Ever After (BakuDeku)

Chapter Twelve

Katsuki and Izuku sat on the river bank, watching the little fish swim down stream.

"Where are your attendants?" Katsuki questioned, turning his attention to Izuku.

"I decided to give them the day off," Izuku lied, finding it much easier to keep up the lie than he had expected.

He didn't particularly like lying, but telling the truth, especially to the prince, who could easily have him imprisoned, seemed far worse. 

Katsuki laughed, "A day off? For what, life?"

Smiling a little, Izuku looked at the prince, "Don't you ever tire of having people wait on you all the time?"

The blond looked as though he'd never given it much thought, "Yes," he admitted slowly before adding, "but they're servants, it's what they do."

At this, Izuku frowned, "Well, I wish I could dismiss mine as easily as you do yours."

He stood, no longer enjoying the conversation, "I must be going."

"You're angry with me," Katsuki observed.

"No," Izuku murmured, walking back towards the forest.

Katsuki jumped up, following the other, "admit it."

Izuku stopped and turned to face the blond, "well, yes, if you must know."

"Why?"

"Because you're trying to bait me with your snobbery," Izuku accused, trying to keep his voice level.

Katsuki snorted, "you're a walking contradiction, I hope you know that."

Izuku's brows furrowed in confusion but Katsuki continued to talk, "and, as much as I hate to admit it, I find that rather fascinating."

"Me?" Izuku asked.

"Yes, you," Katsuki remarked, "you spout the ideals of a utopian society, yet you live the life of a courtier."

"And you own all the land there is and yet you take no pride in working it," Izuku countered, "is that not also a contradiction?"

It was becoming easier to forget that he was fighting with the prince the more they talked. Despite how much he hated it, Izuku actually felt himself letting his guard down slightly. Their conversations may have consisted of bickering but in reality, they were some of the most entertaining Izuku had ever had.

"First i'm arrogant, and now I have no pride," Katsuki mused, "however do I manage that?"

"You have everything, and still the world holds no joy," the greenette pointed out, "and yet you insist on making fun of those who would see it for its possibilities."

Katsuki looked at him with fascination, "how do you do it?"

Izuku blinked, "what?"

"Live each day with this kind of passion?" Katsuki asked, "don't you find it exhausting?"

"Only when i'm around you," Izuku huffed, crossing his arms, "why do you find so much enjoyment in irritating me?"

The blond raised an eyebrow, "why do you rise to the occasion?"

They laughed but Izuku felt himself still when he heard the faint sound of someone calling his name on the other side of the river, back where he had left the basket of berries. That seemed like decades ago, even though it had only been about an hour.

"Uh, forgive me, your Highness, I've lost track of the hour," Izuku rushed, taking off the princes cape and shoving it into his arms.

He prayed the Baron hadn't noticed how long he'd been gone.

Katsuki felt the smile on his face slowly fade as he watched the greenette turn and hurry back up the hill. 

"But the wind," Mina tried, suddenly popping up from her spot next to her strange contraptions, "it's perfect."

"I'm sorry," Izuku replied, "I really must be going."

"I'm playing tennis with the Marquis de Limoges," Katsuki called, "will you come?"

Izuku broke out into a sprint, yelling over his shoulder, "I must go!"

The blond turned to Ashido, "why does he keep doing that?"

~

Aku frowned, setting down his silverware, "Asui, where are the candlesticks? We can hardly see our plates."

"They're missing, my Lord. I've searched for them everywhere," Tsuyu replied from her spot against the wall next to Ochako, waiting for any demands the Baron or his daughters may have.

Izuku stood near the wall across from the two, zoning off into space.

"The painting in the upstairs hall is gone too," Akumu pointed out, carefully cutting up her chicken, "it seems we have a thief in our midst."

Ochako looked at her in disgust, offended that Akumu would suggest such a thing. Noticing the look, Tsuyu elbowed the brunette, glancing at the table in hopes no one caught Uraraka's expression.

Ochakos face quickly morphed back to indifference.

"So this is how i'm treated after all our years together? My wives prized possessions, stolen?" The Baron scoffed, before a deviant smirk grew on his face, "I shall just garnish your wages until the pilfered items are returned. Is that quite understood?"

"Yes, sir," Tsuyu and Ochako mumbled in agreement.

"Perhaps I shall ship you off to the Americas like all the other criminals," Aku threatened.

Akari suddenly spoke up, "Oh, didn't you hear? The prince went to the king and asked him to release all those prisoners."

Izuku snapped out of his trace, eyes wide as he blurted, "he didn't!"

Everyone turned to look at him, seeming to have forgotten he was even there. The Baron shot him a nasty glare, a warning to keep his mouth shut.

Izuku cleared his throat, cheeks going red with embarrassment. 

Luckily, Akari continued, pulling everyone's attention back to her, "Mhm, and now by royal decree, any person who sails must be compensated."

"Compensated?" The Baron laughed, "oh, honestly. What is the world coming to?"

"Well what I want to know is who is this count everyone keeps talking about," Akumu sniffed, attempting to sound unbothered, though Izuku could tell she was quite the opposite, "there must have been ten courtiers speaking of him today, and how the prince fell all over himself."

Needing something to keep himself busy and to try to ease the blush taking over his face due to the conversation, he grabbed a pitcher, walking over to the table to refill the glasses.

"Well we shall find out who he is and bury him," the Baron determined, holding his glass so Izuku could pour more wine.

T.B.C

That was a long one...

Anyways, I'm going to skip the tennis scene since it holds no value to the plot...

~A