Since the day he was born, his mother raised him to always wear his heart on his sleeve, that way he could empathize with others.
On the other hand, when he turned fourteen his teacher taught him to keep his emotions behind a smile.
The withered man would tell him "Hide your fear behind a grin so wide it'll give hope to your allies... even when there is none."
So that's what he did.
All the way up to his twenty second birthday, when the plated necklace establishing his role as second in command to the emperor, was laid over his neck.
In turn, Izuku ignored the weight bearing down on his chest, and smiled for his people. As they celebrated his growth in rank, drinking pear wines and fermented saps, he showed his teeth and beamed with all of them. Music played through the night, and his entire arm was branded along its scars, in symbolism of his role as the apprentice to the symbol of peace.
Then, after a few months, there came a day that his warriors ran up to him while huffing in panic over the interlopers traveling closer to their territory. However, he skewered their concerns with a practiced upturn of his lips and some cheerful words.
Despite the famed brightness of his smile though, and his efforts to toughen his heart, it was still as sensitive as it was when he was a child. One could only expect as much, coming from the son of Inko the Water Bearer.
In tune with his brothers and sisters of the city, Izuku was ten times as worried as any of them. He merely restrained and kept the terrors of his knowledge to himself, so that they could rest easy. That was his job.
Since it was such a terrible burden, it was easy to understand why Toshinori needed a second head to confide in.
When the former Emperor Sunheart, known as Nana by the few she kept close, passed away, her apprentice was forced to take over. It was then that Toshinori sat in his mentor's place to carry her rank.
He wore her crown to lead, and for years did it alone, smiling and laughing boisterously from the throne.
Yet the funny thing about that feather laden hood, was that despite having to be held down so the wind wouldn't steal it... it was frighteningly heavy.
More so than the beads and plates bestowed onto Izuku's breast when their leader could no longer carry the weight of the city's nightmares by himself.
Time had weathered his flesh, while the problems and secret demons of their society eroded his mental ability to lie with those smiles of his.
Hence the calling of his own apprentice, a cane for him to lean on, and the choosing of a bright eyed youth.
Then half his load was placed on a new adolescent's unstrained back.
Their entire city celebrated these moments, but Izuku would weep when he was alone. Every promotion of his standing brought him closer to the fall of his mentor, and he fought desperately to keep his idol in good health. His biggest fear was losing his role model. Aside from the heartbreak it would cause, he was terrified of the day he'd have to carry the city on his own.
No matter how strong Izuku had become physically, he was never able to shake off the emotionality his mother had instilled in him.
Perhaps that's why he was chosen in the first place...
Eventually, a day came that rattled his bones with horrible news. While Toshinori listened to the concerns of his people, the news of his watchers, and the quips of their shamans, Izuku struggled to hold back his tongue.
It wasn't the news from the people of fiery weapons and advanced warfare that poked at his heart. Nor did he tremble because of the shaman's visions at how the intruders lacked a conscience and slaughtered the spirits of the jungle.
What struck him with bone crippling terror, was the letter sent to them by his friend's macaw.
Izuku read it while his Emperor had dealt with his usual duties, and it told of a man with pale hair and complexion breaking into cities and threatening to mutilate the bodies of leaders who didn't succumb to him. Uraraka was responsible for this correspondence, and she admitted to him that this red-eyed threat had earned the name Sanguine Tiger because of his temperament. She also warned that the tiger was approaching his territory in the jungles of Yuuei, and that it needed to be stopped before it actually killed someone.
So Izuku waited anxiously for a moment when the emperor would be free.
When the time came, Toshinori told him there was no need for his concerns since their city, like Uraraka's, was impossible to reach unless invited. Navigating through the ring of mountains to reach their civilization was too difficult for an outsider, and even if they made it, there were traps everywhere to stop them before entering.
The worry persisted in Izuku's head though out of devotion for his teacher.
Their ruler might've been named Storm Maker, in his youth, but the truth remained that his ruthless punches were reduced to feeble thumps now that he'd chosen his successor and passed on the might of the jungle spirits.
Despite the power he'd given away, his vessel still hadn't earned his official name, and the young man couldn't stomach the thought of Toshinori falling before witnessing the ceremony for when he finally won his title. Becoming an unnamed emperor would've been a blow to both of their prides. It would label him as a useless figure.
So, as Storm Maker continued reassuring him, Izuku took a stance to bow.
Then he made his Emperor a promise even though he knew it wouldn't be accepted so easily.
He was going to deal with the Sanguine Tiger, not only for their own city, but for others and the smaller tribes that made up their humble country.
In response, Toshinori warned him not to engage this enemy. It wasn't the first time intruders passed through their territory, and their best defense was to simply lead the threats away with tricks and help from the spirits. Only when someone is causing a problem should he put his life on the line to stop it.
Izuku disagreed, but altered his vow to compromise with his mentor anyway.
"Then I'll only watch over the tiger for now." -he said- "and when I've learned enough about him, I'll take care of this mess."
The worn down blonde shook his head, but he knew that trying to discourage the young often had the opposite effect. So he advised his disciple to keep his mouth closed and his eyes open at all times. The forces of their homeland would help him fend off whatever monsters came his way.
Izuku internalized Toshinori's words and told him he'd be cautious, then that night he set out.
His trained feet took him through the maze of the mountains without an issue until he was out in the jungle.
Now he simply needed to find the tiger.
He walked silently in the moonlight filtering through the canopy, only stopping when he heard some guttural clicks. Slowly, the green eyed male turned towards the sound, and was greeted by the shining eyes of a howler monkey. Apparently he'd wandered into the animal's land. So he apologetically raised a hand and walked towards the creature.
Thankfully the monkey came down to his level, and after preparing for a spirit transfer, Izuku pressed his lips to the other mammal's.
With the exchange of their soul material, Izuku could temporarily communicate with the Howler, and asked her if she'd seen any strange people. To this the monkey said no, and warned him to get out of this area. He assured the animal that he wasn't a threat and let her know that he would possibly be passing by one more time to get home later on. She accepted this, and left him to his journey.
For about two hours the mighty Storm Maker's vessel traveled without any clues as to the tiger's whereabouts. Lemurs proved too mischievous to trust, toucans hadn't even heard about the new threat, and it was risky business trying to perform an exchange with crocodiles since they were always suspicious of everyone, so Izuku didn't try.
You could only expect so much from a species revered as river guardians.
Though, at long last he got his lead when his path crossed with some fruit bats.
After trading languages with one of them, he used his inherited power to scale a tree. From there he began leaping between branches with the colony flying securely around him as they led him to his target. Together, the group nearly made it all the way onto the beach before Izuku at long last found the enemy's tribe.
There was only one man sitting outside, awake with a long silver object resting against his shoulder as he cleaned the inside of it. His hair was black and he had these strange barriers shielding his eyes from an unknown threat.
As for the rest of his people, they were likely inside the queer dens scattered around the fire, made out of cloths that stretched over thin wood structures.
Izuku thanked the bats for their guidance, and promised to leave mangos or some other fruits outside of their cavern. Then, barking with laughter, they flew down and harassed the watchman long enough for him to make a small leafy nest in the tree without being heard. When he finished, he mimicked their chirps to let them know, and they flew off cackling with excitement in their voices.
It made him smile as he lied down, then he listened to the watchman grumble in an unknown language when one of his men assumably told him to quiet down.
Afterwards, Midoriya let sleep take him, knowing he was safe with the nocturnal animals watching over him. They would side with him before an outsider, so rest came easy.
A baby bat woke him up before daybreak though, with a series of kisses and a cute "good morning".
Grinning fondly, Izuku ushered the tiny pup back to its colony, then observed the men below him, waiting for the tiger to come out of its den. It wouldn't be long since the watchman had already begun to grouchily stow his belongings.
One by one the strangers emerged, many of them rowdy even in the early hours. They all had pale skin, and their behaviors were stranger than what he'd expected.
Despite the heat, each one wore unnatural layers of clothing, and if that wasn't enough, they also used some kind of polished animal hides that went from their feet to their knees and left deep prints in the ground that were easily tracked. It seemed these men liked to eat dried out cakes of some sort as well, even though they had to drink water in order to finish them.
One of the intruders even had white and red hair divided down the center of his scalp.
However, none of these people were the threat he was looking for.
Surely the tiger was still asleep.
A single den had yet to be cleared, but the tribe seemed to pack up and leave regardless. Simply abandoning whoever was in there to fend for himself. It was pretty cruel actually, considering none of them knew this land.
Izuku nearly let curiosity get the best of him since he wanted to see where the tribe would go, but he stayed in his nest until the sun reached the highest point in the sky. Only then, did he finally see the tiger awaken.
And damn was it loud.
His eyebrows came together as he listened to this man scream and shout in that obnoxious language when he stepped barefoot over a thorned vine. Izuku understood that maybe he was drowsy and missed the plant, but how could someone manage to shout at that volume? Wasn't he even worried about attracting an enemy?
No wonder the others left him.
The man was practically a howler, and his face was scrunched up uglier than a snarling dog.
For a while, he watched the foreigner move around and prepare one of those dried cakes for himself. The stranger spread a clumpy red sap over it before settling down to eat, and then he inspected a shred of parchment that came from his pocket. During the time he was eating though, his shoulders became loose as he leaned against a tree.
Admittedly, as he quieted down, Izuku had to confess that he wasn't all that unpleasant to look at. Not that it mattered or anything, the freckled male was simply observant, so it was impossible not to notice the sharp definition of the blonde's body.
He seemed more built than most of his companions, but maybe that was because he was the only one not wearing the body garments that they were. Therefore, the Tiger's broad chest was exposed for him to see, and he could tell that those muscles were dense with power. It was all too visible in those heavy-set shoulders, and defined arms. Even the clothing stretched over the man's legs betrayed the trained limbs underneath, but every time he moved, one could catch a vague glimpse of his hips as well, since the pants would shift.
Something about it left Izuku fidgeting in the trees, but he shook his warm head clear and realigned his attention with his goal.
These features were those of a formidable opponent.
Now wasn't the time for his mind to wander.
Storm Maker taught him to never underestimate anyone, because even if he did have his inherited strength, one reckless mistake was all it would take to leave him incapacitated.
So Midoriya locked his eyes on the blonde and absorbed every detail about him.
He took note that the intruder worked fast paced. Within minutes, the man had his den impeccably folded and stowed away in a bag. Then he slipped into a white sleeved shirt and some type of brown, extra sleeveless one that went over it. Perhaps it was armor of some kind? It was less clothing than the others had used, but still excessive honestly.
Although, once the Tiger took off into the jungle, Midoriya noticed him covering up the footprints left by his tribesmen along with his own as he moved in their direction. Izuku was unsure of what he was doing, but he followed the stranger anyway and learned that he was good at maneuvering through thick foliage and different kinds of terrain.
By extension, this enemy had insane reflexes and spatial awareness as well.
As he had been following him from the trees, he'd accidentally rustled a branch when a mosquito flew too close to his eyes. Regardless that the sound should've been inaudible, the blonde suddenly turned in his direction.
...
There was no warning as the man swung the metal object into his arms, and fired off some kind of pellet with an echoing "POW" sounding off through the area.
The result of that shot actually left a hole clean through the trunk he was hiding behind, and had the terrified male been leaning just slightly to the left, he might've lost his ear.
Izuku didn't dare move for a while after that.
His chest rose and fell in shaking huffs as he tried to keep his heart relaxed, but the volume of that tool alone had caught him off guard. Never mind the thought of "what if" the pellet had actually reached him.
For some time after that, there was a heavy silence.
The birds themselves seemed to have gone mute and Izuku worried that his heart beat would give his position away since the Tiger was listening so carefully for him, but after enough waiting, the fearsome man continued on his path.
Midoriya kept him in ear shot without moving from his hiding place as he thought about the speed of those pellets when they came out of the thunderstick. After mulling it over, considering the small uplift of bark around the new hole in the trunk, he deduced that he should be fast enough to dodge them. With that being the case, if he could avoid that weapon long enough, then he might've been able to perform an exchange with this stranger.
It was evident that intimidation tricks wouldn't work on his enemy as his emperor had originally suggested. The man was a force on his own level and needed to be dealt with directly. Therefore, Izuku would have to earn the right to speak to him.
Evading his attacks would prove he was the stronger of the two of them, and the blonde would surely hear him out due to his loss.
These strangers were human after all; they had to have some kind of etiquette or hierarchy in their culture...
Therefore, the waiting game of the native born and the new comer had officially begun.
Midoriya found himself a nice pear to eat as he followed his Tiger around, and kept learning everything he could.
For the most part, the man seemed to have two volumes, one being "shout" and the other dominantly being "silent". Similarly, he appeared to have two moods; when he wasn't totally pissed, then he'd be extremely annoyed.
At one point the blonde accidentally walked through a spiderweb, and what had to have been curses spilled past his lips like filthy water as he violently tried dusting himself off.
Aside from that though, he hadn't seen this "killer" use his thunder stick anymore. Even when he passed by animals, he didn't needlessly take lives as Izuku was led to believe.
That's why he didn't understand what the Tiger could've possibly threatened chiefs for. It didn't look like he had anything to gain, nor did he seem malicious.
The guy was just loud mouthed and cranky as far as he could tell.
If his tribe would leave him behind every morning, perhaps he was just someone who was tough to get along with.
Or maybe he needed human interaction in general. Who knew how long he had been kept isolated, and the longer Izuku watched him, the stronger the temptation to talk to him became.
He was surprisingly admirable.
Midoriya was mesmerized by how he climbed over tilted logs with only a knife since many of his own people struggled to do so. On one occasion the foreigner even moved a giant python out of his way as if it were nothing more than a soft toy.
However, the green eyed male focused in when they approached one of the river beds inhabited by crocodiles. As untrusting as they were, they would surely attack the blonde, and Izuku would have to protect them from the fire pellets that the Tiger would unleash.
Much to his surprise though, the crocodiles actually looked up at him, then at the blonde...
...and they warbled.
He tilted his head to the side with his brow furrowed as the crocodiles grunted and bellowed in their unique style of melodies.
Izuku had never seen them do it from this proximity, much less in the presence of someone they didn't know.
Yet there they were, completely comfortable even as the blonde walked past their nests on the shore.
Even more surprising though, was that the outsider stopped to listen.
His lips were barely curved, betraying his amusement at the reptilian choir, and Izuku found himself smiling as well, since few people would give these guttural singers their attention.
When he glanced back down at the crocs, he jumped a little since they were ALL looking back at him. Before he could worry about them giving away his position though, they turned to the blonde on the shore again. Only occasionally would they flick their attention back up to him before facing the intruder.
The message was clear...
...and if these antisocial river guardians were signaling that they didn't sense anything wrong with the Tiger, then Izuku felt all the more inclined to speak to him.
Even though he'd told Storm Maker that he wouldn't...
However, he continued to keep close when the man left the riverbank, and followed him for a couple miles more. Afterwards, the newcomer finally stopped for a break near a waterfall.
Izuku's eyes were pasted onto him as he stripped his torso and feet bare, as well as when he walked under the cascade to let the rushing water devour him.
If Midoriya revealed himself, maybe he'd be able to get information directly from the intruder. It's not like he would be able to keep up with him to find Yuei... maybe these strangers could even become allies of some sort.
So after much contemplation, and streams of whispered consequences, he decided to take his chance and landed quietly on the ground.
This would be the first time he strayed from his mentor's wishes, but this Tiger wasn't as bloodthirsty as he'd been told. Someone had to find out what it's nature actually was.
Therefore, Izuku's bare feet slid across the smooth stones leading to the fall's pool.
With the roar of the water, it would be damn impossible to hear him approach.
Now he just had to think about a way to get close enough for an exchange without startling the stranger.
He was inching his way closer to the fair haired brute, trained to give little to no sign of his presence, but what could he say? They wouldn't understand each other's "Good Afternoon" or any kind of peaceful greeting. Then there was the matter of that weapon too.
However, he had to think fast because his current target was washing his face and preparing to get back on land.
Using the roar of the water to his advantage, he sprinted forward with the power of his predecessors and tried stealing the thunder stick off of the Tiger's back.
That didn't work though, since it was tied around him by some kind of animal hide.
Fortunately he was fifty times stronger than his opponent and could easily tear this material , yet when he caught a glimpse of the enemy's gaze, he momentarily froze.
His eyes were garnets.
Midoriya was thrown off by the intensity of them, but he didn't get any time to admire their fiery color since they were replaced with the black holes that barreled into the thunder stick.
The man in front of him gave a cruel smirk, then he moved his hand under the weapon and touched the curved plate that would set the pellets free.
Izuku was gone before they were able to escape their passageway though.
Leaping around for his life, he evaded set after set of those thunderous shots, making the other man snarl and shout in aggravation. Stones were cracking under the impacts of his jumps, and he struggled to keep moving in an erratic pattern without slipping.
His arm was grazed once with a merciless sting, demonstrating the precision and battle awareness of his opposition, but that's all he got.
After two more booming attacks, an opening reappeared.
By what Izuku had counted this morning, those weapons could apparently shoot twelve times.
When the blonde knew he was out of ammunition, he ran under a tangle of low hanging foliage to escape Izuku's eyes, not dumb enough to stand around before a someone that fast. He sprinted as much as he could, trying to simultaneously reload, but the native caught up as if he'd been crawling.
With a smile of his own, Midoriya stole the loose thunder stick away from the blonde, and easily disarmed him of the daggers he reflexively tried to use afterwards. Following that up, he pinned the struggling man down, surprised at his strength.
Had Izuku been a normal person, he wouldn't have stood a chance.
The Tiger was roaring with the veins in his neck bulging from the strain, so Izuku shook him a little to get him to quiet down.
"It's okay" he whispered futilely before leaning in to let their souls meet. He kept his expression relaxed to show he meant no harm, yet when his lips brushed up against the stranger's, the once struggling man went rigid like a frightened quail. Furious eyes opened to the size of plates before shutting tight.
At first Izuku mistook it as acceptance and leaned in more to quicken the transfer. Although, with that action came an unusual little shockwave that didn't normal accompany a soul exchange.
...a bolder man might've said it was pleasant...but the native was deterred from such thoughts by the monstrous punch he took to the jaw the instant his grip loosened.
The blonde's growls started sounding a little more like words but the exchange wasn't complete, and it wouldn't be if he kept flailing like this.
Huffing, Izuku repositioned the stubborn intruder so that his knees were wedged under his legs, and his arms were outstretched above his head. Then he pressed their lips together again until the stupid transfer was finished. Once complete, he backed up and balanced on his heels before the now spitting opponent.
"Mother fucker!" –the blonde hacked offensively as he scrambled to his feet– "I'll break off your jaw and beat your corpse with it!"
It was then that Izuku realized, he might've liked the Tiger better before he understood his tongue. However, he cleared his throat and apologized to the disgruntled man anyway.
"Uh... Sorry that I held you down like that, but I was only trying to talk to you."
The blonde went motionless at his voice, then glared at him. Surprise evident in those deep flames.
It seemed like it was safe to speak though, so Izuku went on to stiffly introduce himself.
"My name is Izuku, son of Midoriya Inko, wh-who are you?"
Although, despite the connection that was clearly forged between their souls, the other man continued glaring in silence.
He jutted his head forward slightly to welcome the stranger's response, but still, his once loud mouth remained shut.
Confused, Izuku asked "Do you still not understand me?"
And only then did the foreigner take a step forward and hiss "...If you can speak why the fuck were you just making those weird ass noises earlier?"
At the rude instigation, it dawned on Midoriya that maybe these strangers didn't know what spirit exchanges were. Touching each other might've been some kind of insult in their culture as far as he knew, and judging by the response he had initially gotten, it might've even been a crime.
So he immediately explained himself in hopes of pacifying the foreigner "Our people can bind languages through touching lips. We can communicate with anything as long as the spirits hold onto whatever bond was made... but going off of your reaction, your tribe doesn't do that? I wanted to meet you since I've only heard about you under the title Sanguine Tiger. There's a few things I had to ask."
The man snorted before saying "The what tiger?... Look, it doesn't matter. I'll answer your damn questions if you give me back my fucking gun, asshole."
"I will, so what's your actual name?" Izuku smiled.
"The gun first."
"I'll give it back before we split ways. We have some time to talk, don't we?"
"No, so give back what you stole, and I'll think about answering your dumbass questions while we walk."
"I could always just leave with it. Why're you being so difficult? Or are you just in a hurry to find your tribe again?"
"There's no tribe Deku, or whatever the hell you're called. I've got a job to do and if you're not trying to fight then you're not worth my time."
"My name is Izuku, and this is worth your time when three separate empires know where you are and assume you're an enemy. I heard you were threatening to kill chiefs and wanted to find out why. If you want to send me away though, then I can't really contradict any of the rumors surrounding your title, can I? Just saying, but maybe you shouldn't overestimate your own strength." Midoriya emphasized by twirling the 'thunderstick\gun' in his hand.
At the display, the foreigner bristled and snarled "Tell me this Deku. If I'm so fucking famous, then why bother getting my side of shit? Shouldn't you have killed me on sight?"
"I wouldn't take a life without having facts. That's why I want to talk to you and see what's true and what isn't...look...how about we start over? My name is Midoriya Izuku what's yours?"
It took awhile for the jerk to answer him, but with an exaggerated sigh, he finally settled down onto the grass and fixed him with another sharp stare. Scanning his face one last time, the man eventually grumbled "Bakugou Katsuki... So what exactly have you heard about me, fuck face?"
"You've been making a name for yourself as someone who slaughters innocents. Although, I've been watching you and see that those tales might not be true. You just yell a lot."
Katsuki hummed a little before taunting him "So you're just a stalker, huh? Were you sent to collect information, or were you told to fight and decided to be a nosy fuck instead?"
"I'd rather not fight if I can help it. I just tracked you down to find out what you and your tribe came here for."
Bakugou leaned back on his hands at the admission, answering "I'm only here looking for a warrior who can supposedly rip open a thunder cloud. I was hired to protect the other idiots that you've probably been watching so that they can excavate ores and find shit to sell back home."
"Ores?"
"Yeah, like rare stones or the yellow shit that gets in rivers sometimes."
"Stones and yellow stuff in rivers? That's all you're after?"
"They're after, yeah."
"Pfft, come with me then." Izuku said while making sure to secure the gun.
The blonde was confused by how willing the native was to share valuables, but he let Izuku lead him to where the river fed into a small lake anyway. Much to his annoyance, the thing was brimming with yellow water flowers, and Deku had a proud look on his dumbass face, as if he'd shown him a vein of citrine gems. To this, Katsuki's shoulders tensed as he struggled not to beat the hell out of the savage.
"Fucking idi- no one is out here for some shitty flowers." He growled.
"What else is yellow inside a river then, a type of fish?"
"This, dipshit!"
Izuku took the glimmering object out of Katsuki's thrust out hand and inspected it. Although it was admittedly pretty with a yellow kind of gloss, it appeared useless in every other aspect.
"You're threatening to kill people...over this?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"In our cities, whoever has the most gold is the most powerful. People want it so that they can make rules and live comfortably."
"How would something like this qualify someone to lead? People here choose Chiefs and Emperors based off of the actions they've done for their homeland, not by how many stones they collect."
"We're not like that, this is the only thing people use to buy what they need. Without it you'd go hungry or die of some plague when you can't get medicine."
"Can't you just trade and make things more fair then? What do you do when you can't collect any more of these rocks?"
"There's always more to find if people look far enough. Trading is for underdeveloped cities, it can't support an empire."
"That's not true."
"You just don't know any fucking better. If you'd see the place I come from then you'd understand."
"Maybe I could say the same thing." –Izuku answered while his brows came together angrily– "How could you be so blinded by some stupid rock just because it's polished?"
"Blinded? Alright shit face, how about you tell me just how big your damn tribe is? Bartering systems can only take you so far."
"It's not just a tribe. If I took you to our city, you'd need four days to see all of it."
"Oh yeah? And what's the most valuable thing in your giant ass city, Izuku?" The blonde asked sarcastically.
"Food, family, and the freedom to live to your own standards."
Bakugou paused to reflect on that answer, then after shaking his head answered "We can agree on food at least. Can't live if you can't eat... been having a time hunting in this fucking jungle since there's barely any game..."
At the muttered confession, Izuku cooled down. The soft spoken statement lead him to a plan on how to befriend the stranger. So he smiled to himself as they walked away from the lilies, and tossed Bakugou a side glance.
"...how about we make a deal?" He asked after a while.
Suspicious, Bakugou turned towards him with narrowed eyes that said I'm listening.
"You guys are just looking for these kinds of rocks, right? If you promise not to destroy the jungle or threaten the people who live here, then I can teach you how to grow your own food."
Katsuki contemplated this; he and his troop of assholes were eating dried biscuits and random eggs or fruit they managed to scavenge for. Since they didn't know what kind of diseases the animals from here carried, Four eyes didn't let them kill anything.
On top of that, their main camp was close to the ocean, where a colony was admittedly setting up, but they had no provisions to spare. The only saving grace they did have was that there were freshwater sources all over the place.
If the colony managed to level out a farm, then his team could be better equipped when they were sent out on expeditions.
...Besides, it wasn't like he had to keep his promise to this dumbass.
So he put on a smirk to match the native's friendly grin, and held out his hand.
Although, Izuku didn't understand why Bakugou was pointing at him with all of his fingers, so he awkwardly mimicked the gesture.
"This is a handshake, dumbfuck. You make agreements with my people like this."
With another genuine smile and a delighted "oh", the green eyed savage took his hand and Katsuki gave it a solid shake before releasing him. From there, his new "business partner" led him to an extension of the lake closer to the ocean.
It took a god damn eternity, but the freckled bastard taught him to pile mud and soil up on the shallow bed of the water before opening a small pouch at his waist and dropping seeds into the elevated earth. He told him about how the lake kept the plants healthy, and that this method of agriculture made less work for harvesters.
Katsuki hated to admit that the lesson was helpful, but it was only thanks to Deku, that they'd be able to lift a decent enough farm in this overly-saturated terrain.
He almost felt bad about lying to the savage when he said his people would leave the jungle unharmed.
But not enough to jeopardize his goals.
Even if he personally couldn't care less about gold, he still wanted to face off with the fabled warrior of the new world and go back home with an indisputable title. For that though, he needed time to hunt the man down instead of protecting a herd of imbeciles. And if they could set up more efficient camps to keep themselves safe, then he could focus on whatever he wanted.
So he figured that this relationship with the freckled native was to his advantage, and he offered him another pact.
"Hey Deku."
"Hm?"
"Let's make another deal."
"Okay..." the little shit said while frowning.
"I'll keep my men far away from your territories, as long as you've got something new to show me. Farming won't be enough to keep those fuckers alive. Plus, they'll need to know how to live with your land so they don't screw it up by mistake."
At his words, Izuku's brow furrowed again and his frown deepened.
Katsuki prompted him for a response when the man stayed silent, but the one he received made his spine stiffen.
"Since you still don't know how to survive out here, you need our help. So your plan is to just keep 'changing' our deals until you can stand on your own, isn't it?"
"..."
"Just because we're different, you automatically think we're stupid or somehow less capable than you." -Izuku said before bitterly smiling- "You're threatening me with your people finding mine? Give me a break."
"...You're not as big a dumbass as I thought freckles. But fine, I'd rather be upfront about shit anyway. My people are coming to stay. Help us out and we'll return the favor. There's a lot we could show you, if all you creeps weren't so damn hellbent on resisting changes."
"Why should we be the ones to change when you're trespassing on our land?"
"Because if you don't then you'll be wasting resources on whatever the fuck you guys think is important, and it'll start a war."
"You're threatening me with war now?"
"I'm just telling you what's going to happen fuckface. If you take my deal, then you're helping me, and it'll give your shitty 'Empire' an excuse to stay hidden."
"So as long as you depend on us you won't try to fight us, you mean."
"You got it." Katsuki grinned.
Izuku stared at him for quite some time afterward, those green eyes would dart discretely from side to side as they searched his individual red ones for something. Then, he revealed a new kind of smile that made Katsuki itch to punch him. "Hah...alright, let's fix our deal... I'll teach you something new everyday that'll help you out here. In return, don't look for my city, and if you find it, steer your tribe away."
He nodded in acknowledgment.
This time it was the green haired male that held out his hand, waiting for him to formally accept his terms.
After he took it, Izuku leaned in and made him lean back on reflex to protect his once defiled lips. The green eyed wonder paid that no mind though; he kept their gazes locked as he said "You might feel like you've got the advantage because of your weapons, but if an official war were to break out, you'd be outnumbered more than 20 to 1 with my city alone. And that's if you get the men who you have stationed at the coast. But even then, we have allied cities and tribes within a day's journey. All of us hate war, but if you cause enough damage, no clan will hesitate. Keep that in mind."
Katsuki planned on retaliating with the fact that all the tribe leaders so far had cowered in front of him, but the native was gone in an instant. He was left standing there, with an empty gun at his feet, not even able to track the movements of his 'business partner'. All he could hear were the squawks of parrots and monkeys out in the trees.
He would never admit it out loud, but if there was anyone on this planet who could make the warmonger Katsuki lose his composure, it would be this new Deku guy.
Everything from that relaxed smile to his soft voice set off thousands of red flags in his head.
No one with that kind of power would be gentle unless they were looking down on him.
The bastard hadn't even asked him when to meet, so he was obviously confident about hunting him down.
All these tiny facts added up in the blonde's head until he was absolutely seething. Then the damn memory of being held down and kissed sent him over the edge. He'd practically been immobilized by a man's hands alone.
Grumbling out his frustrations, he adjusted the now refilled weapon back onto his shoulder. After it was hanging at the ready near his hand, he straightened out and looked behind him one last time to check for the asshole.
However, considering Izuku blended in so well, you couldn't blame Katsuki for missing the nervous male hiding in the canopy. His big eyes drank in everything about the intruder and cataloged it. For someone who didn't belong to the established clans, he was wickedly strong and fast, but the scariest thing about him was his natural instinct. Katsuki had no hesitations when he acted, so Izuku was forced to improvise constantly if he was going to make the blonde think twice about starting a war. His previous bluff about having so many warriors still made his heart beat worriedly, but Bakugou seemed to have bought it.
Interestingly, he caught the "Tiger" wiping his lips on the back of his hand as his face reddened with aggravation. It reminded Izuku over his curiosity on why Bakugou would be worked up over a simple soul transfer, but then again, the strangers didn't have that custom.
How they communicated with people who didn't know their language remained a mystery to him.
Yet once the blonde was out of sight, he went south, where there was a good cluster of mango trees, so he could fulfill his promise to the bats. Then he went back home after leaving the fruit in their cavern while they slept. The same mischievous pup peeked at him at the time, but he motioned for it to rest and save its strength for later.
Once he was back home, Izuku reported his findings to a concerned Storm Maker, then, like the bats, he fell dead asleep on the cushions of his chamber. Exhausted by the sheer presence of the Sanguine Tiger.
Sleep came easily, but when the first rays of morning crawled onto his face, he stretched and went on his way. As he walked past the throne to head outside, Toshinori asked him to return before sunset, and he agreed immediately. After that, the apprentice was off.
He navigated through the waterways and mazes leading into his home, and avoided all the traps in them like second nature. Then he was out in the jungle again, where he was greeted by a friendly parrot who'd heard about his troubles overnight. After performing an exchange, he thanked the bird and let it ride in his hair. As it led him in the direction of Bakugou's wandering tribe, they swapped news and advice about where to gather guavas, but when close to their destination, he and the feathery creature traveled through trees and waited for the men to wake up. This time the appointed watchman had red hair that was spiked upwards. However he seemed more easy going than the last, and was humming to himself contently as he sharpened a dagger.
Soon, these metal wielding warriors once again compressed their dens and left, leaving a single one to fend for itself. Once Izuku was certain they were gone, he had the parrot, who was currently playing with his curls, fly after them. It would serve as his eyes in exchange for some of the nuts grown exclusively inside the city for messenger birds.
Safe with the aid of his friend, Izuku dropped down into the camp, and slowly walked towards the cloth structure. Crouching just enough to peer inside, he let his intrigue rule and pulled back one of the flaps hiding the interior. There he found the powerful tiger, sleeping with his arms behind his head, and his covers kicked away.
There wasn't a single wrinkle on his face, unlike yesterday, and his upper body was once again bare.
Now that he could get a closer look, his eyes unhurriedly roamed the pale flesh and admired the way Katsuki's muscles laced together. His stomach looked somewhat like Izuku's own, but he had a kind of definition that was only obtained by those who were starved and forced to exert their bodies regardless. It revealed that this rough brute had an even rougher history.
Izuku was quick to look away when Bakugou shifted with a quiet sigh though. The sound caused an uncomfortable warmth to pool in his abdomen. So instead he moved his attention to the thunderstick lying near the blonde's leg. In a flash, he stole the weapon then waited outside as the other continued sleeping.
He knew better than to touch the curved plate on the object's underside, but after some snooping he managed to find where the pellets were stored. With a triumphant quirk of his lips, he removed them before hiding those troublesome spheres in a pouch.
Afterwards, he placed the deadly stick back in its original place and sat down to wait.
Sure enough, it wasn't until the sun was at its highest that Bakugou stirred. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, then sat up to get the feeling back in his arms...but through the crevice of his tent's entrance, he spotted company.
Izuku's back was turned towards him, and for some reason he felt his heart give a strong thump from the surprise. Irritation soon replaced that though, and he grabbed his gun before walking out of the tent.
"Hey asshole."
"Ai këqûo"
"The fuck?"
The freckled shit was back to speaking gibberish he didn't understand, but soon he stood up, and when the menace calmly walked towards him, he told him to stay the hell away. Apparently Izuku didn't understand him either though, because he kept coming. Katsuki backed up and lifted his gun as a warning, but still the other man came towards him with one of those aggravating smiles.
As the native placed both hands on his face, he pulled the trigger to shoot between his legs and scare him back, but the gun was empty.
His eyes went wide in outrage, and the wild faggot held his arms at his sides to keep him from bashing his skull in with the butt of the rifle, then kissed him for the second time.
Katsuki wanted to strangle him.
He wanted to watch that face turn blue as the savage begged for his life, but instead he was pressed flush against Izuku, with blood rushing to fill his cheeks and ears.
It made no sense how these "soul exchanges" worked, but he blamed the buzzing in his lips on them. Whatever information Izuku was transferring had a weird way of making his mouth go sensitive, and his pulse speed up. Yet the ordeal was luckily over within some minutes. All he felt was relief when the son of a bitch pulled away.
"Soul transfers only work for as long as you're in ear shot of the language you traded for." –Izuku explained– "The spirits won't hold a bond that's not being used."
"Are you fucking telling me that you're gonna kiss me every damn time you see me."
"Yes? Is that the word for soul-transferring to your people? I was worried you guys didn't use them."
"We don't." Katsuki grumbled.
"Oh, so what's a kiss do then?"
"Nothing you want to know Deku."
"Could you show me?"
"Fuck no I'm not showing you how to- forget about it. Just teach me whatever you're gonna teach me today and get lost."
"Alright." The green eyed male shrugged.
He let Katsuki put his shirt and vest on, as well as pick up his belongings, before they went on their way. This time, the freckled savage told him to tear up a bunch of thin vines. He was shown how to weave them together so that the finished product resembled a spherical beer-stein. Afterwards, Izuku plucked a blue flower, and put it inside of the container. He propped the loose "lid" of the object up with a twig then sat down behind some shrubs with Katsuki and motioned for him to wait.
Eventually, a grub wandered into the trap and started munching on the petals, but it only enjoyed about ten minutes worth of a meal, because a plump quail quickly sprinted into the trap as well, pushing the twig aside with its tail by mistake.
And so, Bakugou became a professional quail hunter that day, before Izuku left him alone with a doomed bird between his hands.
The day after that, he was taught what kind of flowers attract which kind of bait, and how to alter traps depending on what he wanted to catch.
The following day Bakugou learned how to make broths with the remains of what people couldn't eat. He knew how to use bones in stews and junk, but Izuku taught him which plants to add for seasoning and preservation.
...Thus began the cycle.
His squadron knew about his deal with the native, so where they would once leave him behind to cover up their trail and watch their back, they now did it to give him time with Izuku. Bakugou could only find them at night because of the smoke from their fires. However, when he did, he'd pass on his lessons grouchily since he'd been the one stuck with playing nice with savages.
May the entity responsible for his luck burn in Hell.
Everyday, Izuku would wait for him to wake up, they'd kiss, and he'd be given a lesson.
Of course the others didn't know the details of that, but as weeks became months, he'd gotten used to receiving a soul exchange in the morning.
Bakugou still hated them, but they were easier to tolerate the more he received.
Eventually Deku didn't even have to find ways to immobilize him, since he'd walk right up to the bastard and plant one on him. It wasn't like they were actual kisses anyway, all he had to do was let their lips touch, bear the unusual tingling, then let the idiot pull away.
Secretly, they were both confused about the sensations that accompanied these transfers, but neither had the heart to bring it up.
Apart from that, their lessons continued as planned. The native would teach him techniques to fish, how to move fish eggs in a river so the water stayed populated year round, and how to make lake beds appealing for clams to breed.
Katsuki was also taught how to appease angry jaguars, and to be mindful of disrespecting territorial animals, along with how to ask for forgiveness if he accidentally offended one.
In all honesty, it seemed like the day would never come that Izuku would run out of things to teach.
Then, their dynamic slightly changed one evening.
Bakugou's men had been stationed at a river, where they'd been sifting for gold for a week with little results. In the meantime, he camped out alone in the jungle to keep meeting with Izuku.
It was the first time upon arrival, that he had been left alone.
Deku noticed it as well, and although his lessons were still useful, he slowly started teaching him things from his own culture as well.
Katsuki was shown how to see at night, by covering his torch in a recipe of saps instead of fire, so that glowing moths would surround him.
Izuku even spent the next day teaching him how to carve different flutes to call birds that could be used as messengers. Surprisingly, Katsuki earned himself a pet macaw that afternoon, and the damn thing called him Kacchuki, Fuck, Stop it, and Kacchan in that order.
A name which Deku infuriatingly took a liking to.
Then for the first time after a lesson, they merely spent some time together. The native guided his hands to teach him where the birds liked being scratched, and the blonde even got the treacherous macaw to playfully attack Deku after doing his first transfer with an animal.
When they were done screwing around, Izuku gave him some clay for "Lord Murder". Yet as he fed his messenger, the freckled fuck was giving him a strange look that made the back of his neck prickle with heat.
"The hell you lookin at, Deku?"
"I've never seen you smile before today." He replied.
Unable to respond, he flicked a chunk of clay at his dumb eyes to get the idiot to stop gawking at him for two seconds. The savage merely chuckled though before saying that he should get going. Then he wished him good night, and vanished, leaving the blonde to stare at the bushes he disappeared through.
The red bird on his arm cooed for his attention, and asked him why their friend was leaving, but he ignored the question and ran his fingers through the bird's feathers so it would be quiet.
Somewhere in his mind, he'd just asked himself the same thing, and that was dangerous. He shouldn't want to be around someone who wasn't from his colony.
Regardless, this lesson felt more like a secret from Izuku's culture that he'd decided to share, and Katsuki was kind of happy...it was almost as if he'd earned some trust.
Lord Murder gave him a friendly thunk on the head before flying off to stretch his wings. So the blonde took the time to visit the rest of his shitty team.
Naturally they asked him for what he'd learned. Kirishima came and sat down next to him excitedly while the others followed him with interest. However...that night, he lied. For whatever reason, he wanted to keep what he learned today to himself. So he made up some story about finding eggs on cliffs. He didn't really mean to, but it felt nice to keep one of the lessons as his own.
Unknown to him, Lord Murder had watched the display, and the bird immediately flew to a waiting Izuku. Snitching on his new acquaintance to the vessel of Storm Maker.
That night, Izuku's smile wouldn't fall off.
It seemed like someone's loyalties were beginning to shift.
Therefore, Midoriya opened up a little more in hopes of turning his Tiger into someone that actually held love for the jungle.
Katsuki started becoming increasingly reserved about their time together, and the native shared things about his own lifestyle to accompany the practical lessons. That way the blonde had something to report to his tribe, while still keeping new information for his personal interest.
Seeing how the idiot lived made him want to keep more of it confidential. He told himself he wasn't feeling friendship... but, that was gradually becoming less important as he grew infatuated with the new things Izuku showed him.
The native started taking him to new locations.
From climbing up mountains to see massive flocks of birds, to taking him cliff diving and showing him how to move through trees. Katsuki soon discovered that he felt comfortable here.
He felt stronger.
Interacting with Deku's world was something he came to enjoy without worrying about what the rest of the gold diggers wanted to know.
The week when his troop returned to the seaside colony, he travelled behind them, and didn't enter the established village with the excuse that "Deku would've been scared to get in".
Although, he was more than fine with sleeping in the jungle...
Now that he was living farther away from the others. He actually felt more relaxed.
Out here, there weren't any overly religious fucks telling him that cussing would send him to hell, or idiots trying to drink themselves off their asses to "escape" the pressures of the exploration.
There were only the songs of crickets, and the passing of animals that were now familiar with him.
The macaw he befriended even started perching on his tent to keep him company, and every time he woke up it would be playing with Deku.
So... the days kept passing like this.
He got to see more everyday, and he began dreading the night since it would mean he'd have to wait until sunrise to learn something new from Deku again.
Although, this new routine was setting him free from something he never realized had shackled him. He almost never wore his vest anymore, and not once had he used his gun since the couple of days he tried shooting Izuku. It was always loaded on his back, but he never had the thought to fire at anything anymore.
Instead he'd use spirit transfers and made deals with all kinds of animals. He wished he had a picture of Izuku's face when he'd done it with crocodiles on a dare and ended up getting rides down a river.
That was another thing though... those transfers...
Katsuki started expecting to wake up to them and the now pleasant buzz it would give him. He didn't screw his eyes shut anymore to endure the bridging of their languages, his eyelids simply fell closed and his entire body would loosen. In fact, there was one morning where the squawks of his pet woke him up earlier than usual, and he'd stumbled out of his tent half asleep only for Izuku to greet him brightly in his foreign tongue. With his drowsy stupor however, the blonde had actually guided Izuku into his arms, and when he noticed that the transfer's buzz didn't come as strong as it had on other occasions, he moved his lips to realign them.
The slight caressing motion sent lighting straight to his knees though, and he knew Izuku felt the same, because he pulled back in surprise before asking him what he'd done.
They had to finish the transfer before they could fully understand one another, but afterwards, Katsuki said "I only moved so the fucking exchange would happen quicker dumb fuck! That wasn't supposed to be a kiss or anything so stop looking so shocked!"
In turn, Izuku's curiosity about his culture reared his head again since he was almost positive that he'd just experienced what a "kiss" was. Bakugou refused to admit it, but regardless, that moment marked the day when their lessons started going two ways.
When Deku taught him how to make an emergency bow, he told him how to carve a pebble so that it could function as a bullet.
The day Izuku showed him how to shoot handmade arrows, he returned the favor by giving him a lesson in working guns.
That decision was a bad one though.
For both parties.
Izuku taught Bakugou how to hold and let loose an arrow, yet it required contact, so the green eyed boy would always guide him with his own hands until it was time for the shot. However, touching him was different than when he did it to children to teach the same thing. He found himself feeling awkward, and his face would warm up for no reason every time Katsuki would murmur at him in agreement to whatever he was saying.
The feeling worsened ten times when the blonde took on the role of instructor though.
In fact, as Bakugou ran his hands up his back and down his arms to show him the posture for holding a gun, he worried that his thrilled heart would be heard thumping against his chest.
It was a miracle that the foreigner didn't notice him tremble considering how perceptive he was.
Yet the following days after those lessons, the soul transfers themselves seem to change.
The mild tingle that had been present in the beginning was now strong enough to make his stomach tighten and his shoulders go limp.
Izuku didn't want to do the them anymore because of it. So he made each exchange as quick as possible, thinking it would put an end to his heart's ravenous beating.
Yet instead he wound up craving the contact more than ever, and made his pulse hyperactive since he couldn't get his fill.
In fact, his restlessness only grew.
Katsuki was more open to touch after months of being together, and had no problems grabbing his arms or pulling at a curl for attention.
It was a slow, certain death for Izuku since he knew that the increase of contact was directly related to whatever disease was plaguing his body.
Bakugou didn't holler out as violently as before, and his frustrations usually came in the form of growls and manageable shouting.
All of which Midoriya had actually grown to appreciate. Like even, in a weird, annoyed, kind of fashion.
Every morning when they performed a ritual exchange, Izuku half wanted Katsuki to move again like he'd done once before, but he would force himself to pull away as soon as their languages synced.
Finally, a day came that changed them both for good.
He learned about other things that Bakugou's people valued aside from gold and ores.
There were apparently times where precious gems or crystals were also accepted as money, and he had naively jumped on that knowledge without thinking about just where he was going.
"If I showed you where to find crystals, would your people move so that they could be closer to them?"
"...you could try, but the only thing that'll make them leave is if they find gold somewhere else."
"I know a cavern where stones glow with different colors depending on the holder. Our children love playing with them, and I'm sure your colony would be interested too since they've never seen them."
"There's no way a damn rock would change color just by touch."
"They can, if someone is happy while holding them they'll turn green, or if sad, they'll change to brown."
"You're bullshitting me Deku." Bakugou rolled his eyes.
"I'll prove it to you."
The two traveled for an entire day, casually exchanging stories, pretending they weren't enemies.
Katsuki made Izuku laugh as if the sound didn't make his chest puff out with pride, and the native would return the favor with embarrassing tales from his youth, not realizing the gravity of his accomplishment by making Bakugou snicker and snort into his hands.
It was almost sunset by the time they arrived to an estuary with a mound of boulders at its center. The fading rays made the cavern look black and unwelcoming in the distance.
"We've got to swim that far?"
"Yeah." Izuku admitted while removing the necklace of his rank and hanging it off a branch.
Katsuki dragged a hand down his face at the revelation, but when he reopened his eyes to find the latch of his gun holster, he caught sight of the native untying the scarves that kept his clothing on.
Deku let the long cloths fall to the ground, consequently dropping his skirt-like wrap as well, before reaching behind his neck and pulling off his top. There, Katsuki's eyes drank in every new inch of skin revealed as Midoriya's shirt rode over his back.
Since Izuku covered himself more than the savages he'd met before, he suspected his torso was skinny or boney, but he was so wrong. The man's back was as chiseled as a damned sculpture, and what he could now see of his thighs looked like they could crush a skull.
Everything screamed strength, and it drew in his interest like a sick, seductive trap.
So fucking alluring, but if he touched it then he was as good as dead.
A final, thinner, wrap was clinging to Izuku's hips and taunted the blonde when it halted his ravenous eyes. Then his teeth subconsciously nipped at his bottom lip in apprehension when Deku crouched down to pick up the discarded clothes and hang them with his necklace.
The native turned towards him afterwards though, and his brows furrowed curiously when he noticed that his "partner" was still fully clothed. As a result, Katsuki jolted into unbuttoning his shirt and turned immediately to hide the color flooding his face.
"... Are you worried about the mangroves around the cave or something Kacchan? I promise I won't get us lost."
"I'm not worried about shit." –Katsuki barked while pulling his arms free from his sleeves– "I was just looking at how fucking far that cave is. You better be right about those crappy rocks."
"I promise you've never seen anything like them." Izuku chuckled to ease the tension a bit.
Although, the native didn't dare look as Katsuki stripped in front of him. He kept his eyes trained on where they were headed and entered the water to cool the heat in his body from when the 'tiger' had obviously been watching him.
What possessed him to show off for Katsuki, he had no idea.
What he did know was that whatever was going on today needed to stop.
They weren't friends.
This man was someone who could turn on him if he wasn't careful.
After a couple minutes, Bakugou finally joined him in the waves, pants on for some reason, and they kept each other out of direct view as they dived into the muddy waters. They swam together into where the waves finally became a clean blue, until a competitive mood developed and thankfully slaughtered the awkward one that had been there before.
Bakugou tried staying ahead of Deku, but the little shit was swimming just fast enough to keep him at his shoulder. It didn't matter how hard he swam, Izuku would keep pace, and he knew he wasn't using his power since light wasn't coming off of him. Although, when his muscles tired and he slowed, Deku did the same with a hidden smile.
The native only swam ahead when they had to dive under the stones to slip through the cave's mouth, but when the two surfaced, he slowed to stay beside him once more as they walked out of the small pool.
There, Izuku's eyes involuntarily softened as the blonde looked around and above him with his jaw falling open.
"What the hell..." he muttered at the sight of the glowing crystals protruding from literally everywhere.
"Go touch one so you can see them change for yourself." He encouraged.
"You don't gotta tell me, asshole."
They both walked over to a set of the jagged stones and the blonde laid his hand on one. Immediately, the brilliant white object started turning yellow, then stayed orange, emitting light across their surroundings and spreading to a couple of the other stones.
"Excitement." Izuku smirked.
Katsuki couldn't believe his eyes as he reached towards another one. He turned back to Deku with an impressed quirk of his lips, only to see the freckled man smiling warmly back at him.
Izuku then left his line of sight though as he walked around the crystals to admire the radiant color bursts Katsuki was reflecting.
Unknown to him, the the blonde's heart started beating a little harder in that moment. He would catch glimpses of the green eyed male as he wandered around happily, like a mirage between the stones.
Lights were highlighting his muscles attractively, and his wet skin was practically shimmering in oranges and golds. Those giant eyes of his were alight with mirth, and Bakugou felt satisfied knowing he the cause.
Their bright green were a shade murkier than those of the jungle, but Katsuki realized long ago that he preferred them that way. It took him to his own world, away from the tropical wilderness, from the gold diggers, and from a fight that he wasn't sure he even wanted anymore. Every time he was with this strange "savage" he forgot about the expectations placed on him, and tasted a freedom he never had before. He was grateful for everything he'd been taught, but even now he wanted to learn more.
Outings like these increased his appetite for the other's culture, and he realized that he was curious about Deku in general.
What were his goals for helping him?
Why did he share so much of himself?
He never asked for anything in return after their initial deal.
Could it be he was battling a confusion of his own at their prolonged partnership?
It would explain why the lessons became more fun instead of practical...
Katsuki wondered if he felt the same force when they had their exchanges as he did.
...He hadn't reacted badly when he'd accidentally kissed him that one time. Deku was just curious more than anything. He'd wanted to know more about them before, and right now as the idiot slowly walked towards him...Bakugou was almost willing to sho-
"K-Kacchan."
"What?" He breathed.
"The stone..."
Looking back to the crystal, he never realized that it had turned pink under his hand.
It was actually a blend between that and red, but he didn't need the freckled wonder to tell him what that implied. So he took his hand back as if that would hide his mistake, and stood in the residual glow of his outed secret.
For a couple seconds he stared wide eyed at the native, unable to find any words. Deku was in the same boat with him, watching him back carefully in silence, as he shifted away from any crystal near him.
The action didn't go unnoticed, it lured out Katsuki's full blown attention.
He walked up to Izuku who immediately guessed his intentions and backed away with his hands raised.
"Kacchan wait. P-pink can represent anything, I've never seen it before so I don't know what it means, and red could be agitation or anything else too, these crystals aren't alwaysaccuratesodon' .IswearIdon'tknowaboutwhateveryourstonereflectedfromyouso-ah!"
As Katsuki grabbed Deku's trembling shoulders and pressed his naked back against one of the crystals he grumbled "I do."
Izuku stopped squirming instantly as the cold rock touched his flesh. His eyes dropped to ground, unable to face the analytical stare of his enemy, but he didn't have to see Katsuki's eyes to know what color was being reflected.
The burning pink and red glows coming from behind him told him he was screwed just as well.
Again, silence fell between them as the rocks betrayed what they'd both been hiding for months.
The interest that exceeded what was normal for two people who only made a temporary truce...
All those electric soul transfers...
Their craving for each other's presence...
Everything was out in the open now.
So Katsuki lowered and tilted his face. That way he could meet the gaze that had been avoiding him. There, he easily saw the shame swimming in those green eyes, as well as the defiance spreading in those reddening cheeks.
In response, Izuku turned to the side and muttered "Kacchan don't... whatever you're thinking...you shouldn't be doing this with someone who's not from your colony."
Hating the scolding tone, he snapped "What about you shitty Deku? Don't talk to me like I'm the only one thinking this crap."
"It's a bad idea Kacchan. We'll just forget about this, okay? It never happened."
"Why? So you can pretend that you still just see me as an ally?"
"I do." He defended.
"Even though you look like you're going to fucking melt every time you do one of your stupid transfers with me?"
"You're the one who's started holding onto me when we do them!"
"Who was the one who started fucking caressing my face first? I hold your arms so you don't grab me." The blonde scoffed.
"It was not caressing! I did it because you always tried to get away. I had to get them done somehow. Why the hell did they make you so nervous?"
"You know I don't have those where I'm from. Closest damn thing is something totally different."
"Yeah, well you've never told me what they actually meant to you. So how should I have known?"
"Let me fucking show you then."
"NO! I mean, we don't need to. It's not gonna prove anything, s-so just let go of me already."
"Oh?... Who's the nervous one now, Deku?"
"Kacchan, move." He snarled.
"How about I return the damn favor from all the times I used to tell you that?"
"I'm serious...Get off."
"You don't sound like you're serious when your voice shakes idiot. And that crystal behind you is bright as fuck right now. You wanna tell me why?"
"I told you red can mean agitation." Izuku retorted while leaning his head back away from the approaching Tiger.
"And what else?"
"..."
"C'mon asshole."
"..."
"Tell me what else it means."
As Izuku clenched his eyes shut, Katsuki dared to touch their noses together and let the dumbass feel his breath against his lips.
"Fine." -He whispered- "If you're not gonna teach me something today, guess I will."
Green fury greeted him as Izuku suddenly opened his eyes.
Katsuki didn't even register when his back had been the one to get shoved violently into a crystal, but he was painfully aware of the cracks now decorating the stone behind him. The ridiculous strength display only serving to make heat rumble under his skin.
"Yeah? What're you going to teach me then Kacchan? Wanna tell me why the crystals just got brighter?"
He grabbed a fistful of Deku's hair ruthlessly and chuckled at his attempt of intimidation, then breathed "No problem, coward."
After that, once he had the native leaning closer, he let him have the words that neither had risked to say before...
"I want you."
... and as if a wall had been demolished, Izuku finally started touching him.
The savage pulled him in impossibly close and let his hands wander as if he'd been dying to do it his whole life, savoring every centimeter. His palms ran over each dip and curve on his flesh, memorizing them to satisfy his sick fascination with the definition of Katsuki's once foreign body. Izuku even got on his tiptoes to bury his nose in ash blonde hair, and fill his lungs with the scent of saltwater and underlying citrus.
And while at first Katsuki nearly complained since he was expecting a different response to his declaration, the palms running over his bare torso had his hardened muscles turning into molasses within seconds. Every stroke of Izuku's hands felt like a salve that was concocted specifically to tame the demons hiding in his scars, and the longer he was rubbed down, the less strength he found he had in his legs.
Each brush had him leaning more against the shorter male, rendered completely boneless at whatever he was doing.
It made him think Deku was a wild shaman of some kind.
No wonder his people didn't fucking kiss.
Their hands were more than enough to seduce anyone.
Katsuki didn't even realize that his full weight was being supported by a smirking Deku as the little shit dragged sighs and borderline moans out of him. However, when one of those inhuman hands reached his ass and pulled their hips into a steady grind, his knees gave out for good.
After he'd collapsed into a panting mess on the ground, Deku used soft force on his chest to make him lie down, then crawled over his limp body.
He let his weight rest on the blonde so the swells under their clothes could meet again.
When Katsuki choked at the feeling, Izuku lapped at his ear and asked "Like it?"
Yes, actually, but he didn't get the chance to say it as Midoriya decided to roll his hips as if he didn't have a mother fucking spine, and the only thing that came out of the blonde's mouth was a strangled groan.
The sharp sound made the native lean in closer to his face to watch him unravel at the pleasure.
His voice got louder as Izuku accidentally slipped between his thighs when he shifted them, but since the asshole was holding his hands, he couldn't cover his mouth. Their dicks were both close to being filled out entirely despite the short amount of time they'd been touching, and with this new angle, it was only happening that much faster.
It shouldn't have been this good on the first try...
He needed to do something and make his little savage realize who he was screwing with.
Therefore, Katsuki assembled his last shreds of power, and dragged his head high enough to capture Deku's mouth.
Immediately, that shock made the native pause, but he kept caressing his lips to let the electricity poison him further. He savored the involuntary jolt of Deku's body and internally grinned as the other tried to play it off by grinding harder.
However, with his head clearing just enough to strategize, he bit Midoriya's lips and gave a pleased hum when his mouth opened from the yelp.
Hands now free as the idiot tried to pull himself away, Bakugou anchored his palms behind Izuku's head and held him down.
Then he slipped past his teeth.
Deku flailed, repulsed by the foreign concept of having another person's tongue touching his, but as Kacchan moved and even sucked his tongue into his own mouth he gradually struggled less.
What should've been a filthy slide of muscle started worsening the heat between his legs. It was a new feeling, curling in his abdomen, and making his mind go blank steadily.
The blonde simply toyed with him further though, until he hesitantly opened his mouth a tiny bit wider to try reciprocating. At his attempt, he was rewarded by an even deeper kiss.
Lightning was running up and down his spine, making his chest tighten until a deep moan found its way up his throat and flowed into Kacchan's waiting mouth. After that, one of the hands holding his skull moved down between his thighs, and experimentally touched him somewhere no one else ever had.
Izuku felt the smirk against his lips when he subconsciously pushed against that sinning palm, and when Bakugou rolled him onto the floor, he could do nothing but shiver. The blonde grew bolder when he hissed in pleasure, and the next thing he knew, both hands were fondling him in ways that should've left him embarrassed. Unfortunately, his manners were long gone this evening, and he found himself spreading his legs more for the sake of finding satisfaction.
Katsuki realized that Deku was much more tame once he'd gotten him on his back. He was vulnerable to getting felt up in this position, and Bakugou exploited the hell out of it when he came back down and captured his lips.
They were making out with drool running past the corners of their mouths as he framed Katsuki's hips with his knees. The blonde grew less steady, getting just as overwhelmed as Izuku by the occasional slide of their groins. His kissing now bordered rough, betraying just how much he was enjoying himself and it left the native all the more desperate. He answered to these advances by kissing back harder, fully accepting the affection despite its strange form.
Katsuki was visibly pleased by this, and he worked twice as hard to make Izuku let out his voice more.
His unfairly skilled hands groped and squeezed any part they could reach, while he groaned to encourage Katsuki further.
And encourage him he did.
Their obscene rubbing might've paused for a second, but it was only so Katsuki could tear off the light cloth tied around his hips. Izuku would've scolded him for it, had it not been for the way those red eyes met his own.
They were narrowed, slightly arched with mischief as well, and they dared him to say something. Next thing he knew, his momentary silence won him some more kisses, but these were on the move.
From sweet praises on his cheeks, to open mouthed love on his neck, they settled only to riddle his chest instead.
Although, he felt Kacchan hesitate, and when he lifted his head to see why, he saw the blonde staring at his nipple with pink coloring his ears.
Uncomfortable, he immediately shifted with uncertainty, but Bakugou held him still, and tentatively ran a digit over the hard nub. Izuku's legs twitched at the sensation, then Katsuki started using his finger to circle the area, watching the flesh harden further under his middle finger.
Afterwards, when a shuddering breath left the native under him, he plucked the courage to let his mouth fall on the man's chest again.
He flicked at the dusky thing with his tongue cautiously, but Izuku moaned out his name when he did.
So his courage returned full swing.
Katsuki began sucking.
Spit soaked Izuku's nipple until every lick was an obscene sound ringing in his memory.
The blonde marked up his chest like a shameless fuck, but he didn't care. His arms wrapped around Katsuki's head to welcome the bruises, and they both felt the way his naked cock jumped from the ministrations he was being bombed with.
When Kacchan moved to the second one, the pressure worsened.
He got teased and teased until his dick was leaking cum in a steady dribble that he wished he could hide from the outsider.
However, the man curled his fingers tighter around his arousal instead and gave him a steady pump as if to mock him.
"Kacchan..."
"What's up Deku?"
"L-liked that." He huffed.
"Yeah?" Bakugou chuckled while speeding his movements.
"Y-yes... aughhh"
Groans spilled in an endless river out of his mouth as he made sure to hold still for the blonde. He gave him access to his entire body, not caring that he was stark naked on the floor of a cave.
When the Tiger shifted to spread his legs wider and get them over his shoulders, he didn't stop him. All he could focus on was the rough way he was being milked for all he was worth.
Apparently Katsuki appreciated his compliance, because he sped up for him again, and used his other hand to toy with his balls.
Then the blonde leaned over his body without stopping to demand a kiss.
One he readily gave.
His hands practically flew behind the blonde's neck to pull himself up and give him what he wanted. Katsuki opened his mouth, letting him set the pace, and he slid over his tongue without a shred of restraint.
When the blonde moaned at his newfound willingness, he answered with his own and bucked his hips to silently ask for more.
Kacchan listened to him.
The strokes actually became too rapid, threatening to push him over, and Izuku struggled to tell him to slow down. He wanted them to climax together.
"No-aughh not just me! Kacc-aan, please no. Stop... agh! I-I'm too close! Stop!"
"Hold it in Deku." The blonde taunted.
"I can't! You piece of sh-! You know I ca-a-agh!"
Deku orgasmed all over his fingers while insulting him the entire time. Even as he convulsed on the stone floor, he cursed him until every last drop was dripping down Bakugou's hand, and the blonde couldn't keep the grin off his soiled lips.
"And you said I swear too much." –he teased– "If you're gonna cuss at me like that, then you better be prepared for what's coming for you shithead."
"I can't stand you." Deku panted with a scowl.
"You sure? Looks as if you like me a whole lot instead."
Izuku ignored the blonde as he was rolled onto his stomach. Even while Katsuki peppered his back with kisses and love bites, he minded his own business.
However, as a soaked finger slowly moved across his ass, he came to understand why the blonde forced him to climax before himself.
And Izuku was having none of it.
He was next in line to be emperor; no way was he doing this with just anyone.
He immediately crawled away from Bakugou saying "It's enough I let you stick your tongue in my mouth, you're not putting your fingers there."
Amused, Katsuki sat back on his legs and admired the way the idiot's ass swayed when he was on all fours. Then he retaliated by answering "You tried pulling away when we were fucking making out too, but you liked it in the end didn't you?"
"This is different."
"Just try it fuck face, if you hate it we'll stop."
"No Kacchan."
Bakugou made his way towards the freckled native who sat on the ground with a rebellious thump and met his unwavering eyes without a problem.
However, something changed when Izuku flicked his gaze down then back at up at his eyes again.
Katsuki paused when he saw a slow smirk, a warning of Izuku's scheming... and the fine hairs of his arms stood when a single shockwave of green light passed over Deku's body.
Then the native stood, glowing from those powers of his.
The only thing keeping Katsuki from backing away from him was pride.
But god, everything else told him to run away as fast as he could.
Even when Deku stood chest to chest with him, he still walked forward. Pushing him. Silently telling Bakugou that he wasn't going to get bossed around like the others he worked with.
Next thing the blonde knew, his pants were around his ankles, and he accidentally stepped out of them himself since Deku continued walking.
Finally having enough, he tried stepping to the side, but Izuku shoved him and resumed backing him into a crystal that was still faintly glowing red.
The savage ripped his undergarments clean in half, before letting the tatters fall to the floor, and his treacherous cock sprung upwards to meet the other man's abdomen.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He carefully growled.
In response, a pair of tempting, swollen, lips pushed up against his ear as they spouted a sinful idea.
"No."
"Can't take what you dish out?"
"Deku, I'm not fucking-"
"But you wanted to do it to me?"
"..."
"We'll make it a deal" –he said while holding out his hand– "Show me that you can handle this, and I'll do the same for you."
Bakugou glared at the offensive limb before hissing "Why the fuck should I?"
"You want me don't you?" Izuku taunted while stroking him with his other hand.
After he took a second to breathe through the stimulation, the blonde aggressively crushed Deku's extended hand in his own and promised "Yeah, I do. Do whatever you want to me tonight fucker. Next time we do this, you're gonna get it."
The other simply replied with a surprised smile.
It didn't last long though as the native refocused and kissed him.
His crankiness vanished at the feel of that mouth on his, and his eyes fell shut as they'd done so many times before.
Distracted, Katsuki had his bare thighs lifted up and spread apart as far as they could, leaving him in mid air with his back flattened against the crystal. The fucking idiot wouldn't let him fall, but he hated the position nonetheless. Even if he didn't have a problem with nudity, this kind of exposure was enough to bring heat to anyone's face.
Then Deku whispered "Show me what you were going to do to me, Kacchan."
Biting back his curses, he met those green eyes, slid his drenched hand down, and hesitantly slipped a finger into himself.
Izuku watched as it breached a ring of tight muscle, and how some of his own cum got caught on the outside when the blonde's hand moved in.
After a few, slow thrusts, his finger started to make sounds as the fluids slicked up his entrance. The noise felt too loud in the silent cave, and both men were overly aware of what they were going to be doing in the upcoming hour.
Bakugou didn't let it phase him though. Once he thought he could handle it, he slid in a second digit.
Fucking bastard was watching his every move, but Katsuki took some consolation in the way he was swallowing thickly and visibly shaking at his display.
Red eyes remained locked on Deku's face without fail. He saw every time he wet his lips, each darkening blush, and how those eyes glossed over with hunger. His fervid savage was starting to get his arousal back, and the blonde noticed him gulp again when he stretched himself to fit a third finger.
Deku was holding himself back, and it showed in every heavy breath that came out his nose.
Although, when green eyes were finally able to break free from his working fingers, they met his own.
Half-lidded and dilated, they started taking up his entire field of vision as Izuku leaned in.
The poor bastard paused a hair away from his lips before shakily murmuring "I want you so bad..."
Katsuki felt good about himself in that moment, for having this man, who could easily carry four times his weight, quivering at the mere sight of his skin, and struggling to hold him up.
"We made a deal right? Get your fill now Deku, because I'm going to break your god damned back once you finish here."
He swore Izuku's mouth watered when they kissed.
A pink tongue lapped at his upper lip in a silent plea for entry, and he bit the muscle cockily before allowing it to pass through.
Pride led to his downfall though.
He knew Deku was a fast learner, but the way he'd developed a freaking technique tweaked to his preferences was ridiculous.
Caught off guard, a startled, but pleased, oh, crossed his mind before warmth started collecting faster in his abdomen.
The little bastard was sliding his tongue along his own with obscene moans, as if kissing him was the ultimate pleasure.
Every vibration made his fingers work quicker subconsciously, and he leaned in as much as he could to greedily steal more of Izuku's touch.
Not that Katsuki realized, but Midoriya felt the cords of muscle in the blonde's legs tighten as he subtly impaled himself harder, making squelches gain volume between them. So he pecked the blonde one last time before bumping the head of his dick against the back of Katsuki's frantic hand.
Trying to hide his embarrassment at the slip in control, Bakugou removed his fingers in response, and wiped the rest of the cum on Deku's cock before telling him to move with a guarded stare.
The native lowered him slowly, feeding him inch after inch of his arousal, until he'd taken everything.
Up to that moment, Bakugou hadn't noticed how much girth Izuku possessed, but he acted as if nothing was wrong, and pulled at those curls while daring Izuku to fuck him like the dumb animal he was.
At that insult, green eyes shot open to their widest before narrowing in offense.
Surprisingly, Katsuki was lowered onto his own feet.
But then his face was slammed into the cracked crystal and held there brutally while Midoriya forced his way back up his ass.
Obviously it was agony, but Katsuki welcomed it with a merciless grin since it would keep him quiet. He had his own honor to uphold, and the last thing he was going to do was moan like a happy little slut for this dumbass he'd somehow grown to fancy.
The thrusts felt like they were going to rip him in half at the start, but after mere seconds, Deku realized he was tense, slowed down, and found a rhythm.
In an attempt to salvage his lifeline, Bakugou hissed "Fuck me faster you shit!"
However his demand was ignored.
Izuku's hands were back on him, looking for pressure points that would loosen him up. Naturally he squirmed and pushed back against him to avoid such spots being discovered, but Deku knew what he was doing.
So he started massaging him.
Bakugou writhed.
He flailed.
The blonde even arched his spine in an attempt to keep himself tensed and unresponsive... but against his will, pain cruelly started abandoning him.
He was thrown into the waiting clutches of ecstasy.
Izuku quickly did away with all the knots he had in his back and glutes, leaving nothing but satisfaction in his heating flesh.
All the while he thrust into him with long, slow, glides that left his muscles clinging onto his cock and involuntarily trying to pull it back in.
It was feeling way too nice.
His brain was being numbed, running out of ideas, and even worse, reasons, to keep quiet.
Fed by a reignited desire, his own dick was getting rock hard again, and his ears were steaming red, because Deku's thick fucking arousal was actually starting to get to him.
Bakugou clawed at the stone, grinding his teeth to keep his jaw shut. He chanted in his head to stay still, and told himself he was only doing this to fuck Izuku to kingdom come when the next opportunity arose.
But his pride was crumbling...
Whenever Izuku hit him like that he came closer to moaning for him. Twice already he'd gasped and shuddered when something teased his deeper walls.
Every time the idiot probed near this one spot, he thought he was going to have an orgasm.
He didn't know what to do with himself anymore.
During the silence, Izuku obviously sensed that his partner was holding back on purpose since his body told of nothing but enjoyment. However, he made sure none the less since he wanted Kacchan to like this enough to do it again someday.
Tenderly, Midoriya slid an arm around the blonde's hips until his fingers found the base of his shaft. He took hold of it, and slid his hand down it's swollen length, only to find that it was leaking onto the floor with almost every thrust.
With a breathless laugh, he let go and leaned close to the blonde's blushing ears.
"Looks like I'm going to have to force you to call out for me, huh?"
"Get...kuh...Get fucked Deku!" He rasped.
Katsuki cursed at his inability to insult the native behind him, but his jaw clamped shut tightly when Izuku changed his pace.
He was rolling his hips again.
No.
Barely separating as he grated against him.
Nononononono.
It wasn't fair.
Bakugou's fist flew into his own mouth at the fluid motions. He bit down hard to stay quiet, and thank fuck Izuku let him have that at least, but his rhythm became more shallow overtime. Inching closer to something that Bakugou knew would be bad.
After enough jabs at his inner wall, a weakness was exposed.
Nothing in the fucking world could've kept Katsuki from freezing up and choking at the feeling.
And of course, Izuku found that reaction interesting, so he experimentally thrust at the same angle.
Then he did it a third time...
...and a fourth, and fifth until his smile was about to split his goddamn face.
On the ninth thrust against his prostate, Katsuki couldn't hold his breath any longer and his voice cracked at the loud gasp dragging itself out from his lungs.
Then one of his thighs was seized and lifted to the side, forcing his lower back to tilt upwards.
"Dek-u...not th-"
Then came the speed.
And Katsuki damn near sang.
He moaned loud enough to put a prostitute to shame, loving each and every strike that stretched him out and abused that soft spot.
Midoriya moved at a cruel speed. Pleasuring him until the slaps of their flesh were lost to him as his heartbeat roared in his ears.
"Sto...agh ah"
Whatever Izuku was battering, it had a direct link to every nerve in his body, and it was scraping them raw.
His body stopped listening to him.
Now, he was slamming himself back against Deku, completely forgetting about his initial attempt at staying unresponsive.
He was groaning out his name with zero inhibition, letting it echo in the cavern alongside the sounds of their bodies joining.
"Deku! Deku… Fuck...I w-won't..."
In a few seconds he was surely about to cum all over himself because of some guy's damn monster dick, and nothing in hell was going to save him from the humiliation.
Then the thrusts became a blur as that power fucking activated.
His pupils contracted.
He wanted to scream that they were too fast, and that he wasn't going to last any longer, but they vibrated his whole body anyway, without any consideration for his sanity.
His jaw went slack, sending his heavy tongue to loll out as his groans became shrieks and demanding howls for more.
Deku had to hold up his hips since he could hardly stand, but the savage didn't mind since it let him manipulate his body further.
Through those manipulations, Katsuki was thoroughly used as he fought to puff air into his lungs. However, when Izuku leaned down to kiss his ear again, his breath caught. Then the native moaned out his name and gave him one last hard thrust that shoved him forward against the crystal.
With a few rapid, short thrusts, and a vicious hand on his shaft, Katsuki's body finally gave.
He went rigid as his orgasm finally hit him and hissed out for Izuku as ropes of cum decorated the idiot's hand and his own skin.
Midoriya couldn't handle the sudden tightness and came crumbling after him, pumping the blonde throughout the entire thing with a trembling hand.
However when they were done, Bakugou somehow staggered back into the idiots now weak arms, and slammed their mouths together. Promising that he was going to return this tenfold when he got the chance, with or without some shitty jungle powers.
Afterwards, the native laid them down on a patch of damp sand near the pool at the cave's entrance, and allowed Kacchan pull his spent body close.
Tonight, through submission and fondness, it was proven that Bakugou Katsuki was not an enemy...
...and now they were both in deep shit.
...
...
...
...
Author's note: Thank you for giving this story a chance considering its word count, and while it is not my first time writing, it is my first time posting on this website. I hope you enjoyed yourself whilst reading.
