Greetings and welcome back to the last official chapter of Marks on My Heart! Please don't be alarmed; we're not finished yet. There will be an epilogue next week, and four weeks of one-shots linked to this story as a series after that.

Whether you're joining us for the first time or have been here from the beginning, welcome! I hope you enjoy your stay! ^_^

Chapter 16: Catch Me

"How long are you going to ignore those texts?"

"Good afternoon, Aia-san. How are you?" Shouto didn't bother to look up from his bandage disposal procedure. He could do it in his sleep, but one could never be too careful with biohazard material.

"I'm worried about my favorite nurse and healer." Her deep frown cut into his peripheral vision. "I hoped some time away from the hospital would be good for you, but somehow you're even worse."

Shouto's phone pinged again as he removed his gloves and stepped to the sink.

"Seriously, Todoroki-san, what the hell is going on?"

"You're not the only one that's worried about me. I'm starting to think there's a case of mass hysteria going around." Fuyumi had been particularly relentless in checking up on him, like she could sense a disturbance in the force. His mother had also started to check in on him several times a day. Her official transfer to the Freedom Program had, somehow, only increased the texts and calls he received. Shouto wanted to say it wasn't like her, but how many times had he seen her when they both worked at the hospital? Did he really seem that fragile?

Shouto had stopped checking or replying to his messages after his last terse reply a few days ago. He didn't want to take out his anger on family, but he needed to have a serious talk with Fuyumi when he got off shift…maybe his mother too.

"Or you're not willing to admit something is wrong," Aia-san countered. "It sounds like you're the only one who's not seeing what we're seeing."

Shouto dried his hands with more vigor than was strictly necessary. Of course he could see what they saw. He was living it, strangling on pain so deep it consumed him, and no amount of 'checking in' was going to make one damn bit of difference. There was nothing anyone could do. They were smart enough to know that, at least his mother and sister were. Aia-san would know it too if she understood what was really going on. But they all wanted to try to help anyway.

"I never got the chance to take you up on your invitation to dinner. We should set a date."

Aia-san's eyes narrowed with an implied threat. "You're not going to distract me that easily."

"I'm not trying to distract you, Aia-san." Shouto leaned against the counter, trying to maintain casual eye contact even though he wanted to look away. Every staff member on the burn unit talked about distraction with their patients, especially because many of them would face a lifetime of managing chronic pain after discharging. Distraction could be a powerful tool when there was no perfect cure for the pain one had to carry.

Shouto watched his deliberate inflection hit its mark. Aia-san's eyes misted over and her frown softened.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

When was the last time you did anything besides your job?

Katsuki's chastisement from so long ago rang loud inside Shouto's head. "I want to focus on something productive." He couldn't make Izuku or… He couldn't make anyone love him, and the last thing he wanted to do was break up a happy marriage. It might be painful, but it was the way it was supposed to be. That didn't mean that Shouto had to lose himself in work the way he used to. He'd had over a week to lick his wounds since returning to the hospital. It was time to focus on what he could control. "Do you know what dates work for me to come to dinner? Maybe we could make it a monthly thing. I have it on good authority I've made your boys wait too long for another visit."

"Todoroki-san?"

Shouto and Aia-san turned their heads to look at one of the unit nursing assistants; a tall thin man with curly dark hair. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you," the orderly began with a bow, "but there is a former patient waiting for you just outside the unit. His spouse is with him, and they'd like to talk to you."

"Popular as usual," Aia-san murmured with a smile. It wasn't uncommon for alumni patients to return and offer thanks, even long after they no longer needed treatment. "Go see your adoring public, Todoroki. I'm heading home early today, but I'll check my calendar and text you. Okay?"

"Okay." Shouto turned back to the orderly. "Thank you for letting me know. I'll go out and meet them on my own. I know you're probably very busy."

The smile that flashed teeth seemed to confirm the orderly's relief that they didn't have to play messenger any longer. "Thank you, sir!" The orderly bowed again.

With one final nod at Aia-san, Shouto pushed off the counter and started towards the lobby of the burn unit. He nodded to the staff he passed, wishing them a good day as he went. It had been a long day, but a good one. Three successful discharges was always a memorable day. Some of the other nurses would most definitely be going for drinks and food after their shift. Maybe it was time to ask if he could join since they'd long stopped asking him.

Shouto rubbed absently at the ever-present ache in his chest, trying to breathe through the pain. Today was still a good day. He'd had always been thankful for what he had, but it was time to stop mourning what he could never have.

The automatic doors whooshed open as he approached, letting Shouto stride through without interruption. When he saw who was waiting for him his heart, and his feet, skipped a beat. Thankfully he was almost at the reception desk and was able to catch himself against the smooth countertop.

"Slip on your own ice Half and Half?" The cocky smile lit the space between them like a physical caress.

Izuku narrowed his eyes at his husband in silent reproach before turning on that soft, heart-melting smile Shouto loved so much. "Long day?"

"Um..." Shouto hadn't been walking quickly, but suddenly he was almost breathless. "Wh-why are you here?"

"Because you don't answer your damn phone."

Izuku's gaze slid sideways, but he looked more fond than honestly scolding. The eyes that moved back to Shouto's face were warm and welcoming. "We've left a voicemail and a few texts over the last three days. We were starting to get worried."

Oh.

"I-" Shouto swallowed, trying to gather his thoughts. God he'd picked a bad time to stop checking his messages. But…what would he have said? What the hell were Izuku and Katsuki doing here? He'd been so sure he wouldn't see them again, except in news reports. "I've been working."

"Tch. I can't leave you alone for two seconds before you start being a workaholic again, huh?"

Izuku wrapped his arms tightly around his own ribs and his fingers tapped a nervous rhythm against his elbows. Shouto watched those scarred fingers creep up Izuku's arm until they wrapped around the back of his neck. "D-do you want to hang out after your shift? We could have dinner together, if you want."

"Wh-what?"

"Dinner. Food. Conversation." Katsuki's voice was terse with a note of something Shouto couldn't quite place. "Do you want to come eat with us?"

This was some kind of cruel trick from the universe. It had to be. Unless…had Izuku not mentioned what happened between them to Katsuki? Did Katsuki not care? Did Izuku suddenly not care? They wanted…what? Dinner? Texts? Phone calls? Friendship? Shouto curled his fingers towards his palm when his wrist pulsed. How the hell was he supposed to piece together something resembling a life for himself when everything he'd ever wanted, but couldn't have, wouldn't leave him alone?

"That's an awful lot of blinking Icy Hot. Did we short circuit your brain? I didn't think the question was that hard."

"I, um…" Shouto licked his lips. "I'd need to go home and change first." Fuck, was he really going to say yes? Could he make himself say no? "B-but my shift doesn't end for a few hours. I don't want to make you wait for me."

An arm clapped enthusiastically around Shouto's shoulders, making him startle. "Actually he was just leaving."

"Aia-san?" Shouto pressed his lips together, trying to stop sputtering.

"We have a bit of a lull at the moment, you're my hardest working nurse, and this is the most enthusiastic response I've ever seen you give to a dinner invitation." Her smile was broad and firm. "You're done for the day."

"Um…"

Katsuki thrust both hands in his pocket and gestured over his shoulder with a nod. "Come on. We'll walk with you."

Izuku nodded politely to Aia-San. "Thank you for letting him go early."

"If you can actually convince him to play hooky one of these days, you'll be my two new favorite people," Aia-san replied with a grin. "He's not on shift tomorrow, so please enjoy yourselves."

"Aia-san—"

"Goodbye, Todoroki-san! See you in a few days!" She was out the door and gone before he could blink.

"Did your boss just tell you to miss work on purpose?" Katsuki grinned. "I like her."

"I'm really not on shift tomorrow," Shouto replied. Clearly Aia-san had no problem throwing him to the wolves.

"You don't have to come with us if you don't want to, Shouto." Izuku was fiddling his fingers together. "We didn't mean to spring anything on you."

"No one's got a gun to your head Icy Hot." Katsuki shifted, pulling his shoulders back and opening his stance. It was a move that looked almost aggressive, but it was defensive. Shouto had used the same stance many times to make himself harder to knock over in a fight. Was Katsuki…was he nervous? Why?

"It's fine." Neither Katsuki nor Izuku looked the slightest bit more relaxed, so Shouto forced himself to take a breath. "It's a surprise, but not an unwelcome one."

Because I'm a fucking masochist, apparently.

Shouto waited a beat and when no one moved he looked to Katsuki, who was closest to the exit. "Are we going?"

Something in Katsuki's features softened, and he turned his body sideways like an opening door. "After you."

Shouto started for the exit and Katsuki fell into step beside him. When they were downstairs in the main lobby Izuku edged close to Shouto's other side, penning him in. They made their way out into the street as one unit and began the short walk to Shouto's apartment. It should have been a tense, uncomfortable silence, but it was the first time in days that he could breathe easy. He let himself enjoy it for half a block before he gave into the niggling insistence that manners dictated that he say something. "How has your pro hero physical therapy been going, Katsuki?"

Katsuki grinned sidelong at him. "That eager to get your hands under my shirt?"

"Kacchan!"

"Only if I think you're lying to me." Shouto snapped his mouth shut. Why was it so easy to be flippant with Katsuki? They were both so close after ten days of agonizing, but necessary, silence. There should still be silence, but Shouto was so much weaker than he should be when it came to them… Fuck.

Katsuki chuckled. "How the hell do you have the energy to be so feisty when you're still a goddamn workaholic?"

The barb soothed and ruffled at the same time. "A workaholic doesn't accept offers to attend dinner with their coworkers."

"Oh yeah?" Katsuki lifted his eyebrows. "When is this happening?"

"We didn't get the chance to work out the details yet."

"Yet!" Katsuki parroted with a bark of a laugh.

"Yes, well a very insistent former patient was waiting to meet with me."

Katsuki had the audacity to wink at him. "Glad to know I rate above plans with your coworker."

"We should invite you to dinner more often, Shouto" Izuku said, drawing his attention. "We can share Kacchan teasing duties."

"Teasing has consequences, Deku." The low rumble in Katsuki's voice shivered in waves across Shouto's spine. Which was stupid. Katsuki was flirting with Izuku, not him. But staring at Izuku's smitten smile didn't help. The curve of his cheeks, the gentle glow of his freckles under a light blush, and the amused sparkle in his eyes were pulling Shouto in with the gravitational force of a black hole. Shouto had to force himself to look away before he did something stupid. In the back of his mind he worried how much longer he could pretend he wasn't in love with bot—no.

Stop it. Stop thinking about it. Stop it now.

"How has your hero work been, Izuku?"

"It's been a little slow lately, but I'm not complaining. That's normal for a while after a big villain gets taken down. I've been using the lull to work with our support team to increase public security. They did a lot to make Kacchan and my home a safe place to be. I want to see how we can make practical changes in public spaces that can protect citizens before any heroes arrive." Izuku started to gesture enthusiastically. "We already have a good camera system, but we can make it better and add more finely tuned early warning alarms in more places. We were also thinking—sorry. I'm kind of muttering again, aren't I?"

"I don't mind," Shouto replied. And he didn't. He could listen to Izuku expound on his passionate ideas for hours.

Katsuki's body nudged his shoulder. "He makes this cute little squeak when you kiss him mid-rant."

"Kacchan!"

Izuku's blush flared and Shouto fought for his own temperature regulation. Why did Katsuki have to put that image in his head? Izuku and Katsuki had been respectful and easy with their affection when he'd stayed with them. He'd never caught them in a heated embrace, but… What would it be like to see something like that in person?

No! Stop it.

"You're cute when your mumbling," Katsuki insisted. His smile shifted from cocky to fond. "And when I'm not interrupting you I'm listening. I'd be stupid not to; you're a very dedicated hero."

"Thank you, Kacchan." Izuku was red to the tips of his ears, but a few calming breaths eased the intensity of his blush. "So are you." Izuku shifted his smile to Shouto's over-warm face and leaned in conspiratorially. "I've been wanting to plan a trip somewhere, but I want to wait until Kacchan has had three months back on active duty. I know how much he wants to get back out on patrols." Izuku's eyes slipped back to Katsuki's and the besotted softness of his expression made Shouto's chest ache.

"There's no reason you can't start planning now." Shouto could hear the easy grin in Katsuki's voice without even looking at him. "Where do you want to go, Deku?"

The sparkle of excitement in Izuku's eyes intensified. "I want to go to the United States. Did you know All Might did a tour through their hero forces early in his career?"

Katsuki chuckled. "Of course."

"There's so much to see over there too!" Izuku's enthusiasm was infectious. "We'd have to make it a long trip to be worth it. Is there any part of the United States you'd particularly want to visit Kacchan?"

"Hmmm. Maybe the Grand Canyon. That sounds pretty cool. I heard there's a glass bridge across part of it."

"That would be fun," Izuku agreed with a smile. "Is there anywhere you want to see, Shouto?"

Shouto blinked. It didn't make any sense to ask him about a trip he'd never go on, but it was absolutely like Izuku to make sure Shouto felt included in everything. He just had that kind of heart.

"There are some impressive museums in the United States," Shouto murmured.

"Yes!" Izuku gushed. "And there are so many!"

"There's one with a dinosaur in the lobby, right? A tyrannosaurus?"

Izuku tapped his index finger against his lips. "I think that's the museum of natural history in New York?"

An image more innocent and somehow more compelling than Katsuki interrupting Izuku's muttering with an unexpected kiss flooded Shouto's consciousness. If they went to such a museum together Izuku would press his face close to the glass, examining every exhibit. He'd take notes too. Katsuki would probably be drawn to the more interactive exhibits, or anything about the history of weaponry. He'd probably joke about breaking into the weaponry cases, not because he actually would, but because he liked to get a rise out of his husband.

Husband.

Katsuki and Izuku were married. They were married to each other. It wasn't just foolish to picture being included in their time together, it was dangerous. Shouto wasn't meant to be part of this narrative.

Shouto drew his shoulders back and forced himself to verbally separate for Izuku and Katsuki's plans. "I think you'd both enjoy the United States. I'd like my next vacation to be in Thailand."

"Don't you mean your first?"

"Fuck you." Shouto huffed out a breath. He didn't normally rise to Katsuki's jibes this way. He needed to calm down.

Katsuki just chuckled and winked at him. "Not on a first date, Half and Half."

Shouto turned and stared at him, blinking hard and losing his footing over and uneven patch of sidewalk. Katsuki and Izuku pressed in close, sandwiching him so that he wouldn't fall.

"Are you alright?"

I think I'm about to light us all on fire.

"I'm fine, thank you." Shouto straightened and shrugged their hands away. He shoved his hands into his pockets so he could fiddle with the keys and coins inside them without being observed fidgeting.

The silence between them had shifted, making the air thick and tight. In Shouto's peripheral vision he saw Izuku and Katsuki make eye contact. They were probably regretting their choice of dinner companion. Should he tell them he was getting a migraine so that he'd have a graceful way to back out? Would Izuku be able to tell Shouto was faking by looking at him?

"Where in Thailand would you like to go?"

The question had come from Izuku. Shouto hadn't expected a return to this conversation, but he would take it. Anything to relive the cascading tension inside him. "I'd like to see the Grand Palace. …The architecture is stunning."

"I bet it's breathtaking in person," Izuku replied.

"I could go to Thailand," Katsuki added. "They have some amazing beaches and marketplaces."

"And spicy food?" Izuku asked with a knowing grin, which Katsuki answered with one if his own.

"And spicy food," Katsuki agreed.

He shouldn't, Shouto knew he shouldn't, but it was impossible to stop thinking about what it would be like to have Izuku and Katsuki with him if he ever made that particular adventure a reality. He wasn't lying, he'd been interested in visiting Thailand for a while, there was just…always something else that needed doing. Talking with Izuku and Katsuki over the last three minutes had made that trip seem more real than years. It would be so much better, more vibrant if they could come with him. They were so thoughtful and expressive, Shouto thought he'd almost enjoy seeing the Grand Palace through their reactions more than exploring the Palace itself.

The steps up to his apartment seemed to jump under his feet, but Shouto didn't think his dizziness or fatigue showed; he was used to keeping his balance in adverse environments. He slid his key into the lock and turned it. "Please come in; I'll just be a minute."

Shouto heard Izuku and Katsuki follow him, but he didn't look back. Something bright and effervescent itched under his skin and he needed to create some distance before he lost control. He didn't think it looked like he ran down the hallway to his bedroom, but he definitely shut the door too loudly.

His fingers shivered and twitched as he pulled his work scrubs off his body and chucked them into the elegant hamper Fuyumi had chosen for him. His softest pair of black jeans did nothing to calm his nerves. Shouto could hear the murmur of Katsuki and Izuku talking from the other room, but he didn't try to listen in.

They sounded…happy. The low rolling murmur of their conversation mirrored what he'd seen on the walk over. They were in tune with each other, receptive and responsive to the needs of their soulmate. It hurt to look at, but Shouto felt certain he'd never tire of watching them together.

Shouto tugged the light jacket he'd slipped over his t-shirt. Neither Izuku or Katsuki were dressed very formally, so this should be okay. He took a breath, opened his door, and stepped out into the hallway.

Katsuki was standing by the window, perfectly framed in sunlight as his fingers grazed the edge of Shouto's fledgling terrarium. Izuku stood behind him, hugging Katsuki around the waist and leaning his head on Katsuki's broad shoulder as they stared together at the plants and moss that Shouto had been carefully tending to in the quiet hours before and after work.

Katsuki turned to look at him. Their eyes locked and he smiled. Shouto's breath gummed up in his throat. He tried to swallow around it, push it down and away like he had so many times before. Shouto might have regained his equilibrium, but Izuku turned and looked at him with that soft, warm, fucking besotted expression he wore only for Katsuki. The softness of their eyes on him, the way their bodies turned and opened like they would welcome him, gutted any hope Shouto had of regaining control. They were more than beautiful together. They were perfect, undeniable, and all Shouto could ever be was in the way.

Shouto pressed both hands over his face and slumped against the wall. He might have slid all the way to the floor, but they caught him. He heard them rush close, felt them put their arms around him and hold him up. Soft murmurs washed across his eardrums, but he couldn't attend much less respond. This couldn't be for him, not really, not in the way he wanted.

Breath sneaked shallow wisps around the clog in his chest and his blood started singing in his ears. He could feel Izuku and Katsuki's bodies pressed close, their breath against his forehead and the back of his neck, but their voices echoed down a long dark hallway.

"Shou? Hey Shou, whatever it is, we're right here." That was Katsuki. His voice was gruff and determined, like he was ready to fight. There was a softness in that aggression that most people missed, a protective energy that Shouto knew he shouldn't lean into. Maybe Shouto wouldn't be so devastated if he'd been strong enough to keep his distance…but it was far too late for shoulds and maybes.

"What happened? Shou…" Hands slightly smaller than Katsuki's, and just a bit shaky rubbed soothing circles across Shouto's back, arms, and side. "Kacchan I think he's going to pass out…"

"Let's get him to the sofa." Katsuki's arms tightened around him, all but dragging Shouto's spasming body into the living room. They settled him against microfiber cushions, and Katsuki's arms tightened around him like seatbelts. "Deku, get the tissues." Feet padded away from them. A hand pressed firmly against Shouto's heaving chest. "Shouto? Can you feel that?"

Shouto nodded, smearing salty wet and ick across his palms, still pressed to his face. They were his last pitiful defense against what he could no longer bear to see.

Fingers tugged at his wrist. "Come on; I want you to put your hand against my chest too."

Shouto jerked his head violently from side to side.

"Yes. Yes you can. I don't give a fuck about the mess. You need to calm down before you pass out. I've been there; it's not fucking pretty. Come on."

A weight settled close to his back. "Is this okay? Shou?" The sniffle that wasn't his shot a bolt through Shouto's heart. "Kacchan, this could be making things worse. We don't have permission to hold him. I don't want to trigger anxiety. His—"

The heat at Shouto's back started to pull away and Shouto's body reacted on it's own. One of his hands flew backwards and fisted in the fabric of Izuku's shirt. "Stay!"

Fuck.

Was that his voice? It sounded wet. And broken.

"We can make this work." That was Katsuki again. His arm crept around Shouto's shoulders and must have grabbed onto Izuku, because suddenly all three of them were closer together. "Can you feel Izuku's chest against your knuckles?"

Shouto nodded again, feeling jerky and uncoordinated. Izuku's heart was pounding against his ribs like a bird trapped in a cage.

"Okay. Feel the rhythm of his breathing. Feel his chest pushing against you, expanding as he inhales, and pulling back when he exhales. Can you feel that?"

Izuku's hands were on Shouto's wrist now, stroking the tender skin across the veins as he breathed for Shouto. It was a long moment before Shouto nodded, responding to Katsuki's words as the sensations he described clarified against Shouto's nerve endings.

"Do you feel how steady his breathing is?" Katsuki murmured. "In…out…in…out. Try to match your breathing with his. It's gonna take a minute, but you can do it. In…out…in…out…"

The shaking intensified, but it seemed to shake something loose in Shouto's chest too, because the air was finally moving. He blinked against the one palm he still had slapped across his face. He could hear Katsuki and Izuku breathing on either side of him, feel Katsuki's hand pressed against his chest, and his own hand pressed against Izuku. Pinpricks of light danced across his vision, then faded.

"That's better. Keep going. In…out…in…out… You want a tissue?"

Shouto peeled his hand away from his face to reach for the box Izuku must have moved to his coffee table. The fingers of Katsuki's free hand closed around the thin cardboard first and brought it closer. Shouto bunched the papery squares against his palm and scrubbed them across his face. Air was coming in larger gulps now, but it brought sobs with it, and fresh tears across his cheeks. Izuku and Katsuki's hands, their warmth as they leaned into Shouto, were a steady presence against his body. Soothing circles were rubbed across his back, arms, sides, neck, and head. Shouto's face stayed firmly buried in crumpled tissues for a long time. At one point a small garbage can appeared at his knees. Izuku must have brought it over when he'd gotten the tissues, because Katsuki had never left his position facing Shouto.

The sobs gave way, gradually, to the deep, even breathing he'd been trying to so hard to emulate. Exhaustion swept in alongside the extra oxygen and made his limbs heavy.

"Hey," fingernails scraped against Shouto's scalp, tending pleasant tingles down his back and both arms. "Don't fall asleep yet." Katsuki's hands framed Shouto's face, lifting it from where it had leaned heavily against Katsuki's chest and shoulder. "We need to know what happened."

Right. He'd made a scene. He's made an awful mess of Katsuki's shirt, and he was dirtying Katsuki's hands because he didn't have the strength to pull away. The truth was going to come out now, ready or not.

"But first—thanks Deku—look at me Shou."

Shouto lifted his gaze to Katsuki's face. Soft red eyes waited for him. No. Not for him. Katsuki only showed that look to Izuku. Shouto started to turn his head and jumped when a warm wet towel made contact.

"Don't be a baby; the water isn't even cold." Katsuki's callous words were completely undercut by the soft murmur of his voice. The warm press of the towel smoothed across the curves and dips of Shouto's face, soothing the sting tears had left in their wake. Katsuki was thorough and gentle. He held Shouto's face in one hand while the other worked the towel across Shouto's skin. Izuku was a grounding weight leaning against Shouto's back. After a panic attack, Shouto normally felt scattered, small, vulnerable. But not now, between their arms, he felt safe.

The cloth moved to Shouto's hands next, and it was ridiculous because there was nothing wrong with Shouto's hands. They were dirty, but they worked. He was perfectly capable of cleaning himself up, but he didn't lift a finger. He just sat there and watched Bakugou remove the last physical traces of his pain.

When Katsuki was finished he wiped his own hands, then set the damp cloth on a small tray supplies that had materialized on the coffee table. Calloused fingers closed around two water glasses and lifted them off the tray. Shouto could see the condensation on the glass pressing against Katsuki's skin, the water must be very cold. "Drink," Katsuki insisted. He pressed one of the smooth glasses into Shouto's hand and lifted the other over his shoulder at Izuku.

Shouto took several sips of the cool clear liquid and sighed in relief. When he opened his eyes, he realized half the glass was already gone. He didn't realize he'd been so thirsty.

"Shou you can take an over-the-counter pain medicine if you want." Katsuki was gesturing with a box of Ringl capsules. "Deku I'm not asking you. Crying can trigger your migraines and you need to take care of yourself."

Crying? He'd made Izuku cry?

Shouto turned and stared at the red rims of Izuku's lovely green eyes as he worked two Ringl capsules free from their packaging. "I'm okay, Shou," he promised, before lifting his head to toss back the medicine.

"You know how easy it is to make Deku cry," Katsuki added. "Don't let it go to your head. Do you want some Ringl?"

Shouto stared at the box for a moment before reaching for it. Ringl wouldn't offer the relief he really needed, but it was better than nothing. A few more gulps of water and his glass was empty.

"More water?" Katsuki asked

"No, thank you."

Fingers swept through the hair at his temple and Shouto leaned into the touch.

"Okay." Katsuki's thumb caressed the outline of Shouto's face. "What happened?"

Shouto let his breath out slowly, relishing this fleeting moment of peace. He sat up when he inhaled, pulling back so he could see Izuku and Katsuki at the same time. They both crowded a bit closer. Shouto curled his fingers against his palm to resist the urge to touch them. They'd pull pack on their own very soon. His eyes flickered to Izuku's expectant face and Katsuki's determined one. Izuku's lovely freckles nestled close beside Katsuki's concerned glower. Shouto's eyes crept slowly over the contours of their apprehension. They were worried for about him...

Would they ever look at him this way again? It was cruel to make them wait, but Shouto wanted to keep this moment frozen in time alongside so many others that had become cherished memories.

Pain jolted through Shouto's chest. His lungs were screaming to release the air he'd forced them to pull in, so Shouto let go.

"You're both my soulmates."

There wasn't any immediate reaction, but that was normal when shocked or stressed. Context would help, so Shouto pressed on. "Or at least, I have soulmate bonds with each of you. … It wasn't always that way." He turned towards Izuku, fighting with himself to maintain eye contact. He didn't want to see pity blossom across Izuku's compassionate face, but after every secret stolen moment, Shouto didn't deserve to spare himself that pain. "It was just you for a long time, Izuku. It never changed, even after you told me you were bonded to Katsuki."

Izuku's gaze dropped to Shouto's lap and he reached out to brush his fingers across Shouto's scarred wrist. Shouto turned his wrist over, baring his old injury to the light. "I hid it with makeup for a long time. When… when you got engaged to Katsuki I…" He flexed his wrist under Izuku's gentle fingers. "It wasn't the right thing to do, but I just couldn't keep looking at it every day." He curled his own fingers around Izuku's forearm.

Katsuki's hand slid forward to tangle around Shouto's and Izuku's. "We're going to have to talk about your self-destructive tendencies."

Shouto turned towards soft crimson eyes. He owed Katsuki an explanation too. "I knew healing you would be painful…" he glanced at Izuku, who squeezed his wrist and smiled at him. "I didn't think it would be dangerous." Shouto's gaze drifted back to Katsuki, leaning into the tangle of hands against his arm. "I should have realized when I started making excuses to heal you. This is the first time my soulmate bond has changed at all since it manifested, and it only made things worse. I'm—" a calloused palm pressed across Shouto's mouth, shutting it.

"If the word sorry comes out of your mouth, don't waste your breath. I'm not sorry."

"Kacchan."

Izuku's voice was its usual combination of fond and scolding when it came to his husband. Wisps of breath danced across the back of Shouto's neck and he shivered.

The hand Katsuki had pressed to Shouto's mouth slid up and caressed the side of his face. "And you're not the only one who caught feelings."

Shouto blinked.

No.

He could not have heard that right.

No, no, no; he was not causing a rift in one of the most perfect marriages he'd ever seen. He wouldn't. He—

Katsuki pulled his hand away and turned his wrist towards the light. The elegant swoops of lettering Shouto remembered were still there.

Midoriya Izuku

The name was as crisp and clear as the first time Shouto had seen it, but there was another name nestled beside it:

Todoroki Shouto

"Me too."

Shouto started to turn towards Izuku's voice and stopped when Izuku's slim, pale wrist pressed beside Katsuki's. Nestled among a scattering of freckles was something familiar and something earthshattering:

Bakugou Katsuki & Todoroki Shouto

Shouto traced the marks with his fingertips and waited for them to fade or smudge, but when his fingers dragged across tender skin the only thing that changed was the goosebumps he left in his wake.

"We've been talking about it," Katsuki began. Shouto was afraid to look up, but he couldn't help himself. Crimson eyes caught and held him in a dizzying embrace. "We feel something for you too, and we wanted to see where this goes…if you do."

"We weren't sure if you'd want to talk about it right away or not…" Izuku pressed close along Shouto's back and wound his free arm around Shouto's waist. "We shouldn't have surprised you at work."

"That wasn't the plan," Katsuki agreed, "but you didn't give us much choice. It would've been different if you said you didn't want to see us."

"I wanted to see you too much," Shouto whispered.

Katsuki's crimson eyes darkened, spreading their color across his cheeks. Calloused hands cupped the overheated skin of Shouto's face. It was impossible not to lean against the reassuring weight of Katsuki's fingers as they held him. The movement pushed them so close together that Shouto felt the breath of Katsuki's next words across his lips. "I want to kiss you, Sho."

The air was thick, but not in the painful way that was hard to breathe. It was more like Shouto couldn't remember how. But Katsuki's needed an answer. He hadn't come any closer even though his fingers traced longing patterns against Shouto's cheeks. Soft and breathless, Shouto made himself whisper, "So kiss me."

The corner of Katsuki's mouth kicked up in a flash of an amused smirk. Shouto wanted to know the feel and taste of that tempting smirk. Wanting swelled into an ache inside his chest that finally spurred movement.

Heat radiated across his face when Shouto leaned across the space that separated them. He moved slowly, threading his fingers into Katsuki's hair and holding his gaze until the press of warmth and skin burst across their lips.

Katsuki's mouth was as tender as it was captivating. A moan and shuddered breath reverberated deep in Shouto's chest. Nails scraped Shouto's scalp, caressing and tugging him closer at the same time. The wet, intimate slide was dizzying, overwhelming, wonderful, and not nearly enough.

"Oh…" It was, somehow, both a quiet exhalation and a shuddering gasp at the same time. The smooth skin of Katsuki's lips dragged across his cheek when Shouto turned towards the sound, towards Izuku.

The green-haired, freckled cheeked man that had captured and held exclusive rights to Shouto's heart for over a decade was staring at him, at them both with a flushed face and shining eyes. For one panicked second, Shouto thought Izuku was angry or hurt. But then he pressed close and cupped Shouto's face with both hands. He stopped just a breath away from Shouto's lips.

"I-is it alright if I kiss you too?"

Izuku was so, so close and he was looking at Shouto like he wanted Shouto every bit as badly and Shouto had always him. Shaky tendrils of air slipped into Shouto's lungs, but it was impossible to force anything out past the giddy tightness that tangled itself in Shouto's throat. The last thing he wanted was to shake Izuku's fingers away with a nod, so he leaned forward, trembling in the gap that still separated them until he'd eaten up the distance.

Prickles of sensation burst against sensitive nerve endings and raced across Shouto's skin. Izuku's lips were cooler than Katsuki's, but somehow more demanding. A rush of sensation pulled the breath from Shouto's lungs. He might have moaned again or made some other aching sound of desire. Whatever he did, Izuku pressed him back against Katsuki as if he would devour him one gasping kiss at a time. Izuku's scarred hand brushed across Shouto's waist as Izuku drew him deeper into the kiss. Katsuki's arms tightened around them both and the scrape of his teeth along Shouto's neck made him gasp into Izuku's mouth.

Tingles rippled across Shouto's skin, lifting gooseflesh in their wake. Something strong and warm pulsed like a current through Shouto's limbs and gathered in the center of his soulmate bond. Shouto had always pictured the bond he carried as a black, withered, angry thing made wild and spiked by rejection and isolation. Whatever it really looked like, or if it looked like anything, Shouto felt it hum contentedly deep inside his chest.

Shouto's eyes fluttered open. He was still close enough to Izuku to kiss him, and the almost cross-eyed smile, which Shouto felt more than he saw, was perfect. He pressed a series of lingering kisses against Izuku's lips, relishing the happy rumble that was almost a purr which the brush of his lips evoked.

The graze of teeth which Shouto had felt against his neck became the firm press of a biting kiss. Katsuki's teeth pulled a groan from him that reverberated against Izuku's lips.

"I don't want to leave you alone tonight." Katsuki murmured. He was nuzzling against Shouto's neck and temple. "I'm not expecting anything," Katsuki clarified. "I just want to cook for us."

They were so close that Shouto felt the surge of heat that suffused Katsuki's cheeks.

"That's Kacchan speak for he's worried about you," Izuku murmured.

Shouto caught the ripple of Katsuki's furrowed brow in his peripheral vision. "Panic attacks suck. And they're exhausting. Sho needs food and sleep."

Izuku reached past Shouto to stroke the side of Katsuki's face. "I love you."

"I love you too, dumbass."

They kissed right next to Shouto's ear.

Izuku caught Shouto's gaze as he pulled back and his flush deepened. "I'm sorry? Was that okay? We don't have to talk about it tonight if you don't want to, but I want to make sure we're not making you uncomfortable. I mean, I know we all just kissed, but I don't think it's fair for us to take that as an answer when you just—mph."

Shouto cradled Izuku's head as they kissed. When he brushed the seam of Izuku's lips with his tongue Izuku shuddered in his arms and brought his own tongue out to play. When they finally drew back a puff of steam trailed between Shouto's lips.

"Hot under the collar, Icy Hot?"

Feeling Katsuki's grin against his temple did something hot and slick to Shouto's insides.

"I can't help it," Shouto murmured. He pressed a kiss to the underside of Katsuki's jaw to punctuate his statement. Direct honesty normally wasn't easy for any Todoroki, but speaking his truth to his soulmates felt like a long-awaited release. Shouto's eyes moved across Katsuki and Izuku's faces like a caress. "I love watching you together."

"Me too," Izuku breathed. His flushed, glassy eyes gaze drifted back and forth like he couldn't quite believe what was in front of him. Shouto knew the feeling.

Katsuki's arms squeezed Shouto and Izuku tightly together. "Ditto."

Shouto let his eyes drift shut and breathed in slowly. "I was upset before because I thought there was no way for either of you to…" He swallowed around the swell of emotions in his throat and blinked open his eyes. Izuku and Katsuki were right there waiting for him. "I thought I'd always be on the outside. That I'd break you if I tried to join."

"Not gonna happen," Katsuki assured him. "Zuku and I don't back down from a challenge or each other." Crimson eyes softened when they landed on Shouto's face. "You can't break us when you have an invitation, Sho."

"I'm kinda mad I didn't think of inviting you myself," Izuku confessed. "I didn't want to upset Kacchan, and I couldn't see past that." He shared a rueful glance with Shouto. "I think we were both stuck."

"Even the number one hero can't do everything." Katsuki tapped Izuku's nose affectionately and Izuku lifted his face to press a kiss to the tip of Katsuki's finger.

"It's hard to believe that you want me."

Two sets of eyes shifted to Shouto's face, and he forced himself to keep speaking.

"I don't think you're lying I'm just… not used to being wanted."

Shouto tried to drop his gaze, but Izuku's thumb pressed against his lips and drew his eyes back to the freckled face that was etched in his heart. "Sho—"

One of the arms around Shouto's waist tightened like a steel band. "Get fucking used to it, then."

Shouto nestled further in Katsuki's and Izuku's embrace. "That might take a while."

"That's another reason I don't want to leave you alone tonight." Izuku's voice was low and soft, just above a murmur. "I want to talk with you more, if you're willing. I want to help you feel safe and wanted, because you're definitely wanted. You're brave and thoughtful." Izuku lifted one of Shouto's hands and pressed a kiss against the knuckles that sent a weak-kneed rush through Shouto's body. It was probably a good thing they were already cuddling on the sofa. "You do so much to help people as a hero and a healer. I wish you would offer yourself some of that kindness."

Katsuki nuzzled against Shouto's temple. "You don't take my shit, so you shouldn't take it from yourself either."

Shouto bunted back against Katsuki, feeling the other man's smirk against his cheek.

"I love it when you smile." Izuku's fingers were tracing the edges of Shouto's lips and Shouto turned his head to press a kiss into Izuku's palm.

"I want to see where this goes." Shouto glanced between Izuku and Katsuki. It was giddy and unnerving feeling the full force of their undivided attention settle on him. "I want to date both of you, but…" Air was starting to gum up in Shouto's lungs and he swallowed around it. "I need to take things slowly. That probably sounds stupid to say because we've been around each other so much, but—"

"It doesn't sound stupid at all," Izuku interjected.

"You might have been in our home and in our bed before, but those were for different reasons, whatever feelings we might have caught along the way."

"I want to do this right," Shouto continued. He traced the familiar lines of Izuku's face with his eyes, trying to ground himself in the weight of Izuku's body against him and the strength of Katsuki's arms around them both. "I've been enamored by you for an embarrassingly long time, but that's not the same as dating someone." Shouto turned his head to face Katsuki. "And I barely let myself think about what I was feeling for you." He shifted, trying to look at them both at once. "I'm still in my own head about so many things. I don't want that to fuck things up for… us." The last word was so quiet it was almost a whisper. Could they really build an 'us'? Shouto wanted to try so badly it hurt.

"We're not asking you to be perfect, Icy Hot. Everyone knows I've got a temper and Deku needs to learn the difference between giving his all and taking unnecessary risks with his health."

Izuku scrunched his nose and lips in a closed mouth grimace, but didn't contradict Katsuki's words.

Shouto caressed the curve of Izuku's cheek, provoking a smile. "You both deserve a partner…partners who won't use a relationship to try to fix themselves. I want you both. I think it would be easy to love you." The words caught in Shouto's throat and it took a moment to force out more. "If we're going to explore this, I want to make sure I'm building something solid and for the right reasons."

Katsuki nodded slowly. "That makes sense. I don't like being vulnerable, but it's worth the work for Izuku." He paused to squeeze his husband's hand, then locked gazes with Shouto. "I'd like to see where putting in the work with you could get us."

"I don't want to pressure you," Izuku murmured. "Are we coming on too strong? Maybe we should have waited until later, but I also didn't want to lie to you, even by omission, now that Kacchan and I are on the same page, and—"

"Izuku."

Green pools of affection and uncertainty lifted to meet Shouto's gaze.

"I want you." Shouto glanced between Katsuki and Izuku. "That's part of why I think we need to move slowly. I want you both so badly it scares me."

Katsuki's fingers had drifted up the back of Shouto's next and were starting to rub soothing and distracting circles into his scalp. "What do you think is the best next step?"

"I don't have a timetable." Katsuki chuckled and it was hard not to smile. "Maybe could take the time to go on official dates? Get to know each other as…romantic partners?"

Izuku's head tipped to the side the way it did when he was analyzing different strategies. "All together or one-on-one?"

"Both."

Shout and Katsuki had spoken at exactly the same time. They shared a glance and a smile.

"Both," Katsuki repeated. We have individual relationships with each other and we're exploring how we might work as a unit. We should explore all the aspects of that."

"Both, then." Izuku agreed. His eyes flickered between Katsuki and Shouto's face for a moment, before settling on Shouto's. "I know we just agreed to go slow, but…can we stay tonight?" Izuku was so close he breathed the question against Shouto's skin. "I'd like to see you eat something, like Katsuki said. I want to share a meal with you, maybe watch a movie." Heat pulsed through Izuku's cheeks. "I don't know if it's asking too much, but I'd like to fall asleep with you and Kacchan again. I-I'm not expecting anything sexual. I think we all need to process this and go slow, like we've said. I just—" Izuku cut himself off mid-mumble and pushed scarred fingers through his green curls. He took a breath and met Shouto's eyes. "I've missed seeing you, but if you want us to go, tell us to go."

Shouto could feel his soulmate bond, alive, vibrating with joy, and twined irrevocably with the men cuddled against him. Their fingers found each other and tangled together between their bodies. Shouto squeezed them both as tightly as he could. Now that he had the chance to hold on without guilt, he was never letting go. "Stay, please. I want you both to stay."

Thank you for spending some of your precious time today with my story; I hope you enjoyed this latest update. If you're anxious to read more, you won't have to wait long. I update every Friday afternoon/evening PST. I hope to see you all again next week! ^_^