Thank you to everyone who reads and takes the time to comment. You have no idea how much your encouragement means to me!

Fencer29 - I didn't even realize it until you pointed it out. It was completely unintentional but the scenes definitely have some parallels.

I had this fight between Tokoyami and Momo planned out for a while. Unlike Midoriya and All Might's conversation, Tokoyami and Momo's is supposed to be more about communication (or lack there of). Sure, Tokoyami is saying it's because Momo is human that she should sit this out, but Momo's main anger is that he didn't even think about her feelings or even consult with her. He's acting as a big brother, and saying things/making decisions as he would do during the Trojan War without thinking of how Momo has developed or her feelings. There will be a clearer conversation about this in a chapter or two, but basically the Trojan War shoe holed everyone into roles in order to survive. And, now that it's over, people are developing and becoming who they were meant to be but at different paces.

Nunami112 – Thanks! I'm so glad you are enjoying this crazy journey through my imagination. XP I do have to give all credit for the few grammar mistakes to my betas. Definitely not my strong suite so its thanks to them that this is readable.

WellLifeJustAintFair – He definitely does drink his respect women juice. Mama Bakugo would beat him into shape if he didn't.

Mihairu7 – Thank you always for your thoughtful reviews!

KeroKeroNyao – LMAO you're review made me laugh. Yep, we got a couple of emotionally stunted people trying to dance around each other so of course nothing will go wrong.

As always big thank you to my betas: Flourchildwrites and C's Melody.

Chapter 14: We Can (Not) Rely

Shouto laid the unconscious pirate face-down on the makeshift cot.

The flames burning in the bronze tripods flickered, casting long shadows across the man's pale, sticky skin. Shouto sat back on his heels and tilted the man's head to the side to make sure the pirate didn't choke if he got sick.

The man stirred as Shouto adjusted him. His eyes fluttered open, and he moaned as he stared unseeing at Shouto for a moment before his eyelids closed again — hopefully not for the last time — and he shivered.

Shouto leaned down to the edge of the cot to grab the blanket but paused, hesitating. He stared down at the pirate, studying the gashes running across his back.

The skin had been shredded by the stympahlian's talons. The veins streaking out from around the wounds had turned green and purple from poison. And on the man's arm was a nasty cut from one of the stymphalian's feathers. It had sliced along his forearm, exposing bone.

The man shivered again, and Shouto wavered on whether he should cover him.

He decided not to. It wouldn't be safe to have anything touching either wound until they had been properly cleaned. The pirate would be lucky enough if he didn't lose his arm; he didn't need an infection on top of that.

Shouto folded the blanket back up and stood. The rest of the room was filled with the other gravely wounded. Pallets were stacked almost on top of each other in what had once been the dining room. Yet, the space wasn't big enough; only a third of those who were injured fit. The tents the pirates had brought with them were tattered. Men without life-threatening injuries were set up on cots in the courtyard or crowded in the hallway.

It was uncomfortable. Despair and pain hung over the house, sliding down Shouto's back like cold claws as it dredged up memories of the war. Of his comrades writhing in agony from incurable wounds, begging the gods for mercy — which they would never grant. And the civilians of Troy, the soldiers and innocents he'd killed, their screams and pleas as he tore Endeavor through them.

Shouto's fingers twitched, and he turned and walked outside.

The warm night air met him. During the dark, a heavy fog had crept out over the mountain, covering everything in a thick veil. It was denser than normal mist and most likely influenced by the dark magic lingering in the air.

Shouto walked until he got to the edge of the cliffs. The scent of burning stymphalian corpses from the courtyard stung his nose.

He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the smell. There was a hollow sensation in his chest as he thought back on the attack. The timing. The coordination. Was it the patron's doing?

It had to be.

Shouto flexed his fingers and brought his hand to rest on Endeavor's hilt. The uptick in stymphalian activity had started a month ago, right around the time his brother had attacked their ship. Were the incidents related?

It was hard to say with the evidence they had. Dabi was certainly sadistic enough and petty enough that Shouto wouldn't put it past him to use monsters to accomplish his goals. But, Dabi hadn't known he was going to lose when they had fought. And even if he had, Shouto found it hard to believe his brother would have been smart enough to plan something like this himself.

Besides, Aizawa said it was a bird with purple and green plumage that had come to the island…

That didn't sound like Dabi. His brother's colors were purple and blue.

So who was the patron?

Shouto's lips thinned, and he tapped his finger against Endeavor's hilt. The only god he knew with purple and green as their banner colors was Overhaul — or Phobetor as mortals knew him — the god of nightmares. He had heard rumors that the god had some sort of relations with Dabi, but from what Shouto knew, the god hated monsters and considered them filthy beasts. So, there was no apparent reason he'd be involved with the stymphalian.

A headache was building in the back of his skull. There were too many questions without any answers. Shouto sighed and opened his eyes to stare up at the silvery moon waning in the brightening sky.

At the end of the day, it didn't matter who the stymphalian's benefactor was. Shouto would just have to do what he always did. He'd fight, and he'd win because he was–

His throat closed abruptly, and he gripped Endeavor tighter as his hands began to tremble. Heat burned across Shouto's chest.

Strong.

Was he really strong? After everything that had happened, did he really get to call himself that?

Yaoyorozu had been injured because he hadn't been able to protect her. And Haimawari and Rin had been kidnapped due to his negligence.

How many countless others had been hurt because of him? Sero. The sailors tasked with bringing them back to Sparta. A flurry of other nameless faces flashed through Shouto's mind — all the men injured because of his mistakes.

Shouto reached up, and his fingers traced the marred skin around his left eye.

It was the way of life: the strong lived, and the weak died. He had accepted that. It was the motto of Greece. And Shouto had always been strong, or at least he thought he had. But, ever since the injury...or even before….

He dropped his hand and drew in a sharp breath through his teeth.

He had become careless. He had let these fake emotions for Yaoyorozu cloud his mind. And after last night, when he had cracked the stymphalian's neck with his bare hands to save her, it became abundantly clear the curse wasn't going away.

The thought made anger bubble in his chest, and Shouto forced his mind away from that line of thinking. It wouldn't do any good. He didn't know how to break it.

A voice in the back of his mind wondered if he should finally tell Yaoyorozu.

Shouto gritted his teeth.

The right thing — the honorable thing — would be to tell Yaoyorozu about a curse that was tied to her. Especially on the eve of the operation, it was even more important for any loose strings that could affect or influence the mission be addressed. He didn't want any more innocent people to be hurt because of the spell.

So why was he hesitating?

His fingers twitched. This wasn't like him at all. Shouto wasn't known for overthinking or being indecisive. If anything, he had been accused of being too rash. But anytime he thought about admitting his failure to Yaoyorozu, somehow, he couldn't get the words to form.

What was wrong with him?

At first, he had thought it was his ego and the notion of telling civilians from a former enemy nation about his weakness, but now he didn't know. Yaoyorozu was smart and could help him deal with the side effects. It was almost like he didn't want to...like he was nervous.

Could it be...was he afraid of Yaoyorozu's reaction?

Shouto felt something in his heart twist, and he sighed deeply and tried to focus on something else to calm his temper. It felt like all the thoughts he had been pushing down for the last month had exploded within his chest like magic.

That's right.

Shouto lifted his left hand and stared down at his palm. His fingers were shaking, but Shouto ignored the tremors as he focused on the slight pulse under his skin.

His magic had come back. Not fully, but he could feel it shifting in his veins again. Dormant but there. Like a dam with cracks beginning to form. He just needed to find a way to unleash.

And by tomorrow.

Before they went on the offensive against the stymphalian.

A noise behind him caught his attention. Shouto dropped his hand and looked up as Fukukado approached. She slid up next to him and stared out over the mountain. The long shadows of the night had grown shorter, and he could see the captain's face clearly in the morning glow. She looked tired, but some of the distress and unease from earlier was gone.

After a moment, Fukukado asked. "How are you and the girl—Yaoyorozu, was it?" Shouto stilled at her name, his stomach knotting as Fukukado continued. "How are you two fairing?"

To the south, the pirate ship's sails were barely visible through the fog.

Shouto forced himself to shrug faintly as she turned to look at him. "Fine. I wasn't hurt. Yaoyorozu sprained her shoulder, but after some rest, she should be okay."

Fukukado mouthed quirked faintly. "I didn't mean like that." Some of her color returned. And, for a moment, she looked like how she had yesterday when he had first met her. Then her playful expression fell. "We haven't been here for long, but I've noticed that you keep to yourself. You're always alone."

Shouto shifted, and he brought his hand up to rest upon Endeavor. "Sometimes it's better that way," he said stiffly.

Fukukado shook her head. "Sometimes. But not like you." She stared at him pensively for a moment before saying, "As a captain, I have to pay attention to my men. See who they work well with and who I need them to avoid. I need to know how to read people to stay alive. And I've been watching you. You don't socialize with anyone. You purposefully stand apart from others, like you don't trust anyone. You seem partial to Yaoyorozu, but even with her, you seem hesitant. It's like you're a house, and you don't want to let anyone in."

Shouto's grip on Endeavor tightened. He didn't want to have this conversation right now.

Fukukado seemed to read something in his expression because she continued quickly. "The reason I'm bringing this up now is because tomorrow will be difficult, especially if a god is involved. We are going to need to put our best effort into defeating the stymphalian, and the best way to win any fight is by having something to fight for."

Fukukado's expression tightened, and she looked away. "It took ten years to defeat the Trojans not because they were wonderful fighters or because they had an impenetrable city, but because they had things they were fighting for."

Shouto didn't say anything.

She sighed. "We aren't meant to be alone, Todoroki." Her voice was soft. "Humans, I mean. Whether that's a lover or children or friends. We all need someone. I have my men. They'll get me through this, but who do you have? Yaoyorozu?"

Shouto's hand tightened on Endeavor. His throat felt tight. "Yaoyorozu doesn't want anything to do with me. I'm respecting her wishes," he said stiffly.

Fukukado was quiet for a moment.

"I think she relies on you more than you think."

Shouto tried to ignore the way his heart rose at the comment.

"I'll do what I need to. Is that all?" he finally asked.

Fukukado sighed. "Yes, that's all I wanted to say. Anyways, enough lecturing. I guess I'm more tired than I thought." She stretched. "Get some sleep too, Aizawa told me you've been up for the last two days."

She returned inside, leaving Shouto to stare at the rising sun.

Did he really need someone?

Shouto turned and headed back into the house.

He had people back in Sparta, thousands of miles away—Sero, Bakugo, and Midoriya. He liked to think of them as friends (or had thought of them as his friends), but he had frozen Sero. Bakugo had sent him away and everything that had happened with Midoriya before he left…did he really have anyone anymore?

His heart pounded in his chest.

He blinked and realized belatedly that he was in front of the kitchen. Yaoyorozu was inside, busily cutting bandages out of extra sheets.

Shouto paused in the doorway. He had been so lost in thought he hadn't even been paying attention as he walked, and his feet had brought him back to her.

No.

It was the curse, he reminded himself.

Shouto scowled. Everything stemmed from Kaminari's arrow. He curled his hand into a fist at his side and was about to walk away when Yaoyorozu looked up.

"Todoroki?"

His feet paused, and he felt the curse pull at him. Shouto sighed. It wasn't like he was tired anyway. "I can help you, if you need it."

Yaoyorozu wiped at her forehead with the back of her forearm. She nodded, and Shouto moved closer, ignoring the way his heartbeat stuttered.

"Thank you." She gave him a thin smile as she handed him a pair of scissors and one of the blankets. "If you can just cut these into long, thin sheets. I'm making them into bandages. Try to make them even, if you can."

Shouto hummed as he took the scissors from her. From up-close, underneath the exhaustion and despair that they all wore, he could see that Yaoyorozu's eyes were red-tinged and the thin skin under them slightly puffy.

Realization dawned on him like a kick in the gut.

"You've been crying."

"Oh," she twisted away. Reaching up, she self-consciously wiped at her face. "It's nothing."

A lump formed in his throat. "Are you okay?"

She sighed but didn't meet his eyes. "Is anyone okay right now?" she asked softly.

"But I mean-"

"It's fine," she cut him off sternly. Her expression flickered, and she swallowed, dropping her head to stare at the table. "We can't be infighting right now."

The anger in Shouto's chest stirred, but he pushed it down and forced himself to get to work. The logical side of him understood.

He couldn't make Yaoyorozu talk. Forcing her when she wasn't ready to speak would only upset her further. And besides, he'd promised only yesterday that he'd be better and more considerate of her feelings. He couldn't fail, not even a full day after he had made that vow, just because of a stupid curse making him impatient. Shouto gripped the scissors tighter as he sheared them along the sheet.

She'd tell him when she was ready.

But he couldn't help to wonder what had happened.

Shouto knew she had been angry with Aizawa's decision. However, when he had left the kitchen, she hadn't looked so upset that she'd cry over it.

There had been an angry resignation in her expression, but not sadness. But now, she looked sad. And lonely. It felt like something had occurred after the meeting, something more painful.

'We can't be infighting right now.'

Shouto's lips thinned. What did she mean by that?

"Todoroki."

Yaoyorozu's voice snapped Shouto out of his thoughts. He jerked his head up to find Yaoyorozu staring pointedly at his hands.

"You're cutting the sheet too small."

Shouto followed her gaze down to the table. The makeshift bandages he was cutting were frayed at the edges and definitely not meeting Yaoyorozu's request for evenly cut strips. He looked back up at her and felt his ears turn red. "Sorry."

Yaoyorozu shook her head faintly, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "You've never used scissors before, have you?"

Shouto shifted, and he looked away. "No."

In fact, Bakugo had explicitly barred Shouto from ever helping with what he called "household chores." According to the prince, any time Shouto was around, work only seemed to double. Shouto thought the judgment was unfair, but looking at his poorly cut bandages, maybe Bakugo wasn't wrong.

Yaoyorozu made a noise in the back of her throat that sounded like suppressed laughter as if she could read Shouto's thoughts. "Here. I'll show you a trick to cutting straight."

She moved closer. Shouto tensed as the heat of her body leaned into his, and she took his bedsheet, her fingers skimming against his.

"First, take your fabric, and hang some off the table."

Warmth curled in Shouto's chest as he watched Yaoyorozu work. She seemed calmer now. Her shoulders were not as tense, and there was a faint smile on her lips.

'I think she relies on you more than you think.'

Shouto inhaled slowly through his nose. Fukukado couldn't be right. There was no way that Yaoyorozu would rely on him, especially if she ever learned about the curse. She'd never trust him.

"Then cut along the edge of the table to get an even strip," Yaoyorozu continued demonstrating, unaware of Shouto's thoughts. She sliced an even line along the bedsheet, and then looked back up at him. Her smile dropped slightly as she blinked, scanning his face. "Todoroki? What is it?"

Shouto shook his head and then stared down at the perfectly even fabric she had cut. "Nothing." He exhaled slowly. Then wavered for a moment before adding, "I'm just glad you don't seem as sad anymore."

Yaoyorozu opened her mouth and then closed it. Her shoulders dropped. "Is that so," she said slowly. Her eyes grew glassy. She pressed her lips into a thin line and ducked her head.

Shouto froze.

Fuck.

Did he mess up?

His heart rate quickened. He didn't understand what he did wrong, but when Shouto opened his mouth to apologize, Yaoyorozu looked up at him from below her long dark eyelashes. Her eyes were still red but a small genuine smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. "Thank you," she whispered.

It felt like all the air in the room had suddenly vanished. His heart rose in his chest.

Shouto swallowed thickly. Unconsciously, his fingers moved towards her hand when footsteps against the flooring drew Shouto's attention. He looked up as Tokoyami stepped into the doorway and hesitated.

"Yaoyorozu, I wanted to talk…" The bird half-monster trailed off as he froze and looked between them. His expression hardened. "Todoroki."

Yaoyrozu stepped back. "If you'll excuse me," she said quickly. She dropped her head, her long hair hiding her face as she turned away. "I have to go tend to the wounded," she said, picking up the makeshift bandages and hurrying quickly towards the door.

Tokoyami visibly wavered as she drew closer. "Yaoyorozu, may I have a word in private?"

Yaoyorozu paused. Her back was to Shouto, so he couldn't see her face, but when she spoke, there was a faint tremble in her voice. "After. I have to go finish up first." She straightened and walked out the door leaving Shouto and Tokoyami alone.

Shouto looked back at Tokoyami. The half-monster shifted. His hands curled into fists at his side.

Then it hit Shouto; the reason Yaoyorozu was upset was because of Tokoyami. He had done something to hurt her.

Fury welled up in Shouto's chest, and he pressed his lips into a thin, hard line. His fingers twitched.

'We can't be infighting right now.'

Shouto exhaled slowly. That was Yaoyorozu's decision. He needed to respect her wishes. He swallowed the anger back as he waited for Tokoyami to leave.

Except he didn't. Tokoyami straightened and met Shouto's gaze. "What were you doing in here?" He asked finally.

Shouto inhaled deeply to try and pace his rage. He could feel the curse pulsating in his veins. "I was helping make bandages," he said, holding up his pile of poorly cut sheets.

Tokoyami hesitated. It was hard to read his bird-like expression. After a moment, he inhaled deeply. "I thank you for saving her earlier," he said in a strained tone. His expression rippled. "But please…you should leave Yaoyorozu alone."

"Just like you're leaving her?"

Shit. Shouto meant to keep his anger in check, but now that the words tumbled out, he could feel how angry he was for Yaoyorozu.

Tokoyami's eyes widened. "I'm not leaving her!" He shifted as he met Shouto's gaze. "But she needs to stay behind; it is for the best. She's human and our only healer outside of Aizawa."

"You made her cry."

Tokoyami's yellow bird-like eyes flickered momentarily before they hardened in anger. "Yaoyorozu knows it's the right thing to do. She's a healer, not a fighter."

"Then why did you teach her to fight?" Shouto growled.

Tokoyami clicked his tongue. "We were at war. Of course, she needed to know."

"But you doubt her now?" Shouto asked, his voice low as he stepped around the table.

"It's not about doubting or not. It's about not having another healer and the fact that she is human. Her body won't last fighting the stymphalian or a god…not like ours."

"She doesn't need your protection. She's strong."

"I never said she wasn't strong. But I'm not risking her. I don't know what you see her as, but she's like a sister to me," Tokoyami said, eyes flashing in challenge. "I won't lose any more people I care about because of you." His voice was hard and tight. "But she's your slave. If you want her to fight, then order her."

"I'm not going to order her," Shouto hissed indignantly. "Never. If I made decisions for her, I'd be no better than you."

Unconsciously, his hand moved to Endeavor.

Tokoyami's eyes flickered down for a moment, then back up to his face. His eyes grew hard. "You say that, but as soon as we leave this island, you'll hurt her. If you really cared about her, you'd use your powers and end this, but you haven't."

The accusation hit him like an arrow in the gut, poisoning him with the truth of the situation.

If only he had access to his power...if only he wasn't so weak...

Shouto's tongue twisted with all the anger and frustration he had been feeling since arriving on the island. He wanted to pour out his rage on Tokoyami, but that wouldn't do any good.

His fingers shook, and he curled them tighter around Endeavor's hilt as he forced himself to swallow his fury. "I won't hurt her. Ever. That's a promise. We're on the same side now. You're the only one hurting her."

A shadow appeared in the doorway behind Tokoyami, but Shouto ignored them as he stepped closer.

Tokoyami's yellow eyes flashed, a hint of regret flickered in their depths before hardening in defiance. "I only said what was necessary."

"Enough," Aizawa's gravelly voice snapped.

Shouto rolled his jaw but didn't look away as Aizawa approached and stepped in between them. The older man pushed Shouto away. Reluctantly, Shouto took a half a step back.

"That's enough, both of you. I know everyone is tense, but we can't be fighting before tomorrow's operation." Aizawa's eyes flashed as he looked between them. His lips thinned, then he turned towards Tokoaymi. "You two can't seem to comprehend the situation, so I'll split you up. Tokoyami will take my place for the morning patrol. Everyone else will stay here and prepare."

Tokoyami's expression hardened. "No complaints," he muttered darkly.

This chapter gave me a lot of trouble. In my first version, I had a lot more serious conversation between TodoMomo but I felt it didn't really add anything to the plot. So took the chapter back to the drawing board and I'm so happy I did. Hopefully you all enjoyed the cuter moments between TodoMomo before Tokoyami interrupted them (again). I know I know. I keep using Tokoyami but he's like Momo's older brother so it makes sense that he'd always be the one to go look for her. Anyways, love to hear all your thoughts.

Notes:
Deimos – is the god of terror and one of the banner men of Ares. In this story, Dabi is Deimos.
Phobetor – is the god of nightmares. In dreams he takes the form of animals or monsters.