Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 27 ~ Part 1||

High-pitched squeals rang out from the other side of the partition.

'Yaoyorozu.' Shouto reflexively glanced over his shoulder. Boulders, weathered away to form smooth surfaces, jutted out of the hot springs, too tall to see over.

Tilting his head, Shouto tried to listen as the voices rose.

"Sounds like they're having a good time!" A deep voice gave a barking laugh. "Must be having the talk."

Shouto's eyebrows furrowed. He turned back to stare at Tetsu-Tetsu sitting across from him in the pool. "How do you know? I can't hear anything."

Tetsu-Tetsu smiled wide and tapped the side of his forehead. "One just knows these things."

Shouto frowned, trying to understand. As far as he could tell, Tetsu-Tetsu was a normal human. He was strong — stronger than a typical mortal. Shouto wouldn't dispute that. However, even the strongest of humans wouldn't be able to hear through the partition. Especially with all the steam in the air. Only a demi-god would be powerful enough to listen into a conversation from here. But Tetsu-Tetsu hadn't shown any of the typical traits, such as the use of magic, that only demi-gods possessed.

"Are you a Panotti?" Shouto asked, studying Tetsu-Tetsu for signs of extra ears he may have missed.

Tetsu-Tetsu blinked. Then a pointed grin stretched across his mouth, and he threw back his head as he burst into laughter. "Oh man, Todo-man," he howled, swimming closer to throw his arm over Shouto's shoulders. His body continued to shake with mirth. "You crack me up! Where in Greece did you get that idea?"

Shouto shrugged Tetsu-Tetsu off, annoyed. "You said you could hear what they're saying. Only a Panotti would be able to do that."

Tetsu-Tetsu didn't seem to mind the cold treatment. He shook his head as if in disbelief. "Nah! I'm 100% human — as far as my ma tells me, anyways." He winked at Shouto. Then he leaned back against the rocks, resting his arms on the boulders. "I'm just a worldly man, you know?"

Shouto eyed him. Now that he studied him, Shouto found it hard to believe Tetsu-Tetsu was fully human. With his shark-like teeth, silver eyes, and white hair, Tetsu-Tetsu looked to have some half-human blood flowing through his veins. Perhaps he was a descendant of the shark demon, Acheilus? He wondered if Tetsu-Tetsu ever had the urge to bite people.

Shouto decided not to ask.

The women's voices rose again. Ashido's high pitched squeal ricocheted across the rocks in overt excitement. Shouto thought he caught Yaoyorozu's saying his name but wasn't certain.

A strange mixture of exhilaration and apprehension fluttered in Shouto's stomach at the thought of Yaoyorozu talking about him. And his curiosity, which had only been mild before, suddenly intensified.

"So, what's the talk?" Shouto asked, turning back to stare at Tetsu-Tetsu.

Tetsu-Tetsu shrugged one shoulder. "You know."

Shouto didn't know.

It must have shown on his face because Tetsu-Tetsu continued, "Gossip and whatnot. Don't you have any sisters?"

"Yeah, I've got a sister," Shouto replied with a confused tilt of his head.

"Didn't she like to talk to you about that kind of stuff?"

Shouto shifted slightly. "I don't remember. I haven't seen her in over ten years, not since before the war."

"I see." Tetsu-Tetsu's voice turned soft. "Sorry, man."

Shouto shrugged. He wasn't sure what Tetsu-Tetsu was apologizing for. It wasn't him that had separated Shouto from his mother and sister at such a young age: that was wholly his old man's doing.

"So what did you mean by gossip before?" he asked again, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Oh, right," Tetsu-Tetsu said, as if having forgotten. "You know, romantic stuff and whatnot. Why?" He sat up. His silver eyes gleamed in the mist as they stared across the pool at Shouto. "Curious if Yaoyorozu is talking about you?"

Shouto averted his gaze. "No." The hot spring suddenly felt stuffy, and the back of Shouto's neck was unreasonably hot. He summoned his ice magic to soothe his rising temperature. "Why would I care?"

Tetsu-Tetsu sniggered audibly, as if he didn't believe him. "Don't worry, bro!" He reached over and slapped Shouto's back. The force of Tetsu-Tetsu's hand was like a weight slamming into Shouto's shoulder blades. He grunted, spreading his feet on the bottom of the pool to stop himself from lurching forward at the impact.

Tetsu-Tetsu didn't appear to even notice as he continued: "Yaoyorozu likes you. We all saw how you two were snuggling up all nice and cozy in the back of the cart."

"We were just resting," Shouto said indifferently, rolling his sore shoulder. "There wasn't much space to stretch out with Ashido taking up the entire floor."

"Well, there is some truth to that. She does like to spread out; and with all our gear, there isn't much room back there," Tetsu-Tetsu conceded lightly before straightening. "But, still! I saw how you and Yaoyorozu were looking at each other. You both had those googly, love-struck eyes."

"Googly?" Shouto repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, bro! Anyone can see how crazy you two are about each other. If you two were any sweeter than you already are, you'd melt in the rain."

"What?" Shouto frowned, mildly offended. "I'm not going to melt? I don't even taste sweet. If anything, my skin is a bit salty —"

"I don't mean like that." Tetsu-Tetsu cut him off with an amused sigh. He rolled his eyes. "I just meant that it's pretty obvious that Yaoyorozu loves you, and you love her. So I don't know why you two are hiding it. When I met Kendo, I knew she was the one right away."

Shouto looked away, drowning out Tetsu-Tetsu as the other man continued chattering about the first time he met his wife.

Yaoyorozu loved him?

Dark eyes like obsidian flashed through Shouto's mind. The recollection of soft lips mixed with the taste of sand and warmth. And the way Yaoyorozu had gazed up at him...

Shouto's breath caught in his throat. He flushed and quickly shook his head, trying to ignore how his lips tingled at the memory.

Ever since the defeat of Overhaul, Shouto couldn't deny that something between Yaoyorozu and him had shifted. When they had first arrived on Aretias, Yaoyorozu had been hesitant to even be in Shouto's presence; now, she willingly laughed and fell asleep at his side. Their invisible barriers had finally fallen away and in their place —

In their place —

Shouto wasn't sure what was there. But it couldn't be love.