His Other Half (KiriBaku)

Chapter 17

FIRST OFF, I apologize for the unusually long absence. I have been grounded for the better part of the past month, which has unfortunately left my readers with some anxiety-inducing cliff-hangars. So, I present to you, my return to the land of the living.

September 29th, XX84
-Katsuki's Bedchambers-

        "Eijiro?"

        Katsuki had been reading peacefully when his doors burst open. The intrusion was unprecedented, and Katsuki would have been angry if his first thought wasn't an emergency. But then Eijiro was thrown into the room and the doors firmly closed behind him, locking them both in together.

        The redhead's presence was an unexpected surprise, but not unwelcome. Ei clearly hadn't been planning on stopping by either, what with seeming so hostile and skittish. Katsuki realized all at once that this must have been his mother's doing, though her reasoning escaped him, and was suddenly conscious of his sleep clothes. He hadn't been expecting visitors at all after dinner, and while he wasn't wearing anything scandalous really, it wasn't something he would have worn outside or around the castle. They were feel-good clothes, soft, silk fabrics he wore when he wanted to look as good as he felt. He hadn't been in the mood to wear any of the admittedly sheer fabrics in a very long time.

        Ei stiffened and turned at his words, eyes flicking over the prince and then back down to the floor as if there were nothing unusual about his appearance. Which frankly, there wasn't. Not to Ei, the person used to seeing him happy before bed. No, the gladiator looked scared, not flustered.

        "Ei, what the hell? Are you okay?" Katsuki folded his book and laid it on his nightstand, throwing his feet off the mattress and over onto the floor.
Eijiro flinched, backing against the door, and Katsuki froze. "Ei? What's wrong?"

        "I apologize, I know I'm not meant to be here and I know it's unseemly and kind of rude, but the queen--"

        "Slow down," Katsuki chuckled. "I guessed as much when the guards threw you in. I'm not going to have you executed or anything."

        He'd meant that as a joke, of course, so he was fairly surprised  when Eijiro snarled. "I do not fear death, Highness. I fear that this is a massive breach of trust and respect and I am angry that I am apparently being forced to disrespect you in such a manner--Highness, why are you laughing at me?!"

        What had started as restrained giggles escalated to wheezing laughter at the redhead's abrupt mood swing and obvious indignation. The prince relaxed, understanding now why Eijiro was so uptight, though thinking it unnecessary, as he always had. The gladiator was still stressed and upset, and he would be until he knew Katsuki wasn't angry or annoyed with him, so the blonde smiled lightly, allowing himself to lean on his desk chair and cock his head to the side.

        His Eijiro had always done things the right way. The honorable way. In their early years together, there had been none of the fairytale sneaking around, stolen kisses, hiding in empty halls and dark broom closets (not to say they hadn't tucked themselves away in nearly every crevice of the castle.) No, Eijiro had always made his affections very obvious. Never pushy, rarely awkward, but obvious. Katsuki realized now that as a youngster Eijiro had been biding his time, waiting for any sign the young prince gave him that his affections weren't so one-sided.

        When that day came, it was of unexpected nature, surely, because well... Well, Katsuki and Izuku had decided on a whim that, at the ripe age of thirteen, spontaneous flight was definitely something they could achieve. Spontaneous take off, that was one thing. They ran out the window of one of the towers and let the big, enchanted, bird-wing-thing catch the air. Landing?