Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 27 ~ Part 3||

Shouto held out his hand towards a bundle of dried twigs. Warmth spread along his palm, and amber flames jumped from his fingertips, igniting the kindling with a loud pop.

The sky had transitioned to a brilliant shade of orange and red that rivaled the autumn foliage of the mountains. And, as the sun sank behind the trees, the air had chilled. The weather was not yet the bitter bite of winter but just cold enough to be uncomfortable without a cloak, signifying the changing seasons.

Behind him, Hagakure's and Kendo's voices droned as they busied themselves preparing dinner. Tetsu-Tetsu was in the cart, rearranging the armor and weapons in order to clear space for the night. Shouto couldn't see Yaoyorozu or Ashido, but he presumed they were still collecting wood and water close by.

There was nothing more for Shouto to do.

He dusted off his hands and then took a seat on a fallen log near the fire. The embers crackled and popped. Shouto held out his hand and fed more heat into the kindling. There was a deep roar. Blue and crimson fire burst forth, twisting and twining together to create a blazing heat.

It reminded Shouto of when Yaoyorozu had stood on top of the burning inn. He unintentionally started to visualize what he could recall: the way the flames had licked around her feet like hungry snakes, and yet how she stood unflinching. An image of power and victory.

Shouto's mouth was dry. The intense desire to hold Yaoyorozu close, kiss her, and declare his undying devotion swelled within his chest. The emotions felt so real and were so different from the ones that had crashed over Shouto the first time he had seen Yaoyorozu in Troy; that made it hard to imagine that these new feelings weren't his own.

Shouto steepled his fingers in front of his face and closed his eyes, trying not to sigh. He thought he had already come to terms with removing Kaminari's spell. After the god's visit in Dicaea, Shouto made Kaminari swear to lift the curse in return for rescuing Ashido. And Shouto had been so sure — was still sure — of his decision. Yet, everytime he thought of Yaoyorozu, his heart shook.

It would have been easier if Yaoyorozu hated him. If she was stuck up and prideful and held onto her resentment toward him for destroying her home, Shouto was sure he wouldn't have felt this level of confusion.

Yaoyorozu wasn't like that, though.

She was warm. Caring. Reasonable. Yaoyorozu's smiles and laughter — it was all genuine. She wasn't just playing along because she thought it was expected or because of some misconstrued notion that he would treat her badly if she wasn't compliant. And Shouto in turn felt like he could be himself around her, too.

Although they hadn't known each other for long, sometimes Shouto got the sense that Yaoyorozu understood him in a way no one else did. They were both serious and level-headed. Their personalities were compatible in many ways, not only in how they were similar but even in how their differences compensated for each other. Whereas Shouto was a driven warrior, Yaoyorozu was a strategist able to see the bigger picture. He wasn't good with people; she could make acquaintances easily. They complemented one another, and it made Shouto feel —

Whole.

Like he found a place all for himself. And Shouto had to admit, he was starting to like the feeling.

If only the situation was that simple.

He opened his eyes to stare at the flickering flames. Even if he didn't want to lose Yaoyorozu, it wasn't his decision to make. Everything had a trade-off. Kaminari was the god of unrequited love.

The only way Shouto and Yaoyorozu could be together was by removing the curse. But, even if she had come to love him, how would Yaoyorozu feel if she discovered that Shouto's feelings up until that moment were fabricated?