Echoes of Past Ties (Todobaku Fanfiction)

10.Grudging Gratitude

The cold night air did little to soothe Bakugou's rattled nerves. Every fiber of his being still tingled from the near-death encounter. His hand was visibly shaking as he took the water bottle offered by Kirishima. He splashed water onto his face, hoping to wash away the haunting remnants of his hemophobia-triggered paralysis.

As he blinked away the droplets, a voice, one that Bakugou hadn't expected to hear at that moment, reached his ears. "Katsuki, are you okay?"

Raising his gaze, he locked eyes with Shoto, whose face was etched with a depth of concern Bakugou had seldom seen. A cocktail of emotions surged through Bakugou. The last thing he wanted was Todoroki's pity, and he responded defensively, "Why are you even here? Just go away."

But before his words could push Todoroki further away, Kirishima interjected, his voice firm yet kind, "Bakugou, if it wasn't for Shoto, we might not have made it out in time." He proceeded to explain how in his desperate bid to help Bakugou, the distressed mother of the kidnapped child had clung to him, hampering their swift departure.

"And then Shoto appeared," Kirishima continued, "and even though he's a reporter and could've just watched from the sidelines, he didn't hesitate. He promised he'd look after the mother, allowing me to act."

The chaotic events of the evening still weighed heavily on everyone's minds. Kirishima had left to manage the situation, leaving Shoto and Bakugou alone. The two sat side by side, enveloped by an uncomfortable silence. The air around them was thick, charged with both tension and unspoken gratitude.

Bakugou broke the silence first, voice soft and uncharacteristically subdued. "Thanks," he murmured.

Wanting to lighten the atmosphere, Shoto ventured, "Life has been quite a journey since we last met, hasn't it?" He hoped to strike a conversation about their shared past, the battles they fought, and the dreams they pursued.

Bakugou just looked into the distance. "Yeah," he replied curtly.

Undeterred, Shoto continued, "Remember our school days? The challenges, the fun? Seems like a different lifetime now."

Bakugou just nodded, seemingly lost in thought, giving nothing away. "I remember."

Hoping to elicit more of a response, Shoto shared, "I've been working as a reporter now. Met so many people, heard so many stories."

Bakugou's reply was distant, "Okay."

Feeling the weight of the one-sided conversation, Shoto still pressed on, "And what about you? Investigator's life must be full of thrills and dangers."

Bakugou's gaze remained distant, his reply succinct. "Yeah, a little."

Before Shoto could say anything more, Bakugou's pocket buzzed. He pulled out a phone, and his face turned pale, eyes widening in a mix of shock and fear. Without a word, he stood up, looking at Shoto with an urgency he hadn't shown before. "I have some work. I need to go."

Confused but respecting his privacy, Shoto simply nodded. As Bakugou's footsteps grew distant, Kirishima approached with Bakugou's shattered phone in hand. "Found this back there," he said, handing it over to Shoto. "He's going to need it."

Shoto took Bakugou's phone, looked at it, and asked, "He has another phone, right?" Kirishima shook his head, indicating that as far as he knew, Bakugou only had this phone.

Shoto, piecing together the puzzle, felt a pang of alarm. "If that's Bakugou's phone," he said slowly, "then whose was the one he just answered?"