word count: 4k
summary: you'd always been fascinated by the stories of the dragon king bakugou katsuki, always adventuring to find the boy throughout your childhood. but after being left behind to fend for yourself, you accidentally wander into the explosive boy's territory.
...
growing up, you'd heard the tales of mythical creatures that used to roam the earth.
dragons that lived in the mountain tops and hoarded treasure in caves, burning alive those that dared cross them with their fire-breathing, elves that kept to the forest and glided along with an elegance, bewitching all of those with their beauty if their gaze were to ever fall to the graceful creatures, faeries that hid in lush gardens and meadows, causing mischief to those who came across the little creatures.
you were awestruck, staying up late and sneaking out to the bonfires of your camp just to listen and learn of these fascinating stories. you would often dream of these creatures, but the one that caught you the most was the story of the dragon king.
he was said to be young, a kid just a year or so older than you were, but his power was rumored to rival the gods. they said he could speak to the dragons, tame them, riding them high into the skies and then sleeping with them in their caves. the storytellers said he himself was a rare breed, one of the last few alive, if not the only one, who could speak the dragons' language.
bakugou katsuki–the feared dragon king.
you would often find yourself seeking out the young dragon king in your travels; you wanted to know if it was just a story, much like the unicorns and mermaids in other fairytales. but like all kids, you had to grow up someday. you were nearly an adult when you realized that dragons no longer existed, and elves had hidden themselves away that everyone doubted they were truly real, and the faeries were just imaginary beings that were invented to entertain little girls and boys.
years passed, and you were approaching your twentieth birthday; you had long since abandoned your family–or rather, they abandoned you. they had other mouths to feed, and they couldn't afford to watch over you while they had other little ones. you didn't mind much, you had no desire to be a travelling merchant, but rather an explorer, just as your childhood self would have wanted. still, it hurt to be left behind.
but often times, surviving on your own wasn't all that easy. you had quickly learned of the world's unforgiving and hostile ways, a lesson that was taught by hard times. lessons that erased any childhood innocence you possessed.
you walked quietly down the beaten path with your hood over your head; the cloak gave you little sense of warmth, and you needed to set up camp soon. the sun was beginning to dip into the hills, the sky painted with pinks, purples, and oranges. your stomach growled, and you bit your lip. you didn't have anymore food, and you didn't have anymore bows left to catch a rabbit or squirrel.
you dipped between the trees as you left your path in search of a clearing–somewhere you could set up your makeshift tent and a fire to keep you warm. you grabbed a few spare twigs and branches for your fire on your quest to find the clearing, and you did so within the last few minutes of daylight. you pitched your tent and set up a circle of stones.
the clearing wasn't much–it certainly wasn't home–but the makeshift camp would have to do; you lit the fire and sat down in front of it. the flames licked at your fingers as you placed your hands in front of the burning fire.
the forest was quiet, only the faint sounds of skittering animals or the chorus of crickets could be heard. the full moon gave a slight shine to the forest, lighting the tops of the trees and the camp within the small clearing with its glow. the crackling fire burned steadily, the occasional pop merging the symphony of the forest. the winds howled amongst the trees, and the wolves joined in.
you sighed to yourself and stood, turning to go into your tent to rest until morning, but you stopped.
there was a new noise in the forest, one that sent the hairs on your arms standing on end. it was a low growl that seemed to surround you, and it seemed close, too close for comfort.
you weren't sure what the creature was, and you cursed to yourself as you had no means of defending yourself. collapsing the tent and throwing dirt at the dying fire, you hid within one of the trees; your arms shook as you pulled yourself up, but you certainly weren't going to die tonight, you couldn't.
there was the faint sound of approaching footsteps; you held your breath, the ground seeming to shake under each step. but you'd nearly given away your spot when you stifled a gasp. a dragon, bright red and menacing, stepped into your little clearing. its red, slitted eyes swept the area, sniffing the air. it turned its head behind him, and you followed its gaze to a shadowed figure, a human figure, stepping up beside it.
"someone's definitely been here," he said, "you're definitely right about that." he knelt beside the fire and felt the ashes. "these are still warm, they must be close, and they're trespassing into my fucking territory."
the figure looked up at that moment, and you saw his face as the moonlight caught it. it was a man, looking no older than you were; he had deep crimson eyes and disheveled blond hair. he was dressed with a long coat lined with fur, a few jewels lining his neck. there were a few scars littered upon his arm, small tattoos along with them.
flashbacks of childhood stories swirled around your mind; the stories of the dragon king, of the small child who could talk to the dragons and befriend them and tame them. but as you were distracted with memories, your hand slipped, and the only part of stability you had in the tree was gone. you shrieked as you fell to the ground, landing with a solid thud.
the talking between man and dragon stopped, their eyes scanning the area. "who's there?"
you kept quiet, stifling a groan as you stood. your ankle was red and swollen, having broken your fall–curse your constant bad luck.
"i said, who the fuck is there?"
with the cloak over your head, you limped back into the clearing, "i-i'm sorry. i was only seeking a place to camp for the night, i didn't know i was trespassing, sir."
the man's lip curled, "am i s'posed to believe that rubbish?"
your eyes widened, "it-it's true! i'm just a humble traveler, i swear!"
he growled, footsteps approaching you and grabbing your wrist, "don't fucking act all innocent! i bet you came because of those shitty stories, huh? wanted to see the damn dragon yourself? wanted to come and kill it for money?!"
you squeaked, "n-no–"
"quit lying!" he wrist wrapped around your neck and lifted you. you jolted forward, cloak falling from your head. his eyes widened upon seeing your face; you didn't look like a hunter, you looked like an ordinary girl. but, looks could be deceiving. "tell me the fucking truth!"
you stared up at the man with fearful eyes, "i am! i am! i was just–"
"bakugou, let her go," a soft voice spoke.
"like hell i would, kirishima, she–"
"look at her," kirishima replied. "she doesn't look like she'd be here to kill me. i don't even think she could."
bakugou glared at kirishima, his grip loosening enough for you to drop back down to the floor in a heap. you gasped and coughed, your own cold hands trembling against your throat as you struggled to catch your breath.
you jumped upon feeling a hand touch your shoulder, eyes snapping up to see another man; this one had red hair and a pointed smile, two little red horns adorning his head and large wings protruding from his back.
"are you okay?"
your words were stuck in your throat as you stared in awe at the man in front of you. it was another creature from your childhood stories–half dragon, half man, but still able to shift into the large beast and able to breath fire.
"miss?"
"i-i–"
"let's just fucking go, kirishima," the blond scowled.
the redhead turned, "we should keep her!"
your eyes widened, "k-keep me?!"
"you could come live with us in the mountains," he smiled, "i mean, if you want."
"this can't be fucking happening," bakugou pinched the bridge of his nose. "kirishima, you just want another human there because the fucking spring is coming up. let's go, i wanna get home and fucking sleep."
kirishima huffed, "we can't just leave her here."
"we can, and we are, you idiot," he snapped. "now fucking shift back and take us home."
"but–"
"no! now let's–"
"wait!" you shouted, "i-i want to come with, please?"
the blond turned his glare your way, "and why the fuck would you want that? far as i know you're still a threat."
"i'm-i'm curious," you admitted in a small voice and stood, your ankle pained as you remembered you'd sprained it. "and, as you can see, living on my own isn't... isn't–" black dots began to dance around your vision, and you stepped back as you felt yourself begin to sway. how long has it been without food? without water?
"oh, hell," the blond rushed to catch, your form buckling as you passed out. "kirishima."
the redhead nodded, "yeah." he transformed back into a dragon, and bakugou clambered on with you in his arms. he knew there was something odd about how light you'd seemed, about how gaunt your cheeks were. he had to fucking take you in now, you couldn't even fucking take care of yourself.
—
there was a soft pounding in your skull when you came to, and you attempted to sit up, only to have slight pressure pushing you back down. you opened your eyes slowly, getting used to the dim light of the cave as you looked around.
"lay back down, move too fast and you'll pass out again," a deep voice grumbled.
"wh-where am i?" you asked groggily. you looked over to see the blond you saw in the woods; bakugou katsuki, the boy from the stories.
"you're in the grey mountains of rhovanion," he replied.
you nodded, "oh." slowly, you tried to sit up again, and he didn't push you back down. "i–"
"here, drink this," he murmured, handing you a small cup of water.
your eyes widened at the water, and you, realizing how parched your throat was, began gulping it greedily.
but it seemed to only piss the man off, and he snatched the cup back, "oi, oi, not so fucking fast! you'll throw up, and i don't wanna clean that fucking mess up."
you gave him a meek smile, "sorry?"
"tch," he glared.
he gave you the cup back, and you took small sips this time, only handing it back when your throat no longer burned. "thank you."
his brow quirked upward, "don't thank me, thank that stupid dragon. he's the one that found you in the first place."
you nodded to yourself, making a mental reminder to thank the dragon the next time you saw him. "um, you-you're bakugou katsuki then?"
the man looked at you, "so you've heard of me."
"i used to hear stories when i was growing up," you replied. "a boy that could talk to the dragons and ride them, it was my favorite story. i used to go on adventures on my own to find you, and lo and behold, it's when i stop believing you're real that you appear. thank you for saving me, even if it was your dragon."
you didn't miss the faint blush that spread across his cheeks, "whatever. just know that once you regain your strength, you're out of here."
"i understand," your voice was quiet.
bakugou stood and turned towards the opening of the cave, disappearing and leaving you on your own. you felt bad to have bakugou and kirishima looking after you, and you would be grateful once you were able to leave them be to live the rest of their live in peace. if your own family didn't want you around, you could only imagine how badly those two wanted you gone.
you sighed to yourself, struggling to stand on your own feet as you limped to the mouth of the cave, craving the feel of the warm sun on your skin. the forest seemed especially green and lush in the late morning sun, the vast area intriguing you. you wanted to explore, see the wonders that this forest had to offer, but in your weakened state, it wasn't realistic.
"you really should be laying down."
you turned quickly, seeing the redhead smiling over at you, "oh. i-i know, i just wanted to feel the sun." your eyes wandered past his face, and you stared at the wings coming from his shoulder blades, and the red-tinted scales that glittered in the light.
"wanna touch 'em?" he asked.
"o-oh!" you jumped back and looked away, "n-no. i'm sorry for staring, i was just curious."
"it's alright," he gave you a lopsided grin.
you gave him a tentative smile back. "uh, kirishima, right?"
the halfling nodded, "that's me."
"i... i wanted to thank you, for saving me and all that," you mumbled.
he waved the apology away, "it's fine. didn't cause us any trouble, even if bakugou makes it seem that way. he was just worried it was a hunter coming to kill me, you know?"
your eyes widened, "do people actually do that? that's absolutely terrible."
"yeah, apparently they're promised a lot of money, and if there's anything that i know best, it's that everyone, even humans, love their treasure," he replied. "oh, you must be hungry, yeah?"
at the question, your stomach rumbled, and you blushed.
"i'll take that as a yes." the two of you walked back into the cave, and kirishima helped you sit back down on the lump of furs that you had previously been resting on. "bakugou warned me not to give you too much, said that your human body needs to get used to food again. that you're malnourished, or something of the sort."
"th-that would make sense," you mumbled.
"here," he handed you a small bowl of berries.
you thanked him and ate alongside the dragon in silence, "so, kirishima, is bakugou always that... that–"
"mean?"
you nodded.
"not really, he's actually pretty nice after a while, you just have to get used to his cold exterior," the redhead said. he smiled to himself, "he actually saved me, too, you know? he found me in the woods while a hunter was about to kill me and rescued me, and in turn, i've devoted my life to returning the favor."
you pictured a small bakugou and kirishima together, and it made your heart happy.
it wasn't long until bakugou had returned; you weren't too sure what he was doing out there alone, but kirishima assured you not to worry too much about it. he was prone to leaving on his own, and he always returned.
"oh, you know, you never told us your name," kirishima gasped. "i'm so sorry, i feel so rude."
a bead of sweat dropped from your forehead, "it-it's okay, really! my name is (last name, first name), but you can call me (first name). i'm not too fond of my last name."
"(name)...," the dragon tested it out on his tongue, "i like it, it suits you! does it mean anything?"
"not that i know of," you replied, stifling a yawn behind your hand. you'd only been up for a few hours, so why were you so tired already?
kirishima noticed the yawn immediately, "if you're tired, we could take a nap together? as cold as we come off, dragons are actually quite cuddly."
you smiled, nodding, "then i'll take you up on that."
—
you had stayed with the dragon king and his loyal dragon for almost a week; you were finally starting to feel a bit better, some color returning to your skin and cheeks no longer gaunt. you ankle was healing nicely, and you suspected it wouldn't be long until you had to leave the boys and their cave, probably never to see them again.
kirishima was usually the one to keep you company during the days; bakugou was usually out and about, whether it be hunting, collecting firewood, or simply roaming around his domain. you learned that the entire forest had been claimed by the blond, and kirishima wasn't the only dragon within miles of trees. the adult dragons were wary of you, but you had won over the hearts of the baby dragons as you watched over them with kirishima.
it was like a childhood dream, and if your old self could see you now, you knew she would be throwing a temper tantrum the moment you had to leave. the truth was you didn't want to leave; in just the few short days, you'd grown to care for both boys.
you learned quite a bit about the two of them; how bakugou was from a clan of draconian-tongues, and he had the magical ability to cause explosions from his hands, a gift that came with his tongue. he said it was a power move, to assert dominance over dragons that disagreed with him. and kirishima would teach you about the dragons, how their scales were practically stab-proof and even in his human form, he could summon his scales to harden his body from attacks. the pair were interesting in their own ways.
"so, (name), you got mine and bakugou's story, what's yours?" the redhead asked as you two ate lunch. the afternoon sun had peered into the cave, and it cast a glow you could only describe as magical.
you laughed, scratching the back of your head, "oh, uh, i-i don't have much of a story, not one that i think you would want to hear. it's a bit depressing."
"nonsense," he replied. "i really do want to hear it."
you sighed, "o-okay, well, i used to live with a big family, some members not even blood-related but just wanting to join in. i had two older brothers and four younger ones, only one sharing the same mother i did. they were all boys, too, and they were usually put to work from a young age, so i didn't see my older brothers very much.
"you see, they were merchants, and we traveled from village to village trying to round up enough money to feed everyone," you said. "sometimes we'd come across storytellers, and even though i was told to watch my younger brothers, i would sneak out to hear the stories. dragons were the ones that i was drawn to more often, but... but actually, bakugou was my favorite story. the tale of a boy, wild, living amongst the dragons and riding in the sky with them. i would often go on adventures to find him, but no such luck.
"it's funny, once i stop believing, that's when i find the man of my childhood dreams," a small laugh bubbled from your lips. "it's probably what got me in trouble so often, as i'd wander off too much for my parents to keep up. and... and one day," you sighed, feeling your chest tighten, "one day, i guess i strayed a little too far from home, from the camp, and when i came back, they were gone. i understand why they did it, i don't blame them for it, but it still sucks to be abandoned. that's probably why i'm such a mess–they could teach my brothers survival skills, but they never taught me, and i was the one they let fend for themselves."
kirishima stared at you, mouth agape. he couldn't believe it; he thought only dragons abandoned their young, and he knew that bakugou had left voluntarily from his own clan. so to hear that your parents left you alone, it was heartbreaking to the halfling.
"see? depressing and uninteresting," you sniffled, willing away the tears.
the redhead was quick to scramble to your side, "no, no, please don't cry. i'm sorry that your family abandoned you. that's... that was really mean of them, and i can't believe they left you like that."
"it's fine!" you tried to give him a wide smile, one that hardly reached your eyes. "uh, i'm-i'm gonna go for a walk. sorry."
you stood quickly, a slight limp to your step, and you left the cave. you spun around to head towards the little hideout kirishima had showed you the previous day, but you ran into bakugou. quickly, you mumbled out a million apologies, not seeing the shocked expression on the blond's face. just before you could continue towards the hideout, he grabbed your wrist.
"bakugou, what–"
"i'm sorry," he murmured.
"oh, you-you heard then?" you asked.
he nodded.
"sorry about that," you replied in a weak voice. "but hey! there's no need to worry, soon you won't have to deal with me anymore, my ankle's almost fully healed. i'll be out of your hair before you know it."
he had no time to reply as you walked off, soon out of view. the blond grumbled to himself, cursing your damn parents and how foolish they were to leave a naive, little girl to fend for herself. you were weak in his eyes when he'd found you, both physically and mentally, but upon overhearing your story that you spilled to his dragon, he realized he was wrong.
"oh, bakugou, welcome back!" kirishima greeted happily. "how was your–"
"she's not leaving."
the redhead's brows furrowed, "what...?"
"i overheard everything, and she's not leaving," the blond stated once more.
"oh," he sighed; he gave his king a small smile at the change of heart.
you had returned before dusk, the sun just beginning to dip into the hills. your cheeks were stained with dried tears, and your eyes were puffy and swollen. after all, you just spent the last hour of the day crying about your parents who didn't even give a damn if you were dead or alive. your brothers were probably no different.
"oi, we got shit to discuss," bakugou greeted as you stepped through the cave and approached the small fire they had growing.
you nodded and sat next to kirishima, the redhead pulling you into his chest and wrapping his arms around your waist. you were thankful, as the outside winds had chilled you to the bone, and kirishima always radiated warmth.
"about you leaving," the blond started. he handed you the small plate of food he'd made, and you thanked him.
"i'll be gone by morning, don't worry," you replied. "i–"
he held up his hand, "shut up, and let me speak for a damn second."
your mouth shut obediently, and you looked up at the dragon king, waiting for what he had to say.
"you're not leaving, not tomorrow, not the next day, or even the fucking day after that," he said. "i overheard your shitty story, about your shitty parents, how they fucking left you behind and shit. you'll fucking die out there if we let you back out on your own, you were half dead when kirishima fucking found you, starving and dehydrated.
"so, you're staying, and i don't give a damn about what you have to say about tha–"
you cut him off as you tore yourself from kirishima's grasp, your arms wrapping around the boy's neck as you hugged him, "thank you. thank you, thank you, thank you!"
kirishima stifled a laugh at the blond's flustered face, arms up in the air as he didn't know how to respond to the hug. he wasn't used to affection, especially not from the opposite sex, and he wasn't sure how to feel.
you pulled away, a blush on your cheeks, "sorry, i just, thank you."
his own cheeks were still red, and he grumbled, "yeah, yeah. whatever. just know you're going to have to earn your own damn keep! no fucking lounging around the cave while me and kirishima do all the hard work."
you beamed at the blond, nodding enthusiastically, "of course! whatever you need me to do!"
kirishima grabbed you roughly into a hug, "told you, he isn't such a bad guy after all!"
"oi, were you talking shit, shitty hair?!"