Archive of Our Own ^beta

"I don't understand why you are so angry! I am a King; I have to work long, exhausting hours." Shouta growled, staring at his mate. He had been busy the last few weeks, rarely coming to their room at night and sometimes waking up on the couch in his office after enduring a late night of reading reports and alliance proposals. He was tired and hadn't had much time to spend with his mate.

Izumi scowled, "I'm not angry, Shouta. I'm fine." She turned, folding a blanket he had scented for her a few days after they marked each other. His scent had probably faded by now and he felt a pang of regret. "Izu-" He started, cutting off as a knock sounded on their bedroom door. "Enter." Izumi called, not even looking at him.

Hizashi entered the room. "Shouta, the royals from The Shadow Planet have arrived." He paused, looking between the two of them, "Did I interrupt something?" Again, Shouta sighed, opening his mouth to respond only to be interrupted. "No, Hizashi. You didn't." Izumi deadpanned, her back still turned away from the two men. "Go to work, Shouta." She sighed, leaving the room with the newly folded blanket.

Shouta watched her leave, noting that it was through the door that led to her own suites. He sighed, standing, "Come on, Zashi. I'm not sure what's going on with her."

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Izumi sniffed the air as she walked into their rooms. He'd been spending a bit more time with her, either showing her the rest of their territory or just sitting in the room with her while she read, and he did work. He'd been trying, something that pleased her. Especially when she had woken up after their fight a few days prior to find herself in their bed with a newly scented blanket. She had practically purred, her eyes turning to slits as she rumbled and rubbed her face into the blanket.

Her nose scrunched as a scent crossed her path and her stomach rolled. "Oh hell, what is that smell?" She asked out loud as she buried her nose into her elbow. Shouta tilted his head, "Uh, dinner? I think that's what you are smelling?" He gestured to the steaming hot Zorapanki, a homestyle dish the Dragon race ate like people of Japan ate miso or rice.

She frowned, her gut threatening to revolt if she didn't leave. "Shouta. I don't know what was added to that dish, but it absolutely reeks and I'm going to be sick if I stay in here any longer." She turned to leave, barreling through the door to the Queen suites with her mate fast on her heels.

"Izumi. What is going on with you? You love Zorapanki. You've been asking for it for several days in a row and now, you don't want it?" He asked once she had found her breath. She shrugged, "I don't know, Sho. It doesn't smell right. I literally don't know. My stomach was not happy, and I don't know what to tell you."

He moved closer, his hands cupping her cheeks. "Are you sick? Do I need to fetch a medic, Nedzu, even?" She frowned, "I'm fine, Sho. I don't have a fever and I was ok before smelling dinner. It's not even messing with me now." He nodded, glancing back at their room. "Let me call for someone to clean it up and bring us something else. Something with blandness maybe?"

She sighed, "I'm sorry. I really don't know what happened." He smiled down at her. "I know, Kitten. I believe you." He leaned down, kissing her forehead before leaving to get someone.

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Izumi cursed as she fought with the zipper of her dress. King Fumikage had arrived for peace talks after a group of raiders killed his mother on her way back from the Dragon kingdom and both were due to be in the throne room in time to greet him. Something that hadn't happened yet seeing as Izumi couldn't get her clothes on. "I don't understand. This dress fit last week when I got it from the Bakugos."

"You've gained some weight lately, Izumi." Shouta commented, his head tilting at the sight of his mate struggling to pull the zipper any further than where it had been for the last ten minutes. He blinked as his eyes caught hers in the mirror, anger and something else in her features as her mouth bobbed.

"What the fuck, Shouta? Are you seriously calling me fat right now?!" She shrieked. He frowned, "No?" She growled as she turned, "Want to make that sound less like a question? Seriously. What the fuck?!" She snarled as he stammered, looking every bit the confused male. "I am only making a remark. You said you didn't understand why you were fitting in your dress and I answered you based on what I could see. I don't understand why you are thinking that I am calling you fat." He tried again. Izumi sighed, tears already running down her cheeks. "Get out." She whispered.

Shouta stood up, tilting his head. "What?" He asked. He had heard her words but didn't understand why she was so upset. "Get out, Shouta. Go somewhere, do something. Just…leave. I'll find something else to wear and meet you in the throne room." She knew she sounded blank and emotionless, but she was already trying her hardest to not scream at him. He sighed, leaving the room. A few minutes later, Hitoshi walked in.

"Hey sis? Are you ok? Shouta seemed really confused when he told me to come help you." He walked over, finding his sister in tears with her dress still unzipped. Izumi shook her head. "He called me fat." She muttered, burying her face into his chest as soon as he came close enough. Hitoshi frowned, "Not that I think you are lying but are you sure that's what he did?" Izumi growled, "I couldn't get the zipper up and made a comment about how I didn't know why it wasn't fitting when I just tried it on last week when Katsuki's parents were done with it and his exact words were 'you've gained weight recently.' He called me fat, Hitoshi!"

Hitoshi pulled his sister into a hug. "Izumi, he wasn't calling you fat. He's a bit dense, but he loves you and your figure. You have to remember that our race doesn't think in terms of fat or skinny or anything in between. Shouta only cares that you are happy and healthy, and you really freaked him out just now." Hitoshi wiped away her tears with his thumbs as he frowned, "Zumi? Have you been sleeping? You've got some dark bags like when we were kids." Izumi shook her head, "Not really. I mean I do, but I don't. Like sometimes I'll be sleeping for hours even after only being awake for an hour or two but then a few days later, I'm not sleeping at all. Or like last night, I couldn't get comfortable. I kept hurting and my stomach was really angry."

The purplette tilted his head, "Do you need a medic? Or Nedzu?" Izumi shook her head, "I just need to find something else to wear since I can't fit into this one." She sighed, "I'll apologize to Shouta when we get to the throne room. I know he wasn't calling me fat, it just felt that way in the moment and I couldn't think of anything else." She snuggled into his chest again, thankful that she had such an awesome brother. "Thanks Hitoshi. I don't know what I would do without you." Hitoshi chuckled, nuzzling the top of her head. "Perish, I guess."

He froze, his arms tightening around her slightly before Izumi felt his nose snuffle along the top of her head before moving down to her face. "Toshi? Why are you sniffing me?" Izumi was confused and a bit weirded out. Hitoshi swallowed, pulling away from her. "Zumi? How long have you been feeling off with your sleeping and moods?" She tilted her head, "I don't know, 3ish weeks I guess?" She nodded, "Yeah, that's about right, I started with the moodiness when Shouta was in his office all the time and not scenting me or anything for me to have."

Hitoshi closed his eyes as he sighed, "Zumi. I think you're pregnant."

Shouta stared at his mate. Why the hell was she giving him the same silent treatment that he had always seen his mother use when his father did something that upset her? As far as he was aware, he hadn't been around enough to upset her. He'd been working such long hours, if he even came to their bed, it was late, and she was already asleep and he would get up way earlier than she would wake. It wasn't like he had much of a choice; the death of King Joshua and Princess Emi in his territory was already amounting a massive pile of paperwork and that didn't even include helping the new Queen Katrina learn her role. The now 11-year-old, how that hurt his heart to know she had to bury her father and traitorous sister two days prior to a day of celebration, had luckily not needed a ton of help, having had her father's advisors by her side.

He had countless alliances to engage in, numerous meetings with other royalty as well as correspondences from all the leaders and kings or queens that weren't able to attend Izumi's welcome dinner. He opened his mouth, planning on trying again before a knock on the door interrupted him, Izumi calling for whoever it was to enter. Hizashi opened the door, sticking his head in. "Shouta, the royals from the Shadow planet have arrived." The blonde said before asking if he had interrupted something. Again, Izumi answered first, denying his question before telling Shouta to go to work.

Shouta followed his friend and advisor to his office where the Shad'ird Royals were supposed to be brought to, silence enveloping them before Hizashi spoke, "I interrupted something, didn't I? Is everything okay?" His best friend has always been there for him and maybe he could help Shouta understand what was going on. He sank into the couch that formed two walls. "I don't know why she's angry with me. It's not like I've even been around to do something for her to be angry about."

Hizashi snorted, "Sho, I love you. You are my best friend and my king, so please forgive me when I tell you that you are an idiot." The blonde shook his head before sitting in the chair across from him. "Shouta. You not being around is exactly why she is mad. Dude, she misses you. She's probably missing your scent too. I mean, you both only just marked each other and mated properly a few weeks ago and, in that time, you've barely spent any of it with her."

Shouta froze, his eyes unblinking as he thought about what his best friend had said.

Could it be that simple?

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Shouta smiled as his green-haired mate walked into their room. Zashi had been completely right about what had been upsetting her and once Shouta started spending more time with her, her scent had bloomed, becoming happier and less fights occurred between the two of them.

Her nose scrunched as she got closer, a scowl on her face. "Oh hell, what is that smell?" She asked him as she buried her nose into her elbow. Shouta tilted his head, "Uh, dinner? I think that's what you are smelling?" He gestured to the steaming hot Zorapanki, one of her favorite dishes of his, now their, race.

He watched as she scrunched up, looking like she was about to bolt out of the room. "Shouta. I don't know what was added to that dish, but it absolutely reeks and I'm going to be sick if I stay in here any longer." She turned to leave, barreling through the door to her private rooms and Shouta was quick to follow her.

"Izumi. What is going on with you? You love Zorapanki. You've been asking for it for several days in a row and now, you don't want it?" He asked once she stopped breathing heavily. He felt her shrug, "I don't know, Sho. It doesn't smell right. I literally don't know. My stomach was not happy, and I don't know what to tell you."

He moved closer, his hands cupping her cheeks. "Are you sick? Do I need to fetch a medic, Nedzu, even?" She frowned even as she leaned into his hands. "I'm fine, Sho. I don't have a fever, and I was ok before smelling dinner. It's not even messing with me now." Shouta nodded, glancing back at their room. "Let me call for someone to clean it up and bring us something else. Something with blandness maybe?"

She sighed, "I'm sorry. I really don't know what happened." He smiled down at her. "I know, Kitten. I believe you." He leaned down, kissing her forehead before leaving to get someone. It took only 20 minutes, but he managed to get one of the chefs to cook her some rice and miso from her home world, bringing it in just as the smell of the Zorapanki dissipated from their sitting room. He walked back where he had left her, his smile still on his face.

"Ok, kitten. Chef Sato made up some of your home planet's miso and rice with Hitoshi's help so hopefully you'll not feel sick when you smell it." He offered his hand out to her, helping her back into their rooms. She took a hesitant whiff of the air, her shoulders relaxing as nothing happened. "Thanks Shouta. It smells good." He sighed with relief.

Maybe he should keep their meals to foods that weren't heavy on the spices.

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Shouta scowled as he walked towards the throne room. Izuku had kicked him out after he had made a simple comment about her fuller body. The rich foods of their world had done wonders for the greenette's health, and she had packed on the weight that she should have had all along. But she didn't seem to see it that way.

Izumi, already frustrated with the fact that her brand-new dress wouldn't zip, had gotten angry when he had pointed out her fuller figure, bursting into angry tears before kicking him out to meet their guests while she tried to find something else to wear.

Instead of arguing yet again, Shouta chalked it up to nerves and left. Hitoshi, having been part of their group of guards, stood outside the door, frowning when Shouta had come out without his sister.

"My king? Where's Izumi?" The purple haired man asked, glancing between Shouta and the door. Shouta sighed, "Hitoshi, I'm your brother-in-law now. Just call me Shouta when in private or friendly company. As for Izumi, she kicked me out of the room. She was having trouble with her dress; I made a comment about it and she got pissed with me." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just…check on her and help her please? I'm really starting to get worried about her mood swings. This isn't like her, and I'm scared something is wrong."

Shouta walked away with his half of the guards, turning the corner before he heard the door closing behind Hitoshi.

__________________

Shouta frowned as he checked the time again. It had been nearly 30 minutes, and his mate still hadn't arrived. He twitched, summoning Hizashi to his side. "Where the hell is my mate?" He growled. Hizashi pulled a radio from his side, quietly speaking into it before answering his question. "They are almost here. Hitoshi says that they had to make a stop."

Sure enough, both Izumi and her guards entered the room a few minutes later. Shouta smiled at the look of joy on his mate's face, glad that she was no longer crying or angry at him. He opened his arms, kissing her softly as she curled into his chest.

"Are you feeling any better, Kitten?" Shouta asked. She nodded, "Yes. I'm sorry for yelling at you. Hitoshi explained that you weren't calling me fat, but instead commenting on my healthy appearance." She stepped back, smile soft on her face. "I know it's not as fancy, but is this outfit ok?"

He glanced down, his smile growing as he took in her beauty. If the previous golden dress was beautiful on her, the current one made of silky black was even more so. It hugged her figure so nicely, showing off hard won muscles but still leaving something to his imagination even with the plunging neckline and open back. The scars lining her arms, chest and face were bared to the world, showing just what she had gone through to get to where she was. He chuckled as he finished gawking, finding that she was wearing her knee-high boots instead of heels.

"It looks perfect on you." He kissed her forehead, nose twitching as her scent filled it. Shouta hummed, tilting his head as he sniffed her neck. He could smell Nedzu and one of the Raat's personal medics on her which normally would worry him if it weren't for the underlying scent that mixed with her own. She smirked, watching with teasing eyes as what the scent actually was clicked in his brain.

"Izumi? Are you…." He trailed off as her smirk turned into a full-blown tear-filled smile. She nodded, "Yes." She whispered. "Nedzu and his medic confirmed it. That's why we were late."

Shouta cheered, picking her up and twirling her in a circle. "KITS! We're going to be parents!" She giggled as he drew her into a deep kiss. "Izumi, kitten. You have no idea how happy you've made me." He opened him mouth to say something else only to stop as one of the stewards began to speak, introducing King Fumikage to them.

Izumi turned to her mate, "Don't worry, My Dragon. We can talk more later."

Shouta stared at the blank field, his heart dropping hard. He knew he was in the right location; he had Hitoshi's map clenched in his hands that should have led him to the small little restaurant that Hitoshi and Izumi had gotten their first jobs at.

The same place that made Izumi's favorite Earth dish. Katsudon. And it wasn't like he could go anywhere else to get it seeing as Izumi ate it a certain way that only this place made. Hitoshi had told Shouta that nothing else, nowhere else, would do for her pregnancy cravings.

But it was gone.

The little mom and pop place with the sky-blue shutters and the flower boxes full of wildflowers was gone and in it's place was a blank spot with nothing but rubble, broken wood and glass surrounded by police tape.

"Excuse me?"

Shouta turned around at the soft voice behind him. The thin blonde with a black lightning bolt on the side of his hair stood there, looking up at him. "Are you looking for Healing Hearths?" The blonde asked. Shouta nodded, "Yeah. My ma-um, my wife is pregnant and was requesting something specific that she wanted from it…what happened here?"

The blonde scowled, "A villain happened. Took the place out nearly a month ago. The heroes didn't even stop to help Granny Chiyo and Gran Sorahiko out of the mess. It was our patrons that came to check on them. I was at school so I didn't know until I got the call that they needed a ride from the hospital."

Shouta frowned, "Are they ok? Did the restaurant just move?" The blonde shook his head, "They are fine, but the restaurant is gone. They…" He paused, looking around, "Come on, it's not safe to talk about it here. I'll take you to Granny and Gran." Shouta tilted his head, looking around at the deserted street. Either the blonde was paranoid or someone was there that Shouta couldn't smell.

He followed the younger man through the streets, looking around all the twists and turns until they reached a small building, the outside looking old but well cared for. The sign above it deemed it an apartment building for seniors and Shouta watched as the blonde pulled out a keycard, swiping it before opening the door and ushering him in.

"Come on, Granny was expecting me back a little while ago." The blonde stated, leading him into the elevator and pressing the button for the top floor. The inside of the building was definitely nicer that the outside, with polished tile floors and plush chairs. The elevator was even nice, the walls a deep red with brass fittings.

The elevator dinged, letting them out into a nice looking entry hall and Shouta followed the blonde to the door, watching as he let himself in. "Take your shoes off. You can use the black slippers in the basket." He told Shouta before venturing further in. "Granny! Sorahiko! I'm back and I brought company."

There was a small clattering before feet hurried their direction, leading to a frail looking older woman with a large bun on her head made out of her silver hair. She took in Shouta, glaring at him before bowing slightly, "What brings the king of the alien Dragon race to my home?"

Shouta heard the blonde gasp but ignored it. "You know who I am?" He asked instead. She nodded, "I may be old but I keep up with the news. When word that us humans were not alone in the universe came out, I was one of the first people our government asked to learn about your health, culture and bodies. I agreed, even coming out of retirement to do so, simply because I knew there were kids out there that were either wholly or half way part of your world." She sighed, "I knew one such boy before his uncle came to get him and take him back."

"Hitoshi." Shouta muttered. The woman nodded, "Yes. You know Hitoshi?" she raised her eyebrow. He smiled, "His uncle is my best friend and leader of my personal guards. He's doing well." The woman sighed, "That's good to hear. Takes a load off of my old heart. Denki, be a dear and go get Sora, will you? He's in the office." The blonde, apparently named Denki, nodded, leaving them alone in the hall.

"I'm Chiyo by the way. I used to be a hero but then I got old and retired with my husband. He was a hero as well." She turned walking off towards the place she had been before they had arrived. "Come along now, dinner is cooking and I won't have it burning." He followed her into the rather large kitchen, something bubbling away on the stove. "Now, why would the king of an alien race show up looking for me?"

Shouta smirked, chuckling. "I was actually looking for Healer's Hearth but saw the destruction and Denki found me staring at it before bring me here." Chiyo froze for a moment, her back stiffening before she relaxed. "Yes. Villains were blamed but I'm pretty sure it was the Heroes that truly failed me and my husband. They weren't very happy that I retired. I was one of the best healer's they had but I'm old and tired. I wanted to live with my husband without the stress."

She huffed, continuing to stir the pot. "They probably thought that if I no longer had my Hearth, that I would return to healing their stupid asses." She turned off the stove, her hands shaky as she moved the hot pot to the table, setting it down on a square of folded cloth. "BOYS! Come and eat or else!" She yelled, turning to Shouta. "You never did answer my question. Why were you looking for my place?"

Shouta sighed, "I wanted to buy something that from what I heard could only be found at Healer's Hearth. Katsudon with fried pork slabs and some sort of soy glaze?" He heard a hiss coming from the hallway and turned to find an elderly man glaring at him.

"Where is she?" He growled. Shouta tilted his head, "I'm sorry?" The man stomped closer with Denki on his heels. "IZUMI! Where is she? She's the only one we make that for and she's been missing for months!" Shouta nodding, "Ah. Yes, well she's the one I'm looking to get that for. She is my mate. She came to visit Hitoshi on my planet and ended up in the middle of an attack. She ended up getting hurt but also used some old potions that even my elders couldn't decipher and now she's one of my kind."

He smiled, glancing between the two elderly people. "She's actually pregnant with our first clutch." Chiyo gasped, her hand going to her mouth. "Oh, Izumi. I'm so glad she's ok. She said she was going to go on a trip but didn't tell us where and then she never came back. We tried going by her apartment a few weeks into her being missing but the landlord was a…" Sorahiko gruffed, "A dick. He was a massive, misshapen dick."

Shouta snorted, "I sent a few of my men to pay the landlord and gather her things for her. She didn't have much and when I asked her about it, she said that someone kept breaking in and taking her stuff and the landlord wouldn't fix the lock." Sorahiko nodded, "Yeah that sounds about right. Blasted quirkist bastard."

Chiyo dished out four bowls, placing them in front of each chair. "Speaking of landlords, we need to talk to ours. Seems a hero found us again." Sorahiko swore, "Damnit, that's the third time this year. We can't keep moving!"

Shouta hummed, "You know, you could always come back with me. I'm sure Hitoshi and Izumi would love to see you again and these heroes wouldn't be able to bother you again." Chiyo and Sorahiko exchanged looks before Chiyo answered, "While that would fix our problem, we can't leave Denki behind. He's got no where else to go and he's like a son to us."

Denki coughed, "Uh, actually. My school got demolished today. They're moving everyone to online so as long as I have some form of internet, I can learn from anywhere." Shouta hummed, "What are you learning?" The blonde lit up, "I'm working towards a degree in Engineering and Mechanics. I'm not very far into it, only the first semester but I really like it and it works well with my quirk."

Shouta hummed again, "That's right, human have powers called quirks." Denki nodded, "I've got electricity running in my body that I can release anytime I need to. Except I kept overusing it and going into my dumb dumb mode."

Chiyo huffed, "I've told you already. Its not a dumb dumb mode, its that you are frying your brain. I'm just glad that you aren't needing to do that anymore." At Shouta's look of confusion, Denki sighed. "I used to be homeless and the only way I could find that got me enough money to live was in a fighting ring. I didn't like it, but it was the only way I could survive."

Sorahiko pursed his lips, "You're lucky I found you that night and brought you home. Those blasted assholes just threw you in the trash after you fried yourself to near death." Denki nodded.

Shouta hummed, "Well we don't have internet perse, but we have our own version of your human college where people learn trades and higher classes. I went there and Hizashi, Hitoshi’s uncle, went there as well as all my friends."

Denki tilted his head, "Aliens have school?" He asked before blushing. "I am so sorry. That was rude." Shouta snorted, "Izumi said the same thing when I told her." He waved his hand, "But seriously, it's not elite but it is a good trade school. There's never been a human but with my backing, it wouldn't be difficult."

Chiyo sighed, "We would need to talk about moving with you but Denki, you should do it. Even if we only visit." Denki frowned, crossing his arms across his chest. "If you aren't going, I won't either." Chiyo sighed again, looking at her husband. "What do you think, dear? Should we move one last time?" Sorahiko chuckled, "I miss Izumi and Hitoshi. Plus we wouldn't have to worry about those fucking heroes harassing you anymore."

Sorahiko looked at Shouta, "How quick could we join you?" Laughing, Shouta pulled out his cell phone. "Hizashi is with the rest of our people that came with us. With both Hitoshi and Izumi having lived most of their lives on Earth, we wanted them to have things that they would like as well as new experiences. Therefore we were already making a run and I was asked to get your Katsudon while I am here. They could be here in 20 with supplies to pack."

Chiyo chuckled, "I guess we are moving. After we eat, Sora, go talk to the landlord and cancel our agreement. Denki, take Shouta to your school so he can get your deposit back." She grabbed her fork. "Eat now, though it is probably cold and we can get started. There is a lot to do."

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With everyone pitching in, it only took 3 hours to get all the tasks done and everything packed. Hizashi had been happy to see Chiyo and Sorahiko again, bringing with him their people in order to help the two elders pack. Ecto, a Clone'ain, was a gift for getting it all done in so little time.

The landlord had tried to give them a fuss about their contract but after letting slip that he had drunkenly told someone where they were living, and in turn creating the issue, Hizashi was able to 'convince' the man to cancel their agreement and give them their deposit and prior month's rent back.

Denki's school was probably the easiest to deal with. It seemed that with so much damages and other issues, they had a lot of people going elsewhere for their schooling as most of what they taught couldn't be done on the computer alone. With just a bit of paperwork needing to be signed, Denki not only had his money back, but also took Shouta to the nearest store in order to buy the various groceries that they would need to make Izumi's katsudon once they arrived home.

The only real issue with moving everything was doing it in a way that didn't alert the heroes. Not that Shouta really had to worry about them. When he and his people had come out of hiding to the government, Shouta was given permission to take anyone who wanted to go back with him. The only difference was he couldn't take kids unless they were genetically part of his species, hence being able to take Hitoshi but not Izumi. Adults, on the other hand, could make that choice themselves and even do so without telling anyone if they had the money to simply pack up and move, although doing so had to be approved by Shouta or Hizashi. Very rarely had that happened, with only these three ever being brought on by the Dragon King himself.

Hizashi giggled to himself as he helped their newest members onto their large ship, settling them into a few rooms in order to rest for the warp back. It was like flying on a plane, the trip taking several hours even with them jumping through space several times. An excited Hizashi had explained to an equally excited Denki that they usually met any visitors on a docking station of theirs, most intending on doing tours of an alien world, but after the attack that resulted in Izumi's change into an alien species, Shouta had barred anyone not personally invited by a royal family member or a trusted friend from stepping foot on their planet.

It wasn't until they had arrived that Shouta realized he hadn't said anything to his men on the other side of the ship's door nor had he said anything to Izumi or Hitoshi. He turned to his guests. "Just realized that I haven't sent a message ahead to anyone so stay behind me and Hizashi, but in front of the guards. I don't want any accidents to happen."

They moved into formation, the leftover guards boxing in the human guests as they moved forward. Shouta grinned as he caught sight of his mate and her brother, knowing full well that neither of them were expecting his surprise. He pulled Izumi into a hug, twirling her around and catching sight of Hizashi side hugging Hitoshi as well.

"Izumi Kalina Midoriya!"

Izumi squeaked, her eyes wide as she looked at the rest of the group. "GRAN! GRANNY!" She squealed, shoving herself out of Shouta's arms and racing over to them, quickly followed by Hitoshi. Both of them nearly bowled over the elderly couple, only remembering at the last minute to slow down and calm themselves before they broke someone.

"Damn Izumi. You've gotten so healthy! And Shouta told us you were pregnant too! We're so happy for you, child." Granny Chiyo smiled softly, her deft fingers running through green strands. Izumi nodded, "Shouta has been so good to me. I'm sorry I never came back. Things have been so hectic lately, with my new shifting and learning the rules of being a queen and mate, helping with the hatchlings and eggs plus now with me carrying our kits, I never really had a moment." Sorahiko sighed, "We aren't upset kiddo. We were just worried about you." Izumi sighed, relieved. "So tell me, who is the blonde?" Chiyo chuckled, "That's Denki, he's-"

The three of them turned only to find Hitoshi and Denki kissing deeply with Hitoshi's tongue so deep inside the blonde's mouth that Izumi was sure he was searching for the man's heart. "Well, that was fast." Izumi stated, startling the two apart. Denki blushed while Hitoshi smirked, "Wouldn't you know it, you were right, Zumi."

She frowned, "Right about what?" He snorted, "I will find my own mate." Her jaw dropped before she cackled, "Oh my kami! That's awesome! I'm so happy for you, Tosh." She eagerly pulled Denki into a hug.

"Welcome to the family, Denki."

The yelling and arguing was definitely giving Shouta a headache. All he wanted was to be in his den, waiting on Izumi hand and foot and making her last few weeks of pregnancy easy going. Instead, he was dealing with multiple royalties from all over the galaxy and almost none of them were already his allies. Each and every one of them had come to his planet in search of an alliance against King Todoroki, one of the biggest and worst war driven kings anyone had ever seen. While most flambe were a bit hotheaded, Enji Todoroki was egotistical and found war to be the only answer to any kind of dispute.

He snarled, his loudness quieting the room. "Enough. I understand that each of you is worried that Todoroki will target you next. But what we are not going to do is tear down each other in our attempt to secure alliances. You are in my territory, and you will act accordingly." He sighed as each king and queen nodded, the ones standing sinking back into their chairs. "Good. Now, does anyone know why Todoroki all of a sudden started attacking? Hm? Any-"

Shouta stopped speaking as a knock sounded on the door to the meeting room. He'd been in there for several hours already, working with his allies and other royalty from further out and wasn't expecting the blonde hair peeking inside.

"Denki. What is it?" Shouta asked. Nemuri and Tensei had both met the cheerful blonde after his mating with Hitoshi, and the three of them knew that Denki wouldn't normally interrupt such an important meeting. "Sorry, um, King Shouta. It's Izumi? She's, uh, shifted?" Denki stuttered.

Shouta felt his heart drop. There was only one reason why Izumi would shift right now and that was if she was going into labor. "Shit. Ok. Go back to her and keep her calm. I'll be there soon." He sighed, returning his attention back to the others in the room. "I apologize for that interruption; however, it seems as if my queen has gone into labor, so you'll have to excuse me."

Nemuri giggled, "Don't worry about that Sho. Just go see your mate." She stood, taking his place at the head of the table. "I'll take over and make sure everything keeps going. Tell Izumi I said congrats." With a quietly hidden nod to Hizashi, Shouta left the room, following Denki back to his den.

"We were talking while Hitoshi went to get her something to eat but then she growled and next thing I know the bed is broken and she's a giant dragon making circles in the same space. I told her I would go get you and she nodded but didn't say anything about it." Shouta sighed, "This is going to be difficult. Who all is watching her now?"

Denki hummed, "Well, we figured you wouldn't want any others in your room so really it's just me and Eijiro while the guys stand outside the door. Also, no one has been able to go get Hitoshi, so I don't think he knows either." Shouta hummed, looking at the blonde. "Thank you for coming to get me. I'll head to her side while you go get Chiyo and Nedzu." Denki nodded shortly, turning off as they hit another crossing of hallways.

Shouta ran faster, reaching his rooms in a shorter amount of time. With a quick nod to Bakugo, Shouta threw the door open and ran inside. His eyes instantly caught onto the round and bloody egg coming out of his mate and for a moment, Shouta froze. A loud shout drew his attention back to the scene, but it was too late. In the same moment, the egg dropped into a hastily made nest and Izumi roared, her tail swinging around.

Green scales sliced into his skin as the tail met his body, taking him with it until he was flung back across the room. Shouta grunted, pain encompassing his body as he was thrown into one of the walls just short of the door, He felt it as he nearly went through the entire wall, it's thick steel frame being the only reason his journey was stopped, though in that moment, Shouta wished he had kept going all the way through. He was lucky he didn't break anything in his body.

As he took catalog of any and all injuries, Izumi's voice filled his head. 'Oh my kami! Son of a mother fucking bitch! I didn't mean to hit you with my tail, Shouta.' Shouta snorted, "Don't worry, kitten. I'm fine. I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. How are you feeling?"

Izumi growled, 'How am I feeling? Shouta, I just pushed a massive egg out of my uterus. How the fuck do you think I am feeling?' She growled again, turning in a circle in order to sniff at her egg. Shouta watched as her black tongue swirled around the shell, cleaning off all the blood and membranes that dirtied it. The bright purple color that peeked through surprised him as most of their people's eggs had a color that dictated what kind of specialty that dragon would have when they reached maturity. Shouta's own egg had been a swirling of red and black, something not seen before. No one had expected that the prince would be able to blend into shadows and stop someone's ability with just a singular look.

Purple was rare enough but to be one of the few colors that didn't have a singular ability attached, that made Shouta excited. "Kitten? What were the quirks of your parents?" He asked. Izumi paused, her tongue still cleaning off her egg. 'I never met them, but when I turned 18, I did a registry search and found that my father supposedly had fire breathing, and my mother had a form of telekinesis. She could move small objects around. Her mother could float, and her father had a form of touch-based deconstruction.'

Shouta nodded then frowned, "Supposedly?" Izumi sighed, her bright green eyes looking at him for the first time since she laid the egg. 'Supposedly because while he and his name was on my birth certificate, the registry had no one by that name. Sure, there were a lot of Hisashi's but none of them had a fire breathing quirk. I'm pretty sure that he was cheating on my mother and gave her a fake name. Which explains why I was put into the system when she passed while giving birth to me.'

Her body tensed suddenly, her jaw opening wide as she roared. Shouta covered his ears as the sound bounced off of the walls, growing louder as she pushed. Izumi screamed in his mind even as she roared out loud and Shouta moved closer only to yell out as a jet of green and black flames surrounded him, burning his clothes and hair.

"Fuck! Fuck!" Shouta swore, patting down the flames until they were out. His shirt was gone, nice and shiny burns showing on his chest, but his pants were ok as they were meant to be fireproof.

He reached up and found that a good chunk of his long hair was burnt short, some spots around his ears and neck completely gone, leaving only the barest of stubble. He had needed a haircut anyways so whatever.

As he turned back to his mate, he watched as excrement splattered the wall behind her. Chiyo and Nedzu both had warned them that it might happen, prompting them to get all of the decorations and breakables out of the room before she was forced into bedrest. He was really happy he listened to them. He grabbed a pitcher of water, moving closer in order to pour the water over the egg that had been delivered, stopping as Izumi let out a warning growl. "I'm just trying to help you clean it off, kitten." He explained, showing her the nearly full pitcher. She snarled, her green-black flames coming out to dance over the egg instead. Shouta sighed as the blood, guts and shit that was on it burnt off, crackling as it turned to ash before a strong breath blew it off. Shouta snorted at the look Izumi gave him after, the look that showed she was proud and yet teasing the fact that she didn't need his help.

Once again, Shouta nearly lost control of his facial features at the coloring of his second born, the ash falling away to reveal an egg almost identical to his own. Where his was black with red swirls, this one was red with black swirls. As far as the elders were aware, his egg was the only one in history that was red and black with swirls. Any other with the same color combination was with dots. He almost couldn't wait until they reached maturity, excited to see each of his kits' abilities.

He tilted his head as Izumi curled around the two eggs, her warm body heating up the shells and babies inside them. "How are you feeling now? Any pain or uncomfort?" He asked her warily, keeping a sharp eye on her form. She huffed, a bloom of smoke coming out of her nostrils. 'I do not hurt but I don't feel normal yet. How long until I am supposed to shift back?' Shouta shrugged, "On average, 10 or so minutes but I've heard it could take up to several hours even if that is rare. I sent Denki for Chiyo and Nedzu so hopefully they can tell us more." He paused before continuing, "What do you mean by not normal? Is it feeling like you will throw up? Or something similar to pressure?" She grumbled, coughing out a flame before standing, 'It feels… it feels like I have to take a really big shit.' Shouta snorted at her words but nodded, "Well, I already have a team waiting to help with clean up and putting everything back in order in here so if that's the case, go ahead. It's not the worse this room has seen; my first rut would have made this room glow like a glimmerfut den."

Izumi chuckled, her teeth baring as she circled the large nest. 'Shouta. Shouta it hurts.' She stomped her paw a few times, claws digging into the rug and boards below, tearing them to shreds. Shouta tensed as Izumi began to growl and turn faster, preparing for another unintended attack. He jumped as the door slammed open, an out of breath Hitoshi sliding into the room and landing flat on his back directly under her. He didn't blink but somehow still missed Izumi roaring, her clawed foot coming down and caging her brother's body against the floor. Shouta froze as the claws dug into the floor below Hitoshi. "Don't. Move." Shouta whispered; eyes trained on his growling mate. Hitoshi was the same, frozen and staring up at his sister with fear.

Izumi roared, both out loud and in everyone's mind as she pushed, an even larger egg pushing its way out of her to drop into the nest alongside its siblings. She rumbled, turning to stare at the third egg. 'Bigger.' She grunted, sending flames at it like the one before. Shouta nodded, opening his mouth to speak about the size only to shout in surprise as Izumi shrunk, landing on the floor in her human form completely out cold.

Shouta hurried over, covering his mate with a blanket as Hitoshi took a quick moment to breathe again before getting up. "Uh, Shouta? Should I call for egg warmers?" Hitoshi asked, looking at the three beautiful eggs sitting in a slightly burnt nest. Shouta glanced at his and Izumi's babies. "Yes, do that. Let them know we need two regular incubators and one extra-large to double one." He sighed, smiling down at his sleeping mate. "Good job, kitten. Such a good mama you are."