Sleepykittycx - Bed Time

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sleepykittycx

1 year ago

Chapter 1 - Next - Masterlist - Playlist - Art - Ao3

Pairing: Izuku Midoriya x Reader

Rating: Explicit

Tags/Warnings: princess bride!AU, pirate!izuku, reader is in an arranged marriage with someone else, angst, smut, brief mentions of alcoholism and drinking too much, izuku spends some time as a prisoner of war, specifically as a galley slave, implied SA but not to yn or Izuku

this is the first chapter for my entry of @thegetoufather's into the movieverse collab!

It was a quiet evening. A blanket of stars had been rolled over the sky overhead, and was tucked lovingly in at the corners of the horizon by the fingers of thin, wispy clouds. The moon was big and bright above a balcony of smooth marble; tiny bare feet slapped and tapped against the coldness of the floor. Saffron curtains, dancing in the wind brought by distant waves, were parted by gentle hands, and a mother looked out between them to find her child sitting sulky and slumped against the wicker furniture that faced the sea.

“And just what are you doing up?”

The child— a little girl— turned her head to look at her mother. Her eyes were deepest green, and freckles spattered her nose and cheeks.

"Can't sleep," she replied in a small voice, blinking blearily. "I want a story."

The mother smiled. With quiet steps, she slipped out from behind the curtains and onto the balcony, sitting next to her child. She drew the girl close, tucking her into the warmth of her side, and stared out at the ocean, watching the waves crash against the shore.

“I know a few good stories,” she said. “Which one do you want to hear?”

The little girl turned to her mother and smiled

“The one about the pirate and the princess!”

The mother smiled in return.

“The one about true love?”

“Of course!”

The stars above twinkled merrily as if to agree, and a seagull cried in the distance.

“Very well,” said the mother. “It all started long ago, on a little farm far away from here… ”

***

Izuku Midoriya held his hat in his hands.

Nervous and trembling, he stood before a small, thatch-roofed cottage, struggling to pin his wriggling resolve in one place as he waited for the owner to answer his knock. The master of the house, he knew, was a hard, weathered man, but a fair one; he had shown Izuku nothing but kindness since he had come to work on his farm. Izuku had no reason to expect that to change now. No reason at all.

Well, no reason except that the man might not take kindly to Izuku’s intentions to marry his daughter. No reason except that.

The door to the cottage opened, and the owner greeted him.

“What can I do for you, son?”

The farmer stood a head taller and a foot wider in the doorway before him, and Izuku swallowed thickly.

“I want to talk to you, sir,” he said. “It’s about your daughter.”

Izuku was no stranger to fear. He had faced down man and beast alike in defense of this very farmer’s flock of sheep. Each time he had encountered a wolf, a lion, or bandit, he was tasked with driving away the threat with nothing more than a few rocks and a simple sling— and each time, he had been faced with the heavy, daunting fear that he might not escape the encounter alive. He had learned long ago that that was the way of things; fight to live, to protect what is yours, or let fear consume you and die. It was simple, easy. It was the way of things.

This was different. This was something else entirely.

The farmer studied him. His eyes hardened with something akin to grudging pity, and he nodded to himself.

"Let's take a walk."

Izuku agreed, and the farmer fell in step beside him.

For a while, they walked in silence. They walked past fence posts and chicken coops and barking dogs nipping the heels of sheep. They walked uphill and downhill and all around the spaces in-between. Izuku allowed himself to breathe the earthy scent of hay bales and cow patties, to feel the shifting of the dirt path beneath his feet. The farmer seemed to be doing much the same.

They came to a halt after walking for about half a mile. Together, they stood upon a hill overlooking the farm, and the farmer turned to Izuku and said,

"Son, I want you to tell me what you see when you look out from the top of this hill."

Izuku looked. Izuku saw.

"I see land, sir."

The farmer grunted.

"Land," he agreed. "Boy, you've been here for a few years now— you know as well as anyone around here that this ground has a heartbeat. She talks to you, if you listen. What does she say to you?"

Izuku wasn't sure what the farmer meant by that question, but he answered as truthfully as he could.

"I love this land," he replied, watching as a butterfly landed on a nearby wildflower. "It's as much of a home as I've known. It sustains me— er, us— and it's a good land. I think when we love it, it loves us back."

The farmer nodded, rubbing the stubble on his jaw.

"To me, this land is everything," he said. "She's my first priority, second only to my daughter, my son, and the memory of my wife, God rest her soul. I lived here as a boy as my father did, and his father before him. This land has tasted my blood and my sweat and my tears, as well as that of my ancestors a century back."

The farmer turned to look at Izuku.

"You don't know what it is to carry that burden, or that blessing, and I'm sorry for it. You're a good lad."

Izuku wasn't sure what to say to that, so he said nothing.

"I know why you're here, what you wanted to talk about," the farmer continued. "My daughter loves you. Any fool could see it, and my God— my God, son, do you love her. It's written all over you, so strong and deep I wonder if you were born loving her."

The farmer shook his head.

"But you don't have what she needs, son. You don't know land, you don't know home. You can't give her a life equal to this one. As you are, you're unfit, unworthy— you're not someone who can provide for her."

Unfit. Unworthy.

"I won't let you marry her. I can't, not in good conscience."

Izuku's blood ran cold, and he felt a little queasy.

"I'm sorry," the farmer said, and Izuku knew he meant it.

"I understand, sir."

Oh, yes, Izuku understood. He understood better than he had a right to understand. He couldn't even blame the man. After all, what fool would let his daughter marry a farm boy with no prospects?

"Is there anything I can do to change your mind?" he asked, quiet and desperate, and the farmer nodded.

"Go and make something of yourself," said the farmer. "Earn coin, buy dirt. Even if you don't have a roof over your head, if you have land, you have a fighting chance in this world— that's all I ask in exchange for my baby girl. If you can give her that, son, there's no man I'd rather see her happy with."

That was fair, Izuku decided as his nostrils burned and his eyes filled with tears. If nothing else, it was a chance— and Izuku was willing to take it, seize it by the throat. He would do anything for the woman he loved.

"I won't disappoint you, sir," he said, his voice beginning to warble slightly. "I— I'll have to leave the farm, though, probably after the harvest, and—"

Izuku's voice broke, and the farmer patted him on the shoulder.

"If you're going to seek your fortune, you're gonna need to be able to fight. I have an old friend that can give you all the knowledge you need— he lives in the village. When we go next week, I'll introduce you."

Izuku nodded, wiping the tears from his cheek, and the farmer studied him once more.

"Good luck, Izuku Midoriya. You're going to need it."

With that, the farmer started down the hill, leaving Izuku there to cry, wringing every last tear from himself so that when he told his lover the news, he could do so with dry eyes and more composure than he could ever feel.

***

“Mean old farmer,” said the little girl, crossing her arms. “He must not have believed in true love, ‘cause true love conkers-all!”

The mother shook her head, her expression serious.

“Not all,” she said. “True love is one thing, but survival is another. In those days, life was harder, rougher. The farmer's land would pass to his oldest son— his daughter's younger brother. Izuku needed money and land so that he could take care of his love."

The child frowned.

“That’s dumb.”

The mother hummed.

“Maybe,” she said. “But it was the way of things.”

All was silent for a moment, and the distant crashing of waves filled the lull. The child shivered, and the mother held her close.

“So what about Izuku’s lover?” the girl asked. “How did she take the news?”

“She was devastated." The mom shook her head. "She cried, then begged Izuku to run away with her, to marry anyway despite her father’s wishes— but he refused. Izuku was too honorable to do such a thing. He told her he would wait for her, and even if she would not wait for him, he would rather die himself than sully her reputation or disrespect her person."

Pointedly, the mother did not mention what else the young woman had begged for, or what Izuku Midoriya had valiantly refused. Her daughter would be old enough to understand that one day, but not today.

"She still loved him though, right?"

"Of course she did," the mother smiled. "After all, at the end of the day, true love conquers all."

The little girl nodded in solemn agreement.

***

Dawn's greedy pink fingers gripped the sky, clawing its way past the horizon. Shades of gold, red, and dusty pink followed in its wake, stark against the faded blue of the sky, and (Y/N) cursed it, wishing the sun never to rise again.

"Must you go?"

Beside her, Izuku Midoriya was crying. Together, they stood alone on the outskirts of the farm, watching as the sun made its slow, insidious journey from east to west, her soft hands gripping both of his large, calloused ones. Her eyes mapped his face again and again and again, tracing every freckle, every line of his frown, knowing today would be the last time she saw them for a very long time.

Maybe ever.

"I must," Izuku told her, his voice cracking. "I want to make you happy."

You already have, (Y/N) wanted to say, but they'd had that argument countless times already. Starting a fight on this day of all days was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Can I not persuade you to stay a bit longer? To put it off for another year or so, until… until I feel more ready?"

In response, Izuku took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles sweetly, slowly, reverently. His skin glowed a lovely golden color in the early morning light, and although (Y/N) had never seen an emerald, she decided then and there that no measly rock could ever compare to golden sunlight in the green eyes of her lover.

"I will come back," he told her, strong and sure despite his tears. "I swear I will come back to you, darling— but this is something I have to do."

It was not good enough. It had never been good enough. (Y/N) was dying and he hadn't even left yet. How was she to manage months, maybe years alone?

"Take me with you."

It was not the first time she had made that same plea. Still, Izuku just shook his head, wiping away tear tracks almost angrily.

"No." His voice was strong, final. "You're too precious for me to risk."

As are you, (Y/N) wanted to say— but once more, she held her tongue. As if he knew what her silence cost her, Izuku drew her to him and kissed her forehead, his chapped lips soft against her skin.

When they drew away from one another, (Y/N) noticed a shadow on the horizon. Across the way, in the direction of the village, (Y/N) could see a tall, broad figure approaching over the crest of a hill. The shadowy shape belonged to someone she had come to know well enough to despise a little, and her mouth turned downwards of its own accord as she noticed his approach.

"Looks like your friend is here," she said somewhat miserably, and Izuku grinned a little crookedly.

"Don't be so hard on Kacchan," Izuku admonished teasingly, squeezing her hand. "He's got mommy issues."

Despite herself, (Y/N) choked out a laugh, then a giggle— soon, both she and Izuku were breaking out into peals of laughter, and the grumpiest bastard from the next village was upon them in all his scowling glory.

"'Dunno what's so fuckin' funny, but it's too early for that shite," Bakugou grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets against the cold. "Cut it out or I'll gag the both of you."

"We will not," (Y/N) shot back, prepared to go toe-to-toe with the man— but then she looked at Bakugou, really looked at him, and when she did, she found a deep, aching sadness behind his eyes.

He's lashing out because he's in pain, she realized, and promptly felt like a fool.

"Whatever."

Bakugou turned away, posture rigid— but (Y/N) was not one to let her wrongs go unaddressed for long. She left the comfort of Izuku's touch and approached Bakugou, patting his broad shoulder with a gentle hand.

"I'm sorry," she told him sincerely. "I know you must be sad about leaving the village."

"Tch."

Apparently, that was apology accepted in Bakugou speak, because he turned to face her for long enough to allow her a glimpse at the tears in his eyes. Izuku must have seen it too, because he walked over and slung an arm over Bakugou's shoulders, pulling him close in a way that Bakugou might once have attempted homicide over before they had begun training together. Now, though, it seemed as though a bond had developed between the two of them, so Bakugou just scowled, grumbled something unintelligible, and let Izuku comfort him.

The three of them stood like that for a while— Izuku's arm around Bakugou, and his other hand in (Y/N)'s— until the sun had climbed too high in the sky to permit them to tarry any longer. Slowly, tenderly, Izuku disentangled himself from both of them, and placed both of his hands on either side of (Y/N)'s face.

"Oh, don't cry, love," he said, though (Y/N) couldn't help the hot tears that stung her cheeks. "It destroys me when you cry."

Never mind that his own eyes were filled with tears— he kissed hers away, which only made her want to cry more.

"You must come back to me, Izuku," she told him, her voice weak and watery. "If you don't— I just know I'll never love again!"

Izuku shook his head with the smallest smile, and pressed his lips against her forehead.

"I swear to you, I will come back," he said against her skin, "and when I do, I'll put a ring on your finger and build you a home, any home, exactly as you want it."

(Y/N) wrapped her arms around him then, and Izuku held her close. With her head against his chest, she could hear his rapid heartbeat.

A moment later, they pulled away.

"Goodbye, darling," Izuku told her, his eyes wet and gleaming. "I love you."

Tears threatened to choke her, but (Y/N) conquered them manfully.

"I love you, Izuku. Come back to me."

At that, he smiled.

"As you wish, my love."

In something of a dramatic gesture, Izuku grabbed her hand and kissed it— a last goodbye— before he turned, starting off in the direction of the sun.

In the direction of his destiny.

Bakugou turned to follow, but (Y/N) stopped him with a hand on his bicep.

"Take care of him," she pleaded, and Bakugou's eyes widened.

"Uh, okay," Bakugou agreed. "Yeah— yeah, sure."

As far as reassurances go, it wasn't the best— but the fact that it wasn't a vehement fuck no was comforting.

With that, both boys were off, leaving (Y/N) alone to watch them as they went. From the hill she stood on, (Y/N) could see them for a long way, and she watched them until she could no longer distinguish their forms from that of trees.

Farewell, Izuku Midoriya, she thought, closing her eyes against her tears. May the gods go with you.

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sleepykittycx

5 years ago