Fates Entwined (A TodoBaku ff) ✔

XCIII

Shoto awoke to a gentle song, a deep and low humming that fell into rhythm with the mindless patterns traced along his back. The light touches were soothing, and the song was tempting enough to lure him back to sleep.  But the morning sun encouraged his eyes to open, smooth, tanned skin on a broad chest greeting him. The humming continued even whilst Shoto shifted around, sighing as he tensed and relaxed his muscles that had grown stiff from sleep. His eyes felt heavy, his sleep deep yet dreamless leaving him not entirely well rested, and the song's melody matched his slow blinks. 

They stayed like that for a while, acknowledging the other without words, letting their minds drift whilst the song continued, Katsuki's humming taking up space so all of his thoughts of the day ahead couldn't come rushing in. Shoto took up patterns of his own, tracing each outline of muscle or the faint stretch marks around Katsuki's hips, like golden streaks of lightning settled under his skin. He felt Katsuki's warmth, let it seep into his chest and nestle there so it would stay with him all day long.

At last, Katsuki finished his song and turned on his side so they were facing each other, his eyes cast in a gentle shadow from the sun dancing along his back and settling atop his shoulders. Shoto let his eyes wander until he leaned forward to press his lips to Katsuki's, slow and unhurried and warm in greetings. 

"Good morning." He spoke at last, not quite loud enough to break the tranquil air around them. "Have you been awake long?" He asked, wanting to know if Katsuki's sleep was as restless as his, hoping that it was not and that he slept well despite being in an unfamiliar place.

"Just a while." Katsuki replied with his morning voice, deep toned and slightly slurred together words. " Was thinkin'."

"About?"

The corners of the man's lips quirked up slightly, an effortless smirk. 

"That I gotta know what the fuck these pillows are made of."

It brought a laugh out of Shoto, more of a quiet escape of the breath, but it soothed him all the same. He wondered if he should tell Katsuki about his vision, but it felt like the Maiden's words were just for him, to settle into his heart for him to recall when he ever needed them, and he didn't want to take away the languid peace from Katsuki's expression. 

"What were you humming?" He asked instead, curious to know the familiar song he had heard Katsuki hum from time to time, mostly in the quiet hours of dusk when he could hang up his cape and settle into bed with a book, the hours when he could relax in his own picture of peace. 

"Something my ma would sing. Used to help after nightmares, or I was so worked up I couldn't control my power. Thought it'd help since when I woke up you were tense as fuck."

"I see." He knew he wouldn't be able to entirely evade Katsuki's concerns, but at the same time appreciated the small gesture of care offered to him. It made him feel special, like there was something in the world, someone, that for a short time Shoto could dare to believe existed solely for himself, that he could steal away and hold close to his heart, to share his truest emotions and deepest thoughts. 

"Did you sleep okay?" Katsuki asked. "Gonna need all your energy to get through this shit show of a day."

"Was your coronation that detestable?" Shoto teased in response, smiling when Katsuki huffed and rolled his eyes. 

"I was supposed to be celebratin'. Instead I had to take care of a whole hoard of wild animals for three days so they didn't do anything stupid and fuckin' die."

"So you had fun?"

"Shut up."

"Make me." Shoto teased, but he was already leaning forward to meet Katsuki's lips for another kiss, his cold hand slipping around the man's neck to hold him closer, to savour the warmth of his skin, the softness of his lips, the gentle brush of soft eyelashes that ghosted his cheeks when Katsuki trailed from his lips to his forehead before pressing them close to each other, breaths and heartbeats in sync.