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Touya wrinkled his nose at the fishy smell clinging to him. But there was nothing he could do. If he didn’t want to go to bed hungry again tonight, he had to clean the interiors of at least five more ships by the end of the day.
Despite the hot weather, he refused to roll up the sleeves of his black shirt. His mother had warned him. In the last refuge they could call home, her delicate body had been reduced to a pool of blood at the hands of men who had attacked them from the shadows while Rei was planting her favorite flowers in their garden.
Touya shook his head sharply, his eyes burning. He couldn’t keep thinking about it. His mother’s last words echoed in his ears day and night.
Don’t let them find you.
Don’t let them find your siblings.
But after losing his mother, while hiding in the harbors, heroes from the old world managed to rescue him. They took Touya into their Hall, breaking their own laws because he was of the Blood of the Lady. They believed him to be the savior star, the flame that will never fade.
The heroes of the old world had regarded him as a friend, and considered him part of their family. But Touya had fled from the Hall at the first opportunity. Because only Touya knew the truth. Only he remembered it.
Touya felt a shiver run down his spine. His hairs stood on end. His senses sharpened. Muttering a silent curse, he turned away.
“I told you to stay out of sight.”
“And what behavior of mine led you to think I would obey your orders?”
Keigo’s blonde curls turned to gold with the touch of the sun, creating a harmony with his eyes, which resembled honey mixed with molten gold—a quality no mundane could possess. Freckles were scattered across his cheeks, like constellations listening to their secrets at night.
He was born in the light, but because of his power from the past, he was envied and coveted by all, so Keigo sought refuge with the enemy, the HPSC. He was so bright, dazzling like the sun.
Takami Keigo.
Hawks.
The Betrayer.
Touya clenched his fists. “Except for the fact that you’re so eager to find me and follow me around like a lost puppy?”
Wherever Touya went, Keigo always managed to find him, every single time. From the moment they first saw each other, the inexpressible attraction between them grew stronger each time their paths crossed, driving them closer to one another.
After all, their destinies had been intertwined since the past.
Although Keigo had long known who he truly was—that he was the Reborn of Hawks, the Betrayer—he was unaware of Touya’s true identity. Like the others, he believed him to be the Blood of the Lady.
Keigo didn’t remember that Touya was Dabi, the Dark King who struck fear into the realm.
And Touya? He didn’t dare tell the truth, and he didn’t think he ever could. He was too cowardly. He couldn’t bear the risk of losing Keigo again.
Keigo ‘the Betrayer’ Takami and Touya ‘the flame that will never fade’ Todoroki. Two childhood friends. Two lovers. Two sides of the same coin. Once a bright night and Dark King.
“Well,” said Keigo with a smile that brought sunshine to them. “You know what they say, all is fair in love and war.”
Touya hated the fact that his heart was soaring with hope.
“You’re right,” he said, turning his back to Keigo. Touya picked up the buckets of water and started walking towards the next ship. “We’re in the middle of a war. Both sides have put a bounty on our heads. I’m one thing, but you’re practically a diamond in the shadows, drawing attention wherever you go.” He nodded to a grey-bearded sailor who was waving at them. “If you’re—”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” Keigo said in a cold tone. Touya could feel the leaves fluttering around him, the wind caressing his cheek. “If you’re really serious about this,” Keigo said, closing the distance between them with ghostly steps. Touya gripped the buckets so tightly to avoid turning around that his knuckles turned white. “If you really mean every word that comes out of your mouth, then speak.” Their arms touched as he circled around Touya. When Keigo stood in front of him, Touya looked at him. Although his voice was cold and soulless, his eyes shone with a warmth he couldn’t hide. “So you won’t see me again.”
“No.”
To have found him after centuries, to lose him once again? That was out of the question.
“Keigo, you know I don’t want this.” His deep voice cracked with every word. “But you know the risks—we both do. They think I’m her blood. And you—”
“I am the apple of the Dark King’s eye,” Keigo finished. Both of them knew what he meant by that. Touya wanted to cup his face, shake him, remind him that this wasn’t their story—their love.
Touya put down the buckets, his gaze never leaving Keigo. “You are the most dangerous being that has ever existed, master of magic.” With trembling hands, Touya smoothed his wind-blown curls, tucking a golden lock behind his ear. Keigo froze at his touch, but remained unfazed. “In this eternity where the battle between darkness and light never ends, you are the only one I trust.”
The only one with the power to break my heart, to shatter my soul.