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Chapter Text

Kirishima can't stay in dragon form for too long these days.

He's too weak to keep up a size that big, so he hasn't transformed that often since he escaped. But he's been having so much trouble finding food lately that he felt he just had to - but the instant he feels himself feeling faint which is embarrassingly quick, he has to drop back to the ground and lean against a tree, slowly transforming back into his hybrid form. He sighs, squeezing his eyes shut but he doesn't have enough time to hate himself before a loud, surprised laugh rings through the air. Then, there's a loud call of, "A DRAGON?!" 

Kirishima's eyes widen. A human.

He tries to move, but he's so bone-tired that it feels impossible and he's not even sure if he's budged an inch before footsteps race towards him, catching up to him in no time and Kirishima wants to howl. He can't believe he's not able to defend himself, he can't believe he's come this far just to be captured, again- 

"Dragon, come travel with me!" 

Kirishima freezes. What?

He slowly turns around, mouth opening, but it snaps shut when he sees who the human is. He infers their identity immediately, if the explosive hair, tattoos, the painted skin, the furs, and the cape doesn't mean anything. Kirishima knows all the rumours of this tyrant king without a kingdom who terrorises whoever he comes by, even he was privy to gossip from his masters and the places he'd be taken to.

So without even thinking, Kirishima says no. If there's any possible chance that he has a choice, that the king's asking rather than telling, then Kirishima has to say no.

But he gets startled when the king's face practically crumples, like his heart's broken into two. 

"Why the fuck not?!" the king yells, and Kirishima quickly composes himself and curls his lip, walking away before this can become way more dangerous than he wanted. He falters a little when a hand goes around his wrist, though. A warm hand. "Look, if you need me to prove myself or some shit then I can do that in an instant, just give me a-" 

Kirishima tries to shake his hand out of the king's hold. He's a little surprised that the grip loosens rather than tightens, but the king still spins Kirishima around and gives him a look that stops Kirishima in his tracks. His teeth are bared, his strong brows are furrowed and his eyes are...blazing. Not glowing like Kirishima's does when he's using his powers but somehow...if a human could emulate it, this was the closest they could get. Immediately Kirishima's really hit by the fact that this man is someone powerful. Being in his presence almost makes Kirishima's knees wobble, and he's so...he is so...can you call a human breathtaking?

"Why not?" the king demands once more, saying each word with a harsh finality, almost spitting them. Kirishima bites his lip without meaning to, trying to draw his hand back but the king won't let go. And Kirishima can't bring himself to outright tell him about all the rumours. About the king's supposed death toll that made Kirishima flinch when he heard it, and he's been through many things. And then there's how he robs cities blind. Tortures the innocent just to feel something. 

Kirishima doesn't want anything to do with a guy like that.

"Will you hurt me?" Kirishima asks, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. He should be able to take on this king, he should, he's a big massive dragon who can become twenty times his size but his train of thought pauses when the king's eyes widen. Those same eyes look down at the hand clutching Kirishima's arm, before he drops it like it's on fire. Then, suddenly, he laughs. It's a wild humourless laugh, and Kirishima watches in amazement, noticing that the blazing red of the king's eyes has got colder.

The flame has closed off. 

"Are you-" 

"Fuck off, dumb lizard. I don't need you anyway," the king jeers, baring his teeth again before he turns on his heel and walks off, knocking his sword back onto his shoulder as he laughs some more. Then he turns behind a rock, and he's gone. Kirishima's still frozen, wondering what on earth had just happened but he's just glad to have got out alive. Maybe the king knew that he was no match for a dragon. Or, maybe he is a little unhinged because that's definitely a rumour too, that this king's a complete psychopath who has no meaning behind anything he does.

But there must've been something that had made the king that way. Kirishima could see a split-second of something in those incredible eyes when Kirishima had asked his question, maybe it was vulnerability, maybe it was...ah, Kirishima isn't too well-versed in other humans' emotions but he knows there was something. 

He walks for a second, but he can't get too far as he leans against a boulder and sinks down to the floor, still shaken. He'd heard about this too, how even being anywhere near the king can have you paralysed. But now Kirishima truly knows what kind of paralysed they mean - the type where you're shaken up because you can sense such an overwhelming aura that drowns you.

God, how does a human hold that kind of power?

Either way, Kirishima picks himself up and goes on with his day. Which is the same as most of his days have been lately, trying to find food and a safe warm place to sleep. He's not yet strong enough to get out of this location because it was the first place he'd been able to fly to when he escaped from...

Well. He'd rather not remember. 

So he goes back to the cave he'd been spending nights at with his tiny little hoard of treasure he'd stolen from his ex-owners in a bout of reckless pettiness, and fell asleep. 

And remarkably the very next day, he comes across the king again when he's going on a walk. And the king perks up at the sight at him. He's currently in a pretty strange position, leg hitched up on a log, a small knife between his teeth and an array of leaves and berries in his hands. But he drops the knife to call out, "DRAGON! COME ON MY TRAVELS WITH ME!" 

Kirishima almost chokes. Is this deja vu? Was yesterday a dream? Either way, the king runs over, and holds his arms up. Kirishima wonders why. Is he about to do something to Kirishima...? 

"I'm showing you I've got no weapons, dipshit," the king deadpans when Kirishima takes a step back. He pauses at that. He blinks in curiosity, and steps closer, almost considering sniffing the king to check if he's telling the truth. The king looks a little more uneasy by the second, before he sighs and drops his arms. "Right. I bet a powerful bein' like you can sense that not all my weapons are gone." 

Kirishima frowns, narrowing his eyes at the king. Did he really just lie? That was so unmanly and God, this was where he was gonna jump Kirishima and try to kill him for refusing to be his slave, he knew it- 

Kirishima shoots back when the king's hands suddenly start to crackle. He can smell smoke, and his eyes dilate as red spots already pop up along his arms and he's ready to transform - but the king shakes his head. "Calm down. I ain't gonna use this on you. Just wanna show you what I'm talking about 'cause if I can't lose all my weapons then I'll lay 'em all out in front of you." 

The king then turns his hands so his palms are facing the ceiling, and Kirishima warily watches. He still thinks this is a trap, he still thinks he should be trying to get away - but the king's tone is so casual and intense at the same time that Kirishima doesn't think he's lying. And that's new. Kirishima doesn't trust humans, not in the slightest. 

But when he sees bright sparks rise and fizzle from the king's hands, his fear slowly dies away into childlike awe. And he thinks, maybe this king isn't actually a...human. 

He steps closer, reaching out a hand. Bright pretty things always attract him after all, but the king scowls and closes his palms. "Don't do that, you idiot, you'll get your hands blown off-" 

The king pauses when Kirishima holds out a hand to show it now covered in bulletproof hard scales. The king grumbles a little, but holds out his hands again, causing those pretty explosions again that Kirishima touches, eyes growing wide in wonder when they reflect red and sizzle against his hand. He looks up, only to freeze when he sees the king already watching him with a pensive look, eyebrows furrowed. 

"Do you not like talking?" the king asks. The question isn't tentative. But it isn't harsh either, simply utilitarian, and Kirishima takes a second to think. He's not sure if anyone has ever asked him questions before, and yet this king has already asked him two. 

"I'm not used to it." 

The king slowly nods. "Is your vocabulary little?" 

"Ah, probably! But I'm okay. My master before last thought it useful if I could speak well. And I always overheard a lot of conversations. So I still remember a lot!" 

"Master?" the king asks confusedly, and Kirishima freezes. He stays staring at the king's hands, which are sparking only a tiny bit now, but the king seems to accept the silence. His hands start exploding with more power and Kirishima's panicked brain eases into mindless awe again. 

"Pretty." 

The king laughs, and Kirishima notes that it's much more happy than yesterday's laugh. Kirishima likes this one more. Very feral, and very loud. "No-one calls this shit pretty. Well, I guess they wouldn't when it's all they see when they're within an inch of their life." 

Kirishima reels back at that. He suddenly remembers who he's with, who he's casually talking to, and he hurries to back away. The king looks troubled, gritting his teeth like he regrets all his life choices. But he wouldn't. Not someone like him. 

"I will not join you," Kirishima says carefully, and the king's jaw sets. Kirishima's heart sinks. "I'm- I am sorry." 

The king looks up at the word 'sorry', staring at Kirishima in morbid curiosity, like someone trying to figure out an impossible puzzle. "Why the fuck are you sorry?" 

It's a genuine question. It has to be, from the way he looks. Kirishima notes that this is question number five. "You're not happy." 

The king's eyes widen in surprise. "Do you want me to be happy?" 

"It would be...nice." 

"Knock off the formal-sounding talk. Why do you want me to be happy?" 

Kirishima has to think a lot about that. It's really hard to think too when blazing fiery eyes are on him, but eventually he gets out, "I think most people are good when they're happy." 

The king deflates. He crosses his arms and looks away. "So you don't think I'm good. I mean, like I didn't already know that..." 

"But you could be! Maybe! If you were happy!" Kirishima says brightly, pumping his fists, and the king looks back at him in amazement. Kirishima can sense a million more questions on the king's tongue and his brain scrambles to try and prepare for them, he's still getting used to this talking thing, okay- but all the king says is, "So what if you were what made me happy? A big strong dragon would make any terrorising barbarian happy, wouldn't it?" 

Kirishima deflates, frowning. "Yes. And I'm sorry. I'd like to make you happy but I...need...to be by myself for a little while. Or a long while. Maybe forever." 

The king's eyes flash. "Elaborate."

"No." 

"Fuckin'-" The king cuts himself off with a sigh, and kicks at the ground. Then he turns around and walks off, waving a hand in the air as he calls casually, "I'm still changing your fucking mind whether you like it or not, so do whatever you like in the time it takes." 

Kirishima blinks. This king...he speaks so harshly, yet nothing like Kirishima's last masters. He doesn't sound like he's trying to be cruel but rather...intense might just be his essence. Kirishima's stuck on that thought as the king leaves, until after a long, long, long time, so long that the sun sets and the indigo of twilight washes over Kirishima - he processes the words. 

The king wants him. That much is clear, and Kirishima can't be surprised. Everyone always wants him, because he's a dragon, a dragon hybrid, nothing is more precious apparently. But the king isn't going to take him by force? He's really going to try to convince Kirishima? He's going to let Kirishima have a say? 

Is this man really the same barbarian king that everyone talks about?

Either way, Kirishima's pretty sure he should be gone soon. This king doesn't have a kingdom, therefore he's a traveller, and people talk about him in every corner of the world so he must get around. Kirishima's surprised to have seen him in the same place for two days straight.

There's a high chance he's staying just for Kirishima, waiting to convince the dragon to come with him. But he'll be disappointed, because Kirishima's not planning to ever agree willingly. And Kirishima doesn't like the fact that the first time he's ever been free, he's disappointing someone new in the process. He wishes he hadn't met the king, but he can't change that now and how can he avoid someone who's staying here when he needs to manoeuvre around this place for food and exercise? He tries to contemplate as he decides to go back to his cave since it's already dark, brow furrowed and eyes almost squeezed shut in thought. But he's snapped out of it when his stomach grumbles. 

Ah geez. He's used to feeling hungry, but it's been a good while now since he's been able to eat more than some leaves... 

He sighs and curls up around his tiny hoard of treasure, tucking his tail underneath his legs. He dreams about maybe having a bigger hoard one day, except only towns have those sorts of things, and he doesn't really know how to interact with humans let alone ask them for anything. 

Maybe the king could help him...

Kirishima tries to get rid of the thought, but he's too tired, and he falls asleep dreaming about the king coming back from one of his travels one day to drown Kirishima in gold he'd gathered on the trip.  

The next day, Kirishima and the king find each other way sooner than the other two days. It's because Kirishima's woken up by the smell of fire, and he blinks groggily, sniffing the air. But it's not just fire he can smell, more like...something that makes his stomach rumble again. 

He shuffles out of the cave, trying his best to be quiet. It doesn't matter though, because the person outside is in the perfect line of view to see him head on, and they drop the stick that they're poking at the fire. 

"This is where you're staying?" the king asks, eyes lighting up while Kirishima tries to cover himself with his wings. "Man, I'm lucky as fuck that I know that information now. Get over here, lizard." 

Kirishima lowers his wings, pouting, without really meaning to. The king raises an eyebrow. "Why're you lookin' at me like that?" 

"You weren't supposed to find me." 

"There's only so many places in this forest, y'know. Come on, breakfast's on me." 

Breakfast? Kirishima's stomach rumbles again, and he inches over before his brain even tells his legs to move. The king's eyes twinkle, a grin stretching over his face as he grabs another stick and picks up the one he just dropped. 

"What's breakfast?" Kirishima asks when he's got just close enough for the king to hear him, and the king drops both the sticks this time as he stares. 

"What? What do you mean 'what's breakfast'?" the king demands, and Kirishima tries not to shrink back. 

"Is...does it mean meal?" 

"It's a meal. One of your three meals a day." 

Kirishima blinks. "I only got fed once a day." 

The king's eyes widen, and Kirishima quickly says, "It's okay! They fed me a lot in that one time! They had to since they wanted me to be very strong." 

"Yeah, I was thinking, you look pretty jacked. Not as jacked as me though," the king snuffed, turning back to his fire. "You should start eatin' three times a day though. Eatin' a lot once every twenty four hours can't be good." 

"Actually...I haven't eaten for quite a while now," Kirishima says sheepishly, crawling over and taking a cautious seat opposite the king, in front of the fire. The king watches him with an unreadable look and Kirishima tries to keep his eyes down. "At first I ate anything I could see. But what I saw made me really sick! I was paralysed for a few days! So now I have no idea what I can eat that can be safe." 

"Ah heck, you don't know what's poisonous and what's not," the king frowns, poking at the fire to try and rekindle it since it was dying down. "I'll provide you with food, alright? 'M not havin' you dyin' on my watch." 

"Really? Do you know what's safe?" Kirishima asks in amazement, so excited at the prospect of food that he loses all threads of fear and doubt. The king grins again, nodding only to growl when the last spark of the fire goes out but Kirishima just opens his mouth to breathe fire and rekindle it again, wanting to get back to the conversation. "I'm really really hungry so I would appreciate it so much, thank you so much!"

The king looks a little dazed, switching gazes between the fire and Kirishima, before he slowly nods again. "Yeah. Sure. Just let me finish roasting this."

Kirishima waits patiently. He realises that the appealing smell from earlier was chicken and he almost gasps, wondering where the king had found that. And then the king puts the food on two big leaves, cutting it with his small knife, and then he adds some leaves and plants that Kirishima's never seen before. 

"Eat up," the king says, pushing a leaf towards Kirishima who nods excitedly, tail wagging. The king couldn't be poisoning him - he was eating the same thing himself! - and Kirishima knows this is probably some sort of bribe but he has to eat. 

He peeks at the king. He's using the leaves to roll up chicken pieces and the new plants and eating it very cleanly that way. Kirishima tries his best to copy him, focusing on picking up the leaves but that's already difficult because his talons keep getting in the way. He huffs, about to just give up and eat using his mouth alone, but then he hears the king ask, "Do you know how to make yourself look completely like a human?" 

Kirishima looks at him in confusion, only to see the king looking at his talons with furrowed eyebrows. Then he flicks his eyes up to meet Kirishima's and holds up a hand. "I mean, you can look like however you want. Doesn't matter to me. But making yourself look more like a human will protect you from other humans, cause then they won't know you're a hybrid, and..." The king points at Kirishima's hands. "That'll be easier."

Kirishima's stunned. "That is true. Oh wow. I'm just...people always knew I was a dragon hybrid because I just kept getting sold so disguising myself completely never really mattered."  

The king had winced at the word 'sold'. He reaches out, and holds out his hands. He tells Kirishima to do the same and Kirishima blinks, curiously obeying. 

"Try to make your nails look like mine. Think about the way you transform from dragon into hybrid form and try to put that energy into your nails." 

Woah. The theory seems sound, and Kirishima looks down at the king's hands, at the nails that are healthy and surprisingly neatly trimmed. He focuses. He feels his transfigurative magic travel through his chest from his core, and he tries to push it towards his arms. He feels the tingle as it runs down his arms' veins, until finally- "I did it!" 

The king beams, pulling his hands away as Kirishima stares at his own in wonder, turning them over a million times. "Heck yeah you did. You can eat now. Though I don't mind if you eat like how dragons eat, either." 

"But I should learn how humans do things! Because I heed your words! I'll learn to be like a human!" 

"Ah, shit. How old are you, huh?" the king snorts, reaching out to press a hand against the top of Kirishima's head roughly, but it doesn't hurt. "Or how do dragon ages work? Either way, I can't tell if you're a kid or not." 

"I'm in my thirties, that's all I know," Kirishima ponders, and the king looks surprised. "But we age much slower than humans, yes." 

"Well. I'm twenty-two. If that means anything." 

Kirishima gasps, making the king snort again. "So it does?" 

"So young. How does a human so young have such a reputation?" 

A shadow falls over the king's face and Kirishima almost slaps a talon-less hand over his mouth. Stupid, stupid, he was supposed to not bring that up.

"Fucking reputation this, fucking reputation that. Everyone I ever come across brings that word up." 

It makes sense that the king wouldn't like the word. Kirishima fidgets, wondering how he can remedy this until the king sighs, "I really hoped you hadn't heard any of that shit. But I kinda knew from the start that you had, since you asked if I'd...hurt you. So here I am tryna convince someone who thinks I'm some cut-throat psychopath to travel with me, good fuckin' luck, me!" 

Kirishima stays silent. He doesn't know what to say that, too uneasy about the fact that the king is acutely aware of his own reputation. He just picks up his food and eats, trying his best to ignore the fierce eyes on him. Eventually, the king exhales long and loud, and says, "Ask me again." 

Kirishima looks at him with eyes wide and cheeks puffed. The king immediately bites down on a smile. "Don't do that, you're a big fucking dragon, why d'you look innocent so much? Just ask me if I'll hurt you." 

Kirishima slowly swallows. This feels like a trap. How can he believe any answer the king will give him?

Either way, he's used to obeying orders. "Will you hurt me?" 

The king's eyes are ablaze and expression so solemn as he leans closer, and says in a gravelly, adamant tone, "I will never. Unless you hurt me first." 

Once again, Kirishima is hit by the rush of trust that he's felt for no human but this man. Not because Kirishima trusts him per se, but because every ounce of his being seems so intensely candid. If the king told him he'd never told a lie in his twenty-two years of living, Kirishima would probably believe that too. 

"I don't want to ever hurt anyone again," Kirishima whispers, and the king's expression drops into something almost akin to concern. 

"Were you forc- made to hurt people?" 

Kirishima's face twists and he looks down at the ground, at his clenched fists. "Never again." 

And even if the king wouldn't hurt him, being by his side might mean that Kirishima would have to hurt people for him. Villagers, town-dwellers, the innocent. Kirishima had made a vow when he escaped his slavery to never spill human blood again unless it was deserved.

"You won't have to," the king says, the rasp in his voice all levelled out and he sounds so calming that Kirishima might fall asleep again. "If you come with me, no-one can touch you. You won't have to fight anyone like you might if you stayed on your own. I'll feed you up until you're strong again and the only people we'll fight will be wrongdoers."

"You'll make me fight?" Kirishima asks sadly, and the king looks almost agitated now. 

"Bad people. Only bad people. And if you don't want to then duh I can't force you, you're a big fucking dragon with free will." 

Kirishima finds it funny when the king calls him a 'big fucking dragon'. He wishes he knew how to laugh, because if he found the king's laugh nice, maybe the king would like Kirishima's.

But now, tears spring to his eyes when he hears the words 'free will'. 

"W-Woah, hey, what the heck?!" the king yelps in alarm, backing up when Kirishima sniffles and tries to wipe at his eyes. The king doesn't understand. People can't have free will when they belong to someone. Kirishima won't have free will if the king takes possession of him. Kirishima only has free will now, for the first time in his life, and he needs it as badly as he needs food and water and he might not know how to live for himself but he'll learn. The only thing he knows is that he needs to stay away from humans who want him. 

"Thank you for the food," Kirishima chokes out, slowly getting up onto wobbly feet before turning and walking back to his cave. He hears the king scramble to get up from behind him but he doesn't say anything - maybe he doesn't know what to say. But Kirishima's already nearly inside when the king barks out, "I'll be back at midday, alright?! For your lunch. That's the second meal of the day. And yeah I'll keep feeding you whether you'll join me on my travels or not but I'm telling you-" 

"'I'll change my mind'," Kirishima finishes, making the king fall quiet. Kirishima turns his head, and tries his best to smile. He's seen a lot of different smiles before so he hopes he's doing good. "I know. You keep saying that. And, I probably will! My mindset is very weak, and you're really good at cutting down my walls..." 

Kirishima shuffles on his feet. "But I gotta try as hard as I can to keep saying no. I'm sorry." 

Then he slinks back into his cave, just catching sight of the king giving him a look so angry that maybe it's not angry, maybe Kirishima just can't understand it, and he curls up again.

Kirishima shouldn't be so surprised that the king keeps to his word. He comes at midday, with weird-smelling food that somehow still tastes delicious, and they don't really talk then. Kirishima watches the way the king eats and tries to copy him again. The king notices and laughs loudly. 

"It's hilarious that I'm the only human you can learn human shit from." 

Kirishima tilts his head in question, and the king prods at one of his horns. "Aren't those heavy? Anyway, it's 'cause I'm not a very well-loved human, you know? Don't blame me if this makes other humans hate you."

"I know. I'm doing this of my own will," Kirishima nods firmly which makes the king raises an eyebrow. 

"Wow, got myself a dragon with virtue." 

Kirishima glares, probably a lot fiercer than he should have, and the king actually turns a little rigid. "I am not yours." 

The king's eyes seem to clear then. "...oh. Right, fuck, bad wording - you're right." 

Kirishima's surprised that the king agrees so quickly, and he wants to smile again. The king's face softens a little for just a second, and he puts down the stick he's eating fish off to scoot forward, press his hands against Kirishima's cheeks, thumb the corners of Kirishima's lips, and push up a little. "Smile up, don't just try to stretch your mouth as wide across your face. And use your instincts to smile rather than thinking so much about it." 

Kirishima's eyes sparkle as he nods, thinking that the king's hands are very calloused, rough and big and warm. Fighter hands. Once they start letting go of him, Kirishima grins big, and the king physically jolts. 

"Bloody hell...'m tryna figure out whether you followed my advice or not. That's one massive smile." The king pokes Kirishima's cheek. "Do you have dimples? Shut the fuck up." 

"What are dimples?" Kirishima asks in wonder, smile dropping and the king looks a little disappointed then. Why? 

"I'll show you your reflection in a pond sometime 'n tell you then. Heck, you're some nice-lookin' hybrid, y'know?" 

"Y-Yeah...that's what people say," Kirishima says awkwardly, because he's never been able to like the fact that he apparently looks nice when it just makes him more viable to be sold and leered at, but he can't say that when the king sounds so genuine. Yet the king seems to pick up on it. 

"You don't like it?" 

"I just...don't see it as a compliment..." 

"Hah? But-" The king pauses, frowning at the floor. "But being nice-looking is a good thing, right...?" 

"Probably! I like the way you look and that's good!" Kirishima says very honestly, because he likes the king's explosive blond hair and feral smiles and the way he looks very focused when he cooks, except Kirishima would probably think anyone who could cook was cool because he doesn't have the single inkling of how to do it, but he has the idea that the king is better than just being able to do it to survive. 

"Okay. So. Is there another way you'd like your appearance to be referred to other than, you know, 'nice-looking'?" the king asks, and Kirishima is majorly confused by that question, but like all of the king's questions that he's lost count of by now, he feels very keen to answer. He's embarrassed when he realises he doesn't know many words for looking nice. 

"I'll think of some," Kirishima says decisively, "and get back to you." 

The king cackles again, and Kirishima watches him, both to listen and learn because one day he will laugh and it'll make the king jolt once more! And because he really likes hearing such a happy sound. 

The king comes at night too when Kirishima's already fallen asleep, because he sleeps a lot these days to preserve energy and try to recover faster. When something shakes him awake, instant fear floods into Kirishima's brain, far superior to his grogginess, and he throws his arm back to fling the person off him. There's a yell, and Kirishima bares his teeth as he sits up, looking left and right with eyes aglow in the dark cave, before he finds a source of movement and he sprints towards it, pinning them down to the ground. 

And the king is looking back at him, face touched pink and eyes wide in awe. "Woah." 

Kirishima blinks, and slowly, using the king as a focal point, he relaxes. He loosens his hold on the king, ready to apologise profusely but the king scrambles to sit up the instant Kirishima lets go of him and says with eyes alight and a big grin, "You are so fucking cool."

Kirishima stutters out, so confused as to why the king thinks that when Kirishima probably hurt him, and then he's panicking all over again because hasn't the king said that he'll hurt Kirishima if Kirishima hurt him?! His brain's about to shut down as he shakily tries to ask the king if he's alright - but all the guy does is brush dirt off his shoulders and stand up like it's nothing. "C'mon, c'mon, I'll let you sleep again after you get some grub in you." 

The king holds out a hand. He's clearly expecting Kirishima to take it. Kirishima stares at it, for a long time, probably a far too long time before slowly he inclines his head and gets up by himself. He feels the king's calculating eyes on him when he walks out of the cave. 

"You can move like that 'n you're sticking around a place like this?" the king asks when they're settled around a new fire, and his tone is teasing, smirk playful and sometimes the way it makes Kirishima feel is overwhelming; he doesn't remember the last time he heard joking anecdotes where he wasn't the butt of the joke. But the king does it confidently and freely about anything, and it's as comforting as the warm fire. 

"No, no, I'm...I'm weak. And I want to stay in one place for a little while before I need to worry about moving about. I'm worried about encountering humans, you know?" 

'You know'. Kirishima's definitely picked that up from the king. It's amusing when the king seems to notice, looking a little smug as he throws a grape into his mouth. 

"Alright. If you need any medicines or bandages, anything, you better tell me, my God, if you don't I'll kick you."

Kirishima's alarmed by the notion, and the king kicks him now but it doesn't hurt. "Don't look like that! I'm just incredibly against you fuckin' dying already." 

"Why?" 

"Dragon," the king says, frowning. "That's a pretty bad question to have to ask." 

"Is it?" Kirishima asks weakly, eyes lowering, and the king growls as he tips Kirishima's head back up and shoves food into his mouth. 

"I hate every single person you've ever met. From now on the only person you've ever known is me. Only I exist. Got it?" 

Kirishima smiles, swallowing before he murmurs, "That's a really tall order," and the king throws his arms out in glee. 

"You're learning idioms! You got that from me, right? Do you see how I'm the only person ever?!" 

"I didn't learn that from you." 

The king looks so horrifically, disbelievingly offended that Kirishima wants to laugh so bad but he's shy, and he'll probably sound very horrible, so all that comes out is a low pleased rumble in his throat. And the king's jaw drops before he throws his arms into the air and falls dramatically back onto the ground. 

"I found the coolest damn dragon who smiles like the moon and wants to learn from someone like me and apparently also PURRS. I'm fucking done." 

Kirishima flushes a little, consumed by so much warmth that it almost hurts, or maybe he's confusing pain with something else, and he reaches out to pat the king's arm except the king gnashes at him when he comes close. "Do not touch me, heathen." 

"Are you tired, king?" Kirishima asks amusedly because that's the only thing he can think of to rationalise this behaviour. The king doesn't answer straight away, simply lying there like a starfish in silence, before he asks, "King, huh." 

"Yes. Yeah. I've been meaning to ask," Kirishima says as the king sits back up, shaking dirt out of his hair, "why do they call you king?" 

"Who's they?" 

"Everyone. My masters definitely called you a king, and everyone they talked to did too."

"So why're you questionin' it?" the king sniffs, stretching his arms out for some reason. Kirishima wonders at the question. 

"Because...you don't-" 

"Have a kingdom?" 

Kirishima nods. The king finishes stretching, and lies back down again. Kirishima contemplates joining him for a second but settles with just looking down at the king who looks very solemn while staring into the night sky. 

"I had a kingdom. Once," the king says eventually. He flicks his eyes over to Kirishima who silently tries to assure him that he's hanging on to his every word. "We were one of the most famous kingdoms. Known for our fighting skills and our extensive lines of well-made armour. You ever heard of the Bakugou kingdom?" 

"I saw you once when I was younger, travelling through that very kingdom with a master," Kirishima says, recollecting the memory. "You were definitely young. And trying to fight a squirrel. I wondered if the squirrel had deeply wronged you somehow but it was very funny." 

The king gives him the most irritated look. "That was your first impression of me?!"  

Kirishima just grins, and the king softens again, supposedly deciding to forgive him as he looks back up at the night sky. "Yeah, well. That was the one. I didn't feel much towards the kingdom really, but, those people were my people. So when..." The king grimaces, and Kirishima makes to rest a supportive hand on his arm. The king looks at the hand in mild surprise, but continues, "When I was nineteen, both my parents were assassinated."

"Oh no," Kirishima gasps, and the king's hands dig into the floor underneath him. 

"No-one could find out who did it. And the gap in power was hella prominent, so they hurried to try and get me coronated. But during the ceremony, the second after the crown touched my head, spies jumped from the crowd and started to kill innocent people." 

The king grits his teeth, hands sparking against the ground. Kirishima worries for him, so ashamed that he had to bring up these painful memories but the king pushes on. "Fuck - the bloodshed, I- it was horrible, I'll spare you the details 'cause I'm sure you've seen your fair share, but we tried to fight as valiantly as possible. But they'd already attacked the guards at the gates and the edges of the kingdom so the military was down, and they were ruthless no matter if it was towards the elderly or children, it didn't fucking matter to them. God, I tried. I tried to fight, I tried to tell everyone to evacuate but I-" 

The king clenches his fists, then covers his face with his hands. It's a long moment before he pulls them away (Kirishima doesn't miss his slightly red-rimmed eyes) and murmurs, "People invaded. They burnt down our houses and buildings while we fought. Everything was turned to ash. Land, barren. And though I kept telling people to run, they kept fighting and dying for me just because I was their king, how fucking- fucked up is that?!" 

The king sniffs. "I stopped wanting to be a king when people started to fight to protect me. But. Because at least I do know how to fight, I managed to escape with a whole throng of my people, mostly elderly and children, following after me. I did my best and I know it wasn't enough but-" 

"It sounds like enough. How can it not be enough to have saved people?" Kirishima says softly, and the king freezes as if he's just remembered that Kirishima's there. The king looks at him, and Kirishima smiles. Smiling is happy, so it must invoke comfort too, right? 

The king's eyes linger on Kirishima's smile as he exhales, and nods calmer. "Whatever. Maybe. I try not to regret the past, yeah. Anyway, I took those people to different kingdoms, because I had to separate them for their safety. I told 'em not to tell anyone they were from the Bakugou kingdom, 'n they agreed, but each one of them told me that I'd always be their king." 

The king laughs, suddenly. "I started wanting to be a king again, then. Ironically so, since I was only just crowned, and I no longer had a kingdom anymore. But there're a hundred or so people out there who think of me as their king. There'll be children growing up now who might remember me, and the adults might talk about me. So." 

The king sits up, and says with all the pride of a man who has lived and fought for many, "I'll be a king for the rest of my life." 

"Wow," Kirishima says in amazement, wishing, oh-so-wishing that he could say more because his chest is so tight, and his eyes are glossy. The king snorts, feeble, as he digs at the ground with a stick. 

"I don't think that's the answer you wanted. Don't think that's why everyone else calls me a king. They probably do it just 'cause of the technical fact that I'm a king. Not the emotional fact." 

The king's eyes cut towards Kirishima. "But I'm not their king. And I'm definitely not your king, so don't call me that." 

"But that whole story's really made me wish you were," Kirishima frowns, drooping. The king blinks in surprise, but Kirishima quickly asks, "Why do you travel? Just because it's difficult to settle in one place?" 

"Mm, I guess. First it was because I wanted to find the bastards who killed my town so I could crush them," the king mutters, eyes darkening. But then they grow lighter. "But that got old pretty quick. And I kept makin' people annoyed with the way I talked which okay screw 'em 'n new people kept wanting to kill me, for what?! Could never stay in one place. 'N I don't wanna either. That's borin' as fuck. I never got to go anywhere when I was in my kingdom, and now the world's my oyster." 

"Is that an idiom?" Kirishima asks, and the king grins at him. 

"Am I the only person ever now?" 

Kirishima actually desperately wants to say yes. He's swallowed in hatred for whoever invaded the Bakugou kingdom, and admiration for this king who saved. Maybe he's cutthroat now simply because of his past trauma. Maybe he kills everyone he sees simply because of the paranoia that they're who had hurt his people. And, maybe that was all in the past. It's been three years since then, maybe the rumours are old and the king's truly moved on? 

Oh no. Now Kirishima's trying to be overwhelmingly optimistic, because he's struck by the incredible, overwhelming notion that he's taken a liking to the king. He likes the king so much. He's strong, manly, funny, a good cook, and a good king. 

He shakes his head, annoyed at himself. This isn't the time to become biased, the king probably just knows how to charm people. But Kirishima still wholly believes that the king has never told him an outright lie.

"I can't call you king?" 

"Ah. I'm genuinely so confused why you seem fuckin' sad about that so do what you like. But use Bakugou sometimes, maybe." 

"My name," Kirishima says carefully, and the king looks at him in anticipation. "Would you like it?" 

"You have a name?" 

Kirishima nods. "I don't really know why I remember it, since no-one ever used it, but I managed to somehow keep one tiny memory of my mother telling me my dragon name." 

"Your mother?" 

"I'd like to find her!" Kirishima says brightly. "It's ok if I can't. But I'd like to, now that I'm free." 

The king's intense eyes are doing their almost-glowy thing again. "Go for it." 

"And I spent a lot of time trying to translate my dragon name into Japanese. Kanji is really useful for that, but yeah, I wasn't really taught kanji...so I smuggled some books to read. I was punished really badly but it was worth it!" 

"You were fucking punished for reading," Bakugou groans, but waves a hand for Kirishima to continue. 

"I managed to form a Japanese family and given name, and it was pretty useless because no-one would ever use them. But I hoped that some day someone would."

There's a long heavy silence when Kirishima finishes speaking. He can practically hear the king fizzling beside him, a question right on the tip of his tongue. And just when Kirishima opens his mouth, the king blurts out, "So am I that someo-" 

"We'll see." 

Bakugou whines, kicking at Kirishima who smiles, realising that his face is hurting because he's been smiling so much, and he distantly hears the king yell, "DON'T BE HAPPY AT MY EXPENSE, YOU FUCKER!" 

Kirishima tries to compose his face, but it's so hard, even when Bakugou barks at him to stop smiling because that's an order, Kirishima obeys orders - but he doesn't need to obey this one. Bakugou won't punish him if he doesn't. No, because Kirishima keeps smiling, and all the king does is huff and push his face away with an explosion that Kirishima easily combats with his scales, and it's wonderful. 

The king looks at him with a scrunched up face, pink dusting the bridge of his nose and his ears.

"Lizard." 

"Yes, king." 

"Join me on my travels right the fuck now." 

Kirishima almost laughs. "No." 

Bakugou explodes the campfire. 

Kirishima tries his best not to think about just how deep he's falling in as days pass by so quick, falling into weeks that he treasures. He tries not to think about how he thought he'd be happiest by himself, but now he can't seem to imagine how he would've been able to get by without seeing the feral laugh of a loud king, without his cooking, without his quickfire 'how to be a human' lessons (the most recent one being how to drink water without lapping at it). 

Kirishima wants to be happy but, it's terrifying. Thinking of being so dependent on a human again. Yet before it was because he wasn't allowed not to be - this situation with Bakugou feels so different. Kirishima's masters laughed at Kirishima to make fun of him. Bakugou laughs at Kirishima like Kirishima makes him happy. He knows there are more differences than that but sometimes when the king laughs, the rest of the world falls silent to Kirishima's ears. 

"You have such a nice laugh," Kirishima finally says one night, when the king's cackling about Kirishima wagging his tail at the tiniest mention of gold. Abruptly the king stops, staring at Kirishima in surprise. 

"Huh?" 

"It's so happy." 

The king furrows his eyebrows. "Laughs are supposed to be happy." 

Kirishima shakes his head. "My masters faked laughs a lot when they talked to other humans. And the first of your laughs I ever heard, that didn't sound happy." 

"My first...?" Bakugou pauses, looking like he's trying to think back, then he remembers."Oh. Well, I was mad." 

"I know. I'm sorry." 

"Shut up, I don't really care. All you knew back then were rumours about me, anyway."  

"I still don't particularly know if any of those rumours aren't true," Kirishima mutters, but him and the king can both hear the unuttered words 'or false'.  

The atmosphere is awkward and quiet after that. And Kirishima gets scared again, because maybe he's scared of losing this small bubble of safeness the king has managed to build around him. He hates how he still has to be scared of saying or doing things wrong, because he won't be physically punished but the king leaving him almost feels like punishment when he thinks about it. The thought is so painful, clawing at his heart, proving all over again that this is the only thing that comes out of being with humans.

But the instant tears fall from his eyes, knuckles tip up his chin. "Dragon? What happened?" 

Kirishima's eyes widen in panic when they meet the king's distressed confused ones and he quickly lowers them, sniffling. The king slowly pulls his hand away with a frown. 

"Do I need to keep talking?" the king mumbles, sounding like he's talking to himself rather than Kirishima. "When I stop talking, does he get caught up in his past..."

That's not it, Kirishima's learned to be able to keep his mind blank of the past in order to keep himself sane. But it's a sweet painless lie, and Kirishima quickly nods, making the king's eyes soften. "Aight, you coulda said. 'm not much of a talker but - I'll try."

Sometimes, the king seems so kind. Almost all of the time really. That makes a different kind of pain settle in Kirishima's heart, because he feels ungrateful. He shouldn't be feeling so upset when a king is trying for him. 

The king uses cloth on his cape to wipe at Kirishima's face, and Kirishima musters up all of his willpower not to cry harder from the act of kindness, even if the king's actions are really quite rough. Nonetheless, it takes a while until Kirishima stops crying, long enough that the king should be getting annoyed but he keeps patting at Kirishima's face the entire time. 

"You done yet, you big ol' lizard?" the king asks, the teasing tone of his words falling flat but Kirishima gives him a smile anyway. Bakugou pokes his cheek too hard and Kirishima marvels at how his brain still registers that as something affectionate. "Look at you, you're fine." 

"Why do you wear a cape?" Kirishima asks hoarsely, and Bakugou blinks, looking down at his cape. 

"Oh, it's a Bakugou royal family thing." 

"I see. I've never seen another king wear a cape." Kirishima reaches out, before stilling instinctively but the king doesn't slap his hand away. So Kirishima tentatively touches the cloak, and feels surprisingly velvety material. "It's so nice!" 

"I always looked after it pretty well back in the kingdom," the king hums, slowly taking it off and pulling it over his knees so Kirishima can play with it more, and Kirishima's eyes sparkle as he plunges his hands into the incredibly soft material. "And the first time I found a mage after I had to leave, I got them to put a protective spell on it. So only I can taint this cape." 

"That's why it's still so nice after three years..."

"It's red like you." 

Kirishima gasps, clutching the cape tighter. "Like me! I'm red!" 

"Of course you're red, dumbass," the king snorts, and Kirishima gasps again as he realises the king doesn't know of his greatest achievement. 

"I wasn't always red. I only became red a few days after I escaped." 

The king drops the cape completely in surprise, and Kirishima cuddles it happily, almost forgetting the conversation topic until the king yells a way too loud, "Huh?!" 

"'Only a free dragon can bear their true colours'," Kirishima quotes softly, looking down at the red cape in his arms. "'Only a dragon in the wild where they're supposed to be.'" 

Kirishima beams, tugging at his long hair. "This is still mostly black, so are a few of my inner scales. I'm getting there!" 

"Oh," Bakugou says dumbly. "I just thought you were like - a red dragon, but also a little black. I mean I'd never heard of it but you're a reptile, 'n there are a ton of red and black snakes, right-"

"No way, I'm definitely a red dragon! Black dragons - night dragons! They're really different, more streamlined and the stealth type and if night and red dragons procreated, hmm...I don't think that would be me." 

"You've met a night dragon before?" 

"No, but I've read about them in those books I smuggled! They're so cool. I wasn't." 

"Shut up, you were cooler than any pointy invisible lizard. You went through so fucking much and you kept going." 

"Don't say that so loud, the night dragons will be offended!" Kirishima gasps in horror, half out of truth and half to try and blatantly ignore the happiness fluttering inside his chest at the compliment, and the king looks so exasperatedly amused as he shoves at Kirishima's head. 

"I don't care what they think." 

"But you don't care what I think either!" 

"AH!" Bakugou exclaims in a bizarre mixture of a sigh and a yell, falling onto his back before kicking his legs a little. "You're so annoying, I hate you, I hate you, for fuck's sake, dragon, you're the most oblivious thing I've ever met." 

Kirishima pouts, curling into the cape a little before suddenly the king swings back up and holds onto the cape too, leaves in his hair and a wild look in his eyes. "I wanna give you something." 

Kirishima looks at him in surprise, so confused. "...my king, but you've already given me so much." 

Bakugou bristles. "'My ki-' I'm not your king! Ugh-" The king drags the cape out of Kirishima's arms, and Kirishima absent-mindedly whines at the loss, trying to hold on but the king is stronger. And then, in a horribly rude move, the king dangles the cape in front of Kirishima's face. "You like this, right?" 

Kirishima peeks out from behind to glare at the king. "You're so mean, you know I like it." 

The king cackles, pulling it back again and Kirishima's now honestly so upset that he's about to withdraw every single one of his thoughts about how nice this king seems. It had always been the most horrible thing when his masters would wave jewels and gold in front of him and cruelly laugh at him trying to get at it. A dragon's instinct to hoard nice things was something Kirishima had always wished he could get rid of. 

The king's face drops the instant he sees Kirishima really drooping. "No, I- shit, I was saying I wanted to give you something, remember?" 

Kirishima immediately perks up again, and the king laughs in relieved delight. "Damn dragons, you fickle beings. But, yeah, just...it's in case I really can't convince you to come with me. I still want you to have somethin' of mine." 

"...to...remember you by? I don't think I could ever forget you, king," Kirishima says completely truthfully, confused by the king's words, and Bakugou shakes his head. 

"No, I want you protected. Want people to see something on you 'n know that it's from me. You'll be less likely to be messed with. A token 'cause I ain't gonna dare leave you empty-handed, don't want to."

"A token. A token..." Kirishima furrows his eyebrows deeply. "I...the only thing it sounds like to me is a mark." 

The king's eyes flare in panic. "No, dragon, I'm not tryna make this like a mark of possession-" 

"But that's all it can be, that'll be all it becomes - no matter how much I scrub or scrape, my skin is still burnt into with so many permanent marks from masters, so many permanent memories that I'll NEVER be able to forget, never ever, all because they-"

The king drops the cape, and takes hold of Kirishima's face instead. Kirishima has his eyes squeezed shut in rage, fists shaking and lips trembling. But the instant warm calloused hands brush over his angrily red cheeks, the tips of fingers brushing hair behind his ears, the flame of Kirishima's fury stills instead of growing. 

"A gift," Bakugou says, so softly that if Kirishima wasn't a dragon hybrid, he wouldn't have been able to hear it. "I want to give you a gift." 

Kirishima looks up, teary eyes opening wide. He sounds out the word 'gift' silently, as Bakugou watches him with a look so urgent and distressed. He looks almost scared, and for a moment Kirishima almost reaches out a hand to rest against Bakugou's face, too. But he doesn't. 

Instead, he encircles a hand around one of Bakugou's wrists, and the small gesture gives Bakugou the courage to keep talking. "It'll be yours. Only yours. F-Forget what I said, I won't give you something that's obviously mine, 'cause it'll be yours. It won't be permanent. You don't haveta keep it. You got all the choices, only you." 

Kirishima lets out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. He nods before he can register, melting into the stubborn warmth Bakugou's giving off right now with his words and presence that are still somehow so intense, and Bakugou exhales too. Then he's slowly letting go of Kirishima, and reaching behind himself for his...sword. 

Yet Kirishima doesn't panic. Not when Bakugou keeps calm eye contact with him the entire time.

Then he's taking hold of his cloak, and cutting raggedly through the bottom half of it. 

"Jesus Christ," Bakugou grumbles, aggressively sawing at the apparently tough material as Kirishima watches with aghast eyes. "Expected that to be way smoother."  

"BAKUGOU!" 

Bakugou grins like he's caught the best game on a hunt, and Kirishima distantly registers this is the first time he's used the king's name out loud. "Mm?" 

"What are you doing?!" 

"The fuck does it look like I'm- aha!" Bakugou holds up his new spoils of war ('cause that had been some battle) - a haggard cut of red off the bottom of his cape. Then he holds it out to Kirishima, the biggest grin on his face that is flushed with pride. 

"For...me?" Kirishima asks in amazement, hands itching to take it but he kept them by his sides just in case he might be misinterpreting this, but Bakugou nods. 

"I was honestly about to give you this whole thing-" 

"NO!" Kirishima calls out instantly, appalled by the thought of the king giving up something so important, and it makes Bakugou laugh like a lion roars. 

"Yeah I didn't think you'd completely like that 'n obviously everyone would know that was mine even if it was on you. So for now - just take this." 

Finally, Kirishima reaches out to take it. He doesn't think he imagines Bakugou's fingers lingering on the material a little but he easily lets Kirishima take it, and Kirishima stares at it like it's one of the most beautiful things he's ever seen; because maybe it is. Because it's all for him. Yeah, he has clothes but they're so battered and were given to him by people he deplores, and he has his small bundle of treasure back in the cave but that's all petty stolen goods. 

Kirishima hops up, excitedly trying to figure out some kind of way to keep it on his person. At first he wraps it around his neck but it's too long for that, so then he wraps it around his torso, but realises he's more comfortable having his chest bare. So he wraps it around his waist and holds out his arms to the king (as if to ask 'how's that?') who's watching him with his hand squished against his cheek, smile fond. "Nice. I'll get you a belt. Scratch that, I'll get you a whole fuckin' wardrobe, you're barely wearing rags." 

Kirishima doesn't know what a wardrobe is but he doesn't question it, too overwhelmed by the thought of having clothes- no, nicer clothes. It takes everything in him not to tackle the king to the ground and slobber on him in thanks because he's SURE humans don't do that.  

"Hey, lizard." 

Bakugou's tone is both teasing and wistful, and Kirishima gives him all his attention. The king's face is pensive, and it's crazy how handsome he is like this. "This cape is almost the only physical thing I've got left from my kingdom. So, I know that part's completely yours, but it'd be nice if you take care of it." 

Kirishima's eyes grow wide as he sits back down. "You really trust me that much with this?" 

Bakugou shrugs. "S'not so much about trust. Just that I've been travellin' for three years 'n incredibly, it's actually gettin' boring. I wouldn't mind completely stripping everything I've got away 'n turnin' onto a new path. Wouldn't mind if all my possessions burnt down 'cause then I can get some entirely new ones, even that'll be a change. And, it'd be a real neat change to have a partner." 

Bakugou looks at Kirishima. And for a moment, Kirishima feels like he can truly see him. See past the intensity and ferocity which Kirishima had thought was Bakugou's pure essence - but now Kirishima can see someone yearning for more from life. Someone who might be a little bit lonely. 

Bakugou being lonely suddenly made all of this make a whole lot of sense. 

But Kirishima was still too scared of all his emotions, both old and new, both prior to his escape as well as all the feelings evoked by Bakugou, to join him. 

"I hope you get one," Kirishima says softly. The king closes his eyes like he's in pain, inclining his head as he grits out, "Sure."  

Bakugou doesn't return for a while after that. Kirishima worries. 

He doesn't have a good perception of time, but he thinks the king had been visiting him for a long while by now. Weeks. Months? But after that one night with a forlorn end, his presence had completely vanished. 

Kirishima's grown used to rising at the exact time that the king would always come for breakfast. His stomach rumbles always now, because nothing's there to satisfy it - and he's tried to search for the king. Tried to scour out the forest only to find no-one at all, not even a shelter that the king might have slept in. 

It's on day three without the king that Kirishima realises that he's truly, finally alone again. Exactly like he wanted. So why, why is all he can think about whether the king is injured, or captured? 

'I'm not your king,' Bakugou always kept saying. While here Kirishima is having such overwhelming instincts to lay his life down to protect him. Just like Bakugou's subjects did. Just like what Bakugou hates that his subjects did. 

Kirishima stills, and takes in a deep breath. Bakugou isn't his king. Bakugou isn't his king. Nor is he his master, or anything but a provider of food, and Kirishima had already known he'd leave at one point. He's not allowed to be surprised. He should be glad, so glad to be free of the crushing fear that he was becoming dependent on a human again. 

But now he has no food. 

Kirishima groans, thunking his head weakly against the ground. He feels sore all over, and so bone-tired that it's hard to move. He needs to do something, but he had been clueless before the king. All he has to help him are the king's impromptu lessons on the difference between poisonous plants and those that were safe to eat, as well as all of the weird food he brought that Kirishima would have never gone near otherwise but actually tasted decent. 

So Kirishima opens up his senses. His ears perk, his pupils dilate, his sense of smell covers miles. And on all fours, he runs. 

He might be a carnivorous dragon, but his human side of him is still an omnivore, and it's a given that he has to stay mostly vegetarian during his time without Bakugou. But it goes well. He identifies plants that Bakugou has brought him before, and he only gets poisoned twice! Really weakly too, so his dragon quick-healing helps him there. He finds an oasis not even a mile away that he face-palms himself for not finding earlier, and laps at the water before his eyes widen and he grabs a few leaves. He ties them together with fabric from his trousers (they're tearing apart enough already) before he has a good makeshift cup. He scoops some water, holds the cup in both hands, and drinks like Bakugou does. Like humans do. He smiles when he's done because it's so strange, but now he can do this too. 

He sleeps with his piece of Bakugou's cape blanketed over him every night. 

At first, it hurt, knowing that Bakugou was still quite a big part of his free life even if he wasn't there anymore. But now Kirishima can take it as an experience. The king helped him become stronger and Kirishima would always thank him for that, deliriously glad that he has a piece of him to remember him by too. But sometimes, late at night when Kirishima can't sleep, those thoughts start to hurt too. He doesn't know why. But he closes his eyes, thinks of sparking hands, feral laughter, a calm cool face cooking over the fire, and he gets so sad. He buries his face into red fabric and curls up into himself, eyes pricking. 

Then one morning, Kirishima wakes to warmth. To a strong arm loosely around his waist, to loud snoring from a mouth so close to his that Kirishima goes cross-eyed. 

The king looks so funny when he sleeps. His mouth wide open, eyebrows furrowed and drool on his chin. Kirishima's lip quivers. His eyes tear up and before he can stop himself, he's throwing himself at Bakugou and sliding his arms around him as tight as he can, his possessive dragon brain telling him to hold him close and never ever ever let go of him again- 

The snores stop, and Kirishima hears a groggy, "Eh? The fuck..." 

The arm around his waist tightens, Bakugou's other hand rising to rest on the back of Kirishima's head. "D-Dragon, what are you-"

"You came back," Kirishima cries, trying to stay quiet as he sniffles, trembles. "Why did you come back...this...this hurts even more..." 

Bakugou doesn't say anything. But he gently pushes Kirishima away, just a little, his other hand carding through Kirishima's hair before it rests on Kirishima's cheek, and he asks carefully, "What hurts?" 

"You. You...you being here...and you not being here...I don't know but it hurts here," Kirishima mumbles, pressing into his chest. Bakugou looks down at the spot, thinking, before he smiles. That one action makes Kirishima so happy that it's hard to handle. 

"You missed me," Bakugou explains, and Kirishima's eyes grow wide. "Damn, someone actually missed me." 

"That's what it is?" 

"I think so. I hope so." Bakugou's hand leaves Kirishima's face and Kirishima misses it. "God, you don't even know how fuckin' glad I was seeing you alive 'n healthy in here last night." 

"When did you come?" 

"A few hours ago. Went through the whole damn forest calling for you like some madman," the king chuckles, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against Kirishima's which is so new that it makes Kirishima's heart race. "Ah fuck, I'm tired...lemme stay here for a minute..." 

"You can stay here for all the minutes." 

Bakugou laughs tiredly again, and Kirishima basks in it. 

Bakugou drifts in and out of sleep for the next few hours, and Kirishima watches him worriedly. He's a fitful sleeper, sometimes shivering even though he feels warm to the touch, hands sparking enough for Kirishima to need to enforce his scales. When his eyebrows furrow so far they might cause dents, Kirishima retracts his talons and rubs at his brow gently. He rubs away all of the lines of tension on Bakugou's face. He takes Bakugou's hands, keeping them on his hips which he keeps permanently scaled, and Bakugou finally looks calm for a second as he tugs Kirishima closer and babbles quiet sleep nonsense into his shoulder. 

Kirishima listens for a while. He hears "I'll fucking FIGHT you...bitch..." and smiles. He hears "one gold piece, take it or leave it..I know the original price was thirty gold do I look like I CARE". He hears 'he's my dragon...wait...not my dragon, he doesn't like that...he's just dragon, I'm his...human..."

Kirishima's eyes grow wide, then he jolts when Bakugou's face turns into his neck, breath hitting Kirishima's skin when he whispers, "I'm his human." 

Kirishima realises, all too late, that he's been sleeping with his stolen treasure all this time and now the king's in his arms too, declaring himself Kirishima's, and Kirishima is treating him as preciously as all the minimal treasure he's ever had. More so.

"Bakugou," Kirishima says, desperately. "Please wake up." 

Bakugou doesn't, but this is urgent, so Kirishima shakes him gently, then a little harder, then Bakugou's thwacking a sparking hand right into his face. "AH!" 

"Fuck's sake, lizard," the king mutters, yawning and rubbing his head. "What is it?" 

Kirishima quickly racks his brain for an excuse, before he says far too loudly, "I'm hungry!" 

Bakugou's eyes suddenly light up as he grins. "Thank fuck, 'cause I've got you so much food. It'll last us 'til the end of the year, I bet." 

Kirishima looks at him with wide eyes, curious and excited, and Bakugou slowly gets up and dusts himself off. "Come on, let's get a fire started." 

"Right, so, I'll tell you where I've been," Bakugou says when they're sitting around a warm fire, and Kirishima's tearing into the biggest leg of meat he's ever seen. Bakugou rolls his eyes at him. "You better be listening while you stuff your face." 

Kirishima nods violently, and Bakugou throws cloth at him to wipe his face. "Aight, so while I was sleeping, people from the nearby kingdom captured me." 

Kirishima drops his food in alarm, but Bakugou raises a hand. "Let me finish. They must've been new there, 'cause I've got an alliance with that kingdom. Or well, as much of an alliance as it can be since I don't have a kingdom. I just help protect them when they need it and make sure the bastard king is looking after my ex-subjects who are there." 

"Is he not a good king?" 

"Eh...ugh, okay, he's fine - but he's so fucking annoying," Bakugou groans, kicking his feet about. "This whole alliance is just 'cause he took a liking to me or something. He thinks we're friends. Friends! I bloody hate him! He's a rich pretty boy with no personality except being clueless and one of these days I'm gonna dunk his head into a fuckin' vat of oil!" 

Kirishima smiles amusedly as he watches Bakugou rant about a man who the king definitely seems to care deeply about, even Kirishima can tell.

"Anyway, that bitch saved my ass - not that I needed him to, but apparently they showed up at the castle with me asleep and captured thinkin' Half n' Half would give them some kinda reward but-" Bakugou cuts himself off with a loud laugh. "He fuckin' expelled them from the kingdom! That damn king." 

"Is that...is that excessive? Couldn't he have given them a warning?" Kirishima asks warily, afraid that the king might get mad at him for saying that but Bakugou just hums, face turning solemn. 

"See, he's really...stern, when it comes to me. When it comes to most people he likes or respects, actually, he's really loyal. But he really hates the fact that the world views me the way they do, and he gives pretty harsh punishment even if he simply overhears someone talking badly of me." 

Bakugou looks at Kirishima, and asks a wary, "What," at the dragon's sparkling eyes. 

"I like him! A lot!" Kirishima cheers, tail wagging and Bakugou groans, falling onto his back to spread himself out like a starfish. 

"Fuck, I don't want you to like him! He's a moron." 

"Can I visit one day?!" 

The king stares at him in surprise, before slowly nodding. "...yeah. Shit, yeah, 'course you can, I just didn't think you'd want that. With all the humans, and all." 

"If I can learn to shape-shift to look completely human then I'll be fine! As long as you don't try to sell me I'll-" 

Bakugou splutters, sitting up to look at Kirishima wildly. "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT ME SELLING YOU! DON'T YOU BLOODY DARE!" 

Kirishima blinks, not understanding Bakugou's outburst, but he nods excitedly. "Okay! And, and, now I know some humans are good, so it's okay." 

The king's eyes soften. "I'm...not good, dragon."

"Why?" Kirishima asks, genuinely. He wants to know why the king doesn't think he's good. Almost all the rumours Kirishima's heard about him have been dispelled by now, but he wants the king's view to truly cement things. 

"Good people live for others. I only really live for myself. Been travellin' the world for no reason other than to gather shit to trade, other than for changes of scenery or to run from all these people who think I'm dangerous. God, at the start I really did try to go to kingdoms tellin' 'em I'd give 'em protection with my powers and fighting skills but...gah, my foul mouth just gets me into trouble." 

"Yeah. I was thinking that if you talked a bit nicer, some of the rumours might go away," Kirishima says amusedly, grinning when the king throws a stick at him. "You're so funny, king. A part of you definitely lives for your subjects who are scattered across kingdoms. You live for the king next door. And you seem to have been living so you can find someone to share your life with, too." 

Bakugou doesn't reply. Kirishima looks up from his food, and freezes when he sees the shadow that's crossed over Bakugou's face. He's glaring at the ground, food finished, and he looks ready to blow up a kingdom. Kirishima regrets everything.

"K-King, I'm-"

"The reason I stayed away for so long is...well, at first Half n' Half wanted me to," Bakugou mutters. "He wanted my company and he was also having trouble with leaders in his army, so he wanted me to train 'em for a while. I tried to tell him I had someone to get back to, and he told me 'so that's why you're glowing'." 

Kirishima bristles. Bakugou's hands clench into fists. "I got so...angry. Angry at you. Angry because you make me happy but you won't come with me, even though you know the whole reason why I want you, you know why I want a partner, I know you do. So I stayed in the kingdom for a while, trained up the army, stayed with Half, and didn't come back here. As if to punish you." 

A part of Kirishima's heart shatters at the word 'punish'.

His breathing gets laboured and he drops the food, slowly backing away. For a while now he hadn't been worried about getting punishments from Bakugou, hadn't had to worry because Bakugou isn't his master, and Kirishima had thought Bakugou wouldn't even want to do things like punish him. But he'd been so, so wrong.

His fight and flight is kicking in. He's almost ready to run away, run far away and never return because why does this have to be so painful - but then hands are taking hold of his, and Bakugou is looking at him with glossy eyes and a face so miserable as he says softly, "I'm sorry."

"You punished me," Kirishima breathes out, eyes filling to the brim. "Y-You said I had a choice - you said it was my choice-"

"You do, it is, dragon, I was an idiot-" 

"I'm sick of people wanting me," Kirishima sobs, head hanging. "I don't want to be wanted, I-I don't want it, I want to be alone, why can't y-you leave me-" 

"Dragon, please," the king says hoarsely, pressing Kirishima's hands together and bringing them to rest under his chin, looking desperate. "I'll leave you alone if you want, I promise, I- I was a fucking idiot. Half's the one who kicked some sense into me when he found out what I was doin'. He told me to go or he'd force me out the kingdom, but I already knew I had to come back. And I'd been missin' you so much that it was messin' with my mood 'n I'd become temperamental with everyone anyway - I had to come." 

"Weren't you worried at all? That I might be dead by now?" Kirishima asks despondently, and the king closes his eyes like he hates himself. Maybe he does. 

"That thought hit me like a truck. I ran all the way back here, 'n seein' you sleepin' almost killed me until I realised it was just that, you were just sleeping. And you weren't malnourished. You've been eatin', right? I could tell, I was so fucking proud," the king laughs tearily, and Kirishima feels so conflicted that he can't deal with it. Then the king kisses Kirishima's hands, a tender touch that makes Kirishima's heart race. He wonders what it means, but maybe he can figure it out from the way it makes him feels giddy, dizzy, and warm. "You were more than capable without me. I'm glad about that." 

"But that's only because you taught me how," Kirishima mumbles. 

"Yeah. I guess. But you still were, and now I know that if I leave you like you want then you'll be fine. So say the word and I'll go, okay? Take all the food I brought, and I brought some shiny things too because I know dragons like that and clothes too and honestly there's just a lot there, just look through-" 

"Bakugou," Kirishima murmurs, and Bakugou looks at him. "My name is Kirishima." 

Bakugou's eyes grow so wide, and his jaw drops. He stutters out nonsense for a second as Kirishima parts his hands to take hold of Bakugou's face, and that silences the king. 

"Please leave for a while," Kirishima says softly. "Then come back calling my name." 

Bakugou swallows, but nods, taking hold of Kirishima's wrists. "How long?" 

"Two hours," Kirishima says curtly, and Bakugou blinks. "But you're gonna repent! For that entire two hours! You're gonna think 'I've hurt the lizard, I'm the worst person in the WORLD!'" 

"Holy fuck, I don't deserve you," Bakugou half-laughs half-sighs in long relief, falling forwards to stuff his face into Kirishima's shoulder and Kirishima smiles to himself, curling his arms around Bakugou and resting his head on his shoulder. Bakugou smells like burning wood, like warmth, like the outside world. Kirishima closes his eyes, and hugs him for as long as he allows himself. 

A while later, Bakugou leaves with a wave, and Kirishima calls out, "YOU BETTER BE REALLY REALLY SAD WHEN YOU GET BACK" which gets him two thumbs up and a cackle. Kirishima settles against the big sack of items Bakugou had brought, and smiles, so big.

This is painful, but maybe Kirishima's finding out that nothing good can be entirely good. But the good parts are worth it. Not to mention right now he's doing the punishing, Kirishima of all people! It's exhilarating, and means more to him than he thinks anything ever has. He has control.

He's not Bakugou's. But Bakugou seems perfectly fine thinking of himself as Kirishima's. 

Dragons are supposed to never part with their treasure until death.

Chapter Text

"You like the denim, don't you?" 

Kirishima and the king have been looking through the clothes Bakugou had brought in his sack to see what Kirishima would like to wear. What could be his 'new look', as Bakugou says. Kirishima's so starstruck by all the fresh clothes that he just keeps saying yes to all of them - but Bakugou scoffs and throws the things he doesn't think suits Kirishima to the side. 

But the king's right. Kirishima's taken to the white-washed denim fabric he sees, liking how it feels and looks, and Bakugou holds a strip of it up to his arm. "Now, this does suit you." 

"It does?!" 

Bakugou grins at him, before rooting through the clothes and pulling out all the denim in there. There's not much but there's definitely enough for one outfit, and Kirishima takes the trousers and crop jean jacket Bakugou hands him. 

"Oh, I don't need a shirt." 

Bakugou snorts. "I know you like goin' without one but that ain't a shirt. I just think it'd complete the look."  

"Oh!" Kirishima holds out the jacket in front of him, and can't help but agree. He trusts the king's judgement on clothes better than his own anyway even if the king doesn't seem to wear much. Kirishima's been wearing nothing but rags his entire life, after all. "Can I try them?" 

"Duh. Here's a belt for your piece of cape," Bakugou says, throwing a thick brown belt that Kirishima manages to catch. "If you want anything else even if it ain't here, just tell me." 

"No, it's alright, Bakugou, you got me...so much," Kirishima murmurs, looking back at all the things he'd pulled out of the sack and arranged. Food, fabric, clothes, antiques, jewels. "You got me so much treasure. I can't thank you enough." 

"Hey, hey, I don't want any thanks," Bakugou says firmly, gripping Kirishima's jaw to make Kirishima look at him. "Leaving you was so shitty of me 'n this is all part of me makin' up for it." 

"I said you repenting for two hours was enough," Kirishima assures, taking hold of the king's wrist. "But, did you really repent? You looked a little too happy when you came back." 

Bakugou laughs, and Kirishima wishes that laugh was something physical he could hoard among all his new treasure. "Oi, you saw how red my eyes were. Was just happy that I was comin' back to you, and your face when I called your name? I loved it." 

Kirishima doesn't have a reply, as his hand moves to reach out for Bakugou's face too. His fingers hover before Bakugou's eyes, wanting to trace the corners of them that still have a little bit of salt there. He doesn't have the courage. 

"I didn't want you to cry for me." 

Bakugou takes hold of Kirishima's hand and brushes his thumb over the back of it, scales and talons and all. "What else could I have done?" 

Again, Kirishima doesn't have an answer, no matter how much he always wants to answer the king's questions. He just bows his head, nodding, and both of Bakugou's hands slip away from him. All Kirishima can do after that is take his new clothes and try them on but before he does, something catches his eye. 

"Red tiger-print?" Kirishima asks in awe, reaching out for the red fabric slashed with black stripes and Bakugou watches him curiously. 

"You like that?"

"I love tiger-print! And tigers are such friendly beings." 

"Tigers are WHAT." 

"I'm really bad at navigation so sometimes when I got lost from my masters when finding firewood or something, druid tigers would come and help me find my way back before I'd get punished."

"Wow. So you're a dragon who has a way with big cats. How the heck does that work?" 

"No clue!" 

Kirishima holds out the fabric, then looks at Bakugou who blinks at him blankly. Before his eyes clear in realisation and his face drops. "No." 

"I want it!" 

"Kirishima," Bakugou whines, and Kirishima's breath hitches for a second. He wonders if he'll ever get used to someone using his name. "It- it doesn't match any of that denim! It ain't even the same red as my cape!" 

"Pleeeease?" Kirishima clasps his hands together and leans into Bakugou's space and Bakugou quickly leans back, flushing slightly as he grimaces. 

"I'm never ever letting you pick out your own clothes again," Bakugou grumbles as he takes the fabric and draws a sparking line down the side with a finger to cut it, before he brings it up to wrap around Kirishima's neck, complaining under his breath about how fucking annoyingKirishima is. All Kirishima does in return is beam at Bakugou as big as his face allows.  

"You're so sweet, king." 

Bakugou huffs as he tightens the fabric pettily, smirking when Kirishima chokes. "Put on the rest of your clothes, you fucker. They're glamoured to accommodate your hybrid form and disappear when you turn into a dragon." 

"'Glamour'?" Kirishima asks curiously, having never heard of that before. Bakugou shrugs. 

"It's the, uh, powers that royals have. Given to us by the Norse gods or somethin'. The Todoroki family got ice and fire powers, the Toshinori family have formidable strength and power, 'n the Bakugou family? Explosions, which are great, but also the dumbest ability to do whatever we want with fucking clothes. With a vision in mind, of course." 

Kirishima can't believe his ears. "Wha- why?!" 

"The fuck do I know why? I mean, it's the reason why our lines of armour were so popular," Bakugou says, already grabbing the jacket from before and pulling the holes up Kirishima's arms. "We had a whole design line alongside it too before...you know. I handed all that over to my uncle, king of the Hakamada kingdom, who's a total denim nut so I can get you as much as you like." 

"Why...didn't you use that power with your cape, when you were cutting it for me?" 

"Family heirlooms are different. My powers don't work on 'em, but external ones do, like that spell I got that mage to put on my cape." 

"This is so confusing," Kirishima says in awe and Bakugou snickers, shoving Kirishima away along with his jeans and belt. 

"You don't need to understand, just put those on."  

Kirishima decides to transform into human form to make things easier as he changes. The denim really does feel so soft against his skin as he pulls the jeans up his legs then wraps his piece of cape around his waist again, tightening it up with the belt. Nothing quite fits, but Bakugou circles him when he's done changing and presses his fingers against the places that need to be trimmed, eyes flashing gold while he's at it. Now Kirishima knows Bakugou's eyes can glow in a human way and a magic way, and that's just so cool.

"That good? You look good," Bakugou mutters, saying the last sentence a little quickly as his fingers press into Kirishima's hips where he'd just been fixing the belt. Kirishima feels inexplicably warm as he nods, but then his eyes catch his forearm. His smile falters while his eyes dull, and he tries to cover his skin with his hand. But Bakugou catches the hand. "What's that?" 

"A mark," Kirishima says, smiling sadly as he looks at the ugly dark ink branded into his skin all for the purpose of labelling him as belonging to someone else. He usually keeps it covered with scales, all the time, but he can't do that in his human form. "One of my marks of possession, from a past master. I hate it. I tried to carve it out once, that's why it looks so bad, but I was punished so horribly for it that so I-I can't bring myself to ever do it again." 

"You have more of these?" Bakugou asks, resting his own warm hand over the mark with his voice trembling like he's seconds from running out to find and murder Kirishima's ex-masters. Kirishima nods, thinking of the ones on his hips, his ankles. Usually on places with bone because that's where it hurts the most. But this one wasn't on bone. This master had wanted everyone to see his dragon's mark and no matter how hard Kirishima tries to forget, he never can. 

"I do." 

"Those motherfuckers. Those fucking- I'm gonna find 'em if it's the last thing I- FUCK-" Bakugou cuts himself off with an agonised growl and stalks off to grab at least four of his blades and throw them at a tree with all his strength, in perfect succession and accuracy. Then he grabs denim, furs, and one of his slicing knives that Kirishima knows is pure tungsten before he brings up a heated hand that melts right through it. Then he brings his hands up so the items in them hover in the air, eyes flashing gold again as he cross-hatches the tungsten and makes it encase some of the denim fabric, trimming the edges of the casing with the fur, and his hands move gracefully to weave denim fibres into a shape that slowly looks like a hand. 

When Kirishima realises that Bakugou's making him a glove, his vision fogs up. 

"B-Bakugou, you didn't have to-" 

Bakugou immediately hushes him as he comes back to take Kirishima's arm and slip on the glove. It's a snug fit, and almost comes to his elbow. It's more than enough to cover the mark.

Kirishima's tears spill over. 

"Oh fuck," Bakugou panics, quickly bringing up his cape to pat at Kirishima's eyes. "If you don't like it I'll make another one, I'll change it, I'll-"

"No, no!" Kirishima shakes his head, smiling too hard as he gently pushes Bakugou's hands away and wipes at his own eyes. "Thank you so much, it- it's beautiful."

Saying that reminds Kirishima of something else, too. He opens his mouth to ask something but gets shy too fast, deciding he'll try another time. But the king catches it because he catches everything and he rubs Kirishima's side coaxingly. "What is it?" 

Kirishima almost purrs before he snaps out of it. "A-Ah, it's just...do you remember when, you asked me for words other than nice-looking and good-looking and stuff like that to regard my...appearance?" It sounds so strange out loud. He still wonders why Bakugou had ever asked him that.

Bakugou only smiles. "'M still waiting on those."  

"I tried to think about it, but I don't really know any." 

Bakugou arches an eyebrow, and hums contemplatively. Then he lets go of Kirishima only to grab his hand, before he turns on his heel running. Kirishima yells in surprise as he stumbles over his feet and just about manages to catch himself, eyes widening as the king only laughs loudly instead of giving a reason for this sprint. But as far as sudden kidnaps go, with wind whipping through his hair and curiously excited adrenaline bubbling through his veins, Kirishima doesn't mind this one. 

"Woah, woah!" Bakugou yells, grabbing Kirishima to stop him from running straight into the lake that the king's led them to. Kirishima blinks the windswept whiplash away and looks down at the water, which has his eyes growing wide in delight. The clothes fit him so well (of course they do thanks to the king) and they're so cool, matching his red nicely and alright, maybe Kirishima can admit that the scarf looks a bit out-of-place but he adores it. 

Then Bakugou's presence goes further away, and in the water Kirishima sees his reflection suddenly on a canvas of bright light, explosions behind him giving him a bold outline, setting his irises on fire as his hair catches the light and ripples around his face just like his reflection in the water slowly does as the sound of the explosions hits it.

"Pretty."

"There's one."

Kirishima spins around in alarm so fast that he almost falls, and he stares at Bakugou who's smirking, palms still smoking. "A person can be pretty?" 

"'Course they can. And charming," Bakugou says as he steps closer and waves his fingers slowly so a trail of diamond-like sparkles follow and fall into the air. "Gorgeous." Bakugou outstretches a palm and he holds a whole sky of golden and white clouds in it, just in his sparking hand. "Radiant. Glowing." 

The cloud fades, and the king holds out his luminescent hand to Kirishima. "You look brighter than any of the shit I can do with my hands." 

Kirishima stares at the king with wide, awed eyes, glazed over and his mouth open. Then he yells too loudly in flustered confusion, "All that just for my face?!"

The king blinks, almost like he's snapped out of a daze, and he looks down at his hand before closing it into a fist and bursting into laughter. Kirishima stutters out the whole time, face so red, heart beating so peculiarly fast, he's never felt like this before and it almost hurts. "King!" 

Bakugou wipes a tear from his eye, nodding amusedly. "Yeah-" 

"Did you put a spell on me?" 

"Not a mage, lizard, can't do spells." 

Kirishima clutches his chest. Maybe he's dying. But he can't be dying, he's healthy now. And he can't dare to die now, not when he's the happiest he's ever been. 

"Oh. My heart's just being really strange," Kirishima murmurs, looking down worriedly. But then the king's knuckles are gently pushing Kirishima's head back up by his jaw, and his bold eyes search Kirishima's still dazed ones, calculating and concerned, and Kirishima's heart races even faster. 

Heartbeat picks up because of adrenaline, right? Kirishima thinks that's right. Like when he's excited. When he runs. When he's happy. When Bakugou takes his hand, or laughs, or looks at him with his incredible eyes. 

"You make me so happy," Kirishima concludes. "I can't believe it sometimes."

The intensity of Bakugou's stare fades before he's snorting, scratching Kirishima behind the ear. 

"Me neither. I must be some whisperer of big fucking dragons or somethin'."

They walk back to the cave, with Bakugou snickering as Kirishima asks him if he is really, actually, truly, one hundred percent, seriously, absolutely pretty because he can't believe it for the life of him. Bakugou's eyes just twinkle at him in reply.

Kirishima's in the middle of tearing into breakfast one morning when he realises with a sudden start that Bakugou's disappeared from beside him. Kirishima had been too busy with his food to even notice but now he whips his head around, eyes wide. He doubts Bakugou's really gone - the king usually spends more of the day with Kirishima now than he used to. He'll barely leave unless it's to get food or night time, and definitely not without a goodbye. So Kirishima's worried he's done something wrong. 

"King?" 

He quickly finishes his food before he gets up and slowly walks around, looking through the trees in case the king could be in his line of sight. "King? Bakugou? Did- did my eating disgust you? I'm sorry!" 

Maybe Bakugou had been trying to tell him something and Kirishima hadn't even noticed. Maybe Bakugou had got so annoyed about being ignored that he just up and left. Kirishima gasps in worry, heart beating fast before his ears pick up a whoosh of sound. He throws his arm out just in time when a stick is tossed at him out of seemingly nowhere, and he closes his hand around it. He looks down at it in wonder. It's smooth, wooden, thin, carved well. As long as his legs. 

Then his ears catch more sound, and he stands alert before whirling around, but he's knocked clean off his feet before he can try to defend himself and a body hovers over him. 

"Real nice reflexes, lizard," Bakugou says with a sleazy grin, flicking Kirishima's forehead. "But you gotta have more of your body moving at the same time. Again."  

Bakugou jumps off him and pulls him back onto his feet, and Kirishima notices he has a stick too. He's holding it on either side, hands a bit away from the ends. But he doesn't have enough time to focus on anything else because Bakugou launches at him, and Kirishima squeaks as he miraculously manages to block it with the stick. 

"Good," Bakugou praises which makes Kirishima so happy, but then Bakugou strikes again, having switched angles and Kirishima blocks it once more. "Hold it with both hands, give your weapon stability." 

"How is a stick a weapon?" Kirishima asks, but he gets his answer when Bakugou jabs the stick into his gut and even if he manages to scale up so it doesn't hurt, he still falls onto his back again. 

"Because," Bakugou says, planting his feet either side of Kirishima and looking down at him, "'til you can beat me with this, it's the best you're gettin'." 

"Beat you?!" 

"I'm teachin' you how to fight as a human, Kirishima, get with the programme," Bakugou scoffs, stepping away. "So no scales. No hybrid powers. And whenever you fall, I want you back up in the next two seconds or I'm out." 

Kirishima blinks, looking down at himself, before he quickly scrambles to get up. "Yes, sir!" 

Bakugou smirks as he glances down at his own stick and draws a finger up it, looking so tantalisingly cool that Kirishima can't look away. His breath hitches when Bakugou moves in a flash to have his stick pointing at Kirishima, the end of it tipping Kirishima's jaw up far enough for him to almost go on his tip-toes. A shadow falls over the king's darkened eyes, which only happens when he talks about fighting. "Good boy."

Kirishima forgets how to breathe. 

They work throughout the day. Kirishima realises, breathlessly, that he's never really got to see the way Bakugou moves and that has been his loss. The king is amazing. He looks weightless on his feet, not a movement out of place and Kirishima bets he's never tripped in his entire life. He can jump so high, it even seems like he uses the wind to his advantage when he does and Kirishima's been the victim of too many roundhouse kicks by now. But he never stays down. 

He wishes he could make the excuse that Bakugou is really distracting with his feral grin while dripping with sweat like that, but that seems unmanly, and sometimes the king lets him catch his breath and stare a little. He stares back, dark eyes amused and interested. 

"You look really good like this, you know," Bakugou says out of nowhere, and Kirishima almost chokes on the breath he's catching. Bakugou twirls his stick around before jamming it into the ground and resting crossed arms on top of it, smirking at Kirishima all the while. "Good thing I don't get distracted easily." 

"Don't make fun of me," Kirishima whines, and Bakugou laughs at him before ducking just in time when Kirishima grabs his own stick and strikes. 

"Oho, not playin' fair, are we?" 

Bakugou pulls his stick out of the ground and parries Kirishima's blows with ease, and Kirishima had been so annoyed by that at the start of the day but now he knows that for every blow he hits, he's not the one being attacked. Bakugou's on the defensive so Kirishima's in control for now.

"I always tell the knights," Bakugou says as they move back, attempting to lash at Kirishima's knees but Kirishima's reflexes save him just in time as he brings his stick down, "that fancy footwork is nothing. Good technique means shit. Tryna fight decently will be your downfall." 

Bakugou jams his elbow into Kirishima's face and cackles when Kirishima staggers back with a groan. "The only surface reason you'll usually be fightin' is to stop yourself from gettin' killed, to protect your body, to stop the person you're fighting from going anywhere else. So."

Bakugou looks up, helpfully, so Kirishima knows to raise his stick to block a high strike. "All you need to do when fighting is to stay on your feet, stop anything from touching you, 'n if it does, bear it until you see even the smallest of openings. No matter how 'dirty' it seems - that shit doesn't matter when you're fightin' for your life-" 

They both freeze in their tracks when Kirishima's stick breaks into two when it hits Bakugou's. Kirishima blinks, looking at either hand in confusion before back up at Bakugou who raises his eyebrow at him. Then he slowly smiles, and throws his own stick to the side. "Power up, lizard." 

Kirishima doesn't figure out what that means until Bakugou's soaring at him like a firework, hands sparking up a storm behind him, and Kirishima truly considers running for his goddamn life before his scales ripple up his arms on reflex. He crosses them over his face and it's enough to repel the explosion Bakugou throws his way - but not enough to keep him on his feet. Something compels him to throw his arms around Bakugou before they're pummelled to the ground, and rolling over it at the speed of a lion hurts like hell. But Bakugou's laughing (for some completely unknown reason) and it soothes the ache when they stop moving once Kirishima crashes right into a tree with a yelp.

Kirishima looks down dizzily, vision going in and out of double as he stares in a daze at the king who's lying under him, the haziness in Kirishima's sight giving his bright hair a halo. Bakugou's laughing- no, he's giggling, sounding like an immature teenager with helpless snorts breaking up his cackles. Then he raises his head, grinning wildly at Kirishima who's smiling at him, probably a little too dreamily for two reasons. One, the king is wonderful, and two, Kirishima might have a concussion. 

"Hey," Bakugou says, tapping Kirishima's cheek. "Why don't you ever laugh with me. I know you want to." 

"Shy," Kirishima tells him (shyly). "I do want to. But I've never laughed before."

Bakugou rolls his eyes. "You'd never smiled before either 'n you do that all the time now." 

His hand takes a strand of Kirishima's hair, rough fingers undoing knots tenderly. "I bet you're one of those annoying people who laugh like the sun." 

"I have no clue what that means." 

"You know, big, bright, loud." 

"Like yours?" 

Bakugou scoffs, shaking his head. "Nah, you wouldn't laugh like me. My laugh's ugly." 

"I love it." 

"I know, me too." 

Kirishima tilts his head at him confusedly, then the king pats his cheek again. "But your laugh won't be ugly. Everything about you is pretty, and good. You're so good." 

"But I live for myself now. You said good people live for other people." 

Bakugou shakes his head. "I was wrong. You'll always be good no matter what you live for."

"Then why don't you think you're good?" Kirishima asks with a frown. Bakugou sighs, giving Kirishima an exasperated eye-roll. 

"You're not gonna let this go, are ya? Just take my word for it." 

"I think this is the only lie you've ever told," Kirishima says firmly, not budging. Bakugou stares at him in amazement before he chuckles. 

"If you think I'm good then maybe I'm good," Bakugou concedes with a shrug, and Kirishima perks up. He nods wildly in agreement and the king smiles, his hands curving warmly over Kirishima's sides. It shouldn't be this nice, lying in shrubs at the base of a tree, but it's a break after a long workout and Bakugou's quite a comfy bed. 

"I could sleep here," Kirishima murmurs, resting his head on Bakugou's chest. Bakugou's hand cards through his hair, his other hand turning into an entire arm curling around Kirishima's waist so he can hold him close. 

"Alright. Nap, then we'll get you a real weapon." 

"Didn't you once say I could kill people with my smile," Kirishima yawns, and he can feel the rumble of Bakugou's chest when he laughs quietly.

"Go to sleep, you dumb dragon." 

Kirishima knows he doesn't have any sense of time but with the seasons changing, long days passing by the dozen, he wonders if it might be nearing a year since he came here. Since he met Bakugou.

Bakugou laughs when Kirishima asks him, shaking his head. "Nah. It'd be crazy if I'd known you that long, the seasons haven't gone full circle yet. But it's kinda close."

"Close?"

"Mm. Pretty much seven months."

Bakugou throws a pebble into the lake with a perfect arch, smiling when it skips a good few times and his arm finds its way around Kirishima's shoulders. Kirishima hums, leaning closer as he curls his right wing around Bakugou's back.

Bakugou seems happy like this, with Kirishima. He always has a smirk and a quip ready to go, seems more than content with how all their days run into each other, full of sword-fighting practice (Kirishima chose dual kinzhals for his weapon and Bakugou wouldn't stop calling him a pirate for weeks), meals by a fire, showing Kirishima all the human tendencies he can. Each day is predictable, but in a way that it's not and in a way that it's safe. It's not because Kirishima's learning new things each second that he's alive during these days and he had never even imagined he'd be able to live like this. It's safe because Bakugou's arms around him are always warm, his laughs mark each day's triumphs, and spending each coming day with him is making Kirishima feel like this is what the word home means.

He fantasises about spending the rest of his life like this. Finally settled down in one place after being dragged around all his life, with a king who makes him feel cherished.

But he soon realises that Bakugou isn't as comfortable as he is. It's not that he fakes his laughs or smiles - he doesn't fake a single thing, his candour is always beyond words. But Kirishima catches him fidgeting sometimes. Like he's itching to move. To leave. He sees him staring into the distance with a faraway look in his eyes, climbing trees with the guise to collect fruit but he gets distracted by looking over the trees and out at the land around them. It's not often - but Kirishima notices.

Kirishima sees him doing just that one day, after he comes back from washing. The king's crouching on a tree branch, one hand holding onto another branch above him and the other fiddling with the stones around his neck. He's looking ahead again, his face a solemn that Kirishima still can't get used to and eyes clouded and poignant.

Kirishima flies up, settling on the branch beside Bakugou before he asks a sympathetic, "You're bored, aren't you?"

Bakugou's face doesn't change, doesn't move. But he says, "It's my own choice to stay here."

"For me," Kirishima says, sadly. Bakugou's eyes lower. "I'm sure you've never even stayed a few months in one place before, let alone seven. You're a traveller, my king."

Bakugou cocks his head in slight agreement before he stretches, swinging his legs over the branch so he can sit down properly and hold onto the one above him with both hands. "I am. But you can miss school when you're on break. You can miss your occupation when you've taken leave. I'm just on a nice long holiday is all."

"What's a holiday?" Kirishima asks, though he has a bit of an idea. Wind blows and Bakugou has to pluck a leaf out of Kirishima's hair.

"It's a break from daily life, a break you take to enjoy yourself. I indulge, sure, but I've been a traveller for three straight years. The only thing that's always been on my mind is 'where am I gonna go next?' but right now...I can relax for a little while. It's a type of peace, a comfort, knowin' exactly where I'm gonna go each day."

Bakugou taps Kirishima's nose with the leaf. "To you."

Kirishima flushes red, and Bakugou grins at him. "Travelling was what was getting borin', I told you that, didn't I? Told you I wanted change, 'n I've got it. A break from constantly movin' around. Havin' company who doesn't want me killed. Just being."

Bakugou's head settles against Kirishima's shoulder before he closes his eyes. "I've never been able to do that before. Maybe it's a bit borin', but I know I'll go back to my travels sometime soon. I'll be a different man when I do 'cause of this holiday 'n I can't wait. But I wanna stay here for a bit longer too."

"Y-You can," Kirishima says, dumbly because it's not like he needs to give the king permission to do so but Bakugou just smiles. And it's still not fake but...it doesn't feel good. It doesn't feel happy, and Kirishima worries that Bakugou's not telling him the whole story.

But then Bakugou drops a hand to thread his fingers through Kirishima's and bring their hands to his lips. His smile gets happier after that.

"Yeah. Now go get your swords, corsair, don't dare think I'm done with you yet."

Bakugou definitely keeps to his word, and they lie staring at the stars that night after a hearty dinner well-deserved from a long day of practising. Kirishima feels exhausted. And for all the time they've spent together, they haven't done this before. It's been a while since Kirishima's star-gazed alone, either, since he usually just regresses to his cave at night. But there have been nights in the past where he'd been able to look out from the sparse gaps in his masters' lodging and look up at a bright sky that seemed to be speaking to him. Kirishima could never understand what it was saying. 

"Does the sky speak to you?" Kirishima asks, stars twinkling back into his eyes. The king looks over at him, raising an eyebrow.  

"What d'you mean?" 

"I used to think the night sky was the key to becoming free. The way stars shine so bright among such a large dark just seems so hopeful. And they really did light my way when I escaped." 

"How did you escape?" 

"A moment of weakness from my master gave me the chance to run. I never would have if it wasn't for a village girl there who told me that it would be my only chance to leave."

"Why wouldn't you have gone if not for her?" 

"Because all the times I'd tried to escape before had gone so horribly wrong. And by then, I was just resigned to the thought that this would be my fate for the rest of my life and there was nothing I could do." 

Bakugou growls. "Bullshit." 

Kirishima smiles at him, seeing the king's angry eyes glow as bright as the stars. "Clearly!" 

Bakugou seems placated by that, and they both look back at the sky. A few slow minutes pass by and Kirishima almost falls asleep to the sounds of their gentle breathing and the breeze so he nearly doesn't hear when Bakugou says a quiet, "I'm sorry." 

"Hm? Why?" 

"'M so annoyed that for all I've travelled, we never crossed paths. I coulda released you in a bloody instant. Even when you were visiting my kingdom when I was a kid! I could've said one word to my parents 'n you would've been free." 

"My king," Kirishima says, his voice both amused and sad as he reaches out to hold Bakugou's bicep, and Bakugou looks at him irritatedly. "How would you have known if I wanted to be free?" 

Bakugou stares like Kirishima's gone crazy. "Who wants to be a slave?"  

"That's the case that masters argue, and slaves are powerless to deny it. Anyone else's word matters over ours." 

"Don't you fucking dare say 'ours'. You're free now. And you're proving my point, my word would've mattered over your dumb masters'." 

Kirishima smiles weakly. "I don't like hierarchy." 

"Oh," Bakugou realises. "Shit, yeah, you wouldn't- sorry. I hate it too." 

"But I'm sure you're used to being treated like a king." 

"You serious?! I'm treated like a fuckin' outlaw more than anything. I'm not welcome anywhere and people either fear me or fight me. All I wanna do is trade shit 'n live a life. At least there're a few places I won't be attacked, but even then it's not for sure."

"Like the Todoroki kingdom." 

Bakugou nods. Then he says, carefully, "I started teachin' you how to fight so I can take you there, soon." 

Kirishima's eyes grow wide, hands clutching Bakugou tighter as he gasps, "Really?!" 

"Yeah," Bakugou confirmed, looking relieved at Kirishima's excitement. "Just for your safety, 'n you already said you wanted to go there so I'll take you. I bet you're tired of this place." 

"A little bit...but it's my choice to stay, for now! I'm worried about how I'll fare with humans and I don't think I'm strong enough to fully transform yet either." 

Bakugou's expression turns pensive at that while he reaches out a hand to play with Kirishima's hair. He really likes doing that, which makes Kirishima wish it wasn't such a mess. "What do you need to become strong enough?" 

"Willpower," Kirishima murmurs, looking down as Bakugou curls Kirishima's hair behind his ear gently. "I told myself when I first came here that I shouldn't really want to leave until all my hair and scales have turned red." 

"Why?" 

"'Cause then I'll know I've really become free. I know I'm free but, not every part of me believes that yet." 

Bakugou slowly nods, his eyes lowering, and Kirishima can't bear the thought of disappointing him. He shuffles closer and whispers, "But I definitely don't mind visiting a nearby kingdom with my king." 

Bakugou's eyes snap up, irises brightening and Kirishima smiles as he feels Bakugou's good mood return. "Heck yeah. Well, you gotta rest up if we're gonna have an early morning fighting session again. I train up fuckin' armies 'n the lot so you better not think I'll go easy on you." 

Kirishima really can't help but notice that the talk of fighting really does make the king so happy, a feral twinkle in his eye and grin lighting up his face beyond stars in a night sky. So he nods excitedly in reply and Bakugou grins at him, brushing hair away from Kirishima's shoulder so he can drop a kiss there. 

"That's new," Kirishima notes breathily, warm all over yet he feels the need to shiver, and the king just shrugs as he turns to face Kirishima and closes his eyes. Kirishima blinks at him, for far too long, before he realises with a start that Bakugou doesn't really seem to be planning to move. "Y-You're staying?" 

Bakugou hasn't spent a single night with him since the day he returned. But tonight, the king nods, folding a safe arm over Kirishima's head and pressing their foreheads together. "Yeah. I'm stayin'. Kick me out if you don't want me here." 

I want you more than I've ever wanted anything other than freedom, Kirishima suddenly thinks, and he has to bite his tongue so he doesn't say it out loud. 

"To answer your first question," the king mumbles. "I always think the sky's a mystery. But I'm one of those people who believes when a person dies, they become a star. I believe my parents and the passed people of my kingdom are up there, watching over me."

"They'll be proud of you," Kirishima whispers. It's the complete truth. Bakugou opens his eyes to look at him, and Kirishima's heart breaks when he sees them gloss over. 

"I...fuck. I miss them," Bakugou croaks out, covering his eyes with a hand. "Every single day. Never even fully appreciated them, my parents. Then they were taken away from me so early 'n I had to pretend I didn't need them, pretend to be strong for a kingdom that fell anyway, 'n then I had to pretend to be okay just to survive. I-I was just a fucking kid."

God's teeth. Kirishima can't begin to understand what Bakugou's been through, but he does at least know that he never deserved any of it. He takes hold of the king's hands, wrapping his own around them, and says, "You'll never, ever have to pretend around me! And I assure you, king. They would adore who you've become the same way I do." 

Bakugou sniffs before his lips quirk into a weak smile, his thumb brushing over Kirishima's cheek. "You adore me, huh?" 

"Of course I do!"

Bakugou laughs raspily and the noise wraps Kirishima up warm. "Don't answer that so innocently, you dolt. You're gonna make my ego inflate by the dozen."

Kirishima can't imagine how that's possibly a bad thing but he nods nonetheless which makes Bakugou snort, eyes slowly closing again. Kirishima doesn't want this conversation to ever end but sleep is tugging at his eyelids too, so he just curls his arm around Bakugou and loses himself in his warmth, protectively resting his tail over his king. He thinks to say that they should go back into the cave for safety. But the thought of sleeping beside Bakugou under a beautiful sea of stars to watch over them, their entwined bodies illuminated by moonlight, is so enchanting that he can't bring himself to speak a word.  

"Oh, you're definitely ready," Bakugou says with sparkling eyes when a heated spar early in the day sees the king thrown onto his back, hands raised in surrender as Kirishima hovers above him with a blade over his throat and another pressed to his stomach, teeth bared. Though Kirishima's feral spirit falls the instant he hears the words, head tilting in curiosity before he's yelping when Bakugou sweeps his feet from under him with one well-aimed kick. 

"You play so dirty," Kirishima complains, rubbing his chest which has Bakugou cackling as he hops up like nothing happened. Only to collapse next to Kirishima and knock a fist against the guy's side, making him yelp. "I AM INJURED!" 

"No you're not, you big chicken. But if you really are then...hmmm, guess I can't have you comin' to Half's kingdom with me today..."

Kirishima's eyes snap open, and Bakugou's laughing once more as Kirishima scrabbles to get up to hover over Bakugou again, pressing the king's wrists into the ground in his excitement. "TODAY?!" 

Bakugou grins up at him which is all the answer Kirishima needs, and he frantically tries to decide between falling onto the king so he can hug him tight or pulling him back onto his feet so they can go right this second but then Bakugou fixes him with a stern stare. "But you're stayin' right by my side, you hear me? I don't even care if you can fight good now, don't want you out my sight-" Then Bakugou's eyes widen like he's just realised something, and he quickly reiterates, "For- for safety! I ain't tryna force you but...please."

Kirishima's heart skips as the king looks at him with regretful furrowed eyebrows, eyes clouded with worry, and Kirishima doesn't know how to tell him a million times over that he knows what he meant. He knows Bakugou doesn't want to keep him under lock and key. He even said please so Kirishima can't deny him anything, and he decides this is the perfect time to go for that hug now as he flops onto Bakugou who makes a surprised noise. But he winds an arm around Kirishima soon enough. 

"Someone's happy," Bakugou teases and Kirishima tries to say he definitely definitely is but he can only purr in reply when Bakugou strokes his hair. For some reason, it makes Bakugou hold him tighter. 

Kirishima really is happy. More than words can describe. 

The king holds out a hand to him before they leave. Kirishima blinks at it, tentatively taking it, and he has no clue why the king smiles so big. But he doesn't let go the whole way out of the forest, which isn't that hard since they're not taking anything with them except a bag and their swords which they have in scabbards. Kirishima has his scabbards on his back and it's the coolest thing in the world. 

"I'm gonna be buyin' shit from the markets so just stay close by, alright?" Bakugou says as they walk along the cobblestone path that leads out of the forest, and he slips a few coins into Kirishima's pocket in case 'anything might catch his fancy'. Kirishima nods at everything the king says even though he's not really listening, more looking around in awe at the windmill they pass and the well at the side. He points at way too many things to ask what they are, hoping he's not being too annoying but he can't help it, and Bakugou answers all his questions as easily as a man who knows the world. Kirishima stares at him in wonder after every answer and Bakugou snorts, "Stop looking at me like I'm some god just 'cause I know what a butterfly is." 

Said butterfly ends up attacking Kirishima by flying right in his face and he screams and flails so hard that he falls right on his face. Bakugou doesn't stop wheezing at him for almost ten minutes.

"You, a big fucking dragon," Bakugou sighs fondly as he wipes his eyes and crouches down to pick grass out of Kirishima's hair, "scared of a butterfly. By God's teeth, never change."

It's a whole different world when they make their way into the town. Kirishima's been in towns and villages before, dragged along by his masters - but he barely ever raised his eyes from the ground then, not since he was a child. He'd never had the opportunity to freely look around, to stop to gape at things which only gets him a small impatient tug but Bakugou really does let him do whatever he likes. Lets himself be dragged about like some rag doll as Kirishima bounds from stall to stall, marvelling at every single thing he sees. 

"Aye, enough!" Bakugou finally snaps at him when Kirishima almost gets into a fight with a silk stall-owner when he tries to duck around the other side. Bakugou pulls him back by the hand, inclining his head to the owner before hauling Kirishima away so quickly that he yelps. He frowns, put-out for only a second before he realises he can still look around even if he stays by Bakugou's side. 

The people are endless. They're all minding their own business, buying things, selling things, sorting out their stock, maybe simply walking down the path, yet they all look so different and incredible. Humans are so exciting, all this diversity among the same number of limbs, noses, eyes, so on, and Kirishima's a part of that. Bakugou tells him it's rude for him to stare so hard at everyone, so Kirishima doesn't know how to tell him that people are staring back. Bakugou gets smiles from the townspeople, waves and kind words that he only nods at before moving on, meanwhile Kirishima gets wide-eyed stares, whispers, confused expressions. 

"Don't worry," Bakugou tells him, looking back and squeezing Kirishima's hand to make sure he's alright. "They're just used to me always being alone." 

Oh. Kirishima understands. He wonders how he can make a good impression on all these amazing people who know his king's a good person, and all he can think of is smiling at everyone who looks at him. That gets him different reactions, full of flushes and averted gazes, but it's the most exciting thing to get a smile back. Though his own gets wiped off his face when Bakugou slams an elbow into his stomach. "Stop stealing hearts already, you fuckin' playboy." 

Kirishima's speechless because he doesn't think he understood a word of that sentence, but he's quickly distracted when Bakugou chucks him an emerald the size of his pinky finger. 

"Who's yer pretty boy, sire?" the merchant behind a fine cloth stall asks with a raised eyebrow at Kirishima who somehow managed to get roped into having two girls play with his hair (or try to with how untameable it is), too awed by the little people. Bakugou snorts, shaking his head as he presses his fingers against sheer sunset silk. 

"He ain't mine. How much s'this?" 

"Thank you!" Kirishima calls brightly as he waves at the girls who hug his legs sweetly before running off to play with Kirishima's emerald, and when he's walking back, he almost bumps into a man behind him. 

"Watch it, kid." 

Kirishima spins around in fear, breath stuttering as he tries to apologise profusely, but the vendor just waves him off. Kirishima bows gratefully to the man who walks past him, and Kirishima catches sight of the array of colourful flowers that the man is holding in a box attached to string around his neck. Kirishima trails after him curiously, only to blink when the man calls out, "Flowers for yer loved ones! Take some 'n woo anyone you'd like, who wouldn't like a flower for you to compare their beauty too!" 

Kirishima's eyes widen. 

"BAKUGOU!" Kirishima yells brightly seconds later, soaring to the cloth stall holding a rose as yellow as the sun out in front of him, and the king only just turns around before Kirishima's barrelling into him, making them both topple back onto the hard stone ground.

"You fuckin- lizard!" Bakugou yells from under Kirishima who blinks dizzily, not quite sure what just happened. But then he feels the stem in his hand and remembers to bring the rose up in front of Bakugou's face. 

"For you!" 

Bakugou looks between the rose and Kirishima like they're both five-headed chimeras, so Kirishima pushes on. "The man said you should give it to your loved ones. And you should tell them they're as beautiful as the flower."

Kirishima holds out the rose earnestly. "You're as beautiful as this flower!" 

Bakugou's eyes clear up as his expression softens into one of such exasperation, but it's riddled with fondness as he shakes his head and plucks the rose out of Kirishima's hand. "Get up, you moron." 

Kirishima does in no time, extremely happy that Bakugou had even accepted the rose. But he blinks when after Bakugou stands up too, he tucks the rose behind Kirishima's ear then goes straight back to the stall to take his items and stuff them into his bag. 

"Not a word," Bakugou mutters at the very amused-looking gentleman behind the stall who only shrugs, and Kirishima wonders what words Bakugou doesn't want spoken. 

"Oi. Where's the emerald I gave you?" Bakugou asks after a little while of Kirishima obediently staying by his side this time and watching Bakugou's trades and expert negotiations (with a few too many crass notions but besides that) with revered interest. 

"Oh, I gave it to a few children I saw. They were very nice! And small." 

Bakugou jolts at the words like he'd been struck by an arrow, and even the merchant at the delicacies stall they were at stares at Kirishima like he's done the worst thing known to man. 

"T-They were sweet, I wanted to give them something.," Kirishima says worriedly, knowing his tail would be between his legs if it was out. "Was I not meant to...?" 

The king turns his head to look at him, but he doesn't look angry like Kirishima thought he was. Instead, his eyes are alight with curiosity. He slams a pouch of coins in front of the merchant without looking back and steps so close to Kirishima that he almost starts sweating, until Bakugou whispers confusedly, "You are a dragon, right?" 

Kirishima pauses. "My king, I have no clue how to answer that." 

"Lower your voice. Dragons don't just...give away jewels like that. Do they?" 

"Oh!" Kirishima understands, and he grins. "But the girls' happiness seemed greater treasure than the jewel. And seeing you trade treasure for other treasure made me want to try." 

Bakugou's eyebrows raise in surprise before he slowly nods, and takes Kirishima's arm when he walks on. "Do what you like, just don't trade me, alright?"

Kirishima gasps in horror so loud that a few people give them a look, and Bakugou grabs a bread roll from the nearest stall to stuff into his mouth and effectively shut him up. "Eat." 

Kirishima nods, watching as the king flips a coin to the baker's son and sends him a wink. Kirishima can relate when the boy burns red. 

"Kirishima." 

"Ah- coming!" 

Kirishima, probably to the king's relief, sticks by Bakugou's side like glue after that. He still looks around, still tries to get his fill of as much as he can see and take in and is awed all the same. He loves how sunlight hits off metal plates and illuminates the townspeople's smiling faces. He loves how children run around freely and squeal and laugh like he was never able to as a kid. He loves how he sees two of the villagers look at each other, eyes full of adoration as they hold each other and lean in. Their lips press together, and Kirishima can't recall ever seeing anyone do that before. 

"Bakugou, what does-" 

Kirishima falls silent when he bumps into something, something much bigger than he is, and he looks up to see a rugged man staring down at him with narrowed eyes. 

"Hello!" Kirishima says as brightly as he can manage, sure that this man just looks scary and isn't actually scary, like the flower vendor. "Sorry for bumping into you-" 

"Who are you?" the man asks gruffly, and Kirishima's brain immediately goes into overdrive. He hears Bakugou's voice in his head telling him firmly, Do not say you're a dragon, do not say anythin' like you're a dragon, got it? 

"Just a traveller checking out the markets, sir! I'm here with-"

"Don't you dare lie to me." The man bends down to be eye-level with Kirishima whose breath hitches. How has he been figured out already? Is his tail sticking out? A horn visible?  "You got swords on your back, d'you know that?" 

"That's just in case!" 

"I saw that gem you had earlier. Where'd a kid like you get that kinda shit?"

Kirishima blinks. "From the king-" 

His words stutter to a halt when someone from behind him presses a hand around his neck and points a blade to his back. The person hisses in his ear, "What business do you have with our king?"

"O-Oh, sorry! Not your king! I meant my king-" 

"You're a fuckin' spy from another kingdom then?!" 

What? Kirishima desperately tries to clear up the misunderstanding, but the hand around his neck lifts to clamp around his mouth so he can't freely speak, and the man in front of him sneers, "Got paid in jewels, did you? Bet you liked that. Bet your bastard king didn't tell you King's Todoroki's knights are the finest in the land, and we're everywhere." 

Bakugou definitely hadn't told Kirishima that but it sounds very impressive, and he'd be extremely awed if he didn't have a knife to his back and if this man hadn't called his king a bastard. But then he processes the rest of the words, and his eyes light up. 

"King Todoroki! You're King Todoroki's knights? I really want to meet him!" 

"Yeah, I bet you do," the man snorts before suddenly he's lunging, and Kirishima has no idea how this all went so wrong. But now he has no choice, and he darts out of his position of hostage to duck under the sword that flies at him. 

"This is a town! Please can we take this somewhere else?" Kirishima asks worriedly when he sees all the people staring at them in fear, but he yelps when he has to evade another blow. 

"They understand what needs to be done when there's an enemy in their midst," the foreman snarls, inching closer and Kirishima watches him warily as he draws out his swords. Yet the man laughs at him. "Fuckin' dual weapons, only bandits and cowards fight like that!" 

Kirishima pauses for a moment. Is that true? He wishes he could ask about it, but he doesn't think these men would gladly answer any questions that he has when they run towards him once more, caging him from both sides. Kirishima grunts as he holds out both his swords, and parries their blows. 

And since he's only ever had one opponent before now, it doesn't take long for him to notice that they sword-fight like Bakugou. They're relentless, trying to drive Kirishima to a point where he can't fight back, and the twists of their wrists are effortless. Kirishima has to fight on both fronts the entire time which is hard enough, but he lights up in triumph when he manages hits fast and hard enough to push both of them back. He shoves away one of them with a slam to their head from his elbow (that's a move Bakugou loves), then kicks the other one to the ground. But his breath hitches when he feels a sword point to his back again. There are more of them. 

Another burly man circles in front of him, smirking as he shows off how well he can twirl his sword in one hand. Meanwhile, Kirishima counts down the seconds, catching his breath on the way. Then he launches forward and just when the two men make to attack, he ducks onto one knee from between them, watching them clang swords with each other then hesitate from confusion, and Kirishima takes the opportunity to raise his swords above his head and cut through the air in a cross as quick as he can. 

The men fall to the ground, identical slashes piercing their chests. 

"BAKUGOU!" Kirishima yells desperately as he hops onto his feet, before looking between the men with such regret. He never wanted to hurt them and the blood on his swords makes him feel sick, so much so that he can't bear to hold them so he casts them onto the ground. And when he looks around to see if and hope that Bakugou is nearby, he sees three knights pointing their swords right at him. Kirishima's hands clench into his fists, lips trembling as his eyes glow. But he falters. He can't just fly away, he can't even bring out his hybrid form or everyone will know. They'll all want him. He won't be able to stay in the forest. They'll push him right back into the slave trade. 

His hesitation is all the knights need to take hold of him and drag him away, Kirishima's eyes filling with tears as he whispers Bakugou's name. But the knights don't even take him down the town-path, so there's no way Bakugou will see him now. He's beyond saving. 

Is what he thinks until he's pushed onto his knees in front of one of the most beautiful men he has ever seen. 

The man blinks down at him as Kirishima stares back in wonderment, stars in his eyes. The man is clothed in fine blue and white, the hair atop his head evenly two-toned, perfectly styled. His eyes are incredible and wide now as they look at Kirishima, one turquoise and one dark brown. His skin is porcelain bar a large dark scar passing over his left eye, and Kirishima knows that's a mark from heat. He has his own. 

"What's the meaning of this?" the man asks, finally looking away from Kirishima to the knights by his side where one says, "We have reason to believe he's from an enemy kingdom, sire." 

Kirishima almost yells that he's not, but he doesn't know if that won't get him killed right on the spot. 

The man's eyebrow raises slowly. Everything about him seems so perfect and Kirishima can't take his eyes off him. "Is this true?" 

"No!" Kirishima says immediately, before yowling when his head's hit with the blunt edge of a sword. The man gets up from his chair, giving the knight a stern glance. 

"I asked him the question, no violence needed." The man's expression settles when he looks down at Kirishima. "Who are you, then?" 

"Only a traveller! I mean no harm, at all." 

"He wounded two of our knights, sire." 

The man looks at Kirishima pointedly, and Kirishima scrabbles for words. "They- I- it was self-defence, sir! They attacked me first and would not believe a word I said-" 

"We fear he's a sorcerer, sire. We saw his eyes glow when we came for him. We haven't had a sorcerer come to the village for many years without announcement." 

The man looks bored now. "I have no feud with mages, that doesn't matter." 

The knight seems at a loss for words now and Kirishima smiles at the ground, only to freeze when the man waves a hand and turns his back to them, saying, "Take him away, then, I'll question him later." 

"Of course, King Todoroki." 

Kirishima's head snaps up at the affirmation of this man's identity, and he desperately struggles against the men trying to take him away as he yells with all his might, "KING TODOROKI! I- I'M WITH KING BAKUGOU, SIR!" 

Immediately, the king pauses. And Kirishima almost gasps when he whirls around and runs at Kirishima, pausing right in front of him so close that Kirishima goes cross-eyed. Todoroki stares at him, and asks a firm, "What did you say?"

Kirishima lets out a relieved breath that someone is willing to listen to him. "I came here with King Bakugou. I have no idea where he went but he should still be in the lower town, I promise that he accompanied me-" 

"He's obviously lying, sire, Sir Bakugou is a lone warrior-"

Todoroki brings up a hand to silence the knight, eyes scanning Kirishima's face. "No. Katsuki does currently have a companion, he told me so himself. Damn it, he didn't tell me any features, though...didn't even say their gender..." 

"I'm male," Kirishima says quickly, and there's a momentary speck of amusement in Todoroki's eyes. 

"Yes," Todoroki murmurs, looking all sorts of curious when Kirishima smiles in return. Then he steps back. "Well, I'm afraid...we'll just have to wait for what Katsuki has to say. You two, take this man to the dungeons. Guards, go and see if Bakugou really is in town and ask him to come see me." 

That seems more than fair, and now Kirishima knows he'll be free soon. Relief rushes into his heart as he tries to thank the king, but he squeaks when Todoroki suddenly pulls his sword out of his scabbard and levels it at Kirishima's throat all in less than a second. 

"If I dare," the king seethes, eyes ablaze, and all of Kirishima's awe of him immediately fades into unbridled fear, "find out that you've been using Katsuki's name all for your own person gain, your punishment will be even worse than death." 

Kirishima feels so scared that he can't speak. Can't move, even when the knights try to pull him onto his feet. Todoroki doesn't stop glaring at him once while the knights drag him away until he's out of sight, and the future no longer seems as hopeful as it did just seconds ago. 

So much for looking forward to meeting this king.

Todoroki's ears prick from where he's sitting on his throne pondering (more like looking into space) when they catch a loud noise. Almost one of an explosion. 

Immediately, such immeasurable regret washes over his face. 

"Bring the latest prisoner here," Todoroki says, slowly getting up. The guards look at him in surprise, one of them attempting to argue but Todoroki throws out a hand. "Now. Don't be rough with him."

Two of the guards hurry off without so much as another word. But before they can even get to the doors, they're blown open with the force of a mighty army as a ball of crackling fire screaming bloody murder soars right at Todoroki. The man barely has time to flinch before he's pummelled to the ground. 

"GET AWAY FROM THE KING!" the guards yell, immediately hurrying forward to point their spears at the intruder, but Todoroki manages to dizzily raise his head and glare at them. 

"Don't you dare point your fucking weapons at him."

The guards hesitate, looking at each other before they slowly withdraw. Meanwhile Todoroki's glare melts into one of remorse as he opens his mouth to plead, "I'm so so sorry, Katsuki, I didn't-"

Todoroki winces when he's silenced with a blow to his face, but he raises his hand to the guards who are ready to rush in again. 

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!" Bakugou yells, grabbing Todoroki's tunic and pulling the guy up so their faces almost smash together. "WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU TAKE HIM?!" 

"Bakugou, I promise, I did not know he was yours-" 

"HE'S NOT MINE! UGH- he- you-" Bakugou cuts himself off with a groan, throwing Todoroki back against the ground before he clambers onto his feet. Then he stares down at Todoroki with teeth bared, chest heaving, eyes narrowed and alight with anger. But no matter how fierce he looks, Todoroki can see he's tired. Weary from worry. 

Then Bakugou takes his attention off Todoroki to whirl his stink-eye around the room. "Which one of you fuckers took him, huh? This how you repay me for all the shit I've taught you?" 

"Sir Bakugou, he seemed dangerous," a very unwise knight decides to say, and Bakugou's eye twitches. It doesn't take even five seconds for the knight to be sprawled on his back, knocked out. 

"How. How could you look at that guy and think he was anywhere near dangerous when unprovoked?" Bakugou scoffs, hopping up and wiping his hands on his trousers as he looks at the unconscious knight below him with contempt. "'Cause I assure you all, he's definitely a dangerous thing when he wants to be. But he barely ever wants to be, he's sunshine, he's everythin' good in this godforsaken world so I already know he did not make the first move."

Todoroki looks in horror at the knights who won't look back. "Is that true? You attacked a man simply because he 'seemed dangerous'?" 

"He was very proficient with a sword, sire, and he has supernatural qualities. He didn't look one bit like any man we had ever seen before-" 

"So that has to mean dangerous, huh!" Bakugou yells loud enough to echo around the whole room, effectively shutting the knight up. "You bloody bastards. You don't even know how excited he was to come here, do you?" 

Bakugou throws Todoroki a glower over his shoulder as he snarls, "How excited he was to meet you. And now that's all ruined 'cause your knights are fucking meatheads who didn't ever deserve being graced with his presence."

Todoroki's face crumples. "I'm sorry-"

The doors open once more, and Bakugou's head snaps forward. In a split-second, his anger gives away for wide-eyed relief and Todoroki's never seen something make Bakugou's emotions change so quickly before. But when he looks ahead to see the brightest smile on an even brighter man, red eyes lighting up as he calls Bakugou's name, Todoroki understands.  

"Fuck, you lil' troublemaker," Bakugou sighs as he catches Kirishima who throws himself at his king, both of them wrapping their arms around each other tight enough to cause some construction of breathing. But neither of them care, Kirishima definitely doesn't care as he scrabbles at Bakugou and thanks him a million times for letting him out. The dungeons gave him too many bad memories, and being in Bakugou's arms after that is the solace of heaven. 

"I didn't do anything, I swear, I-I didn't want any trouble, I promise," Kirishima babbles as quick as he can, imploring Bakugou to believe him but the king just shushes him. 

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" Bakugou asks firmly, and Kirishima slowly shakes his head after a moment of thought. 

"Not really." 

Bakugou turns rigid. "'Not really' isn't good enough-" 

Kirishima would tell him about how men dragged him everywhere really harshly, or shoved him onto the floor of the dungeons enough to cause bruising, but he's all healed now because he's a hybrid and he doesn't want to get anyone into trouble. He just wants Bakugou close, so he shushes Bakugou this time and pulls him in even more. Bakugou grumbles under his breath, but he doesn't fight it. His hands rest so warmly on Kirishima's waist and back as he buries his face into Kirishima's hair, and everything about him is all the safety Kirishima needs.

"I knew you'd come so I'm okay," Kirishima clarifies when Bakugou pulls back to knock his forehead against Kirishima's, the back of his hand tracing his cheek worriedly. Kirishima smiles at him. "Thank you for coming." 

"Don't even thank me. I'll come for you whenever you need me, whenever you want me." 

"Sometimes I want you and you're not there," Kirishima pouts, thinking back to hours he'd spend in the forest missing Bakugou, and the king snorts. 

"'Guess I gotta allot even more time for you than I already do." 

"'Guess you do!" 

Kirishima hopes Bakugou knows he's joking, but both of Bakugou's hands take hold of his face now, wary but warm eyes scanning over him to check he's okay. Kirishima rests his hands over Bakugou's and says a gentle but firm, "I'm okay."

But his words fall short in the next instant when his eyes cut just a little to the side to see King Todoroki walking towards them, and he turns stiff from fear. Bakugou blinks in alarm, hands slipping down to Kirishima's elbows when Kirishima starts backing up slowly. "Oi, hey, what's wrong-" 

Kirishima tries to speak but, no words come out. Todoroki doesn't look scary at all right now - instead his eyebrows are furrowed, his face full of apology, but Kirishima's still terrified. He flinches when Todoroki comes close enough to reach out a hand, probably to rest on Bakugou's shoulder, as he starts saying, "I'm so-" 

He falls silent when Bakugou raises a hand to swiftly knock his hand away. He looks at Kirishima's face one more time, anger marring his own again before he swivels around to face Todoroki while keeping Kirishima safe behind him. "Why is he scared of you, Half." 

Todoroki bites his lip, trying to step back but Bakugou just steps closer, teeth baring. "Explain yourself, what the fuck did you do to him?!" 

"I-I just needed to make sure he-" 

"Bakugou," Kirishima calls out when he can finally find his voice again, wrapping his arms around Bakugou's shoulders from behind. "It's okay! He just threatened me earlier because he was worried about you. You said he's fierce when it comes to you, so I understand."

That seems to do the opposite effect that Kirishima wanted though as Bakugou stands ram-rod straight, hands sparking. "You THREATENED HIM-" 

"Bakugou!" Kirishima holds scaled hands over Bakugou's. "I'm alright. Can we go home?" 

Bakugou deflates a little, opening his mouth but then Todoroki says a desperate, "No!" which is all it takes for Bakugou to knee him in the gut hard enough to make the other king to keel over. "THAT AIN'T YOUR CHOICE, ICY-HOT!" 

Bakugou huffs before he turns around, cape swishing through the air while he strides forward pulling Kirishima by the hand. Kirishima looks worriedly back at King Todoroki who's just staring despondently at the ground, an arm slung over his stomach, but his attention's back on Bakugou when the king sighs, "I'm sorry. 'M so sorry you got your hopes up for this."

"It wasn't all that bad! I'm really charmed by the town, and the castle is really nice. The dungeons aren't but I don't think they're meant to be so that's okay." 

"You got put in the fuckin' dungeons?" Bakugou groans, smacking a palm against his forehead. "Bloody hell...'m sorry as shit, I saw some nice things up ahead and got too excited, let you outta my sight. Then I didn't even hear any commotion, my ears are so bad. I shoulda known this would happen. Most of the knights mean well but they're hella wary, war here only ended a few years ago, and seeing an unfamiliar armed muscular man like you must've ignited their fight or flight." 

"So I'm special even when people don't know I'm a dragon?" Kirishima giggles and Bakugou snorts, shoving Kirishima's head. "That's ironic. I guess trying to blend in isn't really the way to go."

"That ain't a bad thing. There's no-one on this earth like me 'n I'm still alive, aren't I?" 

"And mass-hated," Kirishima points out, which gets his head shoved harder.  

"Did hear you wounded two of the knights, though," Bakugou says, and Kirishima begins to get worried; which is unwarranted because Bakugou beams at Kirishima like he raised the sun. "I keep thinkin' I can't get prouder of you then you'll do some shit like that. I gotta reward you or somethin', damn, just tell me what you want 'n I'll get it all-" 

"Don't reward me for bloodshed, king," Kirishima says with a raised eyebrow and Bakugou immediately nods, schooling his expression. 

"Why of course, you're very right, how dare I even suggest such a thing."  

Slowly they look back at each other, and Bakugou snickers when Kirishima can't control the sneaky smile on his face. "Can I have chocolate?" 

"Done and done. And...I need to go talk to the knights, too," Bakugou sighs with a roll of his eyes. "Gotta knock some sense into their heads. But heck, I don't wanna leave you alone..."

Kirishima wants to tell Bakugou he'll be fine, but he really doesn't want to be left alone either. Especially not in a castle where eyes are everywhere. Where King Todoroki's just down the hall. Where the dungeons that had brought up painful memories all over again are just under his feet. 

"Hey," Bakugou says softly, stepping close to Kirishima. "It's okay. I won't go." 

Kirishima smiles weakly, shaking his head. "Go, go. I'll go back to King Todoroki. He's scary, but he's also really really pretty! I'll distract myself by staring at him." 

Bakugou cocks an eyebrow. "Sure. But what did he do? I really thought you guys would get along, you're both kind birdbrains with a sense of honour." 

"Well, ah...I guess he just made me feel worthless again," Kirishima laughs, brokenly, and Bakugou's eyes widen. "It's been so long but he made the feeling come rushing right back. The way he looked at me made me feel like...less than a criminal. The same way masters would look at me when they found out I did something bad, like try to escape. And I've been in bliss for months thinking no-one will ever treat me like that again but-" 

Kirishima grabs Bakugou's arm to stop him when he tries to storm past him right back to the throne hall. "Bakugou. There was no way he knew I'd feel that way." 

Bakugou grimaces, face flushed an angry red as his hands clench into fists. He seems too mad to even be able to speak, and Kirishima can't believe the king's feeling all this just for his sake. He moves in close, resting a hand on Bakugou's chest. "Go talk to your knights." 

Bakugou looks at him miserably, but lifts the hand to kiss it. "Promise me you'll stay safe." 

Kirishima nods, sure he can at least keep that promise now. Bakugou's gaze on him lingers, unsure, but he eventually turns on his heel to walk on. Kirishima watches after him with a soft smile. It fades when he realises he needs to go back to King Todoroki. 

But the instant he turns around, doors from across the hallway open, and Todoroki stands behind them like a deer caught amidst hunters when he sees Kirishima. Kirishima swallows so his mouth doesn't go too dry, and waves. Which is probably the dumbest thing he could do. But it makes King Todoroki perk up, his face looking more hopeful. 

"Hello," Todoroki calls along the long hallway. The one word echoes awkwardly. "My name's Todoroki Shoto." 

"Mine's Kirishima, sire." It's very liberating telling another person his name.

"Hello Kirishima. Would you like some tea?" 

Kirishima cants his head to the side. "I've never had tea." 

"You must try it then." 

"Okay!"

Todoroki's taken him to the middle of a garden as big as a labyrinth, where an intricate white gazebo houses perfectly carved table and chairs. Kirishima had been more than thankful when the king had waved away the guards, so they would be alone. Which is also scary but Kirishima likes it better. 

They haven't spoken yet. Kirishima is all too busy distracting himself by marvelling at everything, at the hedges shaped like animals, the magnificent ice sculptures scattered in the most random of places, the framework of the gazebo, the beautifully decorated teapot that Todoroki uses to pour tea into the sweetest little cups. He has absolutely no clue how he should be drinking from them, so he peeks at Todoroki. He jolts when he sees the king already looking at him over the rim of his cup which he's holding by the little handle at the side. 

"Sorry," Todoroki says quickly, the calculating notion in his eyes fading as he puts down his cup. "I didn't mean to scare you. Not now, or earlier." 

"You did mean to scare me then, sir," Kirishima says quietly, even though he knows he should really stay quiet if he doesn't want his head chopped off or something. He's surprised when he gets a groan in return. 

"I promise, if I'd truly known who you were I would've gone about things so differently, I- ah, when it comes to friends, I really do lose reason," Todoroki sighs miserably, but looks up in surprise when Kirishima rests a hand on his arm and smiles understandingly. 

"I really admire that. I don't hold anything against you, I'm not angry." 

Now Todoroki looks even more miserable. "Perhaps you really are as lovely as Katsuki says. I should've known no-one with ill intentions can smile the way you do." 

Kirishima touches his lips self-consciously, and Todoroki shakes his head as he sips more tea. "And now I'm just amazed. I was aware you existed but seeing in person the way Bakugou feels about you - I have never in my life seen him so infatuated. Or infatuated might not be the right word, but besotted, enchanted-"

"I haven't enchanted him. I'm not a sorcerer," Kirishima promises, worried about where the king's going with this. Todoroki's eyes flash at him, in the extraordinary-human way Bakugou's do, before he leans over the table. 

"I was worried about that, since the first time he told me he had someone. I wanted to hope that what you both had was real because Katsuki deserves it more than anything but it was...very out of the blue. Katsuki is a man who likes to believe he is alone even when he's really not, so why did he change his mind for you?" 

Kirishima blinks, trying to make sense of all of that. He knows Bakugou sought him out because he felt lonely. He wants a companion, someone by his side on his travels, that much is clear. But what does Todoroki mean by he's not actually alone? 

"I see you're confused," Todoroki says amusedly. "I bet you only really know that Katsuki is hated all over, and I'm sure that's what he has you believe. But he makes friends everywhere he goes, you know. The few people he can manage not to scare away on his travels, they all get to see him for who he really is. His ex-subjects speak so highly of him that people know that has to hold some truth. Warriors fall for his spirit, mages jump to his aid, kings respect him, and it's not always because of fear. He's a hated man, but not indefinitely. Not by people who have tried to know him."

"They're all swimming in rumours," Kirishima says with an understanding sadness. Todoroki looks like he feels the same as he nods. 

"He won't dare admit to any of this, by the way. Won't dare admit that he has any friends, yet there are many people across this land that Bakugou is fond of. But you..." 

Todoroki peers at him so curiously. "He wants you by his side. He wants you with him, he wants to stop being a one-man show to conquer the world with you. That's amazing." 

"He's just bored," Kirishima says with a smile, even as the words light a fire in his heart. Todoroki is telling him that out of all the many people Bakugou must have ever met, Kirishima is special. But that might just be because of the timing of their meeting. It might just be because Kirishima's a hybrid. He's sure Bakugou hasn't met another one of those before. 

He's brought out of his thoughts when Todoroki finally smiles in return. "Maybe. But either way, you make him happy in a way I've never seen him be and that makes me really happy. So I know you don't have any ulterior motives." 

Then Todoroki sips from his cup again, more purposefully this time. "But my men really are hellbent on the fact that you're a sorcerer. You're saying you're not?" 

"I'm not, truly! I- they're right about my eyes flashing but that...that's - I'm a creature of magic, but not-"

"A creature of magic?" Todoroki asks in amazement, and Kirishima mentally kicks himself. But he does feel like he can trust this king. He feels like he could trust anyone who is a friend of Bakugou's, so he looks left and right, then shuffles his chair around so he can be right next to Todoroki who raises amused eyebrows at him. "Was that for privacy in this massive empty garden?"

"Yes!" 

"Mm." 

Even after all that, Kirishima beckons Todoroki to come closer too, and Todoroki does. Then Kirishima finally whispers in his ear, "I'm a dragon." 

Todoroki doesn't react right away. He just stares ahead, and Kirishima shakes his arm gently. "King Todoroki. King Todoroki! Are you okay?" 

"A dragon?" Todoroki asks quietly, and Kirishima nods. 

"A hybrid. My eyes glow whenever I transform any part of me, or if I use or am about to use any hybrid powers. That's what your knights saw." 

"I see...what kind of dragon?" 

"A red dragon." 

Todoroki finally turns his head to look at him, and Kirishima frowns when he notices the way the king looks like he's seen a ghost. Kirishima grows concerned, opening his mouth to ask what's wrong, but only a gasp leaves it when Todoroki suddenly throws his arms around Kirishima and hugs him tight. 

Woah. It had been months until he'd been able to work up to Bakugou allowing hugs, but maybe other humans are different? Either way, Kirishima really does love hugs, and he gladly embraces Todoroki back. The hug's a little strong but Kirishima's been dealing with Bakugou all this time so it doesn't matter so much. 

"I wasn't expecting that, thank you!" Kirishima says brightly when Todoroki eventually pulls back, looking at Kirishima with a distressed frown and his brow furrowed so hard it might as well cave in soon for some reason. Kirishima presses the pad of his thumb against the king's forehead, rubbing the frown lines away. "Bakugou tells me if I frown that hard then I'll get wrinkles! Which is ironic because he scowls constantly."

"He does," Todoroki agrees, his eyes still scanning over Kirishima, kind of like he can't believe he exists. And that's alright - Kirishima knows red dragons must be at least a bit rare. He's never seen another, or heard anyone talking about them. It's sad because all the books he used to read about magical creatures said that red dragons were one of the most abundant. Things must've changed. "You...I..." 

"Hm?" 

"I just can't believe you're alive, I think." 

"Me neither. It's been hard," Kirishima admits, drooping. Todoroki pats his head which is nice of him. "But I'm happy now."  

Kirishima beams at Todoroki. "I've got you to thank for that!" 

Todoroki tilts his head in question, and Kirishima squeezes his shoulders. "Bakugou told me you're the reason he even came back to me after that one time he left. Seriously, thank you so much. I'm indebted, sir."

Todoroki's eyes soften as he smiles, then pulls away from the embrace so he can push a cup into Kirishima's hands. "And you can pay that debt by at least drinking a sip of my tea."

"Oh- sorry! I'd forgotten about it." 

"No worries. But I assure you, my chief tea connoisseur also known as one of my best knights recommended it to me herself, and she never fails to please." 

"Why thank you, King Todoroki!" a clear voice full of life and nobility calls, and Kirishima looks up to see a tall woman walking over with a man with a very straight spine following, both of them clad in armour. The woman is beautiful, eyes clever and bright and hair tied back into a spiky ponytail, yet the man still has his helmet on. Kirishima doesn't miss the way Todoroki looks at the two of them so very fondly. 

"Sire, we were looking for you everywhere!" the man barks, bringing down an arm at an alarmingly accurate right angle. "Sir Bakugou is asking for his companion! And it's not good for you to ever be this alone! Though I now see you're not alone! Apologies, but you should also always have guards with you!"

"Aren't you my personal guard, Tenya?" Todoroki asks, a smirk flicking up his lips as he gets up and steps over to the man who impossibly stands even straighter. "Yet you're not always around, are you?" 

"I-I'm also the commander of the knights, sire, it's difficult to be by your side during the day..." this Tenya knight says, sounding truly sorry. "I keep saying I believe you should find someone else, sire-" 

"He's joking, Tenya," the woman says with a laugh, patting the knight's clothed arm. Todoroki smiles the biggest he has all day as he nods and flicks at Tenya's helmet. 

"You sound like a tin-man, Tenya, take that off."

"Yes, sire!" Tenya agrees immediately before pausing. "I know not what a tin-man is."

"Kirishima, meet my general Iida Tenya and lieutenant general Yaoyorozu Momo," Todoroki says to Kirishima who immediately stands up at the attention, unsure if he should bow but the general seems to beat him right to it, throwing himself into a kneel. 

"SIR, I AM DEEPLY SORRY FOR MY KNIGHTS' BEHAVIOUR! If I was there this would have NEVER HAPPENED! Our men are extremely cautious, sir, we have only just got out of war and therefore-" 

"It's okay, it's okay! I promise I won't harbour a grudge or anything," Kirishima clarifies, kneeling in front of Iida who looks at him in disbelief. 

"But from our reports, it sounded like what they did to you was awful!" 

"I injured some of your knights too, Sir. Let's just say that everyone is sorry." 

"Do not apologise for self-defence," Iida sighs, but pats Kirishima's shoulder heartily. He's handsome too, spectacles atop kind eyes and it's nice that he feels the need to help Kirishima up.  

"If you've returned, I guess I should ask if you have any word from Midoriya?" Todoroki asks, and Kirishima watches with very little understanding as the three converse. But he has heard the name Midoriya before. He feels himself getting excited within seconds. 

"He's residing in Cotan as of now, sire. He says he cannot yet leave due to a pilgrimage he'll be undertaking soon." 

"That's alright. Tell him he can come whenever it is possible for him." 

Yaoyorozu and Iida both nod, and Todoroki catches Kirishima's anticipating look and smiles. "Midoriya is a fine swordsman and hero, as you seem to know. He is also my best friend, and Katsuki's sworn brother." 

"Sworn brother?" 

"When two men vow loyalty and trust to each other by mixing their blood. They had their differences when they were young but they solved them, and we all came together to fight in the recent war alongside others. They performed the sworn ceremony after the war was over before they parted ways, and now they're both travellers who will always find each other when they need to."

Kirishima is so amazed that he can only stand there, wide-eyed. Bakugou really isn't as alone as Kirishima thought. He has a strong king here who cares for him deeply, a whole battalion of knights who listen to everything he says, people scattered across the land who would still bow to him, and a man somewhere out there sworn to his blood. It's wonderful, and now all Kirishima can wonder is why Bakugou wants him too. He doesn't seem to need him, does he? 

"I'm asking him to come here so he can be my best man alongside Katsuki at my wedding," Todoroki confirms, except it doesn't confirm much for Kirishima who doesn't know what a best man or wedding is but he doesn't want to feel too clueless by asking more questions. He just nods. "You're free to come too, of course." 

"To the...wedding?" 

"Yes. Tenya, you're okay with that?" 

"Whatever sire wants!" Iida calls, though he looks considerably more red than before. Yaoyorozu giggles while Todoroki rolls his eyes fondly. 

"I could marry him as many times as possible and he still wouldn't stop calling me sire," Todoroki stage-whispers to Kirishima before he goes over to Iida to press a kiss to the knight's lips. Kirishima watches them in shy wonder. It's just like the two people he saw in the town. It looks intimate, full of love, as Todoroki's hands rest on Iida's chest and arm while he smiles amusedly up at the flustered knight.

Yaoyorozu takes Kirishima's arm then, smiling brightly at him as she leads him away and the other two follow after. Kirishima still wants to ask about those special kisses but he's wondering if it isn't something he should pry into. It looks private even in public. Something that is only for the people involved.

Kirishima wants to be a person involved, with someone.

Right on cue, they come across the barbarian king standing at the entrance of the garden, casually leaning on a hedge with arms crossed as he scowls into the distance. But he looks up when Todoroki calls out to him and he no longer looks anywhere near mad.

He nods at Iida and Yaoyorozu who greet him with salutes, before walking right up to Kirishima who looks at him in anticipation. Bakugou slips an arm around Kirishima's waist, leans in close, looks left and right, then loudly whispers, "He didn't try to woo you, did he?"

Kirishima has no clue what the word 'woo' means, but he doesn't want to find out when Todoroki soars at Bakugou with a flying kick yelling, "I HAVE A FIANCÉ!"

"Ya never fuckin' know how many boy-toys a king wants!" Bakugou yells back, thwacking Todoroki around the head as payback. "'N I wouldn't blame you, look at him. Would've had to kill you, though, so good choice."

"I revoke your best man card. I no longer want you."

"Half, that's the biggest lie you've ever said 'n you damn well know it."

Todoroki frowns, looking incredibly put-out that he can't deny that which makes Bakugou cackle while he walks back into the castle like he owns the place. To be fair, he walks everywhere like that. Kirishima has long concluded that the world is just a small speck in Bakugou's eyes.

"It was lovely to meet you, Kirishima," Todoroki says out of nowhere when they're at the entrance to the castle, taking Kirishima's hand and bowing. Kirishima jumps, quickly bowing too only to have his head smack against Todoroki's in a horrible bout of bad luck. He quickly tries to apologise to the king who just laughs, rubbing his head. "No worries."  

His face suddenly turns serious then, as he looks past Kirishima at Bakugou. "Katsuki, I need to talk to you. It will only take a moment."

"Aight, quickly," Bakugou agrees, briefly resting a hand on Kirishima's arm before him and Todoroki walk away to disappear into a nearby room. Kirishima hopes they're alright, but he can't wonder much since Iida asks him, "So, where do you hail from, Kirishima?" 

Kirishima blinks, opening his mouth dumbly because he has no clue what to say. "Ah...nowhere, really." 

"A traveller like Sir Bakugou, I see!" 

Traveller sounds like a nice cover story, it makes Kirishima smile. "Yes! My, uh...parents were travellers too! So I don't have a hometown as far as I know." 

"A shame. It's always nice to be able to belong somewhere," Yaoyorozu says ruefully. "To have a home." 

"I don't want to belong anywhere," Kirishima says before he even realises he is saying anything. "But I think I have a home. Bakugou feels like home." 

Iida and Yaoyorozu look at each other like they've been told the world is about to cave in, and Kirishima looks between them. "Is everything okay?" 

"Ah - of course!" Iida clarifies. "It is simply...very nice, to hear someone feel that way about Sir Bakugou." 

Kirishima beams in reply, and then Bakugou and Todoroki return. Yet they both look less than happy and Kirishima feels concerned when Bakugou immediately takes his hand and tugs him away, calling a rushed goodbye to the others. "See you, Half, Roadrunner, Ponytail." 

"What's a road?" Iida can be heard asking as they leave, and Kirishima waves at them all. He needs to hurry, though, because Bakugou's pace is quick, his eyes sharp and calculating as he looks around while weaving them through the market crowd. Kirishima wants to offer to carry his sack but he notices the king holding it in a vice-like grip. But when the path clears up, he slowly seems to relax. His grip on Kirishima's hand loosens at least. 

"Why does that bastard get to know your name already when it took me forever?" Bakugou suddenly grumbles almost under his breath, and Kirishima looks at him in surprise. He almost, almost laughs. 

"You were the first person I ever got to tell it to, that's why. And now I've been able to do that, I don't mind telling anyone else." 

"Lame," Bakugou mutters, kicking at the ground but he doesn't really sound mad. "So. You okay with him now?" 

"Oh, definitely. He's very lovely, he's nice and funny. He looks really nice when he smiles. And I really like how much he likes you," Kirishima says with a smile, wrapping his hands around Bakugou's arm affectionately and the king looks surprised by that for a moment before he shakes his head, ears pink. 

"'Course you do." 

Kirishima goes on about his and Todoroki's conversation the rest of the way back and then some, chattering excitedly about how cool and refined Iida and Yaoyorozu seem (which Bakugou looks proud to hear). He doesn't stop talking even when they're back at the cave, when Bakugou gets a fire going, bundles Kirishima into a blanket, and takes them to the lake so they can watch the sunset from there. 

"And he mentioned a guy called Midoriya, too," Kirishima murmurs as he tucks into Bakugou's side under the blanket. Bakugou's arm raises to rest around his shoulders. "I know about Midoriya Izuku. But Midoriya, Bakugou Katsuki's sworn brother? He sounds great." 

Bakugou hums, and leans forward to draw his sword lightly through the surface of the lake so its reflection of the sunset ripples beautifully. "He is. He's a nerd, but he is." 

When he smiles softly, nostalgically, the light washing him in hues of pink and gold make it so Kirishima can't take his eyes off him even if he were to try. "You know, all his messages to me lately is that he wants to meet you. Probably 'cause I can't shut up about you. 'N he'll show up at some point, he always does, so you'll see him then, most definitely at Half's wedding anyway which'll be sometime-" 

The forest is too silent for comfort when Bakugou and Kirishima sit there, noses brushing, and Bakugou's hand over Kirishima's mouth as he stares at him with an unreadable look. "Kirishima. What are you doing." 

Kirishima can't answer. Bakugou had just looked so calm and beautiful while he was speaking. Kirishima had wanted to try to kiss him so he'd leant in and, maybe that had been a mistake. 

"I need to ask you a question," Kirishima says when Bakugou moves his hand away. Bakugou looks all kinds of wary when he nods. 

"Okay..." 

"I saw King Todoroki and Iida kiss each other, on the lips. What does that mean?" 

Bakugou looks less worried then. "Gross, they did that in front of you?" 

Ah. Maybe Kirishima was correct about the fact that it might be a private sort of thing. But he opens his mouth to ask why it's 'gross', until Bakugou says, "It feels nice, apparently. Some people do it just because it feels nice. Others, people like that king and knight, do it to share their love for each other with each other. There are some relationships between people that go beyond words, beyond most touches. People say you should kiss someone when you want to tell them somethin' you could never quite put into words. Something like 'I love you', 'I want you', 'I cherish you' but more. Some people are just drawn to each other, they have some sorta undeniable chemistry and tension that only gets justice when they kiss. Kissing should feel like comfort, love, passion, sweetness, everything good wrapped up into one thing 'cause those are all the things you feel for that person, or people." 

Then Bakugou freezes and tries to casually cover his suddenly burning face with a hand. "That- that's just what I've heard. I don't know." 

"It sounds wonderful," Kirishima murmurs in pure awe as he tries and fails to envision a feeling so beautiful. Bakugou says a croaky-sounding, "Not really," but Kirishima can't be fazed. He looks back up at the sky, seeing the sun melt into the horizon and spill across darkening blue and he thinks kissing might feel something like that. Like melting into another person and sharing a part of yourself with them.

Nothing in the world could have stopped him from trying again. No thoughts go through his head, just the image of waning sunset and the way it makes Bakugou look. But the king moves away, denying Kirishima once more, and says a soft, "You don't wanna kiss me. It's okay." 

"Why?" 

Bakugou takes hold of Kirishima's hands and squeezes them. "You'll get someone one day, I know that for sure."  

Kirishima really wants to ask 'why not you?' but Bakugou seems to be the one deciding the conversation is ending as he lets go of Kirishima and shifts away. 

"I'm gonna go get dinner," Bakugou says casually enough as he gets up, tucking the blanket more securely around Kirishima. But Kirishima doesn't care about the blanket, he just wants to know why Bakugou won't kiss him like this. But he can't bring himself to ask in case the answer might hurt him. 

Maybe he just doesn't like kisses, Kirishima thinks as he curls up against the tree behind him and takes the rose from behind his ear, twirling it around in his fingers. But he doesn't believe that at all. Not after the way Bakugou had just been speaking, as if he already has someone he would like to kiss. 

Maybe he does. Kirishima doesn't really seem to know much about the king and all his companions, after all.

Chapter Text

Bakugou has ink on his skin that never washes off.

Kirishima knows that because he sees it, and it always looks the same, and he tries to wash it off once out of curiosity when they're having leisure time in the lake. It's not that he wants to wash it off - because it looks really pretty, curling up and around Bakugou's arms and chest like beautiful dark flames creating pictures that probably mean something - but he just wants to know if it's possible.

It is pretty humiliating having Bakugou look at him with raised eyebrows as Kirishima rubs at his chest, getting more and more frantic by the second.

"Lizard."

Kirishima freezes, suddenly realising this probably looks very suspicious. So he curls his hands into fists and knocks them against Bakugou's chest, smiling big. "Wow, now you're all clean!"

Bakugou's expression doesn't change. "Was I not clean before?"

Kirishima blinks innocently. "Why else are we in the lake?"

"Y'know, I liked you a whole lot more when you didn't know how to lie," Bakugou growls at him and before Kirishima can even react, arms are lacing around him and tipping him right back into the water. He yells out Bakugou's name in surprise and tries to grab at him, and the last thing he hears is Bakugou's laughter before his head's almost fully submerged. But thank God Bakugou doesn't let go of him, because Kirishima knows for a fact that he sinks like a rock in water.

"THAT WAS SO MEAN," Kirishima splutters when Bakugou pulls him back up, still laughing as he leans over Kirishima so the tips of their noses touch. Kirishima pouts at him, lifting up a wing to smack Bakugou in the face with and it is horrible that that only makes Bakugou laugh harder as he splashes water in Kirishima's face to make him hiss. It's very satisfying when Bakugou starts running (read: waddling through the water as quickly as he can) from Kirishima once his eyes set alight.

Ten minutes later sees them red-faced and drenched, Kirishima catching his breath while Bakugou floats on his back with eyes closed. Kirishima looks over at him drifting away and wades over, resting his hands on Bakugou's arm which gets him a grunt.

"You weren't actually dirty," Kirishima says sheepishly, and Bakugou opens one eye to give him a deadpan look. "I just get curious sometimes. About the ink on your skin. How is it permanent? Magic?"

Bakugou shakes his head. "Nah. It's kinda painful to get in the first place, actually - but it was on my own accord. Doesn't hurt anymore."

"Ooh." Kirishima has traced his fingers over these inks a few times before, only when Bakugou's asleep beside him. It must be obvious that he's itching to do it now because Bakugou's lips quirk into a smirk as he says, "Go ahead."

Kirishima inches closer and withdraws his talons so he can draw a finger across the one above Bakugou's bicep near his shoulder. Kirishima loves how this one looks when Bakugou's arm flexes when he's moving - he loves Bakugou's muscles full-stop and the ink on it makes it even better. Sometimes he thinks how cool Bakugou would look with even more of it.

"K?"

"Stands for Kirishima," Bakugou teases, and snickers when Kirishima frowns at him. He knows Bakugou had that one before they met. "Nah, I wish. Stands for 'king'. I got it the first night we left home, and I got drunk on mead in a tavern somewhere and fuckin' cried over never being able to be a king again. One of my subjects inked this on me, with permission. Told me to look at it and never forget that I'd always be a king."

"They really loved you," Kirishima says happily, swirling his finger across the tattoo. Bakugou hums.

"I hope so."

Kirishima feels free to ask about the other ones now too. Bakugou tells him that not all of them have full meanings, some are simply tribal tattoos like the marks on his neck and under his eyes. He tells Kirishima that he tries to get at least one new tattoo each year. The curling black flames leaping up his side and branching over his pec is the one he got last year, because fire is something he feels like he relates too. Kirishima can see it, because fire is loud, ambitious, and bright, and the king is all those things and more.

"Maybe I'll get something like a dragon next to it. That'll match," Bakugou says offhand, before yelling when Kirishima jumps on him and almost gets them both drowned. "Fuckin' hell, you're really a fan of that idea, huh?"

Kirishima is, but he's shy to admit it. He doesn't know if it makes him sound possessive, or like he wants the king to have something that will constantly remind him of Kirishima. Like a mark. But it's different if Bakugou wants it. It's so different if Bakugou wants something permanent on his skin that will make him think of Kirishima always.

Unless Bakugou's not even referring to Kirishima when it comes to a dragon tattoo. It's not like Kirishima's the only dragon ever.

"You're gonna give me grey hair with the way your emotions change so quickly," Bakugou sighs exasperatedly when he sees the way Kirishima's drooping. He secures his arms around Kirishima so he can pull him closer, and taps his nose so Kirishima will look at him. "Oi. You need to stop overthinking everything. Yes, I wanna get a dragon tattoo because of you, alright?"

Kirishima feels himself lighting up in an instant and Bakugou smiles fondly, but yells when Kirishima's wagging tail flings water everywhere and then somehow they're wrestling again - but it's the most fun in the world and even Kirishima can easily get a leg up on someone like Bakugou in a medium like water. Bakugou's never looked more beautiful than now, when he's laughing and heartedly locking Kirishima in with inked strong arms and doing that thing where he makes it so clear that Kirishima is what's making him this happy. After years of not even being able to make himself happy, it's incredible, thinking he can give even an ounce of that feeling to someone else.

Kirishima loves him.

The way the fairytales he smuggled when he was a child talk about, the way the druid tigers would tell him tales about. The way he's always wished he could love someone, even though through all his years in captivity he'd always been scared that he wouldn't even know how to love.

But Kirishima does love this barbarian king with a foul mouth who laughs like a lion roars. He doesn't tell him in words, but he nuzzles up to him when they're drying off under the sun on the riverbank, nestling into his side. He rests his head on the king's chest and listens to his calm unwavering heartbeat, unconsciously mimicking it with soft low clicks and purrs. Bakugou kisses the top of his head, which makes it feel like he understands. 

They lie there in intangible peace until the sun sets.

"You should really get a door for this place," Bakugou grumbles as he walks into the cave one evening, looking around with hands on his hips. Kirishima peers up at him groggily. "I can't make dramatic entrances in this kinda environment."

"You're great whatever way you enter," Kirishima insists, and smiles sleepily when Bakugou crouches down in front of him and ruffles his hair.

"What are you doin' sleeping already? We haven't even had dinner yet 'n I wanna take you out."

"'Take me'...it fight time already?"

Bakugou laughs, settling down behind Kirishima and winding an arm around his torso. "No, you dunce. I wanna take you out to somewhere. To a tavern, yeah?"

Ooh. Kirishima knows what a tavern is. He's not ever been in one but his ex-masters talked about them all the time, for all Kirishima knew taverns were like their second home.

"Why today?" Kirishima asks, before he's struggling to hold back embarrassing noises when Bakugou pulls him back into his strong chest and noses along his shoulder blade. "King?"

"Fuck you, you're so warm," Bakugou mumbles almost dizzily, pressing cold lips against Kirishima's neck. It makes Kirishima's sleep-slow heart pick up speed and he shivers a little too but he doesn't mind one bit, smiling fondly as he looks back over his shoulder.

"You want to stay? Go to the tavern tomorrow?"

Bakugou narrows his eyes at him, red irises flashing. "Don't bewitch me."

"Why does everyone think I know how to use enchantments?" Kirishima questions with a frown, and Bakugou chuckles, "So two people means 'everyone' now?"

"The knights too! And I only know like three people so the ratio is big."

"You're a creature of magic, Kirishima, you should probably get used to it."

"I'm also part-human..."

"And sorcerers are entirely human. Yet they're still subject to all kinds of hate."

Kirishima frowns even harder. "Why?"

Bakugou smiles, bizarrely. "'Cause they're badass. 'Cause people are scared of them because they can do things that no normal mortal can even learn to do, 'n so the true extent of their powers are unknown to most."

"Everyone fears the unknown," Kirishima realises, and Bakugou nods against his shoulder. "I understand that...but I thought they would be appreciated for their powers?"

"They used to be," Bakugou shrugs. "That's why people of royal bloodlines have our Quirks and Glamours, we're all descendants from ancient mages who the people worshipped and made rulers. But then there was an uprising because people were getting scared of how powerful the mages were so they tried to overthrow them...the rulers held their ground of course but sorcerers not of noble birth? A lot of them were driven out of society. All creatures of magic were for a while. That's why your druid tigers only reside in forests even now, I think. It's much harder to ask for forgiveness from animals than humans because humans still don't know how to treat animals in general."

"Are...are the human sorcerers back in society now?" Kirishima asks quietly, drooping at the thought of the divide between beings all made of the same flesh and blood. Bakugou holds him closer, murmuring in his ear, "Yeah, we're good now 'n hey, I didn't mean to make you sad. Most of them became travellers but they're slowly comin' back to towns 'n I'm pretty sure some kingdoms have a court sorcerer these days."

"But Todoroki's knights-"

"People are still wary 'n shit but all kingdoms have a duty to protect mages from anyone who poses them harm. No-one's allowed to just randomly attack them, even Half's knights wouldn't. Maybe. They're idiots but-"

"Is magic bad?"

Bakugou doesn't reply. But Kirishima can feel his entire aura change, making a chill go through him as Bakugou leans away and lets go of him. Kirishima would take back the question, especially if it made Bakugou mad, but now he's too in his head. He thought people persecute those who possess magic because they're precious, and the people are the bad ones. But is magic really something dangerous? The thought of instilling fear into someone just by existing makes Kirishima sadder than he's been for a long time.

But then Bakugou moves to be in front of him, taking hold of Kirishima's hand and tipping his chin up so they lock eyes. Bakugou's ones are warm and stubborn all at once, demanding Kirishima's attention and it works compellingly.

"You," Bakugou says, brushing his thumb over Kirishima's cheek, "don't have a single fuckin' ounce of bad in your perfect hybrid body. So does that answer your very dumb question?"

Kirishima's skin heats up under Bakugou's touch, his hand gripping the king's tighter in surprise and Bakugou lets him. He has his eyebrow raised, clearly prompting Kirishima to reply so they can drop this topic but Kirishima doesn't think Bakugou quite knows how much those words mean to him.

He knows Bakugou's not much of a talker. Ever since that time Kirishima got too emotional out of nowhere and Bakugou came to the (untrue) conclusion that Kirishima needed words to fill his brain so he doesn't think about the past, the king's been trying so hard. When silences settle between them, Kirishima sees Bakugou scratch his head and fluster about trying to figure out what to talk about. But Kirishima knows he's not much of a talker, so he doesn't mind. If a comfortable silence comes, he'll take hold of Bakugou's hand to let him know that he's okay with the quiet.

But even though Bakugou's not much of a talker, Kirishima still needs his words. He needs the few lovely things the king says, to combat the torrent of horrible things he's been told all his life. He loves it when Bakugou talks to him in any way, even if it's just idle chit-chat, because there's no disdain or contempt in his voice. 

So his heart sets on fire when Bakugou says things like this.

"You're perfect too," Kirishima says weakly, a pathetic attempt to make Bakugou feel even half the things he always makes Kirishima feel. "Your hands. Your magic. Perfect."

Bakugou's molten eyes lighten in surprise, then soften in endearment, his red face turning to the side a little like he's trying not to be shy. Kirishima thinks that maybe the king's also never been told something like that before. It makes him feel more confident, and he leans forward to kiss Bakugou's cheek. "So, tavern!"

Bakugou looks at him with narrowed eyes again but nods, pressing the backs of his hands against his own cheeks for some reason. "Tavern."

The town looks different in the night time. Not very many lights are out so it's hard to see, but Bakugou keeps one hand sparking and makes sure to keep hold of Kirishima with the other. Kirishima tells him he'll be fine because dragons have night-vision, but Bakugou tells him to shut up. Then soon they stop in front of a building, clearly buzzing and busy on the inside, with a hanging sign at the top saying 'Tiger's Eye'.

"Tiger!" Kirishima tells Bakugou excitedly, pointing at the sign and Bakugou rolls his eyes and pulls Kirishima inside the place. Immediately, Kirishima's pupils dilate at the change of light. This place is lit to the brim, candles and lanterns hanging, and the people. There are just so many. Raucous and loud as they laugh drunkenly and clink mugs before chugging them to all hell. There's duality too, where arm-wrestles are going on bound to break some bones while some men are just leisurely chatting at tables. Kirishima also catches two men shamelessly making out in the corner of the bar like they're trying to eat each other. His face flares when one man slams the other against the bar and they both laugh thunderously, hands all over each other. That's a definitely different feeling to all the other kisses Kirishima's seen...but it's still nice.

"SIR BAKUGOU!" one of the biggest men Kirishima has ever seen calls brightly, waving his mug in the air and Bakugou grins at the man, knocking friendly elbows with another as the tavern somehow lights up even more at the announcement of Bakugou's presence. Kirishima can relate to that. "Someone get this man and his gentleman-friend a drink!"

"God's teeth," Bakugou groans for some reason, while Kirishima thinks 'gentleman friend' sounds funny. "He's not-"

"We saw how you had your hands all over 'im last time, sire," a hearty voice chuckles, and Kirishima nearly jumps out of his skin when one of Todoroki's knights comes out of nowhere to thwack Bakugou on the back. Kirishima is sincerely ready to fight in case this is an attack, but Bakugou just scoffs and pulls the knight down into a headlock which has the man howling in laughter. So Kirishima pauses.

It's true that this knight looks nowhere near as scary as last time. Last time he was clad in armour, a helmet, and, well, he was trying to kill Kirishima. This time he's flushed a tipsy red and his smile is well-meaning and charming.

He still flinches when the knight resurfaces and looks at Kirishima with wide eyes. But the knight only bows to him, and hands him a mug that the barkeep gives him. Kirishima feels his lips twitching up as he accepts the mug, effectively accepting the apology too.

"He seems nice," Kirishima says to Bakugou as the knight slinks off not before sending Bakugou finger guns and almost tripping over air. Bakugou scoffs.

"Why d'you always think everyone seems nice."

"It's okay, you're the nicest. And what's in here?" Kirishima questions, looking curiously into the mug the knight had given him. "Mead? You mentioned mead one time."

Kirishima tilts the mug towards Bakugou so he can look. Bakugou sniffs it a little then nods. "Yeah, that's right. You ever had alcohol before?"

Kirishima shakes his head, and Bakugou snorts. "Thought not. Take it easy, then, drink that shit in sips."

Kirishima pointedly stares at the men doing chugging contests at the other table and Bakugou smacks his head. "Listen to me, for fuck's sake!"

Being in an environment full of so many people is a wondrous thing. But it starts getting a little scary when random people keep trying to drag him off, and considering Kirishima's background he's entirely convinced they're trying to take him as a slave and he probably screams the entire bar down whenever it happens.

"They're just tryna get you into one of their dumb drinking games," Bakugou assures him after blasting one of the men away, patting at a lone frightened tear that had escaped Kirishima's eye. "Don't worry, you doof. No-one knows what you are, 'n no-one's gonna steal you. Not on my watch."

Kirishima relaxes a little after that. He accepts the offers for these mysterious games, looking at Bakugou for confirmation every time and the king who's leaning leisurely at the counter talking to the really pretty blonde bartender while sipping at a mug always gives him a small nod. 

Kirishima finds out that the games aren't anything hard or scary, but they are a little dumb like Bakugou said. For one of them, a few people would have a group conversation and whenever they said a certain word, everyone would have to drink. For another, it was trying to throw coins into full mugs that would splash all over if the coin got in. Kirishima was terrible at both of them for his lack of vocabulary and very minimal experience of throwing, but no-one got mad at him. Funnily enough, everyone seemed to get even happier whenever someone lost, slapping Kirishima good-heartedly on the back and telling him to, "Drink up, big boy!"

Being called a 'big boy', or any of the nicknames these people call him, sounds so funny and somehow it warms Kirishima to the bone. It makes him warmer and warmer as the night goes on and he finally downs a whole mug instead of drinking cautiously and everyone cheers for him. He feels like the king of the world, which is strange because he's met two kings and he's definitely nothing like them.

And something very wild is that two people try to kiss him. They both seem very nice, complimenting his muscles and touching them too, and they really seem to like the fact that he doesn't wear a shirt. Kirishima feels really bad about saying no - but they seem to be the people who kiss just because it feels nice, while Kirishima wants all the things Bakugou said about kissing.

"Aye, what's your deal, huh? You taken or one of those fellas who don't really care for a lil' lovin'?" a friendly guy who's been nice to him this whole time says (Kirishima thinks his name is Shoji), throwing an arm around Kirishima's shoulders. Kirishima shrugs a little dizzily, shaking his head.

"No. Or, um, what does taken mean?"

"You got a lover?"

"Oh! Like King Todoroki and Sir Iida?"

Shoji nods in reply, and Kirishima quickly shakes his head again. "No, no! Or...maybe...but also no..."

Shoji looks sympathetic. "Sir Bakugou, huh?"

Kirishima nods, drooping. "I love him a lot. I love him so much. He makes me so happy. He is everything I never knew I wanted and I've had all my life to wish for things I want but can't have and he-"

"Woah woah, slow down, man," Shoji chuckles, patting Kirishima's back and handing him another drink. "You know what, I'm sure he loves you too. Basically certain of it. Many people have tried for Bakugou's affection and hand in the past and yet the way he treats you is a first."

"I keep getting told that. That I'm special to him," Kirishima hiccups happily, feeling so warm again. But his smile slowly drops. "But...I'm worried. I'm really not sure if he feels the same way about me. I'm getting so scared that he's only staying with me because I'm...comfortable. Not because he loves me. But because I'm a chance for him to have a break from his travels, and maybe he liked me at first, but he could be sick of me by now. It's been a year after all...and yet I can't say any of this to him. I can't because I don't want to lose him. I CAN'T lose him."

"Hey, but he should know how you feel," Shoji says. "You need to give him a chance to prove himself to you. You need to get him to tell you what he feels."

Kirishima sighs, swigging back a drink. People talk about a burn, but Kirishima's fireproofed throat can't feel it. "My king is not much of a talker."

"It's sweet when you call him 'my king'," Shoji says with a smile. "I bet he likes it."

Kirishima thinks about that. "He got mad about it at first...but I don't think he minds it now. Maybe he gets a little softer whenever I say it..."

"Actions. That's his love language for sure. I mean, I saw him kiss your forehead before you did your first drinking game," Shoji says pointedly. Kirishima beams.

"Heh, it was just a send-off kiss."

"...okay, you're pretty stupid, huh," Shoji laughs after a minute of staring at Kirishima in disbelief, and Kirishima can only nod morosely because it's true. Even if he doesn't actually know why he's stupid this time. "That's okay, though, it looks good on you. Come on, let's get you playing more! It'll cheer you right up!"

Kirishima nods excitedly, and takes Shoji's offered hand. A few more rounds of complete haziness and a lot of yelling (he doesn't ever know if he's the one yelling or if someone else is at this rate) has him forgetting that conversation in minutes, and every single fibre in his body is spinning like a sycamore leaf until warm hands stop him, resting at his hips. Kirishima knows this scent, knows the chest pressing against his back; so he just melts.

"You look like you're having fun," a familiar voice hums in his ear, and Kirishima decides that he has way too much energy to keep melting so he lurches around, calling out a way too bright "BAKUGOU!" and the people around him laugh when Kirishima throws himself at the king. Well, actually, he misses a little bit and Bakugou has to move to physically catch him.

"Woah there - you've drank too much, lizard, I've just come to take y-"

"MEET MY NEW BUDDIES!" Kirishima yells in Bakugou's face, wildly throwing an arm out to all the people who cheer and raise their glasses. Kirishima looks back at Bakugou excitedly but when he sees his unimpressed expression, he suddenly wants to cry. "You don't like them?"

Bakugou makes to scoff, but then he sees Kirishima's face and he dials back. "S-Sure, I like 'em, happy?"

Kirishima brightens up again and squeezes the absolute life out of Bakugou who grunts, stiffly patting Kirishima's back because that's all he can do. "Alright, alright, enough - I've got a room upstairs for us so-"

The men behind them immediately erupt into hollers and cat-calling, making Bakugou burn red as he yells, "SHUT THE FUCK UP, WE'RE NOT GONNA-"

"Shhhhh shh shhh," Kirishima whispers, pressing a finger to Bakugou's lips (though it actually presses into Bakugou's cheek instead, which is very squishy) and Bakugou's eyes soften when they look back at Kirishima. "I want happy king, not angry king!"

Bakugou shakes his head fondly. "Aight, your wish is my command. Think you can take on stairs in your state right now?"

"I could take on anything," Kirishima affirms, letting go of Bakugou to give him a thumbs up only to yell out when his legs (for some absolutely not-intoxicated-reason!) give out under him. All the men shout in worry which has Bakugou looking at them suspiciously, but he easily catches Kirishima and lifts him off his feet into his arms. 

Kirishima loves Bakugou's arms. All the people here who liked Kirishima's arms should see Bakugou's arms.

"Come on, love, stairs we go."

Kirishima doesn't quite hear him, but that's okay because now he has the chance to squish Bakugou's face because it's so close, and also bop his nose for good measure. It makes Bakugou smile, which is such a wonderful thing, and he gently knocks his forehead against Kirishima's in return. "You ready?"

Kirishima nods violently, even as he asks, "For what?" but he doesn't get an answer as Bakugou walks them away. But that's okay too. Kirishima just hugs Bakugou's good shoulders, nestling against him. He still has such a buzz running through him but Bakugou's warmth, his sweet spice smell, it's even more intoxicating than alcohol. Or maybe that's the alcohol talking. This is all very confusing, but Bakugou isn't. Bakugou is Kirishima's one amazing constant.

He doesn't know how it got there but the next time he opens his eyes, Bakugou's dropping him onto a bed. He's only seen those, he's never been able to lie on one and he gasps and kicks out in excitement because it's so soft. His legs connect with something and he doesn't know what, nor does he know why Bakugou's groaning, but bed. Bed has all his attention. Bed is so exciting and warm and white and downy and Kirishima sighs in euphoria as he feels warm feathers underneath him. Is this the so-called Valhalla?

He looks up dizzily, and suddenly remembers Bakugou's there as the king looks down at him with a peculiarly flushed face.

"Holy- WOAH, okay, got it, I'm comi- I'M COMIN'," Bakugou yells at him when Kirishima gets so excited thinking about being able to share this new feeling of bed with his king that he tries to pull Bakugou down with all the force of a typhoon. But he lets go worriedly when Bakugou yells which has the king flopping down next to him, face first in the bed. He doesn't move.

Kirishima pokes him tentatively, and Bakugou makes a low growling noise. But then he sighs and slowly rolls over to face Kirishima who is now trying to chew into one of those pillows.

"That's not a snack, love," Bakugou tells him amusedly, and Kirishima pouts, slowly pulling the desecrated pillow out of his mouth.

"Is it a main meal? I know it's not dinnertime, I'm sorry..."

Bakugou barks out a laugh. "You hungry?"

Kirishima wildly shakes his head, but Bakugou's hands rest on it to stop him. Kirishima can only watch hazily as Bakugou watches him, face calm and so despairingly adoring that Kirishima's sure he's imagining it, his hands stroking so slowly through Kirishima's hair as his other hand travels down his side, resting flat against Kirishima's hip.

"You know what you look like right now?" Bakugou asks him quietly, with a just-as-quiet smirk twitching on his lips. Kirishima just blinks because he's scared of hurting Bakugou's hand if he shakes his head really hard again. Said hand curls against his cheek, and it's so cool against the heat of Kirishima's skin. "You look pissed as fuck. Your hair's gone bloody wild, why the heck do you let it get so long? Your pupils are all dilated, your face has got some flush that has you looking like some feverish dumbass."

Kirishima frowns, tears threatening his eyes again as he leans away. Why is the king so unkind? Kirishima shouldn't love someone like this. He's a meanie-pie who makes Kirishima want to cry too many times and he—

Bakugou immediately closes the distance that Kirishima creates, then leans even closer, the tips of their noses touching as he whispers, "You look beautiful."

Kirishima instantly forgives him for everything.

"You look pretty similar after every spar," Bakugou says with a nostalgic smile. "I always think you look beautiful then too. You always are, but there are moments where I see you 'n I just go 'fucking wow'. What did I do to...how do I say it...be, I don't know, blessed by being able to see you? Sometimes I feel like the Norse gods have gone dormant, but then I remember how I found you out of nowhere 'n it...it's too amazing not to be from some miracle, right?"

"Right," Kirishima says in awe, trying his best to be coherent, and his reply seems to snap Bakugou out of his daze. The king bites his lip then, turning away slightly as he mutters, "Sorry, shit- I'm talkin' too much, I don't even know what I'm tryna say, I-"

"No, no!" Kirishima says quickly, grabbing Bakugou by the shoulders. "King - I love everything you say. Everything- EVERYTHING that comes out of your mouth. I love your voice, your words, all of it, you can tell me anything. Anything ever, and it will make me so happy."

Bakugou's eyebrows pinch together as he frowns. "Kirishima-"

"Eijirou," Kirishima insists, half to stop whatever sad thing Bakugou seems like he's going to say and half because this is all he wants. He presses his hands into Bakugou's chest, imploring. "Please."

Bakugou looks confused for a moment, before his eyes widen. He grabs one of Kirishima's hands like it's a lifeline. "Katsuki."

"Katsuki," Kirishima repeats, and saying it once already has him giddy beyond return and the way Bakugou closes his eyes from overwhelm for a brief moment doesn't help.

"Heck, you've really put some fuckin' spell on me," Bakugou murmurs, the hand on Kirishima's hip tugging to drag Kirishima closer and Kirishima gladly complies. "I even tried to search it up. Looked in a library a few months ago, researched all about dragons but nope, nothin' about seducing powers. That's just all you."

"I didn't understand half of that but please keep talking," Kirishima slurs dreamily, rubbing his nose against Bakugou's cheek with a soft purr, and Bakugou breathes out shakily as he holds Kirishima tighter.

"O-Okay. Uh, anythin' you wanna hear?"

"Hmm..." Kirishima shuffles about on the marvellous still soft bed and curls up so he can rest his head on Bakugou's chest. This way he can feel all the rumbles of Bakugou's chest when he speaks, all the soft movement, and he hears Bakugou chuckle as he cards a hand through Kirishima's hair.

"Your tail's out, love."

Said tail is probably wagging too much, but Kirishima doesn't care. "I like that nickname. I love it."

"Yeah, I'm only sayin' it 'cause you're hammered."

"Then I'll- I'll get drunk all the time!"

"Oh hell no," Bakugou growls, shoving Kirishima's head. "I wanted you to let loose today but this ain't happenin' again for a long time."

Kirishima pouts, but he nods too. Tonight was so fun, but he doesn't mind not doing it every day. He feels like his usual daily energy might decrease drastically if he did that.

Bakugou's fingers trace his jaw after that, one of them twirling a strand of Kirishima's hair around itself. "So. What d'you wanna hear?"

"Friends," Kirishima hums, eyes closing after the deep rumble of Bakugou's chest while he talked vibrates against his skin. "Your friends. Your companions. Tell me about them."

There's a long pause before Bakugou says an unsure, "...seriously?"

Kirishima's not about to voice his insecurities about this topic aloud, but he does say instead, "I want to know about the people important to king."

"You're so disgustingly sweet it makes my teeth rot," Bakugou tells him amusedly, poking Kirishima's cheek. "Alright, if that's what you want. Let me try 'n figure out where to start."

"Todoroki?"

"Ugh, fine." Bakugou's chest rises a lot when he huffs, and it makes Kirishima smile. "Half n' Half. Ultimatum of it is we're both royalty. We spent a whole lotta time together in our teenage years, along with Deku. But we only really became...well..."

"Close? Admit it."

Bakugou rolls his eyes. "Fucking fine. We only became...close after he got his dad to immediately send our kingdom help after they got word. But their kingdom is pretty far from where ours was so it took them a good few days, so all they found was me setting up a cemetery there for my fallen subjects. I tried to ignore them, but they were all horrified and shit 'n kept trying to ask what was going on, and I hated it 'cause it had been a few days already 'n I was just numb to it by then. I told them that we were attacked, and I'd sent away the few surviving citizens. Then Half ran up to me 'n hugged the shit out of me. I don't know what it is about fucking hugs, but I felt different when he did it, I felt...I don't know but the first time I was able to cry since the attack was when he hugged me. He told me he'd take me to his kingdom, he told me he'd give me the chance to rest 'cause I'd worked so hard and it- God, I think I cried all night. And he just held me and let me do it until we got back to his kingdom."

"You're so lovely to each other," Kirishima sighs, his heart filled with sadness and warmth. Bakugou doesn't reply to that, but he does minutely nod.

"His dad died not long after, and his mother stepped down as queen. Shoto's the youngest of a whole group of siblings but he's the only one who would take the role of king, 'n he struggled but me and Roadrunner helped him, was his right-hand men for a little while before we made the alliance for good so I could start travelling. And I think he turned out pretty well. So, that's one companion done."

Kirishima claps loudly and Bakugou chuckles, reaching down to take hold of Kirishima's hands to stop him. "Alright, none of that. You want me to keep going?"

"Yes sir!"

"Remember Yaoyorozu? The knight with Iida?"

Kirishima has to think for a moment, but he does remember the cool tall pretty woman so he nods. Bakugou hums. "She was a princess, actually. The perfect pinnacle of one, very dainty and perfect and all those royal richie things. But her kingdom befell the same predicament as mine, and thankfully her kingdom was really close to Half's so we could get there fairly quickly. We helped her and the remaining subjects, and...sadly all of her family had perished. She was fucking distraught and man did I understand. There weren't enough people left to rebuild, and actually, me 'n Half were hella surprised when she told us she didn't want to be a princess anymore. Didn't want to be a queen. She said she loved to fight 'n she was in love with a woman, two things that didn't follow her royal family's legacy 'n example 'n she didn't wanna betray that if she was made queen."

"Why couldn't she be in love with a woman?"

"Just because it wouldn't produce an heir," Bakugou assures him. "Royal families are irritating like that. Always wantin' their blood 'n powers to be passed on, which I get but come on. The amount of abandoned kids out there who deserve a family just like everyone else, they exist."

A very sound argument. Kirishima can't remember much from when he was tiny, though sometimes at night he has memory fragments appear in his head of raging fire that chills him to the bone, but he would have wished for nothing more than to be adopted and taken care of by a family who wanted him. 

He burrows into Bakugou to show his appreciation and the king kisses the top of his head. "Anyway. She left the title of royalty behind like I did. And all I know is while she was comin' back from town one day, she stumbled across the courtyards where the knights were training 'n next thing we knew, she was showing them how to achieve better posture 'n a more compact but impactful fighting style. Half told me to make her a knight, 'n I already agreed. We knew she had found her calling there."

"Is she the only female knight?" Kirishima asks, his heart brimming with pride for someone he barely even knows, and Bakugou shakes his head.

"But she was a first for the Todoroki kingdom."

"Wow..."

"Let's see, who else...ah, Round Face. Uraraka. She's a word-class mage, really good at the shit she does."

"She's close with Deku, right?" Kirishima says in awe. Bakugou hums, affirming it. 

"I knew them from way before Deku could even say fucking hi to her without messing up," Bakugou snorts, and Kirishima can really tell how fond he is of these people. "I get along with Round Face, she kinda came out of nowhere before that war I told you about that me 'n Todoroki's kingdom 'n Deku fought in; she fought too, she's a war hero. Before that, she was a traveller really adamant to make money for her family who weren't doing so well but I think they're good now. Uraraka's definitely makin' bank nowadays with how much people request her spells."

"Respected sorcerer," Kirishima says happily.

"Three people I gotta tell you about are Soy Sa- Sero, Ashido, and Kaminari. The three idiot musketeers. I travelled for an entire year with 'em 'n I think it might've been the best year of my whole life but don't fuckin' tell them that."

"You spent a whole year with them?"

"Yep. It was after I left Todoroki's kingdom and started to travel on my own 'cause I wanted to get out there, explore, and find the people who crushed my kingdom. But I had no clue what I was doing 'n it was difficult as fuck to get around for the first few months. Then, the three of them found me."

Bakugou's hand starts stroking through Kirishima's hair, gentle and rhythmic and Kirishima looks up to see Bakugou has a nostalgic smile on his face as he stares into space, like his memories are playing out in front of him.

"They're all orphans," Bakugou continues eventually, face composing. "All three of them. It's why they're such good fighters and clever, even if they really don't seem it. They've been pickpockets 'n travellers since they were less than ten years old. They found each other when they were sixteen years old, they'd stumbled across the same fighting opportunity where if you fight an allocated 'paladin' and win then you got a whole lot of money. Ashido 'n Kaminari met among the candidates and got along immediately. And guess who the paladin was?" 

"...Sero."

"Fuck yeah, that's right. The other two were already plannin' to escape because their newfound friendship seemed to override the money, ha, so when they volunteered to fight Sero they opened up the offer to him too. Hell, all three of them were immediately off 'n running out that ring before anyone even realised what was happening and ever since, they've been together. They've done all sorts. Were musketeers for the French army for a while, for some bizarre reason. Actually they get military-type jobs quite a lot but only so they can steal from the nobles then run, use the stuff to help out the civilians. They're the Robin Hood type." 

"How did you guys meet?" 

"Just stumbled across each other in a tavern. They knew who I was. Laughed when I told 'em to fuck off and immediately took it upon them to bloody 'adopt me'," Bakugou says with a roll of his eyes. "But...it was a good year. They taught me how to hide, how to trade, how to live life to the fullest. Friendship 'n shit. I really want you to meet them." 

"Me?" 

"They'd love you. You'd love them, I just know it. But we parted ways 'cause they told me they could see I was meant to be more wild 'n free than stickin' to travelling with the three of them. But they said they'd always be there for me."  

"So cool..." 

"Ready for another?" 

Kirishima beams, sure by now that Bakugou's enjoying reliving memories and talking about his friends. "YEAH!"

"Camie. She's my favourite," Bakugou says with a knowing smirk. "She just...gets me. I've known her for fucking forever, she was the princess of the kingdom neighbourin' mine, one year older than me. And we...were betrothed since we were kids." 

"What does that mean?" 

"Parents chose us to get married. Spend our lives together, romantically I guess, so we could unite our kingdoms," Bakugou says casually, but Kirishima turns rigid. 'Romantically'. 

The king has someone. He's had someone since he was little who is meant for him, meant to be with him. Romantically. Kirishima thinks he's learnt what that means, but now he hopes he's wrong. 

"And I was okay with it, really, even if I was angry about all this dumb arranged marriage business. I really like Camie, she was like my best friend, didn't mind the thought of ruling two kingdoms with her 'n shit. And over time I think...I thought I developed feelings for her. So it kinda broke my heart when she ran away with Inasa - one of her knights, friend of mine too - the day she turned eighteen. Thought she had run away from the idea of being married to me." 

Kirishima's heart might feel heavy, but Bakugou sounds sadder than Kirishima feels. He never ever wants Bakugou to be sad so he moves, back up the bed so he can lie next to Bakugou again face-to-face and make sure he's okay. Bakugou's eyes are glassy, but the corner of his lips twist up when he sees Kirishima. Kirishima reaches out for an embrace and Bakugou doesn't deny him. "I'm fine, you soft sod. Seeing Half and Roadrunner made me realise I never really liked her that way, anyway. But I still- I still felt towards her, I still missed her. Then two whole years later I come across her 'n Inasa, manning a fuckin' tavern in Half's kingdom." 

Bakugou holds an arm out. "This one." 

Kirishima's eyes and mouth grow as wide as the moon. Bakugou grins at him, tapping his jaw up to shut his mouth. "She was the one behind the counter tonight." 

"THAT WAS CAMIE?!" Kirishima yells loud enough to echo and Bakugou clamps a hand around his mouth. 

"Shut up, you dolt. Yeah, that was Camie. And the massive lad who greeted me when we first got here was Inasa." 

"NO WAY-" 

"I really thought you were soberin' up," Bakugou groans, grabbing a pillow and shoving it into Kirishima's mouth which makes Kirishima squeak. "I was an idiot when I first saw them. Got so angry. Yelled at her, asked her if our whole friendship was a fucking lie. And she said she came back to see me again once she'd settled down only to find my kingdom burnt out 'n I was like oh, right. Forgot about that." 

Kirishima spits out the pillow, feathers flying into the air. "Why did she leave!" 

"She just didn't want to be queen. Made sense. The three of us had always been dreaming about seeing the outside world together 'n living as a normal citizen, but I'd always thought that was all it was. A dream. But there we were, a traveller 'n two people who had made a new life out of nothing. And I was so fucking happy that we could meet again. Those two mean more to me than they'll ever know." 

"You collect lifelong friends like seashells," Kirishima giggles, because maybe he is sobering up and maybe he's really tired but he's also so giddy off all the happiness in Bakugou's memories of his friends. But he blinks when Bakugou grabs his face, eyes narrowed. 

"You're gettin' super close to laughing today. Maybe I shoulda let you drink a bit more..." 

Kirishima smiles. "King-" 

"I wanna hear it, okay! God's sake, I'm already obsessed with your smile 'n I'll probably make a fucking shrine for your laugh once I hear it." Bakugou squishes Kirishima's face angrily. "I wish I was funnier. I'll hire a comedian or somethin', just you wait." 

"I told you I'm only not laughing 'cause I'm shy, not because I don't think you're fun-" 

"Why are you shy?! Why," Bakugou insists, moving his hands to grab Kirishima's shoulders and shake him about. "I do embarrassing shit all the time, I just said I wanna make you a shrine, how the fuck are you shy in front of me?!" 

"Maybe because I don't know what a shrine is," Kirishima says weakly, raising his arms in surrender when Bakugou looks ready to shove him off the bed. "And I really don't know...it's something about how I think your laugh is the loveliest thing in the world but I don't remember..." 

"You're sleepy," Bakugou sighs. "Alright. That's okay. Come on." 

"Here? We can really sleep here?" Kirishima asks in awe and Bakugou nods, sitting up to grab a thin sheet at the end of the bed and then he's back and draping it over the both of them. Then under the covers, he shifts forward and suddenly pulls Kirishima into an embrace that's warm and tight. 

"I'll tell you about Deku another time," Bakugou murmurs, his face dropping into Kirishima's hair when Kirishima dashes to hug him back, winding his arms around the king's shoulders. "You've sent me on a nice memory trip, though. Thank you."

"I love them. I love them all. I'll meet them all one day and tell them how wonderful they are," Kirishima tells him from the bottom of his heart, tightening his hold on Bakugou. "I'll try to be there too one day!" 

"What d'you mean?"

"I'll be a companion you talk of fondly, one you'll- you'll never forget."

Bakugou chuckles lightly, pulling back without letting go so they're facing each other again, and Bakugou watches him with eyes even fonder than all the times he was talking about all those people. "You're the companion, you moron. No-one in this entire damned world has ever made me feel the way you do, 'n no-one ever will. You mean things to me that I don't understand yet but I'm trying to." 

"Is it love?" Kirishima whispers, like an idiot. A hopeful idiot who wants to know what Bakugou feels. Wants to know if his only living breathing treasure treasures him too. 

"Probably," Bakugou whispers back, making Kirishima's eyes grow wide. "But I can't...we shouldn't." 

"Why?" 

Bakugou bites his lip, then shakes his head before he brings his hand up to the back of Kirishima's head and pushes it gently into the crook of his own neck, holding him close as he says in Kirishima's ear, "Good night, Eijirou."

It feels like some spell, the words making Kirishima remember how sleepy he really is. He knows he wants to stay awake but now he doesn't remember why so his eyes close while he breathes in Bakugou's warm spice scent, his arms slowly going slack as he murmurs Bakugou's name. He's gone by the time Bakugou answers him with gritted teeth and eyes squeezed shut.

"You're not meant to stay." 

It's early in the morning when Bakugou walks down the stairs of the tavern carrying a sleeping Kirishima on his back. Dawn hasn't even broken, but Camie's still behind the bar counting money. She lights up at the sight of Bakugou. "Hey, fam!"

"Camie," Bakugou greets with a smile, letting Camie kiss his cheek. "I'll see you later."

"S'that him?" Camie asks, scratching gently under Kirishima's chin and Kirishima purrs softly through his light snores. "He's the sweetest lil' thing."

"Definitely not little," Bakugou grunts, hitching Kirishima higher up his back. Camie laughs, before her smile turns sad.

"When you goin', then?"

Bakugou's face sours. "Tomorrow."

"You told him yet?"

Bakugou no longer looks sour after that question. He just deflates a little, eyes lowering before he tilts his head to look at Kirishima whose chin is resting on his shoulder, face unknowing and innocent. Bakugou closes his eyes and rests his forehead against Kirishima's gently, eyebrows furrowed.

"'Guess that's a no," Camie says softly.

"You told me this'd happen one day 'n I really didn't believe you," Bakugou scoffs, half-heartedly. "Should've. Could've prepared myself for this."

"Can't prepare yourself for love, hon."

"Hybrids live a lot longer than us," Bakugou says wistfully. "D'you think he'll remember me? Even if I never see him again? Even when he's old?"

Camie grins, setting down her money as she leans over the counter and says, "No-one could forget you. Bet."

"What if he does want to stay?"

"Then that's his choice."

"But he has to go. He has to. I can't make him but...I don't want him ever thinking he's relying on me."

"If that's what you think he'll think," Camie shrugs, going back to her money, "then you've gotta let him go, man."

"So you understand," Bakugou insists, but Camie doesn't answer him this time. Bakugou sighs, hanging his head as he mutters, "You don't think I'm doing the right thing."

"No, actually, I don't know anythin' about that. I just-" Camie pauses, biting her lip. Then she reaches out for Bakugou's hand and clasps it, tight. When Bakugou meets her eyes, they're glassy. "It just makes me so upset thinkin' of you letting go of your happiness. You never get to hold onto anything 'n I hate it."

Bakugou's own eyes fill with tears. "I-I want him to stay. Fuck, what am I doing?"

"You're loving, that's what."

Kirishima's head drops further, lolling into the crook of Bakugou's neck reminding them both that he's there. Bakugou closes his eyes for a brief painful second. "I'm off, Camie."

"Take care, hon," Camie tells him, Bakugou ducking so she can kiss his forehead. Then they're letting go of each other, and Bakugou's heading out the tavern.

Kirishima doesn't wake up in the downy feathers he remembers falling asleep in. But it doesn't matter so much when he's still so warm, locked in an embrace he'll remember for lifetimes. He smiles, nuzzling closer as he wonders if he can convince Bakugou to spend every night with him. Because those are definitely always his favourite nights.

Today Bakugou's embrace isn't so tight, nor close with it still being so near. There's space between them that Kirishima wants to get rid of, but Bakugou's arm is still around him, fingers idly tracing up and down Kirishima's spine. That means he's awake, and probably thinking about something. But he stops when he feels Kirishima shift, his moving hand pausing to rest on the small of Kirishima's back above his tail.

"Mornin'," Bakugou says lowly as Kirishima slowly opens his eyes, beaming at Bakugou who's currently a golden comforting haze. But a few more blinks clear him up, and Kirishima's endeared for the millionth time by the king's messy hair, sleep-soft lips, calm face, and tired narrowed eyes with slits of bright red peeking out. He doesn't look like he slept well, though, and Kirishima brushes a small kiss against his jaw. Bakugou stills in surprise and Kirishima makes the decision to do that more often.

"Sleep more."

"Can't. Already awake," Bakugou gruffs out with an almost-pout, and Kirishima smiles, tapping his fingers against Bakugou's cheek. The king might not be much of a morning person but Kirishima's never minded.

"When did we get back to the cave?"

"Took us back earlier. Just in case we slept in too late."

Kirishima nods, humming serenely when Bakugou leans down to nose his neck. There's something about mornings that makes them both ditch their filters. Maybe it's because they're already in each other's arms but Bakugou's so affectionate that it makes Kirishima's heart sing and so he doesn't feel too shy to press up close or stare or say anything that comes to mind. Bakugou lets him do all of that, anything Kirishima wants, so he forgets why he never has the courage to do a lot of things when he's more awake.

They stay quiet for a little while longer, listening to each other's pulses and the morning birdsong from outside the cave. Kirishima's already falling back asleep when Bakugou says out of nowhere, "I'll be away for a little while."

Kirishima immediately startles awake, staring with wide eyes. "What? Where? Why?"

"Pilgrimage, we call it."

"Pilgrimage...?"

"A journey, to a specific place. In three days it's...the anniversary of the day my kingdom was attacked," Bakugou sighs, hiding his face in Kirishima's shoulder. Kirishima understands and brings a hand up to card through Bakugou's hair soothingly. "I gotta go back to where the kingdom used to be. There's a cemetery there that I made, 'n the others came to help. All the bodies of the subjects we could find and even the ones we couldn't are commemorated there."

"Are you going to honour them?"

"Yeah. I travel across the country, collect the remainin' people who were from the kingdom who wanna come with me. I remember where they all are."

"Of course you do," Kirishima says in awe. "How long does it take to get there?"

"Two days."

Kirishima nods, before he furrows his eyebrows. Then slowly his eyes widen. "You're leaving...tomorrow?"

"You can do math?" Bakugou jokes, before yowling when Kirishima punches his arm. "OI!"

"Why are you only telling me this now?! And why were you talking like I'm not coming?"

Bakugou blinks. "Because...you're not-"

"Why?! Is it because I'm not from your kingdom? I can wait outside!" Kirishima insists, grabbing Bakugou's shoulders as if that would help him see reason, which is why it's confusing when Bakugou looks at him so fondly.

"You adorable idiot, the way's just tiring 'n pretty dangerous, alright? You're better off here."

"Untrue because I can turn into a dragon and fly you all there," Kirishima says, and Bakugou stares at him in surprise. "Do you know how big I am as a dragon?! I could carry well over two hundred people and I'll fly really slow, I promise!"

"Hey, hey, calm down," Bakugou tells him, taking hold of Kirishima's face to ensure Kirishima looks at him. "You told me you wouldn't transform 'til all your hair 'n scales were red."

"And I'm almost there. Maybe not transforming and flying is holding me back."

"...makes sense," Bakugou mumbles, looking deep in thought. "You really wanna do this?"

"Yes!"

"But then everyone will know."

"That I'm a hybrid? That...that's okay, I know how to protect my-"

"Not just that."

Bakugou's hands slip down to take Kirishima's off his shoulders and hold onto them tight, hiding his face by looking down at them as he brushes his thumbs over Kirishima's red-speckled skin. It's a long while until Bakugou speaks again, and Kirishima wants to ask what's wrong until - "Everyone will know you're a dragon, yeah. And if we're travelling across the damn country, they'll all know I'm with a dragon. It'll become pretty much official that you're my companion."

Kirishima doesn't even know how to reply to that, not when Bakugou's looking like the world's caving in. "Why...are you saying such a wonderful thing like it's bad?"

"Because," Bakugou says softly, leaning in close so their noses touch like he's trying to appease Kirishima and it works, a little, but now Kirishima's worried, "I know what people are going to think. I have a reputation, and they'll think I own you. That you're some kinda pet of mine. And it's why I've been so hesitant to go anywhere with you. Why I made sure you could hold your own before we went to Todoroki's kingdom, why it took almost a year for us to go on a date."

"A what?"

"Nothing," Bakugou says quickly, cheeks flushing before he sighs, shaking his head. "I just- I know you need to be yourself. I remember when we were first meeting 'n you told me I'd probably change your mind, because your mindset was 'weak', but you were still going to try as hard as you could to say no to me. No to travellin' with me. I didn't understand then but now I get it, you had- you have to try as hard as you can not to rely on a human again. Not depend on someone, because you understood back then that dependence means ownership in a way. And look at us, I have changed your mind but I ain't happy about it. I hate it, if some part of you thinks I've managed to change your mind because you think you're weak."

Kirishima's eyes are wide, glassy as he stares at Bakugou, trying to form words and thoughts but he barely even knows what's happening. He's confused, but Bakugou is making sense. Kirishima understands what he's saying and he doesn't like it one bit. "I-I don't think tha-"

"You," Bakugou says firmly, voice so quiet yet it resonates in Kirishima's very soul, "are not mine. I will not let you be."

"I know," Kirishima says hoarsely, tears spilling over so he has to close his eyes, and Bakugou glides forward to capture him in an embrace, letting Kirishima hold onto him tight as he cries, "I know."

"Good," Bakugou murmurs into his hair, hand rubbing his back. "So you know why I need to let you go."

Kirishima can't bring himself to say yes. Because it's all true. He's been relying on someone again, and he'd thought it was too different to what it used to be like to be true. 

He relied on masters through necessity. He relies on Bakugou through unabashed love.

"I wish you stayed away from me if you were going to do this," Kirishima whispers, and Bakugou nods miserably.

"I know. I'm sorry." Bakugou takes in a deep breath. "I- I guess I'll leave today instead. I'll be back soon-"

"You don't need to. You don't need to come back here."

"Oh," Bakugou says, stilling in slight surprise. Then he's curling around Kirishima, burying his face into his hair and breathing out an almost silent, "Okay."

Just stay a little longer, Kirishima begs, yet he can't say it out loud, because all his filters are back and all he can do is hold Bakugou as tight as he can allow himself. It helps that Bakugou seems to be holding onto him like a lifeline, too. It helps a lot. He doesn't want to even dare to think about Bakugou being happy about leaving him for real this time.

It's hours until they finally get up, when the sun's heavy in the middle of the sky. Bakugou actually gets up first, kissing Kirishima's forehead before he slips away and leaves Kirishima cold. But now it's easier to cry as Kirishima wraps himself up in his wings and curls up into a ball, and he stays there trembling before he finally feels like he can breathe again. Then he unveils himself, and sits up dizzily to see Bakugou peeking inside the cave, dressed heavier than usual, more furs and a belt filled with weapons around his waist. 

He holds out a hand when him and Kirishima meet eyes. Kirishima slowly gets up, dusting himself off. He walks out the cave and he doesn't take Bakugou's hand. But Bakugou still grabs his hand from behind, calling out a desperate, "Wait."

"We just need to say goodbye, king," Kirishima says tiredly, turning around and Bakugou frowns, brow furrowed in distress.

"You're angry at me."

"Yeah," Kirishima agrees, hands clenching into fists. "I am. I'm angry you ever pursued me. I'm angry because now I know you've been thinking about this for a long time. This is what you've always been so distant about, this is what you think about when you get that serious look on your face sometimes, it's not just because you miss travelling, is it? You could've left me earlier, made this all easier. Or you could've told me earlier."

Bakugou's face falls and that's how Kirishima knows he's right. "Eijirou-"

"But you know the worst thing? I'm probably not even angry at you," Kirishima scoffs, prying Bakugou's hand off him. But he steps closer anyway, makes sure he's maintaining agonising eye contact when he grits out, "I'm just angry that I'll have to get over the person who made me realise I could love. I'm still getting over being in slavery, and you helped me with that. Who's going to help me get over you?"

Bakugou breaks the eye contact to look down, grimacing. Then he chokes out, "Punch me."

Kirishima blinks. "What?"

"Punch me. Hit me. Beat me up, I fuckin' promise it'll make you feel better even a little."

"Wha- I'm not going to-"

"Why the fuck not?! I'm right here and you're angry."

"But not- not that kind of angry-"

"How do you know?! Have you ever even been angry in your life? Were you ever angry at your masters or just resigned, only able to do what they wanted knowin' you couldn't fight back?" Bakugou seethes, making Kirishima's eyes widen. "You were nothing and you knew it. You accepted it. You probably had so many chances to escape but you never took them, never even thought of them 'cause you're worthless-"

"I'M NOT WORTHLESS!" Kirishima cries out, throwing his fist before he even knows what he's doing to connect with Bakugou's face, and Bakugou's mouth opens but no noise comes out as he falls back, barely hitting the ground before Kirishima's on him, hands wrapping around his neck. "I'm not, I'm not, I'm not- I'm not who I was and I never will be again, I'm strong and I can fight and I- I can be loved-"

"By me, right?" Bakugou asks him croakily, and Kirishima stares down at him, fully realising what's going on as Bakugou looks up at him with a bloody nose, Kirishima's hands around his neck, and...the biggest smile Kirishima's ever seen on him. 

He taps Kirishima's wrist a little urgently and Kirishima quickly lets go of him, allowing Bakugou to laugh breathily. "Fuck, you don't even know how beautiful you look right now."

"I almost killed you," Kirishima says in disbelief but Bakugou just snorts, shaking his head.

"You wouldn't have, we both know that."

"You- YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'RE DYING!"

"Which is your cue to get me water."

Kirishima wildly nods his head as he makes to get up but Bakugou reaches out for his wrists, keeping him in place. "Get it in a minute. Just, look at yourself. You know. You know you're not worthless."

"You never seemed to think I was," Kirishima whispers, closing his eyes when Bakugou's hands move to rub his sides comfortingly. God, he's going to miss those hands. "And I really like who I've been this past year...so I thought...maybe..."

"It's not just a maybe now, right?"

"No."

"And people who aren't worthless can get over dumb barbarian men like me all by theirselves," Bakugou teases, though Kirishima knows he means it seriously. And he's right, so Kirishima leans down and wraps his arms around Bakugou's shoulders, choking back tears when Bakugou hugs his waist tight and pulls him even closer. "Gonna miss you, lizard."

"We'll see each other again?"

"'Course we will. I know you'll be there whenever I need you 'n vice versa."

"Wow, I'm officially one of King Bakugou's lifelong friends," Kirishima gasps, smiling when Bakugou cackles. They rest their foreheads against each other's, closing their eyes as they murmur final goodbyes in their heads. Not out loud because they'll see each other again one day. They know they will.

Before an hour passes, Bakugou's gone and Kirishima's alone in a forest that feels far too big. He wonders absently if it's time he leaves this place. Time he gets out there, finally becoming a traveller who explores the world, just like Bakugou and his other companions. But he realises he's definitely not going to do that today when he's so emotional he could fill a whole ocean with his tears, so he slinks back into the cave, tucks his tail under his legs, and tries to sleep again.

Even if dragons never part with their treasure until death, Bakugou was never actually meant to be his treasure. Kirishima just has to remember that.

It's really strange, waking up the next morning. Not because he's alone, because Bakugou doesn't always spend the night with him, but because...because he's alone. A bigger alone than the small alone of Bakugou simply not being there, because Kirishima used to know he'd return soon. But now? There's a chance they won't see each other for weeks on end. 

It's difficult to get up. But he does it, shrugging on his clothes and wrapping his piece of cape around his waist like every morning, then heading over to the lake to wash. His hair's dripping into his face when he walks back in silence. Everything really does seem so...quiet. 

Until Kirishima's ears pick up a twig breaking, and he raises his head instantly. His ears follow someone's surprised breath after the twig, and now there are audible footsteps - the person's coming closer. And they're not walking the way Bakugou does. It's faster, more hurried, less 'I'm the king of the world'-style. And Kirishima waits there, slowly pulling out his swords as his ears calculate the person will be in his line of sight in two seconds. And they're correct as someone rushes out of the leaves and pauses when he sees Kirishima, wide-eyed. 

Kirishima's sharp eyes take in all his features in split-seconds. Curly hair the colour of dark leaves, constellations of freckles, the face of a young man, simple clothing and more than one sword in a belt around the waist. And he's...smiling. In fact, his whole face is lighting up in delight at the sight of Kirishima. 

"Hello!" the man calls out, raising a hand in a wave. "My name's Izuku Midoriya! I'm looking for a Katsuki Bakugou, if you've seen him!" 

Kirishima drops his swords. 

"You've heard of me? Really?" Midoriya asks in amazement as him and Kirishima sit in the cave around a fire Kirishima had made. Midoriya had asked if the fire-breathing was a Quirk and Kirishima had just nodded. "That's so cool!" 

"Of course, you're...well, you're amazing. You're a hero," Kirishima tells him, sparkles in his eyes as Midoriya laughs, rubbing his neck shyly. 

"That's so sweet of you, thank you." 

"Is Ochaco Uraraka with you?" 

"Ochaco? Oh, no, she doesn't usually come with me to the pilgrimage. That reminds me, have you seen Kacchan?" 

"Kacchan?" 

"Sorry, that's what I call-" 

"Don't be sorry! It's really nice. Ah wow, this is- wow," Kirishima says dumbly, but he's really malfunctioning right now. The person sitting next to him right now is Izuku Midoriya, he's becoming one of the greatest heroes ever lived, he's Bakugou's sworn brother, and to top it all off, he's kind and sweet! Kirishima completely thinks he's dreaming, especially when Midoriya laughs at him again. It's a contagious laugh, as loud and cute as bunnies Kirishima had seen at a mountain once. "But I'm afraid Bakugou, uh, he left already. To the pilgrimage. He left yesterday, actually." 

"Seriously?! He's meant to leave today!" Midoriya groans, and Kirishima stays guiltily silent. "Well, that's alright. I'll just go a bit later than him then, because I've got to visit Shoto." 

"King Todoroki?" Kirishima asks immediately, not meaning to perk up as much as he does and of course Midoriya notices, smiling at him. 

"You know him? Well, of course you do, this forest is right outside his kingdom but...you...perhaps seem to know him on a personal level?" 

Kirishima nods wildly. "He's lovely."

Midoriya beams, and it's like the sun has risen again. "He's misunderstood a lot so I really adore anyone who likes him. Would you like to come with me, fire-breather?" 

Another chance to see Todoroki is more than enough reason for Kirishima to agree. But before he gets up, Midoriya asks him shyly, "But I was wondering if...it would be okay if I brushed your hair?" 

Kirishima blinks, confused. "Brush? My hair?" 

Midoriya stares at him in shock, before he ruffles about in one of the pockets of his belt and takes out a stick with...teeth? "Oh my, you've got long hair, it'd be awesome if you learnt to brush it! Here, I comb my mother's and Ochaco's all the time and your hair looks pretty bushy but - it's wet right now, right?" 

Kirishima nods, making Midoriya smile. "Perfect!" 

So that's how Kirishima's kneeling on the floor and a great hero is behind him combing through his hair gently. It feels really nice, and Kirishima holds back purrs as Midoriya drifts fingers through his hair. "Your hair...it's such a beautiful deep red. Like roses." 

"Thank you," Kirishima says bashfully. "Ah, it's not all red." 

"Really? Looks all red to me," Midoriya tells him, and Kirishima blinks. Then he looks down at himself, secretly making scales ripple over his chest and notes the black scales over his heart. Those must be all that's left, then, and it makes Kirishima feel so giddy. "Woah, your hair's so long - I mean it already was but with all the knots out! It's basically up to your waist, wow." 

Kirishima reaches back and notes with disbelief that Midoriya's right, the tips of his hair do touch the middle of his waist. 

"Let me plait it so the knots don't come back right away!" 

Kirishima doesn't know what that means, but he feels little tugs down his hair, and then Midoriya's pulling some twine and a glass mirror out of his belt. He wraps the twine around the bottom of Kirishima's hair, then hands him the mirror. "Do you wanna see yourself?" 

Kirishima does see himself before he can even answer. His eyes widen as his hands immediately fly up to touch his hair, bringing the plait around to look at it, and he's awed. This is how some of the ladies in the town have their hair sometimes, and now Kirishima...looks just as pretty as they do. 

"That's me?" Kirishima asks carefully, somehow unsure, and Midoriya laughs. 

"Yep, that's you. I think you look gorgeous!" Then Midoriya immediately flushes. "I mean, not that you weren't before- or maybe I shouldn't- 'gorgeous' is a heavy word, oh man I'm so sorry if you're not comfortable with-"

"No, Midoriya, it's okay," Kirishima assures him amusedly, getting up to turn around and take hold of Midoriya's nervously waving hands. "Thank you." 

Midoriya looks even more flustered now, but he quickly nods, mustering up a smile in return.

They're on their way soon after that, and Kirishima's pleasantly surprised when Midoriya links their arms without even seeming to realise. "You know, my father had a Quirk that was fire-breathing. Wouldn't it be funny if we were brothers?" 

"Your father's royalty?" Kirishima asks in surprise but Deku shakes his head. 

"Just a descendant of a sorcerer who wasn't venerated." 

"Oh...oh wow, there must be a lot of those? Do a lot of people have Quirks then?" 

"Yeah, quite a lot! Don't you have one?" 

"O-Oh, haha, yeah!"  

They venture into the town, and a lot of people greet Midoriya kindly, waving at him. And, actually, they greet Kirishima too. People seem to remember him and match all his smiles, offering him waves and even things like bread and telling him how nice his hair looks, giving Kirishima the chance to happily tell anyone that Midoriya did it which has the swordsman all kinds of bashful. 

The flower vendor is with a woman today, and she gasps at the sight of Kirishima. 

"You're the man with red hair I've heard about! I've heard you're a pretty sight," the woman coos, and Kirishima can barely say thank you before she's reaching over to tuck an overgrown daisy behind his ear. "Ah, look at you, beautiful!" 

"Don't go adopting him, love," the vendor snorts, and the woman tells him to hush. Kirishima smiles at them but the smile slowly fades when he remembers when Bakugou called him 'love' the night before last when he was tipsy. It had always felt like there was a pet name on the tip of Bakugou's tongue that was nicer than 'lizard', and now Kirishima probably won't hear it again. 

"Hey, are you alright?" a voice asks, pulling him out of his thoughts and Kirishima turns his head to smile the best he can at a concerned Midoriya. 

"Yeah, thank you. Let's go!" 

It's a long trek up to the palace. Knights bow at the sight of Midoriya and look extremely fearful and guilty at the sight of Kirishima, except the ones who were in the tavern when Kirishima was who smile at him like old friends. It's such a warm feeling when two of them bump fists with him and tell him to not tell Iida they broke formation, laughing all the while.

"You seem friendly with everyone, wow," Midoriya tells him in surprise, and Kirishima rubs the back of his neck shyly.

"Everyone's just - really nice! Actually we all got off on the wrong foot-" Another one of Bakugou's idioms. "-but we're good now." Probably because Bakugou told them to be nice to him.

Kirishima stops walking then, closing his eyes and growling (hopefully under his breath). He raises his hands to his ears and hears Midoriya stop beside him, resting light hands on Kirishima's arms worriedly. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Sorry," Kirishima says hoarsely, squinting at the ground until his vision turns blurry. "I just- I'm missing someone and my head isn't - my thoughts are so loud and I don't know how I- ow-"

"I understand," Midoriya tells him softly, slowly tugging on Kirishima's hands to lower them, and Kirishima focuses on Midoriya's face which is so much kinder than his mind right now. "You'll be okay. You seem really strong, a person who can hold their own, and I believe in you."

"I'm not worthless," Kirishima recites from yesterday, smiling tearily, "so I can get over dumb barbarian men like him."

Midoriya looks a little confused even as he nods but then he seems to have realised something as his eyes fly open, before suddenly he's tearing himself away from Kirishima. And right at that moment there are footsteps hurrying towards them and a loud familiar call of, "KIRISHIMA, IZUKU!"

"He's Kirishima!" Midoriya squeaks at Todoroki who comes to a stop in front of them, and Midoriya wildly throws his arms out in Kirishima's direction. "He's- HIM- HE'S BAKUGOU'S DRA-"

"Izuku, are you okay? I thought you would realise that the instant you saw him, you're smart like that," Todoroki says confusedly, taking Midoriya's arm. "Are you tired from your journey?"

Midoriya is still staring at Kirishima like he's from another universe which has Kirishima feeling a little self-conscious but then Midoriya shakes his head, sighing, "Yeah, maybe a little."

Todoroki holds his arms out immediately and Midoriya laughs brightly, leaning forward to cloak Todoroki in a tight embrace and Todoroki hugs him back like he's something precious. And he is, isn't he? Todoroki's best friend, Bakugou's sworn brother, one of the nicest people Kirishima's met in his short time out of captivity.

He finds himself unable to stop smiling while he watches them, especially at the never-ending exchange of "I missed you", "No, I missed you", "But I missed you more" but Kirishima makes a strangled yell when once Midoriya breaks away from Todoroki, he slams Kirishima into a hug so strong that Kirishima feels like he's going to snap in half. 

This must be a golden trio thing, because Todoroki had hugged him out of nowhere in a desperate frenzy that one time and Bakugou hugs like he's trying to inhale Kirishima whole with his body.

"Thank you so much," Deku rushes out, squeezing Kirishima tight as he blinks in surprise, "thank you so much for being with him and making him so happy and teaching him how to love in such a special way and showing him so much compassion and allowing him to take responsibility for once in his life and letting him stay with you and for so long too because he needed that, he needed somewhere to stay and someone to love as strong as a wildfire who would last and would let him and you let him, you let him-"

"Izuku," Todoroki says fondly to try to stop him, but at the same time Kirishima says a soft, trying to keep his voice level, "Midoriya," slowly pulling back from the hug. 

"Thank you. I'm glad, that you seem to think I was able to give Katsuki all of that. But...we didn't last, too. He couldn't stay."

"No, it's okay, he'll be back!" Midoriya tries to assure him, opening his mouth to continue but Kirishima shakes his head.

"Not for me."

"Dear Oden," Todoroki breathes. "Wait - so he really went through with it? He- Camie and Inasa and I, we all told him to really think about it before he did anythi-"

"He's been thinking about it for a long time already," Kirishima says with a feeble smile. "I know he has. And that's okay."

"I am here for you," Todoroki tells him firmly, holding onto Kirishima's arm. "If you need anything, please, just tell me. And this is off topic but I didn't manage to tell you earlier, you look somehow more beautiful than usual today, did you do something with your hair?"

"Are all kings lovely people?" Kirishima says, voice shaky as he reaches out to wrap his arms around Todoroki which has Deku laughing in surprise.

"I love this guy!"

"Get in line, we all do," Todoroki says haughtily before he hugs Kirishima back warmly. But he clutches him a little tightly, saying a worried, "So when did Katsuki leave?"

"Yesterday..."

"Yesterday?"

"He left early after we had...a conversation, about parting ways."

"Why, though? Couldn't you two have had a final day to spend together knowing it would be the last?" Deku asks confusedly and Kirishima's eyes widen. Then he immediately droops, murmuring sadly, "I guess neither of us thought of that..."

"So I'm supposing he told you the truth, then," Todoroki sighs, pulling back to give Kirishima a look so apologetic that it breaks Kirishima's heart. "You don't even understand just how sorry I am. I wish it never ever happened, for the life of me, if I could go back in time I would and prevent the event. Meeting you has made me even more-"

"Wait, king, hold on," Kirishima says in confusion. "What do you mean? Are you still talking about Katsuki leaving? You don't need to be sorry for that."

Todoroki's mouth snaps shut, eyes wide and blinking. Then he turns those eyes onto Midoriya and hisses, "He doesn't know!"

"Kacchan didn't tell him before he left?!" Midoriya hisses back, seeming just as shocked as Todoroki, and Kirishima really wants to know what they're talking about because now he's worried but before he can ask, Todoroki is taking hold of Kirishima's hand and running. Kirishima yells out but he has no choice but to follow, with Midoriya chasing after them.

"Apologies!" Todoroki calls out belatedly as he pushes open the doors to the throne room, not letting go of Kirishima once even as he goes right up to the throne, before looking up at the massive piece of cloth that hangs from the ceiling downwards bearing a pattern of fiery red and icy blue. Todoroki stares at it with troubled eyes, before he looks back at Kirishima and asks, "Help me pull this down?"

"Oh, of course," Kirishima agrees, wondering what was so urgent about this that Todoroki felt the need to run. Him and Todoroki both take hold of the heavy cloth, then drag it down until it falls off the ridge at the top and drops to the floor. 

And thus, a large stone wall covered in a beautiful mosaic of a large red dragon breathing fire is revealed.

Kirishima gasps, hands immediately letting go of the cloth. He feels almost entranced, looking at the mosaic. Because he feels like he's looking at...a version of himself he hasn't seen in so long. He hasn't transformed fully in a year. And he's never seen another dragon, nor has he even really seen himself when he's transformed. It's-

"Beautiful," Kirishima whispers, stepping over the cloth and reaching out to gently trace over red stone tail, coiled and spiked. He looks up at the strong, snarling face of the dragon that looks like him and wishes they were real. He wishes they could give him answers, tell him about who he is and who he's supposed to be. About his kind.

Todoroki and Deku watch him morosely, silently sharing a look, before Todoroki eventually says a quiet, "For a very long time, the red dragons were the national animal of the Todoroki kingdom. This was once our royal crest."

"Really?!" Kirishima gasps, turning around to stare at Todoroki with sparkling eyes because maybe- maybe this is why he stopped outside Todoroki's kingdom and stayed here for so long, maybe this was fated, but before he can say another word, Todoroki says a guilty, "It once was. Not anymore."

"Oh! Why did it change?"

"Dragons, especially red ones, have always been revered in the Todoroki kingdom because of the way we share our use of fire. The sorcerers who were our ancestors used to be able to communicate with red dragons and live alongside them, but over time, they slowly grew apart until this was no longer true but they still inhabited the area outside the kingdom. So...my father had an idea thirty five years ago, quite a while before I was born, to unite us again."

"That sounds amazing!"

"I'm afraid not, Kirishima. For the majority of his life, my father was not a good man. You see, the red dragons refused to unite with us. My father tried everything, from asking to bribing to commanding. Then very quickly...his methods became violent. He started burning their land so that they would be forced to move into Todoroki territory. Yet the dragons simply flew further away. And so, in failure, my father decided there was only one option left."

Todoroki hangs his head, as he mutters painfully, "Exterminate every red dragon and red dragon hybrid alive."

Kirishima doesn’t process the words right away. He feels like he’s been doused in cold water without even understanding why, and he stands there, drenched and frozen to the spot. 

"No," Kirishima breathes finally, backing up until his back hits the wall. He shakes his head. "No. No, y-you're lying."

"I'm so sorry," Todoroki says hoarsely as Midoriya hurries over to take hold of Kirishima's arm, rubbing his back. But Kirishima feels so numb that he can barely focus on either of them. "It was horrible. Awful. One of the worst things that has ever happened in existence, and all the kingdoms have vowed something like this will never happen again. There is a Red Dragon law now that my mother founded, stating that no species can ever be forcefully driven into extinction again."

Kirishima's knees buckle at the word 'extinction'. He crumples to the ground, head in his hands as his mind swims, all his senses nullified as he just hears white noise.

He remembers. 

He remembers being tiny, and he remembers panicked dragon roars filling the humid air as raging red fire turned the sky a horrible shade of orange. He remembers so many people telling him to stay quiet, to make sure that no-one would know he was there. Then a woman kissed his forehead and hid him behind a log.

His mother.

"I'm never going to find her," Kirishima whispers in despair. "I'm never going to find my mother, am I?"

Todoroki and Midoriya look at each other miserably before they both crouch down, resting a hand on Kirishima's knee or arm.

"I didn't know you were looking for her," Todoroki murmurs, and Kirishima sniffs.

"I was going to. I wanted to. God, are- are they really all gone? Couldn't they disguise themselves as humans?"

"Kirishima, you're the first hybrid any of us have ever seen who can completely appear human. It isn't of hybrid nature to try to do that, they always keep something like talons or patches of scales or horns on them."

"This was a big reason why Kacchan thought it best to leave you," Midoriya tells him, and Kirishima looks at him with wide teary eyes. "You're likely the only one of your kind and he didn't want to put you in the line of sight of bandits and pirates and all the bad people that Kacchan always comes across, because he somehow attracts them like crazy."

"He also said something like if you find a nice girl instead then you could probably repopulate," Todoroki says, before blinking confusedly when Midoriya thwacks his arm.

Kirishima looks down. "Why...did he never tell me this..."

"Probably because he didn't want to make you upset. In fact, the idea upset him too much to really relay it out loud. He was only made aware of it very recently, anyway, but - I think you have the right to know."

"But that's not really why he left," Kirishima says, more to remind himself. "He left because I shouldn't rely on a human again. I should be myself, and learn who I am. And he's right."

"But, and stop me if I'm completely wrong," Midoriya says, settling beside Kirishima on the floor, "I don't think it's a terrible thing to rely on people. If entirely then yes, that's kind of bad, but I rely on Ochaco, and Shoto, and Kacchan, a lot, as well as all my friends. They make my life colourful and they make me feel better when I need it, but I'm still my own person. I'm still Izuku Midoriya even if I have them."

"Kirishima," Todoroki says, taking hold of Kirishima's hands. "I think you already know who you are. Or at least, you know who you're becoming, and learning about who you want to be. Tell me all the things you can do."

Kirishima bristles. "What?"

"Tell me things you can do, like speaking, or fighting."

"O-Oh, uh...I can wield a sword."

"Two swords, it looks like," Midoriya teases as he taps the kinzhals on Kirishima's back, and Kirishima smiles weakly.

"Yeah. Two. Um, I can look like a human even though I'm not. I can drink alcohol, though my tolerance is terrible."

"Camie told me about that," Todoroki laughs, and Kirishima smiles wider.

"I can make people laugh sometimes?"

"And smile. I can tell you make people smile a lot," Midoriya continues for him, and Kirishima hides his red face behind his arms.

"I-I can run, and I can hear the stars speaking."

"Ooh, poetic."

"I can breathe fire, and have impenetrable skin, and really good hearing. I have good reflexes?"

Todoroki waves a hand, and Kirishima immediately brings up his own one, now scaled, to block a shot of ice. Todoroki and Midoriya both grin.

"And," Kirishima mumbles, fiddling with his plait. Then his lips twitch, before he's raising his head and winking at Midoriya. "I can make people fawn over my looks."

Midoriya flushes harder than a strawberry as he stutters out nonsense and Todoroki laughs the loudest Kirishima's ever heard him. "You see, Kirishima? You are so many things, so many good things, and those things are all yours. But there is one more thing you forgot."

And Kirishima knows. He rests a hand over his heart, black scales rising underneath his fingers as he says softly, "I can love."

"It's okay to be someone's just a little bit if you love them, and if you want to," Todoroki says to him. "I know that's the complex you have. But Bakugou's told me a few times that he wholeheartedly thinks of himself as yours, so?"

"My human," Kirishima says with a small smile, remembering when Bakugou had been sleep-talking in his ear the first time they'd spent a night together. He's done that a few times since. "My treasure."

But then he frowns and quickly shakes his head. "But he's not. I thought he was but he's not, he's his own-"

"You can still be your own person and have your heart belong to another, don't you see yet?" Todoroki says, resting his hand over the one Kirishima has over his heart. "You're...what's your first name?"

"Eijirou."

"You're the incredible strong beautiful dragon Eijirou Kirishima, who loves Katsuki Bakugou. See how Katsuki's only an afterthought there and you're the main topic?" Todoroki says proudly and Kirishima almost laughs, so charmed by these two men beside him right now. And he's really starting to see what they're saying.

Kirishima drops his head into his hands with a groan. "I'm an idiot."

"Yeah," Midoriya agrees with a giggle, before pausing when Kirishima grabs him by the shoulders, eyes wild.

"But what if he doesn't want me to go back to him, what if he is really actually happy with leaving me behind and he actually wants this and he'll be more free without me and he'll be able to do what he likes and he won't have to-"

Kirishima yells when Todoroki grabs him and crashes their foreheads together enough for it to really hurt, then he's shaking Kirishima about and announcing loudly with each shake, "You. Moron. We. Are. Katsuki's. Closest. Friends. And. We. Are. Telling. You. To. GO!" 

Kirishima's eyes sparkle as they grow wide, before he's curling into a ball and hugging his knees. His horns and talons come out because he's too excited, tail flicking out and almost smacking Deku in the face, and he squeezes his eyes shut as he prays. 

He prays that Bakugou will want him. He prays that this is the right thing to do, because he's sick of being so worried, and he's sick of having to change his mind. He just wants simple. He just wants to be himself and he wants to love and be loved by his king.

"Amazing," Midoriya says in awe as he stares at Kirishima in his hybrid form, eyes already calculating and recording information until Kirishima turns to him and says firmly, "Let me fly you to Katsuki's kingdom. King Todoroki, can I have directions?"

"I can lead you, don't worry, but are you saying- I'm going to fly you? I'm going to fly a dragon?" Midoriya squeaks, and Kirishima nods before freezing when he realises Midoriya might be scared.

"I'll fly very very slow, I promise! And if you hold onto my horns or any rough surface really I'm sure you'll be fine-"

"Kirishima, don't worry. Midoriya's an adrenaline junkie, he's definitely up for it," Todoroki says with a smile, and Kirishima lights up when Midoriya hums in shaky agreement, looking like he's in a trance. But he sure snaps out of it when Kirishima leaps at him in a hug, dragging Todoroki along with him by the hand so they collapse on the floor in a messy heap, and Kirishima embraces both of them so tight.

"I probably would have been missing a part of myself for a very long time if it wasn't for you so thank you, thank you, thank you." 

"It's alright," Midoriya says fondly as Todoroki pats Kirishima's back. "You and Kacchan simply seem like both two very intense idiots but we'll be here to get you back on track." 

Kirishima's eyes grow wide before he scrambles to move back and take Midoriya's hands and ask earnestly, "Can we be friends, Sir Midoriya?" 

Midoriya's face turns into a puff of red again as he jerkily tries to nod and Todoroki stares at Kirishima in utter disbelief that someone like him actually exists. 

They decide to leave at first light the next day, since Midoriya expects that it would take one day to get there on dragonback when said dragon is flying slowly. That way, they'll reach where Bakugou's kingdom used to be roughly at the same time as Bakugou and his ex-subjects. 

Neither Midoriya nor Todoroki let Kirishima be alone for the entire day before they leave. Todoroki has a few royal duties to get on with, but for the most part they stay huddled up in a massive fancy room on a massive fancy bed and talk like old friends. Todoroki gets a servant to bring very pretty-coloured dyes and Midoriya paints Kirishima's talons red. And this red matches his tiger-print scarf. Kirishima knows Bakugou will like that.

"Kacchan never talked much about love, ever," Midoriya hums, as him and Todoroki sit either side of Kirishima with their heads resting on the latter's shoulders. "He thought what he had with Camie was romantic love, just because they were betrothed and that was all he knew, but then...well. I don't think any of us thought he'd find someone after what happened there. We didn't think he was interested." 

"He probably wasn't, it's not like he was prepared for someone like Kirishima." 

"He's never loved?" Kirishima asks, looking up at the big ceiling covered in swirling patterns, and Todoroki shakes his head.

"There are many types of love, and Katsuki has loved many a people. Me, Izuku, Camie, Inasa, his parents, more. But he deserves a love that stays with him." 

"He's the first person I've ever loved." 

"You never had any family?" Todoroki questions, before pausing when Midoriya elbows him in the gut. "What- oh- oh, gosh, wait-"

"It's alright," Kirishima assures him. "I have pretty much one memory from when I was very small. But it's a terrible one, and I can't always remember it. And my mother's face is blurry even then but I'm pretty sure she was beautiful." 

"Have you seen yourself, of course she was," Midoriya says under his breath, and Kirishima grins shyly at him. 

"I was captured at some point and then the slave trade was all I ever knew. My only friends were...insects," Kirishima says sheepishly. "But I stopped trying even with them after a while. Got all the youth and happiness knocked out of me from beatings and being forced to fight innocent people. I forgot how to smile, if I ever knew. I never learned how to laugh."  

"Oh Kirishima," Midoriya murmurs sadly, but Kirishima pats his arm to say it's okay. 

"I didn't have a reason to live, but I was too scared to die. And maybe I lived because somehow I knew I'd get here. That eventually, I'd get everything I could have ever wanted in life."

"You and Katsuki were probably fated, you know," Todoroki says. "The Norns must've done something. A man who lost everything and a dragon who never had anything. A man who needed to belong to someone and a dragon who needed to be free. It's like you were made to learn from each other." 

"You think Katsuki needs to belong to someone?" Kirishima asks curiously, and Todoroki shrugs as Midoriya answers. 

"Not like 'oh he needs to be owned', no, he just needs to hold onto someone's hand a little. The thing is, he's been a free spirit for so long that it's damaging his will to love. He has commitment issues but it's not his fault. No-one was ever able to stay for him, not his parents, his kingdom, Camie, me in a way, everyone so eventually he decided that he'll always be the one to leave first before someone leaves him. He hates being alone, but he hates being left behind even more." 

"Oh heck, everything he does keeps making even more sense the more you two keep talking," Kirishima groans, clutching his head. "He's so...complicated, but also simple, oh man - all I want to do is love him."  

"I can't say you guys aren't gonna have problems, but hey. Love isn't all sunshine and rainbows," Midoriya laughs. "But it'll give you happiness beyond measure so you still win!"  

"I like winning," Kirishima concedes absently as he pumps his fists, and Todoroki and Midoriya smile at each other. 

Kirishima waits on a large grass plain just outside Todoroki's kingdom the next morning, biting his lip as he looks down at his scaled hands. 

He's...scared. Scared to transform, but he doesn't know why. It has been forever but he should be able to do this, it's his birthright. But he really has only transformed a few times in his life. He never really needed to when he was a slave other than for...entertainment reasons and he transformed maybe twice after he escaped, firstly to fly away and second to try and find food. He didn't have the energy for it then but now, he knows he's stronger than he's ever been. 

He knows he needs to hurry up because Midoriya will be there soon. So he takes in a deep breath and closes his eyes. 

Please work. 

He slowly lets his scales ripple over his body and leans forward so he can press his growing palms on the ground, hissing when his talons grow enough to pierce the ground without even trying. Then his eyes flash open as they glow bright red and he lets out a guttural roar to the sky that gets louder the higher it goes, the higher he goes. And the first thing he hears when he's finally fully transformed for the first time in so long is Midoriya running at him and yelling in delight. 

"It's a dragon, it's a fucking DRAGON!" Midoriya cries, reaching out to hug Kirishima's massive shin and Kirishima looks down at the tiny human in amusement. He looks so adorable, Kirishima has an urge to squish him under his foot. Which he probably shouldn't do. "I AM SEEING A DRAGON! IN THE FLESH! I'M GONNA RIDE A DRAGON! AND THAT DRAGON IS THE LOVE OF KACCHAN'S LIFE - WHAT WORLD AM I LIVING IN?!" 

"WAIT, IZUKU!" a familiar voice yells from across the field, and Kirishima and Midoriya both look to see Todoroki racing across the field and barrelling right into Midoriya by accident. Midoriya catches him with a laugh. 

"What's wrong, Sho, we already said goodbye ,didn't we?" 

"Yes but - I didn't even ask you the thing that is the whole reason why I've been heckling you to come here!" Todoroki says desperately, before looking up and waving at Kirishima who nods back. "And it is so, so very important and I know you're coming back here after the pilgrimage but I must ask now, I must."

"Why didn't you say anything about this in your letters?" Midoriya asks in surprise, and Todoroki shakes his head. 

"This has to be done in person. You- oh wow," Todoroki wheezes, grabbing Midoriya and doubling over trying to catch his breath. "Midoriya...Izuku..." 

Midoriya crouches to see his face, giving him a look that urges him to continue, and Todoroki smiles warmly at him. "I want you to be my best man alongside Katsuki, Izuku." 

Midoriya pauses. For perhaps a full minute, it seems, as he stands there frozen and Todoroki's expression slowly grows worried. Then Midoriya says a croaky, "You and Iida are getting married?" 

"We are," Todoroki says, smiling again. "Please say you'll be by my side." 

Midoriya stares at him for another full minute, before he promptly bursts into tears and nods so wildly it wouldn't be surprising if he breaks his neck. Todoroki beams, his own eyes glassy too as he captures Midoriya in a hug, and Kirishima raises a massive foot to very gently pat their little heads in congratulations. That has Midoriya laughing as he buries his face in Kirishima's shin and Todoroki pets them both. "I'll be off then. Iida will be very happy with the news." 

That makes Midoriya cry even harder, and they leave an hour later than planned since Midoriya needs a lot of hugs to be consoled and even insists he needs to go back to the palace to see Iida again. But soon enough, Midoriya's climbing up Kirishima's neck and holding on tight to his horns, and Kirishima ascends into the sky. 

"They're two of my best friends, you know," Midoriya says softly when they've reached high enough to be able to fly smoothly among the clouds. He rubs at Kirishima's neck and Kirishima makes a satisfying clicking noise. "Iida and Todoroki, they're so wonderful. People always had such expectations for them, and they defied them all by choosing each other.  Everyone thought Todoroki and Yaoyorozu would get together once she came to his kingdom but nope, he actually had a thing for the other knight!" 

Midoriya laughs at his own words, patting Kirishima's head. "They're two people who everyone never really thought would find love, but they did and so early too, in each other. They're such intense people who are just big teddy bears really, I adore them. I think they lean on each other. Such pressured men, those two, but when they need a break they can just whisk each other away and probably cuddle and eat soba in the garden!"

Kirishima feels warmed inside-out, which is a big feat when he's now this large. They fly on in cosy silence, with the sun bathing them in nectarous light.  

Midoriya falls asleep a few times on the way, and Kirishima makes sure to slow down even more when that happens since neither of them really want to go back to land to rest until they get to Bakugou's kingdom. Midoriya also has food for the way, and throws slabs of meat into Kirishima's mouth and sometimes Kirishima needs to fly around in circles to catch them but Midoriya always beams proudly at him when he does, making Kirishima purr happily when Midoriya rubs his neck. 

He realises, belatedly, that Midoriya's definitely treating him like a dog but he doesn't mind one bit. 

Kirishima can't talk in human tongue like this, but Midoriya definitely can, and Kirishima pleasantly listens when they're not flying too fast. Midoriya can talk for hours, about what Bakugou was like as a kid, how he and Bakugou and Todoroki became friends, about the war that Todoroki's kingdom was recently involved in that still had all his knights so apprehensive. 

"Our entire half of the world were involved at some point, I think," Midoriya sighs. "A terrible time, and I can barely even remember how it started but me and Kacchan can tell you all about it one day if you want. We eventually needed to call on creatures of magic to help but, well, I don't know if Kacchan told you about the tensions between them and us. It took a very long time for them to help us, and they made sure to let us know that they were doing so so that the war wouldn't harm them rather than actively helping us. But I remember fighting right alongside them, it- it really felt like we were on the same side and it was amazing. They're amazing." 

Kirishima whines sadly, and Midoriya caresses one of his horns empathetically. "That's why I'm...really excited for you and Kacchan to be a pair. I think it'll mean a lot to all creatures of magic that you trust him so wholly and he trusts you. I think they'll celebrate the fact that the last red dragon can walk among humans and love a human as an equal." 

An equal. 

Kirishima doesn't even notice himself flying faster after the burst of endorphins Midoriya's words had just given him until he hears Midoriya whooping, laughing through the wind Kirishima's wings are creating and holding onto him tighter. Kirishima smiles, joining him by roaring loud into the twilit night and before they even know it - they're there. Kirishima thinks.

Midoriya gasps as Kirishima swoops down, eyes searching for something like a cemetery over the large swathe of land he sees that's mostly barren by the looks of it. But it seems he doesn't need to look very far because his eyes immediately catch the light of an...explosion. 

He sees Bakugou standing right in the middle of over a hundred people looking up at Kirishima, and he has the most beautiful smile on his face as his arm is held up and his hand sets off a light signal in the form of sparkling ignition. 

Kirishima's heart stutters.

"IT SEEMS," Midoriya interrupts the moment by yelling over the turbulence of the wind, "THAT KACCHAN KNEW YOU'D BE COMING! WOW!" 

Bakugou quickly ushers the people around him back as he walks in front of them just as Kirishima lands, and Midoriya, absolutely windswept, slithers off of Kirishima dizzily. "Woah..."

But before Midoriya can even move another inch, Bakugou is grabbing him by the collar and seething in his face, "I'm gonna beat you up three times." 

"THREE- what did I do?!" Midoriya yelps, and Bakugou holds up three fingers. 

"First 'cause I was startin' to think you weren't coming 'cause my messages weren't gettin' through to you. Second 'cause you were not meant to meet me at Half's kingdom 'n I woulda missed you whatever day I left apparently. And third 'cause you bloody stupid amazing nerd did somethin' to convince this big lug to come back even though I specifically fucking told you not to." 

Midoriya blinks for a few seconds, before he's smiling so fondly. "You know I love you but I don't listen to you very often, Kacchan." 

"Fuckin' right you are about that," Bakugou grumbles, annoyed but a smirk still flicks up his lips again as he drags Midoriya into a headlock. Kirishima lowers his neck to watch them in doting wonder, which makes both Midoriya and Bakugou look up at him. Immediately, any inch of anger or irritation in Bakugou's expression fades as his eyes soften. Kirishima bows his head sheepishly as Bakugou lets go of Midoriya and goes towards him, not saying a single word but instead reaching out for Kirishima's head and tiptoeing so he can rest his forehead against his, eyes closed. Kirishima watches him for a moment longer, taking in the person who is going to be his future, before he closes his own eyes and slowly, detransforms. 

"Why," Bakugou whispers, his arms wrapping around Kirishima when he's finally in hybrid form to pull him close and Kirishima rests his hands on Bakugou's face. He blinks his teary eyes open, watching Bakugou turn his face into his hands with a shaky breath. "Why. Please. Tell me why." 

"I'm yours," Kirishima whispers back, making Bakugou's eyes open wide in surprise. "Just like you're yours and you're mine, I'm mine and I'm yours. I can be both. We can be both. I have my spirit but you have my heart."

"I love you," Bakugou rushes out in a laboured breath like it's all he's ever wanted to say, lighting Kirishima's heart on fire. "So much, I fucking-" 

Bakugou just lets out a strangled noise and dives at Kirishima so hard that he falls back with a yell and they're tumbling over the ground, but Kirishima's too in love for it to hurt, a grin breaking his face in two as every second that they roll over the ground Bakugou tells him, "You're mine, you're mine, you're mine, you're mine-" 

Eventually they stop, with Bakugou pinning Kirishima to the ground by his wrists as he says a final, hoarse, disbelieving, "You're mine." 

"Your big fucking dragon," Kirishima says, hearts in his eyes when Bakugou bursts into unhinged laughter like a madman. He's so beautiful when he does that. "And you're my human treasure." 

"Heck...I always knew I was made outta damn gold," Bakugou jokes, lovelorn, and Kirishima wants to tell him he's so much better than gold, he's made of something so priceless that no-one could ever put a value on it, but he's parched, tired, and lovesick. He just makes grabby hands and it means the world to him when Bakugou smiles softly and sinks into his arms, holding Kirishima close. 

"How did you know I was coming?"  

"A little birdie told me. Or I should say tiger," Bakugou snorts in his ear, and Kirishima almost gasps. 

"A druid tiger?!" 

"Your mother was really smart, you know," Bakugou tells him quietly, making Kirishima blink confusedly. "There's a forest outside the barren parts of this land, and a druid tiger beckoned me into there. Do you know what she told me?" 

"What?" 

"She told me all about Deku arriving at Half's kingdom and finding you. She told me that you were planning to come find me, but not why. And she told me that when your mother left you behind when you were a kid, she asked druid tigers to look over you whenever they could in return for..." 

Bakugou pulls out something from a pocket of his belt, and holds it out to Kirishima. "This." 

A hairpin. 

It's a hairpin. And it's gorgeous, made out of rose-gold with a red lily in full bloom at the very top, and Kirishima can't take his eyes off it.

"Creatures of magic always have other creatures of magic's backs," Bakugou says as he reaches up to push the hairpin into Kirishima's hair, "so your mother didn't need to give them much. But she gave them this since it was one of her most prized possessions, only second to you. And hey. Now it seems like the druid tigers want to give it back to its rightful owner."  

Kirishima raises his hand to touch the pin, his heart beating loudly in his ears. He might not ever be able to find his mother, but, now he has something of hers. Something he'll be sure to hold onto until he's in his grave. 

"She also told me that the druid tigers apologise for not being able to try harder for you. They don't generally go outside forests, or reveal themselves to anyone at all. And they lost track of you when you escaped and a tiger only just found you again like two days ago in the forest outside of Half's kingdom 'n they're really beatin' themselves up about it," Bakugou snickers. "Thanked their lucky stars that nothing happened to you. And hey, I get it now. Why you like them. I love how sweet they are on you 'cause so am I, we've got that in common-" 

"King?" a voice asks hesitantly, and Bakugou and Kirishima turn to see a middle-aged woman looking at them sheepishly, but she's glowing with pride. "S-Sorry to interrupt! But it's time for the lighting of the candles and we need you to light the first one." 

"Oh, right. I'll be back," Bakugou tells Kirishima as they get back on their feet and hug one last time. Guaranteed it lasts a little too long as Bakugou buries his face in Kirishima's neck to breathe him in and Kirishima squeezes his eyes shut as he wraps his arms around Bakugou's shoulders and holds on desperately, and the woman needs to cough after a few minutes so they'll let go of each other. Bakugou reluctantly leaves with a kiss to the back of Kirishima's hand, and Kirishima watches after him with a giddy smile. 

But he blinks when a low voice suddenly says in his mind, 'I'm glad you're safe, Eijirou.'

Kirishima whips his head around frantically, before finally he zones in on the forest at the far right side of the land and sees two glowing yellow eyes peeking out shyly from behind a tree. Kirishima lights up, tail wagging in excitement as he trips over himself to run over and doesn't stop until he's barrelling into the tiger and burrowing into warm fur. 

"Thank you."

Kirishima's been looking for Bakugou for almost twenty minutes, always getting sidetracked by all the people cooing over him and asking how he and Bakugou met and how long it would be until there'd be a ring on his finger (Kirishima doesn't understand that one) and they're all so lovely but he's too worried about Bakugou to really answer. But eventually he gets to the cemetery and sees the backs of Bakugou and Deku, both of them leaning against each other as they sit in front of two graves that are in a place further away from the other ones, a lot of land all for themselves. 

Their arms are linked, heads bowed, and Kirishima suddenly feels like he walked in on something he shouldn't have so he makes to walk away but accidentally steps on a twig that breaks with a loud snap. He winces, cursing himself as Midoriya turns his head and sees him. Midoriya smiles when Kirishima waves nervously, then he's whispering something to Bakugou that makes Bakugou nod before Midoriya's getting up and going over to Kirishima. 

"I'm so sorry for disturbing," Kirishima whispers despondently but Midoriya laughs it off, patting Kirishima's arm. 

"Nothing to be sorry about. Is it okay to ask you to keep Kacchan company for a while?" 

Kirishima nods quickly and Midoriya grins, giving him a thumbs up before he walks away. Kirishima looks back at Bakugou who still has his head bowed, and he just about musters up the courage to walk over and settle beside him. He tries not to jolt when Bakugou immediately takes his hand, and intertwines their fingers. 

"My father," Bakugou says lowly, and Kirishima looks at the graves in front of them that read 'Queen Mitsuki Bakugou' and 'King Masaru Bakugou', "never wanted to be king." 

"Really?" 

"Mhm. He preferred the clothes Glamour to the explosions Quirk. He was a good man who made good royal decisions when he found the courage and worked hard but all he really wanted was to be a designer and open up a clothes line. But he was the only heir to the throne." 

"Oh no..." 

"So can you imagine his damn luck when the princess of a very prestigious nearby kingdom with all the makings of a strong queen fell head over heels for him before his coronation?"  

Kirishima gasps, and Bakugou smiles at the ground. "It's fucking wild how good they were for each other, still can't wrap my head around it. It was clear that my mother was the person people should come to for royal duties, but my father pioneered our clothes trade, making even more lines and making it even more popular than it already was. And they were able to help each other with both those things, too. They were a team. Equals."

"Like us," Kirishima murmurs in awe. Bakugou squeezes his hand, and that's when Kirishima notices something. 

"Your earrings," Kirishima says, poking the red pointed pearls that are usually in Bakugou's ears but this time they're hanging off little chains. "They're dangling."

Bakugou's ears flush pink as he rubs his neck. "Yeah, they were my mother's. She liked them."

"I like them."

"You want some, huh? Fucking hell, you really don't think you're gorgeous enough as is, do you," Bakugou teases, and Kirishima pouts because he had been trying to tell Bakugou that he's the gorgeous one. "And that hairpin. It looks like it's made for you." 

"Why didn't you tell me the instant you found out?" Kirishima asks sadly, and Bakugou seems to know exactly what he's talking about because his face falls. Then he sighs softly. 

"I couldn't bear it. It'd never come out. I just imagined how upset it would make you and it made me wanna cry a fucking river. 'M so sorry."  

"It's okay," Kirishima concedes. "I'm just really...sad. At least now I know why I've never seen another red dragon, when they're supposed to be the most populated dragon species..." 

Bakugou shifts and wraps his arms around Kirishima's waist from behind, locking him in with his legs as he kisses Kirishima's shoulder before he rests his chin there. Kirishima smiles at the wordless form of comfort, resting his head against Bakugou's. 

"If you...find a girl, or- or try to search for another red dragon that could be out there and fall-" 

"No." 

"Okay," Bakugou mumbles, hiding his face in Kirishima's neck. "I just- I really really want you to have everything you want." 

"I already have everything I could ever want, king," Kirishima assures him, resting his hands over Bakugou's. "Everything."

"Fuck, I love you," Bakugou hisses out like he's in pain, grabbing Kirishima tighter. "You're everything, you're the fucking moon and stars and everything good and- and, shit, just you wait I'm gonna hire a poet and then-" 

"Stop hiring people," Kirishima jibes, leaning back into Bakugou and raising a hand to card through his hair. "You're more than enough."

Bakugou groans loudly then fucking bites Kirishima's shoulder which has Kirishima yowling. "Fucking serves you right! Stop saying sweet shit or I'll feed you to the tigers!" 

Then Bakugou frowns. "Like they'd ever harm a hair on your head anyway...whatever. Just hush."

Kirishima grins as he presses a finger to his lips before he drapes Bakugou's arms tighter around himself and closes his eyes, tilting his head back to rest on Bakugou's shoulder and Bakugou's head ducks so he can press his lips against Kirishima's collarbone. The moment is so perfect and warm that tears prick at Kirishima's eyes without him even being able to help it. He's just so happy. Everything finally makes sense, and his future's finally clear. No more secrets, no more leaving, no more uncertainty. Just him and Bakugou against the world. 

"Can't believe fucking Deku got to fly you before me," Bakugou suddenly growls out of nowhere, and Kirishima's so surprised that he snaps out of his happy trance and turns around to blink at Bakugou who glares at him, face and neck flushed an angry red. "It's true, alright, this- it keeps happening! With your name and, you keep liking people really easily even though it took you ages to like me 'n I get it, I ain't the NICEST person in the world but come on and- God, Deku did your hair, didn't he, I always wanted to do that but I always forgot to bring a brush 'n if I tried to comb your hair with my fingers I'd get distracted, fuckin'- stop looking at me like that, I ain't even done!" 

Kirishima has a hand over his mouth, eyes wide as he stares at Bakugou who stares right back, eyebrows raised in angry question because he's just...absurd. Bakugou is an absurd, jealous, dumb fool and Kirishima already knows he won't be able to hold back this time; so he doesn't try to. He lowers his hand, and bursts into laughter. 

Endorphins fizzle through his veins as he laughs so hard, loud and echoing and goofy and he almost topples over so he reaches out for Bakugou to steady himself but his fingers don't close around anything. Instead, Bakugou takes hold of one of the hands in one of his, grabs Kirishima's hip with the other, and crashes their lips together. 

"Knew it," Bakugou breathes against Kirishima who's frozen, eyes bigger than the moon. "I'm making that fucking shrine." 

He's kissing me, Kirishima realises way, way too late as he sits there dumbfounded. His heart's hammering out of his chest and he doesn't know what to do which is horrible because this is all he's wanted for so long - but then Bakugou's hands soothe over his sides, gently tugging Kirishima closer, and the only thing Kirishima can think of doing is melting into it like its an embrace. So he winds his arms around Bakugou's shoulders, hands bunching feverishly into explosive hair as he slowly moves his lips against Bakugou's and immediately Bakugou holds him even tighter, his raspy sigh of relief rippling between their lips.  

"Mine," Bakugou whispers, the tips of his fingers setting off sparks that tickle Kirishima's sides and make him giggle as Bakugou breaks away to press messy kisses to Kirishima's jaw. But he's back to his lips in no time, and this time he's whispering, "Yours," before he presses their lips together again so much softer. A slow tender kiss that breaks Kirishima's heart and pieces it back together all at once, because he knows exactly what Bakugou's trying to say. 

Please stay.

Kirishima leans forward to press his chest against Bakugou's and cup his jaw in one hand, stroking his thumb against Bakugou's cheek. 

Always.

And his thumb picks up something wet, at the same time that something wet rolls over it too. Kirishima's breath hitches and he's the one to break away this time as he hurriedly clasps Bakugou's face in his hands, brushing away tears that are multiplying by the dozen and Bakugou coughs out a watery laugh, shaking his head. 

"I really had to go and bloody ruin it," Bakugou jeers bitterly, pulling back to wipe at his eyes but Kirishima quickly shakes his head and takes hold of Bakugou's wrists to stop him. He brushes closer and laps at Bakugou's eyes, trailing kisses down his tear-tracks, and Bakugou makes the most devastated sound of love as he tugs Kirishima into his lap and rests a hand on the back of his head. "Fuck- I'm okay, puppy, don't worry..."

"I know," Kirishima says softly, leaning back and planting a chaste kiss on Bakugou's lips, then another. "You're crying because you're really really happy, right? I know how that feels." 

"My parents are probably having a field day with this right now," Bakugou scoffs with a roll of his eyes, looking at his mother's grave and barking, "It's not like you'd even want us to get a room, hag." 

"Oh! What does that mean?" 

"Ah- I'll, uh, tell you later. For now I think we should probably get back." 

That's exactly what they do, after Kirishima pays respects to Bakugou's parents just to thank them for making such a wonderful person who means so much to him, with their son hiding his red face behind his arms as Kirishima gushes over him. Then when they return, Kirishima's instantly swarmed by people and instead of saving him, Bakugou just winks at him over the crowd before walking off whistling. Kirishima's gonna kill him. 

But it's not too bad, actually. They're sweet and mostly get Kirishima lost in mindless hearty chatter and tell him anecdotes from their younger lives. They also keep giving him things; brushing his hair and weaving flowers into it, clipping long gold earrings to his ears, wrapping strings of pretty beads around his horns, and lacing his arms with bracelets and pretty swirling patterns of nature using a dark substance that hardens. They leave his talons that Deku had painted be, fawning over them and seeming to know immediately that it was Midoriya's work.

"We knewww something had happened," an old lady says with a disapproving shake of her head as she draws the most immaculate of roses down the side of Kirishima's face. "The king, goodness, he was really trying to be strong during the days as he led us onwards. But some of us saw him when we set up camp at night, crying to himself. But how can we ask about something like that? Youths are so secretive!" 

"I hope I never make him feel that way again," Kirishima mumbles, curling into himself a little, but the lady pats his cheek and gives him a toothy smile. 

"You are a good one, dragon. All these years we have all been debating, who could possibly be the perfect match for our baby king?! And I tell you I don't think any of us, how hard we try, can find any fault in his decision." 

There are hums and murmurs of agreement from the others, and Kirishima has to stop himself from laughing when he sees Midoriya standing behind someone and giving him a wild grin and two massive thumbs up over their head.

"Thank you so much. I'll try to be good enough for him. 

"Make sure he's good enough for you first," a younger man scoffs haughtily, before burning red when Midoriya yells at him, "HE'S TAKEN, MONOMA, SHUT UP!"

"I- I WASN'T TRYING TO-" 

And soon, after Kirishima's talked, smiled, and laughed hard enough to gain a sore mouth and aching sides and bid goodnight to everyone, he seeks out Bakugou's tent and makes his way inside to see the king laying with his arms behind his head, all his jewellery off as well as the fancy furs he'd been wearing the past few days. He's stripped back perfection meanwhile Kirishima probably looks dressed up to the nines, confirmed by the way Bakugou looks up at him and chokes on air, eyes growing wide and pink dusting his cheeks. "The- what the heck did they do to you?!"

"I don't really know," Kirishima laughs nervously, lying back against warm mats with a relieved sigh but almost immediately Bakugou's moving to hover over him, forearms resting either side of Kirishima's head as he stares down at him in awe. 

"Well, I know, 'm pretty sure all of 'em tried to pretty you up so I'd get the overwhelming urge to damn well propose to you or something." 

"Woah, really?! Is it working?" Kirishima asks in astonishment, though that last question is more a joke until he really notices the way Bakugou's looking at him. But he's not looking at Kirishima's hair, or his arms, or any of the new pretty things. He's just staring into Kirishima's eyes, his own the soft red of sweetened wine in the dim light. 

"A little bit," Bakugou murmurs, and Kirishima falls deep into the kiss Bakugou leans down to give him, lazy and soft-lipped as they delicately brush their sleepy smiles together and Kirishima trails his fingers down Bakugou's chest which has Bakugou being the one making a soft low sound like a purr. Soon he falls into the space next to Kirishima, and the next hour is so beautifully stupid because they spend time they could've used sleeping nuzzling into each other and whispering the cheesiest things that come to mind. 'Sweet nothings', they're called apparently, which is funny because Kirishima thinks they mean everything. 

"Can we make up a lie?" Kirishima asks as he traces Bakugou's tattoos, and Bakugou hums into his hair. "About how we met? And why we're companions? Because I don't want to have to bring up my past anymore. 

"'Course, love. What you got in mind?" 

"I don't know...something like we met each other and instantly hated each other! So we challenged each other to a fight!" 

"Woah, woah, 'instantly hated each other' sounds a bit unbelievable," Bakugou snorts. "But I like the part about a fight. Let's say I challenged you since I'm a dumb hothead like that." 

"Yeah! And your wager was that I had to go with you on your travels!" 

"So I won? Already love it," Bakugou says with a smirk and Kirishima beams, nestling into Bakugou's chest. 

"Is that okay?" 

"Duh. I ain't doin' anything that makes you uncomfy." 

"Thank you. For everything." 

"I should be thankin' you, lizard. You don't even know how much you've saved me." 

Kirishima thinks he has an idea, but he just smiles and closes his eyes as Bakugou puts out the candle and they hold each other in their arms. Bakugou taps Kirishima's lower back as if to say 'you're forgetting something', and Kirishima almost bursts from affection as he brings up his tail to rest over Bakugou, and rests his hand over his own wildly beating heart. 

The scales underneath his fingers are red. 

Three months later

There's a notorious king without a kingdom called Katsuki Bakugou who reigns terror wherever he goes. Rumours once said that he's a lonely tyrant who kills anyone he comes by without as much of a second look and conquers whole kingdoms only to leave them behind to descend into chaos with no rulers. 

Until, the rumours start to change. It seems Katsuki Bakugou no longer walks the road alone anymore. Instead he rules over the skies, having acquired what seems like the only red dragon in the world, and rumours say this dragon is a hybrid. 

The lone wolf king has a companion. 

Rumours say this companion is an offspring of Freyja (goddess of love, beauty, fertility, war, and gold) herself, so kind, beautiful, and skilled in combat that he can't possibly be mortal. He's a miracle who stops the king from getting into so many petty fights that spiral, yet when the time is right, they're an unstoppable force who can wipe out entire clans together. 

Some rumours say he is Katsuki Bakugou's only weakness. Others say he makes the notorious king even stronger. 

Rumours say someone like that has to be under the king's control. But a rumour that shakes the world is when one person says they are lovers. That she once caught the tyrant king and the beautiful hybrid dancing together to no music in a forest, the hybrid laughing loud as the king with eyes full of love spun him around before pulling him back into a kiss.  

Rumours say that the free spirit Katsuki Bakugou has finally learned how to gain someone's trust, and that makes him even more dangerous. 

"These rumours are so fucking dumb? What kinda trust do they think I got? All I ever asked of you was to trust me to be yours," Bakugou scoffs as they walk through a strawberry field hand-in-hand, and Kirishima chuckles as he picks a strawberry and throws it into Bakugou's mouth. 

"No matter what the rumours say, people really just have to stop believing in them." 

"Well, I don't know about you but I kinda liked one I heard where we're 'husbands fighting injustice'," Bakugou says after he swallows the fruit, wiggling his eyebrows at Kirishima who bursts into surprised laughter. 

"That one's not too far off!" 

"Soon," Bakugou says, as they link ring fingers that hold two simple bands, one gold and one rose-gold. "First Half 'n Roadrunner need to hurry up with their fucking wedding 'cause it'd just be embarrassing if we get married before them." 

"They're busy!" 

"So are we! We're busting bandits left 'n right, not sittin' pretty on a throne!" 

"You know, we could just get married spontaneously whenever we want if you're that pressed but I know you want all your friends there," Kirishima teases, and Bakugou huffs at him but also steps close, face turning solemn as he takes hold of Kirishima, hands gentle. 

"Maybe. But it's also about me wantin' the whole world knowing I'm getting married to you. So-called son of Freyja," Bakugou snickers, and Kirishima groans. 

"People big up my looks way too much..." 

Bakugou fixes Kirishima with such a fierce glare that he has to raise his arms in surrender. 

"You're a gorgeous bastard 'n I want everyone to know you're mine 'n I'm yours. I ain't letting you just be one of my rumours 'cause most rumours aren't real." 

"I'm real, right?" Kirishima asks, smiling big as he tugs Bakugou close with no warning and Bakugou stumbles into him with a beautiful laugh. 

"So fucking real, and yet I still can't believe you exist," Bakugou murmurs, their noses brushing as he leans down to fit their lips together and Kirishima's eyes flutter shut, whispering a breathy, "That's exactly what I feel about you..." 

"Time to spend our lives provin' our existence to each other, huh?" 

"Sounds like a plan," Kirishima agrees amusedly, before he's knocking Bakugou down into the fields and they're rolling around amidst strawberries and lush leaves, giggling between kisses that are barely anything but rushes of breath and ecstasy. 

Kirishima knows rumours mean nothing. He knows Bakugou is everything the rumours he once heard weren't and so much more. He knows their love will never even be able to be immortalised in words anyway. And if rumours mean nothing, it's time for Kirishima to explore the world and see every little thing for himself, with his fiancé right by his side. 

He can't wait.