Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 23 ~ Part 4||

Momo's breath caught.

A shout came from somewhere on the other side of the wall. Another outburst sounded a little closer.

The slavers were almost on them.

Todoroki stepped back into the darkness and pressed up against a stone wall. His fingers tightened around Momo's body, holding her to himself as if afraid that she would disappear if he loosened his grip. His heart pounded through Momo in rapid palpitations.

Momo stilled in Todoroki's arms, too afraid to move. Too afraid to breathe, she listened intently to the footsteps pounding against the stone road on the other side of the wall.

"This way!" A deep voice barked. Close.

Momo shrunk into Todoroki's chest.

Sandals slapped against stone roads and passed their hiding spot.

After what felt like forever, Momo felt Todoroki's tense body relax. Todoroki breathed out a loud sigh of relief.

"I think we are safe for now," Todoroki said, his voice soft barely audible as he whispered the words close to Momo's ear. His grip relaxed, and he gently placed her on the ground before straightening.

Momo stood awkwardly in front of him, holding her spear close to her chest as she watched Todoroki re-sheath his sword at his side. Then he looked up, and his expression was masked as he stared at her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay now. I just got up too quickly," Momo said, not meeting his gaze. Her fingers fidgeted around her spear.

Todoroki's jaw twitched; he breathed out slowly through his nose as he continued to stare at her. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned with intensity. He was angry, Momo realized.

"What in Hades' name were you doing there anyways? Why were you even over here? This late at night," he said finally. His hands curled into fists.

Guilt welled up within her chest, but also anger and defiance. Momo pursed her lips. "You were late. I went looking for you, and then..." she shrugged. "I couldn't leave them."

"But-" he breathed in deeply and raked his hand through his tousled hair as if trying to remain calm. Todoroki started again. "You didn't –"

He shifted. His fists shook by his side, and Todoroki's mouth twitched repeatedly. He appeared to be at a loss for words for how to deal with the situation. Finally, he breathed out through his teeth and stood staring at her. His pupils shook.

"I- I was worried," he said after a few moments. His voice was barely above a whisper.

Guilt slammed into Momo's chest. Her breath caught at the admittance. She dropped her head to stare down at the ground.

A stone lay at her feet, and she rolled her sandal over it, feeling it pinch into her skin through her sole. "I'm sorry. I thought- I thought you had left me," she admitted. Under the pretense of wiping dirt and blood from her face, she shielded her eyes within the crook of her arm and suppressed the tears welling in her eyes. It had been a long day. Momo glanced back at Todoroki, and tried to smile. "Forgive me?"

Todoroki looked pale at her admittance. His heterochromatic eyes searched her face. Then, as if he found something he couldn't stomach, he closed the distance between them and reached out. His fingers hesitated for a second before brushing against her cheek and cupping her face. His fingers were warm as he held her.

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "Yaoyorozu, I won't ever leave you. I promised, didn't I?"

Momo's bottom lip trembled as she stared into his gray and blue eyes. They were clear. He wasn't lying.