***Warning: Langauge, fighting/dueling, ***SMUT SCENE ON AO3****
Chapter 5
Two arrows whistled through the air and toward the center of the target before they collided, canceling out the other. It was a tie. Bakugo grimaced in annoyance, and Shoto showed no emotion. Bakugo couldn't stand it, so he quickly pulled another arrow and shot it toward the target, striking the center. Shoto tried not to roll his eyes, but he let Bakugo have the win, even though it wasn't quite considered a victory. That was just narcissistic alpha pride.
"Well done, husband," Shoto said softly to him. "You've proven to be a fine archer."
"Blades and tips are just one of the things we nagas do best," Bakugo said, glancing at Shoto though he didn't say anything about the game.
They returned to the dais as the games were finishing up, and the gaming arena was cleared out to be replaced with a stage. It was time for performance entertainment, and Shoto was curious to see more of the nagas' talents. The first was dancing, with both male and female nagas moving their upper bodies with the same wave-like motions of a real snake. Some of the females proudly displayed bare breasts as they danced, a shameful sight if they were living in the North.
Some performances contained fire, twirling it on chains, jumping through flaming hoops, swallowing it, and dancing with twirling batons. Shoto was transfixed on the fire dances wishing they had something similar in the north. Fire was precious, and it was only to be used for warmth and cooking. He never knew fire could be used in performances like that. Then there was magic; a few nagas made items disappear and reappear. There was a reenactment of an ancient naga battle that had Shoto as the only one clapping. He had thoroughly enjoyed the play, though he stopped clapping when no one else joined him.
"Excited much?" Bakugo said with a snort.
"I apologize, but this kingdom…it's so much different from mine. I'm just…amazed by all of it."
"...would you think you'd ever want to return to your homeland?" Bakugo asked.
"Well…I would still like to visit my siblings and my home…but…I'd much rather live here," he turned to Bakugo with a small smile. "There's so much more I can do here than in the north."
After the performances were finished, the festival was set to move on to feasting when the master of ceremonies suddenly announced that a challenge had been made. A young male naga with a gray snake half joined the master of ceremonies on the stage, holding a spear. The challenge was made to Bakugo's 'bride,' Shoto. Both Shoto and Bakugo were surprised, as were the others. All eyes were on the pair of them, wondering what would happen.
"What the hell is this all about?" Bakugo shouted at the naga who issued the challenge.
"I represent the many who disapprove of the merger between humans and nagas!" Shouted the naga. "Humans are weak and beneath us! They should be our prey, not our allies!"
"Get the fuck off that stage and slither back under the rock your skinny ass belongs under!"
The naga points the spear at Bakugo. "A high-ranking naga knows they cannot call off a challenge once the challenge has been issued!"
"I can do as I want!" Bakugo shouted back.
"Bakugo, it's alright," Shoto said, standing up next to his husband. "I'll accept the challenge."
"You can't fight a naga warrior," Bakugo hissed at him. "Even an omega one,"
Shoto shook his head. "He insulted humans, meaning he insulted me. Others like him, humans, likely believe the same in the north. The only way we can settle the…unruly bunches…is to accept their challenges. I'm not afraid."
Bakugo was silent for a moment, contemplating letting Shoto accept the challenge. He didn't want to see the human hurt, but at the same time, Shoto had proven to be stronger than he appeared. If given the chance, as he's promised he'd do, Shoto could become a warrior on his own. The young naga wasn't much of a warrior by the looks of him, and if Shoto fought wisely, the human could win.
"Fine. Accept the challenge," he leaned in and added in a whisper, "Fight smart, not strong. He's still a naga."
Shoto nodded and jumped down from the dais, stating that he had accepted the challenge. The weapon of the choice was a spear. While he's never fought with a spear, he has used one for fishing. And as Bakugo said, he would have to fight smart. So, Shoto took a spear handed to him and joined the naga challenger on the stage. He eyed the naga up, noting that the omega male was lithe, which likely meant he was fast. Shoto anticipated a lot of dodging on the naga's end. The challenge began, and the first to draw blood would be the victor.
The naga warrior attacked first, constantly thrusting his spear at Shoto. Shoto dodged most while knocking other blows away with his own spear. He stabbed the spear at the naga, who danced out of the way. Shoto remembered something that he had learned in a book about naga culture. These types of duels were meant to draw blood, and if the challenge was to the death, the actual goal was not to stab or impale the other; it was to make the other bleed to death. That is what this naga was attempting to do; Shoto could see the hatred in the dark-slitted eyes. This naga was not afraid to die for what he believed, and that's what would happen if he were to kill Shoto here.
'I need to fight smart.'
Shoto jumped over the naga's tail when it tried to kick his feet out from under him, and that's when he got an idea. Waiting for the right moment, he slid along the stage to get behind the naga. Raising his spear, he brought the tip down on the naga's tail, impaling it thoroughly and locking the naga in place. The naga let out a shrieking cry and attempted to pull away, but its tail was stuck. Shoto had won, already having drawn first blood. But Shoto didn't stop there because the naga wasn't giving up. When the naga twirled around to bite him, Shoto dodged and wrapped his arm around the naga's neck, locking him in a chokehold. The naga was stuck above and below, struggling to break free, but Shoto used all his strength to hold fast until the naga was mostly unconscious. Shoto was then declared the winner.
The crowd clapped and cheered for Shoto, and he turned to Bakugo to see his husband's reaction. To his delight, Bakugo was grinning in that menacing way, and Shoto knew that his alpha husband was impressed. Shoto quietly left the stage and rejoined Bakugo on the dais, dusting off his clothing.
"I fought smart, just as you suggested. Thank you, Bakugo."
"You did better than I thought you would," Bakugo said, the tip of his tail flicking anxiously. "Fuck the feast- it lasts until late evening anyway."
Shoto raised a brow. "Why?"
"Meet me in the orange grove in half an hour," Bakugo said before leaving the dais.
Shoto wondered what Bakugo had planned, but he did as he was told and waited half an hour. Then, he found Izuku and asked the beta to lead him once again to the orange grove. He didn't want to waste time by getting lost or keeping Bakugo waiting. Izuku led him there, complementing Shoto's win against the challenger. Shoto asked Izuku what Bakugo could want with him in the orange grove instead of attending the feast. Izuku flushed a little and cleared his throat softly.
"Um…he most likely wants to…mate with you."
Shoto flushed brightly and turned away so that Izuku couldn't see his face. "Why would he want to do that in the orange grove and not the bed chambers?"
"Nagas are warriors," Izuku said. "And naga warriors like Bakugo get…excited about fighting and easily have bloodlust. Those same feelings tie in with the urge to mate. And you-" Izuku trailed off, mumbling the last part.
"I what?"
"You don't…feel it?"
"Feel it? Feel what?"
Izuku chuckled nervously as they approached the entrance of the orange grove. He could sense Shoto's building heat, but for some reason, the human couldn't sense it within himself. Of course, nagas had better senses than humans, and once Bakugo sees Shoto, he's going to know, and they would mate.
"You should find Bakugo on your own now," Izuku said.
Shoto wasn't sure what Izuku meant, but if Bakugo planned to mate with him now, then he had other things to worry about. He never imagined his first time would be out in the open, in an orange grove, where anyone could see them. Maybe he should tell Bakugo that he would rather they do it in the privacy of their chambers rather than in the open.
As he searched the orange grove for Bakugo, walking up and down the rows, he thought about the fighting skills and the strength of his alpha husband. For some reason, those thoughts made him feel funny in his lower belly, and suddenly he was growing hotter. Shoto glanced up at the sun, but it wasn't any hotter than earlier, which meant it must be him. And then, he realized what Izuku had been trying to tell him.
'Oh no…not now…' his face flushed, and his body shuddered slightly.
He could feel the heat building in his lower belly and exciting his groin. Shoto tried to control his urges, but they kept growing stronger. Then, he heard hissing from nearby and the slithering of a long, serpentine body over fallen orange leaves. Shoto, still flushed, turned his head towards the sounds, and sure enough, his husband was stalking him. Bakugo suddenly slithered away quickly, going out of sight. Shoto looked all around, trying to find his alpha mate. He would occasionally see a rustling in the treetops or the fleeting image of a cream-colored tail. Shoto knew Bakugo wasn't going to hurt him, and it made his heat come into full bloom.
Shoto didn't know what had come over him, but he didn't want to give in to Bakugo so easily, so he ran. He knew his omega scent would be circulating in the air, and it would attract Bakugo to him, but he didn't have to give in right away. Sure enough, he heard Bakugo following him, the naga hidden behind the other row of orange trees. Shoto wanted to stop and bare himself to his alpha mate, but he wanted to keep up this little game. And then, what he thought was Bakugo cut in front of him. Shoto smiled, ready to be caught, but then panicked when it wasn't Bakugo but another alpha naga!
All the nagas should be at the festival, but this one was here, large and looming. This naga must have smelled his heat and followed him. He was too weak from his heat to fight back, and his omega self wanted to give in to any alpha. Shoto took a step back, keeping his eyes downward so as not to be hypnotized by the strange naga.
"Omega human! You are mine!" The naga had a black lower body with a thick build and round belly.
But Bakugo had been nearby, and before Shoto knew it, his alpha mate lept out in front of him. Bakugo loudly hissed and spread his hood, rearing up higher than the other naga. Shoto watched Bakugo's face contort into that of a snake, bearing fangs dripping with thick venom. The other naga didn't back down at first, hissing back at Bakugo, bearing his own fangs. But Bakugo was louder and taller, striking at the other naga with his elongated mouth. Then, the two alphas curled around one another, seeming to try and suffocate the other. But it was Bakugo who won, choking the other naga to the point of death. The other naga surrendered and slithered away in shame and defeat. Bakugo hissed loudly in victory, then turned to Shoto with hungry eyes.
Shoto couldn't believe how turned on he was by the sight of his victorious alpha husband. His knees grew weak as if filled with water, and he almost fell to the ground. But Bakugo's naga half stopped him, catching his falling form. Shoto felt Bakugo's tail holding him up, and then he slid down the length to straddle Bakugo's lap.
***Read full smut scene on AO3***
Bakugo knew he had hurt Shoto, but they were in the middle of mating, and there was no other option. This was nature, and it was harder for Shoto because he was a virgin. However, Bakugo did notice that he no longer felt Shoto's erection against his belly, it had gone limp. He didn't finish. Bakugo could safely assume that the mating was over, and nothing he could do right now could make Shoto come. So, they remained locked together until Bakugo felt his knot shrink, and he was able to pull out. He then changed into his human form and, wanting to give Shoto some kind of comfort, pulled the omega to lay against him. He felt tears dripping onto his chest.
TBC