help me / bakudeku omegaverse /

part 12

Hours passed before either of them moved.
The silence in Katsuki's office had settled into something fragile and warm. Not quite peace, but the calm after a storm. Izuku's eyes were still puffy, and Katsuki's voice was hoarse from too much emotion, but their hands never parted, and eventually, that connection gave them the strength to stand.
"Ready?" Katsuki asked softly.
Izuku nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
Together, they walked back through the winding corridors of the palace toward the council room. The closer they got, the more muffled shouting began to echo from behind the thick doors.
Katsuki scowled. "Perfect."
The moment the guards opened the doors, chaos burst forth.
"—can't possibly expect us to ratify that agreement without revisiting clause twelve—"
"—you clearly didn't read the proposal, Mitsuki. It's a preliminary draft—"
"—Diplomacy demands that we consider our allies' positions, not bulldoze through their concerns—"
The council room was a boiling stew of voices, tension thick enough to choke on. Enji Todoroki was red-faced and gesturing furiously, while Mitsuki Bakugou stood with her arms crossed, rolling her eyes in dramatic exasperation. Other members of the Bakugou court sat nervously, unsure of where to look or whom to agree with. Fuyumi sat quietly at the side, a folded fan covering her mouth in polite restraint, while Shoto leaned against the far wall, stoic as ever.
They hadn't noticed Katsuki and Izuku slip in.
Not until Shoto moved.
His voice cut cleanly through the room like a blade of ice. "Enough."
The arguing died instantly.
Heads turned as one to find Shoto standing straight, eyes fixed toward the door—and to the two figures now framed in the entryway.
Katsuki stood tall, firm, his presence commanding as ever. Izuku, slightly behind him, appeared unsure but no longer crumbling. Their hands were no longer clasped, but they may as well have been.
"Finally," Mitsuki muttered. "The king arrives."
Enji's scowl deepened. "And with his omega in tow. How convenient."
Katsuki's jaw tensed.
"Let me guess," Enji continued, sarcasm dripping. "You wish to resume talks with your 'soulmate' watching so he can swoon over your speeches?"
Before Katsuki could fire back, Shoto stepped forward.
"Enough, Father."
Enji blinked.
Shoto addressed the room, his calm demeanor never wavering. "We came here today under the guise of diplomacy, not to debate romantic entanglements. Fuyumi was introduced for a potential union, yes, but now we are presented with a different path forward. We are not enemies. If our kingdoms wish to remain allies, then alternatives can be explored."
Fuyumi lifted her fan. "I wouldn't mind becoming a lady in waiting, should His Majesty allow it."
Enji's face twitched. His pride was clearly wounded.
"We came here to secure bonds of power and prosperity. Not play matchmaker for daydreamers," he growled.
"Diplomatic bonds are not limited to marriage," Shoto said smoothly. "Service within the palace court is an honored path. One Fuyumi is well-suited for."
Enji gave a long exhale through his nose. "If it pleases the Bakugous... then fine."
Mitsuki tilted her head, examining the room like a general taking stock of a battlefield. She clapped her hands together. "Wonderful! Then we can begin wedding preparations for the King and his charming omega."
Katsuki lifted his hand immediately. "No."
All heads turned.
Mitsuki blinked. "No?"
Katsuki moved forward, Izuku trailing just behind. "We're not rushing into anything. We've made an agreement. Ten dates. Five planned by each of us. We decide where it goes from there."
A few eyebrows raised at that.
"How... quaint," Enji muttered under his breath.
Mitsuki narrowed her eyes, clearly wanting to protest, but then slowly nodded. "Ten dates. I can work with that."
A knock at the side door announced the arrival of dinner.
The room slowly transitioned to a more neutral energy. Servants flowed in with platters of steaming vegetables, spiced meats, and roasted roots. Goblets of chilled wine and water were placed around the table.
Katsuki gestured for Izuku to sit beside him, and to everyone's surprise, Izuku accepted without pause. He was still nervous, still quiet, but he was here. Beside him. Present.
Conversation began again in small waves. Fuyumi asked Mitsuki about the palace garden. Kirishima chimed in about the capital's newest training barracks. Even Enji remained quiet for a stretch of time.
Until Mitsuki turned her curious gaze to Izuku.
"So, my dear," she said, delicately cutting into a slice of pear-glazed meat, "where is it that you come from, exactly?"
Izuku froze, his fork hovering just above his plate.
He blinked.
His mind clawed for memories, for something solid—but the name of the village wouldn't come. The trade ring, the beatings, the dark caves... they had washed away so much. Even the name of home.
Panic licked up his throat.
"I, uh... I think it was called... um... I don't..."
His chest started to tighten, heart racing.
Katsuki placed a gentle hand on his knee beneath the table.
"Would it be alright if I explained?" he asked quietly.
Izuku looked up, breathing uneven, but nodded.
Katsuki straightened. "Izuku doesn't remember the name of his village. When he was young, his mother was killed during a raid. The village turned on him afterward. Chased him into the woods. He was taken by traders not long after."
Gasps around the table. Fuyumi covered her mouth.
Katsuki continued, his tone factual but heavy. "He spent nearly fifteen years in that ring. Fifteen years of silence, isolation, and abuse. I found him in a cave, half-starved, barely conscious."
Mitsuki's smile faltered.
"That was a month ago. Since then, he's been living here. With me. Safely."
The room was still.
Enji regarded Izuku with a new, unreadable look. Not pity. Something more complex.
Fuyumi placed her goblet down and leaned toward Izuku. "You survived all that? And you're still smiling? Still speaking so gently, even to us?"
Izuku's lips parted, stunned.
Fuyumi smiled brightly. "That is extraordinary. I'm already proud to be your lady in waiting. Truly."
Izuku flushed. A soft, fragile smile pulled at his lips.
"T-thank you," he whispered.
And for the first time that evening, the knot in his chest began to loosen.
Mitsuki looked at Katsuki with something closer to awe. "You never mentioned the full story."
Katsuki's tone was firm. "Because it wasn't mine to tell."
Fuyumi nodded in agreement. "And yet you did so with respect. That speaks volumes, Your Majesty."
Shoto added, "If anything, this proves your bond isn't just prophecy—it's earned."
Enji looked like he wanted to argue, but even he had grown quiet, eyes flicking between Izuku and Katsuki. Perhaps considering. Perhaps reconsidering.
Katsuki leaned slightly toward Izuku, voice low enough for only him to hear. "You did good."
Izuku looked up. That soft smile remained. "So did you."
And with that, Katsuki stood.
"Excuse us. There's one more matter I need to handle before the evening is through."
With a steady hand, he guided Izuku out of his chair.
They exited the dining hall together, their steps quiet but unshaken.
Katsuki led Izuku down the corridor, heart pounding, fingers twitching with unspoken words.
Until they reached the katsuki's room, and the door closed behind them.