Fates Entwined (A TodoBaku ff) ✔

XXXIII

Shoto was asked by Kirishima whether he wanted to join them for drinks after the meeting, but Shoto politely refused and said he was going to do some more research in Bakugou's study. At the mention of the king's name, the group snickered between them before hurrying off, leaving Shoto to stare after them for a confused moment before turning and heading to the study. 

He hoped that Bakugou and Midoriya's training sessions were successful and that maybe during these free periods he should also work on his own training. He had neglected training with his power for some weeks now, and knew he needed to become even stronger to fight against his father. His left hand was warm, tingling as it opened the door to the study, but the cool air of the empty room pushed it back down. 

He went over to the window first, seeing the sun nearly dipping into the horizon line, the faintest view of stars emerging behind vanishing clouds, and decided to leave the curtains open as he went to light the fire and the sconces. When the room was amber-bathed and warm, he began to search the shelves for any interesting books. As he walked the circumference of the room he noticed how organised the books were, not only designated by genre but by the author as well. Some seemed untouched, maybe new purchases or ones Midoriya brought back with him from his frequent travels. Others looked worn, the tips of pages crinkled and spines cracked. He lingered for a moment on these ones, taking one or two and flicking through the pages. They were mostly adventure stories, about heroic knights and blessed warriors, and most of them seemed to end with a wedding or two.

He wondered what Bakugou's plans were before he heard of the arranged marriage? Was he settled on devoting himself entirely to his duties, or did he have a secret lover he was forced to leave due to Shoto's however unknown interference? As a child, did he dream of getting married to his own true love, his soulmate, and to have a warm family full of children and grandchildren? Was Bakugou attracted to anyone at all? These questions occupied him for quite some time as he browsed through the surprisingly large collection of romance novels: they spanned two shelves yet were hidden away at the top so they would be missed from eyes' view. He wondered which one was his favourite? Was he given it by his parents? Shoto didn't have such things, however much he desired them as a child; everything now were simply burnt memories...

Eventually, he pulled himself away from his musings and focused on his original intentions. He crossed the room, to where a vast collection of strategy books were placed row upon row, and scanned the titles for ones that he could read. After amassing a small pile onto Bakugou's desk, he decided to make use of the comfortable chair in the king's absence and settled in to begin reading. There were writing supplies and a plentiful amount of ink on the desk, and with the fire roaring and lighting up the room with its flickering orange flames, he began to read. 

Or, he was about to, before his eye caught something on top of the mantle, the corner of it catching the light of the flames and gleaming brightly. Curiosity got the better of him, and he headed over to the fireplace, noting a small metal case with engravings around the edge resting atop it. It was unassuming but Shoto could tell great detail had gone into the decoration; as he carefully picked it up its solid weight signalled it was of high quality. He went to carry it over to the desk so he could study it without dropping and damaging it, but as he turned away something fluttered off from the mantle underneath it, resting just in front of the fire. A small slip of paper that, as he turned over, had his name written on it in careful handwriting. Now his curiosity was peaked further, and whilst doing such actions back in Endeavour would get him a harsh punishment from his father, he couldn't help but want to open the case and reveal its contents. After all, it was addressed to him. 

Sitting back at the desk, he moved the books and papers back just enough for the box to rest comfortably. As he went to open it he felt somewhat nervous, like maybe he wasn't meant to see it yet, but if he thought carefully about Bakugou's unusual behaviour earlier and the sudden appearance of a box addressed to him, his curiosity overpowered him and he slowly opened the box. Inside the silver casing was a plush red interior, the material soft and vibrant. But it was what lay atop it that shocked him the most. Resting in the centre, glittering so prettily against the flickering flames of the fire, was a pair of earrings. Small, and delicate, yet the unmistakable gleam of diamonds was not to be missed. They were shaped to almost look like snowflakes, and he was almost scared to touch them for fear of breaking them.