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Katsuki Bakugou gets funny when Shouto Todoroki is around him.
They’ve been playing together for two years, ever since Dabi and his brother reunited, since they discovered that Shouto Todoroki could play the keyboard, and the piano. Like, strikingly well. Their band, U.A., is punk rock, but sometimes Katsuki and Eijirou write slower songs that they need a keyboardist to help play live. A pianist too, for the recordings at least. Shouto Todoroki is perfect.
Katsuki Bakugou, lead singer. Keigo “Hawks” Takami, guitarist. Eijirou Kirishima, bassist. Touya “Dabi” Todoroki, drummer. And their new addition, as of two years ago, Shouto Todoroki.
They’re constantly on tour and the group is inseparable, honestly. But their tour schedule makes it difficult for any actual romantic relationships, at least for everyone except Hawks and Dabi—who are obnoxiously, obviously together and insanely PDA-prone.
Eijirou barely bothers with girlfriends, neither does Shouto, though Katsuki isn’t sure if it’s really boy- or girlfriends for Shouto.
Katsuki is dating Izuku Midoriya, and has been since high school, since he apologized about their childhood and they reunited. Now, at 22, they’re still together, but mostly long-distance considering Izuku’s in university and Katsuki is, well, on tour.
Two years and it’s strikingly easy for Shouto to blend into the band… and blend not-so-clearly-defined lines. Katsuki is a touchy friend especially when drunk, with hands on Eijiou and around Hawks’ and Dabi’s shoulders, and somewhere on Shouto, usually.
But it all feels normal, until their tour bus movie nights end up with Shouto perched in Katsuki’s lap and casual, familiar laughter surrounding them. It isn’t an unfamiliar sight, Shouto in Katsuki’s arms, nearby, or just close. They’re friends, close ones, like Katsuki and Eijirou but somehow different. It didn’t raise any flags to those on the outside, or to their fellow bandmates.
But Katsuki Bakugou gets funny when Shouto Todoroki is around him. They always do dumb shit and piss everybody off.
“Ugh gross!” Dabi, like a petulant child, sticks out his tongue at Katsuki tossing (hand-feeding) Shouto popcorn.
“What, Staples? You want some?” Katsuki’s voice is gruff, throwing a piece at Dabi’s forehead. It hits with a lack of noise and Dabi’s face shifts into a mock-pout.
Shouto rolls his eyes and throws another one at his brother, “Oh shut up, Tou.”
Dabi grins, “Make me,” he taunts his brother and in a flash, Dabi has launched himself towards Katsuki’s side to tackle his brother to the ground of the van.
Hawks rolls his eyes, laughing. Katsuki shrugs and glances at Eijirou, already asleep on the ground nearby the play-fighting brothers.
Katsuki zones out and he remembers the Christmas Party last year. The band is finally back in London and Katsuki and Izuku have a flat together, at last. (Not that Katsuki ever uses it.)
Izuku decorates the place with wreaths and tinsel, hanging mistletoe in the entry to the kitchen, grinning as he pulls Katsuki under it. He kisses him, short, chaste, loving, and Katsuki half smiles. He wonders who might get caught under the mistletoe.
Katsuki misses kissing his friends, he stopped a while back, Izuku never did like it. Katsuki used to be fun, he thinks, dryly but offers his boyfriend a smile and pours a couple glasses of wine.
They invite Katsuki’s bandmates, Izuku’s university friends, and any of their high school friends who are in town for Christmas. Most everyone RSVPs ‘yes’.
“Your favorite is here!” Dabi announces, bounding into their flat, pulling his boyfriend with him. Hawks shakes his head with a smile, hugging Izuku in greeting as Dabi pounces on Katsuki, bemoaning “BLASTY!” dramatically.
Eijirou follows after, with a “BAKU-BRO!”, and with some girl he picked up, probably off of Bumble. Katsuki remembers how much Eijirou preached about his online dating success. Well, limited success, Katsuki supposes.
“Where’s Half-and-Half?” Katsuki asks, his brain correcting him, ‘Shouto,’ and Hawks shakes his head.
“He’s with his friends, couldn’t make it.”
Katsuki nods, moving on, kind of. Katsuki remembers how many times he checked his phone that night, thinking: Tell me where you are and I’ll leave my own party.
“Put your phone down,” Izuku scolds, snatching Katsuki's phone but relenting when he grabs it back as though he’d hurt him greatly. Izuku frowns, “What is it?”
Katsuki splutters, “Nothing, no sorry, nothing, Deku,” he presses a kiss to his cheek.
It was probably a problem if it’s this hard to stop, Katsuki thinks to himself, putting his phone on the counter. He remembers how many times he reached for it in his pocket, clenching his fingers over nothing and cursing under his breath.
“Kats?”
Shouto’s confused voice flashes Katsuki back to the present.
“Yeah, yeah, hey. Y’all done fighting?”
Shouto rolls his eyes, “Quit pretending you’re American… southern.” Katsuki raises an eyebrow and Shouto acquiesces, “But yes, we’re done.”
Katsuki glances down at his phone, at Izuku’s text messages. “I’m gonna take a call,” he murmurs and stands up without any fanfare, stepping out of the bus for some fresh air.
He opens Izuku’s messages. He sent him a post from U.A.’s Instagram. There’s the whole band: Eijirou grinning with his arm around Hawks’ shoulders; Hawks presses a kiss to Dabi’s cheek, hand on his boyfriend’s waist; Dabi sticks his tongue out at the camera, leaning into Hawks and with a hand on Katsuki’s cheek, teasingly; Katsuki’s smile is genuine, not the fake one he usually uses, his hand wrapped around Shouto; Shouto is only half looking at the camera, eyes bright and on Katsuki.
It’s hardly noticeable, but to anyone actively searching for it, Katsuki and Shouto are awfully close.
The photo sent to him is followed by a ‘???’ text from Izuku. He sighs and calls him. The phone rings thrice before Izuku picks up.
“Deku,” Katsuki greets, gruff, but falls quiet as Izuku speaks.
“Hey, did you see what I sent you?”
He’s straight to business. Just like normal. Katsuki wishes that it was comforting at least. Instead, it just feels dragging.
“Yeah.”
There’s a moment of silence before Izuku speaks. “Why are you two so…” he trails off before he finds his words again, “Kacchan, what is going on with him?”
“We’re just friends, Deku,” Katsuki murmurs, “Just like everyone else.”
Izuku scoffs, “We both know that none of them look at you like that.”
And ain’t that the truth. Dabi, Hawks, or Eijirou, and Katsuki aren’t like that, not the same way. And whatever this is, Katsuki and Shouto, it’s causing lots of issues with Katsuki’s boyfriend, with Izuku, at home because in every single picture they’re a little too close.
And Katsuki probably loves Izuku, he thinks… but he knows he wants Shouto and it’s making him feel unsure.
So he just can't have Shouto around him anymore.
Somehow, they always end up naked.
Katsuki’s shirt ripped during their show and Dabi’s throw up from the afterparty stained his jeans. They booked a hotel room, no need for the cramped bus tonight. He’s standing in the room, in his underwear, icked out by his prior situation. Shouto is lounged on the bed, in nothing but a glaringly sheer shirt and booty shorts, a normal fit for the 20 year old, honestly.
“I’m gonna take a shower,” Katsuki mutters and stalks over to the bathroom, shedding his underwear and walking into the shower. He doesn’t turn around to see if Shouto is watching him, he can feel his familiar dual-colored eyes trailing behind. Those beautiful mismatched eyes.
When Katsuki comes back out, Shouto is still sprawled out on the bed, but now he’s entirely naked. Katsuki pauses in his step, an exhale escaping his lips, “Fuck, Icyhot.” Shouto smiles and beckons him over. Katsuki doesn't know why he lets his towel drop and walks over.
They always end up naked. Nothing ever happens, but it still feels real good.
Katsuki wishes Izuku didn’t, but he sees why he hates it, the entire idea at all. He mentioned it once while piss drunk and Izuku freaked out. He only calmed when Katsuki assured him nothing had ever happened. But still, Izuku wants to be the only one who’s allowed to look.
Shouto is the root of every issue. He's the reason Katsuki and Izuku ever fight. Katsuki doesn’t want to have to choose but he thinks he’s gotta take a side, “Shit, Deku, fine. I’ll distance myself,” he snaps into the phone and listens to Izuku continue. If it isn’t Katsuki, it’s going to be Izuku who will close a door, and it’ll be on their relationship as a whole.
“I won’t have him around me anymore,” Katsuki promises, metal on his tongue and his fingernails cutting into his thigh. His breath catches on the pain. Katsuki can’t have Shouto around him anymore.
There’s places that Shouto and Katsuki went that Katsuki’ll keep to himself.
Katsuki remembers a catalyst moment, one which he couldn’t bear to tell a soul, let alone Izuku. A year and a half ago. Ages ago, really.
Shouto laughs, a silly breathy laugh, a gorgeous laugh, if Katsuki is honest with himself. He tugs Katsuki to hide in the storage room of the venue they’re playing at later that night. The place is cramped, but they’re hiding from Eijirou who’s on the lookout. Hawks hiding elsewhere, Dabi is not willing to play hide and seek with them, punctuated by: “you all are children.”
Shouto looks up at Katsuki and Katsuki realizes just how close the other man is. His eyes, flecks of shimmer in the teal and grey and every freckle on his pale skin is visible. Katsuki hasn’t ever been this close to him. They’ve only been playing together for 6 months at this point.
Shouto lets out a cool breath, wisps of white clouding the cold, cold air. Katsuki breathes in Shouto’s air, making a little “huh” noise in the back of his throat. Shouto inches closer, their lips only centimeters apart, pressed against each other. Katsuki’s hands graze Shouto’s waist, unintentionally, he swears, but it probably wasn’t. Shouto leans into him and the tension is tantalizingly palpable. Shamefully, Katsuki is the one to lean in, his lips brush against Shouto’s, before he shrinks away.
“I’m, fuck,” Katsuki hisses as though he’s been burned. He jumps away, his warm hands leaving Shouto’s lithe frame. With a bang and a slam of the storage door, he’s gone and he doesn’t even care that Eijirou finds him immediately. He’s running to his dressing room, questioning everything.
Katsuki can admit that Shouto got to know him a little too well, but Izuku will never be someone Katsuki wishes that he didn’t know.
“Kats?”
Katsuki looks up from the ground. He and Izuku hung up half an hour ago but Katsuki couldn’t handle going back inside.
“Sho,” he murmurs, unsure what to say.
“You ok? Coming back in?” Shouto asks, worrying his lip.
Katsuki bites his lip, “I-... fuck.”
Shouto steps forward, closer, too close. Katsuki flinches back.
“What’s going on?” Shouto’s face contorts, eyebrows furrowed, “Katsuki?”
Katsuki doesn’t meet Shouto’s eyes. Izuku will never be Shouto, never have those pretty dual-colored eyes, never get him feeling so out of this world, but Izuku keeps Katsuki on course. Katsuki isn’t supposed to wonder if he should be Shouto’s instead. Katsuki doesn’t look up, he can’t bear to see how Shouto might look, if there would be confusion, despair, or anger. He couldn’t handle knowing, so his words come out, face pointed to the ground, eyes locked to his trembling hands.
“I can’t have you around me anymore.”