Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 37 ~ Part 1||

Shouto caught Yaoyorozu as her body swayed and stumbled forward. He slid his hands around her back and into her hair as his own knees buckled. Exhaustion dragged him down.

Shouto drew Yaoyorozu to his chest and, on shaky legs, guided them down onto the frosted ground. Endeavor lay next to him on the ice, discarded and forgotten.

"I'm okay," Yaoyorozu mumbled. Her voice was hoarse and barely audible. "Just a little tired. Must be the aftereffects of the wish, Kaminari mentioned..."

Yaoyorozu's words trailed off. She sighed, and her warm breath ghosted against the cold skin of Shouto's collarbone, the last of her consciousness fading.

Shouto gave her a quick squeeze before pulling back to look her over. Yaoyorozu's chiton was tattered and soaked with sweat and blood. Long gashes tore across her back. Underneath the sleeve of her chiton, bandages were dyed crimson. Shouto's eyes fell to her hands. Yaoyorozu's palms were red and inflamed from the overuse of her power.

'Must be the aftereffects of the wish. Kaminari mentioned...'

Questions built in the back of Shouto's mind, but he was keenly aware of how heavy his body felt. His bones were made of sea foam. Parts of him that he hadn't known existed ached. And as fatigue rippled across his consciousness like a rising tide, Shouto found that he didn't care about anything other than holding Yaoyorozu in his arms.

Shouto pressed his nose into Yaoyorozu's hair and gathered her closer. The strong smell of copper and the subtle scent of flour clung to her. But she was warm and alive. He hadn't lost her.

"Todoroki!"

Someone called his name. The voice sounded like Midoriya's, but it was distant. Muffled. Shouto wanted to ignore the insistent voice. Midoriya called him again, closer. More insistent.

Shouto furrowed his brow. Then, with some difficulty, he opened his eyes and lifted his head to find Midoriya rushing over, Bakugou a step behind him.

Midoriya slid to a halt a few paces from him. The prince's green gaze dropped to Yaoyorozu. His face turned white before his eyes shot back up to Shouto's gaze. "Are you? Is she –"

"Fainted, you idiot." Bakugou growled, stopping to stand beside the second prince. His red eyes raked over Shouto as though he were searching for something, then he scoffed. "You look better."

"What?" Shouto blinked, uncomprehending. Shouto was certain he looked like he'd been trampled by a stampede of oxen. He sure as Hades felt that way.

Bakougou snorted and threw his head back to glare over his shoulder. "What are you slackers doing?" Bakugou barked at the Spartan soldiers congregating at the ice's edge. "Get your asses over here and be of some use."

"Right!"

"Todo-man, hold on!"

Shouto's gaze drifted past the princes as some of the other soldiers rushed over. He recognized a few of the men: Iida, captain of the guard, and Kirishima, Bakugou's right-hand man.

Iida reached him first.

"Let me assist," Iida said. He knelt down and stretched his arms toward Yaoyorozu, a silent gesture to pass her over.

Something within Shouto recoiled as he stared at Iida's outstretched hands. His chest felt hot and stuffy. Shouto's gaze darted back down to the top of Yaoyorozu's head nestled against his chest as anger swirled in his stomach. His fingers tightened around Yaoyorozu's shoulders.

It was childish; even Shouto had to admit his sudden reluctance to let Yaoyorozu go was selfish. He was out of strength, and there was no way he could carry Yaoyorozu to safety by himself. Yet, after everything that happened, they were finally reunited; somehow, it didn't feel fair to Shouto that he had to let her go so soon. He felt that if he let her go, he'd never see her again.