***Warnings: Language, light smut, mild violence, scheming
Chapter 3: Those Eyes
Izuku was just dozing off to sleep when there came a rapid knocking on the door, followed by the click of a key. He leaped up instantly, staring at the door, waiting for it to open. Bakugo came in, dressed in nightclothes, and he was furious. Izuku had given him the good dream, but Bakugo didn't seem to like it. That had to be the reason why he was here so late in the evening.
"Stay out of my head, you nerd!" Bakugo shouted loudly at him.
The man was furious, and he could yell.
"I know what you're trying to do, and you'd better knock it off!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Izuku said.
"Don't play dumb, asshole!" Bakugo went over to the bed and grabbed Deku by the front of his shirt. "You got inside my head and gave me that dream!"
"I-"
"Shut up! I swear, if you do that again, I'll fucking punch you in the mouth, and the last thing on your mind will be your teeth, got it?" With that, he let go of Deku and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
Izuku only sighed, placing his face in his hands. So, the good dream didn't work. Or maybe…the good dream DID work, but someone like Bakugo couldn't allow himself to enjoy something. That was likely why Bakugo was so angry; he liked the dream. Bakugo has too much pride and ego to state otherwise, so he lashes out. Izuku wondered what Tomura was feeling. It was more important to get Tomura on his side than Bakugo.
He started to cough again, and luckily, there were no traces of blood this time. He sighed in relief and laid back on the bed, feeling exhausted, yet he couldn't sleep. But he has to stay strong to protect the Dream and Human realms. Izuku was certain the Dream Warriors were looking for a way to rescue him if he couldn't do it himself. He wasn't counting on being this physically weak. He was always a strong fighter and an equally strong weaver. While he gained power from All Might, he also gained weakness that came with a troubled earth.
Izuku rolled off the bed and knelt to pray for the Dream Realm, doing his best to stay strong for them. So long as he lived, the Dream World couldn't be destroyed. Tomura and Bakugo knew this, and they had a bargaining chip. Too many people, Dreamers, and Humans alike, were counting on him. He couldn't give in!
"I swear, I will do whatever I can to get out of here."
Bakugo took out all his frustrations on other Nightmares in the training arena. He used his new weapon, practicing with it to get his mind off of that dream nerd, Deku. He pictured his opponents as the Dream King, and that helped give him a series of fearsome blows. His attacks were so hard, quick, and brutal that other Nightmares didn't want to spar with him. That made him even angrier. The old man warlord shouted at him to take a break and 'cool off.' He didn't know the meaning of 'cool off,' which was for losers, he boasted to himself.
However, he did take a seat outside of the arena, watching the others spar. Not because he was told to but because he chose to. Bakugo glanced up at the tower that housed Deku. He wanted to spar with the Dream King again because Deku could be a worthy opponent. If he wasn't sick and weak. When he marries the Nightmare King, he will likely regain all his strength.
But then, Bakugo felt a tightening in his chest at the thought of Deku with the Nightmare King. He had never seen what the Nightmare King looked like, as all his features were clouded by the crystal he was encased in. All he knew was that the Nightmare King had very, very large and thick horns. The Nightmare King was big, too. Bakugo figured he would come up just shy of the Nightmare King's shoulder. Deku was a few inches shorter than him. The Nightmare King will tower over Deku. The thought of the Nightmare King and Deku together intimately made him shiver with disgust and one other feeling.
'No. Fuck that! I'm not feeling jealous!' He hollered at himself. What was this strange sensation he felt with Deku? First time during the fight, then again in the chamber with that white light. Deku was constantly on his mind, which annoyed him. It was those green eyes of his, Bakugo thought. Those emerald green eyes with starlight in them were…hypnotizing. That had to be it, Bakugo thought. It was those eyes.
'Wait, I know what to do,' Bakugo smirked to himself. 'He gave me a dream, so I will give him a nightmare! That'll teach him to stay out of my head!'
Izuku didn't fight back when Tomura came to his prison chamber and ordered them to go for a walk together. Izuku was excited to leave the room and get used to his new surroundings. If he was going to find an escape route, he would have to get used to the castle's inner workings. There was still the issue of the crystal shard, though. That keeps him from leaving. He'll have to do both, try to secure a way out while also removing the shard from his heart.
One gets more bees with honey, so Izuku does his best to speak calmly to Tomura, act like he is interested in the conversation, and take in the area around him.
"What do you think of your new home?" Tomura asked him.
"Is it really a home if I'm a prisoner?" Izuku countered.
"Don't look at it that way," Tomura said. "I'm giving you freedom of the castle. That should count for something."
Izuku nodded. "Yes, that's true." He made it look like he was admiring the castle but was looking for possible escape routes.
"Why did you give me that dream?" Tomura finally asked.
Izuku looked at him and answered carefully. "When I first saw you, I sensed you were sad and even a little lonely. I thought that, maybe, if you had a good dream, you could smile for real."
Tomura frowned at that, unsure of how to take it. It didn't sound like an insult, but why would Izuku want to make him smile? He already smiles.
"Why do you want me to smile?"
'Good, I'm getting to him,' Izuku thought, then said, "The smiles I've seen you give are not true smiles. I'm the Dream King. I want to see people smile and feel happy; that's why I weave good dreams, to keep them smiling. We may be different from humans, but we're the same when it comes to dreams or even nightmares."
"My…true smile?"
Izuku flashed him a smile. "Yes. You may be my enemy, but everyone deserves to smile."
Tomura didn't respond to that but then said, "Let's tour the gardens,"
"But I'll die if I step out of the castle," Izuku countered.
Tomura shook his head. "The castle grounds are connected to the castle. You can't leave through the gate or climb the wall. That's how you will die."
'This is good,' Izuku thought. 'At least I know I can walk around outside. I'll have a better plan of escape. I just need to get rid of this shard.'
Tomura took him to the gardens, which to Izuku wasn't a garden at all. Everything was black or gray, from the shrubs to the flowers. The only real color Izuku saw was the purple roses, which caught his attention. They were in full bloom, and they were large. He could likely cup one rose in both his hands.
"Do you like those?" Tomura asked.
"They're beautiful," Izuku said, admiring the purple roses. "I've never seen them purple, only red and pink."
"Despite what you may think about Nightmareland, we do have some redeeming qualities like that of the Dream World."
Izuku looks away from the roses and to Tomura. "I didn't think there would be flowers here," he said honestly.
"Only this castle has flowers. There are no flowers anywhere else in Nightmareland. These roses will be yours, you know, once you're married to the Nightmare King."
Izuku didn't respond to that and instead traced one of the rose's petals with his finger.
"Would you give me another good dream?" Tomura suddenly asked him.
Izuku looked surprised and said, "You really want another one?"
"I do," Tomura said. "It made me feel…warm."
Izuku genuinely smiled at that. "Yes, I can give you another good dream. You don't have to live with only nightmares or not dream at all." 'Okay, this is good. He's already warming up to me. I need to get Tomura on my side,' he returned to the roses. 'I don't like tricking people, but I must leave this place. If I can gain Tomura's trust, I might find a way to remove this shard and escape.'
"Do you want to see your future husband?" Tomura asked him.
'I want to say no, but the more I know and see, the better my options will be,' "Sure…I don't really have much of a choice. I prefer to stay in the garden, though. Can we come back here afterward?"
Tomura nodded, saying they could, and then Izuku followed him to the castle's depths. They walked down some long stone steps, and the closer they got to the bottom, the colder Izuku felt. When they finally reached the bottom, a wave of dread and fear washed over him. His feet froze in place, his body trembled, and his eyes widened. He couldn't sense anything other than dread. There was no happiness here and no light. It felt like all the evil in the world was right here. Tomura paused to look at him.
"Frightened?" Tomura asked.
"I…I don't want to see him," Izuku said.
"Nonsense. You have nothing to fear. He's going to be your future husband; no harm will come to you."
Izuku wanted to protest, to turn around and leave. But he needs to know what he's up against. Swallowing his fear, he nodded and forced himself to walk behind Tomura until they reached a large, cavernous room. In the room was a huge purple crystal with a shadowed form in the center. The only feature Izuku could make out was the large horns. The shadow form was posed in a defensive state, appearing to have tried to block or withstand the blow.
"That's the Nightmare King, placed there by the late Dream King," Tomura said. "My master and my father," Tomura walked up to the crystal and placed his hand on the surface.
"Your…father?" Izuku questioned, still staring at the crystal. "But I thought the Nightmare King didn't have any children."
"That's true, but he adopted me as his own when I was but a boy,"
"Do you know where you came from?" Izuku asked, still studying the crystal. He had heard the rumor that Tomura used to be of the Dream World.
Tomura shook his head, removing his hand from the crystal. "I don't. But that doesn't matter, I belong here, and I belong with him," he smirked at Izuku and added, "When you marry him, you'll be my step-father."
The thought of that made Izuku feel sick to his stomach, and Tomura's creepy smile didn't make him feel any better. It made him feel worse. He had to fight the urge not to lift his lip in disgust at the thought. Izuku didn't want to stay here anymore and asked to return to the gardens.
They returned outside, and Izuku toured the rest of the garden, relieved to be away from the dark, evil room. While touring, he found another type of flower that had red petals. He crouched down to look at them.
"Those are fire lilies," Tomura said. "Nightmares give those flowers to the person they wish to court or marry,"
"We have that same thing in the Dream World," Izuku said. "Only they are golden irises instead,"
Then, they were interrupted by Bakugo, who came across them returning from the arena.
"What are you two doing?" Bakugo asked, holding his new weapon against his shoulder.
"Tomura was kind enough to give me a tour of the castle grounds," Izuku said, standing back up.
"I just got back from sparing," Bakugo said, looking at Izuku. "I thought you and I could spar, little dream boy," He said.
"It wouldn't be proper to let the future mate of the Nightmare King spar," Tomura said with a frown.
"I won't be too hard on him," Bakugo smirked. "He can handle himself."
"No. I forbid it," Tomura said a bit more harshly this time. "I am the regent, and you will do as I say,"
Bakugo snorted in disgust and turned away, leaving them alone. Izuku wanted Bakugo to come back because, oddly enough, he preferred the blonde's company over Tomura's.
"I wouldn't mind sparing with him," Izuku said to Tomura. "I'm not just the Dream King; I'm a fighter as well as a Dream Weaver."
Tomura just shook his head. "No. You will not spar with Bakugo. He cannot be trusted. He's a powerful and violent Nightmare, and I can't trust him not to harm you. When he gets bloodlust in those eyes, he becomes as wild as a nomu."
Izuku did wonder about the monsters called 'nomu' and asked Tomura about them. "I see them walking around, but they don't look like other Nightmares."
"The nomus are the monsters humans see in Nightmares," Tomura said with an eerie smile. "They are the monsters under the bed and in the closet. They're the ones that chase a human down a dark hallway. That's their purpose. And when they aren't in nightmares, they are loyal servants here."
Tomura called over a nomu that was flying overhead. The winged nomu landed on all fours, sitting like a frog. Its exposed brain, sharp teeth, and jet-black eyes gave Izuku a moment of fear, but the feeling fled when he saw Tomura pet its bird-like beak. Though Tomura was petting it, the nomu's eyes were still focused on him.
"Here, come and pet him," Tomura said.
Izuku did so, cautiously outstretching his hand to touch the nomu. He placed a hand on its enormous beak, feeling the smooth texture. The nomu made a slight chirping sound like that of a bird and even leaned into his touch.
"He likes you," Tomura said.
Izuku wanted to try something, and he brought his hand under the beak to scratch the nomu's neck. This seemed to please the nomu, and it made more little chirping noises. How could something so big and frightening act like this? It was baffling.
"If this nomu approves of you, then the others will as well," Tomura said. "They are servant creatures and will do anything you say, even if you tell them to kill themselves or kill others of their kind. They will do it without a second thought."
'That's horrible,' Izuku thought to himself. 'They must not have a mind of their own, despite that big brain,' In a way, Izuku felt sorry for the poor beast.
After the tour, Izuku returned to his room, where he did ask Tomura for some food and drink. He would have to partake in food if he wanted to keep up his strength. He couldn't fight against Tomura because of that damned shard near his heart, so he needed to get on Tomura's good side. Tomura seems to trust him enough to ask for another good dream. His goal needs to be getting Tomura to fully trust him rather than fight against him. Fighting will not get him out of this place; trickery and lies will.
Izuku waited for the food to come, and when it did, he sat at the table to eat it. The main dish was some type of meat stew with black bread and strange purple fruits. The stew tasted decent but not great. The bread, though black, was fresh and warm. He dipped the black bread into the stew, which helped to make the stew taste better. The fruit resembled a berry, and when Izuku popped it into his mouth, it was tart. All in all, the food was good, and it helped fill his stomach, which started to remind him that he was hungry.
But on the last sip of stew, he felt a cough coming on. He coughed into his napkin and saw more specks of blood. He has to move more quickly to get out of this place. He can't die here; he can't die at all, for if he does, the Dream World will die with him. His best bet was to trick Tomura into trusting him. Speaking of Tomura, he is supposed to weave the creepy man another good dream. Izuku went to the sofa near the black fire and started to weave a new dream. When he finished, he sent it to Tomura, who would see it when he falls asleep. He was a bit exhausted after weaving the good dream this time around. Then, he prayed for the Dream Realm and lay on the bed, suddenly exhausted. He closed his eyes and easily fell into a deep sleep.
Izuku found himself standing in a dark room that was damp and cold. On his feet and wrists were black shackles. Then, he realized the room wasn't dark. In fact, he didn't know what the room was because he couldn't see. He brought his hands up to his face and felt that there was a blindfold there, and something warm on his cheeks. Tears? No, they weren't tears. He knew they were blood. He felt that his eyes were gone under the blindfold.
"Now you don't have to look at me with those eyes," That was Bakugo's voice.
"Bakugo?"
"Yeah, it's me, along with some…friends."
Izuku recognized the sound of nomus. There were nomus here. Izuku struggled in his shackles, sensing the nomus around him. Something touched his chest; it was a claw. He heard a purr and then felt something nibbling at his earlobe. The touch was fairly human, and he knew it was Bakugo. The clawed hand against his shirt moved downwards to his groin, ripping the fabric in the process. Izuku knew he was standing naked in the shackles. He tried to protest but couldn't find his voice. He could only make noises.
Bakugo's tongue started tracing down his cheek and neck to his bare chest. Izuku let out a gasp when sharp teeth nibbled at his left nipple. The clawed hand came up to pinch the other nipple. He shouldn't be finding this pleasurable at all. As the Dream King, he was to remain pure in heart, mind, and body. He moaned when Bakugo's hand traced down to his groin, scraping at his skin. Izuku found that he was growing hard from the touch. Both of Bakugo's hands were between his thighs now, with one finger stroking his entrance and the other hand stroking his member. He tried to tell Bakugo' stop,' but he still couldn't talk. It only came out as moans and gasps. It took all his strength and willpower to lift his leg and kick Bakugo away. He knew he did when his foot met flesh, and he heard Bakugo's swear.
Izuku pants in his binds, still erect and dripping blood from his missing eyes. He hears Bakugo growl, and then one of the nomus lifts him up from the floor by the backs of his thighs and spreads his legs. Izuku's face heated brightly beneath the trail of bloody tears as Bakugo returned, using his tongue and hands to torture him with pleasure. Izuku shook his head from side to side, still trying to talk. Bakugo then slid a finger inside of him, and Izuku let out a surprised gasp. Regrettably, he pushed back on the finger, feeling it slip further inside. He heard Bakugo laugh, and he removed his finger. Izuku let out a small whimper, and he hated himself for wanting more.
"I'm done with him," Bakugo said. "Eat him."
Izuku felt dozens of big, clawed hands on his body, and he was brutally ripped apart before he shot up in the bed. He was sweating profusely and panting heavily, with his body still trembling.
"Was that…was that a…a nightmare?" It had to be, and if it was…then it's all the more reason to keep Nightmareland from taking over the Dream and Human worlds.
To make things worse, Izuku saw the tent in his pants, and he could still feel Bakugo's hands on him, caressing him, touching all his intimate places. That bothered him more than the nomus eating him! The erection wasn't going away, so he had to deal with it on his own. What he had to do was shameful, but it had felt so good in the nightmare. Bakugo was a handsome man when he wasn't being evil. He was well built with hard muscles and had an authoritarian presence. Izuku had never met anyone like him. But the Dream King was to remain pure in heart and body, though he didn't know why. As far as he knew, all Might never had a lover or took a wife. It was never said what would happen if a Dream leader had a lover or took a spouse. The Dream King had to be married to the kingdom. But was he REALLY romantically thinking about Bakugo? He couldn't be- the man was a Nightmare, a demon! Such a union was forbidden on both sides. But Bakugo's tongue and hands…he blushed at the memory of the nightmare. He had never felt anything like that before. He would have to pray extra hard for the Dream World and for himself.
He didn't fall back asleep. Instead, he stayed awake, thinking about Bakugo. What was the reason for that type of nightmare? Izuku can only assume it was revenge for the good dream he gave Bakugo. Maybe Bakugo liked the good dream but didn't want to express it. If this was revenge, then he should fight fire with fire. He'll weave another dream for Bakugo and make it the same as Tomura's.
Izuku sat up on the bed and began weaving the same dream for Bakugo. He swirled the brightly covered orb in his hands, then blew on it to send it to Bakugo. This dream would be in response to the nightmare. He decided to try and get on Bakugo's good side, too, just like with Tomura. Though Tomura, the Nightmareland Regent, is somehow easier than Bakugo.
He blew on the orb and sent it to Bakugo.
Bakugo fell asleep quickly and didn't think he was going to have another good dream.
He found himself on what could only be an island. Before him was an oasis filled with brightly colored flowers and a small waterfall. Sitting on a rock near the waterfall was Deku in a sheer white robe. Deku didn't seem to notice him there. He watched as Deku made a panpipe appear and started to play a soft tune. Bakugo was instantly calmed by the music and found himself walking towards the other, but there was water between them. Instead, he sat down and stared at Deku, watching him play that music. He didn't want to approach the Dream King but simply stared at him from afar.
Deku's attire seemed to glow in the moonlight, and Bakugo looked up to gaze at the full moon, so white it looked like a pearl. He continued to relax to the music, picking a nearby pink flower. He brought it to his nose and sniffed it. The flower smells delightful! None of the shitty flowers in Nightmareland smelled this good. With the aroma of the flowers, the sound of the waterfall, and Deku's music, Bakugo had never felt so relaxed.
He heard a splash and looked to see that Deku had disappeared. Deku was swimming towards him. Deku then came up to the bank and sat beside him. Bakugo just stared at him. Deku told him to look in the water, so he did. He found his Nightmare features gone. No horns or pointed ears, and no claws. He looked like a…like a human. And it felt…well, right. He turned back to Deku with wide, confused eyes only to be greeted by a smile. And those sparkling green eyes.
"Rest your head in my lap," Deku said.
Bakugo did so, happy to follow an order such as this. He lay on his back and placed his head in Deku's lap. Deku started stroking his hair, pushing the bangs from his face. Then, he took the panpipe again and played the same calming tune. Bakugo stared up at the night sky with bright stars and moon. He had never felt so at peace.
Little did they know, Tomura was having the exact same dream.
Tomura was resting his head on Izuku's lap as the other played the panpipe. Tomura felt his anger and hatred melt away to calm. Nothing seemed to bother him when he was having a dream with Izuku in it.
But Bakugo and Tomura both woke up at the same time, in their own chambers. One was calm, and the other was mad.
"Damn it, he did it again!" Bakugo said with a growl. "I'm going to kick his ass!"
Tomura just smiled while remembering the dream. "I want Izuku to make that dream come true. He will do it, or I will have to hurt him until he does."
Izuku had gotten up early (since he didn't sleep) and chose to walk around the castle. Multiple guards gave him a sideways look as well as some nomus. While walking around, he came to some windows and looked out at the world of Nightmareland. There was so much back and gray and red that it was depressing. How could anyone live in a world like this? Should he fail, the Dream World will look like this, and the humans will destroy what little they have left. He had to stay strong for everyone.
He looked down into what must be the training arena, and his eyes fell right on Bakugo. Bakugo was sparring with a red-haired Nightmare. This Nightmare had red skin and a tail, which he used along with his fists. Bakugo would block a punch or a strike from the tail. Izuku didn't take his eyes off Bakugo. He admired the man's strong form, remembering when he had that kind of strength. He was too weak right now, or he would go and spar with Bakugo. Right then, Izuku decided it would be worth a try, and he might surprise himself.
Izuku found a way down to the training arena and waited for Bakugo to see him. The blonde paused in sparring when he saw him standing there and in turn, got slugged by the red-skinned Nightmare.
"Ow! Damnit, Kirishima!"
"Why didn't you block?" Kirishima asked with a laugh.
"What the hell are you doing here, nerd?" Bakugo hissed at Deku.
"I've come to spar with you," Izuku said. "If you'll accept?"
Bakugo smirked. "Oh yeah, we can spar. We can definitely spar! I'll even let you pick how you want to fight!"
"Swords," Izuku said.
"Only wooden ones," The Nightmare named Kirishima said, grabbing two from the weapon stand. He tossed one to Bakugo and the other to Izuku.
Izuku felt the weight of the wooden sword, and it was just right. He wished he was in better sparring gear, though. Just his white robe didn't leave much protection. But Bakugo was bare-chested, so he had a fair advantage. Izuku entered the arena and faced Bakugo.
"You gave me another dream last night," Bakugo said. "It pissed me off. What did I tell you yesterday? Don't fuck with my head!"
"Then don't give me any nightmares," Izuku countered. "I'm prepared to spar with you."
"Then spar!"
Bakugo attacked first, which Izuku had predicted. Izuku dodged the swing of the sword and met it with his own. Bakugo's blows and strikes were full of power, and they were pushing Izuku backward. Izuku got a few swings in, but Bakugo blocked them all. The force from Bakugo's constant swings was wearing Izuku down. He was still too weak to give his awe in the spar. But he did have one trick up his sleeve. Izuku let Bakugo knock the sword from his hands. When Bakugo laughed in triumph, Izuku took advantage and grabbed Bakugo by the horns.
Bakugo roared and shook his head, trying to get Izuku off of him. Izuku swung around Bakugo so he was behind him, still holding onto the horns. Bakugo reached around for him, digging his claws into Izuku's thighs. Izuku then jumped to the ground and pulled Bakugo's head back, using the horns as leverage. Izuku had rendered Bakugo useless and forced the Nightmare to the ground. The Nightmares watching all gasped. When Bakugo tried to get up, Izuku used the last of his strength to fling Bakugo over his head, hearing the Nightmare hit the ground hard on his stomach.
Bakugo twitched on the ground for a second, and everyone was quiet. All they could hear was Bakugo's growls as his clawed hands made drag marks in the dirt. Suddenly he shot up and ran at Izuku, bunting the other hard in his gut. Izuku flew through the air and landed hard on his backside, the wind being kicked out of him. Bakugo attacked him like a bull, and Izuku could hear the wild snorts to go with it.
"ENOUGH!"
Bakugo hissed at Tomura, who had just shown up to stop the match. "Back off! We're not done here!"
"You are done," Tomura said. "Stand down, Bakugo,"
"Just one more spar!" Bakugo was ready to go another round but suddenly was surrounded by black lightning. Tomura's magic. It held him back. "You…bastard! Let me go!" He tried to fight his way through the magic.
"You should have never done this," Tomura scolded him. "You will be punished for ignoring my command." He motioned some guards and nomus to take Bakugo to the dungeon. "I will deal with you later," He said to Bakugo.
Izuku was just getting to his feet when he saw them take Bakugo away.
"It was my fault," Izuku said to Tomura. "I…challenged him," his stomach hurt from Bakugo's headbutt. The horns felt like rocks.
"You need to be in pristine condition for when you…marry…the Nightmare King.
Was that some hesitation he heard in Tomura's voice?
"Where are you taking Bakugo?"
"He defied orders," Tomura said. "He also ignored my command. He will need to be punished, but that's not something to concern yourself with. It's not for your eyes," 'Those beautiful green eyes…I want them…but they are for my Master…' "Go back to your chambers. You're done here."
"Wait, please, don't punish Bakugo," Izuku said.
"It's his own fault, and he can handle it," Tomura said. "I'll escort you back to your room."
TBC