Chapter Text
Shouto is watching what used to be his favorite spot in the entire ocean: the coral reef. Once a place of wonder with vibrant pinks and reds, full of cherished memories, laughter, and many mers floating and just hanging around, it’s now a decaying cemetery.
It breaks his heart.
Swimming closer to the bottom, he briefly touches a little sponge and gasps as it crumbles into nothing. Sadness mixed with anger surges through him. This shouldn’t be happening. This reef has been the pride and joy of their land for generations. Every important event of the royal family has been held here. Now it’s gone.
Clenching his fists, his tail swings angrily. For his sister’s union, the reef was already crumbling, but they thought they still had time, time to find a solution, time to stop it. But they haven’t. And it’s even worse, what’s happening on the reef is nothing but a mirror of what’s happening to their whole territory, to them.
Just as he’s silently fuming, a piece of that damned plastic that is killing them floats near his sight.
Humans. Humans have invaded their land and polluted their waters. Forcing them to consider leaving the place they call home… but to go where? Every corner of the ocean already has an owner, and the Todoroki clan can either submit to another king or perish. He knows which option his father prefers.
He’s so enraged, he doesn’t even notice her approach.
“Shouto.”
“Mother.”
He relaxes a little. Her presence always does that to him.
Rei swims until she’s standing right next to him and gently holds his hand, forcing him to unclench it.
“I knew I’d find you here. Even as a kid, you always loved coming here.”
“Yes. Now it just causes me pain. Mother, how can humans be so selfish and senseless? Can’t they see they’re killing and destroying our land?”
His mom appears deep in thought before she speaks. “Since I’m not human, I’m not sure I can imagine what goes through their minds. However, since I am a living being, I can say this much: we’re all selfish, one way or another. We look out for our own best interests, and sometimes, that includes turning a blind eye to the suffering of others.”
Kissing her cheek, Shouto sighs. “You’re sage, mother. I wish others shared your wisdom.”
“Shouto,” she reprimands, “your father is dealing with more things than you can even imagine.”
“We are dying. I know it’s a hard algae to swallow, but sometimes one has to kneel down and accept that maybe they’re no longer going to rule.”
Rei squeezes their joint hands. “That’s not why your father is refusing to join another clan.”
Rolling his eyes, he snorts. “Sure, it’s not.”
She seems to hesitate, “He’s doing it for you.”
“What?”
“The Todoroki lineage is ancient, son. Most clans fear that if they accept us, our family will overthrow theirs. They want some leverage to make sure that does not happen.”
“Is that what father is dealing with? Trying to come up with something that is proof enough for them?”
Rei looks sad as she shakes her head. Shouto wants to erase that expression from her face. It does not belong there.
“No, Shouto. Your father knows exactly what most of those clans would accept without hesitation. It’s trying to find something alternative that’s becoming an impossible quest.”
“Then he shouldn’t,” he snaps. “Mother, we’re dying. Look at the reef! It’s gone. You’ve seen our people. Scales are falling everywhere, our food no longer grows, and fish are scarce. How long can we last?”
Looking at the reef, he sees his mother close her eyes as a crystallized tear appears on the corner of her right eye. “Shouto… I’m with your father. I— As a queen, I know I should press your father to agree, but as your mother, I can’t.”
“I don’t understand.”
Tail nervously shifting, Rei whispers, “They want you. You’re the only member of the royal bloodline that isn’t married. Unifying our families would bring peace of mind to any clan. It’d be a clear indication our family doesn’t want to steal their power away. We would all have a lower state, but still be considered royal by proxy… since you’d still be a prince, a king in the future, perhaps.”
An arranged marriage. His mom is basically saying that.
“I’ll do it.”
“Shouto!”
Looking at the dying reef, Shouto repeats himself, “I’ll do it. You said you couldn’t do it as my mother, so, as the prince of our people, I will do it. Tell father to accept the best deal out of all the clans willing to take us in.”
Rei seems to vacillate. “Are you sure? Shouto, it’s a big decision. You know we mate for life…”
Glancing at his mom’s tail, he doesn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
As his mom hugs him, he can’t help but keep his eyes on the bald spots of her pearly tail. He can only hope that wherever they end up, she can get healthier and grow back all her scales. As long as that happens, he doesn’t care about what might happen to him. He only wishes the best for her and their people. He’ll accept any fate for himself as long as that happens.
The first thing Shouto observes from his new home is how orange everything seems to be. Used to more subdued pinks and red shades, he’s a little bit amazed by this bright orange that seems to pop everywhere.
“Breathtaking, isn’t it?”
He offers a polite smile to the person he guesses he should start considering as his future mother-in-law.
“It is, thank you for guiding me around, Queen Bak— Mitsuki,” he corrects as she gives him a pointed look.
“No problem, no problem. Actually, my stupid son should be here too, but I guess he’s too busy being an idiot and glooming in a grotto to follow his mother’s orders. Good luck trying to tame him, he’s an absolute pain in my tail.”
At the mention of his husband-to-be, Shouto stiffens a little. He has never met with the other mer, but he has heard some rumours floating around. Still, he’s willing to ignore them in favour of giving him a chance and make this as easy as possible.
“I see.”
Mituski laughs. “You’re so polite! Such a contrast! If you weren’t going to become part of my family already, I’d absolutely try to adopt you.”
He remains silent at that. Mitsuki doesn’t seem to get bothered or annoyed by his sparse words, and either way, she seems to have more than enough for the two of them.
Swimming around, she shows him all the important landmarks of her—their—land.
Once they reach a reef, he can’t help but stop and stare at it. Mitsuki notices.
“You like it?”
“Yes. It reminds me of home. We used to have a similar one… it was a special place for me,” he adds in a somber whisper.
Mitsuki’s expression falls a little. “I’m terribly sorry, Shouto. I can’t imagine all the loss and pain you must be going through. We’re lucky we live so far away from any human colonies, at least for now. Your clan is, unfortunately, not the only one that’s suffering because of them.”
“I loathe them,” he confesses. “Mother says I can dislike them, but that I should still try to see them as living beings and try to comprehend them. I don’t see the point. They’re abhorrent.”
“…maybe I was wrong. Maybe you two might have more in common than meets the eye,” she says with a glint in her eye.
“You mean your son and me?”
“Mmh. C’mon, we still have more places to see, but don’t worry, I’ll tell the brat to make sure he brings you back here. This way. I want to show you our marketplace, you’re gonna love it.”
Following her, he slows down a little and steals one last glance at the beautiful corals. It’s not the same as the one back home, but he guesses that maybe with time, he could learn to love it. Maybe.
Night falls, and he’s been offered a cave all to himself near the Bakugou’s.
He still hasn’t even caught a glimpse of his future husband. He could tell Mitsuki was getting angrier and angrier as more time went by, and his son made a no-show. Shouto doesn’t particularly mind, but he knows it’s not the best omen.
Lying on the spongy seaweed that composes his new bed, he squirms a little bit, trying to get used to it. It’s different from the one back home, a little bit scratchier. He knows he’s being picky, that it’s homesickness, but he can’t help it.
He’s almost dozing off when he hears a commotion nearby. Swimming toward the entrance of his cave, he recognizes Mitsuki’s voice, angrily yelling at someone. The other mer doesn’t hold back, yelling back with equal aggression and loudness. The voice seems to belong to a man, one with a deeper and raspier tone that gives Shouto a little shiver.
Curious, he takes a peek but sees no one, so he decides to carefully swim closer. Soon enough, he sees Mitsuki and a mer that looks pretty similar to her. He’s way bigger than Shouto, more muscular, and his arms and torso have a criss-cross of scars that make Shouto wonder what stories might be hiding behind. He’s got ash-blond hair, fluffy if Shouto had to take a guess, and his tail is gigantic. Shouto can’t help but compare it to his own. While his is white with some red spots, the man’s is black, with some hints of orange and bright red. The man has huge fins that look velvety and seem to have a life of their own as they keep floating all around. They lure him. His fingers tingle as he wants to caress them.
Tilting his head, he’s trying to determine if the mer’s tail is twice as long as his, when he realises he’s been spotted.
“What a fantastic first impression you’ve just made on your future husband!”
“Oi, fuck off. I never asked for this shit.”
“Behave!”
Approaching them as he deems it’s the polite thing to do, he bows his head to his future husband in a show of respect. “Prince Bakugou, it’s an honor to finally meet you.”
“Tsk. Bet it is.”
Shouto is a little bit surprised by the hostility coming from the other mer, but before he can apologize for what he guesses might be considered spying on them, Mitsuki smacks her son with her tail.
“BRAT! I told you not to be rude. Don’t fuck this up!”
“Pffft. It’s not me who’s the desperate one.”
Blinking, Shouto wonders if that was directed at him, but as Mitsuki seems to fly into a rage fit, he ponders if perhaps it was a jab at her.
Seeing the pair argue for what feels like forever, he kind of disconnects, staring ahead at nothing. He’s used to this. Back home, Touya always argues with their father. Lately, Natsuo has been doing the same, more subdued, but still nonsensical arguing, just for the sake of doing it.
He’s not sure how long they’ve been bickering before the prince storms away, swimming so fast that Shouto only sees a black blur swim by. Mitsuki still yells at him, chasing her son for a bit, face all red, before she turns to face Shouto, smiles warmly, and bows. “I apologise sincerely for that. Please, could you not take it into consideration? He’s just… mad. But he’ll get over it, I promise! There’s no need for you to like, decide to not proceed with our arrangement, right?”
He wants to point out that it’s not as if he can even consider doing that, since he’s the one who desperately needs to pull through this whole thing, but he simply nods. “Of course.”
Mitsuki thanks him profusely before she insists on being a good host and guides him back to his cave. Shouto lets her. After all, he’s just a guest, and she’s the Queen. She can do as she pleases with him.
The next day, Mitsuki announces they should get married today. Just like that. Out of nowhere, a union ceremony in just a couple of hours.
“If you’re okay with it, of course.”
Shouto stares at her. Again, it’s not as if he has any other option, does he?
“Of course.”
“Good! Last night I began with the preparatives, don’t worry, it’s not going to be a huge affair. Our clan is not really fond of throwing huge parties or anything like that.”
He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t really care. He’s only doing this out of necessity, and he has never been daydreaming about his union ceremony, not like his sister, for example, who spent all their childhood sighing and planning how she would like to celebrate her mating ceremony… then again, this isn’t that. He’s marrying the Bakugou clan, not mating.
“Is there something you’d like to have?”
His family. His people. However, he knows he can’t, not yet, not until he’s officially a member of their clan. Not until the Todorokis are no longer considered a threat to the Bakugous and the stability of their power. And, even if Mitsuki was willing to allow them to even come and visit for the ceremony, he knows neither his father nor mother can leave their land, not yet, while there are still mers needing help to begin the migration process to their new promised home. Plus, it’s a long journey, they wouldn’t make it on time.
“No,” he says at last. “Thank you, though. I appreciate your consideration.”
Mitsuki’s smile dims a little. Shouto can tell she wants to say something, but in the end, she doesn’t. With a nod, she accepts his refusal.
“Masaru can keep you company, if you wish. I can’t even imagine how lonely you must feel, being all alone in a new place and with such an assine as a fiancé. Again, I’m deeply sorry for his lack of manners and consideration.”
“It’s okay, I don’t mind being on my own and I’m sure the King has better things to do than entertaining me. I can stay in the cave you’ve so kindly offered me until you need me.”
“Shouto, you are not a prisoner.” Swimming closer to him, Shouto can see Mitsuki hesitate before her tail gently touches his. Like his son’s, hers is black, surrounded by multiple fins that look like lace. “You can explore and go wherever you want… What if you visit the reef? You seemed to like it. I can ask someone to guide you there, unless you remember the way?”
He considers it for a second. “I might do that, and thanks, I do remember the path.”
Giving his shoulder a squeeze, Mitsuki smiles warmly at him. “I wish the circumstances were better for the two of you,” she whispers before she loudly proclaims, “Well, it’s settled, then. You go to the reef, and I’ll deal with this. I’ll send someone to fetch you when it’s all done, okay?”
“Thank you.”
Dismising him with her hand, Mitsuki swims away, ordering other mers to come and join her with the ceremony preparations.
Shouto stays there, floating for a minute as he stares at nothing. He’s not sure how to feel. He’s doing the right thing, he knows he is. And it’s not as if he’s ever dreamed or given much thought to his marriage. He simply thought he would either meet someone or… meet someone. Yeah, he really never thought he would just be pushed into a situation like this.
Running a hand through his hair, he decides he needs to stop overthinking it. He can’t change anything, and it’s useless to cry over spilled pearls. His father has already wasted enough time trying to find an alternative solution to their problem, and it’s as Shouto told his mom: their people are dying.
Finally moving, he heads to the reef, ignoring that he’s been observed ever since he began talking with the Queen by none other than his uncooperative future husband.
Katsuki, on his part, is frowning and sneering as he sees the stupid mer finally leave the room. He hates him. He hates everything Shouto represents. He was almost this close to absolute freedom when the stupid hag had to come and ruin it! Of course, she had to choose such a pesky chain for him: an absolutely useless and spoiled mer from none other than the Todoroki clan! Everybody knows how snobby King Enji is, and now that he has taken a good look at his husband, he knows he wasn’t wrong. Shouto looks weak. Weak, lame, and pathetic, what an awesome combo. He’s way smaller than him, incredibly pale, and looks like a soft tide might wash him away.
“Wish that happened.” Clicking his tongue, he decides to go hunting to destress. “Bet his royal highness doesn’t even know how to fish for himself. Half ’n half bastard couldn’t even be bothered to worry about the ceremony. Oh no, I don’t need anything, my Queen,” he mocks. “Blergh. Pretentious asshole! And he’s such a tail-kisser. Of course, Queen Mitsuki. Thank you, Queen Mitsuki! ARGH! He makes me sick.”
He’s so focused on his rant, he completely misses stupid Deku sneaking up on him.
“Kacchan, what’s got your tail in such a twist?”
“Fucking Deku! How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?! Go bother someone else!”
Ignoring him, just like he’s been doing his entire life, Deku gets closer to him. “Kacchan, who are you angry with today?”
“Today?” He sneers.
Deku nods with a smile. “Yes! Kacchan is always mad, but he usually shifts the target of his anger from day to day. You’re not picky precisely. Last week, it was—”
Smacking him, sending the stupid green mer against some rocks, he swims faster, trying to get away from him. Deku might be smaller, but he’s fast, and unfortunately, all the stalking he has done on him has left him knowing where he’s headed.
“Kacchan, c’mon. Just tell me.”
“Fine! It’s that stupid, pretentious wannabe tyrant! Happy?!”
Deku frowns. “You mean your future husband? Has he done something to you?”
“Existing! Isn’t that enough?”
Deku stares at him. It unnerves him. Snapping a what at him, Deku sighs and shakes his head.
“I don’t know, Kacchan. Yesterday I saw him and auntie around, and from what auntie has said, he seems to be kind, polite and—”
“Not you too!”
“Sad.” Finishes Deku, ignoring his outburst.
“Hah?!”
“Kacchan, when I saw Prince Todoroki, once I got over how pretty he is—Kacchan is lucky Mitsuki found him such a beautiful mer,” he hurries in a whisper, “I could easily see how lonely and blue he is. Auntie tried her best to make him smile, but he didn’t… Yet I could tell he was trying his best.”
“Great. So I have a depressive mer to top it all. Simply great.”
“Sometimes, Kacchan can be an absolute insensitive idiot,” mumbles Deku.
Katsuki smacks him for that.
“Kacchan, just give him a chance. You two are going to be mated before the day ends and spend the rest of your lives together. Wouldn’t it be better if at least you two are on friendly terms?”
“Married, not mated. Huge difference. Tsk. And don’t remind me I have to withstand him and the rest of his stupid family for the rest of my existence… They are invaders, Deku. You heard the rumours. The Monoma clan said the Todorokis are desperate to get new land on their greedy paws, and my stupid mother is opening the gates, making it easier for them.”
“Kacchan, you hate Monoma.” Deku deadpans with judgmental eyes. “You always say he’s worse than a shark smelling blood because at least sharks need to eat. Why are you quoting him now? And you’re wrong.”
“Get lost. The last thing I need is another lecture. Already got several from the hag!”
Getting closer to some rocks, he hides, ready to begin his hunt. Unfortunately, Deku hasn’t gotten the memo, or most likely, he has chosen to ignore it.
“Kacchan, I heard the Todoroki land is dying. The mers there are all getting sick.”
For a second, Katsuki’s mind wanders back to Shouto, how pale and fragile he looked, almost as if he was sick. But he disregards it.
“Tough shit. Not my problem. Shouldn’t be my problem,” he dismisses.
Deku remains quiet. It’s so bizarre that it makes Katsuki frown, and turning around, he sees Deku looking mad and extremely disappointed.
“Dek—“
“Shut up. I’m going to pretend you just didn’t say that. I’m gonna do it because you’re my best friend, Kacchan, and I know that deep down… really, really, reeeeeeally deep, you care and didn’t mean it. You’re just mad, but I know you’re a good mer and a good prince who cares about his people.”
“Can’t you see that’s why I’m so against this?!”
Deku’s eyes narrow. “Right. Kacchan is not pissed that, since he has to get married, now he has no excuse to leave and become a nomad in search of a thrilling adventure for who knows how long. Surely, that’s not why you are so mad with your union. After all, Kacchan doesn’t love anyone and has never cared about marriage, so it’s not as if he’s against it because he wants to marry someone else… right?”
“Fuck. You. Have you forgotten you also dreamed of exploring the ocean?! You always blabbed about following me around, joining—”
“Kacchan. You can still do it. If you really want to, you could befriend Shouto and ask him if he wants to join you. Yes, you might not be able to go as far as you once wanted or for as long as you dreamed, but who knows? Maybe he, too, wants a brief escape from his duties. He could definitely use some fun, I’m sure of it.”
Too proud to admit how truthful Deku’s words are, he scoffs and vehemently denies it all. He’s not trying to run away from anything, let alone his royal duties!
Being the stubborn idiot that he has always been, Deku ignores him and keeps going on with his spiel.
“Shouto is all alone. He has no family or friends and I’m sure you’ve already antagonized him. Have you even given him the chance to say hello?”
“He did, he said it was an honor to meet me. ‘Course it is.”
Sighing deeply, Deku glares at him. “Sometimes I wish I could smack you as good as Auntie does. Where is he?”
“Who?”
“Shouto!”
“Why should I know?”
“KACCHAN!”
“What?! I don’t care where that half-and-half bastard might be. Damn, maybe I should. He could be smuggling his people in, getting ready to overthrow us… Oi!”
Deku smacks him with his tail. It doesn’t hurt. Katsuki’s tail is too big and strong, not even rocks can hurt his sturdy scales, but it’s the principle of getting hit by none other than fucking Deku that makes him complain.
“Why did you do that?!”
“Kacchan, I’m going to say this one more time: get your head out of your tail! No one is trying to invade us, and the Todoroki mers are actually good for our clan. Everybody respects them and they are good warriors. Kacchan admires strong people, right? Having more people willing to defend our territory is a good thing. Having more variety of mers is also good. Now, where could Shouto be?”
Clenching both his fists and teeth, Katsuki turns around, determined to swim away as far as he can. Before he does so, his treacherous brain gifts him the image of Shouto floating immobile after Mitsuki left to prepare their wedding. Alone.
“The reef,” he spits, and with that, he swims using all the strength his tail allows him to leave stupid Deku behind.
Shouto is playing with some fish, giggling as they try to bite some loose strands of his hair that have escaped his braid, when the mer approaches him. He hasn’t seen him before, so he’s not exactly sure of what to expect. Is it going to be a good or a hostile interaction? Deeming it doesn’t really matter, he bows and greets him.
“Hello.”
“Hi! I’m Izuku. It’s really nice to finally meet you. Auntie has told me enough I wanted to do so, but I was afraid I might overwhelm you, as I’m sure this whole thing must be hard for you. Or not. Sorry. Please don’t think I’m trying to patronise you or anything! I mean, who am I to tell you how you must be feeling, right? Uh, anyway, now I’m here because I talked to Kacchan, and, uhm, sorry about him… He can be a little bit too rough around the edges, but Kacchan is the best! I swear. Once you get to know him, you’ll love him for sure. He’s suuuuper loyal and mindful. Well, not always. Sometimes he’s the absolute worst, and I want to throw him down the nearest abyss, but yeah, he’s usually not that much of an ass. I swear. Anyway, I followed him, we kind of argued, but in the end he told me where I could find you, and I thought I should drop by because that’s the correct thing to do and I want to be friends with you, Prince Shouto, especially since we’re going to be close, or I mean, only if you want to!! To both of those! I’m not a stalker, I swear. Please ignore Kacchan when he calls me that. Or creep. Or shitty. Uh… sorry. Have I talked too much? Kacchan always says I need to shut the fuck up and let others talk, that a conversation is between two, not a monologue featuring my ridiculous voice…” he finishes with a nervous laugh and then offers him a blindng smile.
Amused by the rambling, Shouto decides he seems friendly enough. It makes him relax.
“Thank you, Izuku. It’s also nice to meet you. I’d introduce myself, but it seems you already know me. I’d like to be friends, yes, but I’ve a question. Who is this ‘Kacchan’ you keep mentioning?”
Izuku’s green eyes widen. “Ah! Kacchan is your husband. I mean, fiancé.”
“Ah.”
Izuku’s mouth twitches. Toussling his green curls, he sighs. “I see, Auntie was right. He has already made quite an impression on you… Please, could you give him another chance? I know it’s not fair, but please? Kacchan has his reasons,” he mutters through clenched teeth, face darkening for an instant before he goes back to his easygoing and amicable one. “I don’t agree with them, but in a way, I kind of get it. Please, Prince Shouto, could you try to befriend him? It might be a little bit tough, but it’ll be worth it, I promise!”
Shouto observes the mer. This is the second time he’s been told to forgive Katsuki’s behavior and try. Again, it’s not as if he can do anything else. But he won’t lie and say he’s really looking forward to it. After all, the other mer has so far ignored and dismissed him… but he guesses it’d be for good for the two of them if at least they’re friends or cordial. After all, they are going to be spending the rest of their lives together.
“I’ll.”
“Thank you!” Izuku proclaims, doing a little twirl. “Prince Shouto, what would you like to do? I mean, unless you want to stay here by yourself.”
“Shouto,” he says. “Please, there’s no need for you to constantly address me as Prince.”
“Got it! So, do you want to stay here? The corals are beautiful, right?”
Looking at the array of bright corals in front of them, Shouto nods. “Yes, they are. I’ve always loved reefs.”
“Me too! You know, one day we should go visit others. I mean, we have others in our land, but I mean beyond our borders. The Monomas have two. They’re smaller than ours, but they have these tiny creatures that shine in the darkness that are super cute! By the way, have you already seen the bunny slugs?”
“No… what are those?” He whispers, curious.
Izuku seems to brighten. Emerald tail shaking with excitement, he proceeds to give Shouto a detailed report on what the so-called bunny slugs are, where one can find them, what they eat, how they tend to behave, their relationship with other species, and so on. Before Shouto has even seen one, he can consider himself an expert on them.
“Sorry, sorry, I must have bored you to tears.”
“No. I enjoy learning about things. Especially reef-related. Could I see them now? I’m really curious.”
Eagerly nodding, Izuku swims ahead. Shouto follows him. They don’t need to go too far away, but Shouto doubts he’d have found them on his own, at least not today. Going through a small arch of rocks, hidden behind some kelp, he finds a small surface brimming with these so-called bunny slugs.
“Fuyumi would die to see them. They’re cute.”
“Fuyumi?”
“My sister. She loves cute animals. She’d love their little antennae.”
“Right? They’re sooooo pretty.”
“Are they poisonous?”
“YES! I mean, you can like touch, but don’t eat them.”
Horrified, he asks, “Why would I do that?”
Tilting his head, he looks at Izuku, who turns bright red and quickly denies it, shaking his head and arms.
“I didn’t! I swear I’ve never done that. How could I? They’re super cute! But once, another mer did, and well, he was sick for weeks. Kacchan made fun of him for years, calling him a loser… He still does. I think he’s mostly mad because he killed one of his favorites. These are all white, right? But that one had, like, a little bit of orange. Kacchan always loved to look at it. He was really sad when the mer ate it out of spite.”
“I see. Katsuki likes them, too?”
“Yeah! It was he who found them and brought them here. Kacchan is an explorer, you know? He found a couple in another reef, and after studying what they seemed to need to live, he brought them here, and well, look at them! They’re now thriving.”
This new information makes Shouto a little bit more open to the idea of befriending the other mer. Surely someone who cares so much about such small creatures can’t be that bad, right?
Looking back at the creatures, Shouto allows himself to smile. This reef is still not the one he has lost, but it has new things that he’s more than eager to discover. Offering his pinky to the closest slug, he patiently waits for the creature to approach him. As he feels its velvety touch, a giggle escapes him.
“It tickles.”
Izuku doesn’t say anything, just observes him with a soft smile.
As the slug seems to become more daring, crawling further into his hand, Shouto lowers himself. He doesn’t want to spook the poor creature or make it fall. Getting at the level of the rocks, he presses his hand flat, careful not to bother another nearby slug, and allows his little new friend to crawl all over his arm.
“You’re really kind, Shouto.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I can tell. I’m glad it was you. Guess Auntie always knows best.”
Shouto wants to ask him about the meaning behind those cryptic words, but another bunny-slug joins the party in his hand.
“What creatures does your reef have?” Asks Izuku.
And just like that, his good mood foams up.
“Did. My reef is dead.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t— Well, I mean, I’ve heard rumours but… I’m sorry, Shouto.”
Moving his thumb, he lightly caresses a slug.
“It’s okay, you did nothing wrong. It’s the damn humans,” he spits the word, “who did.”
“Wow. You just sounded like Kacchan.”
That piques his curiosity. “He hates humans, too?”
Izuku shakes his hand, giving him a more or less gesture. “He’s not fond of them, that’s for sure. But no, I mean with your cold fury. It gave me chills.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t! As I said, Kacchan is always foaming at the mouth. Mmh, actually, now that I think about it, you seem to be more ‘glacial’ and he’s pure fire, like one of those volcanoes that are on some really deep areas, you know them? They’re super schorching! I once almost bunt my tail. Look, that scar is from that. Kacchan also got burnt, but he healed.” Pointing at his arm, Shouto sees a huge burning scar that looks really familiar.
Snorting, he points at his own face. “Yes, I know about those. My brother dared me to stick my face into one of their chimneys. In his defense, they were quite idle. We were all shocked when it suddenly released the heat and burned me.”
Gaping, Izuku apologises. “Sorry, I mean, I’d noticed, but I didn’t want to offend you. I was curious about it tho.”
“It’s okay. At first I was ashamed, I thought I was marred—”
“HOW?! You’re gorgeous!” Processing what he has just said, Izuku slaps a hand over his mouth, face turning scarlet. “I’m so sorry, please ignore me.”
“Thank you, and it’s okay. I appreciate the compliment. As I was saying, I covered it at first. It’s why I have such long hair. I always put some bangs over it, covering half of my face, until my mother convinced me I wasn’t ugly. That’s why I wear it tied back now. I’m no longer ashamed.”
“That’s good,” whispers Izuku. “I’m glad for you, Shouto. And it suits you. I don’t think I can imagine you with short hair like mine or Kacchan’s. Do you have any trouble braiding it? It looks labourious.”
“Not anymore. By now I’m used to it… But I never say no to a little help, especially in the early mornings. I’m not the most eloquent until noon.”
Tail waggling, Izuku smiles brightly. “That won’t be a problem! Kacchan can sleep until late, but he’s also an early riser. I’m sure he can help you. He’s also really dextrous.”
Shouto’s smile twitches. He can’t really picture the angry mer that has been avoiding him almost as if he had a contagious disease, willing to braid his hair every morning. Izuku seems to notice this, but before he can go on another ramble about how ‘Kacchan’ is not bad and how he should give him a try, he stops him with a simple, “Maybe. If he offers, I’ll accept his assistance.”
Izuku nods. “I’m sure with time, he will. Once he sees how wrong he is about you, he’ll be kicking his tail for wasting so much time pretending he doesn’t like you.”
Shouto can only hope so.
They spend more time playing around with the slugs until a mer comes to fetch him for his wedding. Stomach shrinking a little, he tries his best to seem at peace with the idea, even if deep down, he’s nervous and sad as he’s all by himself. Even if he had never given much thought to his wedding, he always imagined he’d do it surrounded by his family.
Swallowing, he follows the mer back to the Bakugous’ home, where Mitsuki must be waiting for him. At least, Izuku is with him, animatedly talking, unknowingly distracting him. He’s grateful for that.
Once they reach their destination, Shouto sees it’s a gigantic arch made of reddish rocks. It’s been decorated with a lot of beautiful flowers and bright weeds.
“Whoa, Auntie has done an amazing job.”
“Yes, it’s really tasteful.” But it’s not his reef. Back home, all the unions are held on what used to be their reef. The painful reminder leaves him breathless for a second, his gills halting their movement.
Mitsuki approaches them with what looks like a stained smile, before she quickly shifts it into a normal one. “Shouto, sweetie, you’re here and with Izuku. Oh, honey, thank you so much. Have you been with him?”
“Yes, Auntie. We’re now friends, right, Shouto?” Said mer nods at that, and Izuku seems to brighten. “Where’s Kacchan?”
Again, Mitsuki’s smile twitches, souring for a second before she swiftly fixes it. “Izuku dear, why don’t you go with him? He needs some assistance. Don’t worry, Masaru will point you his fucki—” Looking at Shouto, she smiles apologetically and corrects herself, “his way.”
Izuku sighs deeply. “I see. Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ll have a chat with him.” Glancing at Shouto, he laughs awkwardly. “Wedding jitters, am I right? See you later, Shouto!”
Watching Izuku leave makes Shouto squirm a little. He’s not an idiot, he knows exactly what’s going on. So much for giving his husband-to-be a chance. It doesn’t seem the feeling is mutual.
Dread sinks in his stomach as he wonders if perhaps Prince Bakugou won’t do it. If they don’t get married, then his family—
“Mitsuki, the wedding is still going to happen, right?”
Mitsuki observes him and gives a curt nod. “Yes, don’t worry. Of course, it’s happening. But first, we need to get you even prettier. C’mon, I’ve some accessories that I think will look fabulous on you. You know, I’m considered one of the most knowledgeable in beauty around here...”
Shouto follows her, stomach painfully twisting as he can’t help but wonder if he should have tried harder. Maybe last night, he should have made a better impression, or perhaps he should have sought out his fiancé and tried to get to know him better rather than messing around in the reef. He could have done so many things to make the other mer more receptive to the idea of marrying him. After all, he’s not here for pleasure: he’s here to fulfill his duty of saving his people. He needs to ensure this marriage goes ahead. For now, he’ll let Mitsuki do whatever she wants with him. It seems that as long as he’s in the Queen’s good graces, not everything is lost.