Fates Entwined (A TodoBaku ff) ✔

XLVII

Bakugou told Shoto to meet him at the castle entrance at sunrise, saying they would be out for almost the whole day. Midoriya and Iida would take over training for the day, meaning for a few short hours they could both take a break from their responsibilities. 

Shoto awoke with the sun and dressed quickly, intrigued to know where Bakugou wanted to go. Would they go to several places, if the man said they would be out for the whole day? With his cloak and boots secured, he wasted no time in heading down to the entrance, finding Bakugou waiting for him under the arched doorway.

"You're late." Bakugou huffed, breathing into the fur collar of his own cloak. Even though Bakugou ran warmer than most, it seems even he wasn't invincible to the cold. Yet, he still refused to wear a shirt, only a small piece of fabric that barely covered his chest. Shoto himself could handle the cold well, but with his preference towards his ice power his body sometimes struggled when the weather became too cold for his internal systems to handle. Now though, with the warm sun splaying over the snowy ground, snow fall having ceased for a short while, he found himself quite content.

"I'm not late." Shoto argued as they took the familiar path down to the main town. 

"I said to meet at sunrise."

"And the sun is still rising." 

"Don't be a smart ass." Bakugou huffed, lightly kicking the back of Shoto's ankle.  Shoto only shrugged in return, amused at Bakugou's reactions. There was a red dusting on his cheeks from the cold wind, and Shoto thought it rather matched his eyes. Even now, his hair seemed to catch the gold rays of morning sun, following the man with every step.

"Ya gonna keep staring, princess? Or do ya want breakfast?"

He blinked slowly, pushing away those sudden thoughts, and realised that they had reached the town and, despite the day only just beginning, there were a few stalls scattered around with hot steam surrounding each one. The smells were rich and spicy, and as they walked to the closest stall he saw a fiery red soup bubbling over roaring hot flames. He could smell an assortment of spices, aromatics, and some type of fish. He knew just a few mouthfuls would leave him wide awake for the rest of the day.

"We'll take two." Bakugou told the vendor, and after giving him two bronze coins in return, they were standing side by side under the stall's umbrella sipping on the hot soup. The broth was thick and rich, and Shoto could feel it warm his body slowly. He loved the rich flavour, so different from the bland and watery soups in Endeavour. On his left, Bakugou seemed to be enjoying it too: his was almost completely gone.

"It astounds me how fast you eat."

"You still eat like a mouse." Bakugou chided. "But it's good to see ya eating well. Makes ya strong."

"I have seen a physical difference." Shoto agreed. "My father made me train to be strong, but I was never to look more powerful than him."

"Bastard." Bakugou grumbled to himself. "I'm stronger than the old hag ever was."

"Old hag?"

"My ma."

"Ah..." The last time they spoke about their mothers it ended with Bakugou blasting his door off of its hinges and Shoto suffering a relapse of his concussion. "She... what was she like?" Shoto didn't have enough memories to fully know what his mother was like, his mind focusing on the one memory that was cursed to follow him forever. 

"She was annoying as fuck." Shoto frowned, thinking it a rather crude way to talk about one's mother; yet, it was entirely expected from the man next to him. "Yelled, told me what to fucking do, wouldn't stay out of my damn business."