Hello all my lovely readers and followers! It's been a while, hope your 2023 is going well. I'm so excited to share this chapter and for the special art that I've been dying to share with you all! Seriously...I think I've been sitting on this since July. See the piece on my twitter page /TPlease1717/status/1626756754355769345

Thank you as always to the wonderful FlourChildWrites for the beta.

Chapter 31: We Can (Not) Have Fun

Silver snowflakes drifted down from a woolen gray sky to kiss the tip of Shouto's nose and cheeks.

The mountain was silent. A strong wind from the night before tore the leaves from the remaining deciduous trees, leaving the earth covered with a thin layer of branches. The dead foliage crunched underneath Shouto's sandals with each step.

It had been three days since the group had parted ways. Jirou and Kaminari left to visit Tokoyami. And Kendo and Tetsu-Tetsu had taken their cart north with Hagakure joining them, saying that she didn't want to be a third wheel. Shouto wasn't sure what she had meant by that statement, since he and Yaoyorozu didn't even own a cart but understood that Hagakure hadn't been prepared to cross the mountains.

Yaoyorozu gasped awestruck. "Oh wow! It's gorgeous!"

Shouto glanced over his shoulder to find Yaoyorozu had stopped. The red cloak he'd gifted her was wrapped tightly around her shoulders, and her face was flushed from the hike and cold, but her dark eyes sparkled as she stared through a gap in the trees.

Turning, Shouto moved closer to follow Yaoyorozu's gaze across the valley below.

The rocky Rhode steeps rolled down. Evergreen pines gave way to gold and orange forests before tapering off into rolling green hills. Diceae could still be seen on the horizon: a dark splotch of humanity against the ashen gray sky.

"It makes one feel small, does it not?" Yaoyorozu asked in a soft voice without looking at him.

Shouto shifted closer and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her flush against him. "Yeah."

As magic sparked along Shouto's skin, Yaoyorozu made a sound of contentment and melted into him until he was practically covering her. It reminded Shouto of a baby bird sticking its head out from underneath its mother's plumage. Shouto chuckled at the image and raised a brow. "Better?"

"Acceptable." Yaoyorozu rested her head back against his chest and sighed heavily. "I knew mountains were colder the higher one went, but I didn't expect the temperature to drop this drastically."

"No." Shouto agreed. He stared over Yaoyorozu's head at the forest lining the mountain steeps below. The deciduous trees should have only begun to welcome autumn; instead, it was as though the Rhodes Mountains had jumped right from the throws of summer to winter.

An old, croaky voice pulled at the edge of Shouto's memories. "A hot summer, followed by an even colder winter..."

Yaoyorozu tilted her head. "What was that?"

Shouto shrugged and rested his head against the crown of Yaoyorozu's head, tightening his arms around her. "Nothing. Just something the old satyr from Dicaea said. I think he was referring to the gods' anger and their mood swings."

"I see." Shouto could hear the frown in Yaoyorozu's voice. "He may have been right though. Jirou also mentioned how the gods are not keeping monsters in check anymore. Perhaps that extends to the weather as well?"

Shouto snorted. "Seems like something they'd do. They just like throwing tantrums when they don't get their way."

Yaoyorozu jerked her head up to glare at him. "Todoroki."

"Sorry," Shouto said, not feeling very sorry at all.

Yaoyorozu's eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth, and Shouto cut her off before she could say more about his disrespect for the gods. "Anyways, we should find shelter. It looks like another storm is coming in."

As if on cue, the sky darkened, and a cold gust blew across the mountaintop, shaking the branches of the trees.

Yaoyorozu stared at him for a moment longer before turning back around in his arms to look out over the valley below. She drew in a deep breath and let it out. "Right. Let's go."

She didn't move.

Shouto arched an eyebrow. "You're not moving."

"Your arms are still around me."

"So, it's my fault?"

"Yes."

A smile spread across Shouto's expression. "I see, then —"

He began to remove his arms, but Yaoyorozu caught his wrists, locking him in place. "One more moment. I need to prepare myself."

Shouto snorted. "You just want to steal my warmth."

"I cannot confirm or deny that statement," Yaoyorozu said, her tone wry.

Shouto chuckled before his smile disappeared. If he wasn't worried about Yaoyorozu's health, Shouto would have enjoyed the closeness that had developed between them over the past few days.

Ever since the revelation about the curse — or the lack of one — an unknown burden had been lifted from Shouto's chest. He felt free. And, for the first time over his twenty-two years on the planet, Shouto realized he was happy.

His arms tightened around Yaoyorozu's shoulders until she squealed cutely. Shouto dropped his head down to nuzzle Yaoyorozu's ear. He wanted to enjoy this newfound happiness: to play and joke with Yaoyorozu. He wanted to make her the center of his universe. But now wasn't the time for him to be selfish.

They needed to find shelter, and Shouto needed to focus on keeping Yaoyorozu safe. Unlike him, she couldn't regulate her temperature. And although the red cloak was of good wool, her chiton underneath was thin, and her sandals were uncovered. If he wasn't careful, she could get frostbite.

Shouto exhaled, and a white mist condensed in front of him. The snow was falling harder. "Do you want me to carry you?"

"What?" Yaoyorozu pulled back to look up at him.

"I can carry you the rest of the way."

"Across the mountains?" Yaoyorozu asked, her eyebrows raised skeptically.

Shouto nodded. "Yeah."

"Impossible." Yaoyorozu shook her head with a soft snort of disbelief. "It will still take us three to four full days of walking to get to the other side of the mountain range. And I'm heavy. You'd exhaust yourself."

"That's fine."

Yaoyorozu jerked her head up to leer at him. "You're supposed to make me feel better about my weight, not agree."

"Oh." Shouto didn't blink as he stared down at her. "Sorry. So do you want me to carry you?"

Yaoyorozu sighed again, then closed her eyes and straightened. "I'll be –"

A cold gust of wind ripped across the mountaintop, making even the hair on the back of Shouto's neck stand up. Yaoyorozu shivered, and all the resistance seemed to deflate from her. "Okay."

Shouto started to smile before Yaoyorozu's eyes snapped up, and she gave him a stern look. "But, only for a bit, just until we find shelter. Then we'll discuss the next steps. I'm not letting you carry me all the way across the mountains."

"Until we find shelter," Shouto agreed in a demure voice, trying not to smile.

Yaoyorozu's shoulders slumped. "Okay."

Shouto kissed Yaoyorozu's temple then dropped his arms from around her shoulders. Stepping back, Shouto took a knee on the pine-covered ground. Yaoyorozu adjusted the grip on her spear and coat before moving behind him.

As he waited for Yaoyorozu, Shouto watched a ground squirrel scamper down the side of a tree. It jumped from the trunk and suddenly vanished as Shouto followed its descent to the forest floor. No sound. No mused leaves. It was as if the squirrel had never been there.

Shouto's stomach dropped.

Magic.

He swallowed hard and blinked to clear his vision, but the squirrel didn't reappear.

"Did you see that?" Shouto lowered his voice, trying to stay calm.

Yaoyorozu froze behind him. "See what?" she asked quietly.

Shouto's heart felt as though it were stuck in his throat. Still kneeling, he tilted his head. For a moment, nothing happened, then — as though it had always been there — a tree flickered in and out of view.

Shouto drew in a sharp breath. "There." He pointed. "That tree, do you see it?"

From the side of his eye, Shouto saw Yaoyorozu shake her head. "No…"

He ground his teeth. "Something is that way."

Yaoyorozu leaned closer. Shouto could feel her body's heat as she pressed against his shoulder and followed his gaze. "Is it only a tree? Can you see anything else?" she asked in a whisper.

Shouto narrowed his eyes. Nothing moved or appeared. He tilted his head slightly, and the same tree came back into focus as if it was magicked to only appear at certain angles.

Shouto curled his left hand into a fist on his knee as he slowly reached with his right toward Endeavor. "Stay here."

He rose and made his way closer. When he was about at the site of where he believed the tree to be, Shouto reached out a hand and felt the air. For a moment, nothing happened, then his fingers grazed rugged bark, and Shouto's breath caught as the pine tree appeared.

It was an ordinary tree of medium height and width. However, as Shouto stared at the tree, he realized there was some sort of symbol carved into the base. Four concentric circles in the shape of an eye.

"That's an evil eye!" Yaoyorozu gasped.

Shouto jerked his head up to look back at her. "What?"

"Let me see!" Yaoyorozu rushed over to his side. She knelt down and traced her finger across the markings. Her face lit up. "It is!"

"What?" Shouto repeated.

A large smile spread across her face. "Evil eyes are used as protection from malicious spirits and monsters. It must be protecting something…" Yaoyorozu's voice trailed off as she leaned down to brush the leaves aside around the base of the tree.

Shouto stood hesitating, watching Yaoyorozu as she eagerly searched the ground. If an evil eye was used as protection, and it was magicked to not appear unless touched, then someone obviously didn't want whatever it was to be found.

He stepped back and turned slowly around to study their surroundings, then stopped. Shouto's eyes widened. "Yaoyorozu, look."

Yaoyorozu froze and looked up.

In between the falling snow and evergreen pines was the faint shape of a cabin.

Yaoyorozu stumbled to her feet. "To-Todoroki, please tell me I am not seeing things? Is-is that a house? It is, isn't it?!"

It would be generous to call it a house, Shouto thought as he studied the wooden structure. Rotten wooden planks enclosed a small shack that had been worn with time. Moss climbed up the windowless sides, and dried leaves and branches covered the roof so thoroughly it was impossible to say if they were intentionally used as part of the roof or hadn't been cleaned. In any case, it didn't appear the shelter had been used in a long time.

Still —

"It could be a trap."

"I don't think so," Yaoyorozu said; her voice was thoughtful. "Look." She pointed down to the ground. "There are no tracks. No one has been through here in a while."

Shouto's lips thinned. "They could have come from a different direction. Or maybe a monster drew it."

"No." Yaoyorozu shook her head. "If there is an evil eye here, and it's protecting that house, the only way someone could come in is by passing this tree."

Shouto looked at her doubtfully. "What about monsters?"

"Monsters aren't capable of drawing the evil eye," Yaoyorozu said in an assured voice. "It would send them straight to Tartarus if they even tried. Only a human can draw it. So that means…" She took a few steps forward, then stopped, and spun back around to face him, smiling brightly. "We'll be safe here."

The tension coiled in Shouto's chest uncurled. "Okay. Let's see if there's anything useful in there."

As Yaoyorozu had suspected, the cabin hadn't been used in a long time. Dust covered the floor and few belongings, and they spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the small cabin and salvaging supplies.

The shack seemed to have been used as a hunting cabin. A fire pit sat in the center of the room. There was a single bed and small table for cooking, but otherwise, most of what was there were traps and tools for skinning and drying pelts.

Shouto set a few traps outside of the barrier, then chopped tinder. Before they knew it, dusk had fallen, and the temperature dropped as a storm blew across the mountaintop.

"To-Todoroki…" Yaoyorozu's voice pulled Shouto's attention away from the fire.

Shouto threw a wood block onto the fire and lifted his head.

Yaoyorozu fidgeted and averted her eyes. Her cheeks turned red. "There's-There's only one blanket," she stuttered. "And I don't see any extra bedding, just some wool that needs to be sewn…"

"I see." Shouto dusted off his hands and stood up. "You can have it."

Yaoyorozu jerked her head up. "No!"

Shouto raised an eyebrow. "It's fine. I can sleep on the floor."

"Certainly not!" Yaoyorozu said sternly. "I can't let you sleep on the floor. Especially not without a blanket when it's this cold."

"Then, what do you want to do?"

Yaoyorozu's cheeks reddened. She bit her bottom lip. "We-we'll share," she said finally.

"Are you sure?" Shouto asked.

"Yes," she said, her voice gaining conviction. Yaoyorozu drew in a deep breath and looked up, holding up a side of the blanket expectantly.

Shouto climbed onto the bed next to her. He took the edge of the blanket from Yaoyorozu and wrapped it around his back so that they were sitting shoulder to shoulder.

Outside, they could hear the wind whip and howl through the trees.

Yaoyorozu shifted closer to his side. "It's a shame we weren't able to prepare more. It would have been nice to have an extra blanket or decent winter shoes."

Shouto snorted and glanced at Yaoyorozu from the side of his eye. "Whose fault is that?"

Yaoyorozu stiffened, then looked away. "I don't know what you are alluding to," she said, raising her chin in the way Todoroki had learned she tended to do when she was being saucy. "I am perfect. I don't know what you are talking about. You're lucky to have me by your side."

Shouto lifted an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" he said, fighting a smile.

"Yes," Yaoyorozu said, a smug grin pulling at her lips. "Be grateful — He-hey! You're stealing the blanket!"

"Good," Shouto said, trying to sound serious. He pulled the blanket tighter around himself, dropping down onto the bed.

"No!" Yaoyorozu cried out, lunging at him. Her fingers dug into the blanket, and she pulled.

"What are you doing?" Shouto asked steadily, looking over his shoulder at her. A smile pulled at his lips when she tugged at the blanket again, and it didn't move. "I thought a perfect god slayer wouldn't need this. Weak men like myself need a blanket more than a powerful god slayer."

Yaoyorozu huffed and then smacked his side in annoyance which only made Shouto laugh. "Ugh! You're so annoying," she said with mock severity.

"You can always wish for another blanket."

Yaoyorozu's eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to waste a wish on a stupid blanket."

"Then —" Shouto sprang up. Yaoyorozu gasped and jerked back in alarm as he suddenly rolled on top of her, his chest pressing into her own. "How's this? Warmer now?"

Shouto knelt over Yaoyorozu, propped on his forearms. His tight muscles framed her head, careful not to tangle in her dark halo of hair. He stared down at her playfully, weight resting gently across her hips.

Yaoyorozu laughed. "No! You're heavy."

"What if the house were on fire and it was up to you — godslayer — to carry me to the door?"

Yaoyorozu pushed at his shoulders. "I'd think of something. I always do."

"I know."

Yaoyrozu slowly stopped pushing at him. Their noses were so close they were almost brushing. Shouto stared down at Yaoyorozu. The air shifted, and Yaoyorozu's expression flickered. Her hands moved from his shoulders to his face. "Please don't leave me."

"I won't," Shouto said firmly, lifting his hand up to cup hers against his cheek. "Have I ever broken a promise before?"

"No…"

He wanted to kiss Yaoyorozu again. Instead, Shouto pulled back slightly to look down at Yaoyorozu, and his mouth curled into a teasing smile. "Don't worry; I'm not like my god slayer. I keep my promises."

"What?" Yaoyorozu's voice hitched in indignation. Her eyes narrowed. "That is inaccurate! I keep all my promises. Tell me one time when I've broken an oath?"

Shouto hummed as if thinking. "Let me see." He shifted, adjusting himself to lay by Yaoyorozu's side. He propped his head up onto his hand as he counted off on his other fingers. "Back on Aretia, you promised that you'd rest and then didn't. Then there was the time we rescued Ashido and you promised that you wouldn't fight and —"

"That-That!" Yaoyorozu's face flushed. "Those were unusual circumstances that I couldn't afford to keep those agreements," she said with a huff, turning around so that her back was to him.

Shouto thought he caught red spreading across Yaoyorozu's face before she repositioned herself. His smile widened.

"Yes," Shouto said with a laugh. He leaned down and pressed his nose against her shoulder, nuzzling her. His hands wrapped around Yaoyrozou's waist, pulling her into his chest. "That's why I have to keep you close. But, if you aren't careful, I may never let you go."

Shouto snapped awake with a start. Sweat dripped down his neck, and his heart was beating at an unsteady pace. It felt as if he had been strangled. Every breath was painful and uneven.

Next to him, something shifted in the dark. Shouto looked over. Yaoyorozu lay next to him on the bed. Their single blanket had been kicked to their feet.

Shouto took a slow, deep breath to compose himself. Then, he gently drew the blanket back over her. Yaoyorozu curled into a ball, and her body relaxed again in sleep.

Shouto watched the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest for a few moments until his heartbeat returned to a more normal tempo. Across the room, the fire in the hearth had died down to embers. The cabin had no windows, but Shouto thought it was before dawn.

His fingers continued to quiver. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. His chest was tight with anxiety. He couldn't even remember exactly what he had been dreaming about. Something about the war. No doubt. That was all he ever dreamt about.

Shouto flopped back down against the bed. The spot he was lying in was soaked with his sweat. He knew he wouldn't fall back asleep.

He thought all his nightmares had disappeared. It had been a long time since he had one. Was it a premonition? Shouto shook his head.

Careful not to wake Yaoyorozu, he swung his legs off the bed. He grabbed Endeavor, tucking the sword into his chiton, and quietly stepped outside.

The first hues of morning light were touching the eastern sky, highlighting the snow that now covered the pine trees and mountaintop in the purest of whites.

Winter had arrived.

Thank you all for reading!