————

————

"A boy," Katsuki huffs. "Is in my realm?"

"Seems so, man." Kirishima shrugs, brow arched and directed to the small, vulnerable sleeping form of some little kid, curled up by the trees' gnarled roots, red butterflies fluttering around his head. "Curious how he got over our walls."

The blond's tail whips around, swishing as he tries to think. "Tsk. How troublesome.." he straightens, clearing his throat. "I'll keep him."

"What?" Kirishima blinks in surprise, before he's met with a deep scowl and glaring red eyes that made him back off just a little bit. "But.. He's..! He's human!"

"And how do you know?"

"It's clear, don't you see? He's not one of us. He lacks our horns, our scales, the red of his skin-"

"For all we know he may be a silkie, missing his hide. The glow of his face is unnatural."

That makes Kirishima look at him strangely, head tilted to examine Katsuki. The latter snarls back.

"You're.. quite adamant, sir."

"Yes, well, I may be cruel," Katsuki bends down to carefully pick the sleeping form of the green-haired kid up, cradling the small body to his chest. "But I do not lack a heart."

————

"Kacchan!"

"Katsuki, he bit it!" Kirishima all but squeaks, snatching the poisonous, spotted berry from Izuku's hands- making the kid pout and stomp his foot.

"Give it back!" He shrieks, head butting Kirishima's stomach while Katsuki watches from the trees, red eyes glinting with barely hidden amusement. "Kiri-nii, give me! Give meee!"

The redhead looks at his king imploringly as the boy's shrieks grow more adamant.

"Just give it to him, shitty hair."

"What!?"

"He's practically immune," Bakugou murmurs, watching Izuku as he jumps and snatches the fruit from his hands, taking advantage of his shock. "He's eaten a whole fruit before."

"I- a whole!?- impossible! A single bite can kill a dragon and-!"

"Mm. He's human. He's not one of us, remember?"

Izuku sits on the smooth rock, jutting from the ground, a giggle in his tone as he sinks his sharp canines into the fruit, biting down and letting the juice flood his tiny mouth, chewing on the sweet flesh as he rips it up. Kirishima cringes, wincing.

Indeed, true to Katsuki's words, nothing happens when the boy finishes the treat, and he simply wipes his messy palms on the rock's surface before hopping down to cling at Katsuki's leg. "More?"

The King puffs. "Your manners?" He demands, firm but gently, and Izuku gasps, covering his mouth. "Oopsie! Um, more fruit please!"

"There. Fetch him more fruit, shitty hair."

"Eh!? But why do I have to-"

"Just fuckin' go."

—————

"Kacchan!"

"You idiot. Where were you?"

"Hunting." Izuku leans in to brush their cheeks together- a practice that conveyed affection- the boy had started it when he was a kid, but still kept the habit (along with the dumb nickname) until he was in his late-teens.

Izuku pulls away, a brilliant smile on his face. "I also brought you a gift!"

Katsuki raises a curious brow, eyes trailing down to where Izuku hid his hands behind his back. "Oh?" With his piqued interest, he leans forward, making the human blush.

"Haha! Yeah! Um, it's probably not your style but.. I really liked the colors."

A flower crown is presented to him, intricately twined with vines, bursts of red and oranges made everything pop.

Still, it made Katsuki's cheeks warm, as he takes the delicate crown in his clawed hands, wincing when the slightest brush against his sharpened nails tore a bit of a pink flower's petal. "Mm.. How.. Cute." The plain remark made Izuku laugh, a joyous, tinkling laughter, as he scratches the back of his neck.

—————

"Stretch it a bit more- there."

Katsuki shivers when skilled, calloused fingers press into the thin skin between his wings, massaging the strained cartilage that led up to the bone. He buries his face into the pillows, a pleased sigh slipping from his lips when the oil gland near his shoulder blade is gently stimulated, coaxing more oils to spread along his scales.

Izuku works the knotted up muscles on Katsuki's back, the cloth resting on his waist is the only thing that covers his modesty- and the human is quite honored to be trusted so deeply by Kacchan.

"You've been flying more often."

"Nn. Smart boy," Katsuki comments, eyes lazily drooping. It wasn't often that a king like him got any rest.

"Take more breaks, Kacchan. You'll wreck yourself if you don't tread carefully." He spoke with truth, but Bakugou still felt a bit irked.

"You're not my advisor," he huffs agitatedly, shifting his hips to crack his back, slumping down with a grunt when Izuku presses into his other wing, tail whipping around, wagging like a delighted dog. "I need to be there."

"I know. But," Izuku's voice was soft, "I could read you better than anyone else."

The boy was gifted, Katsuki knew. He always had been since he was four.

(Katsuki never really saw how unnatural intelligence rested in those green pools, too ancient and knowing to be in a child's gaze.)

Bakugou considers Izuku's words. He's never been one to follow through anyone's advice- he planned his own path, built his own roads- but just this once..

".. Fine."

—————

Izuku turned fifty in a flash. Human life spans were fickle compared to a dragon's- and Katsuki felt.. saddened.

And yet.

"Hosu central wants to speak with you, Kacchan." The same, unwrinkled smile that made Katsuki's heart warm now made his stomach churn.

Izuku..

Izuku does not look a day over seventeen.

"Very well," Katsuki says, finding his voice as he stands to brush their cheeks together, and yet he avoids Izuku's searching lips, pulling away.

(He could not get his hopes up.

Foolish of him, to get attached to a human.)

—————

"Izuku isn't human."

"Refreshing to see you so straight-forward." Katsuki grumbles, looking up from his quill to lock eyes with his trusted right-hand man, a frown on the other's lips as he stands by the oak wood doors. He'd slammed them open, earlier.

"Look, I know we both thought he was.. but Katsuki, this is.. dangerous. He doesn't have a single wrinkle or a patch of missing hair. He's supposed to have an aching back- or at least, unable to run and keep up with you for twenty goddamn miles at this age.

"He's dangerous. This is dangerous. Keeping a human from the high council's eyes was already so much of a risk and keeping a-"

"-a what, Kirishima?" Katsuki snarls, eyes sharp as he stands, tail whipping in irritation as it knocks over his chair what he stands. "What in the fuck are you suggesting?"

The redhead hesitates, and speaks, lower lip trembling.

"Keeping a god will put our whole clan at risk."

—————

Humans were made in god's nature- meant to look like him, molded to be fit and perfect.

Dragons- creatures like Katsuki came second. A freak of nature, he'd say. That followed with fairies, centaurs- anything else besides human.

Fairies had wings, dragons had horns, centaurs were half fucking horse and mages had a pink or blue tint to their skin, while humans..

Humans were ordinary.

Weak.

They could not fly, they could not grant wishes, they hid in times of trouble and yet they've never gone extinct.

Like roaches, unable to be squished even if there's a nuclear bomb going off.

So when Izuku starts showing unnatural strength and knowledge that no human could possess with not a single drop of blue on his skin nor a scale of a dragon, being molded to be in the gods' image..

It was troubling.

"Hi, Kacchan."

Izuku smiles, but this time it was held back, small. He shrinks his broad shoulders, long braided hair falling to his sides. There's a sad twinkle in his deep murky eyes and it makes Katsuki's heart clench.

He reaches out to Katsuki- maybe to brush their cheeks together or pull him into a hug-

But the fact that Izuku might be a god, a deity, so much more powerful and strong, able to wipe everyone off the face of the earth-

It makes Bakugou pull away with a wince.

The boy's smile falls, and he tears his eyes away with a forlorn look.

Katsuki gulps down the guilt clawing at his chest, but Izuku speaks first before he could scramble for words.

".. You're scared," he whispers as if it confirms suspicions he'd held for a long time. "All of you are. Eiji is, Ashido avoids me.. Nn.. I never quite expected for Kacchan to reject me too."

".. Izuku.."

"It's alright." Izuku hums, sounding awfully small. "I understand."

"Kid-"

"-which is why I'm leaving."

.. What.?

Katsuki's alarm grows, ballooning in his chest as he tries to reach out this time, but Izuku doesn't see because his focus is glued to the night sky, watching the deep pitch black- no stars tonight.

"I've overstated my welcome; I do not belong." He looks sheepish. "And I overheard your conversation the other day through the walls with Eiji. I didn't mean to eavesdrop! I had the contacts for trade that King Enji signed."

Katsuki's heart sinks to his stomach at the torn up, wounded look he gives.

".. I thank you, Katsuki." He bows, too respectful and formal for best friends-

('Maybe even more, if you hadn't pushed him away', a voice whispers crudely in Katsuki's ears.)

"But I have to go."

".. Don't.. Don't you think it's.. Its awfully too early to decide that?" It's pathetic. Why can't he just admit he doesn't want to see him go? "You're making a rash decision, Izuku. Come on and.. Just..."

He's at a loss of words, and Izuku laughs, eyes soft with all the love he had to give.

"I'm sorry, Kacchan. Despite how it may seem, I do not like it when people look at me like I'm a threat."

Izuku turns his heel,

And leaves.

—————