Shoto Todoroki Oneshots

Fairytale Stranger

TRIGGER WARNING: none

THEMES: angst, fluff, BakuTodo, fantasy au

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Nobody for miles, just the way he liked it. Bakugou the Dragon King was scouting the borders of his kingdom, wanting to check any emerging threats or dangers towards his citizens. They weren't a large kingdom but were by no means a small one. And they held power too.

After all, harnessing the gifts of the ancient dragons made them a great power. Many kingdoms wanted to be Bakugou's ally and yet he turned down every single one of them. The actions of humans in the past made them untrustworthy, and their greed would damage his kingdom. This he was sure of.

So, despite having lookouts on the borders of his kingdom at all times, he often liked to go out and see for himself any changes or threats. This time he didn't go in his dragon form, preferring to stay as a human to keep closer to the border and remain undetected if enemies lurked in the shadows.

And this decision would change his life forever.

When Bakugou was at the farthest border to the west he followed the small riverbank path. It strayed slightly from the tree line but any passersby would leave him alone if they saw him. After all, his necklace of dragon teeth- his version of a crown- would tell them all they needed to know. So as he followed the riverbank he felt safe once more, not having seen anything unusual all day.

Yet, just as he went to turn back around and head back to his castle, something gold amidst the clear blue water caught his attention. He hesitantly walked over, his hand gripping his sword, and took a closer look. The gold he saw was the gold threads on a deep blue waistcoat. The gold thread made intricate patterns on the blue material and it looked very expensive indeed. Expensive, and human.

His eyes scanned around the riverbank immediately, wanting to know where the human was. He took out his sword from its sheath and walked further up the riverbank, right to the edge of the border. There he found a sight that made him pause. Body half in the water lay a man. A male that looked young and... a lot like him. Upon closer inspection the male was entirely unconscious and was breathing faintly. His shirt and slacks soaked through.

Bakugou paused for a moment wondering what to do, before deciding against his better judgement and pulling the male out of the river after sheathing his sword. He carried him over to a mossy patch of grass underneath a grand willow tree to shelter them from the harsh sun. And from there he took a good look at the male.

And Bakugou just found himself staring. For this man was incredibly beautiful. He looked around his age- no more than nineteen- and had the most perfect clear skin that sparkled from the sun rays filtering through the branches and onto the water droplets on his face. He found himself brushing a hand over his cheek and being taken by surprise at how soft it was. But the scar around his left eye did raise questions.

His hair was unusual. Split perfectly down the middle with red on one side and white on the other. But his lips were perfect and symmetrical, the lower one just a little bigger than the top, forming a cupid's bow. He had strong brows and a small nose, and to Bakugou was simply stunning. He had never seen a human like this before.

But he had to remain cautious as by the looks of his clothes, he wasn't a regular man.

Then the male began to stir, breath picking up a little and brows furrowing. Bakugou removed his hand from the male's cheek and kneeled over him with a curious expression on his face. He wasn't going to say a word. He didn't think he would even be able to at the sight that met him.

Two different coloured eyes- one turquoise one slate- met his, and for a moment they were all he could look at. The man looked up at him with a dazed expression yet there was surprise and curiosity in his gaze too.

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'Am I dead? No, I can't be. Who is this stranger? Damn my head hurts so bad. What happened...'

Shoto opened his eyes only to wince at the harsh daylight. He let out a long sigh and blinked a few times before his vision cleared. He felt like he was lying on something soft and warm, it felt nice against the ache in his back. But he could also feel another presence close by.

Shoto looked up only to be met with a face inches from his own. It was rather handsome he had to admit. A strong brow underneath messy blonde hair. Ruby red eyes with long lashes and a strong jaw. His face looked smooth and clear, and it was looking at him with a curious expression, the raised brow making him look youthful.

Well, he would be curious too if there was a random stranger passed out nearby. But how did he get here? Did the stranger carry him?

His vision cleared a little more and he wanted to make sure that this person wasn't a spectre of his imagination. So, using a surprisingly large amount of strength considering his arm felt like lead, he lifted his hand and carefully placed it on the stranger's cheek. No, definitely real.

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Bakugou's eyes widened when the stranger placed his hand on his cheek. He seemed to be making sure that he wasn't still unconscious, and so he leaned into the warm touch of the stranger, and tilted his head a little more when he softly gasped.

He remained quiet as the man began to take in his appearance, from brushing back his hair to see his eyes, to brushing over his lips with a delicate thumb. The male seemed to be just as intrigued about him as he was about the stranger.

Then suddenly the male winced and the hand on his cheek froze and turned cold. He squeezed his eyes shut and frowned as his face scrunched up in pain.

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The pounding in Shoto's skull increased tenfold and his head felt so dense and heavy. His breathing turned heavy and scattered and he could see black entering his vision. Taking one last look at the stranger he spoke to him before he was consumed by the darkness and slipped away.

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Bakugou caught the hand that slipped from his face, unknown worry in his eyes as he felt the warmth slip away. For one last moment red eyes met heterochromatic ones and a pained voice spoke quietly:

"Help..."

Bakugou was stunned for a moment. This human was asking him for help. He placed a hand on the male's forehead and found he was burning up, matching the faint and raspy breaths. He knew there had to be something more going on as his head was hot but his hands like ice.

And biting through his stubbornness to leave this stranger, he found himself wanting to look into his eyes again. After a moment of pondering over the male, he put his arms under him and picked him up, carrying him gently back down the riverbank path. The wet clothes were cold against his bare chest and the wet locks dampened his red cloak.

But the stranger in his arms didn't stir, and so Bakugou was okay with it as he went to get him some help. He knew that one of the castle's doctors could do something.

Yet, he paused only seconds later as something shiny gleaned from a small dam at the river edge. Walking over he saw it was a gleaming silver sword, emblazoned with a crest of fire. His eyes widened and he took a step back, looking between the male in his arms and the deadly human weapon. He couldn't be...

Now something else had to be seriously going on if the Prince of the kingdom of Endeavour- their sworn enemy- had washed up at his borders. His urge to drop the male and retreat, leaving him to his own fate, was as strong as ever but he just didn't want to let the stranger in his arms go.

So, against all of his better judgement, he left the sword there and continued on to his castle, hoping to get some answers when the beautiful man in his arms woke up.

He just hoped he had made the right decision, for himself and for his kingdom...