Catching Feelings? (TodoDeku x Reader)

Chapter Fourty-Three

—First Person POV.—

When we reached the kitchen, the Prince unlatched the heavy wooden door with a quiet creak and stepped inside.

The door shut behind him with a definitive click and he paused mid-stride "Izuku?" He called, his voice echoing softly through the room.

I tilted my head to glance into the kitchen and not long after, I heard the concerned tone of the cloaked Traveler from a few feet away "What happened? Is (Y/n) sick?"

I blinked in surprise as I caught sight of the cloaked man—worry etched across his freckled face as his brows furrowed slightly.

"There was an incident," His Highness explained "She wanted some cherries to feel better." Tone naturally monotonous as he headed further into the kitchen.

I was shifted in his grasp before being settled down on a counter and moments later, Izuku returned from the pantry with a basket brimming with plump, ruby-red cherries—carefully placing it by my side.

I reached for the first piece of fruit, my fingers trembling slightly as I plucked it from the basket, and bit into it.

The burst of sweetness mingled with a subtle tartness, and I lowered my eyes to the floor as I idly chewed—in my peripheral vision, I could catch the Prince's mismatched gaze fixed on me.

A long, reflective silence settled over us before the Prince finally murmured "This should've never happened. The last time I took you there, I had no idea the railing was so loose." His voice was heavy as he rose a hand to graze the left side of his face.

I set the now-empty cherry stem down and lifted my gaze to meet his "Thank you for saving me."

I saw the crease in his brow soften as he shifted his stance, his hand twitched at his side as if he were about to raise it—only to pause, the flames in his eye flickering to light the room more warmly than the few torches along the walls.

With a slight tilt of his head, his eyes wandered away before fixating on the Traveler with a questioning look overtaking his features "What were you doing down here?"

Izuku blinked—viridescent gaze flickering my way while I reached for another cherry, slowly forming a small pile of empty stems on the counter "I was hungry," He states simply.

The Prince tilted his head while he took a step closer to Izuku "Why didn't you tell me? I could have sent for—" He had began, only to be cut off as the Traveler quickly cleared his throat, his viridescent gaze wide while he shook his head.

Both pairs flickered my way, one in a panic and the other a mixture of confusion that practically said 'I don't understand what could be wrong?'

"I can hold off a little," Izuku added, his voice trailing off "I had something to eat a bit ago."

They exchanged a silent conversation with their eyes for a long moment before His Highness finally sighed and nodded "Whenever you need it, let me know."

The Traveler offered a small nod in return, and then the room seemed to exhale in a brief lull before I broke the silence "Can I have something to drink?"

The question nearly made Izuku's eyes bulge out of his skull in surprise as he glanced my way and seemed to finally take notice of the rapidly growing pile of cherry stems at my side.

"Of course," The Prince replied with a nod and trotted past the counter to retrieve a bottle from one of the aged cupboards.

This left me alone with Izuku for a few moments.

He shifted his weight slightly before reaching up from beneath his cloak—in his hands were a pan flute, his fingers gently tugging at its worn strings.