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House Arrest With The Boys [Touya x Shouto x Katsuki]
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2022 9:51 pm
by NicTheDjinn
So this was his new jail cell... He could certainly do worse. He had been captured during a failed mission and thanks to a quirk suppressing implant he was about as dangerous as a zippo nowadays. Hn... To think he was only really good for lighting up a cigarette anymore. Fuck, now he wanted a cigarette. The tip of his tongue peeked out to trace its way between his teeth, but he didn't voice his craving. He wondered if he would ever stop wanting a smoke... He'd spent 3 years healing both physically and mentally in a hospital till he was released to his family in hopes of further improvement. He hadn't had a smoke the whole time, not even at the new family home his father had gotten them, not with Fuyumi constantly breathing down his neck.
While being surrounded with his family (at least the part he didn't want dead) had helped his mental state, it had its limits. He hadn't felt at home there and he could feel the way they looked at him. He could feel the pity burning the back of his neck and never missed the way they always looked him in the eyes so as not to look at what was left of his lower face. All except Shouto. Figures. He was the embodiment of the very thing that had driven him over the edge, yet he was the only one that treated him like a normal person and didn't walk on eggshells around him.
Another psyche analysis later and this was the solution. As it wouldn't be possible for him to be watched 24 hours a day like before, his father had funded the building of a little house just outside the city. Which was where he was standing now. There was a solid cement wall, 10' high all the way around what would be his new home. It was stone at the bottom and topped with tile, only a single gate allowing entrance with doors as tall as the wall it was attached to. Embedded into the wall was a keypad requiring a key card to be scanned, a pin number, and a fingerprint. Touya, of course, would not have access to any of these.
Once Shouto let them inside he would find there was a matching keypad on the inside to get back out, which made sense. This combined with the walls meant the was no way for him to escape on his own. Admittedly, the inside didn't look like the prison he knew it to be. There was a garden with places to sit, a pond which he was pretty sure he could see koi in from here, even a big tree for shade! That must have been pricey to have replanted here... He blinked lightly as the breeze picked up enough to carry the sound of wind chimes to his ears. He liked the sound of it, but a part of him wanted to be a bitter bastard about the cliche anyway.
The home itself was traditional in design, though he knew better than to accept it for what it looked like. The walls were surely reinforced, none of the wood would be real wood including the furniture, everything works be fire proof and so on. Still, it looked the part. 'Wooden' porches, white painted walls, sliding doors and windows, and he would be willing to put money there's fire proof tatami mats inside. These were nothing new to him, you didn't have a house with that many powerful fire users without the fire proof substitutes, but still. He wondered if his room would have one of those keypads on it so he could be locked in at night to sleep...
'So this is home now...' He'd almost said it aloud, but he didn't want to hear his own distorted speech. He chose not to sign it either. He took a deep breath, the air cleaner here than in the city proper, then sighed it out through his nose. He looked over at the two he'd come here with, one his legal escort and the other a tag along. Honestly, he liked this tag along way more than he would have normally been down to admit. Shouto had been legally assigned to be his caretaker now and he was pretty okay with this, at least at this point. He didn't treat him any different than he would anyone else and that's exactly what he wanted. He already felt like an invalid, he did not tolerate being treated like one well.
Then there's the bombastic Bakugou. That ornery bastard was a breath of fresh air. He was calmer than he used to be, definitely not a bad thing, but those edges were still deliciously rough. He'd never gotten an ounce of pity from him and he projected this prickly personality that hid all the rest. The grumpy persona, the benign insults, all of it felt more like home than anything else he'd encountered after his capture. Honestly, he was surprised how well they ended up getting along after the whole kidnapping thing. Maybe it had something to do with the fact the Dabi had never trusted him back then, indirectly affirming his identity was a hero. Who knew? He sure as fuck wasn't about to ask.
He looked over at the young Pros, hesitated for a final moment then raised his hands so he could sign. 'Prettier jail cell than I expected.'
Re: House Arrest With The Boys [Touya x Shouto x Katsuki]
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 5:11 am
by cynnabnnuy
Well- Shouto was definitely... dealing with shit. Maybe not well, but he was dealing with it for sure. He was certain his brother had more going on but seeing Touya how he was had definitely been difficult to come to terms with. He felt bad, regretful for not doing enough when they were younger, and even a tad uncomfortable with how everyone treated the other man once he got out of the hospital. On the other hand, however, he was glad that the man was getting the opportunity to get better. Or... as better as he could get in the given situation? It probably wasn't much easy dealing with family constantly watching your every move or not having much privacy, if any at all.
He was the first to offer to stay in the home being made for his older brother when the idea was posed, though. Even if he'd never say anything about it to anyone but his partner, seeing his older sister practically breathing down Touya's neck was uncomfortable to watch. Sure, he was thankful he wasn't on the receiving end of that, but having to watch it? To witness the way everyone else interacted with and around the other? It felt more isolating than a cell would've been. There were things they couldn't do, but that didn't mean the guy was going to break at the drop of a hat. Regardless of what happened, he was still their brother, and he was getting better. He just needed space to breathe. Or not? It wasn't like Shouto was any professional when it came to mental health, he just knew there was a point when pity made things worse.
So, with his offer to move in with the older man and the construction completed, he made his way through the gate doors with the other two and looked around. It was a far nicer space than he'd been expecting. It was clean and fairly pretty as well. The addition of a large tree and a koi pond were the most notable parts to Shouto as mismatched eyes wandered for a second. However, his attention pulled back when the oldest of their trio signed at the two of them. He was still picking up on a few things, but the sentence was short and easy enough now.
Nodding in return, he looked over to the blonde for a moment before humming slightly. "Seems some thought was put into things," how unexpected. He'd avoid mentioning that little afterthought, but the implications were left open for interpretation. "Should we head inside?" His eyes then returned to the scarred man, blinking once, twice, before his head tilted slightly to the right. Not too noticeable, but a habit he'd picked up to seem more approachable to others while working, even if it'd bled into his private life as well.
Re: House Arrest With The Boys [Touya x Shouto x Katsuki]
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 12:28 am
by CRYBABY
Katsuki wasn't one for family, definitely not after the upbringing he had, but for some reason the blond found himself having a soft spot for his boyfriend's older brother. Sure, Touya was a villain--ex-villain in rehabilitation--and sure said ex-villain did capture and hold Katsuki hostage when he was a teen but Shou loved his older brother. As the blond matured, turning from an aggressive, angry teenager to a sarcastic, short-tempered adult, Katsuki found himself growing a fondness for anyone his lover held dear. He grew accustomed to weekly dinner's and Holidays spent at the Todoroki household; aside from Shou's shithead of a father, everyone else was great... even Touya.
Touya was definitely the blond’s favorite of Shou’s siblings once they got to know each other. He wasn’t a goody-good like Fuyumi and Natsuo, not that Katsuki disliked them for that but he enjoyed the eldest Todoroki siblings' dark demeanor; Touya was someone that could go toe-to-toe with Katsuki and not get his feelings hurt.
When Shou told the blond that he'd been appointed Touya's caretaker and Enji was having a small house commissioned for them out in the country, Katsuki was a little hesitant to show his support. Dynamight was concerned how this would affect his boyfriend's hero work but more importantly how it would affect their relationship. On the outside Katsuki was brass, irritable, and prideful, but deep down past his prickly personality, the blond was a real hopeless romantic. He and Shouto began dating toward the end of UA, and moved in together fairly early on in their sidekick careers. Shou said it made the most sense for them to live together in a two bedroom apartment rather than both of them getting separate roommates, and Katsuki had to agree. Even though they both had their own space, they slept together in either one's bed frequently; Katsuki's quiet attempt at curbing his night terrors as he tended to sleep better snuggled with his boyfriend. Kats loved his boyfriend, he loved his company, his calm demeanor, the quiet way in which he went about life, and how Shou always knew when there was something wrong with Katsuki. So the idea of him and Shouto suddenly not living together after all these years was driving him insane… and, well… okay, maybe the blond wanted to help take care of Touya. He’s way better at cooking and cleaning than Shouto is, anyway.
The new digs were nice, though, the blond had to admit. Enji really fuckin’ came through for his kids, for once. Literally. The more Katsuki surveyed the area the more he could see this being home not only for the Todoroki brother’s but for him as well. He wasn’t quite sure how he’d bring it up to his mis-matched partner that he wanted to stay, hmm. Maybe he didn’t have to. Maybe Katsuki just wouldn’t leave.
Katsuki’s attention was caught by Touya, signing to them followed by Shou’s sarcastic response. “Tch. Looks like someone is trying to make up for years of shit parenting.” Vermillion eyes glanced over at the siblings, leaving them with a sly grin. “Yeah, let’s get inside so I can fucking feed you two.”
Re: House Arrest With The Boys [Touya x Shouto x Katsuki]
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2022 3:19 am
by NicTheDjinn
He looked back at the building before then as the two gave their responses, taking comfort in the fact that, in spite how beautiful it was here, neither of them were fooled. This was exactly what he'd said it was, a pretty prison cell. For the moment, he couldn't bring himself to appreciate the gesture, knowing where it stemmed from. His father was trying to make it up to him. This was part of an apology. "I'm sorry I ruined your life." Well... That bastard could keep apologizing to him till one of them was in their grave. Bitterly, Touya noted that given the poor state of his health, it wasn't unlikely that his father would outlive him. That's fine... He can live with the fact he was never forgiven for however much longer he was alive.
He sighed through his nose and started to sign again. 'Food sounds good. I want to find my room too.' As it seemed the others were waiting for him to take the lead, he did so. Considering this was his cell he supposed it was only natural they go at his place. He stepped up into the wooden porch that wrapped itself around the building, sliding the front door open and making his way inside. The soft glow of his eyes scanned the room for a moment before he was flicking the light on for a bit of a better look.
A living room, as one might expect. There was a large television mounted on the wall with a narrow table under it, the remote sitting upon it. There was a kotatsu, complete with blanket, which was stupid as both intended occupants didn't get cold. He supposed Bakugou would make good use of that, at least. There were cushions all around the table to sit on and the light was located above the table. The kotetsu itself was the larger variety too... Why would...? Wait. Did his father anticipate the family coming to visit him? That would explain things, but after his well the last year had gone, surely they'd had enough of dealing with him...
On the other side of the room was the kitchen, partially divided from the rest of the room by a counter. He ventured a little closer, mostly out of curiosity. His lack of lips and parts of his cheeks meant that his meals either involved him being a drooling mess or were liquid. When he'd discovered this, he hadn't been able to get himself to eat anything that requires chewing with things like apple sauce and ice cream being the most solid things he went for. That was probably the thing he missed the most... Solid foods. That and kissing. Kissing was nice. And sucking dick. Okay, time to stop that train of thought, let's look at the rest of the house...
Moving into the hallway, he slid open the next door and found a sink with a door next to it. Guessing that was a toilet he didn't bother opening it. He moved on then, finding a hall closet with extra bedding inside and a bathing room. Here there was a couple of hand showers sticking out of the wall, stools to sit on while you washed, a shelf of towels, soaps, and shampoos, a washer and dryer unit in the corner, and at the back of the room a bath sunken into the floor. It was nice and he was still feeling bitter so he wasn't going to say so.
At the end of the hall, he were two doors, both with key pads like the one at the gate. Motherfucker. They actually did it. One door failed to open for him, Shouto's room he assumed, and the second was a bedroom, as he'd expected. Futon, dresser, desk with a chair, closet, and a door leading to a sink and toilet setup like in the hall. He wondered what Shouto's room was like... Judging by the size of the house on the outside, there should be more...
Indeed there was. Shouto got the same things Touya had, of course, but with the added benefit of a training room.
The decor of the entire house was bland, probably by design so they could decorate as they wished. Touya sat himself down on the desk's chair and looked at the room he would be sleeping in. Shouto would be able to lock him in, if he wanted to... The lock on the other door confirmed it to him was well. They were there to keep Shouto safe. They were there so Touya couldn't sneak into his room and kill him in his sleep. Perhaps they were there to make sure he didn't kill himself while Shouto was away as well. Would Shouto always live here? Surely not... Touya would probably spend the rest of his days in this pretty cell and once they were sure he was safe, they would hire a nice nurse to play warden for the rest of his days. Would Shouto come visit him on holidays? Would his family? Would anyone...?
He hunched over, leaning his elbows on his knees as he felt the familiar sting in his eyes. He blinked away the blood, but it flowed all the same, starting to crawl its way down what was left of his cheeks then what didn't seep in between his teeth simply dripped into the faux tatami between his feet.
Re: House Arrest With The Boys [Touya x Shouto x Katsuki]
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 9:31 pm
by cynnabnnuy
Food did sound good, especially if Katsuki was the one cooking. Although, that brought up the thought of how his brother would be eating. Obviously, he knew there were dietary restrictions, but would he be okay with a more solid meal tonight? Shouto was certain his usual liquid meals and other grocery items would already be in the fridge inside, but... Maybe he'd be willing to eat what the blonde made? It was an idealistic thought, truly, but he knew how well his partner could cook, and it'd be a shame if Touya had to pass up on it. Although, thinking more on that, the more likely it seemed he would end up doing just that. It made sense, he just disliked having to watch the man drink his meals while chewing his own in front of him.
However, when the other man began walking, he nodded, moving to follow him onto the porch before glancing at Katsuki. He knew it wasn't something he'd discussed well enough with him, but he did hope his lover wasn't too upset about his impromptu appointment as the caretaker. There were still kinks to iron out, but they'd need to come later. Including his brother in that conversation wouldn't be fair to any of them. So, he took the blonde by the hand momentarily, squeezing gently before moving to follow the older man inside.
His eyes wandered the area he could see with the light shining through the open door before the lights flicked on. It was simple and clean, certainly composed of fire-resistant materials, but nice, nonetheless. The kotatsu was an odd choice, but its implications were clear enough. Visitors were expected and encouraged. That could potentially be nice. Seeing the others could be far easier now that they weren't living together.
Following into the kitchen next, Shouto looked through a few cupboards briefly, noting the location of dishes and what they had before he turned his attention to the fridge. It was more than likely that Katsuki would be bringing along his spices if he hadn't already, but they weren't lacking much. Enji was smart enough to, at least, do that, thankfully. Next was the hallway. More blank walls left for them to decide what to do with and a nice washroom. Not the first thing seen, but the first to catch the split man's attention in full. It was well designed, the floor not so smooth they'd consistently risk slipping when bathing but also not too rough.
When presented with the rooms, he noted the one that didn't open for his brother, quiet as he watched on before glancing in his room once it was open. Opening the one locked to Touya, he noted the additional training space and left the door open as he briefly stepped in to look a bit closer. Maybe it was idiotic, perhaps arrogant, but he didn't think the other man would try to harm him. The door would likely remain unlocked unless there were a reason for it not to be, but that wasn't a thought for right now, Shouto, focus.
Returning to the eldest after a few moments, he hesitated, unsure how to respond to the sight presented. He had seen Touya cry before, he knew the damage done to his tear ducts, but that wasn't the issue. There was obviously something going on in his head, something he likely wouldn't understand. It was a rough day emotionally, something Shouto wasn't sure he'd ever be good at handling, even if he wasn't the one upset, but he still wanted to try to help. The man moved down carefully, kneeling beside his brother before resting a hand on his back as he remained quiet. This was not his strong suit, but he would at least be there. Or not, Touya getting more upset was the opposite of what he wanted, so if told to leave? Off he would go.
Re: House Arrest With The Boys [Touya x Shouto x Katsuki]
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2022 9:53 pm
by CRYBABY
It's as if Katsuki could read his boyfriend's mind. At the mention of food he knew exactly what was running through Shouto's head: would Touya eat. With Touya in mind, the blond had already decided on keeping their meals on the softer side, unless Shou had a special request, in hopes that the older man would join them in sharing a meal. But that wasn't up to the blond, he'd cook for the three of them like he normally would, and if Touya declined the meal in favor of a liquid diet then that would be his choice, like hell would Katsuki be caught dead treating the older man like some kind of helpless corpse. Besides, Bakugou would more than happily puree food for Touya at his request, the nutrients in his cooking beats that of those in the pre-made liquid meals Touya was used to, and his probably tasted better too.
The blond knew exactly what it meant when Shouto took his hand and gently squeezed. A soft, silent reassurance to which the blond reciprocated with a light squeeze and a short smile. Katsuki was going to be there for Shouto in all capacities, no matter what. Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight doesn't take dating so lightly, hell he barely likes anyone, so letting Shouto in so intimately like this for the past few years? Their relationship was going to be never ending if Katsuki had anything to say about it.
He followed behind the brothers, taking in the scenery and was actually quite impressed with how the cel--house looked on the inside. It was bland, sure, but the blond just took that as a challenge to decorate a living space they'd all really enjoy rather than leaving it up to their dumbass father. He was kind of glad to see the size of the kotatsu, knowing this meant that Touya and Shou were intended to have visitors, probably the rest of the Todoroki family, which might be a good way to keep Touya from going stir crazy.
Into the kitchen they went, the blond watching as Touya and Shouto observed their surroundings, he couldn't help but feel a macabre aura surrounding the two, not that he could blame them, this wasn't exactly a great situation for either of them, and although Katsuki had never been the 'cheery' type, he hoped some sort of domestic normalcy could have the two feeling a bit better about this whole thing. He decided not to follow them further into the house, thinking it best to let the two of them seek their rooms out, given that the blond wasn't technically supposed to be living here, and instead he began stifling through the fridge and cupboards to gather ingredients for dinner. He'd start with a miso soup, cook some rice, and soft boil chicken. Should be fine for Touya to eat and even easier for the blond to puree if the older man decided to drink his meal instead.
Re: House Arrest With The Boys [Touya x Shouto x Katsuki]
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 4:29 am
by NicTheDjinn
Those gorgeous blue eyes found Shouto's own mismatched ones. The gesture was sweet and meant a great deal, but sometimes you just wanted to be upset. Sometimes you just wanted to be bitter, to be mad, to throw a tantrum... Still, his little brother was worried about him. He should try to be strong for him, shouldn't he? He knew it was expected of him, it's what society dictated he should do. Well... He'd never been one to conform anyway. He shuffled, the morbid substitute for tears continuing to flow.
'I'm going to die here. They'll never let me leave,' trembling hands signed, unable to stop himself from heaving a sob. 'This isn't a jail cell, it's...' He hesitated, realizing he didn't know the sign he wanted to use. He snarled in frustration, signing the individual characters. 'T-O-M-B. I'm already fucking dead, my body just needs to catch up!' Dull barely orange flames flickered to life at his hands, licking their way up his arms harmlessly, sputtering violently between orange and a barely visible red. The fact that the flames were there at all spoke volumes as his implant dampened his quirk into near non-existent, taking an incredible amount of effort to function even the slightest bit.
Another sob and the display of power died away and with it, the anger, leaving him looking so incredibly tired. 'They're using me... Look how good and sympathetic we are, we're trying to rehabilitate villains. They're going to let me rot. We tried but not everyone can be saved. Look how nice we're treating him anyway. Look how fucking good we are! I hate this. I want to burn it to the ground. I don't want to choke down the kindness they're trying to force down my throat.' He let his hands hang between his legs, apparently done with his rant. He had no idea if poor Shouto would even be able to follow all of that, but he hadn't been able to resist the urge to vent when given the chance.
With a sigh, he reached out to pull the hand at his back off, but only so he could instead hold his hand in both of his. He hesitated then before letting go so he could sign a little more, the fact he couldn't say most of it hurting him. 'Do you hate me, little brother? Does Dynamite?' He'd taken to using the literal sign for dynamite in reference to Bakugou. He knew he spelled it a little different, but it got the point across. With that said he took his hand back up in his own, not quite ready to give up his lifeline.
Re: House Arrest With The Boys [Touya x Shouto x Katsuki]
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2022 6:26 pm
by cynnabnnuy
With Katsuki taking his leave to start dinner and Touya kneeling on the floor, Shouto took a moment to observe. He'd never been the comforting type. It wasn't something he was good at doing. Emotions were fickle and different for everyone, but spending so long forcing himself to keep them out of Enji's line of sight left him stumbling to manage his own. He barely knew what he felt anymore, unable to discern his feelings more often than not. His brother was struggling, though, and he could at least try to be there for him. He wasn't asked to leave, though. Instead, he was faced, his brother looking at him as he signed with hands that shook with something he could vaguely understand.
His lips pressed together at the words, not speaking yet as he watched the man vent. There was a time for trying to comfort, and this wasn't it. Not yet, at least. How long had it been since anyone heard him out? If ever? Shouto watched on as the flames lapped up over the man's arms after he expressed his demise. Then he continued, mentioning the pseudo-kindness Enji was showing for scraps of public favor. He kept quiet, trying to note everything signed to him, even if he didn't get all of it.
The hand on the man's back remained through the rant, rubbing gently with his thumb before letting the silence sit for a minute as he looked down. It wasn't clear how to respond. He wanted to be helpful, but there wasn't much he could say when he agreed with the other on most of what he voiced. The 'home' was absolutely a cell and a tomb, there wasn't a way he could imagine the other escaping, and he probably would be trapped until his body gave out. It wasn't fair to him to be used as some charity case. But how should he voice that without seeming disingenuine, condescending, or patronizing?
When the other took his hand, he looked up from the floor, meeting his eyes again before looking down as he was signed to again. The question made him falter as his brows knit, eyes looking over his hands before he set his other hand over the man's in turn. "Absolutely not, and neither does he." His words were soft-spoken, hand lifted for a moment to gently wipe the crimson tears cautiously. "I don't know if it's obvious, but Katsuki doesn't do things unless he wants to. If he hated you, he wouldn't be here. He's calmed down but doesn't put himself in spots that would upset him purposefully." Taking a moment, he glanced back to the door before shaking his head as he looked back to Touya. "He enjoys being around you. It's nice seeing him bounce off someone who can handle his snark like you. I think he has fun talking to you."
The majority of the commentary was on his boyfriend, but... Taking a slow breath, he paused to look at the other before moving to squeeze the man's hands in his as he added on. "I just enjoy being near you again. It feels naive, but it's nice." He wasn't sure if that was a great way to phrase it, but he lacked the emotional intelligence to discern the right way. "I also-" Pausing, he pressed his lips together, trying to think of how to go about things better before shaking his head slightly. "I don't trust anyone else to care for you properly. Especially not if Enji hired them. I don't trust him."
Re: House Arrest With The Boys [Touya x Shouto x Katsuki]
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2022 2:21 am
by CRYBABY
Katsuki noted the extended time the brother's took in exploring the rest of the house and began to worry just a bit. He knew this was a big adjustment for Touya and Shouto. His boyfriend being able to relive childhood joys with his eldest brother had to be a good thing, right? Katsuki didn't fucking know, this was a weird fucking situation they all were in, it was hard to discern what would be beneficial or not.
He didn't want to interrupt them, but at the same time he wanted check in and see if everything was okay. Shou was great, but he wasn't exactly the best at expressing himself or comforting others, and fuck neither was Katsuki but maybe together they'd be two halves of one emotionally intelligent guy. While the food simmered Katsuki decided to step out of the kitchen and peer down the hallway where the bedrooms were located. "So is it nice or what?" he called to the brothers, figuring he'd get some sorta response from both of them or at least from Shouto if Touya didn't feel like grunting a response, and that'd be his ticket to deciphering what was going on over there.
Re: House Arrest With The Boys [Touya x Shouto x Katsuki]
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:22 am
by NicTheDjinn
It was painful to watch as the man’s eyes quickly started to search for the lie in his brother’s eyes when he finally got a verbal answer out of him. It was telling that even now he didn’t trust that his little brother might not hate him, let alone the blond in the kitchen which he’d personally kidnapped. Still, paranoid distrust or no, he didn’t see anything but sincerity. He closed his eyes as the young hero dared to touch him further, wiping away some of the blood from what remained of his face. Most didn’t want to look at him, let alone touch him, even less so around or on the areas that were so heavily damaged. Well… They were damaged. Now they were as healed as they naturally could be. No more staples to hold him together, his skin was stitched back together and… Well somewhat mended. While some of the bruising had settled, the skin looked far from natural after so long. To actually fix him would require the removal of the damaged skin and the application of new, healthy grafts. He doubted they would ever perform such an extensive procedure on him, not after what he’d done. He was ‘lucky’ not to be rotting away in an actual jail cell.
His brother went on to insist on providing some manner of proof of how Bakugou felt too. He couldn’t argue with the fact that Katsuki wouldn’t do something he didn’t want to if there were any other choice. There was nothing holding him here, nothing obligating him to spend time with him or talk to him. The blond had done so in the past and without any prompting that he could detect. His self doubt wanted to insist that he couldn’t possibly feel that way, but he knew that Shouto was right. If Katsuki didn’t want to be here, he wouldn’t be. While he would accept that Shouto needed to live here with him as part of the agreement for his staying here to begin with, he could have easily insisted on a schedule for Shouto to leave and visit him, but he knew of no such agreement. He was here because here is where he wanted to be and he wouldn’t want that if he honestly didn’t want to be around him and he certainly wouldn’t have engaged in as many conversations as he had with him if he didn’t want them. But… What of Shou’s feelings?
And there it was. Shouto had missed him, but… Why? They’d barely known each other when they were children. Perhaps that’s exactly why. He was the brother he’d had in passing, the one he usually only saw from a distance with most of their interactions happening during family dinners and direct interactions happening so rarely that he couldn’t properly remember any of them. A bandaid on a scraped knee here, a head pat there, it was always short for fear of garnering their father’s attention. Or was it perhaps because of the last year? Was one year long enough to look past all the things he’d done and love him anyway? Then again, if Shouto could stomach their father’s company then his own was probably not very difficult in comparison.
Oh? Aquamarine hues blinked lightly as Shouto admitted that he not only didn’t trust anyone else to care for him, but particularly anyone their father selected, even forgoing the hereditary title and referring to him by name. Katsuki’s voice called to them from down the hall and he that’s what finally snapped him out of the surprise he really shouldn’t have felt, he realized. His eyes shut as he started to huff out the bazaar, wheezing laughter that his scorched insides allowed him. He reached out to gently cup the back of his brother’s head, pulling him in as he leaned in himself till they were resting forehead to forehead. The closeness was nice… Figures they would bond over their mutual dislike of their mutual sperm donor. Releasing him after a moment, he sniffled and finally stood, pulling a bit of white cloth from one of his pockets, bits stained pink from pasts uses that didn’t wash out, and dabbed the blood from his face from his face as best as he could.
Stuffing the cloth in his pocket, he signed once again. ‘Good boy.’ Came the simple praise before he was nodding towards the door and indeed heading back to rejoin Katsuki in the kitchen. Once he was sure the blond could see him he was signing again. ‘It’s as boring as the rest. Still a nice jail cell. I might not drown myself in the koi pond out of spite.’ He took a deep, shuttering breath to work the last of his upset out of his lungs, looking over at the pot on the stove. ‘Smells good.’ A quiet sucking sound came then a swallow followed, an indication he was attempting not to let drool escape past his teeth, proof that he was telling the truth. It also hinted that, at the very least, he wanted some. If he would allow himself to do so or not was a different matter, however.