Chapter Text
Bakugo Katsuki is the best. And no he’s not just saying that. He is Japan’s reigning Latin Dance champion, known for his fiery passion and intensity. Hailed as a generational talent, people have always admired him for his ability, for his body, for the way he commands the room with his presence. None of that matters to Katsuki though, not really,
For him, the only thing that matters is the feeling he gets when he dances- and winning, of course. He loves it, relishes in the feeling and he knows that everyone else knows how much he loves it too and can feel it when he dances.
So when he loses to Todoroki Shouto, the nation’s second-ranked Standard ballroom master at the All Japan Dance Championships, it’s safe to say that he’s not exactly happy with the result.
The thing is, it’s not like Katsuki doesn’t know about Todoroki. He’s heard the comparisons- the two of them have been the top of their respective fields, they are young, they are both Japanese, and he supposes Todoroki is not that bad to look at either. So there’s no doubt that some people are going to compare the two of them, regardless of how different the dance styles are.
Katsuki’s watched videos of Todoroki and yeah, he gets it. The guy is technically perfect. Every video and every dance of Todoroki’s, he is absolute perfection. Not a hair out of place, not a step missed. Born into a family of ballroom dancers, his father and mother were a world-class couple, and Todoroki seemed to inherit his parents’ talents.
But there’s something missing-and it’s the reason why Todoroki can never be at the top of his field. Katsuki can see it, and it’s no doubt that everyone else can too.
Todoroki Shouto dances with no love. There’s a certain coldness that exudes from him that is far beyond the ice prince demeanor that he puts on; a coldness that cannot be cured despite the flames of passion that light ablaze in his eyes.
If Todoroki is ice, then Katuski is an explosion - uncontainable, unruly. He’s quick to anger, and wears his heart on his sleeve when he dances. So-to lose to this guy who is everything Katsuki is not-who can blame him for being upset?
He straightens himself up as he looks in the mirror. Pull yourself together, Katsuki. If he was caught dead in this bathroom feeling sorry for himself, losing would be the second most embarrassing thing that happened today. Sighing, he pushes open the bathroom door and starts to make his way back to his partner, Ashido, who he’s sure is beginning to wonder where the hell he went off to.
“Excuse me”
Katsuki pauses.
—---------
“By the way, Todoroki Shouto invited us to 10dance.” Katsuki tries to keep his tone casual as he and Ashido make their way down the stairs of the hotel lobby, his bag slung over his shoulder.
“Excuse me, what?”
“You heard me Pinky, don’t make me fucking repeat myself.”
“Well, what did you say?”
“I turned him down, obviously.”
Ashido stops him in his tracks, her bright pink hair coming into his line of sight as she looks at him with the most unimpressed stare. He’s known her for probably half of his life and she is one of the only people in the world who can manage to speak back to him without getting gravely injured- part of what makes them such good partners.
“What do you mean you turned him down? This is our only chance to learn from The Todoroki Shouto!”
Katsuki scoffs and pushes past her. “Do you know how much stamina 10dance requires? It’s 10 ballroom and 10 latin dances. That’s twice as many dances that we’re used to doing and on top of that..”
“But this is a chance to dance in his arms, Bakugo. Can you imagine?”
“I dont fucking care about that shit. Besides, we’re national champions, they are world champions and..”
“Second.”
A cold voice comes from behind the couch. Katsuki turns to see Todoroki Shouto stand up, his mismatched hair styled perfectly in contrast to the black turtleneck and gray trench coat he’s donned. Even in style, the two of them are diametrically opposed, with Katsuki in baggy cargo pants and a floral shirt that is only half buttoned up.
“Second. I’ve never been world champion.” He turns towards Katsuki, the mask of cold indifference sitting perfectly across his face. Even the scar on his left eye exudes elegance and grace. There’s something about the guy that frustrates him to no end and Katsuki can feel it from the tips of his fingers down to his bones. He adjusts his face into a smirk.
“I know why you’ve never won. It’s..”
Todoroki cuts him off. “How long until they drag you off stage?”
Katsuki stops, his taunts unheard and his face dropping. “The fuck do you mean by that, half-and-half bastard?”
“National champions can compete internationally. So why don’t you? Why do you never compete internationally?”
Katsuki scowls. It’s not like he never wanted to go abroad and he loves being the best. But it’s not like he can admit it out loud when Todoroki is looking at him like that..
So Katsuki tells a half truth. “What can I say, I’m a small fry who likes being number 1.” He shrugs and starts to walk away, ready for this conversation to be over and for Todoroki Shouto to be another mindless memory that he’ll reflect on later.
“It seems I was wrong about you.”
“What the fuck did you say to me?”
Todoroki fixates him with his mismatched eyes, the blue and grey looking him with a bland, and bored look.
“It seems talent and physique can only get you so far.”
There’s something else though in his eyes, Katsuki can see it. Can see that Todoroki is trying to get a rise out of him and he knows he should just let it go. And yet, he can feel his temper rising. At this point it’s not about Worlds or any of that crap. It’s about the way that Todoroki is staring at him and it’s driving him crazy.
“You picking a fight?”
Todoroki walks towards him. “I’m assuming you saw me as a rival. Turns out you’re not worth my time.” He brushes past Katsuki coolly and makes his way towards the parked van, his partner following slowly behind him.
Katsuki takes a pause. Who does this fucker think he is? First asking him to do the 10dance with him and then saying he isn’t even competition?
“Oi, half and half. We’re not done here.”
Todoroki pauses, then turns back to face Katsuki. Katsuki stomps his way over until he’s chest to chest with Todoroki. Todoroki is slightly taller than him so they aren’t eye to eye and Katsuki has to look slightly upwards. It makes Katsuki want to punch the guy in the face. Or something.
“You wanna do the 10dance together? Fine. Let’s do it.”
There’s a brief glimpse of something that flickers across Todoroki’s face. But it’s gone as soon as it arrives, replaced with the same mask of indifference from earlier.
“Can you handle it?”
Katsuki steps closer. “You gonna break me? Bring it on halfie.”
At this, Todoroki finally cracks a small smile.
“I’ll lead you to the final.”
—-------------
It’s a few days later when Katsuki and Ashido make their way to Todoroki’s dance studio to begin lessons.
“Wow. This is amazing” Ashido mutters as the two of them make their way to the glass doors to see Todoroki practicing by himself as his partner, Yaoyorozu Momo, stretches at the bar. He’s wearing all black with an adoring tie and vest and Katsuki has to admit-he looks captivating. As the music starts playing, Todoroki positions himself to begin, his right hand flexing before rounding into a curved shape to mimic the hold of his partner, his left arm up for their hands to clasp. Lost in a trance, Katsuki forgets what he came here for, only realizing after Ashido clears her throat to usher them into the studio.
At the sound of the door opening, Yaoyorozu greets them in a black leotard and skirt with dance heels to match. “Good evening!”
Todoroki continues to finish his move before he then turns to face Katsuki and Ashido, a hand on his hip. “You’re more than 30 minutes late. Hurry up and get ready,” he mutters before turning back to the mirror and assuming his formation.
“I can show you the dressing room!” Yaoyorozu offers to Ashido as she leads her down the hall. “Thank you so much,” Ashido gasps as they walk into the fitting room. An awkward silence fills the room as Yaoyorozu moves to take Ashido’s coat.
“So.. Do you think they’ll get along?”
Yaoyorozu chuckles as she hangs Ashido’s coat onto the rack. “I wouldn’t worry about that. Shouto kept whining on and on about how he ‘needed Bakugo for Latin’. Really, I’ve not seen him so determined about something since…”
She trails off, but Ashido is positively gleeful.
—----
“Why don’t we check your hold while we’re waiting?”
Katsuki shrugs off his leather jacket to reveal an oversized tan button down and flowy black pants. He ruffles his hair up slightly and walks past Todoroki, over to the mirror, “Okay.”
“How familiar are you with ballroom dancing?”
“I’m a professional.”
“I see. Then you take the lead, and I’ll follow.” Todoroki stands directly behind Katsuki and holds his hand out to him.
Katsuki pauses for a second, before turning around to connect their hands together, assuming the position that he saw Todoroki do when they first stepped into the studio. Todoroki places his left hand across Katsuki’s back and Katsuki goes the same, their right hands clasped together.
“Lower your sense of contact. From the stomach down to the knees,” Todoroki instructs, their legs and bodies flushed against each other and he starts lowering them into a plié. He begins to count as they start moving, instructing Katsuki when to turn.
As they start getting into the rhythm, Todoroki remarks, “The waltz was originally a courtship dance, but the hold is like wearing handcuffs. Graceful on the surface, but with restraint and control.” He presses closer to Katuski.
At this, Katsuki stumbles and releases his hold from Todoroki. The air grows thick.
“Sorry about the wait,” Ashido remarks as she and Yaoyorozu enter back into the room, now matching in their black skirts. Noticing how Katsuki has moved across the room from Todoroki, with Todoroki’s eyes following him around, she adds, “...did something happen? Is something wrong?”
Katsuki chews on his lip. “Half and half is just a fucking freak who has no sense of personal space and rubbed his dick on me”
Todoroki says nothing, but his eyebrow quirks up at this remark.
Ashido anxiously looks between the two before apologizing to Todoroki on behalf of her partner.
“It’s fine,” Todoroki muses. “Shall we continue? Or are you too uncomfortable?”
Katsuki scowls and holds up his hands.
—-
They spend the first hour and a half practicing the waltz, with Todoroki and Yaoyorozu teaching the basics of partner dance.
The second half is Latin dance, where Katsuki and Ashido take the lead, and finally, Katsuki feels like himself again.
“One, Two, Three- New York”, he calls out while demonstrating. After a while, he stops and continues to count while watching Todoroki. It’s funny how- despite being a national and almost world champion in ballroom dancing, Todoroki looks like a fish out of water. His movements are stiff and awkward, and his hips lack any sense of fluidity.
“Okay that’s enough,” Katsuki claps.
“How was it?” Todoroki genuinely looks hopeful as he asks Katsuki. Katsuki’s smile widens into a giant grin, stretching his face.
“That was terrible, shortcake. Your hip movements are robotic and downright hard to watch.” Katsuki starts to undo his shirt that he has tied with a knot in front.
“Watch how my body moves.” He takes his shirt off and rips the velcro off, leaving his top undressed down to his hips. He presses his finger to his hipbone and starts to count, undulating with the music. “You’ve gotta feel it from the spine,” he continues to move his hips as he watches Todoroki attempt to copy him through the mirror. “Through the shoulder blades,” Katsuki says as he raises his arms up, “into the arm movements.” After a little bit Katsuki turns to Todoroki. “Just copy what I do.”
Todoroki’s brow is furrowed as he attempts to copy Katsuki’s movements. He looks so concentrated that Katsuki decides to take pity on him. “Come here. Put your hands right here.” He points to his hips while moving. Todoroki, hesitantly, moves behind Katsuki and places his hands over his hips, his chest pressed up behind Katsuki’s back. Katsuki starts counting again as he puts his hands over Todoroki’s to guide his hips. He can feel Todoroki’s breath hot against his back and Katsuki wonders if Todoroki can feel his heart beating rapidly.
“Two, three, four,” Katsuki slips out of Todoroki’s grasp and circles him, eyes trained on him like a cat to its prey. “You know, half and half, if waltz is a courtship ritual then Latin dance is pure eroticism.” Their eyes meet, where red meets blue and grey.
….
The two of them end up spending significant time together. At first, it’s just dance practice. But then, Todoroki invites Katsuki to a fine dinner at his place. The whole thing is exactly Todoroki’s type vibe- it’s fine, it’s classic, but it’s not Katsuki at all. So, Katsuki decides to take matters into his own hands because fuck was he getting suffocated by all the lessons about being prim and proper and seeing Todoroki's smug face while he felt downright out of place was a cherry on top the proverbial cake that he was about to blow up.
They find themselves at a Cuban bar downtown one night. Now this is Katsuki’s territory. The rum, the energy, the vibe is electric and Katuski feels like he can finally breathe again. Todoroki, on the other hand, looks completely out of place. Wearing the same trench coat and turtle neck that they did when they first met, he sits at the bar eating his food with silverware and drinking a glass of water while everyone else, Katsuki himself included, gravitate towards the dance floor.
This, Katsuki thinks, will not do.
“What do you think?” Katsuki glides on over, his shirt open and with a bottle of rum in his hand. “This is the real taste of Latin dance, if you wanna beat me, you’re going to have to learn from my turf.” He grabs Todoroki by the hand and guides them into the dance circle.
“Go on, halfie, show me how much you’ve learned.”
—----
“It’s almost like a wave right through his fingertips. While holding his hand I can.. I feel his emotions, you know? You get that? Like superiority. Possessiveness. The urge to control. And sometimes I feel gentleness. Expectation. I don’t even know how to explain it properly. I mean it’s like I can feel everything he’s feeling.”
“You sound like you’re in love”