Chapter IIX: Warmth

Shoto walked down the hallway of the massive palace. His eyes following the zig-zag pattern of gold and red along the carpet. The light of the fire torches the only thing illuminating the hallway. He looked up slightly to see his sister heading in the opposite direction, dressed in a long flowing blue and white gown: one guard ahead of her and one behind her.

"Hello Shoto, " she said, her eyes closed as she walked.

"Good Evening Fuyumi," He said, his gaze trailing back to the floor.

"How did your date go this morning?" She paused, her guards stopping and standing at attention.

He glared at her slightly, "It wasn't a date."

"Sure it wasn't; you just felt the need to invite a commoner to our home and saunter him through the gardens with a blush on your face. It was obvious you were attempting to court him." She smoothed out one of her sleeves before folding her hands in front of her.

"And if I was?" He raised an eyebrow, "what does it matter?"

"Father won't be pleased. You know he is attempting to find you a bride."

Shoto's fist tightened slightly, "You know I don't care what he wants for me."

"I am aware, but attempt to be more discreet next time." She walked forward, her guards marching down the hall in step with her.

'Maybe I want him to see he can't control me.' He thought as he began walking down the hallway.

X

The rain came down on them in blankets of water. Bakugo threw his cape over Izuku to attempt to give the wizard some form of shelter, though he the water already soaked through his clothing. Scatha whined as they flew and Bakugo patted her.

"Don't worry; we are almost there?" He said, both to his passenger and his dragon. They arrived at the village a few moments later; the explosion needed to go through the mist doing nothing to aid them invisibility against the rain. Scatha landed as close to Bakugo's hut as possible. Bakugo quickly got off and aided Izuku into his home. Scatha promptly flew off to find her home.

"Strip" Bakugo said as he started a fire and began stripping his clothes, hanging them near the fire.

"W-what?" Izuku said as he shivered.

Bakugo growled softly and walked over to the green-haired wizard. He began unbuttoning his vest, "You will catch your death if you stay in those clothes."

Izuku's face went red, "O-Okay, I can take off my clothes myself," He quickly scrambled to remove his clothing, leaving only his underwear.

"Underwear too, it all needs to dry" Bakugo wrapped a large bearskin blanket around his shoulders as he sat next to the fire. Izuku swallowed slightly as he glanced over the king, realizing he was completely bare beneath the fur. Izuku kept his eyes down as he removed his underwear.

Izuku grabbed a blanket as well and sat next to Bakugo. Bakugo rolled his eyes slightly before pulling Izuku closer into his arms. Izuku's back pressed firmly against Bakugo's chest as his arms wrapped around his waist.

Izuku's face flushed as his eyes widened, "Wh-Wh-What are you doing?"

"Oh come on Deku, This is the first rule of survival. Our body heat will aid one another, and we won't get sick" Bakugo defended, rolling his eyes.

Izuku swallowed as he settled into Bakugo's chest, staring at the flames as he began to feel his body stop shivering. His stomach in knots. His mind replaying the moment in the clearing. The feeling is Bakugo's soft kiss on his neck and his calloused hand resting on his as they took off. His eyes ventured to his lap, half covered by the blanket. Bakugo's hand rested a few inches from his. His breath quickened as he moved his hand closer until the back of his hand rested against Bakugo's calloused palm. He waited, expecting the king to pull away; however, his heart jumped when he felt Bakugo intertwined his fingers between his own.

They sat in silence, each unsure of what to do next. Bakugo spoke up.

"So, did half-and-half summon you to talk about me?" He asked, his gaze fixed on the fire.

"A-At first, but then he wanted to hear about my journeys with All Might," Izuku said, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Bakugo shifted slightly and rolled his shoulders, "Did you accept his courtship?"

A shiver shot up Izuku's spine as he sat forward, 'C-Courtship?!' He thought, "H-He wasn't trying-" his eyes shot back and forth as he analyzed the morning, considering through each word said.

Bakugo let out a harsh laugh, "I know you are not that dumb Deku."

Izuku took a deep breath and leaned back, "H-He didn't say anything about a courtship."

Bakugo raised his eyebrows, "Would you have accepted if he had?"

"No," He responded quicker than he meant to, his eyes falling back on their hands, "I-I mean, h-he's not my type."

"Oh? And what is your type?" Bakugo did everything in his power not to smirk.

Izuku swallowed, feeling the heat radiate off his cheeks, "Strong, honorable," He ran his hand through his hair, "A little unhinged, not the proper nobility type."

Bakugo could feel his face heating up, which he attempted to blame on the fact that they were sitting so close to the fire.

"Why?" Izuku said after a few moments, his eyes attempting to look up at Bakugo once more.

"Just curious," Bakugo mumbled.

Izuku's heart felt like it would beat out of his chest. His brain was running in circles trying to figure out what was going on. He couldn't be misreading all of this. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath as he turned in Bakugo's arms, climbing up in his lap. Bakugo pulled him closer, his hands ghosting up Izuku's ribs as they circled to his back.

He slowly opened his eyes, green meeting amber. The light of the flames dancing on their skin as their chests lightly touched. He swallowed slightly.

"What do you want, Izuku?" Bakugo breathed out, his warm breath dancing across Izuku's cheek. His eyes were darting to Izuku's lips as Izuku's arms settled around his neck, his hands tangling in the king's hair.

Izuku searched his eyes for the meaning behind those words. His stomach doing summersaults as his confidence began to wane slightly.

"You," he whispered, barely loud enough for Bakugo to hear.

Bakugo readjusted him slightly in his lap as he leaned closer, his lips nearly touching Izuku's, "What would you like from me?" His voice a rough whisper causing visible shivers to shoot down Izuku's spine.

Izuku's eyes wandered to the doorway. The storm was raging on, the water pattering on the roof as thunder rang in the distance.

"No one with half a brain would go out in that storm," Bakugo whispered as Izuku's eyes met his once more.

"I-I," He whispered as his hand slid to Bakugo's cheek, his thumb tracing the king's lower lip, "I want you to do whatever you wish with me."

Bakugo couldn't take it a moment longer. He crashed his lips onto Izuku's, a soft moan erupting from the green-haired wizard as he eagerly ate up the kiss. His whole body on fire and his mind are hazy. The kiss was rough, uncoordinated with their noses pressing into one another, but neither cared.

Bakugo lifted him and laid him down on the floor beneath him, his hands running along Izuku's sides. His hand is reaching up and pulling Izuku's hair as he left a trail of purple spots down the wizard's neck and to his chest.

"K-Kacchan, please," Izuku moaned, raking his nails down the king's back. Even for just starting, he was already far gone. Bakugo's touches were like fire against his skin, burning up every nerve ending he possessed

"You can't get enough of me, can you Izuku?" Bakugo whispered as he reclaimed Izuku's lips and pulled his hips closer to his own, "I'll show you who you belong to tonight,"

Pants and moans filled the air surrounding them as sweat formed across their skin. Their rhythm was rough and clumsy as they explored one another and reacted to the other's touch. The rain poured on, masking their exploration from the outside world.

X

Izuku awoke the next morning to the bright sun as it shone through the windows. For a moment, he didn't realize where he was. He thought he was in his room, and that last night had been another dream to plague his mind. He slowly sat up, his back sore from sleeping on the floor. He groaned slightly and blinked as he looked around. He was in Bakugo's hut, and the king in question was over by the fire making breakfast.

'So it was real' He thought, rolling his shoulders and hearing them pop as his cheeks warmed.

Bakugo set down the spoon and grabbed a cup of water.

"Good morning," He said and handed Izuku the cup as he sat down next to him, "Figured you would need this. Your voice must be tired after last night." A soft smirk pulling at the edges of his lips

Izuku didn't meet his gaze, his cheeks feeling like they were on fire. He took the cup and took a sip. The cold liquid soothed his dry throat.

"Thank you," Izuku said, looking down at the cup.

The silence settled over them like fog, making it difficult to breathe. Izuku looked over at the king, studying his expression. Bakugo's face was relaxed, calmer than he had ever seen it and his eyes were tracing the floorboards.

Izuku took another sip before opening his mouth to speak, but Bakugo beat him to it.

"Would you like to keep doing that?" He asked, gaze fixed on the floor.

Izuku straightened up, "R-right now?" He asked, he had just woken up and didn't know if he had the energy for something like that.

Bakugo growled and rolled his eyes, "Not right now you idiot! I mean in general," he looked over to Izuku.

"Yes," Izuku said, his finger running along the side of the cup, "If you would like to."

"I would," Bakugo stood up and began stirring their breakfast, "Then that is what we will do."

Izuku thought for a moment about the arrangement, "D-does that mean we are together? A-a courtship I mean?"

Bakugo paused stirring for a moment, "If that is what you would like, then that is what we are." He went back to mixing.

Izuku's heart quickened as he felt a broad smile pulling at his lips. He prayed this wasn't a dream.

Bakugo grabbed their bowls and motioned for him to meet him by the table. He wrapped the blanket around himself and followed. Bakugo set down his dish on the table and held out the other bowl for Izuku.

As Izuku reached for it, it was pulled slightly out of his reach. He stepped closer, and the bowl was brought somewhat above his hand. With each movement, he moved closer to Bakugo, until the food resided above Bakugo's head with Izuku's hand stretched below it.

"Something wrong, De-ku?" Bakugo asked a cocky smirk spread across his face.

Izuku glared at him playfully, 'So that's the game he's playing?' He thought and stepped closer to Bakugo. His hand gliding up the king's ribs and rested against the side of his neck, his mouth leaving hot, open-mouthed kisses on the other side.

Bakugo let out a soft groan as his eyes rolled back. He slowly set Izuku's bowl down and grabbed the wizard by the back of the hair, connecting their lips. Breakfast could wait.

X

Two men sat in a shadowy room. The larger man is sitting on a wooden thrown tapping his chin, his face concealed by a vast veil. In front of him, a mirror reflected the young Prince Todoroki talking with Izuku.

"And you are certain that the wizard has a connection with the Dragon King?" The larger man asked, his deep voice breaking the silence of the room.

"Yes, I heard them speak about it momentarily," The smaller man said. He was tall and slender with large scars throughout his skin; metal connected the scarred skin to the unscarred skin.

"This information is beneficial to me Dabi, though I have to ask; why would you want to go after your baby brother?"

"He is the product of my father's greed, a child manufactured to be everything I wasn't."

The larger man let out a hearty and unsettling laugh, "Then we should have to pay him a visit, shall we?"

Let me know what you think :)