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“It’s alright if you don’t want to.” Ojiro assured him, and Ejirou exhaled sharply though his nose, hotter than any human would’ve been able to stand.
“I want to.” he said firmly, squeezing his eyes shut tighter. “It’s just-” he reached for his magic, willing himself to transform, but all that happened was his joints and newest scars began to ache.
“Like before.” Bakugo said, and Eijirou looked over at his friend with a questioning sound. “Before we found the tribe, remember?” Bakugo gestured vaguely at Eijirou. “You turned back into a human, then couldn’t figure out how to be a dragon again.”
“Yeah, but then I didn’t know how to use my magic.” Eijirou frowned, pointedly not dwelling on the things that had held him in human form after he first shifted back. “I know now, so why can’t I change?”
“Fuck if I know.” Bakugo shrugged.
“You don’t have to change.” Tetsutetsu reminded him, and Eijiro opened his eyes so the ward-weaver could see him roll them.
“I can hardly participate in raids if I can’t transform at will.”
“Yeah, and if he’s out of the fight so am I.” Bakugo reminded everyone, chest puffed out slightly like it was special that Aizawa had given them the okay to be designated as dedicated partners. The Toko-bros had been dedicated partners since before he and Bakugo met the tribe, it wasn’t like they were alone in being sworn together so young.
“Well, we believe in you.” Tetsutetsu beamed, giving Eijirou a wide smile and thumbs up.
“Thanks for he vote of confidence.” Eijirou smiled politely, then shut his eyes and tried again, reaching for the strength and heat he felt as a dragon. For the lethal claws which tipped all four of his draconic feet. For the stretch of his wings and lash of his tail. Pain shot through his bones as they began to stretch, and he gritted his teeth as he pushed the transformation as fast as it’d go. He could do this. Do it for his friends who believed in him, for Bakugo who was counting on him.
He snarled and landed on all fours, flaring his wings and slamming his tail down behind him. The aches were gone, but when he looked down at his ankles the scales were damaged. That would probably go away with his next shed, right?
“Oh, Kiri.” Ojirou stepped over to his side and reached up, fingers just barely brushing the edge of Eijirou’s wing. A few paces away, Fumikage and Fuan wore identical looks of shock and sympathy.
“Does it hurt?” Mina asked, and Eijirou pulled one of his wings forward to see what they were talking about. The sight of ragged holes near the edge made his flames gutter in his chest, cold seeping through him. He just knew that when he folded his wings back, those holes would line up with where the chain harness had kept his wings pinned to his back. Between all the other pains he’d somehow not known his wings were being ruined.
“Oi, Red!” Bakugo shouldered past Ojiro and Mina both, walking up in front of him with that stubborn set to his jaw that meant Eijirou would be getting what passed for a pep talk with Bakugo. “You better not be thinking some stupid shit.”
“I’m not, promise.” Eijirou chuckled, crouching for his friend and partner to jump up on his back. “Just worried it’ll fuck up my flying.”
“Well, only one way to test that.” Bakugo strode over and easily launched himself up onto Eijirou’s back.
“Wait, shouldn’t you be on the ground then?” Ojiro asked, and Bakugo scoffed.
“What sorta partner would I be if I didn’t trust this idiot?” Bakugo rapped his knuckles on Eijirou’s flank, settling down between two of the spines on his back. “You ready to fly?”
“Yeah.” Eijirou nodded. If Bakugo thought he could fly even with such damaged wings, by the gods he was going to try.