Bound By Fire And Fate || Bakugo X Reader

Crossfire (Y/N pov)

His words hang between us, the air thick with tension and something dangerously close to hope. And just as I feel myself giving in, a loud crack echoes through the trees. We both turn, startled, as a group of elves emerges from the shadows, led by my closest friend, Alden. His face is twisted with fury, his gaze locked onto Bakugo with a hatred that sends a chill through me.

"Alden-" I begin, my voice catching as I try to explain, to somehow make him understand.

"Is this why you've been sneaking off?" Alden snaps, his eyes blazing with betrayal. "Meeting a dragon prince in secret?"

Bakugo tenses beside me, his hand drifting to the hilt of his dagger. "This isn't your business, elf," he growls, his tone ice-cold.

But Alden doesn't back down. "Oh, it is. She's one of us-she belongs here, with her people, not sneaking off to betray us with a dragon."

"Alden, stop!" I shout, stepping between them, but I can feel the weight of my decision like a blade against my throat. I know what this looks like; I know the consequences. "It's not what you think-"

"Not what I think?" Alden scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief. "The dragons have killed our people, burned our villages, stolen our land. And you're here with their prince?" His gaze shifts to Bakugo, and he spits the next words like poison. "If he cared about you, he'd leave you out of his mess."

Bakugo's eyes flash with anger. "And if you cared about her, you'd respect her choices."

"That's rich, coming from a dragon," Alden sneers, his hand tightening on his bow. I can see him readying himself to draw, to end this with bloodshed. "You've manipulated her, twisted her heart just like your kind always does."

I feel my own anger building, my frustration with both of them reaching its peak. "Stop it-both of you!" I shout, stepping between them. "I made my choice. This isn't just him, and it's not some manipulation. I came here because I wanted to."

Alden stares at me, his expression slowly shifting from anger to heartbreak. "So it's true," he whispers, almost to himself. "You... you love him."

The words are like a punch to the chest, both terrifying and liberating. I look up at Bakugo, my heart racing as I finally let myself acknowledge what's been building inside me all this time. "Yes," I murmur, feeling the weight of my confession sink into my bones. "I think I do."

Bakugo's gaze softens, his expression flickering with something close to awe. He reaches for me, his hand grazing my cheek as he cups my face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "Then I'll fight for you," he whispers, his voice fierce and unwavering. "I don't care what it costs. I'll face anyone who tries to keep us apart."

But Alden's expression hardens, his grip tightening on his weapon. "Then I'll have no choice but to protect my people from you," he says, his voice low and final.

"No, Alden, please-" I start, but it's too late. He raises his bow, arrow nocked and aimed directly at Bakugo.

Without thinking, I throw myself between them, my arms spread wide. "No one has to get hurt," I say desperately, looking between the two people I care about most. "Please. If you kill him, you'll only prove that nothing between our kinds will ever change."

Alden's gaze falters, and I see the briefest hint of doubt flicker in his eyes. But just as he lowers his bow, another figure steps forward from the shadows-Bakugo's guard, the same one who interrupted us before. His eyes land on me, then Alden, and finally Bakugo, and I see the sharp recognition dawn in his gaze.

"My prince," the guard growls, his voice dripping with disapproval. "What are you doing with her?"

Bakugo's jaw tightens, and for a moment, I see a flash of vulnerability in his eyes. He's caught, trapped between two worlds, just as I am. And suddenly, I understand the impossible choice he's facing-the choice between duty and the truth in his heart.

"Leave her alone," Bakugo says quietly, his voice filled with a dangerous calm. "I'll come with you willingly, but if you harm her, I'll make sure you regret it."

The guard's expression is grim, but he nods, reaching for Bakugo's arm. And as they pull him away, I feel a surge of panic, a desperate ache that I can't hold back.

"Bakugo!" I shout, reaching for him, but Alden's hand catches mine, holding me back.

Bakugo looks over his shoulder, his eyes locking with mine one last time, a promise lingering in his gaze. "This isn't over," he says, his voice carrying across the silence between us. "I'll come back for you. I swear it."

And then he's gone, dragged away into the shadows, leaving me standing in the clearing, heartbroken, and helpless.