His Other Half (KiriBaku)

Chapter 11

September 29, XX84
-Princely Stuff in Princely Places-

        Katsuki was happy. For the first time in so many years, he felt like a great, crushing weight had been lifted off his chest. Another wave of euphoric relief had crash into him watching Eijiro leave that morning, leaving him a slightly blushing, cackling mess.

        Ei was alive, and he was safe, and he was here.

        He caught himself humming a tune while he dressed himself in a high-throated black tail coat, buttoned down the middle and embroidered with gold thread. He found himself pulling out jewelry he hadn't worn in years, dressing up like a giddy teenager.

        Cloud Nine suited him, though it terrified the staff. For once, Katsuki was astoundingly early to the breakfast meeting, moving swiftly through the halls with steps he could be mistaken as skipping. There was an absence of the usual loud, heavy stomps that warned them of his approach, and the dazzling smile caught them all off guard. The younger help wondered whether there were an actual execution scheduled for the day. The older help reminisced about the old days, when that smile had been common.

        If only they knew the truth.

        Katsuki pushed open the double doors to the dining hall himself instead of allowing the guards, needing to expel this abundance of energy coursing through him. His parents turned toward him to scold him on the dramatic entrance, but the criticism never came when they noticed the bright, child-like grin, the words lost.

        Tenya immediately wondered if someone had drugged the poor prince to cause this drastic personality transformation. Denki and Hanta shared an uncertain look, and Izuku stood from his chair next to the War Minister, worry laced through his features. "Y-your Highness? Are you alright?"

        Katsuki fixed the green-haired steward with his ruby gaze, causing him to squeak, and then crossed the room and yanked Izuku into a tight embrace. "Thank you," he whispered, expressing so much gratitude with such a little gesture.

        All the concern and hesitance erased themselves from Izuku's features, and he returned the hug with hope. Katsuki never said thank you, not for anything, and there was only one issue he could think would be important enough to warrant a thanks. "I... I was right? We... we really... found him?"

        The prince pulled back, squeezing Izuku's arms and trying not to bounce in place. "The next person that ruins my mood is going to die a horrible, painful death."

        The promise would have been far more Katsuki-like and much less unnerving if he hadn't said it with that beaming smile.

        But Izuku laughed, pulling his arm around the prince's shoulders as he hadn't dared to do in years and offering a second hug from the side, which Katsuki didn't pull away from. Hanta stepped forward and politely removed the Queen's glass from her hand before she dropped it and it shattered against the floor. Her husband was not in any better shape, gaping like a fish and quietly wondering if his son had finally snapped and was about to slaughter them all.

        But Izuku didn't seem worried, so maybe it wasn't as bad as they feared.

        The doors at the end of the hall slammed open in the same dramatic Katsuki fashion, but with much less joy to bring into the room. The Elder Council had arrived, which meant breakfast would be starting soon.

        Despite how much he hated them, even the pompous old elders couldn't put a damper on the prince's spirits. Even the arrival of Endeavour, who dropped grumpily into the seat between Shoto and King Masaru. Katsuki instead took the right hand seat next to his mother, across from his father, where he could watch nearly the entire table. Though he was perfectly aware of the reason for everyone's stares, he could not bring himself to care. He had great plans to entertain himself today.