(Hey dudes! Sorry I've been away for so long' But I'm back with a longer chapter to make up for it so I hope you enjoy this KiriBaku origin story!)
Prince Todoroki awoke with a stiff back and a dusty haze covering his eyes. He groaned, trying to rub the sleep from his vision. A voice was speaking, though the exact words were foggy in Todoroki's dazed mind. "Master! Master he's waking up!" The young royal finally opened his eyes to be met with a sunshine smile filled with razor teeth, inches from his face, "Good Morning!"
If asked about it later, Todoroki Shoto would deny the undignified shriek that left his lips at that moment but there was no doubt that he was not prepared for such a sight so early in the morning. He scrambled away from this seemingly terrifying imposter and looked around for an escape with eyes like a frightened rabbit. Kirishima didn't pick up on these signs of distress and simply grinned wider to their new guest. "You've been asleep for ages! Did you have a good rest?" Todoroki was hesitant to reply though now he saw that the strange creature was far less intimidating from a distance. A young man with flame red hair, pushing up at impossible angles and tied in a little pony tail at the back. His red eyes flickered with sparks of enthusiasm and matched the little red scales on his face that flickered with gold. And though his teeth were terrifyingly pointed, his smile was soft and friendly. He didn't look particularly dangerous.
"Hey? Are you alright? Can you not speak? Oh no there must be something wrong! Maybe you're sick? Master!" His voice was suddenly panicked, afraid that he had failed his task of keeping the new guest safe. "Master!" He shouted out again, never taking his eyes of the man he was meant to be watching.
Bakugou burst through the door at the sound of his dragons distress, "Kiri? What's happened?" He looked between the stuttering dragon and the very bemused Todoroki. He sighed and walked over, running a gentle hand through his dragons hair to calm him. "Cat got your tongue half and half?" He snarled slightly, angry that the Prince had scared Kirishima. Todoroki didn't reply for a moment, just looking at the two strangest strangers he'd ever encountered. Eventually, he piped up, "where am I?" Bakugou felt Kiri relax beneath him, "oh.. You're alright, that's good, I'm happy " he said airily as he calmed his beating heart and looked up at his Master with a hopeful smile. Bakugou's face instantly softened as he placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head, "yeah you did a great job Kiri, good boy." The young man made a warm noise like a purr and leant further in to his Masters touch, a happy glow spreading across his whole face. The blonde smiled and started to gently pet him, scratching under his chin a little, causing the dragon to smile and and fidget, giggling softly, completely oblivious to their guest.
Todoroki watched this strange display with curiosity, rather bemused as to what the nature of their relationship could possibly be. Bakugou spoke to Kirishima with nothing but soft, yet somehow stern, affection; and the young dragon's glowing eyes looked towards the other with pure admiration. There was a warm glow between them, the likes of which he'd never felt before. It seemed to be something just out of his grasp. It almost frustrated him in a way, though his face remained as blank as ever. Emotion, his father had told him when he was young, was the sign of a weak ruler, not that Todoroki wanted to take on his Fathers kingdom in the first place.
"Oi! Half and Half, I'm talking to you." Todoroki's eyes snapped back up to the blonde's sharpening glare, "I asked you what you were doing down here. I can tell you ain't from the Dragon Realm, too high and mighty." Todoroki raised an eyebrow, not finding Bakugou to be particularly accommodating so far. However, he brushed of the statement with indifference in favour of answering the question, "I was riding to get away from my father, I wanted somewhere quiet and took a wrong turn into the woods I suppose." Bakugou scoffed and smirked at the young prince, even Kirishima had to suppress his amusement, "you think? You rode head first into dragon trader territory."
"Dragon traders?" So that's what those men were doing, it made sense thinking back now, the cages, the prisoners, the fighting. He shivered.
Bakugou turned back to Kirishima, "Go get some fresh water to fill up the tank alright, Kiri? Our guest," he said the word with a slight sneer "is gonna need to wash and you might wanna rinse your hair, got it?" Kirishima smiled and nodded, jumping up with renewed vigour, "Yes Master! Right away Master!" He chimed in a cheerful voice and half walked half skipped out the door. Todoroki watched him go before turning back to Bakugou who's gaze was trained on the prince's own heterochromatic stare. Todoroki met his eyes without a flinch but even he could feel there intensity. Never the less, he spoke without breaking eye contact for one moment. "You know, for a great 'master' I'd have thought you'd treat your subjects well without patronising them." The Lord rolled his eyes and bared his teeth, he looked almost feral and the prince might have been scared if he wasn't sure that Bakugou had no intention of killing him. "Don't lecture me on how to take care of my dragon, you don't know shit Half and Half."
"I have a name." Todoroki retorted, still not breaking this apparent starring contest, it was becoming a test for dominance now it seemed. "Todoroki Shouto." He didn't wait for Bakugou to ask. The blonde was a little shocked for a moment, the emotion flashing over his eyes for just a second before he returned to his glare. "A Royal huh? Sorry Princey but I call the shots here." He lifted himself up a little taller, "Bakugou Katsuki" he said, before Todoroki could open his mouth again, "at your service", and the corners of his mouth curled into a sarcastic smirk.
Todoroki was about to give a quick come back when a very enthusiastic dragon tumbled back in through the door. "Master! I finished, the water tank is full!" He stood beside his Master, back straight and eyes hopeful as he awaited his response. Bakugou turned and cupped the young dragon's cheek, his voice softer now, "good boy Kiri, that was quicker than usual, well done." Once again, Todoroki felt out of place, unable to understand the bizarre interaction between these two. The only thing close that he'd seen before was the way his father kissed his mother after a fight, a hollow apology. This was different, he could see that, but the thought frustrated him none the less. "You talk to him like a child but look to be the same age." Shoto's voice was even and emotionless, but there was bitterness behind the words, "like you think his stupid."
Bakugou's head snapped round to argue back, coming closer to the prince, fists clenched at his sides like he was about to explode when, "huh? But he said I did well, that means that Master is proud of me, so I can't be stupid." The young dragon seemed completely oblivious to any tension between the two, simply confused at Todoroki's statement. The prince gazed at him, taken aback by the words. Was this boy really so naïve to think that his 'Master' was anything but condescending? Or, maybe, was that truly the way he felt? That Bakugou was sincere in his words. Did that make him happy?
"Like I said, damn Half-and-Half, you don't know shit."
There was a moment of quiet. Of cold, ashamed tension. There was something not quite set right in the air, words unsaid that lingered in each second left empty. That was the moment that Todoroki Shouto denied his pride. The moment that he ignored the part inside of him that his Father has drilled in ever since he was young. The moment that he decided, whatever it was between the bitter Dragon Lord and his sunshine companion, he wanted it to. Bakugou was right, he didn't know shit; but he wanted to, more than anything else. He swallowed the last of his indiscretion, letting the words fall, loud and clear.
"Then teach me."
Bakugou didn't like Todoroki. Bakugou didn't like a great many people. But as those words fell from his mouth, he might have gained just a little more respect for the young prince. He shrugged, almost collapsed on the floor with all his weight to sit down and beckoned Kirishima to sit in his lap. He had nothing much to do, his dragon needed a rest after the day before and a chance to educate a royal was something he couldn't miss out on. "Alright then Princey, listen up, because I ain't gonna repeat anything you got that?" Todoroki nodded as he noticed the blonde's thin fingers winding through the dragons flame hair. Kirishima shut his eyes and lay back a little on Bakugou's chest, as the blonde began to speak.
"There's old magic here, in the earth, the air, all around this region. It flows in the veins of everyone descended from the legendary Dragon Tribe from the old folk law." His voice was even, practiced, like he'd given this speech a thousand times. There was deep passion behind the words and Todoroki felt his eyes begin to shut. "This old magic is wise and mysterious, knowing each one of its decedents well before they are born and keeping them long after they die. So, when a dragon is born, the old magic already knows everything about them and ties them to a human, with whom they'll happily spend they're life. Someone who compliments there strengths and guards their weaknesses. A kind of... soulmate if you want." Kirishima smiled and nuzzled into the crook of Bakugou's neck as his Master's arms wrapped around his waist.
"As soon as a dragon is born, they long to find that human that they are bound to, like a calling or second nature.." He stumbled a little, not knowing how to describe the feeling. "Like you're only a half." Kirishima piped up, helpfully. Bakugou nodded, "yeah, like there's something just beyond your reach and you just want to be able to find it or you'll be unhappy." Todoroki nodded, he already knew what that felt like and was slightly unnerved by the accuracy of the description. "And humans feel the same," Bakugou continued, "so they spend their lives trying to find their dragon, which is where breeding grounds come in.
Every dragon, theoretically, is born there and registered and looked after until their Master is found. And then the two spend their lives together, growing stronger from one and other, becoming inseparable. A human wants to protect their dragon, praise them and love them and train them to be as strong as they can be." Kirishima grinned and piped up again, "and dragons want to return the favour, serve their Masters and make them happy, help them so they can help us!" Bakugou smiled and nodded silently.
"But some people.." His eyes grew dark and his voice lowered to something like a growl. "Some people.. Some bastards just can't be content with that." He paused a moment, his fists clenching and unclenching as though trying to restrain himself. Kirishima tilted his head and placed a hand on his masters' shoulder, smiling gently to calm him. There was a moment of quiet before the young dragon carried on from where his Master had left off, almost seamlessly. "Dragon traders don't want to wait for their soulmate, they don't care about the happiness of dragons or people, their hearts died a long time ago and all they long for is power now." He sounded sad, regretful and perhaps a little scared. "They kidnap strong dragons, bread them or take them for their own... It's the worst crime you can commit... You might as well kill a dragon... Because too long away from their Master.. after they've met and bonded and known each other.." He sniffled a little and his ruby eyes started to tear up, "...really horrible things happen to dragons that are separated from their Masters.." The dragon didn't seem able to elaborate anymore, he just clung to the blonde, hiding his face in the others neck.
Bakugou held his dragon to his chest and traced calming circles on his back with tentative fingers. "I found Kiri with them. They'd been traveling through the region, leaving pining dragons in their wake; fucking amateurs, easy to track. We'd gotten most of them back to their Masters before too long; thank Gods. But there was one, when we found there camp..." Bakugou had never forgotten that day.
To those who had never heard a dragon cry, it might seem a trivial thing. After all, a human crying is upsetting, of course, but nothing that the young lord couldn't stand to hear. But as Bakugou stood against the clearing, his blood beating cold in his veins, the mourning cry of a dying soul echoed through the trees, through the night air, and through his very bones. The pitiful creature lay in the half dark, body almost devoid of scales from anxious scratching, claws worn away to splinters and it's poor eyes almost blind from days of tears. The creature lay defeated, scrawny, wings torn and hopes all but vanished. Bakugou knew as he gazed on at this image of sorrow, the dragon had lay down to die.
He couldn't hold back the rage that filled his body. The very idea that anyone could sit by as such a magnificent creatures life wasted away at their hands angered him beyond belief. He didn't think before attacking, barley giving his team mates enough time to follow his movement before he was leaping out of the air on to these monsters that had tore an innocent dragon away from it's Master. All he saw was red, barley registering where his sword cut, barley caring so long as those who tortured these poor creatures knew the pain that they had caused. His team mates too, some with there own dragons, others on foot, slashed and fought, sending the woods into a chaos of screams and roars. It could have lasted seconds or hours but before the dragon Lord could even blink, he stood in dead silence, a strangers blood dripping down his face.
He panted, still clenching his fists and his stance poised to fight. The rush of adrenaline hadn't left him, his body still playing in sudden death and the need to vent his anger into pain was almost too strong to overcome. That was, until, a light rustle came from the bracken by his feet. The blonde almost jumped out of his skin and lunged forward to face this new opponent. But his whole body was stopped, so suddenly that he almost fell to the ground. A little dragon was sat by his feet, staring with soulful, red eyes, looking as shocked as he was. The meek creature was most definitely a runt of the litter. He looked underfed and sleep deprived, a scar cutting down his right eye and little wings fluttering uselessly. Bakugou might have pitied the poor thing, or called someone over to deal with it, certainly he would never consider this dragon a suitable partner. And yet, as he watched scales morph to skin and claws into dainty hands, it felt as though everything in his world was coming together. Every star had aligned and the night sky was bright as the morning sun. Any anger felt so far away, leaving just peace and contentment in its place. It felt as though he needed nothing else in the world when before him sat the most beautiful man he'd ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on. And the young man tilted his head and gave a simple, dazzling smile.
"I knew you'd come for me, Master!"