Traded Mate - Bakudeku

Chapter 12

Izuku felt his heart beat loudly inside his chest as he entered the infirmary. He didn't know what to expect and silently prayed for Todoroki to be alright. 

"Can I help you?" An elderly woman asked as she saw Izuku and Kaminari. She was fairly short and had grey hair styled into a netted bun. 

"Do you know where Todoroki is, please?" Izuku timidly asked. "He's an alpha with red and white hair..." He described and the elderly woman who seemed to be a nurse nodded. "Follow me." She said as she began walking further into the infirmary.

Two rows of beds were against the walls. Some beds were occupied by injured people, mostly soldiers, but the majority were empty. The nurse stopped in front of one of the beds and Izuku immediately recognized Todoroki lying on it. 

The bicoloured alpha had his eyes closed, his face seeming rather pale. Bandages were wrapped around his waist and some blood was tainting the white fabric, surely where the wound was situated. 

Izuku felt his stomach clench with worry and anxiety. "Is he okay?" He turned toward the nurse and immediately asked, tears already starting to well inside his emerald eyes. He wouldn't be able to take it if Todoroki died. 

"He'll survive." The elderly woman answered. "He's unconscious for the moment but his life isn't in danger." She assured and Izuku felt utter relief wash over him at her words. His whole body instantly relaxed, a relieved sight escaping his pink lips as his worry faded away.

"Thankfully, the sword hasn't touched any vital part. He should wake up soon but I can't tell exactly when." The nurse explained and Izuku nodded. As long as Todoroki was well and alive, nothing else mattered. 

"Thank you." He honestly thanked her. He was so grateful that Todoroki would survive. 

The elderly woman politely bowed her head in response before leaving, probably to take care of other patients. Izuku was left alone and he sat on the edge of the bed, his emerald eyes taking in Todoroki's sleeping face.

He didn't know what he would have done if Todoroki had really died. He couldn't imagine his life without the bicoloured alpha... 

"You like him." Kaminari suddenly stated, his words being more of a statement than a question.

Izuku had clearly forgotten the beta's presence and he slightly flinched in surprise at the sudden voice, before calming down and resuming looking at Todoroki's face.

"He's really important to me..." He murmured.

Kaminari hummed in response. He could see how Izuku looked at Todoroki and could tell how deeply he cared about the unconscious alpha. "I can't believe Bakugou still hasn't killed him." The blond beta unexpectedly said. 

The King was known for being utterly ruthless and possessive over what belonged to him. Kaminari had thought that Katsuki would have killed Todoroki as soon as he had realized how close the other alpha was to Izuku... 

"The King is the reason why Todoroki is here." Izuku bitterly stated. If it wasn't for Katsuki, Todoroki wouldn't be unconscious in an infirmary's bed.

"From what I heard, it was your guard who challenged the King to a match to death." Kaminari pointed out. "Bakugou simply agreed to it and, even though he won, he still spared Todoroki's life." He said and his words made Izuku think. 

Although it had been obvious Katsuki didn't like Todoroki, it was true he hadn't tried to harm him once. It was Todoroki who had been the one to defy Katsuki. And, if he hadn't, probably none of this would have happened... 

"But he only spared Todoroki's life because I promised I would do anything he wanted." Izuku noted. Katsuki hadn't done it out of kindness.

"Do you really think that?" Kaminari inquired and Izuku seemed surprised by the question. "What do you mean?" He slightly frowned, not understanding why Kaminari was asking him this.

"You know, Bakugou is the most dominant alpha I ever seen." Kaminari began. "He can order you to do absolutely anything and you wouldn't be able to do anything against it. He didn't need to make this deal." He affirmed and Izuku unexpectedly realized that it indeed was true...

He had seen Katsuki's utter dominance, today. The way the King had put Monoma, an alpha, into submission without any difficulty was terrifying. An omega like Izuku wouldn't stand any chance against him. Katsuki simply had to order something and Izuku would have no choice but to obey...

But this revelation also made Izuku realize Katsuki had actually never put him into submission. 

Katsuki had never once used his alpha voice on him nor once forced him to do something by using strength. He had used the fate of his kingdom to threaten him but, the one time Izuku had burst into tears, Katsuki had actually stopped. He had never hurt Izuku physically.

"Bakugou may be ruthless and scary but it's the way the queen forced him to be." Kaminari explained. "His mother was a very strict person and she made sure Bakugou became a coldhearted ruler who won't let feelings come in his way." He said and Izuku listened with attention. 

The omega had never thought about Katsuki's past nor what kind of hardships the King had gone through for him to have become the way he was now... but now that he was thinking about it, Katsuki probably didn't have a happy childhood as Izuku did.

"But he still cares about people in his own way." Kaminari stated. "He once saved me, you know? He gave me a place to stay and a job." 

Before the Crimson Kingdom had become as powerful as it was now, it wasn't rare that enemies's kingdoms attacked it. Kaminari's house had been destroyed and his family murdered by soldiers. He would have lost his life too if Katsuki hadn't saved him and brought him to the castle. From this day on, Kaminari had decided he would spend his life serving Katsuki. 

Izuku found himself deep in thought.

Katsuki had been quite gentle with him recently. He had protected him over one of his own generals and it meant something. He had also let him see Todoroki and didn't kill the knight probably because he knew that Izuku would be heartbroken if he did. He still was scary, and acting extremely dominant, but Izuku knew he wouldn't actually hurt him.

Maybe, just maybe, Katsuki wasn't so bad...

To be continued

Short chapter, but the next one will be more interesting... ;)