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“I found some dry wood, Todo,” Hanta calls, shouldering aside a few low-hanging branches and stepping into the clearing. Todoroki glances up at him and nods before going back to carefully arranging a pit for their fire. His movements are slow and stilted with his left arm bound tightly to his chest.
Hanta drops the wood besides him and begins arranging it in a pyramid, taking the smaller sticks and kindling Todoroki passes over to him for the inside. They make short work of building the fire and a focussed look from Todoroki is all it takes to light it. With the warm light and heat Hanta bustles into action and prepares the rest of the campsite. Todoroki makes a sour expression when Hanta waves him towards their bedrolls.
“You need to rest, shortcake.” Hanta says, sticking his tongue out when Todoroki wrinkles his nose at the nickname. “You overdid it earlier, and your arm is still hurt.” Todoroki curls up at the base of the tree he’s leaning against and tucks his uninjured arm around his stomach with a displeased noise.
“Don’t be so sour!” Hanta calls, smiling widely at his boyfriend, but it falls from his face when he turns away. Todoroki had terrified him earlier- they had gotten tangled up with a few bandits and one of them had an explosion seal neither had seen coming. The noise and flash had startled him, but Todoroki’s signature had wavered as his magic levels plummeted. Hanta’s heart had damn near stopped. The momentary thought that Todoroki was dying, that he had been hurt and Hanta had been right there and couldn’t do anything has been haunting him in the hours since.
“Sero.” Todoroki says quietly, but it’s enough to catch Hanta’s attention and stop his twisting fingers. “Come over here.”
Hanta could make up excuses- he could keep preparing camp, stock up the fire, fortify the seals for protection and concealment around the clearing, anything- but he so badly just wants to curl around Todoroki and keep him warm. So with Todoroki’s insistent stare and the itch to wrap around him, Hanta abandons his busybody work and moves over to their bedrolls.
It’s not until he’s curled around Todoroki’s back, his arms crossed over his stomach and his chin propped on the other boy’s shoulder, that he lets the thing that’s been tight and aching in his chest loosen. It feels like fear and guilt and it drags a sob out of him that he hides in Todoroki’s thick sweater.
“Hanta-” Todoroki whispers, catching one of his hands in his uninjured one, and Hanta presses closer and shakes his head wildly.
“Just-” Hanta says thickly, shakily, his voice hoarse around his tears. “Just let me hold you.” Todoroki stills in his arms before sighing softly. He laces their fingers together and settles back, letting Hanta bear his weight more.
“You worry too much.” He says. Hanta lets out a short, ugly laugh. He worries too much? He worries too much? He doesn’t worry enough. He’s gotten too used to the idea of Todoroki being a strong and capable fighter. He had forgotten that even with all his magic he can still be hurt, and that had almost killed Todoroki.
“You could have died.” Hanta says. Todoroki makes a hmph noise.
“But I didn’t. And we’ll remember this for next time.” He says back, and it’s so- it’s so frustrating that Todoroki doesn’t get it, that he can dismiss it so easily, and Hanta pulls his arms away and turns from Todoroki, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.
“We can remember all we want, and we can try to be faster or more aware or- or- or try to be safer, but all it takes is one moment of being too slow or not seeing something and that’s- that’s-” Hanta’s voice wavers and he chokes on a sob, fisting his hand up and digging it into his eye, and the pain gives birth to flashes of white that look like flame, but the tears just end up smearing across his shaking hand.
“Hanta.” Todoroki murmurs, gently taking Hanta’s wrist and pulling his hand away from his face. He leans in closer and looks up at him, blinking strands of hair that had fallen loose from his braid out of his eyes. “I promise I’m alright. You were there, weren’t you?”
“But what about when I’m not-” Hanta whispers, and he can barely see through his tears but Todoroki’s beautiful mismatched eyes are as clear as ever. He squeezes his eyes shut and drops his forehead against Todoroki’s, draws in a low, long breath that trembles out when he exhales.
“I’ll always come back to you.” Todoroki says quietly. His hand brushes the line of Hanta’s chin, follows his jaw up until he can curl his palm around the back of his neck. His thumb fits behind his ear and is just as mindful of his piercings as he was the first time they kissed.
“You’re cold. Come back to the fire.” Todoroki tugs his along gently, pressing him down onto the bedrolls before slipping to lay down in front of him. They curl together under the worn cloak they use as a blanket, heat gathering from the fire and each other even as the night settles. It’s easier to reassure himself that Todoroki is alright when they’re like this- his heartbeat is soft and steady under his hand, and their bodies are warm where they’re flush together.
Hanta can’t help but want to stay like this until Todoroki’s arm is healed; he wants to hold the other boy to his chest and protect him from all of the dark and ugly things that wait outside their reassuring ring of light and warmth.
“Stop worrying.” Todoroki whispers, his voice slurring around the edges as he dozes off. Hanta smiles against the back of his neck, feels it smear his tear tracks and fit him a little more squarely on his feet. He had gotten worked up earlier, he’ll admit it- but his resolves won’t change. He’s going to protect Todoroki better. He’s not going to let him get hurt again.