The sun peeks over the horizon to reveal Izuku working at the fire and warming a quick breakfast for the group. Glancing over to where his bedroll was currently claimed by Bakugou, the volatile beast king snuggling up against Todoroki in his sleep, has him grinning before pulling a few leaf wrapped lumps from the coals.
"Mmm, that smells good. What is it?"
Looking up to the redhead approaching him, "Roasted apples." He smiles as he goes back to stirring something in a pot nestled in the remaining coals. "Also, porridge. I like mashing the apples up in mine to sweeten it."
"Sounds tasty." Kirishima looks over to spot the two still sleeping, wrapped up around one another. "Huh? Bakugou seems to have taken a liking to Todoroki."
"Hmm, he has. Is that strange?" Izuku uses a cloth to pull the porridge off the coals and fishes a few bowls out of their pack. "I know he can be abrasive, but he's also been a bit clingy with people."
Kirishima stares at Izuku for a moment, the green haired young man looking toward the sky with a hand propped on his chin in a thinking pose, then the redhead finds a bubble of laughter working its way out of his mouth. "I think you're only part right." Settling down Kirishima takes one of the bowls, scooping up some porridge and an apple. "Bakugou isn't usually so touchy feely. When he was younger and we had first met he wouldn't even come near me unless it was to get food. Even now when we've slept near each other he doesn't latch onto me like that." Kirishima motions to the sleeping duo. "He did that last night with you as we were all settling in. You two are special to him, it's more than what he and I share."
"Oh, I'm sorry?" Izuku looks unsure, causing Kirishima to burst out laughing again.
"No, it's fine. To be honest, before you came to live with us I was worried about him. He's been happier since you came, less of a grump."
Izuku still looks worried, portioning out porridge into a bowl of his own and mashing his apple into it. He looks thoughtful. "Hey, Kirishima?"
"Hmm?"
"How old was Bakugou when the two of you met?"
Kirishima looks to the sky, his spoon resting on his bottom lip as he thinks about his answer. "I found him when he was pretty young. I'm not sure of his exact age, but I think he may have been four or five. I found him wondering the mountains covered in soot, there had been a fire in the are recently and I think he and his family were caught up in it. I never found any remains of them though."
Izuku blinks, head tilting to the side. "So wait, how old were you? I thought you were the same age as us."
Laughter roars from Kirishima, "I may look your age, and comparatively I most likely am, but I'm still a dragon. We age different than you humans. I'd say I'm around one fifty, it's young for a dragon, but its not like I'm a child."
"Oh." Izuku pushes his food around in his bowl, barely taking note that the other half of their party is groggily joining them around the fire.
"Why the fuck are you two being so loud?"
"Good morning Bakugou, Todoroki. Did you two sleep well?"
"I was just telling Izuku how I found and raised you."
Bakugou sends a glare at the dragon while Izuku passes him and Todoroki a bowl of porridge and an apple.
"You raised him?" Todoroki looks thoughtful before glancing between the two and shrugging, apparently it was too early for this. Turing to Izuku, he answers his question. "I've slept better, this place is very off putting. It's almost as if it's trying to repel us."
"We won't be sticking around long. We'll search for that sword you want and then get out of here." Bakugou is halfway through his breakfast by this point and looking more awake than before.
"I agree, we shouldn't spend another night here if we can avoid it."
Across the river in a copse of trees nestled between two hills a shadowed figure watches a column of smoke twist up into the air from the city ruins. His narrow face is pulled down in a frown.
"They stayed the whole night?" Large hands attached to thin bony wrists grip the tree beside him. "Maybe, one of them could be the one to claim it."
The sun is high in the sky when Izuku collapses against a ruined wall, panting and wiping sweat from his brow. "I don't think it's still here?"
"Yeah, it has been ten years." Kirishima flops onto the ground beside Izuku.
Todoroki frowns, "That may be true, but no one has come forth claiming to wield it."
Hanging his head Izuku sighs. "Just because no one has come forth with it doesn't mean that someone didn't find it." Looking up he looks around one more time, his brow furrowing. "Where's Bakugou?"
Kirishima raises a limp hand and points off to one side and up to the top of one of the more intact castle walls. "He's been up there for a while."
Todoroki and Izuku look up to watch him as he stares off into the distance.
Bakugou, meanwhile, is not ignoring the conversation below, but his attention is mostly focused on the copse of trees across the river. It wasn't immediately obvious, but something was living over there. Studying the copse he could make out the walls of more ancient ruins than those of the the city they are in.
Hopping down from the wall he is standing on, Bakugou makes his way over to the rest of the party. "There are some ruins across the river."
"Ruins?"
"We'll go after we eat lunch. We should be careful though, there may be someone living there."
