—First Person POV.—
"Why—" He starts, quickly jumping to his feet and pulling me away from the door— The banging making it seem like it would cave in at any moment.
"Why did you—" "They were going to kill you!" I defend my actions, hands shaking from both the adrenaline and the shock of what I just did.
"Who cares??" He throws back before something thick slams against the door— Shaking it and causing us both to jump.
Moving me back and behind him a bit more, I stared in disbelief at it all— My eyes now trained on the back of the soldier I had just saved.
I knew my quirk wouldn't fail, I knew my life would end today— Yet, I'm here, thanks to Eijiro's impulsive action and my rash gesture of sudden affection in front of the entire court room.
I froze, I didn't know what to do and after hearing what they were going to do to him everything seemed to become jumbled in my mind.
All I know now is that we need to get out of here because when those doors come crashing inwards— We're both screwed. And when my eyes catch sight of doors across the room, I grabbed his hand to get his attention this time.
"The balcony!" I call, pulling him back slightly before letting go of his hand to unlock and throw open the glass doors.
"What?!" He shouts over the banging and I run to one of my many suitcases— Throwing the lid open and yanking my satchel from inside.
"I should have enough gold in here to last a while," I say to myself, jumping as another slam racks through the door and the woods crackles further.
"What are you doing now??" The crimson eyed soldier questions, sending panicked glances between me and the door as I rush past him again.
I can hear him following close behind me, our shoes now stomping loudly across the balcony.
"At the bottom of the walls surrounding this castle, there is a water drainage door big enough for people to fit through." I repeat the words Asui had told me earlier.
"If we hurry, we should be able to get there." I state and turn to see Kirishima staring in disbelief "Wait no— We can't just—" Another slam, this time sending the door off of its hinges.
"Eijiro!" I shout "Do not argue with me on this!" I demand and he gulps, glancing over his shoulder before rushing forward and wrapping an arm around my lower back.
And without another word, he hooks his other arm beneath my legs and lifts me up into a bridle-style carry— His body jumping the railing and sliding down the tiles of the roof.
His shoes clank loudly as he slides, the two of us descending swiftly and I look up to see no guards following. We soon fell out of sight as he jumped off the roof and hardened one of his arms.
With one arm holding me against him, his hardened claws slammed into the stone wall— Slowing our fall to a stop before he kicked off and landed on the grass surrounding the castle.
"Where's the hatch?" He calls and I fixate my attention back on him "She just said 'At the bottom of the walls'." I state and he comes to a stop, looking out along the stone trapping us in.
And as he is looking— I hear a shout sound off behind us, my head looking over his shoulder to see some guards filing out of the castles doors.
"Uh, Eij, not to rush you but—" His crimson eyes flicker to me for a moment, blinking to give me his attention before snapping his head back to look behind him in alert as another shout calls out.
Wind rushed through my hair as he took off once more, his legs kicking up dirt and grass as he turned to run along the bottom of the wall.
And honestly, I thought we would be caught until he dropped to his knees to skid to a stop— His arms swiftly setting me down in front of some bars at the bottom of the wall.
I was confused because Asui said it was a door— And the crimson soldier just ripped it out of the wall, creating an opening large enough for one of us to fit in.
And for a moment, I wonder if he has super strength— "Come on, you first." He hurriedly says, pulling me forward by my waist and helping me into the room beneath the walls.
It isn't until I land securely on the floor that he slides in after, wasting no time in lifting me back up into his arms and looking down at the water rushing through the 'pipe'.
"Are you sure about this?" He questions, brows furrowed to me and I slowly nod, praying Asui was right.
And with a trusting nod back, he jumps, the water whisking us away from the angered shouts of the guards that attempted to capture us.
As we're sliding down, my head is tucked inwards when Kirishima's hand cups the back of it, protecting me from any possible injuries.
The water splashes and flicks against my skin, dampening our clothes and by the time we come flying out and into the shallow lake providing water to the outer village.
We are mostly drenched.
Kirishima carries me off to the side, stepping over the small rail rimming the lake to keep the water contained before moving off and into one of the alleyways to catch his breath.
"You can put me down," I offer, lightly pressing a palm against his chest to gain his attention and he nods for a second— Gently setting me back on my feet.
With the bustle of the townsfolk, I know we should have some time before news spread about our recent departure— So a short rest would be good for the soldier beside me.
I take this time to check my satchel, noting that all of my gold is still there before letting out a sigh and grabbing Kirishima's hand.
"Come on, the villagers should give us enough cover to sneak out of here." I explain, tugging on him slightly and starting off into the crowd.
Big kingdom means word travels slow, so my current plan is to get us through before the guards here are alerted of the news.
Our pace is more of a speed walk, weaving past people once we make it to the market and ducking my head slightly the closer we get to the outskirts of the city.
The valley outside is both a blessing and a curse, my brain knowing we'd have to cross it swiftly in case word had already started to spread.
But it's alright, we seem to make it out of the village without much of any issue the rumbling of clouds alerting that rain would be coming soon.
It was Spring after all, and after checking in on Eijiro— He glances behind us before nodding to me, the two of us taking off down the dirt path and into the valley.
I don't know where we're going or how we'll survive, but something in my chest tells me I did the right thing and that's what keeps me from looking back at the castle and everything else I had left behind.
—Time Skip.—
The clouds above block out most of the sunlight, leaving the forest surrounding us in a dimmed hue with the quiet crunch of grass below our feet to fill in the silence.
We had left off the trail a while ago, continuing straight to exit the King's realm and agreeing that it'd be safer to stay away from it in case they tried following us.
And by the slight breeze brushing through the air, I'd assume it was evening now.
"..What's in the bag?" He wondered, voice breaking through the small silence we had recently created and causing me to glance his way.
"Just some gold, hopefully to last us until we figure out what to do." I answer, tapping my fingers against the satchels side and earning a nod from the soldier.
Or, ex-soldier? I don't know, everything still feels so surreal to me and I don't even realize I'm shivering until Kirishima points it out.
"Are you cold?" He questions, causing me to blink this time— Just now realizing how I was freezing and the pitter patter of rain finally makes it's way to my ears.
Water droplets start snaking through the leaves above, my eyes casting upwards once some of it lands on my shoulder— The rumbling of thunder growing over us.
"Hey, (Y/n)," Kirishima says, slipping his hand into mine to gain my attention "You okay? I've been calling you." He points out and I clear my throat.
"Oh, yes— Sorry, I guess I'm still in shock." I explain briefly and he nods "Yeah, you and me both." He laughs gently and I crack a small smile at that.
We stare at each other for a moment before some rain lands on his face and he flinches out of his fixated state— Crimson eyes flickering up to the darkening sky before he tugs me closer to him.
"Come on," He says, lifting me back into his arms like he had earlier— Causing me to jump slightly in surprise with one of my hands coming to rest on his chest.
Then he starts jogging off, the rain growing along with the thunder around us as he made his way through the trees, our clothes getting more soaked than before now.
After a few minutes, I feel the soldier skid to a stop, mud kicking up with his movement before he backtracks and comes to a stop— Looking into what I now know as a cave.
"Alright, this should be good for now." Kirishima states, stepping out of the rain and into the shelter of the cave before setting me down.
The two of us turn, looking out at the rain as it harshly poured and created a blanket of water running over the entrance in front of us.
For a moment, things seem to still, my thoughts drowned out and washed away by the rhythmic flutter of rain.
My gaze casts to the side, looking at Eijiro and taking in his disheveled state— His hair was a mess, some parts sticking up while others flopped downwards, drenched with water.
His skin was in a similar state: Glistening with water and scratches running along any exposed skin he exhibited.
"..Thank you." I say and those beautiful crimson eyes stare back at me, lips parted slightly to showcase the tips of his sharpened teeth as his cheeks flush.
"I'm.." He pauses, voice wavering before he clears his throat and breaks our eye contact to glance out into the rain-filled forest "I'm going to get stuff to start a fire.."
"Want me to come help?" I offer and he gently shakes his "You've been shivering and I don't want you to get sick." He explains and I slowly nod in understanding.
"Okay.." I say "Be safe, Red." He nods towards my statement and I watch as he ducks out and runs off into the forest.
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