Riddles and Riots

.:From Predator to Prey:.

          'A dragon will always be a merciless killer. Not even a bond can change that.'
Bakugo cringed at the memory. He couldn't believe he gave away his trust so carelessly. There was something abnormal about his sudden change of heart and surely it had to do with that shitty-haired-red-headed dumbass.
          He stole a quick glance over his shoulder from where he prepared his horse to leave the waterfall. He spotted Kirishima in a conversation, beaming with a carefree grin that made those around him do the same.
It made Bakugo all the more angry. It was completely unfair. Why did Kirishima get to hold a piece of Bakugo's deepest scar, while Bakugo was left in the dark whenever he pried about Kirishima's past?
Bakugo had always been the one with the secrets. He thrived this way his whole life. He found confidence knowing more about everyone else when they knew not a clue about him. Until, of course, Kirishima came along and punched through that wall like it were nothing but a thin sheet of glass. He didn't have to know Bakugo's full story, any bit of information he held over the slayer made Bakugo feel outwitted.
He loathed the redhead for it. Either Kirishima was incredibly smart or one of the dumbest idiots Bakugo had ever met. There was something about him that drew Bakugo in like a pirate to a priceless treasure and repelled him like the vilest stench, with no in between.
This is what drove Bakugo the most insane. Never had he met someone with this effect on him, to make him comfortable enough to trust them with his past or to feel threatened by something he could not see and could never overcome.
He checked over his shoulder again, just as Kirishima turned around. Their eyes met and the hybrid went rigid, while Bakugo's anger melted away, replaced by a sense of reassurance. It happened again.
Then the blond squinted. Kirishima looked away. There was no way any of this was normal. Bakugo always had an eye for figuring people out in an unfairly quick fashion, but this mystery person stumped even him. Something else was hidden beneath Kirishima's thick skin, and Bakugo was going to figure it out.
He whirled around to confront Kirishima right then and there. However, he halted abruptly in his tracks. The sense of being watched drop kicked his attention elsewhere, but he couldn't pinpoint it.
He quickly made sure his team was accounted for, though none of them looked to be the source of the bad feeling. He glanced up the mountain where they came, where the feeling grew a little heavier. Reluctantly, he forced his interrogation on hold.
He clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes once more. This presence was familiar. Were they being followed?

A heavy feeling has been pitted in Kirishima's gut since the moment they left the waterfall. It felt as if something dangerous were lurking right behind him, unseen by the naked eye. As far as he knew, all had been peaceful until they set foot at the bottom of the mountain, so there was no possible explanation for what he felt. He decided to ignore it for the time being.
The team descended the grassy terrain into a forest of white wood and silver leaves, decorated with moss, clovers, and ferns of all sizes. Tiny yellow mushrooms sprouted in every place where light couldn't shine. Cotton drifted like fireflies in the golden rays of the setting sun.
          They trotted their own makeshift path until they reached the edge of the forest. Outside the line of trees lay nothing but yellow grass, dust, and rocks, stretching as far as they could see.
Bakugo closed his eyes, where in his tamer's sights, the wraith's ominous black trail guided him southeast. He noticed it was beginning to grow thicker, which could only mean one thing: they were getting close.
          "We'll camp here tonight." His boots landed on the cushiony forest floor, puffing balls of pollen into the air.
          Beside Kirishima, Deku held open another one of his notebooks as he slid off his horse. His fingers ran along his own makeshift map, resting on a small cluster of dots next to a blue paint splotch.
          "It looks like we won't reach the next town for another day or so." He noticed Kirishima peeking over his shoulder and kindly showed him his drawing. "We may be able to make it tomorrow if we're fast, Kacchan!" He tried to show Bakugo the map, but the prince paid him no mind.
          Instead, Bakugo pushed past them, seemingly distracted by something. Deku motioned at the redhead with a look of 'something's wrong with him'.
          Kirishima watched the prince go with a sharp pang in his chest. He tried to ignore the feeling but it seemed to only grow worse as time went on. Perhaps, judging by Bakugo's fidgety behavior, he sensed it too.
The hybrid mulled over it for the entirety of their unpacking, but came to no conclusion. He wanted to ask Bakugo, but the way the prince kept glaring at him, Kirishima couldn't work up the courage. The only logical thing he could think of was to brush it off as the anxiety of going someplace new.