~Big Book of Fairytales~ My Hero Academia x Reader Fantasy AU

-3- The Story of a Love

This was a bad idea. I assumed it wasn't a part of the plan to get trapped in the cave, or maybe I'm following a criminal with a death wish. We ran to the back of the pitch black cave and the water joined us shortly.

"What was the plan here Todoroki!?"

"I..." he placed his hand on the wall that stood before us, then turned around to see the beam he had grabbed crashing into the entrance and trapping us, "I thought there would be a way out."

The water was filling in fast, "So what now? What do we do?"

"I..." The water was now at our lower-calf, "I don't know."

"You don't..." I found myself moving closer to him as the water scaled my legs, "You don't know..."

I wasn't mad. I just began working.

"What are you..?"

"I heard this work in a book," I began trying to pry the rocks from the cave wall, "Maybe there's a way out this way. I don't... It's the only thing I can think of. And I refuse to die here."

He did nothing as the water reached our waist, "I..." his voice turned to a whisper, "I wish I had that drive. That... want..."

The water reached our chests after a little while of silence. It was starting to get harder to claw at the wall, the water was pulling me up. Soon... I was ripped away.

I started to try and go back under, but Todoroki pulled me up, "There's no point. It's pitch black."

"This is all my fault," I took deep breaths, "Dabi was right, I shouldn't have done this. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Todoroki."

He looked at me, then looked at our little tomb, "Todoroki isn't my first name."

"What?"

"Todoroki is my last name. It's what almost everyone calls me but..." He looked at the water, "My name is Shoto. Shoto Todoroki. I don't want the last time I hear my name to be..." The water kept rising, "his voice."

"Shoto," I tried to keep my voice calm, "thanks," I found my eyes drifting to my hair, and then I told my own secret, "I have magic glowing hair."

"I'm sorry?"

It struck me like lightning, "I have magic glowing hair!" I closed my eyes, the water reaching my chin, and began to sing.

The glow started at the roots, I didn't have much time to sing before the water reached my lips. But it was enough. The glow filled the waterlogged cave with a golden light. I went back to clawing at the rocks, but... this time Shoto helped. The two of us placed our fingers behind a large stone, and then the light changed to the white light of daytime.

Water started pouring out. More and more rocks fell away, and the water rushed out. I found myself grabbing onto Shoto as we were swept away with the tide. Shoto held onto me too, but we were ripped apart in the waters.

I closed my eyes for an instant, and then found myself on the shore, "Shoto!" I bolted up and looked around, "Where are you!? Shoto! Please..."

I soon saw a mop of white and red, I ran over, "Oh gosh you're bleeding from the head!" I reached down, "Oh wait... That's just how your hair is."

Shoto slowly sat up, "Good to know you kept your humor."

I hadn't realized because I was soaking wet, but I had teared up, "I wasn't trying to be funny! I was worried!"

"Sorry," he then seemed to process everything, "Your hair glows."

I sighed, "Yeah..."

This was the most expressive I had ever seen Shoto, which wasn't saying much, "Why does it glow?"