Music Keeps Us Alive: College Band AU

BreakUp & Intro

"GET OUT!" Dabi screams, shoving Hawks toward the door of his apartment. Hawks promptly turns around and grabs his boyfriend by the wrists, keeping him from pushing him.

"C'mon Dabs. Lemme explain!" Hawks shouts back in an almost nonchalant manner, as if Dabi's simply overreacting.

"EXPLAIN WHAT, MOTHERFUCKER? EXPLAIN HOW YOU WEREN'T CHEATING ON ME WHEN I CAUGHT YOU FUCKING PROFESSOR KAYAMA?!" Dabi growls, trying to hold back tears as he attempts to wrestle free from the jock's grip.

"I don't know what you're talking about man," Hawks scoffs. Dabi activates his Quirk, making Hawks cry out and release him. Dabi angrily tears his phone out of his pocket and pulls up the video footage.

"I CAUGHT YOU SNEAKING HER IN ON THE FUCKING RING DOORBELL IDIOT! DID YOU FORGET I HAVE A CAMERA, OR DID YOU WANT ME TO FIND OUT THIS WAY THAT YOU'RE FUCKING OUR CHEMISTRY TEACHER?!" Dabi snarls, "THIS IS MY APARTMENT! I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET A WHOLE NEW BED! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE DONE FOR YOU?!"

"Pfft. And what exactly have you done for me, Toya?" Hawks snaps, and Dabi grits his teeth.

"I told you, that's not my name anymore," The scarred man seethes, balling his hands up into fists. "And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"It means. All you do is sit in your room, study, and write music. We don't go to bars anymore. We never go on dates anymore. You won't come with me to my fraternity's parties. You refuse to do anything but fucking stay holed up like some loser," Hawks says coldly, staring him dead in the face.

"I told you . I'm going through a rough time right now. Music helps me calm down and feel better. You used to like my music-" Dabi starts, trying to remain calm, but Hawks rudely cuts him off.

"Yeah, yeah. Your mom died last year and you've still got daddy issues, boohoo. My folks have been absent for years. You'll get over it."

Dabi can feel his heart shattering. Ever since Hawks started making more friends and joining new crowds, he'd become a totally different person. They were high school sweethearts, going into their third year of dating and their junior year of college. They'd been living together for a whole year, though it was Dabi's name on the lease. He just let Hawks continuously crash there. But...as the years went by...he realized that Hawks was no longer the person he fell in love with. He wanted so desperately for it to not be true, but his words just confirmed it. Dabi storms off, running straight into the bedroom. He grabs Hawks' duffel bag, which reeks of weed, and tears it open before harshly pulling open drawers in the dresser. Dabi throws Hawks belongings into the bag and storms back into the living room before shoving the bag into his hands.

"Get. The fuck. Out of here," Dabi says through gritted teeth, feeling tears well up in his eyes. Hawks laughs in his face.

"Seriously? That's it? Toya, we've been through too mu-"

"THAT'S NOT MY FUCKING NAME AND I WANT YOU OUT OF MY FUCKING APARTMENT! NOW! GET THE HELL OUT AND DON'T COME BACK! WE'RE DONE! THIS 'LOSER' IS DUMPING YOUR SORRY ASS! GO LIVE IN YOUR STUPID FRAT HOUSE WITH ALL YOUR STUPID FRIENDS WHO ARE BETTER THAN ME!" Dabi screams, igniting his hands, threatening to get violent. Hawks' eyes narrow and he puffs his chest out.

"Fine. I don't need you anyway," He snorts, rolling his eyes as he walks out of the front door and slams it behind him. Dabi sinks to the ground in the middle of the living room and completely loses it, crying his heart out and ruining his eyeliner.

"FUCK!!!!!!!" He screams until his throat hurts, not caring if he gets a noise complaint. He feels like his heart was just ripped out of his chest. In truth, his friends warned him that this would happen.

...

They'd formed a band freshman year, after Dabi (then, Toya) met them at orientation. Dabi is majoring in biology and is set on becoming a veterinarian, which his father rather frowned upon. Nonetheless, his new friends were eager to support him. Twice (third-year theatre major) is the lead vocalist, Tomura (third-year computer science major) plays the bass, Spinner (third-year exercise and sport science major) is the drummer, and Compress (third-year history major) plays the keyboard. Dabi writes the songs, plays his electric guitar, and sings backup (or provides screams whenever needed for their harder songs). Last year, they'd welcomed a freshman (now-sophomore) into their band; a girl named Himiko Toga (theatre major) who had a siren-like voice and an astounding vocal range. She and Twice were the headlining vocalists of their band: League of Villains.

This year, Dabi's younger brother, Shoto (first-year biological engineering major), also formed a band with his friends. Shoto was two years younger than Dabi but was far more gifted in their father's eyes. Shoto was the favorite. Dabi didn't resent him for it; in fact, Shoto loathed their father as much as Dabi did. Like his older brother, Shoto was the guitarist and co-lyricist for his friends' band: Dekusquad, named after the lead vocalist's stage name: Deku (first-year mechanical engineering major). The other co-lyricist was a girl named Tsuyu Asui (first-year ecology major), who also played the keyboard in the band. Their bassist and backup vocalist was Ochaco Uraraka (first-year astrophysics major), and their drummer was named Tenya Ida (first-year accounting major). However, Shoto's band had a prominent rival on UA University Campus: Bakusquad.

Bakusquad was an up-and-coming alternative group of freshmen with a lead vocalist whose range was almost as glorious as Toga's. Mina Ashido (first-year dance major) had the timbre of Rihanna and the tenacity of P!nk. Mina and their drummer, Katsuki Bakugo (first-year chemistry major), wrote the lyrics for their songs. The drummer's boyfriend, Ejiro Kirishima (first-year exercise and sport science major), played the bass, while their other best friends, Denki Kaminari (first-year electrical engineering major) and Hanta Sero (first-year graphic design major), played the keyboard and guitar respectively.

The music scene of Musutafu was always a key part of the culture, and UA University often brought some big names in music to light. Music was a way for the students to express themselves; it was a way to relieve stress and dish out emotions whether they be love, hate, anger, happiness, despair, or frustration. Music keeps the students of UA University alive.