Archive of Our Own

Heavy footsteps echoed down the stone hall accompanied by the smell of firewood, announcing the arrival of the eldest prince. His cloak billowed behind him, casting large swaths of shadow as it caught the torchlight and danced amongst the smoke clouds rolling off his hands. The halls leading to the prince’s chambers were vacant save for a single knight stationed outside the door: the Prince’s Royal Guard. As the familiar glint of his metal armor caught the prince’s eye, he felt a small wave of relief lap at the edges of his frantic mind and the heat was ever so slightly sapped away. The knight bowed as his prince approached. 

“Good evening, sire,” he greeted the prince warmly. “How was–”

“Give me a minute,” the prince replied, cutting him off as he shouldered past the shorter man and entered his room, letting the heavy door slam shut behind him. The knight sighed, shoulders slumping.

“Oh, it went horrible, Sir Keigo, thank you for inquiring regardless,” he huffed to himself under his breath. He had a few more phrases to rattle off and amuse himself, but stopped short as he heard a commotion behind the door. Clothing rustling, drawers being opened and roughly slid shut, a mixture of clattering that sounded partially metal and wood, more than a few curses tossed out, and a loud exclamation as stomping reverberated through the floor. 

Keigo tried to steal his expression and resist the urge to ask if everything was okay in there. Luckily he didn’t have to wait more than a few moments before the door was thrown open and the prince was leaning out. 

“Sir Keigo,” the prince called, eyes meeting the golden gems already transfixed on his own. 

“Prince Touya,” he dipped his head in a slight bow as the prince stepped out wearing a thick winter cloak.

“Gather supplies for a hunting trip and meet me at the stables,” he ordered, voice clipped. Keigo stared at him blankly. Touya huffed. “Now, if you would?”

“O-oh! Right!” Keigo jumped, nodding his head and causing strands of his pale gold hair to fall across his face. As his gaze dipped, he realized the prince had a bag slung over his shoulder, made of soft leather with a sturdy strap. 

“Do not speak of this to anyone,” the prince commanded. “And be quick about it,” he added shortly. Keigo straightened up and threw him a smirk.

“You know me, fastest knight in the kingdom–”

“Will you fucking go already?” Touya bit out harshly, causing Keigo to pause. He assessed the man in front of him; his layered attire, tussled white hair, bruised scarring deep under his eyes and stretching across his jaw that was set defiantly, eyes flaming like a wild fire, and a death grip on his bag. 

“Why are you in such a rush?” Keigo asked smoothly, a false lightness to his tone that itched under the prince’s burned skin. He had contained it so well, but Keigo couldn’t help but add fuel to the flame. 

“Can you not use your thick head for one second to gather that this matter is urgent and we will discuss it further in a safer location?” Touya hissed, somehow managing to shout while whispering. 

“S-sorry, sire,” Keigo amended with another rushed bow. “I shall meet you there.” He spun on his heel and made a hasty retreat, hearing the prince grumble behind him before setting off down a different side passage. 

Keigo gathered the supplies as quietly as possible; stopping by the kitchen to pack them food, retrieving tools for cooking meals, ensuring their weaponry would be suited to their prey, reminding himself to pack bed rolls and blankets– the usual routine. 

Keigo had been a knight for his entire life, and the prince’s knight for more than a decade. He knew the castle well, like a worn down series of paths where the grass gave way to dirt, with familiar markings and people journeying alongside him. He knew how to slip by unnoticed, even half armored with the metal clank giving most others away. He knew where everything was kept and what was behind each door – even those that remained locked and tucked behind tapestries. 

Needless to say, no one noticed as he slid through the halls executing his prince’s orders. As he passed the servant’s quarters he couldn’t help but peek inside, hoping to catch a head of unruly green curls. Keigo knew he needed to say goodbye to the young boy who would wake and find him gone in the morning. They were close friends, both having positions alongside the princes, and he could trust the young servant to keep his mouth shut.

But as Keigo’s eyes scanned the beds, he found the young boy’s empty. 

“Of course Deku’s roaming the halls at the dead of night,” Keigo grumbled to himself before slipping away and out of the castle. 

Finally, he arrived at the stables. 

“Hey there, girl,” he cooed as he approached the familiar grey speckled horse. “How ya’ doing, Starlight?” he asked as he lifted a hand gently and pressed it close to her nose. She nuzzled into his touch, her hot breath puffing from her nostrils and warming his fingers. Before he could say anything else he heard footsteps quickly approaching, muffled by the hay underfoot.

“You’ve gathered everything?” the prince asked quietly as he came into view. His brows had a deep crease in the middle and his mouth was set into a grim line. 

“Yes, sire,” Keigo confirmed with a tilt of the head. 

“Good,” Touya let out a sigh of relief and turned to the horse. “Is Starlight fit for the trip?”

“She’s in good spirits,” Keigo confirms, “I was just about to check Comet.” He watched as Touya went town a few stalls to his horse, a rich black steed with a powerful presence. 

“I’d say he’s ready.”

They loaded their gear quickly and guided the two horses out quietly. The stables were near the training grounds where the number of guards was lacking and they were able to slip out unnoticed. As they dipped under the shadow of a tree just off the path leading north, Touya climbed aboard Comet. 

“Where shall we–” Keigo asked quietly but was silenced with a wave of the prince’s hand. 

“Just follow behind.” The words were whispered firmly. Touya grabbed the reins and guided his horse along the path, not waiting for Keigo to follow. 

The night air was cold with the bite of late winter nipping at any exposed skin. Thick trees and their woven branches blotted out most of the sky, but a few stars managed to peek through. Beneath them was a narrow path that cut through the woods and kept Keigo traveling behind the prince. Touya hadn’t spoken in hours, and Keigo knew it wasn’t just to aid their stealthy escape. The hunch of his shoulders was jagged and his head was dipped low, an echo of the defiant prince he knew so well.

Keigo tried to stifle a yawn but it rang out loud and clear in the empty air. 

“Can you stay awake for another hour?” the prince called over his shoulder. It took Keigo a moment to register the question.

“I can certainly try, sire,” he replied. 

“I know an alcove a little further down the way, we can remain hidden inside while we rest.”

“Good idea, sire,” Keigo nodded soundly.

“Stop with the ‘sire’ shit, we’re not in the castle, Keigo,” Touya shot back. 

“Apologies, my prince,” Keigo purred. 

“Ugh, you’re hopeless,” Touya grumbled as he tugged the reins and galloped ahead. Keigo’s mouth twitched, but he bit his tongue.

As promised, they reached the familiar thick trunk of a tree that marked the side path leading up the side of a small hill to a natural rock formation that shielded them from view while still allowing a lookout over the worn path below. Keigo slid off Starlight and brought her to a gnarled root, tying her there and giving her an affectionate pat before unhooking a few bags. 

He laid out two bed rolls a respectable distance apart, then pulled out a small piece of bread. He turned to the prince who had crouched down and begun rifling through his leather bag. 

“Hungry?” Keigo asked, prompting Touya to look his way. Keigo raised a brow and offered the bread.

“In the morning,” Touya replied, finishing his rummaging and sitting down on his blanket. 

“Suit yourself,” Keigo chirped before chowing down. He watched as Touya pulled layers of fabric over him and curled up on his side facing away from the knight. Keigo stared at his back until he finished chewing, then removed a few pieces of armor to make laying down more comfortable. As he settled his head on his makeshift pillow, he spoke softly. 

“Goodnight, Touya.”

There was no reply.

The next two days of travel were spent in relative silence. Anytime Keigo tried to prompt conversation Touya would give him clipped one word replies that devolved into growls warning Keigo not to push his luck. 

“So this isn’t actually a hunting trip,” Keigo pointed out on the second day. They had paused by a stream to refill their flasks and allow their horses to drink. It was a chilly afternoon, but the foliage shielded them from the worst of the wind. Touya, who had been taking a drink, lowered the flask and fixed Keigo with an odd look.

“What?” he asked.

“We haven’t done any hunting,” Keigo pointed out, snatching the flask and drinking from it. 

“We will,” was all Touya said. He surveyed the forest as if there were things lurking in the shadows ready to leap out and bare their fangs at any moment.

“So reassuring,” Keigo said with a breathy laugh.

“Fuck off.” Touya snapped, grabbing the flask back mid drink and dipping it back in the water to refill it once more.

“When will you drop this cryptic act and just give it to me straight?” Keigo groaned. “There’s a reason we’re running away–”

“We aren’t running away,” Touya snapped back as he stood to his full height, a snarl to his words.

“Then what are we doing?” Keigo practically cried. 

“You are obeying your prince’s orders without question,” Touya huffed. 

“Then tell me what my orders are!” Keigo shouted, gesturing with his hands wildly.

“To travel with me,” came Touya’s simple response.

“And that’s it?” Keigo waited, watching the prince’s face crease before he whipped around and climbed back onto his horse.

Keigo didn’t get a reply. 

That night, as they lay nestled amongst thick tree roots down a small slope that hid them from view, Keigo couldn’t fall asleep. Everything about this trip was bugging him. He knew the prince well, and he had been on his fair share of hunting trips– sometimes solo and other times with a whole party of their knights.

He had also accompanied the prince on nearly all of his secret endeavors that took place under the cover of night. Whether it was to blow off steam, get back at someone for some petty feud, or just to get away from his family, there was always a reason he disappeared in the dead of night.

Keigo was relieved he had been brought along, but he had no idea why. It seemed like the prince wasn’t going to tell him either. 

The blond man huffed as he rolled over onto his side and faced the sleeping prince. He wasn’t a full meter away, squished closer from the natural shape of the roots, and if Keigo reached out his hand he could almost brush the soft white hair falling over the prince’s eyes. 

He didn’t, of course. 

He just watched him in silence. Noting the rise and fall of the thick blankets atop him. He looked much calmer, no trace of the paranoia that had been plaguing him for days. 

Keigo watched him until his eyes began to grow heavy and sleep nestled against him like an old dog. 

Three days had passed since their first night on the road, and it was high time their luck began to run out. They had spent the day winding down side roads to pick their way steadily north. Keigo was beginning to deduce where they were headed, but knew Touya was one to double back, so he could never be too sure. Even with the confusing path they wound, they were still found.

It was at dusk that they heard them. Hooves pounding against the beaten path that they had been following for the past few hours. 

Keigo rushed to the prince’s side, tackling him off his horse just as an arrow flew by. The two men tumbled to the ground, rolling a few meters as the horses reared up and stumbled back, trying to avoid their riders who were now underfoot. 

“Fuck! Are they trying to kill us?” Keigo shouted gruffly.

“Most likely,” Touya groaned as he let Keigo give him a hand and pull him up from the ground.

“The fuck did you do, hot stuff?” Keigo shot back as he notched an arrow and readied his bow.

“Watch it,” Touya warned as small flames began to lick his finger tips. Keigo smirked as his eyes locked onto the fast approaching shapes of soldiers on horseback. In quick succession, Keigo fired off three arrows, each finding their target. Two were nestled in the chest of the first rider, his grip going slack as he lost consciousness and slid off his horse. The third lodged in the neck of the second rider, choking them on their own blood. They grabbed weakly at the offending object before the fight drained from their body and they fell to the dirt.

A few scattered arrows sailed over the knight and his prince, the wind carrying them past their targets as the two horses with missing riders galloped off. It wasn’t long before their pursuers were upon them and Keigo unsheathed his sword with a wild grin stretched across his face. 

“Do not worry your pretty little head, my prince,” Keigo said with a low growl to his tone. “If it is a fight to the death they seek, then they will fall to my blade.”

“Keep your pride in check,” Touya reminded him with a laugh before Keigo was darting away.

“Good evening, men!” he called as he lunged at the first soldier brave enough to attack on foot. “Sorry, I’ll have to make this quick.” His sword went clean through the space between the soldier’s chest plate and shoulder, buried deep. “We have places to be, prey to catch.” Keigo leaned in close and smiled, all teeth. “You look quite like prey yourself, you know?” His eyes flashed a glimmering pool of gold, drawing the dying soldier’s gaze in as he struggled to breathe. Keigo didn’t torture him for long, bringing his foot up to kick the man square in the abdomen as he dislodged his blade. 

He heard the battle cry of his next target and whipped around, only to find him being lit aflame. His cry turned into screams of anguish as his armor melted to his skin as it blistered off his bones. Keigo pouted. 

“I could’ve handled him.”

“No time to whine,” Touya snapped, throwing a hand up and casting flames towards more arrows targeting them. “We’ve got a battle to win.”

As five more men rushed the scene, Touya and Keigo shared one last hungry glance before pushing off and letting out their battle cries.

Touya moved with grace and elegance, the echoes of his mother’s motions so evident in his techniques. He was brutal, every attack planned and perfected. He couldn’t help the way that his eyes searched for Keigo mid battle.

Keigo’s attacks were vicious and precise, his blade finding purchase with every well timed swing. He danced through the circle of men, picking them off one by one with time earned skill. With each pull of the sword blood poured from the soldiers’ wounds, painting the ground in obsidian stains that were too low to catch the dying rays of the sun. 

The final soldier fell just as the darkness of night overtook the day. Keigo pulled his blade out and the man tumbled with a thud onto the blood-soaked earth. Keigo turned to his prince, red smeared across his jaw.

“We should press on before a secondary scouting party arrives,” he said smoothly. 

Touya nodded, and they began picking a path to their horses. They had trotted off a little ways to avoid the worst of the fight. The horses the soldiers had arrived on had long since fled. The prince and his knight settled into their saddles and pushed onward. 

After several hours spent covering a long stretch of road they came to a break in the forest that gave home to a vast field. The moon was bright, bathing the stalks in pale light. Keigo watched as they bent and swayed under the crisp breeze, tickling his knees. He turned to see Touya watching the dance of the grass, hypnotized by the movement. Keigo smiled softly, eyes flicking up to the sky to pinpoint a few constellations while it wasn’t obscured by tree branches. 

By his estimations they were only two days from the mountain path that led to the kingdom that bordered the north. 

He sighed, eyes drifting down to the field once more and his prince who watched it vigilantly. Keigo rolled his shoulder, made a small clicking noise, and began leading his horse towards the tree line on the other side. Touya followed without a sound.

As the tree branches welcomed them in and the path widened, Keigo matched his pace with Touya’s. 

“There should be a stream about an hour north of here. We can wash up and set up camp for the night near the water,” he said just loud enough for the prince to hear. When he received no response he added, “We are continuing north, right?”

“Right,” Touya replied slowly.

“You don’t sound very confident about that,” Keigo teased him lightly.

“I am,” the prince snapped.

“O…kay…” Keigo murmured, backing off. 

“Tch.” The prince scoffed and pulled ahead once more, leaving his knight to stare at his back, brows furrowed in confusion. 

They rode in silence until they came upon the stream just where Keigo was sure it would cross their paths. They led the horses off the path, finding a satisfactory clearing a few minutes downstream. They went through the motions of setting up camp, and undressing enough to wash up with the icy water. 

Once they were certain the worst of the blood had been scrubbed away, they settled into their bed rolls. Keigo stayed sitting up with a blanket pulled around his shoulders as he stared into the flame of the campfire in the middle of their small setup. 

“Are we going to talk about it?” Keigo asked quietly, eyes flickering over to the prince who laid on his side. 

“Talk about what?” he asked slowly.

“The attack. Killing your men. Where we’re going. Why we left. You pick,” Keigo shot back, earning a snort. “I’m serious! You’ve barely given me anything, and I’ve been good. I’ve done everything my prince has asked of me, so why–”

“They were trying to kill you, not me,” Touya said, voice low. 

“Why? What did I do?” Keigo asked eagerly.

“It’s more what did I do,” he replied. “This time, at least.”

“Ha ha. Very funny. You light one guy’s ass on fire one time…”

“You have that effect on people, what can I say?” Touya teased. 

“One soldier trying to kill me is a lot different than an entire search party,” Keigo shot back. He watched as the prince rolled his eyes and yawned.

“Get some sleep, we can discuss it in the morning,” Touya huffed, rolling over and facing away from the blond. 

Keigo wanted to scream, but he shoved the feeling down and sank into his bed roll, trying to welcome sleep despite it fighting his efforts. 

They did not discuss it the next morning, nor the entire next day. Keigo wasn’t sure Touya was going to speak at all until he suggested they pause to feed the horses when they came across another field. 

It wasn’t long before the familiar lands of the forest gave way to the rocky mountain pass and Keigo found himself a little wary for the first time the entire trip. He hesitated at the entrance.

“Are you sure we have to–”

“Yes. Hurry up,” Touya huffed, galloping ahead. Keigo sighed, staring up at the looming landmass before him. 

“Just do as the prince commands you, Keigo. Climb the mountain, nothing could go wrong,” he mumbled to himself in mocking tones. 

“Are you going to keep talking to yourself or hurry the fuck up?” Touya shouted behind him. Keigo gripped his reins and pushed on.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming!” he hollered back, kicking up dust as he rejoined the prince’s side. 

They traveled along the steep path until it became too dark to pick their way through the fallen stones safely and needed to call it a night. Touya found a small cavern in the mountainside for them to duck into, tying the horses near the entrance. 

Keigo built a fire with wood he had gathered the day before, and laid out everything for their small campsite. They broke bread and ate in silence. It wasn’t long before Touya slipped under the covers and let his eyes fall shut without sparing Keigo a word.

The knight watched him with curious eyes, tracing the line of his silhouette. He could tell by the unsteady breathing that Touya hadn’t succumbed to sleep just yet. Keigo scrubbed a hand across his face, and talked.

“I’m not sure if you’re fully awake, you don’t have to reply if you are,” Keigo started softly, “But I need to get a few things off my chest.

I didn’t ask to become your knight, but it’s something I wanted from the first moment I met you. There was this fire in your eyes that felt just as wild as I did, and I thought, I would go to the ends of the Earth for him.” Keigo let a dry laugh rattle out. “Watching you train your magic and grow into a prince that could lead armies to turn the tides of war, seeing that fire inside of you burn so brightly in battle that it nearly blinded me– it was all worth it. It’s still worth it.”

There was a moment of silence where the knight paused and listened to the crackle of the flame. He saw the small motions of breathing begin to still, giving away just how captive his audience was.

“I will do anything you ask of me. I will defend you from attackers, accompany you on journeys, kill as many men in your honor as it takes to keep you safe– even our men, our soldiers, if that is what you ask of me.” Keigo let out a shaky breath, voice becoming wet with emotion. “I just need to know what you are asking of me.”

He waited, knowing he would not get a response more than the steady flicker of the shadows against the stone walls. 

“I wasn’t a knight by birth, as I’m sure you know,” Keigo pressed on in the silence. “But my mother was paid well by the kingdom for my head. I’m… glad she’s taken care of. But that is the extent of my fondness for her.” He looked down at his hands, at the blood still flaking around the beds of his fingernails. He picked at it absentmindedly. 

“I was welcomed into the fold as a young boy, accepted by the other knights as a trainee. Even though I was a fresh face, they treated me like old friends. They had a special sense of community, but I still felt like an outsider.” Keigo paused, glancing over at Touya to find his form carefully still. 

“Then, I was nominated to be your knight. The Prince’s Royal Guard. I couldn’t believe it. I was going to meet Prince Touya.” He chuckled lightly. “I was brought into the throne room for the second time in my life, and there you were. Sitting beside your father, with your robe on and sword at your hip. Your eyes were so blue, it put the sky to shame, and your hair was so bright I thought you had a halo–”

There was a small rustling of fabric, then words.

“So did you,” came the whispered admission. Keigo waited patiently as Touya remained facing away. “You… your golden eyes… and sunkissed skin… looked like an angel.” The words hung in the air between them until Keigo was certain there wouldn’t be more.

“We trained together. Hunted together. Fought off bandits and enemy soldiers before we had even reached our thirteenth summers,” Keigo couldn’t help the good natured laugh that was drawn out of him. “All of the years spent together, yet the memory of the first one is the most vivid in my mind.”

Keigo mulled over his next words, trying to choose them purposefully.

“It had been three years since Sekoto Peak,” he started softly, “You had regained enough strength to move about the grounds freely with your appointed guard by your side. Me.” Keigo couldn’t help the small smile that pulled across his face. “I was only eleven, and I knew you were the prince. I knew you weren’t like me. I knew our worlds collided by sheer luck–”

“Fate,” came the gentle correction.

Keigo paused, a pang in his chest ringing throughout his body.

“Maybe it was fate, maybe it was chance, but I don’t find that it matters too much to me anymore,” Keigo continued softly. “I was by your side every day, from the moment you woke and greeted the sun until sleep overtook you at nightfall– I was there. It was the most purpose I had ever had. The first sense of duty I was able to fulfil. I felt… like I belonged. In the kingdom, in the court, at your side. I felt like I was meant to be somewhere for the first time in my life.”

He sighed, sinking down into his blankets and watching the light flicker across the stone overhead. 

“You gave me a home that I feel like I can come back to. Not a place, not the castle, not even the kingdom. You. You are my home, Touya.” Keigo’s voice was thick, tears threatening to slip down the sides of his face. He opened his mouth but found it difficult to choke back a sob, and closed it once more. 

His hand, which had been laying cast to the side, felt a warmth settle over it, tearing Keigo’s gaze away. He hadn’t heard the movement, but Touya had rolled over to face him and reached forward to grasp Keigo’s hand beneath his own. Keigo watched their joined hands for a moment, tracing the lines and creases where their skin met. Finally, his gaze flickered up to see a bright blue flame watching him. 

“I will never let them take you from me,” the prince whispered fiercely. 

Keigo swallowed roughly, but kept his mouth shut, not trusting what would come out next. A sudden wave of exhaustion hit him, the weight of his words all coming down on him and settling heavy over his bones. It wasn’t long before his eyes began to drift shut and sleep edged forward in his mind.

Even as it took Keigo gently under, Touya left their hands clasped in the space between them.

The fifth day was spent in relative silence, something heavy and unspoken in the air. They picked their way up the mountain pass, guiding their horses on foot. Keigo made them pause for a small break to eat and drink water from a nearby stream. He didn’t push for conversation. 

By the time night was approaching, the weather began to shift. Clear skies grew clouded, and soon light snowfall began to dapple the ground. Touya searched for another cave but was only able to find a small indent in the rock that was sheltered by trees on the edge of a forested clearing. Keigo gathered more branches and foliage to reinforce a roof overhead, finishing it up just as the wind began to howl and the flurries thickened. Touya tied the horses in another slightly sheltered alcove a few meters away.

The two men dipped into their little hut and began unrolling their blankets. 

“We won’t be able to light a fire in this weather,” Keigo commented. 

“No, we won’t,” Touya agreed.

“The temperature is going to stay low all evening.”

“Most likely.”

“If we want to keep warm we’ll need to share our bedrolls,” Keigo stated. He held his breath, waiting for Touya to react, but earned a small chuckle. 

“Yeah, get over here.” 

Keigo looked up, surprised, to find Touya offering him a small smile. 

“Yeah?”

“Hurry up, it’s fucking cold.”

Keigo hastily joined Touya under his blankets, wrapping another around their shoulders and huddling close to the smooth stone behind them. It was comfortable, and the smell of the prince was so familiar, Keigo couldn’t help the way he relaxed as their sides pressed against one another. 

After a few moments of companionable silence, it became obvious that neither of them were on the verge of sleep. Keigo tried to behave, but his impulse control had always been shit. Luckily, just as he opened his mouth the prince began to talk instead. 

“I had an argument with my father,” Touya began slowly. “Which isn’t entirely uncommon, but this one… ended a bit differently.”

Keigo nodded along, letting  take his time to collect himself before telling his story. 

Touya stormed into the hall, heat rolling off of him in waves that made the metal armor of the guards begin to grow suffocating. They looked to the king who waved them off and the guards quickly filed out of the throne room, leaving the king alone with his eldest son as the door shut with a resounding clang behind the final knight. 

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” King Enji asked as his son approached him, walking down the ruby red rug that cut through the center of the room. Touya stopped at the base of the steps and fell to one knee, bowing his head for a moment before looking up at the king with a defiant gleam in his eyes.

“You can’t send Shouto to lead the armies in the west,” his son cut straight to the point. “He isn’t ready.”

“You led your first battle in your thirteenth year,” Enji shot back smoothly. 

“He’s different,” Touya argued. “He does not thirst for violence like you, or seek vengeance like Natsuo. He does not let his rage consume him, and stoop to petty power plays like me, or pretend our family is infallible like Fuyumi.” Touya rose to his feet. “He’s more gentle natured, like mother. We can let him fill the role of the kind prince, the kingdom already has three bloodthirsty royals fighting wars on their behalf. They could use a friendly face to–”

“You shall kneel before me until I command you to rise,” King Enji bellowed, cutting off his son. Touya grit his teeth, flames beginning to dance at his fingertips. 

“You won’t listen to me whether I’m standing, kneeling, or groveling at the base of your throne, so what difference does it make if I’m on my own two feet!”

“Watch your tone,” his father growled. “I shall be paid the respect I am owed, and you shall follow my orders undoubtedly.”

“Your orders are wrong!” Touya shouted. “This mistake will cost the lives of hundreds of our soldiers, and Shouto will not be the same man when he returns home. You know this to be true,” Touya spat at him. “Why do you wish to shatter every soul you come in contact with?”

“Enough!” the king roared, finally standing from his throne. “You are not to question my orders, not as my subject, nor as my son.” Heat billowed from his nose in thick puffs, his cold blue eyes locking out all warm emotions. “I have made this decision for a number of reasons, none of which I need to explain to you.”

“If you can’t explain it to me, then I will not allow it to pass,” Touya snapped back at the king. 

“Your disobedience will not go unpunished–”

“I will not let you ruin my little brother’s life!”
“If I let him continue on like this then he will very well ruin it himself!” King Enji bellowed, voice ringing out through the cavernous room and bringing a heat wave rolling across the vast expanse. 

Touya was used to the heat.

“What do you mean?” he pressed.

“I have discovered that Shouto has become too attached to his servant.”

“Servants are often close to their masters–”

“They were more than ‘close,’ son,” the king says, eerily calm. Touya could feel the shift in the argument, and he knew he was going to lose. Still, he would never back down from a fight against his bastard father.

“You think sending a boy off to battle will quell his feelings? Trust that it will only strengthen them and bring you even more irritation,” he barked out. 

“If time away does not fix him, then maybe I should draft young Midoriya as a soldier and send him too,” Enji said with slow deliberation. Touya’s eyes flickered. 

“You wouldn’t,” Touya challenged him.

“Do you care to test that?”

“If you kill Deku you will lose more than just Shouto’s trust,” the prince assured him. “I will rage against you with power you couldn’t fathom.”

“I do seem to remember you being rather sentimental with your knights,” Enji noted coolly. “They are nothing but instruments to be used to further the will of the kingdom.”

“They are our people!” Touya shouted. “They are not some disposable tool that you can break and discard when it can no longer serve you!”

“Maybe I should throw a few away to teach you their worth,” Enji continued as if he hadn’t heard his son. “We could start with your Royal Guard. I’ve seen how soft you are on him when you think no one is looking. It’s not unlike Shouto’s temperament with that servant of his.”

Touya’s heart skipped a beat, every nerve in his body lighting a flame. His father smirked.

“I see I’ve struck a chord,” he hummed, quite pleased with himself. “He will accompany Shouto and his servant to the front lines in the morning. Maybe he’ll manage to keep them both alive, or he shall fall defending our kingdom. Either fate–”

“You admit you are sending your son to slaughter with no shame!” Touya laughed, “I’m a fool if I thought I could ever get through to you.” 

“We shall see if your guard is able to prove his worth, then,” Enji countered. “Or I could have the two young men hanged.” He watched his son’s expression remain carefully even. “I shall leave the decision up to you: hanged, or sent to war. I will send for you in the morning and you can give me your answer then.”

Touya felt his throat close up, unable to utter a single word. He huffed, the rage building, heat pressing hot against his skin. He let out a frustrated growl and spun on his heel, stalking out of the throne room with scorched footsteps in his wake. 

He hurried down the halls, footsteps quickening as he grew closer to his chambers. His mind was swirling, considering every option he could think of.

He refused to let his brother go to war. He’d rather commit treason than let Shouto or Deku throw their lives away and die just so the king could prove a point. Just to make his sons suffer, and lose the ones they love.

And Keigo.

He refused to give him up.

After a quick stop by his chambers and some gruff orders to his Royal Guard, Touya set off to traverse the castle one last time. 

He picked his way through the halls, careful to avoid the guards patrolling as he made his way to Shouto’s chambers. There was a guard stationed outside the door, but a small minor illusion was all it took for Touya to get him distracted. As soon as he disappeared, Touya ran in, closing the door swiftly behind him. 

“I’m sorry to barge in–” he started, turning his head to see his brother sat on the edge of his bed, cradling the young servant in his arms as the green haired boy sobbed into his chest. “-Fuck.”

Touya rushed forward, falling to his knees in front of them. 

“I know this must seem grim, but I need you both to listen to me very carefully,” he started softly. He waited for Deku to peel himself away, wipe his eyes, and pull himself into an upright position. Shouto wiped his eyes and watched his brother steadily. 

“You’re leaving. Tonight,” Touya told them. Shouto’s brows creased into a frown. 

“But father said we would leave in the morning–”

“You’re not going to the west, you’re going north.”

“North?”

“King Toshinori is a kind man, he and King Naomasa will offer us a safe place to stay, I am sure of it,” Touya told them eagerly. “You are to pack quickly and take your horses before anyone notices. Go out through the east gate, following the road that leads to the village northeast of here. From there, I know you are familiar with the trail that leads through the valley to the north and lets out near the neighboring kingdom. It should take you less than a week to arrive, so make sure you have enough supplies to last.”

“What about you?” Shouto asked softly. Touya smirked. 

“I’ll be taking another path north, with Sir Keigo. We’ll meet you at the palace. We should only be a day or two behind you,” Touya promised. 

He waited patiently for his brother to process the information, the gears in his head turning rapidly as he considered all the risks. Finally, he met Touya’s eyes.

“We’ll meet you there.”

Keigo slid his arm around Touya’s shoulder and pulled him in close. Touya let his head dip and fall against the fabric of Keigo’s undershirt, resting gently against his chest. 

“Thank you,” he said softly. “For risking your life for me– for us.”

“I couldn’t let him kill you,” Touya whispered, voice soft and fragile. “You… after Sekoto Peak, my family never treated me the same,” Touya started softly. “They knew my magic was dangerous, that I was dangerous. I wasn’t fit to be an heir.

Then, my Royal Guard fell ill, and had to retire, leaving the position open. Did you know it was my mother who recommended you?”

Keigo knew the kind face of Queen Rei very well. She had often visited him in the evenings when he was first starting as the Royal Guard, and he made a habit to bring her gifts from their travels when he could. She was a maternal figure, but he knew better than to think of her as his mother. 

Yet, still… she had done what his mother never could. 

“My mother believes in fate,” Touya continued. “But she also believes in intervention. Sometimes… fate needs a hand. Or maybe the hand offered was already fated. Who knows.” He pulled back, deep sapphire gems searching the golden horizon of Keigo’s eyes as he pressed on. “But you were fated to be mine, and I was fated to be yours.”

Keigo’s heart began to hammer in his chest. 

“You became something more to me. You filled a place that my family never could.” Touya brought his hand up, cupping the side of Keigo’s face and smoothing his thumb over an old scar stretching across his cheek. “I needed someone to see me. Just me. Not the broken boy left on the mountside. Not the child with unstable magic, unable to keep from harming himself. I needed… I needed a friend. And maybe at first, that’s all that you were. Maybe that’s all I thought I needed, but time passed, and the seasons came and went, and you stayed by my side through it all. Unwavering. I didn’t even have to ask, I-I didn’t even notice when it happened. But you… you are my home, just as I am yours.”

“What are you saying?” Keigo asked carefully. 

“I don’t care if I’m a prince as long as I can keep you by my side,” Touya said firmly, leaning his forehead in until it rested gently against Keigo’s.

“You don’t mean that,” Keigo whispered, feeling his eyes begin to wet.

“I do,” Touya replied, tone echoing the quiet wonder.

Keigo wasn’t sure he wanted to argue, but he felt a panic rise inside of him. He leaned back, tearing his head away.

“I-I can’t be the one to ruin your kingdom, I can’t be the reason their future king–” a hand caught his wrist, bringing it to Touya’s lips where a soft kiss was pressed, halting Keigo’s thoughts.

“My father was never going to let me become king. It was always going to be Shouto, and he doesn’t want it either,” Touya said simply. He laced his fingers through Keigo’s, holding them reassuringly. 

“Then… who will be there for your people?” Keigo asked.

“Natsuo will make sure the crown goes to Fuyumi when it is time. She’s much kinder than any of us could ever be.”

“You’re not so bad,” Keigo offered with a smirk.

“Fuck off,” Touya retorted with no real malice. 

They laughed, and cried, and held each other through the cold winter night, both becoming something new in the morning.

After two more days of traveling through the mountains and arriving on the other side, the kingdom finally came into view. They picked their way across the last of the uneven terrain before arriving at the gates, where they were greeted warmly by Prince Shouto and Deku. 

“The kings are waiting for us,” Shouto informed them. “I’ve already explained our situation and they have come to an agreement, they were waiting for you two to arrive before giving the official announcement.”

“Well, let’s not keep them waiting any longer!” Keigo said cheerfully. 

When they arrived in the throne room, Touya was surprised to say the least. It was more of a banquet hall than a throne room, and had people that might more commonly be found in a tavern lounging at the tables. They walked through the center and to the main two seats at the head of the room. 

A tall man who had quite a few years on Touya’s father sat on the left, his long blond hair falling in braids over his shoulders. To his right was a slightly younger man with deep chestnut hair tied back. Their hands were joined where their thrones met. 

“We welcome you into our kingdom,” the blond man began. “I am King Toshinori, and this is King Naomasa. Young Shouto has briefed me on your situation,” he gave a pointed look to the prince in question who warmed under his gaze. 

“You will be safe for as long as you remain in our kingdom,” King Naomasa said kindly. “We are preparing living accommodations for you, and they should be settled by the end of tomorrow. Please feel free to remain in the castle until then.”

“Sire,” Touya spoke up, stepping forward. Both kings raised their eyebrows in curiosity as the elder prince knelt before them. “I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and generosity. However, I do not see our father taking kindly to our… relocation.”

King Toshinori laughed, a deep and warm sound that echoed through the hall, prompting a chorus of raucous joy to accompany it as his people laughed along with him. 

“I know King Enji very well. We have fought many wars, alongside and against one another,” King Toshinori told them. “And I do not doubt that this will cause another one.”

“I am sorry for the trouble–”

“Nonsense, young Touya. We would not grant you stay unless we wanted you here,” Toshinori assured him. 

“Besides,” King Naomasa added, leaning forward, “We’ll have you four fighting on our side.” 

The two kings shared good hearted laughter, filling the hall once more with that joyous noise. Touya turned to Keigo and saw a smile painting his face and tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. Keigo turned to him, and laughed, pulling him into a hug before either of them could think the better of it. Touya wanted to laugh too, he felt the feeling swell in his chest, but tears fell from his eyes instead.

“Shhh… I’ve got you,” Keigo chided softly, running his fingers through Touya’s hair. “We’re safe now. We’re home.”

Touya buried his nose into Keigo’s neck, breathing in his scent deeply. 

Home. 

Yeah, he was home.