[ Before anything else, Bakugou would probably feel that it is extremely important to point out that he waited a long ass time before doing or saying anything about the weird trainwreck that the finals of the sports festival turned into. He stewed upon it. He thought and pondered extensively. For weeks. And for him, that is actually quite a show of commitment, and also indicates that he actually thought to himself that his kneejerk reaction might not be the most appropriate reaction. Character development is beautiful, basically, and okay — so maybe he thought it would make the whole "we're dating but we don't talk about it explicitly, ever, because honestly what the fuck" situation a bit awkward and reduce the amount of making out they do. So he has ulterior motives. Whatever, character development is still beautiful.
After weeks, though, he concludes that his kneejerk reaction was almost definitely the most appropriate reaction. His pride? It was offended, horrendously so, and it demands for justice. He wants vengeance, and also a proper victory, if he's going to keep the stupid medal and all.
He also doesn't want to cause property damage that he'd probably be held liable for if they went full-on fighting with their quirks in the streets, because (1) he is not rich, and (2) that seems like the kind of stuff that goes on your criminal record, which wouldn't look good for his future budding career. (Not that his future budding career is looking great in the first place, when his claims to fame include getting attacked by a sludge monster and then getting muzzled on TV, and hopefully too children weren't watching that because how would an appalled parent explain that, really?) As such, he's forced to wrack his brains over how he can get a rematch that appeases his ego without becoming a public nuisance.
Tl;dr: this was a disaster before it even began. But what else is new.
But the shorter recap of how they got to where they are goes something like Bakugou going full-on grade school bully and making sure that when he approached Todoroki with this brilliant plan, it was in front of the entire class. There was some weird egotistical and mildly Freudian grandstanding, the gauntlet was thrown down, and the phrase "come at me like you want to kill me" was unironically used. Kirishima commented about how manly it all is. Midoriya looked moderately concerned murder is going to be committed down the street from where he lives. Iida looked like he wants to somehow be the responsible guy and intervene, but didn't know how. And on the inside, Bakugou knew that Todoroki was probably regretting for the umpteenth time ever associating with him, but feelings are feelings and pride is pride. He is emotionally stunted, but has enough pride in his left pinky as most people do in their entire bodies.
It makes dragging Todoroki over to his house a somewhat more awkward affair than usual, because Bakugou has expressed a desire to casually kill or be killed at some point (literally dragging, as in he clamps onto the tail of Todoroki's blazer and refuses to let go of it in case he tries to stage an escape from his fate, which would be kinda cute except it's Bakugou). He gets the feeling that Todoroki only lets it happen because there's a part of him that wants to believe Bakugou is just kidding, or will be persuaded out of this really fucking bad idea.
He will not be moved by logic. As far as he is concerned, his home is merely a pit stop to drop off his school bag before they go attempt to beat the shit out of each other, only just letting go of his deathgrip to do just that before turning around and giving Todoroki an expectant look. ]
So.
[ A dramatic pause ensues, to build the suspense, or something. ]
You're not gonna half-ass it, right?
[ Please Bakugou, he probably hasn't even agreed to this stupid idea yet. In which case, Bakugou would be doing worse than property damage. He would be performing straight-up homicide with intent to kill. ]
[ So bold! So daring!! Does this come before or after boys who thrive in the bedroom struggling with holding hands and dishing out compliments, every misunderstanding that mars soap opera romance and fulfilling that old cliché of delinquents adopting stray cats. Maybe Todoroki can try to teach Bakugou proper etiquette, civilise him a little before he inevitably meets his father, show him which fork to use and when before he blows his top and they end up making out. Ideal.
But back to our regularly-scheduled regretting life choices, where Todoroki is learning to live with being the little spoon, wondering what he did to deserve the weird contented feeling welling up in his chest. Wondering where he might've ended up if this whole mess had never happened, whether he'd be better off if handling Bakugou's bullshit hadn't become second nature, if his presence hadn't somehow slipped under Todoroki's guard and started making him feel right at home.
Okay, so maybe he is over-thinking it a little, Bakugou is still a child and that's still a terrible comeback.
More importantly, those are lips being pressed to his skin and holy shit, he never knew Bakugou could do something so unabashedly gay. Acts of outright affection don't suit him, in Todoroki's opinion, much as the incessant pounding of doki doki in his eardrums might disagree, and he'll make that clear with some disgruntled noise, one that almost sounds like— ]
[ At least meeting Todoroki's mom would probably be less of a trainwreck than when Bakugou loses his shit in front of Endeavor, although he might suddenly be seized with this awful sensation of "Wow, look at this sweet and harmless lady. I've debased the hell out of your son and I'm not sorry, but I wish I didn't just have that thought right here and right now, it's... it's almost like I'm feeling shame?" ]
It's the back of your neck, how is the back of your neck ticklish.
[ So he says, breathing right up against the back of Todoroki's neck still. But if it makes Todoroki feel better, he supposes he can adjust a little so that he's nuzzling his nose behind Todoroki's earlobe instead, which... might or might not be an improvement and holy shit has Bakugou picked the best time to do some sort of weird teasing/flirting thing or what? ]
[ Honestly, having to bring Bakugou before his mother is one of those things Todoroki doesn't care to consider, too concerned to wonder just where it may go, whether he's even worthy of appearing before her and saying there's someone he loves, like he's normal or something. The problem with parental issues is how quickly it boils down to chasing approval, and in the here and now Bakugou manages to provide all the validation Todoroki will ever need, a thought disquieting in itself that still helps deal with his doubts.
The nape of the neck is one of those spots, you know, devilishly intimate to let another person see, nevermind breathe and cuddle up against. It's another reminder of how they've become a thing, as their classmates would probably put it if they knew, if they hadn't found out already, and he's not sure earlobes are any less familiar. ]
That's...
[ That's gay, for starters, before Todoroki stiffens, makes some vaguely pleased sound from the back of his throat, what those in the know would definitely call a giggle, opening his mouth and jesus christ you can hear the stupid smile in his voice. ]
[ Probably the best for now (and several years into the future), because Bakugou needs a long time to become emotionally ready for a conversation that goes something like "your mom's nice, Shouto" "this is weird, but I can't hear you?" "I SAID YOUR MOM IS NICE, SHOUTO. WHY'D SHE HAVE TO BE NICE NOW I FEEL STRANGE ABOUT IT AND FUCK THAT EMOTION."
Bakugou's put Todoroki through a lot in one afternoon, so he supposes he could spare giving Todoroki grief over that dumb giggle because he's a Tough GuyTM and doesn't get weird fluttering in his heart or stomach areas. That would be absolutely absurd.
Suddenly, he's having a realization of all the cool things he can do as the big spoon. This is a good position, he likes it here and hopes this will be a repeat situation, but just in case it isn't, he may as well get all his sudden weird impulse urges out of the way, like just kind of... laying his hand flat against Todoroki's stomach. Touching for the sake of touching seems somehow incredibly racy, he's not even checking out Todoroki's abs or anything (he has to admit that even through touch alone, they're really nice abs) and Bakugou's internally questioning everything, but especially his standards. Even he knows he should have no capacity for embarrassment after everything. ]
[ This has the potential to be a rather touching moment between the two of them, which probably means they'll still find some way to fuck it up. Assuming that neither of them have matured any by the time Todoroki sees fit to share his past (and Bakugou doesn't spoil it all early on), maybe enough that they can face his mother together and have her blessing. Then they can go punch his father in the face or something because this is clearly fucking dreamland where they can even pull that off.
Speaking of which, that is Bakugou's arm being thrown casually round him, slightly possessive and almost like it belongs there, and that is definitely not something he knows how to deal with. Nor can he explain the hand that comes up to splay fingers over Bakugou's wrist, hold him there, how he lets out a sigh that's disgustingly content and makes him sound so happy to be held. To call the sensation welling up in his chest fluttering would be putting it lightly, yet still Todoroki can't really bring himself to move. ]
Hey...
[ Or make his complaints sound anything close to sincere, when his breathing's starting to settle into some nice little rise and fall, pressed warm against the other boy's chest. Purely temporarily, of course, while he rests a little. Definitely not a thing he could see himself enjoying again in the future, not at all. ]
[ Realistically, Bakugou probably would get in a shouting match with best dad Endeavor at some point, but it would have nothing to do with being a supportive boyfriend or whatever. It'd be because he would have detected the presence of another major asshole in the room and the embedded asshole instinct to highlander and assert his alpha asshole status would emerge, and then Todoroki would have a situation on the level of an r/relationships trainwreck on his hands. So really, in dreamland, they should just skip meeting the parents and elope and run off to Fiji for some debauched honeymoon or something.
It's taking a lot of willpower right now to not sink his teeth into that nice stretch of flesh in between where the shoulder and neck meet up. Bakugou's making do with keeping his hold nice and firm against Todoroki's waist and just settling his mouth near the curve of Todoroki's neck so he can tempt himself and then pride himself on resisting temptation. ]
... What is it.
[ Bakugou Katsuki has more chill in him right now than he has probably in the entire last two years of his life combined, he doesn't even sound annoyed. Is Todoroki's ice half rubbing off on him? Probably not, but we can pretend. ]
[ Still, this doesn't take into account that any attitude or resistance shown towards his father is going to shoot Bakugou ever higher up in his estimation, not even touching upon how gratifying it would be to see someone challenge daddy dearest for a change. Then again, Endeavour's influence and instability is such that earning his ire could do much to damage one's future career as a hero, so it might be best to just head abroad somewhere. They could get married in some parts of the world, you know.
For whatever reason, somehow, Todoroki isn't all that relieved to have Bakugou's lips so close to being pressed against his skin, the tingling sensation that follows, sparks sent down his spine that have him shivering in the other boy's grip and surrendering to sensation. Limbs reduced to jelly and he's never felt quite so boneless. ]
Nothing.
[ Except that's not really a response at all, certainly not by Bakugou's standards, and he can only imagine how torturous it'll be if he decides to press the matter. He is in absolutely no condition for an interrogation right now, surprisingly enough, so before he has time to think, Todoroki-- ]
You smell nice.
[ Shows that Bakugou's ability to shove his foot in his mouth is probably rubbing off on him. ]
[ It could be interpreted as touching, if Bakugou said something like, "I could not give two shits if you somehow bar me from every goddamn hero institution in this entire country, I will still be a better hero than you, and while I'm at it, so will Shouto! So fuck you!!" But that actually seems like a terrible life decision, so yeah, best to screw off to a country where they can grab a marriage license and then travel to a nice tropical location to learn why beach sex is a bad idea.
They do say couples become more like each other over time, and quite frankly that prospect is a bit terrifying when it comes to this pair of emotional incompetents, but it's not like Bakugou even recognizes that for what it is, so. ]
... I think I smell normal.
[ One must wonder how Todoroki feels sometimes, dating somebody who sets him up for embarrassment without even willfully meaning to and genuinely sounds a bit confused. ]
[ All the more touching would be the tearful farewell, after Endeavour has the brat that talked back to him and risks taking away his pet project quietly bumped off in a back-alley somewhere. Because there's nothing like a little arbitrary angst and a broken Todoroki resigning himself to his father's wishes to help spice up shipping talk, no siree. How hard could it be for a couple enterprising heroes like themselves to set up shop somewhere abroad.
Not that he's exceptionally optimistic about the state of their relationship, given how objectively filthy of a person he's become these past few weeks/months and all, but Todoroki would like to think they can make each other better people instead of wallowing in codependency together forever. Cover one another's weaknesses and grow up a little as a couple, you know. Touching stuff. ]
Good for you.
[ He regrets this line of conversation, unsurprisingly. He lacks the tweeny pretentiousness required to say his boyfriend smells of sandalwood, or whatever's popular these days, anything other than sweat and sex and god only knows what, but it's uncomfortably pleasant all the same. ]
I think most people think they smell normal, actually?
[ What the fuck kind of pillow talk even is this. ]
[ I will sincerely hope and pray that some enterprising person taps into this wavelength and is suddenly struck with the desires to write a 50k fic about Bakugou and Todoroki's version of the movie Love Story, except with superheroes instead of lawyers and whatnot. But preferably minus the part where one of them gets a terminal illness and dies. Replace it with an extended R18 scene, maybe. Gimme the little death instead of the real death.
Also, to be fair to Todoroki's inability to mention sandalwood, Bakugou probably smells faintly but alarmingly of nitroglycerin and other such appealing substances, so perhaps we should all be grateful that Todoroki lacks the certain pretentiousness necessary for him to unironically make a statement like, "He smells like a fired handgun," for all the accurate but, quite frankly, unfortunate metaphorical value it has.
On that note, I can't wait for the day that I can just... douse myself in hero perfume, the way that they eventually made perfumes for the Kuroko no Basukes. ]
Well, yeah. It's not like you can really smell yourself.
[ No but really, what the fuck kind of pillow talk is this...
Anyway, since Todoroki's sniffing him (apparently), Bakugou is just gonna bury his nose into Todoroki's hair and give it a good whiff. Look, it's not weird, Todoroki brought it up first!! ]
... Huh.
[ He also lacks the tweeny pretense to describe what it is he's smelling, so he's just going to. Sniff again. It's cool. He's still not the one who brought it up in the first place. ]
[ Amazing an idea as that is aside, this is starting to sound like a fic one of us is already thinking of writing, possibly the one who still has snuff in the maybes on their kinklist, if we're talking about little deaths. Angst is always nice, anyways, maybe with a mix of the patently absurd for that comedic flair, Bakugou kicking the bucket against some backalley villain and Todoroki making an ice sculpture to keep him company.
Todoroki really rather lacks the mental energy to properly categorise whatever it is Bakugou smells like, beyond the now-familiar scents of sweat and sex, strangely comforting as they are, just the scent of Bakugou in general. The one he's many a time gone home totally coated in, more than a little gross upon reflection.
With the flood of merchandise it seriously might happen, you know. ]
... Is "huh" good in this case.
[ He can probably infer from the fact that he is, for some reason, still being sniffed that the answer is yes, but Todoroki is more than a little struck by how fucking weird it is that they're sitting here sniffing each other after a murder nearly occurred mere minutes ago. ]
Do you ever wonder how we end up in these situations?
[ I can theorize, not because of personal experience or anything, but through careful and very legitimate psychological analysis (I am certified to do so as I took an Intro to Psych class at one point in my life, thus qualifying me to make these kinds of statements on the internets), that somebody who is tentatively okay with snuff likes to cut things short as soon as possible, perhaps even cut things short prematurely so they probably don't have the stamina for 50k fics. Again, this is totally legit and detached third party psychological analysis.
I'll mentally revise this thread to incorporate any future perfume scents in retrospect. Considering you can already make like Dabi irl and put a small Kacchan in your mouth (and eat him), I'm like 75% sure it'll happen. ]
Well. Yeah, I guess it's good.
[ Bakugou thinks he probably wouldn't be sniffing Todoroki if he didn't like something he was smelling. He's not 100% sure on this point, though. ]
... And what do you mean by that.
[ Todoroki, are you saying it's abnormal to start developing a scent kink right after a near miss with manslaughter? ]
[ He is merely remarking on how utterly abnormal — and, dare he say it quirky — his life has become since Bakugou entered into it, words spoken like some sudden revelation and not a question that's gnawed away at him for a while. How did they end up here, anyway? When did whatever casual affair they had going on expand beyond the questionably-intimate into Bakugou sniffing his hair, the weird warmth in his chest that those words make him feel? It's... odd in a word, curious in ways Todoroki really doesn't care to examine, shunned out of his thoughts like countless other questions as to where his life is going or what goal he might be aiming for, a particular talent for self-distraction that seems to be failing him now.
Perhaps because cuddling, far less carnal an act of physical affection as it is, lacks the same logical conclusion as fucking each other senseless 'til one of them can't walk, banging the night away, far easier for Todoroki's mind to wander with no end in sight. Akin to a sense of existential dread in those precious seconds before one falls asleep, albeit minus the usual morbidity and on the whole far... fluffier.
Devouring tiny Kacchans also definitely sounds like someone's fetish. Probably someone who likes Mt. Lady just a little too much. ]
Like.
[ A non-committal answer to start with, gives the gears whirring away in Todoroki's head time to translate what the fuck are we doing into something Bakugou might comprehend, won't run the risk of ruining the moment or earning his ire (not that near anything will not set Bakugou off, but Todoroki takes some small pride in knowing how best to tiptoe around this particular minefield). ]
When did we start calling each other by our first names?
[ If there's one thing that being on the Internet has taught me, it's that anything is probably somebody's kink out there. Rpanons alone has taught me that dozens of times as well (where are scubanon and inert bodies anon now we might never know).
And perhaps what Todoroki is experiencing is some sort of delayed version of fapper's regret, or as some famous dead European guy put it, the devil's laughter. The moments after he has already done the deed and realized in the post-orgiastic clarity that oh boy, I stuck my dick in crazy but that's not as bad as cuddling with crazy.
Anyway, that question is enough to get Bakugou to stop discovering his brand new scent kink and attempt to turn his brain back on for a few moments and ponder it over. He doesn't have any particular reverence over the use of given names, to be honest, but he also doesn't call anybody else by their first name (Deku aside and does that even really count given everything surrounding that nickname). ]
I dunno, does that bother you or something?
[ Bakugou can revert to calling him Todoroki. Maybe. Okay, probably not, the habit is already pretty well ingrained; it's only a matter of time before he slips up and accidentally reveals they're on first name basis at school.
Also: The point
_______________ Bakugou's head
Unfortunately, Todoroki might have to clarify that this is a matter of feelings for Bakugou tonight, on top of everything else he has been subjected to. ]
[ The best one is still sneezekink anon apparently finding someone to play with.
It's less the sudden realisation of knowing that he is but an animal shackled to his biological imperatives thing and more the feelings part that has Todoroki thrown, honestly, wondering if he might be just as crazy as the boy he's fallen so hard for (and cuddling with Bakugou in itself is probably grounds for questioning one's soundness of mind). That he's being asked to put this little awareness of his into words is definitely a struggle though.
Ah, enunciating, the art of taking the hurricane in his head and struggling to form it into something that his mouth can convey, not one of Todoroki's talents at the best of times. It doesn't help that even in his thoughts he can't really put a finger on what is so off-putting about the use of first names, beyond it being something he oft reserves for his siblings.
It's the thought of just going back to Todoroki in Bakugou's eyes that finally gets him talking, for whatever reason. ]
... It's not something casual acquaintances do.
[ And in breaking news, Shouto Todoroki to appear on Mastermind, specialist subject the bleeding obvious. ]
I like it, though.
[ Todoroki would like to imagine the Incredibly Strong use of language here will help get across that this is one of those emotional issues again. ]
[ Godspeed to all the niche kink anons out there, surely somebody someday will indulge in some well-written full-body sneezing action and know they've made somebody weirdly happy.
And if pressed, Bakugou will maintain until his dying days that he is a rational person, a very logical person who applies Occam's Razor to the vast majority of his problems along with a stunning lack of tact. The fact that he both has and pre-emptively named a move where he turns himself into an explosive tornado is clearly proof of all of this, along with basically all of how he chooses to interact with Todoroki. What's that saying about common sense not being common.
Thankfully, for once Bakugou doesn't open his unnecessarily sassy mouth to shoot a statement like "yes thank you, Captain Obvious" before Todoroki has added onto his original observation, which also happens to shut Bakugou up pretty thoroughly. This is not a kid who necessarily has the greatest sense about names (when will we know what his hero name is if not Baron of Explodokills, Horikoshi, and why won't you show us his room either, why so stingy with the Kacchan facts) and is fueled primarily on id, chance are high that he just started using Todoroki's first name, paused for a moment, and mentally shruggie emoji'd and then kept on going. ]
Like it how you like eating noodles, or like it like...
[ There is a long pause before Bakugou attempts to vocalize an interrobang, because he realized halfway through he had no idea how to vocalize what he was getting at. The boy does not have a strong grasp on the concept of platonic feelings and romantic feelings. As with many a boy, he has related the feeling back to food.
And inadvertently revealed that he's probably stared at Todoroki during their lunch period more than he really ought to, but shh. ]
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( all the right shades on the wrong page )
But back to our regularly-scheduled regretting life choices, where Todoroki is learning to live with being the little spoon, wondering what he did to deserve the weird contented feeling welling up in his chest. Wondering where he might've ended up if this whole mess had never happened, whether he'd be better off if handling Bakugou's bullshit hadn't become second nature, if his presence hadn't somehow slipped under Todoroki's guard and started making him feel right at home.
Okay, so maybe he is over-thinking it a little, Bakugou is still a child and that's still a terrible comeback.
More importantly, those are lips being pressed to his skin and holy shit, he never knew Bakugou could do something so unabashedly gay. Acts of outright affection don't suit him, in Todoroki's opinion, much as the incessant pounding of doki doki in his eardrums might disagree, and he'll make that clear with some disgruntled noise, one that almost sounds like— ]
... That tickles, quit it.
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It's the back of your neck, how is the back of your neck ticklish.
[ So he says, breathing right up against the back of Todoroki's neck still. But if it makes Todoroki feel better, he supposes he can adjust a little so that he's nuzzling his nose behind Todoroki's earlobe instead, which... might or might not be an improvement and holy shit has Bakugou picked the best time to do some sort of weird teasing/flirting thing or what? ]
There, happy now?
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The nape of the neck is one of those spots, you know, devilishly intimate to let another person see, nevermind breathe and cuddle up against. It's another reminder of how they've become a thing, as their classmates would probably put it if they knew, if they hadn't found out already, and he's not sure earlobes are any less familiar. ]
That's...
[ That's gay, for starters, before Todoroki stiffens, makes some vaguely pleased sound from the back of his throat, what those in the know would definitely call a giggle, opening his mouth and jesus christ you can hear the stupid smile in his voice. ]
Fine.
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Bakugou's put Todoroki through a lot in one afternoon, so he supposes he could spare giving Todoroki grief over that dumb giggle because he's a Tough GuyTM and doesn't get weird fluttering in his heart or stomach areas. That would be absolutely absurd.
Suddenly, he's having a realization of all the cool things he can do as the big spoon. This is a good position, he likes it here and hopes this will be a repeat situation, but just in case it isn't, he may as well get all his sudden weird impulse urges out of the way, like just kind of... laying his hand flat against Todoroki's stomach. Touching for the sake of touching seems somehow incredibly racy, he's not even checking out Todoroki's abs or anything (he has to admit that even through touch alone, they're really nice abs) and Bakugou's internally questioning everything, but especially his standards. Even he knows he should have no capacity for embarrassment after everything. ]
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Speaking of which, that is Bakugou's arm being thrown casually round him, slightly possessive and almost like it belongs there, and that is definitely not something he knows how to deal with. Nor can he explain the hand that comes up to splay fingers over Bakugou's wrist, hold him there, how he lets out a sigh that's disgustingly content and makes him sound so happy to be held. To call the sensation welling up in his chest fluttering would be putting it lightly, yet still Todoroki can't really bring himself to move. ]
Hey...
[ Or make his complaints sound anything close to sincere, when his breathing's starting to settle into some nice little rise and fall, pressed warm against the other boy's chest. Purely temporarily, of course, while he rests a little. Definitely not a thing he could see himself enjoying again in the future, not at all. ]
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It's taking a lot of willpower right now to not sink his teeth into that nice stretch of flesh in between where the shoulder and neck meet up. Bakugou's making do with keeping his hold nice and firm against Todoroki's waist and just settling his mouth near the curve of Todoroki's neck so he can tempt himself and then pride himself on resisting temptation. ]
... What is it.
[ Bakugou Katsuki has more chill in him right now than he has probably in the entire last two years of his life combined, he doesn't even sound annoyed. Is Todoroki's ice half rubbing off on him? Probably not, but we can pretend. ]
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For whatever reason, somehow, Todoroki isn't all that relieved to have Bakugou's lips so close to being pressed against his skin, the tingling sensation that follows, sparks sent down his spine that have him shivering in the other boy's grip and surrendering to sensation. Limbs reduced to jelly and he's never felt quite so boneless. ]
Nothing.
[ Except that's not really a response at all, certainly not by Bakugou's standards, and he can only imagine how torturous it'll be if he decides to press the matter. He is in absolutely no condition for an interrogation right now, surprisingly enough, so before he has time to think, Todoroki-- ]
You smell nice.
[ Shows that Bakugou's ability to shove his foot in his mouth is probably rubbing off on him. ]
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They do say couples become more like each other over time, and quite frankly that prospect is a bit terrifying when it comes to this pair of emotional incompetents, but it's not like Bakugou even recognizes that for what it is, so. ]
... I think I smell normal.
[ One must wonder how Todoroki feels sometimes, dating somebody who sets him up for embarrassment without even willfully meaning to and genuinely sounds a bit confused. ]
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Not that he's exceptionally optimistic about the state of their relationship, given how objectively filthy of a person he's become these past few weeks/months and all, but Todoroki would like to think they can make each other better people instead of wallowing in codependency together forever. Cover one another's weaknesses and grow up a little as a couple, you know. Touching stuff. ]
Good for you.
[ He regrets this line of conversation, unsurprisingly. He lacks the tweeny pretentiousness required to say his boyfriend smells of sandalwood, or whatever's popular these days, anything other than sweat and sex and god only knows what, but it's uncomfortably pleasant all the same. ]
I think most people think they smell normal, actually?
[ What the fuck kind of pillow talk even is this. ]
no subject
Also, to be fair to Todoroki's inability to mention sandalwood, Bakugou probably smells faintly but alarmingly of nitroglycerin and other such appealing substances, so perhaps we should all be grateful that Todoroki lacks the certain pretentiousness necessary for him to unironically make a statement like, "He smells like a fired handgun," for all the accurate but, quite frankly, unfortunate metaphorical value it has.
On that note, I can't wait for the day that I can just... douse myself in hero perfume, the way that they eventually made perfumes for the Kuroko no Basukes. ]
Well, yeah. It's not like you can really smell yourself.
[ No but really, what the fuck kind of pillow talk is this...
Anyway, since Todoroki's sniffing him (apparently), Bakugou is just gonna bury his nose into Todoroki's hair and give it a good whiff. Look, it's not weird, Todoroki brought it up first!! ]
... Huh.
[ He also lacks the tweeny pretense to describe what it is he's smelling, so he's just going to. Sniff again. It's cool. He's still not the one who brought it up in the first place. ]
no subject
Todoroki really rather lacks the mental energy to properly categorise whatever it is Bakugou smells like, beyond the now-familiar scents of sweat and sex, strangely comforting as they are, just the scent of Bakugou in general. The one he's many a time gone home totally coated in, more than a little gross upon reflection.
With the flood of merchandise it seriously might happen, you know. ]
... Is "huh" good in this case.
[ He can probably infer from the fact that he is, for some reason, still being sniffed that the answer is yes, but Todoroki is more than a little struck by how fucking weird it is that they're sitting here sniffing each other after a murder nearly occurred mere minutes ago. ]
Do you ever wonder how we end up in these situations?
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I'll mentally revise this thread to incorporate any future perfume scents in retrospect. Considering you can already make like Dabi irl and put a small Kacchan in your mouth (and eat him), I'm like 75% sure it'll happen. ]
Well. Yeah, I guess it's good.
[ Bakugou thinks he probably wouldn't be sniffing Todoroki if he didn't like something he was smelling. He's not 100% sure on this point, though. ]
... And what do you mean by that.
[ Todoroki, are you saying it's abnormal to start developing a scent kink right after a near miss with manslaughter? ]
no subject
Perhaps because cuddling, far less carnal an act of physical affection as it is, lacks the same logical conclusion as fucking each other senseless 'til one of them can't walk, banging the night away, far easier for Todoroki's mind to wander with no end in sight. Akin to a sense of existential dread in those precious seconds before one falls asleep, albeit minus the usual morbidity and on the whole far... fluffier.
Devouring tiny Kacchans also definitely sounds like someone's fetish. Probably someone who likes Mt. Lady just a little too much. ]
Like.
[ A non-committal answer to start with, gives the gears whirring away in Todoroki's head time to translate what the fuck are we doing into something Bakugou might comprehend, won't run the risk of ruining the moment or earning his ire (not that near anything will not set Bakugou off, but Todoroki takes some small pride in knowing how best to tiptoe around this particular minefield). ]
When did we start calling each other by our first names?
no subject
And perhaps what Todoroki is experiencing is some sort of delayed version of fapper's regret, or as some famous dead European guy put it, the devil's laughter. The moments after he has already done the deed and realized in the post-orgiastic clarity that oh boy, I stuck my dick in crazy but that's not as bad as cuddling with crazy.
Anyway, that question is enough to get Bakugou to stop discovering his brand new scent kink and attempt to turn his brain back on for a few moments and ponder it over. He doesn't have any particular reverence over the use of given names, to be honest, but he also doesn't call anybody else by their first name (Deku aside and does that even really count given everything surrounding that nickname). ]
I dunno, does that bother you or something?
[ Bakugou can revert to calling him Todoroki. Maybe. Okay, probably not, the habit is already pretty well ingrained; it's only a matter of time before he slips up and accidentally reveals they're on first name basis at school.
Also: The point
_______________
Bakugou's head
Unfortunately, Todoroki might have to clarify that this is a matter of feelings for Bakugou tonight, on top of everything else he has been subjected to. ]
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It's less the sudden realisation of knowing that he is but an animal shackled to his biological imperatives thing and more the feelings part that has Todoroki thrown, honestly, wondering if he might be just as crazy as the boy he's fallen so hard for (and cuddling with Bakugou in itself is probably grounds for questioning one's soundness of mind). That he's being asked to put this little awareness of his into words is definitely a struggle though.
Ah, enunciating, the art of taking the hurricane in his head and struggling to form it into something that his mouth can convey, not one of Todoroki's talents at the best of times. It doesn't help that even in his thoughts he can't really put a finger on what is so off-putting about the use of first names, beyond it being something he oft reserves for his siblings.
It's the thought of just going back to Todoroki in Bakugou's eyes that finally gets him talking, for whatever reason. ]
... It's not something casual acquaintances do.
[ And in breaking news, Shouto Todoroki to appear on Mastermind, specialist subject the bleeding obvious. ]
I like it, though.
[ Todoroki would like to imagine the Incredibly Strong use of language here will help get across that this is one of those emotional issues again. ]
no subject
And if pressed, Bakugou will maintain until his dying days that he is a rational person, a very logical person who applies Occam's Razor to the vast majority of his problems along with a stunning lack of tact. The fact that he both has and pre-emptively named a move where he turns himself into an explosive tornado is clearly proof of all of this, along with basically all of how he chooses to interact with Todoroki. What's that saying about common sense not being common.
Thankfully, for once Bakugou doesn't open his unnecessarily sassy mouth to shoot a statement like "yes thank you, Captain Obvious" before Todoroki has added onto his original observation, which also happens to shut Bakugou up pretty thoroughly. This is not a kid who necessarily has the greatest sense about names (when will we know what his hero name is if not Baron of Explodokills, Horikoshi, and why won't you show us his room either, why so stingy with the Kacchan facts) and is fueled primarily on id, chance are high that he just started using Todoroki's first name, paused for a moment, and mentally shruggie emoji'd and then kept on going. ]
Like it how you like eating noodles, or like it like...
[ There is a long pause before Bakugou attempts to vocalize an interrobang, because he realized halfway through he had no idea how to vocalize what he was getting at. The boy does not have a strong grasp on the concept of platonic feelings and romantic feelings. As with many a boy, he has related the feeling back to food.
And inadvertently revealed that he's probably stared at Todoroki during their lunch period more than he really ought to, but shh. ]