DRAGON'S BROOD (Kirishima x Bakugou)

Chapter 35: The Quiet before the Storm

Bakugou's PoV

Although I was incredibly tired, it was difficult for me to fall asleep. Aizawa lay down a little away from us and tied his stallion to one of the trees near him. In the flickering light of the campfire I looked at the back of Red's head. Was he asleep? I wasn't sure, at least he wasn't moving.

It felt surreal to know that this long journey would soon come to an end. This army waiting for us was the last hurdle we had to overcome. Tomorrow evening. In 24 hours, everything would be decided. It wasn't that I was nervous exactly, I've always liked the fight and the adrenaline rush. But deep inside I knew that this fight would be different. It wasn't about killing a dragon with the stakes of my life anymore. The biggest difference wasn't how you might think that they were humans and even in a barely measurable majority. The difference was that I was no longer only responsible for myself. And even though I knew Red had a good chance with his dragon body, I painfully realized how little practical experience he had in fighting. I was afraid for him.

I put an arm around my mate and pressed him a little closer to me. The idea that something could happen to him almost made me lose my mind. Don't leave me. I repeated these words in my mind as I buried my face in his neck. Then I felt Red interlacing his fingers with mine and pressing them against his chest and knew he couldn't sleep either.

---

None of us had to be woken up the next morning. I myself had slept uneasily and had woken up again and again. When I opened my eyes and noticed that dawn had set in, I decided that I'd slept enough. And I didn't have to wait long, as Red stirred and straitened up.

"Morning, Red," I said quietly as he looked down at me. A small smile surrounded his lips, it was far from as wide and radiant with joy as it usually was. His tension was clear to see, and his eyes wandered restlessly back and forth.

"Morning, Kat", he answered finally, bent down to me and gave me a short kiss on the lips. "We're supposed to go," he finally said and stood up completely.

I nodded, although he couldn't see it anymore, and straightened up too, just to notice that Aizawa came up to us. In contrast to yesterday, the commander seemed almost rested. He probably hadn't had any problems with sleeping, since he hadn't closed an eye for the last week.

"I can't come with you," he said when he reached us.

I hummed in agreement. I had already expected that. It shouldn't become known that he had warned us in advance. He had to keep his authenticity so that they would listen to him after our escape.

"I must pretend I never caught up with you, and I must show up at the front after you. But you can have my horse. Just tie it at a place where I will find it just before you confront the army."

Surprised, I looked at him. "Why are you offering us that?"

Aizawa looked at me with an almost fatherly smile. "As I said, I have to stay behind you anyway. And you have to fight a hard fight tonight. You should spare your strength."

"Thank you, Mr. Aizawa. We really appreciate that," Red said seriously.

We quietly packed our things together and ate some of our provisions until we couldn't hold back any longer and finally sat on the stallion. Since Red had never ridden before, I sat down in front and held out a hand to him. The half dragon took it and let me pull him up so that he could sit behind me. He wrapped both arms around my belly.

"There's something else, boys. Don't try to fly over them immediately. To you this seems to be the easiest solution at that moment, but if I'm not mistaken, they have projectiles that can also sweep a dragon from the sky. There can't be anything more dangerous for you. Don't fly until you feel safe."  We both nodded. "Goodbye, you two," Aizawa finally said. "I'm sure you can handle it."

Normally I would have answered with a self-confident "sure!", but something held me back. I couldn't deny it. I had a bad feeling about what was coming.

Red said goodbye politely and I nodded to Aizawa once more, before I gave a gentle squeeze with my calves and the stallion began to move.

We were not in a hurry, after all we would have reached our goal if we had walked. That's why I left it at a quick walk. We didn't have to burden the animal with more than the additional weight of a second rider.

In the meantime, we exchanged a few brief words, but on the whole we were quiet as we rode the path along the lake's right. "It would be wonderful if I didn't know what we're facing tonight," whispered Red after a long pause in which no one had said anything.

It was true. The lake was as smooth as glass. There was no wind, not even a slight breeze that curled the surface. The other side of the lake was perfectly reflected in it. The dusk had fallen and now you could see the first lights of the city of Kyotawa, which gave the whole appearance a magical touch.

After all, the time had come. I saw in the distance how the river narrowed, where the Kuma flowed into it. The flow became stronger the closer we came and destroyed the smooth surface.

I grabbed the reins a little tighter and stopped the stallion. "We should leave him here," I said quietly. Red took his arms off my belly and slid off the horse's back. Then I got down too. I tied the stallion to a place where he could graze but still be seen from the path.

When I returned to Red, he was nervously tampering with something in his trouser pocket. "What are you doing?" I asked him curiously.

He paused in his movement in surprise, as if he hadn't even realized what he was doing. Frowning, he took the object out of his pocket and I looked at him in surprise. Alarmed, I noticed tears shimmering in his big eyes. I came closer to him to see what he was holding in his hand.

It was a stone. Broken open and with shimmering red crystal inside. It reminded me of Red's eye colour.

"I didn't even know I still had it," he whispered quietly. He turned it in his hand. "I must have put it in my trouser pocket in the woods when I changed my clothes. It's a miracle that it didn't get lost in the meantime," he muttered, smiling as he looked at the subtle shimmer.

"What's up with that stone?" I asked carefully.

"Tomoko gave it to me. A child from the orphanage," he explained with a smile. "When I left, I had to promise her and Miss Crownway that I would take care of myself and survive. It seems to me like a coincidence of fate that I find in right now. Though I seem to have carried it with me the whole time."

I swallowed. "Will you promise me too, Red?" I asked quietly. "That you will survive?"

"Only if you also promise me, Kat," he replied just as quietly, and looked deep into my eyes.

I hesitated for a moment. "I promise," I finally said before leaning forward and kissing him on the lips. Deep and fervent, as if it were our last.