Ever After (BakuDeku)

Chapter Twenty

Izuku neared the ruins, aware the it was already well into the day.

He found Katsuki sitting on one of the large window cells that was still mostly intact, a book in hand. 

"Hello," Katsuki greeted, hearing Izuku's approach and looking up from his book. 

"Hello," Izuku replied, noticing how tired his voice sounded.

Oblivious, Katsuki hopped down from his spot, rushing over to Izuku, though his smile faded as he inspected Izuku's face, a frown appearing, "are you well?"

"I fear that I am not myself today," Izuku admitted.

Katsuki's smiles reappeared, "I feel as if my skin is the only thing keeping me from going everywhere at once," he confessed.

"There is something I must tell you," the greenette decided, knowing that the prince needed to know the truth about who he really was.

"Me too," Katsuki hummed before remembering something, "oh, here," he said, handing Izuku the book he had been reading, "you left it in the carriage yesterday."

"Your Highness-" Izuku insisted, but Katsuki cut him off.

"Katsuki."

Izuku sighed and shook his head, realizing how difficult this was going to be, "I cannot stay long, but I had to see you, there is much to say."

Katsuki took his hand, "come. I want to show you something."

He led Izuku through the short hall now covered in vines and spider webs from many years of neglect.

"I used to play here as a boy," Katsuki said, "It was my father's most cherished retreat before the war."

They entered through a still standing doorway and into a large room. The ceiling was missing in many places, allowing tall trees that grew in the room to rise through the holes. Birds chirped from their perches on the trees, creating a peaceful scene. 

Izuku looked around, briefly forgetting the purpose of coming to see the prince. 

"It's beautiful," he breathed, stepping further into the room, walking with the prince through the maze of branches. 

"I've measured my life by these trees," Katsuki spoke, running his hand along the trunk of a tree, "starting here," he pointed to the bottom of the tree than raised his finger higher, gesturing to another part of the tree, "now all the way up there. And still, they grow, with so much life to live."

Izuku felt tears prick in his eyes as he tried hard to pull himself together, but the longer he was here, with the prince, the harder it was for him to tell the truth. He was slowly realizing that at some point during their time together, Izuku had somehow managed to fall for Katsuki.

The blond turned to him, his gaze softening, "but I no longer imagine life alone."

"You're not making this easy," Izuku mumbled, looking at the ground.

Katsuki hummed, "I have not slept, for fear that I would wake up and find that this was all a dream."

The prince began to pace, walking around a couple of the trees as he spoke, "I used to think that if I cared about something, I would have to care about everything," he stopped, turning to face Izuku, "but now, I've found my purpose."

Katsuki walked back to Izuku, a smile forming on his face, "it's a project, actually, inspired by you," he grabbed Izuku's hand, intertwining their fingers, "and I feel the most wonderful," he rested his head against Izuku's as he whispered, "freedom."

Izuku shook his head, sniffling, "it wasn't me."

Chuckling, Katsuki placed his hand on Izuku's cheek, "Deku, you are unlike any courtier I have ever met. Tomorrow at the masque, I shall make it known to the world."

"Oh, why did you have to be so wonderful," Izuku sobbed.

The prince smiled, placing a soft kiss on Izuku's lips before pulling away, tilting the other mans chin up so their eyes met, "now then, what was it you wanted to tell me?"

"Simply that last night was the happiest night of my life," Izuku lied, forcing a smile.

He couldn't do it. Not after everything the prince had just said to him. 

T.B.C

Wow, there was a LOT going on in that chapter... The scene has a lot of repeated movements and shit like that and personally, for me, it's difficult to write.

I'm honestly not too happy with this chapter so if you have any suggestions, that'd be great...

~A