The Beauty Within (Bakugo X Black Fem Reader) Beauty And The Beast AU

Grief

It's been 2 years now. Katsuki's relations with neighboring kingdoms have picked themselves back up. Many of them were excited to discuss marital alliances, but were soon shut down. The other nobles walked on eggshells around their king. Careful to not mistakenly anger him.

His fuse became shorter, the littlest things seemed to anger him. Yet somehow he had yet to snap on the people around him. Perhaps he was afraid of getting cursed again. At least that was the general consensus to him bottling up his anger.

Katsuki sat at him desk and signed some papers as Tsunagu handed them to him. Tsunagu examined his face, the pain was still there. Still potent even, but then again, it wasn't as if he would finish mourning in two years. Even so he kept a close eye, just in case he cracked. Just in case he broke again.

"Then this one, the kingdom in the north is requesting a meeting with you to establish trade for the stones being produced in Gemsville. They are awaiting you approval."

As Katsuki took the letter his eyes stayed on the town's name. Gemsville. The last place he saw you. The last time he heard your voice. Tsunagu watched him focus on the word and stood there watching him warily.

"Tell them I'll agree to the meeting." Katsuki told him as he handed the letter back to him.

Tsunagu took the letter back as Katsuki sighed quietly as he contained the sorrow that was lodged in his throat. "I'm aware that I ask you this all the time." He started prompting Katsuki to suck his teeth annoyed. "Are you okay? Don't tell me you're fine."

Katsuki kept his eyes away and stayed quiet. "No I'm not. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Yes and no. I just want you to talk." Tsunagu said as he sat in the chair across his desk. "You know that I keep an eye on you the best I can. You've been bottling up your anger, your sadness and everything. That is not good for you, just tell me what it is. Just release it. I beg of you."

He looked away from Tsunagu and shook his head. "I was 11." He said quietly as his throat became tense. "I was a spoiled brat, I understand that much. But I lost more than a decade of my life, cuz of that stupid curse. It's already bad enough that my hags are dead. Then the moment that I'm finally relieved of the damned thing, everything just goes to shit again. I've done nothing but suffer. I don't know what else this life wants from me, it's taken everything I had. Everyday I feel as if I'm closer and closer to breaking apart and ending it all."

Tsunagu sighed at his confession. "Don't think that, please. Y/N didn't give you life just for you to end it."

"You think I never considered that?!" Katsuki argued loudly. "I know that idiot wants me to live. But what the FUCKING POINT IF SHE'S NOT EVEN HERE!" He grabbed his head and his shoulders shook and he began to cry for the thousandth time since that day. "She's not even here."

He repeated the small statement as Tsunagu stood up amd tried to console him. The teacher had tried for so long to keep hum together. Yet it would seem that the world had other plans.

~~~~~~~

Momo thought marraige would relieve some of her pain, not to say she wasn't happy on her wedding day. However, it just felt so . . . empty. She fantasized that day with you a thousand times over. Just for it to come about, but not in the way she ever wanted. She loves Shoto, she really does.

But she could even see it in him, it wasn't complete.

"Momo." Shoto called to the woman who looked up from her book. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." She told him softly. "Well, I'm trying at the very least." Shoto nodded as he sat next to her. "Have you heard from Katsuki?"

"No, he's been keeping himself distant ever since the arrests. Pretty sure the last thing he wants is talk about hid grief."

"I know," Momo said before looking off. "but I can't help but feel that he might need something. The rest of us have tons of memories to recall Y/N by. He's only known her for a few months."

Shoto took in her words and nodded. It was true that the king had very little of you to hold on to. "He has plenty of people at the palace who will watch over him. Plus he's been meeting with Toshinori a lot to learn about Y/N."

Momo sat there quiet with worry. That's all she's done now, worry. But perhaps she should let it go. "I suppose so."

~~~~~~~

Katsuki walked through the palace hall, passing by maids and servants who each bowed to him slightly. In which he returned their gesture with a slight head nod. As he did he listened to the soft steps of paws. He looked back to see Aridam follow him.

The dog arrived at the palace a few days after the new laws were passed. It looked up at Katsuki with its own saddened eyes, in which he sighed.

"Keep up mutt." he told the animal as he started to walk with Aridam following but closer this time.

It was getting late, the sun was setting in the distance as the land became darker. Katsuki entered his bedroom with Aridam. He sat on the bed and Aridam stood in front of him.

"Get on." Katsuki told him as he jumped up and curled up at the foot of the bed.

He began to remove his clothes and changed into something lighter, before falling into the bed. Katsuki stared up at the ceiling for god knows how long. All he could do was remember. Remember that night you shared love for the first time. He could feel you lay on his chest, and softly trace his skin through the tiredness in your body. You felt warm, and soft, and now that feeling was gone.

So there he laid, the most powerful King in the region of the globe, alone and cold within his palace walls.

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1052 words