𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬 || S. Todoroki x Reader

14 - Fighting Between the Lines

"Tell me about other things in the Outside."

You looked up at Touya, eager to watch the way his eyes lit up with memories. More often than not, he told you stories of Outside.

Your little white room transformed into anything his mind could conjure up; the sea on a stormy day, a forest floor where sunlight fought its way through the leaves, the dirty pavement of a city square.

"Other things?"

He looked to where you sat nestled into his side. Your habit of clinging to him had only grown in the months since he'd come. It wasn't your fault; he was just always so warm, and so soft. And when he held you a little bit too tight it hurt you just reminded yourself that it was because he cared about you.

You nodded. "Uh huh."

His head flopped to the side. "Like what kinda things?"

Shrugging, you rested your chin on his chest to look at his face. "I don't know, places."

"Okay, let me think." His eyes darted to the ceiling. "Do you know what a waterfall is?"

"Is that the one where water flows into the ocean?"

"Nuh uh, it's the one where all the water topples over a huge cliff."

He made a show with hands, mimicking the way water cascaded off earth and into a lake below.

"Oh yeah," you said, eyes already starting to widen.

"Anyways, there's this huge one outside the city," he continued, lowering his hands to you again. They never burned you now. "I went hiking there once. You have to climb up super high."

"Who took you up?"

"I went alone."

"Alone?"

"Yeah, I don't need anyone to help me. I can do it on my own."    

"Could I do it on my own?"

"Probably not, but that doesn't matter 'cause I would take you up!" He sounded so proud of himself, his arms hugged you closer as excitement took over.

"Really?" You looked up at him, watching the glow in his eyes seep into his smile.

"Yeah." Lopsided smile. "We could go up super high and feel like we rule the whole wide world."

You felt his existence melt into your bones, running through your veins with a crackling bite of fire.

Touya sat the two of you up so you could look into his face properly. The brush of his fingers against your skin ran down until his hands had enclosed both of yours.

"I want to do that someday," you said, leaning in like it was a secret. In a way it was, and Touya said he was the only one you could trust with those kinds of things. You added hiking up to a waterfall to your list of things to do on the Outside. Eating cake, seeing a skyscraper, feeling rain. "I want to rule the whole wide world."

Touya followed, leaning in and lowering his voice. "Me too. Hey—" He squeezed your hands, a new thought taking his eyes captive. "You could be a princess then, and I could be your prince!"

Your eyes widened. "I could be a princess?"

You'd heard of princesses in your books who wore glittering crowns and shined like a diamond, dripping with their expensive jewels and fabrics. They had big bedrooms and gardens with lush grass and enough flowers for a city.