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Shouto drummed his fingers on the polished oak of the table in front of him. The ambassadors there from his father’s kingdom shifted awkwardly under his gaze from a few seats away, making him roll his eyes. He knew of his own reputation since he had “fled” the country nearly eight years prior. His old followers and those who found their duty to serve him found it difficult to talk about him without referring to him as “the whore” or “the traitor”. Truly, he couldn’t care less if the men his father had sent to intervene with his day were shifting in their seats with awkward discomfort seeing their former charge displaying such a blatant form of allegiance.
“Speak the purpose of your visit,” the former prince spoke with even, commanding timbre, sounding horrifically like the ruler his sire would have trained. Maybe the old brute would be ashamed to see him this way. Maybe he’d be proud.
“Well, umm, we’ve come with a message from your father,” the first man gulped, unease clear in his face. “He wishes to let you know of your sister’s upcoming wedding to one of the princes of The Valley.”
“I was already extended a personal invitation, as well as one for my family. Her husband to be sent a messenger several days ago to request a place for accommodation on their return trip to his lands. I am sad to say your trip was for naught.” The housekeepers came out with hot tea in fine silver cups, setting one in front of each man present at the table. Shouto took his and breathed the steam in, letting the familiar warm aroma cover the other scents invading his lungs. “Although, I have a feeling that is not all you seek my presence about. What else has King Enji sent you to bother me with?”
The first man that had done the speaking cautiously took a sip of the tea, almost like he didn’t trust the drink placed in front of him. Shouto couldn’t blame him. He would be weary too if he were in the presence of a son of his ruler, one that had seemingly abandoned his birthright to show up again some years' time later on the arm of the enemy. “Word made it back to our kingdom that you have borne offspring, and he would like to know how they are growing. Those that informed him have not been able to tell him about many details on them.”
Shouto felt as much as he heard his husband scoff behind him. “You can report back to King Enji that he has two healthy alpha grandsons in his lineage now. You may also tell him that his own blood child recovered well from the birth and is continuing to be in good health as well. There are chances for a third soon to follow, though not yet guaranteed.”
The second man shifted, refusing to make eye contact. Shouto knew why. Lord forbid he continue his daily practices when his own lineage comes knocking. With subtlety he had gained in time, the omega shifted his weight on his mate's lap. He had just come out of a heat that they were hoping would take, and if it made their Queen happy to stay knotted for as long as possible to ensure that, then nobody from their kingdom would complain. Both were covered, the only indication of their current situation being the way the two sat.
The first man cleared his throat, trying his best to keep his gaze on Shouto’s cold stare, swearing that he could feel the ice magic seep into his veins as a chill. “His majesty wanted us to congratulate you while we were here. We will take word back to him upon our arrival home. I do believe he is hopeful one of your sons will come to him once he is of age to take place of the gap you left in the crown line.”
The young king tensed, digging fingers into Shouto’s hip to ease the anger he felt building in his mate. A scent of blind rage seeped from him, staining the air like fresh tea leaves dropped into scalding water. Shouto could feel that his husband had something to say, but a quick release of calming energy placated him for the moment. Shouto had warned him that he wanted to do this alone, and he was adamant that he did that. He wanted to do this to prove he was not worth the treatment he had received that ended him up in the alpha’s arms to begin with.
“And why should I still want my father’s meaningless title to go to either of my children?” For some reason, that was the thought that made Shouto’s skin crawl. His two perfect little boys were running around with the fighters for entertainment, having so much energy and sheer power from their father’s genes. Neither of them would ever be happy with the stuffy clothes and blank marble walls he himself had been forced to grow up in. There was no place to run freely, or feel fresh air from horseback, or train a weapon in the name of enjoyment. That place was so sterile, and Shouto had built his home to be the direct opposite to the place that had caused him that much pain.
“The king wishes to have a child of your power that could fit the criteria that you didn’t.” The second man finally spoke, but he was clearly less confident in his words. “There is a son with strong magic genes and alpha blood now in your line. Either boy could make a strong leader with time.”
Shouto raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his tea. “Are you insinuating that I am not a strong leader myself? That I am incapable of holding a title that is not “mother”?”
The man stuttered, trying to correct his words. “No, no, I simply meant that the crown may only go to a man of alpha blood, which you are not.”
“Ah, I see,” Shouto hummed and sat up to his full height, aided by sitting on his mate’s large hips, “if my sons were omegas or betas, you would not be sitting here. If I had borne daughters, you would not be here either. I’m so glad I am only seen as a convenient commodity for your king.” Shouto took one more sip of his tea and let the glass clink back down on the polished wood. “If this is all you’ve come to discuss, you are dismissed.”
The men both tried to protest, but strong arms came to wrap tightly around Shouto’s waist before they could contest it. “You heard the Queen. Leave now before you upset him further. If you do not, I cannot guarantee the fate that will befall you.”
The quiet pull of bowstrings echoed in the room, and, smartly, Enji’s ambassadors quietly took their cue to leave before more drastic measures were taken against them.
When the door closed, Shouto slumped back into his husband. With soft hands, the king at his back shifted his legs so he could face him. Their laps were sticky from when the alpha’s knot had died down much earlier. They’d had a busy day full of meetings and business transactions, stopping him from really keeping his knot locked in the way his omega would have liked. Despite that, if his beloved mate wished to hold him in while dealing with the ache of a barely passed heat, who was he to deny the poor soul that comfort? When they were face to face again, Shouto met him with a bruising kiss that heated up the air around them.
“Hmm, has Queen Bakugou Shouto had a difficult day?” Those words were met with a purr as his darling settled fully against him.
“Katsuki, please don’t tease,” Shouto rocked slowly forward, letting his mate slip from him with a soft whimper. “We have had a long day. Can we please just go back to our room?”
Katsuki chuckled as he watched Shouto try to stand. He knew better than to offer assistance at the forefront, that did not make for a happy omega. “Of course, my love. Quell the last bits of your heat and head to bed. We have nothing on tomorrow, so what do you say of taking the boys hunting if you feel up to it?”
“That sounds wonderful.” The omega stood and took about four unsteady steps before Katsuki had swept him up into his arms to be carried back to their quarters. Normally, Shouto would protest, fighting tooth and nail to be let down. This time, all he did was whimper and wrap his arms around his husband’s neck.
Unsettling as that was, Katsuki let himself be scented, doing his best to relax himself and his mate. He had hated every word that poured from those messenger’s mouths. There had been a time when he didn’t know he was courting royalty, only finding out once they’d already blood bonded, and the truth reared its ugly head. Never once had he trusted anyone but his mate from the Kingdom of Fire and Gold as far as he could throw them. Shouto had always been different, showing the same unease he, himself felt about them. Shouto, born of a Muspeli descendant who bred with a mountain sprite, found them just as horrific as those looking at the kingdom from the outside in. From what Katsuki had learned, Shouto was planned to be a fighter, but had ended as nothing but a breeding tool. A living incubator for a new generation of warriors. It was sickening.
They had met while Katsuki and his men had been out hunting. From his horse, the heir prince had seen unusual color in the riverbank and went to check it out. He had found the young thing there, small and willowy, yet bigger than the normal sprites of the region would ever dream of becoming. The Dragon shifter dismounted and approached him, and as the kingdom knew it, the rest was history. Katsuki had been smitten from the first time he looked into the younger’s eyes, never having stood a chance against the little fire and ice fey that barely came halfway up his ribs on a good day.
There had been so many rumors flying through the kingdom when Mitsuki had made it known to the court that her son was planning to propose. They had protested, told him not to, did everything they could to stop him, but when he very publicly did so and the omega had fully collapsed in his arms out of excitement, they had changed their tone. That was the first time the kingdom had seen their leader cry, and it had only happened again when he rushed in to say he was a father.
That was all Katsuki could think about as he inhaled the sweet scent of the man in his arms. He wordlessly walked back to their tower of the castle, slow as to not jostle Shouto too much. The younger didn’t say a word, simply let himself be carried and reached to turn knobs as they passed through doorways. The king could not help but lower his mouth to gently run teeth over the pale neck in front of him, savoring the closeness to his mate as they finally entered their own living space once more.
Shouto sighed as he got laid out in the nest he had painstakingly created. He felt better surrounded by the familiar scents he had put there, curling in and making room for his mate to join him, making grabby gestures as the older walked away from him.
Katsuki went to remove his cloak and small jewelry pieces that had adorned his tattooed chest and arms through their day, letting all of it fall unkempt onto a dressing table near his window. Typically, his cloak would be hung over the glass when one or both of them was in their cycle, letting the crowds be aware that royal business would be delayed and to garner anticipation for another child born to the crown. For now, he laid it to the side, not caring of the formality that it should still be hung. He had much more important matters to be attended to.
With gentle movements the alpha went back to the nest, gingerly climbing in and coiling himself around his mate. “I can’t believe it,” Shouto’s voice had a slight waver, causing Katsuki to pull him in tight to his chest. “After I gave up my title, after I got away, after I joined the biggest enemy he has, all my father wants is still my children.”
With a sniffle, Shouto melted against Katsuki’s skin. “Did I ever mean anything beyond my womb to that bastard? I tried to give him the children he wanted raised, and he threw me out, only to come knocking when I’ve finally got ones of my own, he thinks he can just…” Shouto took in a deep breath, doing all he could to regain his composure. He had gotten past the initial hurt, he really had. However, reopening old wound when he was already in a fragile state hadn’t sat well with anyone involved with the planning of the meeting in their court. “He still thinks he’s entitled to my offspring like they’re cattle used for barter. I love my babies and when I look at them, the back of my mind holds a voice telling me how little I mattered to my own parents that they would do the things they did to me.”
Katsuki growled low and possessive in Shouto’s ear, pulling him by the neck out of his thoughts. “You are not, nor have you ever been a womb for that jackass. You are here for your own self, and the little ones you want to follow you. They are loved and safe here, and I will kill everyone from your entire birth kingdom if they dare to hurt even a stitch of their clothing. Do you understand?”
Shouto let one tear fall, more threatening to follow with his nod.
“Good, because the same goes for you, Shou.” Katsuki placed a kiss on the crown of his head, trailing more around his face while avoiding his lips. “I will protect my country, I will protect my children, and I’ll be dead and buried before a day comes where I won’t protect you.” More kisses followed, scaling up in intensity. Red marks were gleaming across Shouto’s collarbones before ruby eyes came up to meet steel and ice. “Never forget that you are worth fighting for, my darling.”
“Then make me remember, Alpha.” Shouto pulled at his own garments to get them out of the way. They had been made to make desires of the flesh discretely accessible but made it difficult to show his full self. “Make me remember why I chose you in the first place. I want to forget why I was cast away, why I stayed in my happiness here.” The omega was freely crying as he finally pulled the clothing away to bare scars of all origin to his mate. “Give me another heart to protect.”
And how was the King of Dragons and Mountaineers supposed to ignore a request such as that? With battle worn hands and lips that had delivered great damage, he began slowly undoing his beloved, leaving not an inch of pale skin untouched. If his mate couldn’t feel loved for his own self, then Katsuki had failed. Katsuki never fails.
He had seen his husband, his mate, his queen, his Luna, whatever term the civilians of their land wished to use, so many times in this state over the years they had shared, and the sight never once lost its beauty. Shouto hated it, thought himself an eyesore after years of abuse and the effects of growing two healthy dragon shifter children from a sire much larger than he. Katsuki disagreed, choosing instead to worship each scar and mark as if it were a relic to be used for prayer. And oh, how he would exalt the sight.
Shouto’s back arched as Katsuki moved lower, smothering pale skin with marks and bruises of love instead of war. Lips and hands both moved to touch every sensitive spot he knew, mapping Shouto’s body out like he had done so many nights before. The omega tried his best to return the favor, sliding one slim hand down to grasp at where he could reach. Katsuki stopped that quickly. He loved how small his fey bride was, though he would never voice that to the younger. Both the pale wrists fit comfortably in one of his hands, making it easy to hold him down.
“No, my Queen,” Katsuki paused, lifting his head to meet teary, two-toned eyes, “you take care of me too much. Let me dote on you.” From there he continued downward, licking a path over silvery lines that led him down to slim but powerful hips. His fingers traced along the bone, making a note in his mind to call for some of his love’s favorite snacks if his suspicions turned out correct. This heat had been mysteriously short, and the alpha was almost certain his seed had taken once more. If Shouto desired another, though, he would be damned if he didn’t make sure it stuck.
Katsuki’s mouth watered as he settled into place, taking no pause before charging in to claim what was his with his tongue. Shouto writhed under him as a fire heated tongue pressed to his entrance. Katsuki circled the slit until his mate was panting and begging him for more, where he took pity on him and buried in deep without warning, flicking his tongue up to push lightly against the spot that made Shouto lose control. His ice came to let a small patch of frost across the back of Katsuki’s neck, who hummed in contentment when temperate thighs squeezed around his shoulders. The king was always happy to be pleasing his beauty, lapping the slick he dripped that mixed with his own semen from the day like the land’s finest delicacy.
He took his sweet time there, working around each sensitive point like a dying man. Katsuki only eased off once Shouto’s thighs were shaking in his palms. He added heat to his tongue and his fingertips to nudge his omega closer to the edge. The soft noises spilling from his lover fueled that fire, making the flame within the alpha burn white hot. The only thing in his mind was to bring pleasure to his mate. He was no king, no warrior, no battle-hardened hero in that moment. He was an alpha fulfilling his most sacred duty. Shouto did not need him as any of those other flowery titles.
As much as the alpha was a powerful being, he would be the first to admit that Shouto had ten times the strength of him. He was ethereal in a terrifying way, as are the colorful hues of the sky in a storm. Quick wit and ingenuity were pieces of him beyond his magic that brought the most dangerous soldiers to their knees. He was horrific to have as an opponent, but at his side, the two became one in the most dominant way. They could kill, they had killed, but when it was just the two of them, the harsh natures fell away like spring rain. Leaving only the barest forms of each other to their partner, they didn’t need adjectives of any kind besides the word “mine.”
Although, Shouto had always earned the title of beautiful, that much was no contest. It had been one of the first things Katsuki noticed about him when they had encountered each other in the woods. Long bicolor hair framed a pretty face, fanning out across the soft pillows he had insisted on having in their quarters. However, as pretty as he generally was, there was never a more perfect sight than the look that always came to his face the moment his alpha would press inside. His eyes would roll back and those rose petal lips would curl into a soft “O.” The more Katsuki pushed in, the redder his omega’s face would go, culminating in the gratifying moan he would release when he felt their hipbones meet.
“Oh fuck, yes, Baby,” Katsuki moaned out as he settled inside. The first time they’d coupled, the two had spent hours getting Shouto loose enough to take in the quite literal monster that made Katsuki an undisputed alpha, made all the more daunting by their already dizzying difference in size. Seven years later, it still amazed him how tightly his mate wrapped around him and took every inch until it was subtly visible under his skin. For how small he was, the omega always took everything he was given, begging his mate to give all he had. They would meld together in an abstract carnal menagerie fit for just the two of them. The space would be well used between them.
When Katsuki’s knot stretched Shouto dizzy, their lips met in liquid fire. They always shared kisses raw with passion, but this one felt different. It was less in the moment heat, more a promise that there would never be one without the feeling again. The pair sat breathless as they came down. Neither wanted to be the one to break the peaceful spell.
With one more quick peck, the King ultimately stood up to clean them up. As he wiped over pale skin, he lingered a little while near Shouto’s neck and face. The mark he had left there to tie them together was ringed with lighter bites from the last few days. Below it was the first tattoo the omega had gotten. Ink was a way to tell the wearer’s story in their kingdom. The fire spark with small snowflakes within it stood stark on his neck. Three snowflakes, one large and two small, with room for more in the flame. Their family, made to withstand the heat and the cold. With a small kiss to it, Katsuki came to settle back next to his mate. They had time to dress and fix their room. For now, they were each other’s.
After they rested some and watched the sun fall in the distance through the large glass windows, they sat in wait of the housekeepers to come by once more. A couple of ladies bustled in to leave fresh water in their pitcher and to take their dirty clothing away to be washed for them. Usually that act would be protested, but the royals let it happen for a rare time then. Mere minutes after they left, a knock came resounding through the wood. There was no chance to answer before two little blonde headed boys were tumbling into the nest in with their parents. They were full of stories of the training grounds for their father, where they had spent their day with some of the shifters watching over them. At five and three, their boys were almost old enough to learn to shift by themselves, which excited Katsuki and terrified Shouto.
Shouto interrupted their tales by pulling them in close in an embrace. Both of them stopped their talking and wiggled around to get small arms around their mother’s neck. Shouto had once admitted when their oldest was still an infant that he had never been allowed to hug or show affection for his own parents or siblings, which drove him to always show great affection for Katsuki and their children. The little ones giggled as they shuffled in to get the best spot, and their father just watched on until they made themselves comfortable. Once that was achieved, he slid in behind them and wrapped war-scarred arms around all three.
That is how Katsuki liked his days to end. With Shouto laying here in their nest, coddling and playing with their children, and himself, curled around and protecting them all. His family, one he had not expected to be afforded. One he hoped to grow and cherish more than life itself as his years continued to pass. As Shouto smiled at him, he knew this would be a sight he’d never be without again.