Second Chances and Secret Dances

[LovelyBones]

Katsuki's life was rarely without some form of excitement and chaos. Befriending a teifling boy from a village near his family's castle, only for that same boy to become his most loyal knight and, more recently, his secret lover. Then came the night he had been kidnapped by the followers of the Demon lord, All for One, in the hopes of converting the prince to their cause. Naturally, the fiery and borderline feral prince was determined and resilient, rejecting the persuasion sent his way by his captors. In short order, though not without some blood shed and wounds to mend once home, he was soon brought back home by his closest friends and dear knight.

Though, despite such a stressful experience leaving him with nightmares from the traumatic event, there was one glimmer of light from thw whole ordeal.... And that was the raven-haired young man, Dabi, who appeared to be some form of avian demihuman. With icy blue eyes and burn scars littering his face and much of his body, the man was a sight to behold, though Katsuki thought as such in a much kinder sense, all things considered. Really, Dabi was the one that made sure he was fed, even in secret when the others tried to starve him into compliance, and did what he could to ensure he was comfortable without raising suspicion. Out of all of those bastards, Dabi was the only one that gave enough of a shit to make sure Katsuki didn't perish before he was eventually saved, even if it may not have been the older male's goal. For all he knew, Dabi was probably following his own moral code while still trying to find a way to recruit the explosive prince for their cause.

Not too long after that kidnapping, his kingdom and many others banded together to face off against the Followers of All for One and the very demon lord himself, wanting to be rid of the horrible threat to their peace and ways of life. The war was long and hard fought, but their victory was rightfully earned, many of the Followers being felled or escaping capture when their defeat was assured. And after a few more years, after the battle and birn-acarred earth finally began to heal, word had come to the now battle-worn prince and his knight that Dabi had been captured by King Enji's kingdom, however there was a problem.

The man couldn't look his wayward son in the eye, nor put him to death or imprison him for his crimes, and so, that bastard had sent Dabi Katsuki's way, bound in magic-trapping shackles so as to "clip" the avian's wings so to speak, rendering him mostly harmless once in Katsuki's care. Katsuki was given liberty to do with Dabi as he so pleased-- execute him himself for his involvement with his prior kidnapping, throw him in the dungeon to rot, work him to the bone in the prisoner mines in the southern part of his kingdom, or some other seemingly appropriate punishment he deemed necessary.

As he looked upon the man being forcefully knelt before his throne, Izuku tense at his side, ready to strike at any hint of a threat from the man, Katauki felt.... an odd sort of pain at the thought of giving the man any less care than he had received when he was imprisoned himself. Sure, Dabi would still wear the shackles for everyone's safety, but he was to be given a room on the same hall as his own, with a suitable number of guards monitoring the man's room and staying with him while roaming the castle. What shocked everyone was the fact that Katsuki even offered Dabi the option to eat meals with him and the others at the same table-- something the other royals that visited found concerning and even voiced how foolishly reckless it was.

But Katsuki hadn't a care in the world. He knew his way about a blade, had his magic, and Izuku was more than willing to kill if it meant keeping Katsuki safe. The blonde, perhaps arrogantly, felt perfectly at peace, knowing that he would be able to maintain his health, despite "housing the enemy" as his former advisor had so venomous put it. Katsuki was getting sick of that geezer trying to tell him what to do as if it would benefit his wrinkly ass before he died.

Tonight, he sent for Dabi, inviting him to share supper with him again, still extending his hospitality, even if the other may have rejected his offers in the past. If he refuses again, he'll be sure to see he has a healthy plate brought to his room, as he always did when the other would object to sharing a meal. It felt.... absolutely horrible, making Dabi a clipped bird in a cage, but he couldn't bring himself to make the other suffer in inhumane ways, not after their minimal past together. Not after seeing Dabi's brand of kindness, even if it was self-serving at the time.