✓ The Regulars (BakuDeku, Omegaverse)

✴Chapter 18✴

"An unacknowledged trauma is like a wound that never heals over and may start to bleed again at any time"

--Alice Miller

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     The door to Katsuki and Izuku's room burst open with a loud bang. The two sat up disoriented and half-asleep, eyes wide in surprise. 

      "Good morning, you two!" Masaru shouted with a big grin, causing wrinkles to form near his brown eyes. Even though Masaru was aging, he was well. His wrinkles giving him a wiser-looking dace and his graying hair making him look more imperious. "Rise and shine! We have much to do today!"

     Katsuki groaned as Izuku burst out laughing at his mate's behavior.

     "Dad, really? Five more minutes," Katsuki groaned, flipping back onto his back and covering himself with the blanket once again. He wrapped his strong arms around Izuku's waist before dragging him down, too. 

     Masaru tutted, moving around the bed until he was above his son's angry, sleeping face. 

     He gave a small smile. "Come on, son. You'll be king by tonight. You must look presentable."

     Katsuki huffed. "Not now." However, it seemed that Izuku sided with Masaru on this one.

     "Kacchan, you have to get ready. The sooner, the better. Especially if you have extra time on your hands..." Izuku trailed off, tracing tiny circles onto Katsuki's care chest with his finger. He meant eating together, but of course, Katsuki took it as anything but innocent. 

     He smirked. "Fine, then," he said as he sat up rather suddenly and walked out of the room with a few servants and maids trailing behind him. Katsuki sent a small wink pointed in Izuku's direction. 

     Izuku smiled fondly before turning to Masaru, who had not gone out with Katsuki and stayed behind. 

     "Thank you, Izuku," he thanked, smiling softly. "My son could be rather lazy when he wants to be."

     "As Katsuki is getting ready, I would like to talk to him about his coronation for some last minute things," Masaru continued, walking out of his room to summon more servants. "However, I will check on you every now and then as well. If there is anything that I can do for you, Izuku, please, inform me. I owe you that much."

     Izuku nodded, thanking him and sending him a full smile, before Masaru walked out. Though he looked off-like he wanted to say more but left it out. 

     The servants walked in, giving timid bows as they started to prepare Izuku's bath and clothing. While Katsuki would be getting ready in the king's official chambers, Izuku would be getting ready here. 

     After years of being in the palace, most of the people there new him. And as he was officially the soon-to-be king's mate, he was treated as if he were a queen already. 

     Somehow, it managed to make Izuku feel weird. He was a villager, common folk. Just because he was Katsuki's mate didn't mean he wanted special treatment. However, Izuku quickly came to accept it, for if he didn't, it could bring shame onto the kingdom's name--which is definitely not something Izuku planned on doing. 

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     "So, are you excited, Izuku?" one of Izuku's personal servants, Itsuka Kendo, asked him, scrubbing him lightly in the bath. "I mean, Prince Bakugou is soon going to be king, making you his queen!" Her tone was a fake breathy, trying to tease Izuku. 

     Izuku hummed. "I'm happy for Kacchan, but I don't care much about his title."

     Itsuka rolled her eyes playfully. "Of course you would say something cheesy like that. Don't worry, Izuku, we'll make you really pretty for the ceremony--especially since I heard your ex will be there," she said as she grabbed a towel for Izuku to dry off.

     Izuku stiffened, freezing. "What? What ex?" he asked, trying to keep the mood playful, but failing. 

     "You know, your ex--oh! And apparently, Katsuki's ex, too," Itsuka said, not seeing Izuku's extremely confused face and starting to get his outfit in place. It was a red suit with golden embroidery--it was intricate and detailed.

     "Do you know the names?" Izuku asked. As he could recall, he didn't have any exes. He had only loved Katsuki from the very beginning. He lifted his arms, wearing the first layer, focusing more on the conversation rather than actually wearing the clothing.

     Itsuka titled her head, trying to remember. "You know, the one with the half red, half white hair. The one you were with before you came back? And the sassy princess from Uwaki--you know, with the brown hair and eyes? Man, she sucked. Prince Bakugou wanted her gone as soon as she got here. I remember him shouting a lot with her," she said as she sat Izuku down, clothing now on and makeup now getting prepared by others.

     Itsuka looked in the front mirror, a bit taken aback at Izuku's petrified expression of horror. Then it clicked in her mind that Izuku had indeed not known about the invitation to the two royal parties. 

     She was a maid, and though she liked to gossip quite a bit, whatever had happened between the exchange of Izuku from Ichiban to Jotai was kept strictly between royalty. She was not aware of what had happened with Katsuki and Ochaco either. She had not known what the few words would invoke in Izuku. 

     Other than some scars on his body, along with the obvious chunk missing from his neck, nothing indicated anything had happened. Most servants couldn't piece it together since Izuku had always gotten into stupidly dangerous accidents when he was a kid.

     "Uh--Izuku, are you okay?" she asked, and the other servants who had been preparing Izuku's makeup froze at Itsuka's legitimately concerned voice. She was usually the most sarcastic woman they had ever seen. "What's wrong?"

     No, no, no, no. This could not be happening. He couldn't see Shoto. He never wanted to see him again. Not after he was finally getting better--finally able to be with Katsuki again. What if he tried to take him away again? What if he would... Izuku gulped, his body feeling cold suddenly.

     When Itsuka didn't get an answer, she looked at the other servants nervously, telling one of them to go grab Katsuki. 

     Because Izuku didn't seem to be responding.