve themselves even as the sun returned to the sky above, but twenty-four hours without sleep was definitely not a good idea at the moment. Everyone had packed food (breads, fruits, etc.) to sustain their appetites until they reached a farther point in their journey to stop and rest. Tulia was about three days away from Adria by horse or carriage, but with their large group, they would have no choice but to set up camp at multiple stops. Most of the Adrians were used to it, of course, having traveled for battle numerous times. Even so, the day’s events were starting to catch up to everyone.

“Really, Hitoshi?” Denki asked in clear elation, pausing in where he and a few other knights had been forming a campfire. “You’re gonna make soup?” he tacked on hopefully.

Hitoshi shrugged. He wasn’t sure they had the bowls for it, but he was pretty sure he could make enough for everyone present. “Sure, I guess. If you guys want meat, though, you’re gonna have to hunt it yourselves.”

Denki and a few other knights jumped up excitedly, grabbing their daggers or crossbows from their belongings and heading further into the woods without further ado. They were still adorned in their armor, but at the knowledge of dinner approaching, everyone else shed themselves of their armor and weapons to get more comfortable, either relocating them to their tents with the rest of their belongings or forming a messy pile in the middle of the campsite.

Hitoshi rolled his eyes as he watched everyone get unnecessarily excited (it wasn’t like he was Satou, after all), and from the corner of his eye he noticed Mina shuffling over to him, grinning impishly. “Too bad for that alpha of yours, huh,” she mused as she plopped down beside him without finesse. “I bet he would have loved to have you cooking for him.”

Hitoshi sent her a scathing look. “Aren’t gonna go hunt for your food?” he asked pointedly, ignoring her teasing. He didn’t really want to think about Tenya or whatever their current relationship was right now.

Mina waved a hand flippantly. “Nah, hunting isn’t really my thing,” she said, not sounding bothered by it at all.

She suddenly leaned across Hitoshi (much to his annoyance) to poke the back of the person sitting on the other side of Hitoshi, digging through his belongings. Hitoshi turned to watch just as Izuku jumped in surprise, and Hitoshi hadn’t even noticed the other omega was beside him.

Izuku whipped around, his back arching away from Mina’s finger comically. He looked between the two Adrians with wide eyes. “W-What is it?” he asked confusedly.

Mina bit back a chuckle at his reaction. Tulians were so funny. “Hey, Izuku, are you gonna go hunt?” she asked curiously.

“Oh, I was not planning to,” Izuku said in response.

The knights who had gone out to hunt returned with multiple (too many) dead rabbits not long after that, and while they skinned the animals, Hitoshi started on preparing everything else he needed. Izuku offered to help carry over the giant pot needed, and although Hitoshi didn’t need the help, he accepted it anyway. Once everything was prepped, Hitoshi was able to start working on the soup. They would have to dry the rest of the meat, but at least there would be some for tomorrow.

The conversation between the three had lulled after that, but once others started joining them at the campfire, things quickly got noisy again. Hitoshi didn’t pay any of them any mind. At least, that was until Denki leaned for too much into his personal space.

“Yo, Hitoshi,” he chirped, grinning cheerfully when Hitoshi frowned in annoyance.

“What do you want, Denki?” the temporary chef asked with an aggrieved sigh.

“When are you and Izuku gonna officially join the Royal Guard?” Denki asked bluntly.

Hitoshi nearly dropped his ladle into the pot of soup, and his frown deepened. Beside him, Izuku made a sound of surprise at hearing his name as well. “I never said I was going to join the Royal Guard,” he said tersely. “I have no interest in such a thing.”

Hanta joined their conversation then, wrapping an arm around his mate’s shoulders as he leaned into him. He raised an eyebrow at Hitoshi. “Even after the Battle of Warriors?” he asked dubiously. “I could’ve sworn you were making some kind of statement.”

“Yeah, about how badass he is,” Mina chimed in, having been listening in front her spot beside Hitoshi until now. “Why would you not join?”

“Is it because you think people don’t like you?” Denki asked bluntly.

Hitoshi’s head whipped over to glare at him. “Can you shut up for once?” he growled out, miffed that the blond wasn’t exactly wrong. “And just drop it. All of you. What does it matter, anyway?”

The omega ignored their whines and complaints as he finished preparing the soup, and Izuku smiled sheepishly at his side. “I think you would make a good knight,” he told the other omega kindly.

“And what about you, Izuku?” Denki asked pointedly.

The noble laughed awkwardly. “I do not think I would be a good fit.”

“Oh, don’t give me that,” Denki said, unconvinced. “Besides, once you start training to become a knight, you’ll totally forget all about your alpha prince.”

Izuku choked on his own spit, knowing immediately that the blond was referring to Shouto. He nervously looked around, thankfully not seeing either of his friends, Eijirou, or the prince in question nearby. “He is not my alpha,” Izuku corrected annoyedly. “He is just an alpha whom I had been quite fond of.”

“But not anymore?” Mina asked curiously.

“Well, obviously not,” Izuku deadpanned. “After discovering what he did to Kacchan, I could never imagine being with him.”

“Did you two have sex?” Hitoshi asked bluntly, suddenly returning to the conversation.

Izuku gaped at him, his cheeks bright red. “Of course not!” he nearly shouted before clearing his throat embarrassedly. “We did…kiss, though,” he admitted bashfully.

“How scandalous,” Hitoshi drawled sarcastically, and Izuku frowned at him.  

“You do not have to mock me,” Izuku grumbled bitterly. He had been raised with a different set of values. “I already feel bad enough about everything considering what happened between him and Kacchan.”

Denki nodded understandingly. “Must be pretty weird to know he’s sticking around for whatever reason,” he commented.

“Prince Todoroki wishes to help in battle,” Izuku informed him. “He is probably trying to repent or something.”

Denki scoffed, unimpressed. “To little, too late,” she said concisely.

“I don’t know,” Mina drawled consideringly. “It’s pretty impressive that he let Ei beat the shit of him. Can’t imagine many alphas who’d just lay there and let another alpha publicly beat their ass.”

“I really missed a show,” Hitoshi said to himself, only slightly peeved about it. It wasn’t every day someone got to see two royal alphas going at it.

“It’s not like Todoroki didn’t deserve it,” Hanta pointed out. “The dude definitely has a death wish, but I guess it’s nice that we don’t have to worry about Endeavor declaring war on us next.”

“What did he even kiss Katsuki-sama for anyway?” Mina wondered aloud. “Like, Camie told everyone what happened in the ballroom after Katsuki-sama had been taken, but I still don’t understand why he’d even kiss Katsuki-sama in the first place. Does Prince Todoroki have feelings him?”

Izuku thought back to how annoyed Shouto always seemed by Katsuki’s presence, and he instantly shook his head. “No, they actually quite dislike each other. Prince Todoroki was ordered by his father to…seduce Kacchan,” he told them, feeling incredibly awkward using the word “seduce” in any context. “Apparently, he had a change of heart.”

“And then, he decided to seduce you instead,” Denki tacked on. Under Izuku’s responding and surprisingly scary glare, the blond held up his hands defensively. “Sorry, just saying.”

Mina slapped him on the arm. “Don’t make it seem like Izuku was his second choice,” she reprimanded. “He’s a total cutie! He could have any alpha he wanted. He doesn’t need some stupid prince!”

“Could you be louder, Mina?” Hitoshi asked rhetorically.

“Yes!” Mina answered anyway before turning back to Izuku. “Prince Todoroki had his chance with you! It’s his loss!”

Izuku blinked in surprise at the woman’s assertiveness. “Uh, okay,” he said lamely. Izuku wasn’t so sure about her claims. Shouto was a prince who could quite literally have pretty much anyone he wished, but Izuku appreciated the sentiment. “Perhaps we could change the subject?” he suggested, glancing away self-consciously and—as if the universe simply wished to make Izuku suffer—meeting the gaze of the alpha in question.

The omega froze in place, his eyes wide as they stared into Shouto’s piercing gaze, unaware of how the conversation around him moved on as requested. It seemed like Shouto had already been watching him from a distance away where he sat alone, ignored by all those surrounding him. It took a moment—as if the alpha had only been looking in his general direction—but when Shouto finally registered that Izuku was staring back at him, he quickly turned away. The omega could have sworn he saw some pink on the prince’s cheeks, but Shouto was so far away that Izuku doubted it was anything more than his mind playing tricks on him.

For whatever reason, Izuku found it harder to look away. He wasn’t sure exactly what emotions he felt at that moment, but amidst them, he could make out a sense of trepidation and yearning. Without his consent, Izuku still found himself frequently plagued by thoughts of the alpha who had hurt his friend, and it was beginning to tear him up inside. He wanted so desperately to hate Shouto for what he had done—even if he had been pressured to do so by his own father—but Izuku could not so easily forget the feelings he’d had for the alpha before everything was revealed. It was as if there was a disconnect between the prince Izuku had been infatuated with; his first crush and the only alpha to ever make him feel seen, and the prince everyone saw him as now; the man who had kissed Katsuki without his consent and kept it hidden from those around him.

Izuku wasn’t sure what to do with that.

“You glare at him any harder and he’ll catch on fire,” Hitoshi suddenly mumbled to the noble, and Izuku nearly jumped out of his skin. His head whipped back around to gape at the other omega, unreasonably surprised that he had been caught considering how blatantly he had been staring. Hitoshi didn’t seem concerned by his shock, merely pouring a bowl a little over halfway as the soup was done cooking. “Here,” he said as he held one out to Izuku.

“I was not glaring,” Izuku muttered needlessly as he gingerly took the bowl. His hunger seemed to return tenfold at just the aroma of the soup. “I was just lost in thought,” he explained before blowing on the liquid to cool it.

Hitoshi didn’t answer for a few minutes since the rest of the people at the campfire had caught on to the fact that the food was ready, and there were immediately multiple knights crowding around the omegas. Others around the campsite noticed the commotion, smelled the food, and quickly made their ways over as well.

Hitoshi poured bowls for everyone as they approached one-by-one, doing his best to keep the portions as equal as possible. “I thought you were over him,” he said after a while, and it took Izuku a moment to realize he was once again talking to him.

“I am,” he asserted. Hitoshi glanced sideways at him, but even though he said nothing, Izuku felt the need to defend himself. “I am,” he stressed heavily.

“I didn’t say anything,” Hitoshi deadpanned. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me, anyway. Not like I’m not Katsuki-sama,” he finished, and Izuku fell silent, his gaze falling down to the cooling soup in his hands as he let those seemingly innocent words sink in.

Bowls of hot soup continued to be passed along through the throngs of Adrians until they ran out of them. Some people offered to share their bowls with their friends or lovers, so the bowl shortage was swiftly resolved. Thankfully, the food had been rationed just right and half remained for those stationed at edges of their campsite as lookouts, and cheers and thanks rang out for Hitoshi as everyone started eating. The lookouts only glanced back enviously every now and then as their comrades ate. Their time to eat would come once the first half finished.

Katsuki approached to grab his bowl from Hitoshi, returning the small smile Izuku sent him before walking over to where Eijirou sat all alone eating by the tents that had been put up first thing when they stopped. It was strange to see the alpha by himself; Eijirou was meant to be surrounded by people. Katsuki’s heart ached, knowing he was at least partially the reason behind the alpha’s distant behavior since leaving Adria.

Eijirou glanced up as Katsuki neared, saying nothing when the omega plopped down carefully on the ground next to him, an arm’s length between them. Katsuki took a sip of his soup, humming at the taste.

The omega knew Eijirou probably didn’t want him around, since he still needed time to come to terms with everything. Still, Katsuki selfishly wanted to be near his husband despite what he had told him before. He wanted to hear his voice, watch him smile or laugh, reach out to touch his un-styled hair, and even hold his hand. He wanted Eijirou to go back to normal. Things had seemed like they were about to get better after Katsuki returned, but it had all been ruined in just under twenty-four hours.

“You don’t have to sit with me if you don’t want to,” Eijirou said quietly after minutes had passed between them in uncomfortable silence.

Katsuki tensed, not glancing up from his bowl. “You want me to leave?” he asked tentatively, trying to fight back the hurt in his voice.

Eijirou gave him a strange look, and Katsuki couldn’t place the emotion there. “I’m just saying that if you want to sit with the others, you don’t have to force yourself to sit with me,” he continued, sounding like each word was being forced from between his lips.

“I want to sit here,” Katsuki said determinedly, making sure to look into his husband’s eyes as he did so. Eijirou still didn’t look particularly convinced. “You have not spoken to me since before we left Adria.”

“Figured you’d want that,” Eijirou mumbled petulantly.

The blond held back a sigh at that. He hadn’t even considered that Eijirou was keeping silent for his sake. “I am still a bit upset,” Katsuki acknowledged. “But I am also worried about you.”

Eijirou frowned. “You’re worried about me?” he asked a tad incredulously. “After everything you’ve been through, you’re worried about me?”

Katsuki didn’t really understand where the alpha’s disbelief was coming from. “Eijirou, you have been through hell this week, just like me,” Katsuki reminded him. “I am only worried that all of this stress is starting to get to you. I only hope that in battle—”

“Do not insult me,” Eijirou spat immediately, taking the blond by surprise. The redhead’s face twisted into a scowl, and he turned his gaze away so it wouldn’t be pointed at his husband. “I am Adrian. Battle is what we live for, and I would never let my emotions interfere with what needs to be done.”

His words admittedly made Katsuki feel a bit ashamed for what he had almost said. Still, Eijirou was clearly not at his best. “I only meant—”

“I know what you meant,” Eijirou quickly interrupted before sighing loudly. “You don’t mean any harm. Just like your insistence that we fight separately.”

Katsuki fought not to scowl that being brought up again. “Fuck, what is the big deal about that?” Katsuki asked exasperatedly. “I will not be alone, so you do not have to worry so much.”

The alpha nearly scoffed. “Sometimes I forget that you are only an Adrian in name,” Eijirou said almost to himself.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Katsuki demanded, feeling marginally insulted.  

Eijirou turned back to him, but he seemed to disregard the question. “Do you know what is expected of you if I were to fall in battle?” he instead asked bluntly.

Katsuki’s mouth opened and closed dumbly for a few moments before he had to turn away entirely. Eventually, he managed to get out, “That will not happen.”

He heard Eijirou let out a low breath before he flatly answered his own question. “If I die, you will still become queen since we are already married, but since we’re not mates, you are free to mate with someone else.”

Katsuki gritted his teeth. “Eijirou.”

The alpha continued as if he hadn’t heard the blond. “If the reverse were to happen, then I would, of course, have to find a new spouse in order to provide an heir.”

Katsuki gasped, feeling torn between anger and sadness. He couldn’t tell if he was more upset about Eijirou having considered either scenario or the fact that his husband was so cavalier about one of them possibly dying. “Why are you saying this?” Katsuki questioned weakly. “I already said that neither of us will—”

“Angel,” Eijirou cut in softly, his eyes deadly serious and yet filled with sorrow. “I love you, but you are idealistic and naïve. We have no idea what will happen once we reach that border.”

The blond felt all the air in his lungs leave him at those words, and he watched at a loss for his own as Eijirou got to his feet and walked away, his half-finished bowl sitting on the ground where he had just been. Katsuki’s own appetite seemed to have vanished just as Eijirou had in the distance.

Night was once again upon them, and Izuku was admittedly a little unsettled by being out in the wilderness as the sky grew darker and darker around him. Who knew what kind of creatures lurked about at night in these parts? Izuku surely didn’t want to find out, so he stayed by the blissfully lit campfire until he built up the courage to try and sleep in his tent for the night.

Ochako and Denki—both of whom Izuku shared his tent with—were also sitting with him, along with Camie, Mina, and Kendou. Everyone else in their party had already retired for the night or taken their designated turns as lookouts. In their little group, the air around them was unexpectedly serene. Or, at least, Izuku hadn’t expected it. He was still noticeably anxious about traveling back to what was just weeks ago still his home to fight in a war.

His legs also seriously ached from being atop horseback all day.

He groaned quietly, massaging his thighs in hope of relieving some of the discomfort. Ochako noticed, of course. Her keen eyes were always seemingly focused on Izuku and Katsuki, no matter the situation.

“Are you alright, Izuku-kun?” she asked concernedly.

Izuku quicky waved her away. “Just my thighs,” he answered. “I have never been on a horse for more than an hour or two before, and it had already been over a day.”

Denki snickered, apparently finding his discomfort amusing. “You get used to it,” he assured the other omega. “Although, I still always make Hanta massage my legs.” Izuku sincerely hoped they didn’t plan on doing more than that in their tent tonight.

“We still have, what, two days to go?” Camie asked annoyedly. “I’m starting to wish I had stayed behind with the others.”

Ochako sighed wistfully at her words. “I already miss Tsuyu-chan,” she bemoaned. The gardener had been one of the many to stay behind, volunteering to guard the castle and borders until they returned from battle. Ochako only hoped she would be able to make it back to her once this was over. She hoped they all would.

Everyone leaned forward in interest at the beta’s admission. “You two are together, right?” Mina asked curiously.

Ochako felt herself flush at the question, placing her hands to her pinkened cheeks. “Yes,” she replied bashfully. “We are…lovers,” she finished, her face now bright red and hidden behind her hands.

“Oh,” Izuku gasped quietly in surprise, not having expected to ever hear that word from his friend’s mouth. His own cheeks started to heat up, doing his best to not imagine the two betas together in…that way.

The Adrians in the group all laughed at their reactions, and Camie leaned forward to teasingly poke at one of Izuku’s red cheeks. “You guys are so innocent,” she cooed, and Izuku waved her hand away from his face with a pout. “Are all Tulians this cute?” she asked no one in particular, but her own lover still answered anyway.

“No,” Mina said gruffly, thinking back to her encounter with the Tulian queen and her guards when she, Denki, and Ojiro went to retrieve Katsuki. “Pretty sure most of them are jerks.”

Camie hummed in disappointment. “And we’re fighting for these guys?” she asked dubiously. Obviously, anywhere her prince pointed, she would go, but she wasn’t sure how she felt helping to save a kingdom that had nothing but negative reviews and rumors surrounding it and its people.

Izuku quickly tried to defend his homeland. “The vast majority of people are usually pleasant,” he rushed to say, and even Ochako sent him an unconvinced look. Izuku lost some of his confidence at that, and his next words came out in a murmur. “I mean, obviously, as an omega, I was not treated particularly well but—”

“That’s an understatement,” Denki interrupted, giving Izuku an almost pitying look, which the noble decidedly did not appreciate. “You and Katsuki-sama defend Tulia way too much.”

Izuku frowned at that. “I do not think so,” he said slowly. “I mean, we were born and raised there. Tulia does not only have cruel alphas or…outdated belief systems. There are a lot of good people there, and Tulia has a very rich culture.”

“Rich is right,” Mina joked, cutting through the tense atmosphere that had begun to form between the two omegas. “Tulia is fucking loaded. And you’re a noble, right, Izuku? Or…ex-noble? I don’t know how that works.”

Said noble chuckled despite himself. “Well, regardless of my exile, I am still of noble blood,” he explained. Not that it really did much for him now that he was essentially an Adrian citizen. Adrian nobility seemed to have a different appearance all together than Tulian nobility did. “My family was pretty well-off, but…well…it is just me now so…” he trailed off uncomfortably, trying not to think of his mother’s death. He had been trying to avoid picturing her face as she was impaled by that guard’s spear right in front of him for weeks. The closer they got to Tulia, the more his mother flashed into his mind unbiddenly.

Mina frowned, feeling awkward and a bit guilty now. Camie rubbed the omega’s back soothingly, her own face pulled into a sad frown. “Oh, Izu, I'm so sorry to hear that,” she purred sympathetically. “Both of your parents passed?”

Izuku sent her a grateful smile over his shoulder, but it was weak. “Well, my mother was…killed in front of me, but my father left the family when I was very young. I have not seen him since,” he informed her. Ochako gritted her teeth at the mention of his father, and Izuku patted her hand placatingly. He then looked at everyone, smiling wide and bright. It didn’t look forced, but Izuku had perfectly mastered his false smiles long ago. “I do hope he is dead, though,” he finished, unexpectedly chipper. That, at least, was genuine.  

Besides Ochako, everyone’s eyebrows shot up into their hairlines. Denki chuckled uncertainly. “Damn, it’s like that, huh?” he said without judgment. His own parents had fallen in battle years ago, but that was a common story among Adrians. Hanta’s mother was still alive, but she had been permanently disabled after a duel, so she lived in Hanta’s childhood home with frequent visits from her son.

“What are Katsuki-sama’s parents like?” Kendou suddenly asked, speaking up for the first time in a while. She seemed perfectly content to just relax reclined against a tree, listening to the others talk about anything and everything. Really, she was only out here to get away from her mate’s obnoxious snoring that neverendingly filled the tent they shared tent with a few other knights. “Not much is ever really said about the king, but I have always heard rumors of Queen Bakugou. However, you actually knew them personally,” she said to Izuku and Ochako.

All eyes turned curious towards those two as they waited for a response. Sure, Denki and Mina had encountered the queen before, but that had been brief (and also long enough). It was true that little was known about King Bakugou Masaru, though. As probably expected of Tulia, it was the alphas of the royal family who remained well-known.

Ochako and Izuku glanced warily at each other, similarly unsure of how to properly describe their friend’s parents without seeming exceedingly rude. It was Ochako who eventually answered first. “Katsuki-sama’s father is a very kind man,” she supplied.

“Very soft-spoken and reserved,” Izuku added.

“Sounds like a Tulian omega,” Denki remarked. “That’s how you and Katsuki-sama were when you guys first showed up.”

“And you were very rude to them. Especially Katsuki-sama,” Kendou reminded him yet again, almost scolding.

Denki groaned exaggeratedly. “I know I was a dick, but they’re totally different now!” He definitely hadn’t been the only one to not like the Tulian prince when he showed up. He was simply one of the most vocal back then.

Izuku chuckled at the exchange. “Well, we had been forced into omega propriety courses after presenting, but before that, we had both been raised as a beta and alpha, respectively. That is why Kacchan and I both knew how to swordfight, even if we were out of practice when we arrived in Adria.”

“I could totally see you as a beta,” Mina commented, seemingly deep in thought. Izuku wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or just a simple observation, so he stayed quiet. “Not sure about Katsuki-sama as an alpha, though,” she finished contemplatively.

“No?” Ochako asked in mild surprise. “Everyone had always expected Katsuki-sama to present as an alpha. It really was quite the shock when he presented as an omega instead. He had always been so brazen and headstrong.”

Izuku nodded along with her assessment. “I would say that Kacchan has mellowed out quite a bit since meeting Eijirou-sama,” he mused. His friend was undoubtedly still very outspoken and determined—that was just who he was—but throughout the short time Katsuki and Eijirou had known each other, Katsuki had seemed to grow as a person as well.

“I wish Eijirou would mellow the fuck out,” Mina said immediately, sounding peeved, and Denki snorted in amusement.

Kendou, however, frowned slightly at her words. “You really should not speak about him like that,” she chided. She had always been a stickler for showing the respect due to royalty, whether they showed any back or not. “Once we return from battle, his coronation will be right around the corner. You cannot speak of our king in such ways.”

Mina waved away her concerns. “We’re all friends. Those of us who’ve been training to be in the Royal Guard pretty much since we could walk are all close with Ei. He doesn’t care if we speak our mind. He thinks it’s manly.”

“You say that,” Kendou began, sounding unconvinced. “But that was while Eijirou-sama was still prince. I may have joined the Royal Guard years after the lot of you, but I know you are all like siblings almost. But now that Crimson Riot has tragically passed, Eijirou can no longer be treated as your friend before he is treated as royalty.”

The knight’s words created a somber atmosphere around the group, from the mention of Crimson Riot’s death to the acknowledgment of the changes sure to follow. Mina sighed loudly, flopping onto her back. “Itsuka,” she whined dramatically, taking the alpha by surprise since most used her surname simply by habit. Given names were naturally adopted by those who had been alongside each other nearly their entire lives, but Kendou had joined the ranks along with Tokoyami, Ojiro, Monoma, and Tetsutetsu in their early teens. Of course, with her mate it didn’t make much of a difference either way, but Kendou was much used to only her mate and family calling her by her given name. “You’re seriously depressing me here,” Mina complained, pouting at the other woman.

“Maybe we should change the subject,” Izuku offered lightly.

Kendou sighed to herself, getting to her feet and dusting off her clothes. “Or, perhaps, we should all just go to sleep,” she suggested instead. Before walking away, she staidly added, “We should try to get as much sleep as possible to be well rested for the upcoming battle. There is little time to relax.”

As Kendou walked away to retire for the night, leaving the rest of her comrades by the fire, she heard Mina disapprovingly shout after her. “Depressing!”

Katsuki unenthusiastically entered his tent to retire for the night, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable at the sight of his husband already inside laying out the poor excuse for bedding everyone was using. Katsuki wasn’t used to sleeping on anything but the finest of sheets (even if Adrian silks and cloths weren’t nearly as high quality as Tulian ones), but the omega couldn’t really bring himself to complain about their sleeping arrangements. There were far more important matters at hand than some bedding.

Like the fact that Eijirou had yet to acknowledge his presence.

Admittedly, Katsuki wasn’t sure he wanted to speak with his husband after what he had said last time they spoke. It had been hurtful, although, that was likely only because it was undeniably true. Katsuki desperately wanted to believe that the hundreds of people he was traveling with would be traveling back home with him. He wanted to believe that Tulia and Adria would both come out of this relatively unscathed, and that life would quickly return to normal once it was all said and done. But that was unrealistic, and Katsuki wasn’t ready to admit that quite yet.

He wanted to be angry with Eijirou for continuously making him ponder this, but he also wanted his husband to hold him close and tell him everything was going to be okay. That was what Eijirou would have done without hesitation before their argument, but now Katsuki wasn’t so sure.

“Eijirou,” Katsuki called tentatively, crawling over to where his husband had laid down with his back to the blond. It was hard to make him out in the dark, but he was just able to see the alpha flinch at the sound of his voice, and Katsuki stopped himself from reaching out to touch him. “Can you look at me?”