Fates Entwined (A TodoBaku ff) ✔

LVIII

The first thing Shoto did upon waking up that morning was head to Katsuki's quarters. He didn't know whether the man was awake, his sleep had slightly improved over the past week and on the odd occasion where Shoto stayed late and they read books in companionable silence, he slipped out after Katsuki had drifted off to sleep, never forgetting to mark the page for him. The sky was still dark, the top of it a rich grey with golden streaks rippling throughout. Shoto could admit it was rather beautiful, if not for the message it brought alongside it. 

He knocked thrice on Katsuki's door, not wanting to walk in and disrupt the king should he be doing anything that would be... improper for Shoto to see. For example, if he was getting dressed and happened to only be in- He shook his head, ridding his mind of any images of Katsuki without clothing, possibly only his necklaces or his cloak and the morning sun would hit the lines of his muscles and-

The door opening pulled him out of his thoughts, Katsuki standing there both dressed and awake, if now for the slight morning shadows under his eyes. Just behind him the teapot on the table had a gentle current of steam drifting out and above it.

"Princess." He greeted, voice raspy indicating he hadn't been awake too long. "Figured you'd show up." He held the door open for Shoto to come in, then went over and poured two cups of tea for them. The balcony windows were shut, and the fire was big and bright, leaving a cozy atmosphere to the room that would have been comforting on any other occasion. Shoto watched him pour the tea, how his big and calloused hands held the dainty teapot so carefully. Katsuki told him it belonged to his mother, and was very precious to her, and Shoto thought she would be happy to know that he continued to take good care of it. 

They sat by the fire, Katsuki gathering two plush burgundy pillows from the bed, and drank their tea in silence. Katsuki's presence helped to ease the feelings of dread and alarm pressing against his chest, but he knew they had to acknowledge the shift in time. Right now, in Katsuki's room, the air was calm and soothing, but just beyond the glass windows everything felt suspended in time, like one too heavy step or one deep breath would break the fragile stillness, a single drop of snow melting to the ground turning red before it had even done so. It was Katsuki who broke the silence at last.

"So, how long do ya think we have? Days?" He did not try to sound positive, knowing the terror that would soon descend upon them. 

"A week at most. The air is cold, but there is warmth seeping in." Shoto replied, feeling the minute shift beneath his skin, the change in temperature in his body. "Winter will soon begin her retreat, so we had best be ready when the time comes. My father will not hesitate once he sees the first signs of snowmelt from the willow tree in our garden."

Katsuki hummed, staying quiet once more as he looked into the roaring flames before them. It was easy to recall the flames of his father, the danger Shoto himself was capable of causing, and how one moment of carelessness could set a whole place ablaze. He did not want anybody here to fall victim to his father's fury, and he knew that to end this war he would have to face his father once and for all. 

"Show me." Katsuki turned to him, teacup placed on the ground as he gestured towards Shoto's left hand. 

"Why?" He asked, confused at the sudden command. 

"Just show me."

Pushing down the immediate feeling of fear, he held up his left palm and made a small flame. It flickered and simmered, leaning towards the open hearth, and Shoto watched as ever so carefully Katsuki held his own hand above the flames, brow furrowed in concentration before he summoned his own power. The small explosion caught Shoto's flame, a wave of pure, bright heat billowing outwards and almost burning their hands. Shoto pulled away and extinguished his flame, but the energy that came from the explosion still thrummed in his palm.