Noble and Pride [Katsuki Bakugo x Shoto Todoroki]

Chapter 17 : Yamari

Snow. 

Yes, it is snowing. 

Small snowflakes began falling from the sky. From one to million tints of crystal white cover every surface in contact. Shoto spread his hands, watching some fall on his hands in astonishment. He had always loved snow. In the past where this curse had yet to decay everything he loved, a memory of him, his mother, and his siblings building up snowmen and played a snow fight. A small saddened smile was expressed on his usually stoic mask. Shoto had promised himself, after all. He'll do everything it takes to make their family happy again. 

The semi-dragons, but one were in excitement from the snowy weather, sticking their tongue out like kids and even made a dare of who able to pull back their tongue from the metal sword can order the lost ones do anything they want. Shoto was amused by that and just shook his head nervously when they invited him. 

"No thanks...I don't think my tongue would be strong enough to not be pulled off from that," 

The prince laid his vision on the current grumbling dragon king, shivered like he was dying and sneezing. But this was just the beginning of snow? Did he catch a cold already? "Bakugo is fine, he's just overdramatic. He hates cold like it was talking shit about him," Denki guffawed and a snowball laid right into his mouth afterward. The poor yellow-head coughed from choking on snow.

"That's really not necessary," Shoto narrowed his eyes, rubbed Denki's back who giggled next as if he wasn't just coughing like hell. 

"Fucktards," Katsuki scoffed and rubbed both of his hands together, letting out a warm exhale on his palms. Shoto wondered if it was because of his quirk. If it's uncontrollable during hot temperatures then, his explosion wouldn't be effective in the cold? 

The snow started to fall heavier and eventually, fully covered every grasses, tree, and mountain in pure white. Yamari was a kingdom with mountains. High lands like these would be colder than normal and he assumed that was why Katsuki started to be even grumpier when they're nearing Yamari. 

"What? All of you can't read in Yamari's writings? Why haven't you told anything?" Shoto spoke from the jaw-dropping fact. He was now dumbfounded from their current state, shouldn't they be leading Shoto to their friend's place, show him sightseeing, and not the opposite? 

"Well, Midoriya did teach us a little but not much. As you said before it was dangerous for us dragons to travel. There are always kingdoms waiting to attack our land for our natural resources and dragons," Eijiro had his arms behind as he spoke. 

"Is it really fine for you guys to leave, then?" 

"You're here," Katsuki huffed. "That fucking king ain't into slaughtering dragons anymore since he was more into finding you. Handling other kingdoms is a fucking piece of cake but yours is quite a goddamn troublesome. He won't make any move for the time being," the dragon king spoke rather in the calmed state. That makes sense, Shoto thought. "We have a fucker with telepathy magic. If there's shit she'll call me. I make sure she wasn't known by anyone for having such magic either, to not let any annoying issues come by," 

Katsuki was so thoughtful. Shoto was awed. Still one fatal flaw, though. "You can't read in Yamari writing too?" the prince asked Katsuki and the dragon king was silent for a moment. "sO WHAT?! I CAN STILL TALK IN THAT FUCKING LANGUAGE SO I DON'T SEE A DAMN PROBLEM!" 

Katsuki's pride will go blop if any of his flaws being mentioned. Shoto made a mental note to himself. 

"Good point," Shoto hummed. "Don't get away from me then. You will get lost since you can't read wooden signs," the prince added salt on Katsuki's pride wound and a snowball landed on the prince's face. Fortunate enough he had finished talking by then. Shoto grunted, swayed his hand once to freeze Katsuki's feet and that resulted in the dragon king stumbling and fell with his face in the snow. The other semi-dragons burst out laughing and Shoto looked with a smug look. 

Then begin the tag play of the dragon king, his underlings, and a hideous prince. Who got caught will get their ass bombed to the moon. 

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The scenery was breathtaking. Skyscraping mountains around with the peaceful village right in the middle, as if worked as the village's natural guardian. Roofs and jagged mountains coated with snow and some frosty breeze were blown, moving Shoto's strands of white wig. In his kingdom, Shoto could hardly enjoy nature whereas he does would be near if he was going hunting with the royal hunters. Or forced for immense training at the hilly forest. Such a hell. No surprise Shoto couldn't appreciate nature as much as now.

Doryoku was alluring too. Their nature consisted more of mystic and exotic plants, they're unique in shape and shades.

"A homestray? The fuck is that? Home for strays?" Katsuki's voice broke the silenced awe of the four heads; Eijiro, Denki, Mina, and Shoto. 

"....Homestay. But that definition is quite relevant. We're strays," Shoto snorted as he read the words written on the wooden sign. "There's not much of travelers due to it being winter. Most homestays probably wouldn't make a profit much. Thus, it resulted in an increment of payment..." Five of them pulled out their pouches of money and counted, which weren't much to live more than 3 days. "Fuck me," Katsuki grunted. 

"How can a king be so poor?" Shoto complained. 

"These shitheads use different kinds of money, smartass. My land stands on its own. No relationship with other kingdoms whatsoever. Blame your damned old man for that," Katsuki snarled and Shoto sighed. "Fucking coin money bullshit. Don't they want gold anymore?"

Shoto blinked. "Gold?" 

Katsuki spun Shoto away instantly and dug into the backpack Shoto was wearing. The prince was startled when Katsuki brought out an average-sized sack of gold and the prince was pissed. "No wonder it's so heavy!" Shoto exclaimed, half yelled. 

"Just pay with this. We have shit tons of this in my land and we use them for making jewelry with the diamonds, gave them to anyone who wanted them but that's it," Shoto was stupefied by Katsuki's explanation. Like seriously, use that gold to make a goddamn statue of your face or upgrade your hut- then again, Shoto don't think peasants nor ministers existed in Katsuki's kingdom. 

"Paying days of homestay with a bag of gold is quite exorbitant..."

They ended up asking the people nearby to the nearest merchant bank and went to change their gold for money. Quite a lot, and heavier than before since now they're in form of coins. And Shoto was still the one who carried them. Even while Katsuki was walking in front of him Shoto pretended to kick the dragon king from behind as a sign of protest being bullied like this. 

"Five rooms yeah?" Eijiro asked and Shoto nodded, Katsuki let out a huff in response. Nonetheless, Katsuki could actually detect some of the stares given to Shoto. Shoto was really gorgeous, therefore, many alphas are now eyeing him with such, to Katsuki's point of view,  looks of arousal. 

After hours of strolling around the houses and shops, they returned to their rented room after going to the offered hot spring. 

It was getting late and ordinarily a sleeping time for anyone so most rooms were occupied by their renter, falling into deep slumber due to exhaustion of the day. Yet Katsuki couldn't sleep. He always had the trouble of sleeping in new places so he planned to stay outside for a bit, wondering places here to get familiar with the village. 

Regardless, Shoto's opened wide room door canceled his intention. It shouldn't have been opened wide like that. Shoto often kept his room door closed. Even if he forgot to close it, it shouldn't be that wide. His thoughts reminded him of the stares of the alpha earlier so he quickly headed his steps to the door, a hand grasped to each sides of the entrance, and yanked his head forward. 

"Todo- fuck, Shoto!"