Chapter 38

Kacchan had been waiting for him, lurking near the longhouse until their meeting had concluded. When Deku emerged behind the rest of the Elders, the Dragon King had snatched his wrist and dragged him off. Bakugou dragged him into the Chief's hut and cornered him. He pushed back the heavy fabric until he found what he was looking for. Deku's right arm, from his shoulder to his elbow was marred by a dark mark. It almost looked like a bruise, but the skin seemed blacker than that. It was unlike anything the King had ever seen. When he touched it, Deku winced.

"I knew it." When he touched the mark again, Deku jolted. Whatever it was, it must be very painful. "Before you worry about other people, you should start worrying about yourself."

"I'll be okay. With a little rest I—" Deku sucked in a sharp breath when Bakugou gripped his arm.

"You seriously think this is okay?" The only other time he had seen a similar mark was when broken bones were involved, but the Chief's arms didn't appear to be broken. "What the hell happened?"

"It's, um…it's an after effect of the magic from the Stellanium."

"You were the one who told me it was dangerous, that humans can't handle that kind of power. So why the hell would you use it on yourself?"

"To save others. To save my people."

"If you're so busy saving others, then who the hell is going to help you?"

Reaching up, Deku ran his fingers through Bakugou's spiky hair. The way it looked, he had always expected it to feel rough, but it was actually quite soft. He stood on his toes and kissed him. Kacchan stiffened, caught off guard by his sudden advance.

"That's one hell of a way to dodge my questions. You've got some nerve, Deku," Bakugou said in a low voice, the corners of his lips turning up in a mischievous grin.

His cheeks flushed. "I want to stop thinking for a while."

Kacchan's fingers curled around the fabric of the Chief's robes and pulled him closer. His tongue darted playfully into Deku's mouth, tasting him. With one hand, Bakugou undid the handcrafted buttons that held Deku's Chieftain robes closed. Deku went rigid as the heavy fabric fell around his ankles.

"K-Kacchan, wait."

"You should have thought of that sooner." He slipped his hand underneath Deku's tunic, sliding up along the Chief's tense back muscles. Bakugou closed his lips around his, kissing him gently. "Relax. It'll be fine."

Deku averted his gaze, embarrassed. But despite his nerves, he let Kacchan push him down onto the bedmat. One hand ghosted up the Chief's side, while the other traveled lower. Deku jolted when Kacchan's hand slid under the hem of his trousers. He trailed his tongue lightly down Deku's slender neck to his collarbone. He paused, leaving a soft trail of kisses. Deku's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. But Bakugou refused to go any further. He toyed with Deku, bringing him close enough to the edge before backing off. He would not take Deku the way he had done with women in the past. No. He wasn't a simple carnal conquest. It was something more. And he wanted Deku to ask for it. The Chief bit his lip, trying to keep his voice down as Kacchan played with him. His breathing quickened. He covered his face with his hands, too embarrassed to look Kacchan in the eye.

"Hey, come on." Bakugou grabbed his wrists and pulled Deku's hands away. "You're making a good face, so don't hide it."

"K-Kacchan," he said, breathless.

"I can't hear you."

Reaching up, Deku wrapped his arms around Bakugou's neck. He couldn't think straight, not with the way Kacchan was toying with him.

"Please," he whispered.

Bakugou smirked. He lifted Deku's hips up, pure animalistic lust washing over him. "That's one hell of a way to beg."

V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V

Deku lay intertwined with Kacchan, curled up together beneath the warm furs. Bakugou had fallen asleep beside him. It was like a dream come true, getting to spend the night together with the man he loved. Despite his rough personality and his constant scowl, he looked gentle and at peace when he was sleeping. The deep-set line between his brows had eased and he looked almost like a different person. Deku brushed a strand of blond hair out of Kacchan's face. He couldn't help but grin, giddy that fate had unfolded in such a manner. He never dared to imagine that the handsome prince he had dreamed of when he was a child would be lying beside him all these years later. The gods truly worked in mysterious ways.

But as he was admiring Kacchan's sleeping face, a sudden pain jolted through him. His chest constricted and he found it suddenly hard to breathe. A violent wave of nausea overtook him. Deku covered his mouth, doubling over. He curled onto his side, trying to hold in his voice. The pain was not nearly as extreme as when he had first consumed the Stellanium elixir, but it did not lessen the agony. Bakugou stirred.

"Deku?"

He feared that if he tried to answer, Kacchan would realize what was happening. But even in the dark, Bakugou could tell something was wrong. Deku was curled in the fetal position.

"Hey, Deku." He sat up straighter. "Are you okay?"

"I-it…hurts…" he managed through clenched teeth.

Bakugou must have assumed Deku meant his pain was from their previous activities. He muttered an apology, pulling him close. Kacchan ran his fingers through the Chief's messy green hair, trying to comfort him. Deku held his breath against the pain, willing it to go away. It would subside soon enough, and when it did, he would return to normal. When it did finally ease up, it left him feeling drained. He eased into Bakugou's embrace, comforted by his strong arms. He didn't want this moment to ever end. But he knew the sun would rise eventually and with it, they would have to return to their duties. They would have to return to their lives.

V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V

The village felt empty after Kacchan left. Deku oversaw the recovery efforts. Though no one had been killed, the attack had left their village in disarray. Several of the homes had been destroyed completely. Everyone in the village pitched in to rebuild, to return to a state of normalcy. But Deku couldn't lift things the way he used to. He had hardly any feeling in his right arm, and his injuries throbbed. Though Shinso had insisted he take time to recover, Deku refused. Bakugou returned to the village occasionally, helping when he could. But Diragonia was undergoing its own changes. He couldn't afford to be away from his kingdom for lengthy periods of time.

Nearly two weeks had passed since All For One and his villains had sparked war between Kasai and Diragonia, and returned to the forest to kill Deku and steal the Stellanium. But thanks to Deku's efforts, there had been minimal bloodshed on both sides. Though both armies had lost many soldiers, the number was miraculously small. The villains had all either been killed in the battle or been captured. Toga, the shapeshifter, had been locked up in the dungeons of Bakugou's castle, and Dabi had been taken back to Kasai. He was put on trial and imprisoned in a solitary cell in which his fire abilities would useless.

The after effects of the Stellanium often brought about sudden pain. It was hard to tell when it would happen, but when it did the agony was debilitating. Deku had noticed that Shinso was keeping a closer watch on him than normal. But now that the rebuilding of the village was well underway, Deku took whatever chance he could find to slip away and enjoy the quiet serenity of nature. It was close to noon when the others took a break from their backbreaking work to enjoy lunch. Deku slipped away, walking off into the woods.

As he wandered into the charred remains of the brush fire, the blackened leaves disintegrating beneath his feet, he took a deep breath. The flames had come dangerously close to his village, just barely managing to escape the worst of it. Ever since he had used the Stellanium he could feel the flow of energy through the earth, sense other living things through the constant ebb and flow. Though this part of the forest looked burnt and dead, he could feel the tingle of life beneath the layer of ash. New shoots were already sprouting, tiny flecks of green dotting the gray and black landscape. He knelt beside the charred remains of one of the larger trees, brushing aside the soot, a tiny blue flower peeked out. It was small, a beacon of hope in a wasteland of ash. The forest would grow back soon enough. It would recover, and things would return to how they were.

A sudden pain jolted through him. Deku doubled over. It felt like his head was splitting. A vision flitted through his mind. It was brief, lasting only a few moments. He saw the sacred pool, a figure sitting with their back against one of the large, old trees. He was seeing them from behind, only part of their profile visible behind the thick trunk. He couldn't tell who it was. Coir flitted about, hovering close to the person. Just as another figure stepped forward, approaching the first person, the vision faded. A wave of nausea washed over him, making his legs weak. His future visions had never made him nauseous before. He sank to the ground. His chest heaved and he retched. Flecks of blood came up with the bile. Deku tried to catch his breath.

Seeing the blood filled him with a sense of dread. Had the Stellanium done more damage to his body than he had thought?

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