A/N: can you guys tell yet that this is a story about respecting sex workers and that I'm totally in love with platonic TodoBaku?
Katsuki wakes up to the abrupt and jarring noise of loud and obnoxious banging on the door. Shouto, who's limbs are tangled into his own, jolts up from his spot sprawled across the bed and nearly knocks Katsuki off of his chest in the process. His eyes are wide and confused, still fogged with sleep even though his heart is racing. Is someone trying to break in.
"I know that you're in there, Shouto! Open this door at once!"
Both teens sigh and drop back down onto the bed, eyes rolling as the knocking continues.
"He's so fucking annoying." Shouto grumbles under his breath and Katsuki, still exhausted from his shift, grunts his agreement. Every few weeks or so, Shouto's father comes to try and drag him home because he doesn't approve of his and Kaminari's relationship. Kaminari himself doesn't allow for the elder man to bother him with his nonsensical rambling---and ironically the man only ever seems to come when Kaminari isn't home.
"Wan' me to call 'a cops?"
"Just ignore him, one of the neighbors will do it."
They always do.
"Don't you ever get tired of this?"
Shouto scoffs.
"Well, yeah. Denki says we can move soon so I'm hoping it won't continue to be a problem anymore. That's why he's been working night shift. Well, that and to buy a car."
Katsuki can't help the way that the corners of his mouth turn upward.
"You nerds are so hopelessly in love."
He feels Shouto smile into his hair.
"As long as it shows. I'd never give up being with Denki to go home to him. Any time he can't get his way he throws a tantrum and thinks that threatening me is going to change anything. You know he threatened to hit me if I didn't come home?"
That makes Katsuki tense.
"What does Kaminari say about all this?"
"That he's got no qualms laying any of these fuckers out and that if any of them look like they're even thinking about touching me, they're dead."
And as much as Katsuki doesn't really like Kaminari, he appreciates that he does, beyond all odds, loves and protects his friend with his whole heart. Shouto is an asshole, yeah, but he's an amazing person and honestly incredibly sweet and loving. He deserves someone who's going to love him the way he should be loved.
"You guys are so cute that it's gross."
"I love you too, baby."
The banging does eventually stop and both teens look first to the bedroom door and then each other. It's uncomfortably silent, almost a ringing in their ears before they hear the distinguishable sound of Denki's annoyed voice yelling from outside---undoubtedly at Shouto's father.
"Didn't I fuckin' ask you not to come back here?! The fuck are you doin'?!"
"Don't you be crass with me, boy! I'm here to take my son home---"
"He fucking is home!"
"I refuse to allow you to keep whoring out my son---"
"Whoring him out?! You don't have the slightest fucking idea of what you're talking about, you fucking shitbag! I'd never do anything to devalue him---Shouto is the love of my life!"
"You love him?! What future do you have for him?! Is he to spend the rest of his life working while you struggle to follow your dreams as some low rate rockstar with zero talent?!"
"Fuckin' fight me, you old bitch!"
Shouto heaves a suffering groan and curses under his breath, throwing the covers off of himself and jumping out of bed to make a run for the door---Katsuki hot on his heels. They haven't even bothered to put their underwear on, worried that Kaminari may very well have written his own death wish. As strong as the usually bubbly blonde is, there's no way he can take Enji---a man three times his size---without a weapon.
God forbid he has a weapon.
Shouto swings the door open just as Denki shoves Enji away from it, stepping in between to them in hopes that it would keep them from swinging at each other.
"Hey---hey, would you two fucking stop?!" He yells as Enji tries to shove him out of the way. Katsuki wedges himself between them and shoulders Enji away from Shouto with a glare before he jabs a painted nail into his chest.
"Hey! Watch it, bastard!"
And the older man's mouth curls into a snarl but he doesn't try to shove him again. Shouto is finally able to reign in Denki with hushed words and harsh whispers.
"Denki---"
"I fucking told you what would happen if he kept trying me---"
"I know---I do, but baby---"
"I'm not fucking around Shouto!"
"Okay---okay, I hear you. Please, please just calm down? For me?"
Kaminari makes the mistake of meeting Shouto's direct gaze, looking away with a sigh a not even a moment after.
"Fine. Fine. God, you fuckin' know I can't say no to you when you look at me like that."
Shouto's lips curl into a giddy smile, his nose pressed against Denki's as he coaxes him to look him in the eyes again.
"My hero. I love you so much~"
Denki finally smiles, catching Shouto's lips in kiss.
"There's nothin' I wouldn't do for you, baby."
Enji growls in the back of his throat and the couple turns to glare at him.
"Why are you still here?"
"I am not leaving without even so much as even having a word with my son."
Denki scoffs at him. "Well you better get to talkin' cause I'm not leaving you alone with him."
"What?"
"You think I forgot about you puttin' your fuckin' hands on him? You can't be trusted."
And instead of saying anything at all Enji just narrows his eyes at them and turns on his heels to stomp away. Shouto finally relaxes as a car door slams and his father angrily drives off, tension leaving his shoulders.
"You okay?" Katsuki asks him as he notices that his friend looks a bit weak in the knees and fatigued. Shouto offers him a shaky nod. "Y-Yeah. It just---it takes a lot out of me when he comes here. My anxiety and blood pressure spikes like crazy and I just...feel a little lightheaded." He explains as he's being ushered back into the apartment. Katsuki sets him down on the sofa and Denki quickly goes to grab a glass of water from the kitchen. Shouto's hands are so shaky that he can hardly hold it so Denki just tips it up to his lips.
His condition isn't de-escalating.
#
"You guys really didn't have to come---I was gonna be fine."
"Nonsense! You're our friend; of course we'd be there for you!" Ochako assures Shouto as she hands him a cool towel. Izuku busies himself with setting out food on the coffee table, Katsuki rubbing soothing circles into the back of his neck with his thumb to help him relax.
"Sorry, baby. I know we were supposed to go shopping and see a movie or some shit---"
Katsuki waves him off.
"Shut up, Halfie. You know I don't care about missing out on shit like that. The whole plan was to spend my day off with you, doesn't matter how we do it."
"You are the greatest best friend to ever best friend."
"I know, bitch."
Izuku pokes his lip out in a pout.
"I thought I was your best friend, Kacchan?"
"You're like a really annoying older brother."
"...annoying though?"
"Annoying as fuck, but I still love you."
And Izuku shrugs. He'll get what he can take.
"Your dad's such a fucking prick. He only keeps doing this because he knows you're afraid of him." Denki rolls his eyes, cracking open a beer as he plops down next to his lover.
"Within good reason. His dad doesn't have the best track record." Izuku points. From beating his mother, nearly killing his older brother and abusing Shouto for nearly the entirety of his childhood---Enji Todoroki was a real piece of shit and didn't have a shred of remorse for any of it. Katsuki is sure that he's the one that gave Shouto that scar, but the only one of them who knows the real story is Denki. And that's fine, he won't make Shouto talk when it's obviously such a delicate topic. If he's ever ready, Katsuki will be there to listen.
"You know, all you have to do is say the word and I can make him disappear." Hitoshi says from where he's seated on the ottoman. Katsuki still wonders why he's here at all or who even invited him. No doubt it was probably Kaminari---calling his best friend to help stomp out the rest of his anger but Hitoshi only seemed to succeed in riling him up further.
"Shouto knows that I will smoke his fuckin' father and make him one with the concrete. The only reason I have shot that fucker dead yet is because he begs me not to."
"Who even gave you a gun, Short Shock?"
"I'm gonna pretend that you're not being an asshole on purpose and remind you that I am old enough to be licensed to carry, Katsuki."
"I'm fairly surprised you haven't accidentally killed anyone yet." Izuku teases and Kaminari makes a halfhearted motion to flip him off with a grunt.
Katsuki feels so out of place, watching everyone be all lovey dovey and gross with each other. Ochako is happily curled into Izuku's lap and Shouto has tangled himself with Kaminari, flipping through the Netflix menu to find something decent to watch. It's all so domestic and Katsuki...
Well, he feels like a fucking fifth wheel.
"You good, Kats?" Hitoshi says, breaking him from his thoughts. The blonde had forgotten that the older man was even there and somehow finds solace in the fact that he isn't the only one there who's not boo'd up.
He grunts a noncommittal response and Hitoshi's lips curl into that fucking smirky grin. He leans back against the loveseat and pats his lap. It's not like the first time they met---more of an offering than a demand.
"Why?"
"Cause I'm not used to talking to you when you're not in my lap."
Katsuki rolls his eyes, doing a terrible job at hiding the way he laughs at him as he stands and complies with Hitoshi's request. He's got no reason to---this isn't work and Hitoshi isn't paying him but the purple-haired man has managed to charm him like that in the short time that he's known him and---dare he say it---he actually kind of likes him.
Izuku watches him silently as he settles into Hitoshi's lap and, just like always, a thick hand reaches around to grope at his thigh.
"What, not gonna try and bite me today?"
Katsuki snorts.
"I've run out of the amount of energy that it takes to keep you from sticking your hand in the cookie jar."
"Ou, is that surrender I hear?"
"Surrender to what, exactly?"
Hitoshi hums thoughtfully, almost like he hasn't actually even figured out what his end goal was. Katsuki wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if he hadn't.
"Hadn't really thought that far ahead. Just assumed I'd be playin' cat and dog with you until your little pretty ass figured out you liked me. Guess I'm more of a charmer than I thought I was."
"Cat and dog?" Katsuki says with a raised brow. That's definitely not how that expression goes, but Hitoshi's grin nearly splits him in half at that.
"Cause I definitely planned on eatin' the hell outta you when I finally caught ya."
Katsuki's face turns bright red and Kaminari cackles from his seat on the couch.
"Toshi, my man, you are too much."
"Hot ass mess. Just go fuck already, would you? You've been giving each other the googly eyes since you've met." Shouto accuses to which Hitoshi just shrugs and Katsuki sputters indignantly.
"Fuckin' lies."
"Right hand on the bible?"
Katsuki narrows his eyes at his friend, but says nothing to which Shouto just chuckles and shoves a hand full of popcorn into his mouth. Hitoshi's hand squeezing his thigh brings his attention back. He looks him directly in the eyes and immediately looks down at his lap when he sees such an intense look in his eyes. Hitoshi sits up, breath tickling against Katsuki's ear.
"You're so fuckin' cute when you're all shy like that." He whispers, chuckling when Katsuki squirms in his lap and slap the back of his hand across his chest.
"Fuckin' shut up."
He's not used to being picked apart like this.
#
"You sure you don't need a ride home, Kacchan?" Izuku asks him for the eighth time in a row.
"I told you I'm fine, Deku."
"But---"
"Don't worry, Midoriya. I'll take care of him." Hitoshi volunteers, following Katsuki out into the parking lot. Izuku just stands at the drivers side of his car, hand gripping the handle even as his gaze narrows in Hitoshi's direction.
"Izu-kun?" Ochako questions from the passenger's seat. He flickers his gaze at her a moment and then back at Hitoshi.
"Text me when you make it home." Is all he says before he slides into his car and slams the door shut without another word. They both watch his pull out of his parking space rather recklessly and speed out of the lot. To say that Katsuki was a bit shocked would be an understatement.
"The hell is his problem?"
Hitoshi chuckles, cigarette pressed between his lips.
"I think Izuku is starting not to like me."
And as ridiculous as it sounds, he thinks Hitoshi might be right. He just can't figure out why.
"Well, thanks for gettin' him off my back, I guess."
"Well, I actually do have every intention on making sure you get home. He's right to worry about you; don't be dense."
Katsuki rolls his eyes and starts walking, only for Hitoshi to quickly turn him by the shoulder and usher him into the opposite direction. It happens so fast that it disorients him a bit.
"D---hey!"
"Complaining won't help you so don't fight me on this, alright? I know you're a tough kitty but you're a really easy target and I'd hate to have to kill someone tonight so let me take you home." He says and Katsuki finds himself snorting at him.
"You're just as dramatic as Deku and Shock Shit."
"...yeah. Dramatic."
Something about the way he says it unsettles Katsuki just the slightest.
Before long, he's standing in front of a motorcycle. It doesn't look new or very flashy, but it's well taken care of. Hitoshi reaches into his bag and tosses Katsuki a helmet.
"Hop on."
Katsuki stared at the helmet in his palms a moment.
"Where's yours?"
"Don't need it. C'mon, it's getting late."
"Are you crazy? You can't just---"
Hitoshi is on him in two quick strides, holding Katsuki's chin between his fingers. The blonde snaps his mouth shut and swallows thickly, that same look from earlier in Hitoshi's eyes.
The older man smiles.
"You worried 'bout me, baby?"
Katsuki tries to turn away, but Hitoshi tightens his grip and forces him to look at him once more.
Katsuki's pouting. So cute.
"Quit calling me these stupid pet names, I'm a damn grown ass man."
"Mm." Hitoshi muses. Not once does he look away, tracing his thumb over Katsuki's bottom lip.
"Yeah, you are. But you're so fuckin' pretty. So fuckin' cute. You know how hard it is not to call you cute shit when you're bein' this fuckin' cute?"
Hot. Katsuki's skin feels so hot, what the fuck?
When Hitoshi leans in to press his lips against his own, he damn near overheats and drops to the ground like a fly. The older bites his lip, releasing him as that arrogant, smirky grin rears it's ugly head again. Katsuki can still feel his breath against his lips when he speaks to him again.
"So you're gonna get on and lemme take you home so I know you're safe, right?"
And somehow, Katsuki nods before he's even able to find words to form---the ones 'fuck you' being at the very tip of his tongue. Wordlessly, Hitoshi mounts his bike and gestures for Katsuki to get on behind him. The blonde complies, awkwardly quiet as he settles the helmet into place.
"Hold on tight to me."
As if there was anything else he could bring himself to do.