Chapter Text
Katsuki is beginning to question his kingdom's beliefs. Killing dragons and trading them for shillings didn't sound sane — not to him.
Unstoppable man eaters.
Huge beasts with no intent but to kill.
Threats.
Those were the things Katsuki'd hear around the village, from his own parents. Maybe at first he was for it; killing dragons. When he was young Katsuki's dream consisted of being able to call himself a 'true barbarian'.
Now though? He wasn't so sure in that dream anymore.
Despite Katsuki's aggressive nature and the countless times he wished death upon others. He never once meant it.
So what was different about the things with scales?
That they were dangerous he supposed.
.
.
.
Supper was awkward with his family. His mother would boast excitedly about her younger days and the many dragons she beheaded. All while Katsuki poked at his meal.
His father was more laid-back — calmer than Mitsuki. Every so often he'd chip in; Masaru never once had killed. That's where he differs from his wife.
"Katsuki!" he earned a smack to the back of his head.
Mitsuki had her signature glare on. Crossing her arms and looking down at her child — "you aren't even listening to me."
The ash blonde rolled his eyes.
"Because it's the same fucking story I've already heard."
Katsuki understood. She killed dragons, God he got the point.
"Son, you shouldn't speak to your mom that way." Masaru started, before earning a drop of his fork from Katsuki.
"Shut up old man."
he grumbled.
"Do not speak to your father that way!"
He was already halfway down the halls. On his way to the horses mumbling something like 'needing a break'.
.
.
.
Katsuki didn't even make it halfway to the stables before that high-pitched tone he despised rang through his ears.
"Kacchan!"
Izuku Midoriya. Katsuki's childhood best friend. The boy bothered the crap out of him, but nonetheless he stayed friends with Izuku.
The green-haired teen had a bag slung over his shoulders. Like he was about to head out.
"Are you going too? That's great! We can go together."
Katsuki's mood dropped even more so than it already had. He wanted to be alone. Still though, he and Izuku set off.
Izuku was an adventurer. Basically he went off on big quests for fun. Sometimes for months at a time.
"Thanks for joining me Kacchan..." Izuku started, before Katsuki interrupted.
"Shut up Deku!"
The freckled boy closed his mouth quickly. Chuckling a small bit.
"You haven't changed."
Katsuki's shoulders stiffened at his sides. His grip on the reigns becoming tighter. "Fuck's that mean?" his crimson gaze bore into Izuku's skull — earning a yelp from the other.
"I.. just mean you've still got the same attitude. Ya'know?" Izuku stuttered.
Katsuki almost opened his mouth again, deciding against it.
"whatever."
To some extent, he knew the guy was right. Katsuki had always had an aggressiveness to him.
It was silent for a few minutes; only the clacking of the horses hooves or the sounds from the forest around. Izuku wasn't daring to speak anymore.
.
.
.
The duo split ways when Izuku set off on his adventure and Katsuki was finally by himself. He relaxed in a desolate place deep in the trees, his arm draped comfortably over his eyes.
He was finally alone.
Or at least Katsuki thought.
When his eyes bore open he could've sworn there were a pair looking at him. A giant pair. Definitely not a human.
Katsuki ripped his sword out.
"Hey! Come out here!"
Rustling.
"I know you're there!"
The sudden silence caught the prince off guard — he was sure. Someone was there. Something was.
Now all that play in his ears were the chirps of the birds.
It bothered him all night — that thing wasn't human. Couldn't have been. Humans didn't live in forests, they had homes in the villages.
Before sleep finally succumbed Katsuki, he decided.
What he saw was a dragon.
.
.
.
For weeks moving forward Katsuki left the castle early in the morning before his mother could interrogate him.
"It was a dragon. A real life dragon." he muttered.
He wasn't entirely having luck. Ever since that day Katsuki didn't see the creature again. His hope began to dim.
The boy sighed, running his hand through his ashy blonde hair. Getting his horse ready to return home.
"Yeah right, you really think a dragon would want to be close to you like that?" Katsuki berated himself.
But just as he would wrap the reigns around his fingers. There it was again. A rustle.
Katsuki immediately jumped to action, pulling his sword out swiftly.
"Whoa - whoa! Hey!"
He felt confused, Katsuki wasn't staring at a dragon. But he wasn't staring at a human either.
There was a boy standing there. Red hair that was sticking in all sorts of directions, spikey teeth, red eyes with black sclera rather than white.
He had scales, a bright ruby that matched his hair.
Katsuki'd never seen anything like it.
The dragon-looking guy tipped his head to the side. "isn't this the part where you kill me?"
It was.
Although he couldn't find that will to do it; the fire. So he dropped his weapon.
"You dropped your thingy..."
"I know I did!" Katsuki shouted — earning a flinch from the redhead.
The blonde leaned closer, becoming in closer proximity to observe him. The boy's scales ran along his entire body. He had a long tail as well.
Katsuki didn't realize how close they were until the dragon spoke up.
"You're... um.." he was a blushing mess.
He backed up, scoffing.
"who even are you?" Katsuki spat.
"Wait so you aren't killing me?" the boy questioned once again, Katsuki's eyes could roll to the back of his head at this rate.
"No I'm not fucking killing you!"
The boy nodded and blinked; "right." he intertwined his fingers with each other. The giant claw-like nails sheathing themselves.
"I'm Kirishima Eijirou, as you probably already knew..."
Katsuki interrupted, "you're a dragon."
Eijirou chuckled sheepishly. "Well yes. But no, I'm a halfie."
"What the hell is a halfie?" Katsuki crossed his arms across his chest.
"It's uh... a dragon who can shape-shift into a human." he started, "there aren't many of us left because your kind slaughtered a lot of our community. We're barely able to survive as is."
Katsuki threw his arms up.
"Stop rambling, you sound like Deku."
Eijirou's tail went up slightly. Likely as a defense mechanism.
"No clue who that is but sure."
There was an awkward moment before the redhead talked again, "what are you doing out here? I didn't think humans came this far out."
Katsuki couldn't believe he was conversing with the very creature his mother hunted for a living.
"My parents been giving me shit. I personally don't care, s' just the same talk I've been told my whole life."
Eijirou's head drooped.
"Ah."
He knew that story all too well — despite being a dragon it was constantly grilled into him.
Humans are killers.
Humans can't be trusted.
They do nothing but hurt.
When neither boy said anything Katsuki started to pack up and get ready to return home. Eijirou watched him intently.
"Well..." Eijirou's feet moved backwards into the trees. "I guess I'll see you? If you come this way again."
Katsuki gazed at Eijirou for maybe a second too long.
"Maybe."