DRAGON'S BROOD II (Kirishima x Bakugou)

Chapter 27: Back on the road

Bakugou's Pov

Todoroki relaxed a little and stared at Deku's hand before carefully embracing it. The prince's facial expression became a little softer before he hesitantly began to speak. "Izu, you know I don't want to follow in my father's footsteps. He has always tried to force his opinion and goals on me and he still tries. I don't want any of this. I want to prove that I am different from him. But if I use his power now..."

"No, Shouto." The tone of the nerd had an unusually dominant tone. "As I told you before, it's your power. You are free to do whatever you like with it. You are free to help Kacchan or not. And you are free to act against your father's will. But you should not refuse just because you do not want to use the power given to you. That would be a waste."

I watch the scene uncomfortably. Deku had changed a lot in the last years. He was no longer the little trembling nerd who flinched at every command. He was now a dragonslayer and his behaviour towards the prince had changed completely.

Todoroki remained silent for a moment after Deku's speech. Then he grasped his face with both hands, pulled him to himself and gently kissed him.

My jaw fell. I always knew that the prince had a weakness for the nerd (even if I didn't know why in the slightest), but that they were officially together was new to me. I uncomfortably crossed my arms, but couldn't look away. Jealousy came over me. It was so unfair that they could be together. That they could touch each other whenever they wanted and Red and I had to get along without each other. And that only because we wanted to fix something that the prince's ancestor had screwed up.

When they finally separated Deku was bright red and looked embarrassed at me and Ochako. Todoroki kept looking at him, for the first time in this conversation a slight smile on his lips.

"Aren't they cute?" Ochako whispered to me conspiratorially.

"No." I growled at normal volume. "The half-and-half bastard should concentrate and tell me his decision."

Todoroki looked over to me, as always with his annoying calmness and not at all impressed by my insult. This manner about him was something that always makes me livid.

"I'll help you, Bakugou." he said calmly.

I nodded stiffly. I was aware that the Order didn't owe the Prince's decision to me, but to Deku. I gritted my teeth. Now it no longer felt like a victory.

"When do we leave?" asked the Prince, after a moment of silence.

"As soon as possible." I hummed without thinking. Red. At the moment I wanted nothing more than to see him again. The sooner we left and rode back to the order, the sooner I could hold him in my arms again. And if he wasn't there yet, then I would travel to the realm of the dragons myself. So much was certain.

"Uhm, Kacchan?" Deku asked hesitantly.

"What?" I snarled at him.

"How can you expect that? Shouto has duties here at court. He can't just run away for an indefinite period of time. He must prepare it well and discuss it with the king," he said frowning.

Todoroki laughed quietly. Only briefly and his facial features became expressionless again immediately afterwards, but the amused sparkle remained in his eyes. "Izu, do you really think that I will inform my father about this? He would say no anyway."

Now a mischievous smirk settled on my lips. I liked the prince better this way.

"You want to travel through the country without your father's consent?" Deku asked with big eyes. "You can't do that! He will let you search! What if something happens to you?"

"Why would something happen to me?" Todoroki replied calmly. "I have a dragonslayer at my side."

The smile disappeared from my face and now I frowned annoyed. Because the way he looked at the nerd, it was clear that he didn't meant me. I clenched my teeth. This journey will be fucking exhausting.

---

It was already late in the evening. I walked restlessly up and down the room. Once again they had dragged me into a room of the palace and parked me like an object they didn't need. It rubs me the wrong way to do nothing and to leave all the preparations to the others, even if I knew that I couldn't do much.

Again my hand reached the mark on my neck. The gesture had become a habit. The memory of Red always had something painfully calming.

A knock on the door ripped me from my thoughts. Overwhelmed by my impatience, I didn't hesitate long and tore it open. Ochako stood in front of the door, her hand still outstretched, as if she was about to reach for the door handle.

"Oh!" she said in surprise. "I wanted to pick you up. Todoroki and Deku are waiting down at the stables."

"Fucking finally," I growled. We would make it out of town tonight. Perfect.

Even though I knew exactly where the stables were, the witch accompanied me nonetheless. I walked fast along the corridors of the palace and jumped down the long winding stairs. As familiar as this place was, no matter how often I had thought back to the times at the court the last years, it was simply no longer my home and I wanted nothing more than to leave quickly.

When we arrived at the stables, the other two were already there waiting. In the stable aisle there were four palace horses. Snow-white, well muscled and with shiny fur. Three of them were saddled and bridled. The fourth was a pack horse, equipped with blankets and several linen sacks and bags, which contained plenty of provisions for the journey. Good. The more we had with us, the sooner we were able to leave the river Kirano during our journey and take the more direct way across the plain to the order.

Ochako looks at the horses almost longingly. "How I would love to come with you! I haven't travelled for a long time, and I've actually wanted to go to the Order for a long time. But I just have too much to do here in the palace," she muttered dejectedly.

"Tch. We don't need one more anyway," I replied rolling my eyes and walked towards one of the horses.

"Oh, you don't mean that," she said cheerfully and I rolled my eyes again. But she wasn't so wrong. The thought of having to spend the next few days alone with Deku and Todoroki was not something I was looking forward to.

I got on my horse and waited for the other two to be ready. Deku held the prince's horse, although it remained still, well-behaved. I bit my lower lip so as not to make a snide comment. Todoroki thanked him smiling before Deku turned to his horse and also got up. The nerd wore the uniform of a dragonslayer. The fur of his cape was pitch-black, but otherwise it matched mine.

Then - finally - we left the stable and rode off the palace grounds. Todoroki and Deku rode ahead and I rode with the packhorse at my side. I felt like the fifth wheel, even though I was the one guiding this mission. But for a moment I had to swallow my pride. With the prince in front it would be easy to leave the city and as always I had to make sure that they didn't recognize me.

And it was really easy. When we arrived at the city gates, the guards opened the gates wide to let the prince and his bodyguards (Tch. As if.) through.

But when we finally left the walls of the capital behind us, I breathed more freely. Finally I was on my way back. Finally it was foreseeable that I would soon be able to see Red again. I pushed my horse a little and placed myself next to Deku.

"Here," I growled and handed him the reins of the pack horse, which he accepted more or less surprised. "From now on, you follow me and not the other way around."